I Became a Wendigo in a Fantasy World

32 – Episode 32

In the swirling snow fog, something sparkled once again.

The experienced warriors immediately recognized it as a spear.

“The spear is coming! Scatter!”

One warrior’s shout woke up the others, but it was too late to react.

With a fierce sound, the thrown spear pierced through another warrior. As the impaled warrior flew backward with a scream, the other warriors were horrified.

It was a power that they couldn’t believe was possible from a spear.

“Get ahold of yourselves, everyone! Even if it’s a powerful throwing spear, they can’t throw it if we get close!”

Following Bokun, the warrior with the highest rank, Jaken, gave the command, and the warriors tightened their grip on their weapons.

No matter how startled they were, warriors were still warriors.

They wouldn’t lose their determination just because a few comrades died.

With their teeth clenched, the warriors rushed forward. They didn’t know how far away it was, but their will to avenge this humiliation burned fiercely.

“Charge, unleash the beasts!”

“Chase after the enemy!”

The warriors let go of their leashes, and the beasts, with pitiful cries, burst forward and ran across the ground.

In situations like this, the leader always had a hard time.

As the beasts raced ahead, their heads became the target, and the spears flew towards them.

Bang!

“What the hell, where did that spear come from?”

“Shut up and keep running! Is now the time to worry about that?”

The beasts that were hit directly by the powerful spears were torn apart, literally.

However, Jaken discovered one possibility among the beasts.

Unlike the ones that looked agile like wolves or leopards, the spears didn’t penetrate boars or bears.

Jaken urgently followed the bear in front of him and shouted.

“Everyone, hide behind the big beasts and move forward! The spears can’t penetrate them!”

The warriors, fueled by their will to survive, took cover behind the big beasts without hesitation.

As if confirming Jaken’s judgment, the spears couldn’t stop the warriors’ charge, even if they could take the lives of bears and boars.

Naturally, the morale of the warriors was restored. At this rate, they could reach the enemies beyond the mist!

“I don’t know who the owner of the spear is, but even if it’s a spirit, we will definitely kill it!”

“Damn it. We can’t even see what’s in front of us, what kind of nonsense is this?”

The warriors who had escaped even a little from danger showed their original venom and prepared for battle.

However… unlike the other warriors who had a feverish expression, Jaken was plagued by an indescribable sense of unease.

“Something is strange!”

For no reason or evidence, Jaken bit his lip in response to the signal his instincts were sending.

He couldn’t comprehend it in his head, but his instincts were continuously warning him to run away.

“Jaken, the fog is getting thicker. It’s becoming difficult to identify our surroundings!”

“I know… But don’t worry too much. The enemies won’t be able to see us either. Besides, we also have beasts unlike them!”

When the warrior running alongside him warned Jaken, he replied to calm the warrior. In reality, he was trying to calm himself.

The spears were still flying towards them, and the sharp-sensed beasts were unable to detect the presence of the enemy. At least they were surrounded…

“Wait. The beasts can’t find the enemies?”

Jaken felt a chill down his spine.

The beasts, blessed by the spirits, couldn’t possibly fail to find the enemies.

However, that realization came too late.

Just as the warriors were about to pass a large tree, something flew towards the warriors, splitting the fog.

Lost in thought, Jaken, who had been standing back, realized that it was an axe.

A large and rough axe was flying towards the warriors’ waists.

“I have to dodge!”

Instinctively, Jaken threw himself towards the ground.

Unlike Jaken, who quickly made a judgment, the warriors, who were charging with venomous aggression, couldn’t make a quick decision.

Their only attempt was to raise their shields and weapons towards the flying axe in an attempt to defend themselves.

Naturally, such attempts were in vain. The axe shattered the shields and weapons and swiftly cut down the warriors.

Crunch!

The warriors’ bodies soared into the sky, split in half by the brutal axe blows.

Jhaken stared, mouth agape, at the unbelievable spectacle, gazing up at the sky.

Guts and blood tainted the ground as a thick mist momentarily dispersed.

《Foolish ones. Your deaths are the consequence of daring to trespass into my domain. Let it be etched into your souls. Die.》

“S-Spirits!”

There, a menacing figure emanating a sinister glow stood.

As a mysterious voice, saturated with an eerie ambiance, echoed, the warriors swallowed dry saliva in tension.

“Begone, you cursed spirit!”

“Tyrkin! Wait…!?”

One warrior, unable to overcome fear, rushed towards the wendigo. Jhaken watched the charging warrior with pity.

A foolish one. How could he face a spirit alone?

Jhaken’s thoughts were justified.

The dispersed mist gathered again, and the warrior, with his neck held by the wendigo, was dragged into the fog.

“aaah!!!!!”

《Congratulations. You will become the fertilizer of the forest today. And fertilizer… is best when torn and scattered.》

Without a chance for the warriors to intervene, horrifying screams erupted from beyond the mist.

More terrifying than the sounds of tearing and ripping was the desperate screams of their comrades.

What could have happened for a warrior to wail so pitifully? It was beyond imagination.

《You should never have come to the forest. No, at least, you shouldn’t have touched what’s mine.》

“What the hell did we touch!”

“Stay calm, and gather around! Alone, we can’t face him!”

Wendigo’s voice echoed from all directions, leaving the warriors unable to regain their composure.

The fear that Wendigo might suddenly emerge from behind, a terror long ingrained in the minds of seasoned warriors, gnawed at them.

The first to crumble were the beasts.

“No! No!”

“Damn it… the beasts are fleeing!”

As if the mystical aura that drove people insane wasn’t enough, how much more terrifying could it be for beasts with senses superior to humans.

Despite the protection of Oneton’s blessing, the creatures, driven by instinct, began to flee. Unfazed by the blood flowing from their throats and pupils due to resisting commands.

Even the warriors couldn’t deny the grotesque sight. It wasn’t a battle; it was a one-sided hunt.

A hunt that could happen anytime, anywhere, unpredictable.

“Damn it, it’s true! Jaken, we need to escape too!”

“Now that the beasts have fled, it’s our chance. If we escape now, we can use them as bait…!?”

《You dimwits. Why would you think I’d have any interest in creatures like beasts?》

Wendigo, surrounded by mist, appeared somewhere, revealing a sinister grin as he swung his axe.

The warriors attacked Wendigo as if in a frenzy. Their well-trained attacks on the battlefield were undoubtedly threatening, but…

“It’s like stabbing a rock!”

Swords and axes couldn’t pierce the skin, and the spear blades couldn’t withstand the impact, snapping.

Only Jaken’s sword left a faint scratch on Wendigo’s skin… but it was merely a superficial mark.

Waiting for the warriors who failed in their attack was Wendigo’s merciless axe.

The soldiers, struck by the chilling ax blows, turned into corpses and were thrust into the ground.

“My skin… My skin!”

“Cough! I can’t… breathe!”

Evading the weapons didn’t leave them unharmed. As the cold seeped into their skin and lungs, one by one, writhing in agony, they collapsed.

“Damn it…”

“Run… Run for your lives!!!”

Realizing the futility of their chances, Zayken grabbed the fallen ax from the ground and shouted at the fallen soldiers.

The fighters, realizing there was no way out, chose to flee.

“I… I’ll buy us time.”

Zayken, with trembling hands, raised the ax while facing head-on, unsure how long he could hold on.

His wavering gaze, amidst the fog, focused hazily on the approaching Wendigo.

Leaving behind the fleeing warriors, Zayken bit his lip to stifle the imminent scream that threatened to burst out.

It seemed he would beg for his life and flee at the slightest scent of acrid blood and searing pain.

“Come at me. Let a warrior of the Azure Fang tribe face you!”

《Hm…》

Zayken’s appearance was indeed pitiful.

His hair was a mess, whipped by the fierce wind and icy cold.

Frost settled on his skin, making it seem like he could freeze to death at any moment.

His legs and arms trembled in defiance of their owner’s will.

With each step the Wendigo took through the mist, Zayken’s eyes flickered with a blue hue.

However, Jaken did not run away. He had to draw Wendygo’s attention away from here, even if it meant saving the warriors just a little.

As Wendygo’s massive figure leaned forward, Jaken locked eyes with Wendygo.

“I’m going to die.”

Jaken sensed his own death. In the moment when the spirit in front of him swung the axe, he knew that he would die without any resistance.

However… Wendygo did not swing the weapon.

“Your pure scent and your beautiful thoughts about your comrades are truly admirable. Why would a warrior like you follow a wicked creature like One-ton?”

“… I don’t follow One-ton. I only wish for the well-being of our tribe.”

“Then it’s even more strange. If you wish for the well-being of your tribe, why do you become One-ton’s dog and persecute the forest people?”

“…”

Unable to answer Wendygo’s question, Jaken closed his mouth. It was a frustrating feeling to have his doubts brought up by Wendygo.

Why is the Blue Mane Tribe shedding blood against an unknown spirit in this forest?

Is there any reason that the warriors’ blood should flow meaninglessly just for the sake of the chief’s deal with the spirit?

“…Fine. You are an honorable warrior. I will respect your noble actions and spare your life.”

“!”

Jaken’s pupils dilated.

If he didn’t mishear, it seemed like the spirit was offering to spare his life… Can a spirit do such a thing?

“I-Is that really true?”

“I had no choice but to take your lives in order to protect what is mine. I do not enjoy killing.”

As if to prove that it wasn’t a lie, Wendygo slowly backed away from Jaken. As Wendygo’s figure disappeared into the darkness, his voice echoed through the forest.

“I warn you, for the sake of your honor, never set foot in the mist of the forest again. If you step into the darkness once more…”

“Death will come for you.”

It was Wendygo’s final warning.

As the mist receded and the surroundings returned to the ordinary sight of the forest, Jaken collapsed, his legs giving way beneath him.

Fumbling for his throat and heart, he verified his own survival. It was incredibly hard to believe he was still alive.

Realizing he was alive, Jaken sighed deeply and scanned his surroundings.

The gruesome sight of lifeless bodies caught his eye, and the warning etched into his mind resonated in his ears.

Beware of the mist.

Pale-faced, Jaken swiftly rose from his spot.

“This… this isn’t the time!”

Losing balance for a moment and falling, Jaken let out a groan as he stood up once more.

There was no time for this. He needed to hurry back to the tribe and alert them of this fact.

Absolutely, under no circumstances, should anyone approach the mist.

And…

“… I’ll have to discuss this with Oneton and the chief. What possible reason could there be to go to such lengths in a forest harboring such a presence?”

Jaken’s eyes, wavering as he staggered, flickered with the flames of turmoil.