The Beginning After The End novel Chapter 216

Chapter 216

Chapter 216: Battlefield

The mage stared at me with panic-stricken eyes as the crumbled fragments of the black stone fell from my grasp.

There was a tense moment as I waited for something to happen amidst the war zone besides the already-ensued chaos raging on.

Suddenly, as if a switch had been turned on, every mana beast in the vicinity seemed to have become provoked by my action.

The once glazed and lifeless eyes of the mana beasts now burned with fury. It wasn’t just at me though; the mana beasts began growling and hissing at each other, baring fangs, claws, and horns at one another.

It didn’t take long for hell to break loose. Beasts pounced on one another without even a semblance of sanity left amongst them. They leaped at me with reckless abandon, often getting caught by one another in the process.

Quickly drawing the two swords I had received from the Flamesworth blacksmith, I turned into a flurry of blades. I slashed and stabbed at the vitals of the mana beasts that attacked me until a mound of bloody carcasses accumulated beneath my feet.

However, despite the massacre that befell those who came close, the mana beasts continued to attack and throw their lives away as if possessed.

‘Arthur! I can’t hold on anymore!’ Sylvie’s struggling voice pierced through my mind.

I turned back to see the mammoth beast break free, eyes locked on me as he pawed the ground in preparation to charge while the pile of corpses continued to grow.

However, I didn’t fail to notice the subtle difference in the mammoth beast’s behavior. The way the beast glared down at me still indicated rage, but the very targeted, threatening act of scruffing the ground showed some level of intelligence.

It showed that it wasn’t thinking of blindly charging like before, but waiting for me to react somehow to its act of aggression.

As for me, rather than having the luxury to react to the mammoth beast, I was occupied by the neverending mana beasts that seemed hell-bent on ripping my limbs off.

“ Enough! ” I roared, releasing every ounce of murderous intent I had pent up over time.

To the naked eye, nothing had changed, but for anyone that had an ounce of sense, they felt it. Even the beasts, as deranged as they were, froze in their tracks and began trembling out of instinct.

This may not have worked while they were in their stupor moments ago, but now the beasts around me shrank back out of fear while some of the weaker ones even collapsed.

With finally some space to breathe, I took a step toward the mammoth beast. A path opened up as I walked, the mana beasts unable to bear being too close.

I locked eyes with the colossal S-class monster that stuck out above the sea of mana beasts wreaking havoc amongst one another, directing the entirety of my unabated bloodlust. It was a primitive thing to do, much like flexing your muscles in front of your opponent to discourage them, but it did its job.

The colossal monster broke eye contact with me, its body slackening. Finally, with a mournful bellow, the S-class beast turned and left, trampling smaller mana beasts with each step.

‘It’s been a while since I felt your bloodlust. A good reminder not to tease you too much,’ Sylvie said as she joined me at my side.

I cracked a smile before replying. It seems to only work on the more intelligent and powerful beasts, though.

The mana beasts that had been temporarily paralyzed by my intent had quickly broken free and resumed their mauling spree.

Turning around, I saw the Alacryan mage. Despite being bloody and incapacitated, he was still alive. None of the beasts seemed to even want to go near him.

Seeing how the crazed beast acted, it couldn’t have been out of pity or even out of loyalty to their supposed master.

“Now...” I peered down at the frightened mage. “I wonder how you’re still alive.”

Sylvie craned her neck and began sniffing at the mage I had nailed to the ground. ‘I’m not sure if it has anything to do with it, but there’s a rather repulsive stench coming from this human.’

The Alacryan mage let out a muffled whimper as my bond bared her fangs at him, but there was little else he could do.

As I contemplated whether to take the mage in for questioning or killing him on the spot and continue whittling down enemy numbers, the mage let out a slightly more coherent sound.

“Ah h-hell ooh, ah hell ooh,” he muttered through the melting ice binding his mouth shut.

Exchanging glances with Sylvie, I melted the ice around his lower face. “Speak. Any useless words and I’ll kill you on the spot.”

“I-I’ll tell you why they won’t attack me. Just promise you’ll let me live.”

I let the tip of my new sword rest on the mage’s mouth, just barely nicking the corner of his lips. “I hate making promises I know I won’t keep.”

Tears rolled down the mage’s cheeks as he glared daggers at me. “Then why should I tell you anything?”

The dirt and blood on his face did little to mask how young the enemy was, but it would be sloppy to show mercy. I pushed the blade just a little deeper; the mage let out a pained cry. “Because... a quick painless death is better than a long painful one.”

Using fire magic to heat the blade of my sword, I pressed it against the mage’s cheek. While the mana beasts around us were creating havoc, the majority of the beast horde was still making its way toward the Wall. I couldn’t waste too much time on this.

“All right! Please, just stop!” he screamed, stretching his head as far away from my sword as his neck would take him. “W-We have a serum that the corrupted beasts can’t stand during their frenzied state.”