...
Time passed, it was close to the afternoon. Wei had been repeating the stance continuously. His arms were ready to rip off; his clothes and head soaked in sweat, making his hair stick to his forehead.
But strength alone wasn't enough to beat a beast, not with the strength Wei had right now that is. He would need to outsmart it and lure it into a trap.
Looking back from the small, crammed alley he had trained in, he faced toward the bustling street. There were food stalls, small stores, glittering jewelry, upbeat music, and a crowd rushing past.
Swiftly gliding through the crowd hoping to be unnoticed, Wei was on his way to the forest which was not far from the village.
Quickly climbing over a brick wall, he jumped down and stared face to face with the forest. Each step he took toward it, the heavier it felt. A shiver ran down his spine. He wished he could turn back and run away.
As he ventured into the darker parts of the forest, the orange-ish yellow light filtered through the thick canopy; rays of light made it seem heavenly and made delicate patterns on the ground. It seemed nightfall was close.
------------------
Beasts such as dire night wolves, undead boars and other blood craving beasts — far different from normal animals — mostly appear at night, true to their names. He had also often heard rumors of ghosts haunting the area.
Light thinned, darkness emerged shade by shade; the warm hues shifted to deep blues and black, white colored dots glowed every here and there, and the bright moon hung in the middle as the star of the show.
Wei silently waited, not daring to break a single sound.
Kneeling beside a large tree trunk, he scanned every direction with caution. If someone had to see such a sight, they would definitely think of him a complete coward.
Silence.
While waiting patiently, Wei heard a light growl, followed by footsteps.
It was here.
Lightly shaking, he lifted his chopped sword which felt wrong... too light, like it couldn't even cut through an apple.
He exhaled lightly, slowly stepping out from behind the tree, wet leaves made a faint sound as he walked.
He stopped walking...Not a single sound was made, yet the beast vanished.
The forest waited with silence.
Wei's heart rate increased rapidly, as if his heart wanted to burst out of his body.
A deep growl broke the silence; the beast thought Wei as prey, leaping and circling chaotically in the shadows around him.
He gripped his chopped sword tighter, maintaining a still posture, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
In the blink of an eye, the beast sprang toward Wei; black and dark grey fur, a silver chain around its neck slightly clanking, furious red glowing eyes, smelling worse than a sewage.
Wei locked his gaze directly at its neck. He ducked, letting the beast pass by him, and twisted to a different direction to aim from behind the beast.
With all the strength he had left into one swing, Wei swung the sword toward its neck.
...
He missed.
The wild beast was smart; it violently turned and leaped around, avoiding the sword's attack.
Wei again tightened his grip, shaking violently, one accidental wrong move, and he could die.
A thought...stuck Wei...Something clever yet cruel. Almost as if his inner demon had personally given him this idea.
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"Heh..."
"That chain of yours...looks useful."
"I'll borrow it, just for a moment..."
I snatched the end of the chain and wrapped it around a large tree. The beast roared violently; its voice shook the nearby branches causing it to rattle.
Theres more...Enough to finish it.
I gripped on the chain and circled around the trunk again, wrapping twice around the trunk, only this time...I wrapped the beasts' neck along with the trunk tightly, it slammed against the bark, thought it was violent and frantic, there wasn't enough space for it to move.
My legs and an arm were clinging onto the tree; I slightly shivered but shook it off.
The beast made all sorts of noises; struggling to catch a breath, it seemed to be choking saliva.
I pulled once more.
...
It stopped moving...
The forest became quieter...
A feeling of satisfaction spread through me not with relief, but because...I won. With no experience or strength, but with logic.
The corners of my lips twitched slightly, I was able to crack a small smirk...