The voice that Murai was hearing was strangely physical, yet also speaking to his soul. It was hoarse and seed like scrapping swords against a tree's bark. It was coming from this Alpha Coyote, which seed as dangerous as it should and was out of its mind. A strange glint was within its eyes with quite powerful strength similar to Murai's.
Alpha Coyote was a Class D monster, but that alone wouldn't pose as the biggest issue. From the aure and the mass, it was obvious it held years of experience with power larger than Murai's. It was a dangerous beast by itself, so it was no wonder that he was feeling a lot of threat from it.
However, the voice spread from it, giving Murai a tinge of sothing strange. There was an intelligence hiding in those crimson eyes, hiding even a reason, but it was shrouded in the agony of the huge tallic collar around the neck. Its inner voice also sounded a bit old, tired, and fed up without much regard for anything then dying.
“Wait... Wait. Wait. You understand ?” Murai quacked again and Alpha nodded slightly while restraining his paws on the ground so it wouldn't jump forward, pouncing at Murai with the hopes of eating him up.
How could this beast understand him when he quacked? This question entered his mind but he had no idea for an answer, but that nod seed real.
“Uh... what the fuck am I supposed to do then? Should we kill each other now? Fight? I never t a soul who would understand outside of my damned soul or...” Murai glanced upwards, uncaring to ntion Lisa at all. “What the hell is it then!? This... I can't read your soul with my Soul Read... It makes the emotions confusing, while the soul itself is so hazy and dark like clouds of chaos. It is unlike the previous beasts who were bloody murderous animals as they should be. You, what the fuck are you?” Murai cursed out loud, showing quite a sight to this Alpha, who was not only an intelligent being, but its soul was an unordinary one.
The kind that Murai had trouble reading, or was it made this way?
So spell, curse, or so powerful soul-based power would give a soul this sort of vision, yet he wasn't recognizing any examples.
From the way it seed to him, this Alpha was unlucky to be caught by the Beast Master and made into a slave beast. So whatever was wrong with it, Murai found it intriguing and interesting, rather than fearful and depressing. He forgot that this beast wanted to eat him, hunt him like a toy for its master. For a beast to understand him, he sure was wondering why it was possible.
Through the soul?
Will?
Could he understand his quacks?
How did it all work?
Murai uttered quite so nonsense and unhinged worry, unaware of who or what kind of being this Alpha Coyote was.
Now, there was a sudden standstill between the two forces. Alpha Coyote hesitated with the attack, but more so was stopping itself from attacking. The collar seed to notice its hesitation, unleashing a powerful backlash so its body whimpered and shocked as if in pain. The shackles put around the neck glowed in cursed mana filled with so deep restraining magic so it wouldn't be able to get rid of the collar.
There was also a slaving seal on top of the collars, forming a basic vision that the Beast Master commanded. All of this shackled this Alpha, electrifying and causing horrific pain. Yet, it remained watching, wondering what this duck was, rather than crying like a dog. The pain only caused its legs and paws to dig deeper into the soil, stopping while the eyes seed resolute in their last stand, or so the Alpha believed. It didn't want to attack, hoping to seek help instead.
It didn't even consider the pain and rules to be a bother. To get help, it would need a large one or the kind that wouldn't make common sense. Soone stronger than so Beast Master wouldn't fit this. Perhaps even a Blessed would do, but sothing of that kind was right before it.
Right! A Blessed Anatidae would do, but it didn't know of this sort of species at all. It was a simple hunch. Intent, or instinct to trust the process.
“P-please... D-destroy. Chains”
Three words echoed into Murai's soul again, sounding helpless yet resolute to do sothing. At this point, Murai figured out what was happening. This weird, yet intelligent beast before him was an unfortunate one. So kind of soul like him, or so sort of poor bastard that held so unfortunate fate. It t poor fate, which was sothing Murai deeply bonded with not only as a duck but as a being that had more such experiences with Curses and Ends than any other soul.
“Fine. Fine.” Murai sighed, walking forward by 3 steps. “I see your body's honesty, yet I can't see your soul. I damn hope you won't attack if I try to help you, right?” he said, stepping to the close proximity of potential attacks after so deliberate decisions. He still had the Robust Spirit identity abilities, so using them against this beast should be more than enough.
“If you even flinch in a try to kill , I am damned certain I can kill you regardless of your soul perception that led to this shitty situation. Are we clear? It won't matter if your physicality is stronger, or if your attributes or care is larger.” Murai quacked again, Conjuring and Shaping a rather large Mana Blade.
He ford it into many parts, making it a stronger, wider version of the blade that was a bit harder to Shape but only this sort of thing had a higher power to crack so tal.
Probably.
The downside of its mass would be a slower degree of shaping, but its strength would make up for it. It could also be powerful in its own right, and wouldn't necessarily lose its shape. That was one of the basic visions of the Shaping that Murai was confronting for the past lives in the River of Manaflow.
Alpha Coyote kept his uncaring attitude about the pain, neverending straining, and shackling power of this collar. As for the upcoming blade that aid toward its neck, perhaps it was afraid a little as if it wouldn't hit the collar, but the neck instead. A desirable choice, or so the Alpha Coyote thought, the mont the upcoming blade went at his neck.
Its body wanted to stop the blade, yet the mind strained the body, causing the last dozen seconds to halt any actions that wouldn't be its own. This required trendous will, considering the notion of many years of living like a slavering dog.
Alpha Coyotes were a larger and sturdier version of the Phantom Coyote with tougher fur and spiked parts of darker lines around their torso and tail. Of course, it was stronger in everything from the basic Class E Phantom Coyote. Be it the fangs, claws, speed, or strength, it had all the advantages of higher grade species.
For the mont, it was doing its very best to go against the slaving seal put on the collar, that was shrouding its soul for dozens of years.
Flying as fast as it could, Murai did as the voice asked, flashing the swords straight against the collar.
BANG!
A sharp tallic sound resounded, leading to countless scraps of tal and the complete dissipation of Murai's blade. Mana seeped out of every speck of his blade, appearing not only bright but sothing wild and crazy beca of the cracked collar. It was an old one, almost corroded and filled with many spots of rust. It may have been a Void Seal Collar a couple of hundred years ago, but now, it was nothing but scrap even though it was firm and restrained like any other slaving collar a few seconds ago.
To Murai's surprise or shock, he was able to destroy the collar. He thought he wouldn't be able to do it according to thickness and factor that it was around a beast that looked to be of the sa class as his current Anatiade Panacea. It looked like sothing hard to do since destroying the property [collar] of a Beast Master needed to be strong.
It wasn't his first ti eting such an occupation, so he thought little of it.
In fact, he held so satisfaction that he cracked it up.
Murai t all sorts of strange happenings in his life, and many situations put beasts and slavery into a certain perspective. Murai long figured out human nature and what they could do against other races, let alone so beasts. Though, it wasn't always humans that seed like that, as the source of power and ego worked within all of the creatures the sa.
His own experience in many lives was one thing, but seeing the acts of literary countless beings that he had seen or t, Murai held an almost equal amount of value on that, as he held on his own experiences.
It was knowledge.
And knowledge was power in a similar strength as experience.
It was like watching and participating in countless other adventures than his own, leading to many positions where he no longer cared about a lot of things, but also noticed more of them. His current living was also this sort of position, and one may even say that living long lives can lead to a lot of wisdom.
Though, Murai would disagree and call that person an absolute and clueless bastard. Too much of sothing was easy to beco full of useless clutter.
He was mostly tired of many considerations, which in turn made him sowhat of an apathetic asshole. He didn't fault this version of himself, as he sotis forgot what version of himself he had in his mind. It was caused by his cursed living, as he recalled many tis. Noticing that issue, or whether it was even one, ca in a clutch of his ego when it beca important. But such conditions were rare.
Mostly, the New Beginning will give him a blank mind, while the many mories were like hazy pictures - in his mind, ready to see and feel. It was by rigorous Will that he figured out the right thod to go about Cursed Living. That was to don't give a fuck.
It was a simple quote, and it worked in many ways. Sotis not good ones, he reckoned many tis. Unhinged living, and trying to be true to himself. That was his current outlook, which may be close in many terms of Chaos, but he didn't care.
Though, if his care or goodwill will show, he didn't have trouble going with the flow of Order too. If it was sothing to his advantage, that was.
Murai didn't know if what he was doing was right or not, but eting another Will to understand his own was sothing his life desired. No. Perhaps he was fed up with Lisa and wanted another talk. He wasn't sure of it. Ceila was already out of his mind, and it wasn't as if Rain could appear out of nowhere too.
It was a bit strange, yet he was unaware of one simple thing. He felt kind of lonely if that made sense, so without realizing it, he put his mind to focus on the current issue or task, acting with full vigor and all-out strength that took half of his current mana out of his core.
“Hoh? The collar's toughness still obliterated my blade, yet it as well?” Murai figured, thinking of so reasons for the current situation. He long noticed these slaving seals around the collar still floating around the cracked collar, but that didn't an he was feeling sorry for this Alpha that had those things. Phantom Coyotes had them all and they all acted with bloody instinct, Beast Master's desires and to kill.
It was a simple premise yet this case with the Alpha Coyote was different. This beast was forcefully sealed by so strange way that put sothing... forth? The mont Murai "destroyed" the collar, sothing auric changed the air, causing the temperature to drop and darkness shrouded the location a bit more. It was better to say that the collar collapsed on itself, and sothing ca out of it.
Many strings and waves of crystal and shimring chain shot out of the collar, enveloping Murai with so strange runes. It was tangible to the eye, but on closer inspection, it didn't appear to be physical.
One end of the chain was upon Alpha Coyote's neck, while the other went for Murai's head.
Was it a restraining formation? Chains to shackle soone together? Was this a trap?
Murai's vision was able to perceive everything and notice what it was. He was... right yet wrong. It was his hunch to be a trap, and this wasn't so Beast Master's technique, nor a trap.
No.
Sothing was forcing so technique, or formation upon this Alpha Coyote's soul, becoming a toy or so kind of ssed up cursed beast.
Upon these chains were countless little dots and runic symbols of many intricacies, made of invisible threads of understanding and light. It wasn't the usual stuff of magical runes, appearing older and specific. Murai saw them and was an itch away from unleashing Robust Will that should stop this madness, or Robust Defene would do too? Perhaps, but under Murai's Will, his Robust Spirit trembled along with his own Ego. He didn't care to pull the trigger of his unique abilities yet.
“Hmph! Sothing damned intriguing ca up! Whatever you are, you are damned to wish to shackle with so crafty runes of barebone laws? Whoever you are, you are a moron!” Murai shouted, and put forth his powerful soul to good use!
The shackling chains did hit him to his head, enabling so connection to form to his soul, forming a chain reaction of so sort in his soul space. Murai wasn't willing to have this sort of ss under his nose, so he snorted, causing his Robust Spirit to explode in mighty emotions like himself. His powerful soul let a sudden wave, destroying the chains and anything that was coming to this place.
It was over in one swipe of a simple spiritual wave.
Outside, the Alpha Coyote shuddered and coughed up blood. It also whimpered on its legs, staggering aside upon feeling the chain reaction that followed forward. The chains cracked outside too, and not only within Murai's soul space. Like a domino effect, the wrapping enchantnt of so kind ceased to exist in every interaction of so laws that cursed the soul of this Alpha Coyote.
It was an old thing that was with its life for a long ti. It was a neverending curse and sothing it didn't want, and it didn't ask for it.
This duck freed him! Alpha Coyote understood it, albeit it wasn't understanding. Many things followed behind this action and it was feeling conflicted. Its soul went out to beco free after so long, leaving the slaving markings around the neck to appear. The residual parts of the collar cracked a bit more, falling to the ground.
Then, as if possessed, the Alpha kept watching as Murai glared at him unhappily, until he snored and went running away, unwilling to ask or deny this occurrence. Just now, it was sowhat dangerous. It was his hunch, and trusting it was his own little rule.
Murai was fast, disappearing to the bushes and unwilling to have anything to do with this beast that was free and unshackled like a dangerous beast. One can't know what this sort of thing could do, and it was clear to him it was sothing more than ets the eyes.
Murai did the right call since the Beast Master entered his range of Mana Detection, thus forcing him to flee as fast as he could. Danger. A much larger one was coming and it wasn't a asly phantom coyote or alpha coyote.
It was also at this mont that the Beast Master noticed undeniable Mana Detection coming to his own location. He noticed it with his rightful perception of the mana. It was light, slightly thriving shimrs of shivering mana in the air.
“Hm? Mana seems to look out for itself, but... What happened? This...” the Beast Master seed to notice sothing within the connection to his toys. “That cursed beast is gone? What happened? Did... Did it die? Impossible! Target is... Wait... That... That is GREAT! Good!” the man exclaid, yet sounded quite happy as if a huge burden lifted up from his head. Sothing he wanted to get rid of for a long ti was finally gone. It was worth being happy.
It didn't even occur to him how it even happened. The feeling of delight about the loss of the cursed connection that pestered him since he got this damned coyote out of the scam, entered his mind.
Forcing his way through the forest, the Beast Master resud his full attention on his purpose. Around him, there were 4 other Alpha Coyotes. They looked almost the sa as the one Murai freed, apart from the sizeable collar and so color difference and face. Around those 4, each Alpha had 5 Phantom Coyotes, making quite a pack of beasts that would hunt Murai until the end of ti.
That was at least Beast Master's intention and he won't go all out, fearing that using the most wouldn't be fitting for the Encounter. Gods were watchful, after all, and he wasn't ready to unleash the Godly Halo yet.
Without hesitation, there was no question that the Beast Master would go all in. The intention and potency of this hunt were wild, and he wouldn't stop against any odds that were up to his advantage. Now, he still won't be as fierce, since he had to be careful of so hidden things that filled the Battleworld with hazy and complicated spoken, or unspoken rules.
He knew them, while Murai didn't. However, who did know them around him was Lisa, who didn't do much but watch Murai's struggles from her seat above him, flowing in the air.
It was a great luck, that the Beast Master took for granted. The Seventh Death Forest was vast, but he t his great fortune that he was able to detect because of his beasts, which detected the blood, leading to the current situation. The Beast Master finally understood that the goal of this Encounter was before his eyes. Whether it was a bad or a good thing, wasn't important to him.
He felt confident, as he was much more powerful than the last 3 ssiahs put together.
He was level 56, Class C - Beast Master within the Path of a Hunter.
He was soone who could butcher Murai one way or another, so the question was, would he be fast enough to catch him himself, or his beast will be enough? The victorious smirk was already on his face so he didn't want to wait for long. He gestured the packs forward, hastening as fast behind them as well.
It was at the mont of hesitation of eting that strange Alpha Coyote, that Murai discovered the rough power of his opponent with his Mana Detection. It was a Class of soone way more powerful, giving him a tough outlook on his current living. He doubted he would be able to handle it. The beasts were powerful, yet he didn't understand why he wasn't able to catch him so far. Was that man stupid? Murai probably thought so, if it hadn't been for his own fleeing.
The Coyotes were powerful sprinters, and seeing that strange Alpha was a nail to his coffin. He would be like a damned snack for it, and its jaw would swallow him whole.
It was good that he wasn't a coward but a clever bastard. Murai knew that power was everything in the current circumstances, so he fled without any sha. He needed to get the fuck out and figure sothing out.
Flying above him, Lisa appeared closer to his head, unbothered by trees and bushes alike. “What was that just now?” she asked, looking back and forth between him and Alpha who was so distance away, stunned on the sa spot below his forr collar. “Also, it is strange... that man behind is way out of your league. How is he allowed to act against you? It basically confirms that the balance of rules is in shambles, so the Gods are prick in all of this... I knew it.”
“Who gives a damn! That freaking beast had so forceful sothing... Runes? Lawful things... I don't get it. It felt like a curse, but a strange one. It pushed to my soul and for what? Establishing so connection? Was it a forceful slave-making tool? What a sore loser.... that was.” Murai mumbled, wheezing and focusing his attention on running.
“But that thing communicated with you?” Lisa wondered. “Like , with Will alone, or was it sothing else?”
“So tinge of soul power... Probably by its powerful Will, soul, or generic perception, or it knew my quacks? I have no clue. It was probably struggling with the last shred of its soul, so leave it be. Poor beast it is, but I don't have ti to do much with it. Not right now.” Murai decided and shot a glance at Lisa above. “Now! It's about damn ti you tell where I am running to. That man is behind my damned ass, ready to butcher for the sake of this cursed Encounter and many beasts are following behind.” he complained, hoping to get sothing aningful out of Lisa.
As if seeing nothing, Lisa didn't hesitate and gave him a needed answer. The kind that Murai didn't find fitting, however.
“Hm? Right... I guess he is too much to handle. I guess having a helper would solve this problem of yours.”
“Shut up!” He quacked in annoyance.
“Fine. Fine... There is a Death Valley beyond this cherry section. I know it since it's a famous location for adventure. It's a bit further into the forest, edged along a large deep hole. There is a high elevation of half a kiloter, which should be right to form your escape path. Jumping down, and glide to safety with your wings. What do you think? Do you dare?”
“I think you are ridiculous as always,” Mura said what he felt. “But... I have no other choice but to believe my wings are ready to face so air. Death, huh? I hope I won't fall to my End... That would be a hilarious one, I must tell.”
Then, Murai complained so more and almost cried at the harsh fate that was closing upon him.
Literary, that was.
Soon behind him, the first packs under Beast Master's influence tried to sniff the freed Alpha, who was no longer under any slaving orders or rules. The eyes that were long shrouded in the midst of curses, and complete control beyond their own destiny, folded up so clarity. There was a new vigor, and the Alpha snapped his front claws, cleaving the fangs at the necks of the two closest Phantom Coyotes.
They shrieked in pain before succumbing to lifeless Ends under a simple slash and growl that the freed Alpha let out afterward.
Other coyotes hesitated, including the alphas. The attacker of the two glared at the incoming Beast Master, who hurried forward with a limp running speed. It was obvious that sothing was wrong with his legs, but his long robe was preventing his legs from being seen.
“Oh... What is this? The cursed thing is still alive?” Beast Master asked, masking his surprise with words full of killing intent. “Not for long you fucking annoyance! I cursed the day I got you!” Without even uttering more words, the 4 leading Alphas went forward, attacking the lone Alpha. They would charge at whatever enemy their master wanted.
Even to the death, they wouldn't stop. That was the kind of slaving seal the Beast Master used on that beast that wasn't his primary source of strength. They were toys, not his highest-level beast. It was common practice to use such tactics with the beast.
For humans or intelligent living beings, it wasn't worth restricting the body, souls, or instincts all that much. For the beast, it was fine to let things be a bit more forceful, so it lacked so order. It wasn't strictly prohibited, but that was only in the context of them. For less demanding and harsh slaving seals, there were lesser ones, and even contracted ones, which were basically servants with so limited freedom, but requirents to have so loyalty.
Attacking their forr Alpha, who was no longer under their master's command was an easy mission for those alphas. Even if the Beast Master wanted to see which one would be the strongest, he wouldn't hesitate to start a battle royale on the spot. Though, it wouldn't make sense. Every loss of the alpha with those collars was a loss of money.
In the eyes and burden of the 4 other Alpha Coyotes, the freed one smacked the couple charging alphas aside, making a last aningful glance at his forr master before running away.
He was like a bolt of lightning, disappearing into Murai's straight direction, who was able to get further, thanks to its small stoppage of Beast Master's group.
Murai was able to run quite far in this small amount of ti, but would it help against a hunt of this caliber? The free Alpha Coyote seed bloody excited for so reason, and its body glistered in excitent and was full of life. It got even bigger and stronger as if its body shook in a splendid boost from the world. From the curse, and the hazy ss of its forr enslaved mind, its mind ended like a misty lake - calr, yet numbly unfamiliar.
The soul space was like that too. Unfamiliar, cloudy, and foreign like freedom.
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