7.Blood and Ice
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Chapter 7: Blood and Ice
Moon had barely managed to push himself up on his feet—his breathing ragged, blood dripping from his mouth—when the Cryo Rhino charged again.
He didn't even get a second to react.
CRACK!
Its horn slammed into Moon's arm with brutal force, sending a sickening jolt through his bones.
"AAAAAAHHH!" Moon screamed, his voice tearing through the freezing air like broken glass.
Kai, standing a few steps behind, instantly rushed forward—his eyes wide, teeth gritted.
He positioned himself between Moon and the beast, a katana drawn in a flash of silver.
"You alright?! Did it break your arm!?"
Moon, panting heavily, glanced at his throbbing limb. "No… but I think the bone's swollen..."
The pain was real, but Moon gritted his teeth, channeling every ounce of willpower just to remain standing. But the rhino wasn't done. It turned, its thick icy hide glowing faintly blue, and charged again.
Kai stepped forward without hesitation. "Same move twice? Not gonna work, you frozen brute."
SLASH—SLASH—SLASH!
Kai landed three sharp strikes across the beast's body with surgical precision. While it didn't pierce deep, the sheer momentum of the slashes forced the rhino to stagger back a few steps.
That was enough.
Moon clenched his fists, pain pushed aside by strategy.
"We won't beat this thing with strength," he said. "We'll have to outplay it. Trick it."
He dropped into a fluid stance—part boxing, part Muay Thai—his eyes locked onto Kai's. With a subtle nod, they formed a plan in silence.
A few meters away, behind a frost-covered boulder, Ruok watched with twisted excitement.
"Heh... so they're trying to use strategy now," he muttered. "This rhino's still a Rookie-level beast, technically—but it's peak-tier. Even Fighter-level hunters struggle with this one."
Ruok's lips curled into a grin. He enjoyed this. Watching rookies fight, suffer, scream—knowing full well they'd signed a contract that voided any responsibility on his part. In the Shifting Expanse, there were no surveillance drones. No rules. Only death... and spectacle.
He lived for it.
---
Back in the battle zone, Moon stood tall. Kai flanked to the side.
The Cryo Rhino's blind rage locked onto Moon again. With a guttural roar, it lunged.
Moon spun right—narrowly dodging the charge—and planted a brutal hook into the beast's right eye.
At the same instant, Kai dashed in from the side and sliced into the rhino's left eye.
The beast screamed.
It staggered in agony, now completely blind.
"Now!" Moon shouted.
He rushed forward and began battering the beast with a barrage of strikes—punches, elbows, knees—all landing with vicious precision. With each blow, faint bruises began to appear on the beast's tough skin.
Kai didn't waste time. He raised his damaged katana and drove it straight into the wounded eye socket—aiming for the brain.
But just as he thrust—
WHOOOOOSH—BOOOOM!
An unseen force surged.
Moon and Kai barely had time to process before giant shards of ice rained from above—slamming into them like frozen meteors. The Cryo Rhino's elemental nature had awakened.
Both brothers were flung backward—crashing against jagged stones. The ice had missed a killing blow, but the shock had dazed them.
The rhino, now blind, sniffed the air, tracking scent.
It turned toward Kai.
With a monstrous cry, it charged.
Kai braced himself, planting his katana in front like a shield.
CLANG...CRACK...
The katana began to freeze instantly upon contact. Crystals crept up the blade—splitting it with a painful snap.
The beast's horn kept pushing.
Kai's eyes widened.
The next second—
SHUNK!
The ice horn pierced through his abdomen.
"G-GAAGHHHHH!" Kai was sent flying—his back slammed into a frozen rock, leaving him gasping for air, blood soaking his shirt.
Pain overwhelmed him.
His vision blurred. He could feel consciousness slipping.
But through the haze, he heard it—
> "NO!!"
Moon's voice. Sharp. Agonized.
That cry lit something in him.
---
Moon stared at the beast, rage boiling in his chest. He tried to summon his Electro element, but nothing came.
Only faint sparks danced at his fingertips.
"COME ON!" he shouted. "WORK, DAMN YOU!"
The rhino had heard his voice.
It turned and stormed toward him.
Moon didn't run.
Instead, he stepped forward and at the last second dropped down, grabbing the beast's front leg with every ounce of his strength.
The rhino was shocked.
Moon's feet scraped across the frozen floor as he tried to unbalance the creature—and finally, with one desperate heave, he managed to throw the beast off its center.
It collapsed onto its side.
Moon didn't hesitate. He roared and drove his fist into the creature's gut.
And this time—
> CRACK-BOOM!
A massive burst of electricity exploded from Moon's fist—his element finally responding, but uncontrolled.
The shockwave engulfed the rhino's body—and also fried Moon's nerves.
His brain buzzed. His body spasmed.
Blood poured from his nose.
He collapsed beside the beast, semi-conscious.
---
But Kai had regained awareness.
His body was barely moving, but his mind was sharp enough to see the opportunity.
Dragging himself forward, he grabbed the jagged edge of his broken katana and, with a grimace, stabbed the beast multiple times in the ribs and neck.
Each cut deepened the damage.
The electricity had already burned the rhino's organs from the inside. Blood had evaporated. Flesh had crisped.
The beast convulsed violently—its system shutting down.
And then… silence.
It collapsed.
Dead.
But in its death throes, it twisted one final time—its body weight crashing down on Moon.
With its last breath, it conjured one last icicle spike, driving it straight through Moon's abdomen.
Moon's eyes widened. His scream echoed for miles.
> A boy who once laughed at the stars was now crying beneath a dead sky.
---
Kai dragged himself through the snow, limbs shaking, and collapsed beside his brother.
> SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
– You have slain a Cryo Rhino (Rookie Elite).
– You gain +3 Rookie Essence Points.
– You may harvest meat for partial energy recovery.
Kai ignored it.
He tossed his broken blade aside and cradled Moon's body.
His skin was half-burnt from the uncontrolled electricity. Blood oozed from his mouth and side. His body was trembling.
But—
> He was still breathing.
Kai exhaled with relief, eyes welling with tears. "You idiot… why'd you take it all alone?"
Then—CLAP… CLAP…
A slow mocking applause echoed through the frost.
Kai turned.
There he was.
Ruok.
Grinning. Enjoying the show like a well-fed demon.
"Well done," Ruok laughed. "I thought you two would die much sooner."
His voice oozed arrogance.
Kai narrowed his eyes.
"You… you sent us to die…"
Ruok tilted his head mockingly. "No, no. You signed the agreement, remember? Your death? Entirely on you."
He laughed again.
Kai's fists clenched. Rage and blood loss fought for dominance.
But Ruok just kept smiling.
"And now," Ruok said, "let's see how long you survive… with nothing left."
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[TO BE CONTINUED…]
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