Chapter 329: Coward

Guulvorg went into melee with its forelimbs slashing Ned. Unsatisfied as Ned evaded its attack, the beast used its scythe-like fangs to try to bite Ned.

All its attacks only hit the air and that made its red eyes glow even brighter.

Sticky saliva drooling between its teeth, the beast jumped backward as it tried to assess its new enemy.

Damn it's smart, Ned wiped the sweat under his chins and moved slowly behind him, going back to Gogmurch and the baby wyvern.

Looking for an easy target, the Guulvorg leaped and instantly landed before the remaining hunter. Rocks rattled under its massive feet, it then attacked the hunters.

Surprisingly, the hunters fared well against the beast. Guess, when one pushed to the brink of death, they would do everything in their power to survive.

Hunters surrounded Napond most of which were mages around him, and warriors with rouges did a defensive formation for the whole group.

Napond was alive, and it's only necessary that they keep it that way.

A warrior stood in front of the group, with mages conjuring behind him. They fought that come to be their last.

Ned reached for the cage and open it with the dull stone.

Newter, the black baby wyvern, excitedly jumped to Gogmurch. Gogmurch had to lower the ax he held to make full contact with the baby wyvern. This time Ned was sure, Newter was a she with her tail dangling over the ground.

It was also at this moment that a head came rolling between Gogmurch's feet. It came from the warrior before, his eyelids twitched with blood leaving his nose, and mouth, and ears, and neck. His body? Only the abnormal Guulvorg knew, perhaps it was already together with Thirteen and the rest of the Ghostbloods inside its belly.

Three of the rouges spread which prompted the abnormal beast to leap with a booming sound its every step, it then cut off the hunter's escape routes behind the forest. First, a growl then followed by its tail illuminating a purple thunder. The beast used its quick reflexes to hurl its bulb tail along with the thunderbolt. Not even their Hunter's clothing could resist the crackling havoc of the purple thunder as the three were charred in an instant. Leaving the rest to bent on their knees as though confused why were they born only to die on the hands, perhaps the fangs of the Guulvorg.

"Human," Gogmurch started, he knew the difference between him and the Guulvorg, or what remained of his friend. But Gogmurch knew, it wasn't his friend anymore, it was nothing but a killing beast. "Now is the time to leave this place."

Ned agreed and nodded. Indeed it was time to leave.

With Newter resting over Gogmurch's shoulder, and with the ax he got from the hunter, Gogmurch left going to the crest of the hill where sunshine rose, basking them of its beam.

Ned followed behind Gogmurch with the Butterfly on the ready.

"With the humans distracting Balworg," Gogmurch said. Ned never saw this goblin general popping breath so tired. "This would be an easy escape."

Ned looked over his shoulder as he sprinted the hill to escape. There, he saw the remaining hunters down to six, Napond not included. They were like the Ghostbloods: they fought for their lives but only to die in the end.

Ned ran.

And ran.

Ran.

Ran like a coward. Because of them, he escaped.

What's with the cool-looking outfit if, in the end, it was nothing but just an outfit, he thought. Under his mask, he hissed to himself. Since when did I become this low...?

Ned's vision was overwhelmed by his Master sacrificing himself for him to escape away from the Royal Knight. He was stubborn, and he did not escape. The face of the raven-haired girl with whom he falls in love, Kamma. His witty High elf friend, Calahir. Toni with her timid eyes. Xi his playful friend.

Friend? Ned thought. I'm not qualified to be their friend.

"Coward," Coco spoke inside his mind. If only the cat could indeed speak, then it was shameful that the first word he said was COWARD.

"Coward, am I?" Ned was saying to himself in a rhythm he once heard from an old friend.

Ned stopped. And turn around where the rest of Hunters, at the bottom of the hill struggles to survive. He slid and with the Butterfly, he was brandishing he conjured Fireball. Threw it the monstrosity, and conjured another, and another, and another. He doesn't care anymore about his Mana. How many was it? How long will it last?

To save them, does he need to have a reason? No. That's how humans act, and Ned was human enough to do it.

An uproar of Fireball shrouded the entire base of the hill. Ripples of cloud darkened the surrounding along with rocks spewing in every direction.

But for the Guulvorg, the Fireballs were nothing but a flame made out of matchsticks. Its pelt was thick enough that even a Tier 2 Fireball was not able to penetrate it.

Surprised by both Ned's Fireball and the Guulvorg still standing as though nothing happened, the hunters, this time, escaped leaving the pebbles covered Napond, except for two.

Guulvorg's eyes glowed red in rage. It then leaped in a zigzag manner and stopped before Ned—just in time for him to reach the bottom of the hill.

Ned stood with the Guulvorg in front of him. He was looking like an ant under its massive paws.

How come a five-story beast moves so fast, Ned thought. Not backing, not anymore, and not now. Ned conjured Tower Blaze: forming a floating orb before him that turns into a tower shield flame, defending him even further. To his right was the Butterfly, oozing with a green light.

No holding back, Ned thought. And appeared before the Guulvorg's eye, 40 meters above the ground. The Butterfly oozes excitement as it stabbed the beast right through its red glowing eye.

Not enough he thought and used the Tower Blaze to attack its wounded eyes. Scorching it from the inside.

The beast might be immune externally, but what about inside? Ned smirked midair. Even though the spell barely damaged the beast, still, the idea of it being weak inside was worth learning.