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Chapter 145: Cornered
🕑 Added 2023-03-27 16:37:01 +0000 UTCFour people emerged from the trees; four cultivators led by the Animal Kingdom minotaur. The jungle went quiet as if the animals understood what was about to go down. A breeze came from behind the cultivators, making their long robes flutter, and pulling Jack and Nauja’s hair back.
“Can we help you?” Nauja asked coldly.
Maybe he doesn’t know me, Jack hoped.
“You can’t, but he will,” the minotaur replied leisurely, seeming in complete control, mouth forming into a triumphant grin. “You caused a lot of waves, Jack Rust.”
“Shit,” Jack said. He inspected them.
Minotaur, Level 115
Faction: Animal Kingdom
Title: Resilient
Treant, Level 96
Faction: Star Garden
Title: Second Ring Conqueror
Human (Earth-302), Level 93
Faction: -
Title: Second Ring Conqueror
Ferretfolk, Level 93
Faction: Animal Kingdom
Title: Second Ring Conqueror
Of the three cultivators surrounding the minotaur, only one was human—a tall, lanky woman with shaved hair.
The second cultivators was a treant, apparently—an actual walking tree. Its skin was made of twisting bark, its arms were branches that split into thin, finger-like sticks at the end, and it walked on two sturdy roots. It stood a head shorter than Jack, but the crown of branches above it put them on the same height. However, all its branches were dry, and its bark was gray, gnarly, giving the impression of an old, withering tree. Its face had features that were little more than slits in the bark, with only the eyes exuding a menacing red light.
The final cultivator was a ferretfolk. It was short and lithe, with a black eyepatch covering its left eye and dark fur all over its body. Its hands held two daggers, and its mouth was drawn into a predatory snarl.
They were very interesting, academically. Unfortunately, they were also enemies, which kind of extinguished Jack’s interest.
“What is the meaning of this?” Nauja asked again, staring at the minotaur. She knew Jack was hunted by the Animal Kingdom. She was just trying to earn time.
“The man beside you is wanted by my faction,” the minotaur explained with confidence. His voice was deep and booming. He reminded Jack of Bomn, but less like a berserker and more like an army officer. His entire being exuded authority and unshakable confidence. “Surrender him or perish together. Your choice.”
“He is a guest of my tribe,” Nauja tried, but the minotaur only laughed.
“I couldn’t care less about your tribe. I gave you a choice. Make it.”
“How did you find me?” Jack asked, stepping forward. He could see no way out besides running, but they had the cabin to their back. He had to buy some time.
“You never tried to hide. Someone killed a forest giant and upset the conqueror ant colony a few hours before we went through. Yet, when we arrived at the nearest camp, there was no new arrival. Instead, our scouts reported a cultivator staying with the barbarian tribe—a bare-chested man with an ape companion.” He grinned sharply. “It wasn’t hard to connect the dots. Getting Lord Longsword to let me come was more difficult, but…a billion-credit bounty is worth wasting a few hours.”
Jack was getting severely irritated. There were scouts around the Tri Lake. The Animal Kingdom was everywhere, and everyone knew of his bounty. They were hunting him at every step.
Is the entire world against me? Jack thought, anger mounting. Will I not get a moment of peace? One opportunity to rest? Is it too much to ask for!?
“Surrender,” the minotaur commanded, apparently tired of speaking. “I have to bring you back alive, but I can either do it peacefully or break all your limbs in the process. Your choice. And you, barbarian girl—your time is running out. I swear on my name, Bocor Aximar, that I will kill you if you help him.” He grinned, like he’d just cornered her. “So, what will it be? Surrender or death?”
Jack had seen how the Animal Kingdom acted. Even if he surrendered quietly, they would break all his limbs anyway so he couldn’t escape. No. He had to get out of here. His eyes scanned the surroundings as Brock approached, clutching his Staff of Stone tightly.
An extra pang of worry pierced Jack’s heart. If he surrendered, would they let Brock go?
The three cultivators had fanned out by now, surrounding them on three sides, while the minotaur waited in front of them, only thirty feet away. To an E-Grade, that distance was nothing.
Jack could probably take any of the three weaker cultivators, but only by themselves. Even if Nauja helped him—she was still gritting her teeth and considering her options—they could at most take on the three cultivators, but definitely not the minotaur.
Jack’s mind raced. Bocor was level 115, but he could definitely fight above his level. He had to be as strong as the tyrannosaurus. However, Jack had seen him in combat. He focused on defense. Given his heavy armor, he might not be able to catch up to them if they started running.
But, to do that, he’d have to get past one of the three weaker cultivators. The minotaur was too close. Just a moment’s delay would end up with Jack captured and bound before he could say, “Whoops.”
Nauja would help him, probably. She struck him as that kind. If they worked together, could they ensure the escape of all three of them, including Brock? If she was captured…could Jack run away, knowing she had sacrificed herself for him?
He gritted his teeth, wrestling with that possibility. Probably not, he concluded.
“Fine,” Nauja’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked over in shock. She was packed with tightly-controlled fury and frustration, but also resignation. “I know where barbarians stand. He is a stranger. You can have him, just let me go.”
Jack chuckled bitterly. “Of course,” he said. “The entire world is against me. I am alone.”
She turned to glance at him, her gaze pained, but he didn’t care if his words hurt her. He was stuck in his own hell. The weight of his obstacles had never been so vivid. He had opposed a B-Grade faction. Its influence and power were beyond his wildest dreams. They would always find him, everywhere. And they would stomp on him until he died.
The world was dark and hostile, and he was alone.
A tug at his wrist shook him awake. Brock was there, clenching his jaw and staff. “Bro,” he said, his voice rich with emotion.
Jack felt a hint of sweetness in the sea of bitterness. Right, he realized. I am not alone. The world might oppose me…but I have Brock.
“Bro,” Jack replied softly. His eyes whirled around. He didn’t even look at Nauja—not because he blamed her, but because he couldn’t spare the attention. His mind set to work, his resolve renewed. He would make it out. He would not yield.
And, one day, he would destroy the Animal Kingdom.
Four enemies. The minotaur, excelling in defense but hopefully slow. The ferretfolk with the daggers; a fast, sharp attacker. The treant had no visible weapons, but it didn’t look particularly mobile, what with being a tree. And the human… Jack couldn’t read her. She also didn’t hold a weapon, and she gave no indication of her powers.
The ferretfolk must go, he decided. It could definitely catch up to him if he ran. He had to assassinate or cripple it, and then escape. With any luck, he could outrun the rest of them and get lost in the jungle. He would have to carry Brock, too, as the brorilla couldn’t run fast enough by himself.
“Personally, I prefer you run,” the minotaur said, reading his thoughts. “It’s more fun that way.” He walked forward.
As he approached, Bocor’s form seemed to enlarge in Jack’s eyes. He knew it was his fear acting up, but he couldn’t stop it. The minotaur became a force of nature, a brutal torturer. Jack envisioned his limbs snapping, his Dao breaking, the world abandoning him, his body left to rot with nobody caring.
His despair was magnified, filling him completely, leaving him no room to think of anything else. His Dao rose instinctively to meet it, to calm it down, but this fear was solid, stubborn. It refused to die down, striking back at Jack’s Dao with increasing intensity that threatened to swallow him.
His Dao roared in frustration.
This is not right. It’s too strong, Jack realized, barely holding the terror at bay. I… I just reaffirmed my resolve. I beat my despair. Why is it back? What is happening to me?
With a tremendous effort of will, his perfect Dao Seed erupted with power. The Dao Root of Indomitable Will, only recently fused, enhanced the Seed’s effects, grabbing Jack’s heart and asserting its control. He felt some resistance, but a moment later, it was ripped apart, receding like a torn veil.
Jack blinked, suddenly recovering from the terror, and found the bald woman’s eyes locked with his. A hint of surprise crossed his gaze.
When did I look that way? he wondered. What is—
Panic welled up inside him. That woman had controlled his emotions, magnified his fear, and blinded him to reality. The minotaur was looking on with sadistic mirth. He wasn’t approaching anymore, content to watch Jack’s struggles.
A furred hand grabbed Jack’s wrist and pulled it behind his back.
“Wait! He’s awake!” the woman’s shout crossed the air, her voice crisp, but it was too late. Jack roared, turned, and punched. The ferretfolk was behind him, ready to chain his wrists together. His reaction surprised it, but it still managed to react in time, leaning back to dodge the blow.
As it did, an arrowtip emerged from the front of its throat. Nauja had stabbed it from behind, her hand manifesting an arrow out of thin air. She met Jack’s eyes. “Run!” she shouted.
The world exploded into motion. A green torrent appeared around Jack, filled with leaves that blocked his visibility and stuck on his body as if glued. They itched him terribly, and they were heavy, each limiting his movements.
A bellow was all the warning Jack got. A silver form flashed before him, a hulking minotaur clad in plate armor and smashing down a huge tower shield. Jack had no time to think. He roared and smashed out a Meteor Punch.
The world exploded before him. His fist met the shield, pain shooting all the way to his shoulder. He stumbled backward, stifling a cry. His hand was cracked again, bleeding from the knuckles. Bocor, on the other hand, hadn’t moved a step. He’d tanked the Meteor Punch like it was nothing, smiling at Jack from above the shield. But he had stopped his attack to defend, earning Jack a precious second. Like he’d assumed, the minotaur was slow.
Jack sensed more than saw the human and treant close in from both sides. He turned around and shot a blind Meteor Punch. The cabin behind him exploded. Wood flew everywhere, a splinter barely missing his eye. Brock screamed, covering his head with his arms. The cultivators ignored the shrapnel, charing through them, but Jack had demolished the cabin. He grabbed Brock and pulled him along as he dashed through the debris, frantically trying to escape the encirclement. Nauja was by his side, her feet stomping on the ground and her face twisted by tension.
“Stop him!” came the minotaur’s cry. Leaves flew at Jack, magical in nature, blocking his sight and forming a wall before him. He shouted and ghost-stepped through it, carrying Brock along. The strain was tremendous. Jack felt his breath cut short, but he’d escaped the treant’s attack. The leaves closed behind him, wrapping around empty air.
Armored boots thundered on soil as Bocor joined the chase, howling like a red-eyed bull. Brock’s eyes widened under Jack’s arm. Risking a glance, he saw that the minotaur was running on all fours. Thankfully, he wasn’t too fast—the distance between them remained the same.
Another bellow came, rocking Jack's ears. He felt fury rise inside him. He wanted to attack that minotaur, kill him even if it meant—
His Dao Seed roared to life, neutralizing the taunt. A second influence in his heart appeared right after. He sensed the taunt flare back to life, stronger than ever, but he knew the sensation now. His Dao Seed shone with the metallic silver color of Indomitable Will, nipping the influence in its root.
He heard a roar. “He has a heart Dao!” the bald woman’s voice echoed through the woods, followed by another bellow. Jack looked to the front. It had only been a second since he started running. The cave’s mouth opened before him, and he had to avoid it, because he would be trapped in there.
The jungle waited on either side. Nauja ran beside him. Just as he was about to turn, more shapes surfaced through the trees. One cultivator on either side, a staff-wielding woman and a fire-haired man flanking him. The fire-haired one was especially livid with anger. “You took Fermek!” he roared, stretching out his hands and unleashing a torrent of flames at Jack.
The staff-wielding woman rushed him from the side, trying to cut off his path, and Jack suddenly saw the air shaking by her side, like there was another, invisible enemy there.
The jungle was no longer an option. They were surrounded. “Cave!” Jack shouted, angling for the opening, but it was tough. They wouldn’t make it.
A torrent of fire at the front, a staff-wielder at the side, and a roaring minotaur behind him. Three more people waiting to attack as soon as they had an opening. Jack didn’t have many options. If he stopped or turned, he would be captured by someone. If he kept running, the staff-wielder and invisible enemy would catch up before he could run past them.
Only one choice left.
Jack’s features warped into a scowl. The full brunt of his hatred came to bear, along with bitterness and resolve. His Brutalizing Aura flared to life. It spread out like an invisible wave around him, and where it passed, the world turned grim, like death’s scythe was arriving.
He had imbued the aura with a simple thought, one that the skill amplified and clarified beyond any doubt: “If you stop me, I will kill you first.” He meant it.
There was no rage, no emotion. He was simply stating a fact, which the aura injected deep into the hearts of his pursuers.
Jack had seen hard times. He had survived the Forest of the Strong. He had antagonized an impossible enemy. He was chased, cheated, and burdened, and he was constantly putting his life on the line since the Integration. Every step he took was painted by his blood.
In that regard, these scions were far too lacking. Whoever was afraid of death had no power against Jack Rust.
All the enemies reacted differently. The bald woman resisted the skill completely, as did the minotaur, but they was too far back to stop him. The flame-man gasped but pulled through, his desire for revenge overpowering the terror. The treant stumbled for a moment, then pressed the assault.
But the staff-wielding woman and the invisible enemy were closer. As Jack’s aura roared out, they slowed, eyes going wide. The staff woman almost turned around and ran away in fear. She recovered a moment later, too strong for the aura to hold her, but she had lost a precious second.
In that second, Jack and Nauja burst through, heading for the cave opening.
The flame wizard’s attack had persisted. The torrent of fire came from the front, cutting off their advance. Jack jumped right through it.
The pain was hellish. It felt like diving into a burning oven. Jack resisted the urge to scream, keeping his mouth and eyes closed as he ran as fast as he could. It reminded him of the time he’d charged the goblin shaman, back in the Forest of the Strong, and pushed through a wall of flames.
The pain lasted but a second. Jack emerged from the flames with his entire skin red and ready to blister. His hair was on fire, but the wind of his dash put it out quickly, and even the insides of his nose were burning with pain. When he drew in a breath, the hot air reached his lungs, making him miss a step.
Thankfully, Brock was fine. Jack had held him in a tight embrace, trying to protect him as much as possible. Some of his fur was burned off, but it had served as protection. Nauja was still by his side, having jumped over the flames without losing any momentum. She screamed as she landed in a run. The air above the flames was also hot.
The flames winked out in the next second. The minotaur barreled forth, barely twenty feet behind Jack. The staff woman came at them diagonally from behind, the shuddering air was just a step in front of her, and the flame man readied another strike. A green aura surrounded the cave mouth, leaves spawning around it and forming a swiftly closing barricade, while Jack still felt errant thoughts attempt to invade his mind—the bald woman’s influence.
There was no time to think. They reached the cave mouth and dove in, barely making it before the leaf barrier blocked their path. The minotaur tore through the leaves right away, hot on their heels, and the rest of the cultivators flooded in right after, joining the hunt.
Firebolts flew at Jack and Nauja, some hitting them and causing first-degree burns, and some missing and illuminating the dark, winding path ahead.
Nauja had said this cave complex was large and labyrinthic. Jack dearly hoped she was right.
