Chapter 359: Confrontation and old rivalry
In the darkness, as the guards patrolled the outskirts of the village, they heard a faint noise somewhere in the distance.
Before they could react or even realize what was happening, their heads were violently twisted. Their bodies were left where they fell, discarded in the cold blooded slaughter taking place just beyond the village.
It was happening all around them.
From the darkness, a huge number of men advanced toward the village, their steps steady and unhesitating.
There was no hesitation in their movements, nor any fear in their eyes. Only a raw hunger for blood burned within them as they drew closer.
Their numbers alone dictated why they were here.
However, as they approached the village entrance, they were met by a larger group of men, all armed and prepared for combat.
They were nowhere compared to the ambushers in number but enough to make them stop.
The intruders exchanged glances, and the gleam in their eyes told the resistance force exactly what they intended to do.
Still, before either side could make a move, a commanding voice rang out from within the village.
"Halt."
It was the authoritative voice of the Chief, a voice that immediately made everyone give way.
Kalish stepped forward, his posture confident despite the fury tightly restrained behind his expression. Beside him stood his daughter and the village chief, Baldon.
After being informed by one of his warriors about the ambushers moving toward the village, Kalish had immediately warned Baldon. The Chief, in turn, had alerted the villagers and ordered the warriors to prepare for an attack.
Yet the alarm bell that had echoed throughout the village had done nothing to discourage the intruders.
They did not retreat.
They did not even slow down.
And why would they?
They were advancing in overwhelming numbers.
’This is madness.’
Baldon muttered the words inwardly as he stood beside Kalish, his eyes sweeping across the entrance.
Everywhere he looked, he saw tall, broad men standing in the darkness, weapons in hand and bodies poised to strike. They looked ready to pounce at any moment and tear the entire village apart.
As a magical being, Baldon could sense the energy radiating from several of them.
It was not ordinary.
The sheer number of magical beings gathered before him was enough to make his stomach tighten.
Not even within the Head Tribe had he ever witnessed so many superhumans gathered in one place.
"I want to speak with your leader," Kalish said, his voice remaining steady and barely exposing the thoughts he had in his mind.
The man standing at the front sneered. "And how would that change anything?"
"Mindful of how you speak, or this night will surely end with your head rolling across the ground," the guard commanding Kalish’s unit warned, a cold gleam flashing in his eyes.
The man narrowed his eyes at him.
Then someone from the crowd let out a hearty laugh.
"Bahaha! Just like their master, the dogs beneath him are full of pride as well."
A booming voice suddenly came from behind him.
The ambushers parted down the middle, creating a path as a massive man stepped forward. He carried a wooden chair in one hand, which he casually dragged along before setting it down for himself.
He was nearly twice Baldon’s height, with long, curly hair and dark eyes that held a sickening hunger. A massive scar stretched across his bare chest, standing out against his skin like the mark of some brutal battle.
He looked less like a man and more like a beast that had learned to walk on two legs.
As he approached, his presence alone seemed to crush the air around him. Several warriors instinctively recoiled, some even flinching under the weight of it.
Baldon was among them.
He had never felt an aura so oppressive.
It was not simply power. There was something vicious buried within it, something that made his instincts scream that the creature approaching them was far more dangerous than anyone he had faced before.
Baldon’s gaze hardened.
’Even the Head Chief never radiated such a presence during the battle.’
His fingers tightened around his weapon as he stared at the towering man.
’Just who the hell is this?’
The man stopped just outside the village gate and dragged his chair forward, the wooden legs scraping against the ground with a long, grating screech.
He placed it directly before Kalish and Baldon before sitting down. Resting his hands on his knees, he leaned forward slightly, his dark eyes fixed on Kalish.
"I hope you haven’t forgotten me, the proud Chief of the Handsar Tribe. We have crossed paths a few times in the past, and I nearly took your life once."
Kalish remained indifferent, his expression giving away nothing.
"I believed you had enough pride not to attack me while I am not at my fullest. Have you grown so desperate to take my position that you have stooped this low, Regath?"
The man chortled.
"Talking about pride in a world ruled by blood and war is as foolish as handing a child a blade." Regath leaned back in his chair, a mocking smile spreading across his face. "You spout that horse shit to save your people, your family, and of course, this village you have taken shelter in."
His gaze shifted briefly toward the village behind Kalish before returning to him.
"So don’t preach to me about pride, Kalish. You know better than anyone that when survival is at stake, pride is the first thing a man should be willing to throw away."
Kalish narrowed his eyes.
"So this is how it’s going to be? You attack me when I don’t have my men with me, believing this will force the council and my people to surrender my seat to you?"
He shook his head, a trace of disbelief entering his voice.
"That’s more foolish than I expected from you."
Regath’s expression darkened.
"Continue calling me foolish, and I will make you watch as your own men behead one another right before your eyes."
"Why? You don’t have the strength to do that yourself?"
The feminine voice came from the left, cutting through the tension.
Regath’s head snapped toward her.
A little girl stood there, staring at him without a trace of fear.
She tilted her head slightly before adding, "Or maybe your men simply aren’t capable of hunting us?"
For a moment, silence settled over the gate.
Regath’s eyes narrowed.
Then, a deep, booming laugh erupted from his throat and echoed through the surrounding forest.
Baldon glanced at Kalish, expecting him to intervene, but the Chief remained silent.
His daughter was already stepping forward, and her intentions were clear.
Meanwhile none of the men gathered outside the village noticed the lone figure standing atop a nearby house.
He remained completely still, watching the confrontation unfold from the shadows.
His eyes settled on the black-haired girl as she moved closer to Regath.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then, a faint smile touched his lips.
’Let’s see how you handle this.’
~~~~~
A/N:- I hope you liked the Chapter. Please join the discord server for more images. Send a friend request to hayden_greyhart on discord. And please leave a comment.