[Author’s Note] Thanks for your prior support and comments! 100 chapters deep!
33. The War of the Wolves and Foxes
099 – The War of the Wolves and Foxes #3
Kublai glared at me, growling as if he couldn’t understand what he was seeing.
━Why in the world are you here? You may look a bit different, but my eyes are sharper than that. What is going on?
He looked back and forth between me and the wolf skin that was being trampled by the foxes, scowling.
━When did this even change? How dare you use the skin of the dead, you filthy… not even human!
Kublai was fuming, ready to pounce on me at any moment.
Ishtar, who had been cowering next to him, also tilted his head in confusion as he looked at me.
━What in the world is that? What happened to Blackpaw?
━Looks like you and I have both fallen into the trap that the white-furred one set up.
━So, Blackpaw was dead since we first met? Was his vow to trap wolves for his father’s revenge all just lies?
The look in Kublai and Ishtar’s eyes was far from pleasant.
‘Seems like they might be misunderstanding something.’
The wolves and foxes surrounded me, cutting off my escape route.
Just a moment ago, they were fighting like they were at each other’s throats, but now they were all united against me as if they were best pals.
‘This has gone awry. But still…’
I cast a lazy gaze at Kublai, who was wounded from Ishtar’s attack, and at Ishtar, who was clearly exhausted from his efforts.
‘Both of them look like they could drop at any moment.’
Around them, the wolves and foxes were licking their lips and looking eager for a bite. In my mind, they seemed like they’d be fair game.
‘If they were fully healthy, I wouldn’t even think about it. But now it seems like I can take my shot, right?’
I had no idea what went through Blackpaw’s head when he stirred these guys up to fight, but the fact that I followed his lead felt like destiny handing me a golden opportunity.
It was a classic “enemy of the enemy” situation.
I threw my head back and laughed, the sound echoing through the cave.
━Yes, everything from start to finish was my plan, you foolish creatures! Realizing it now is way too late!
━Do you really think you can take us all on by yourself?
Kublai growled at me like I was his sworn enemy.
At that moment, someone rushed into the cave from outside, panting heavily. It was Delma, the brown wolf assigned as a lookout outside the fox den.
━C-Catastrophe! We need to get out of here! If we stay in this cave, we’re all dead!
Delma was bleeding profusely.
A long branch was sticking out of his waist, and there were feathers from birds attached to it.
‘An arrow, huh?’
Delma screamed like he’d sold his soul.
━Humans are coming! They’re headed this way! A whole bunch of them!
Delma’s scream sent the foxes and wolves inside the cave into a frenzy.
━Humans?
━You mean, in a situation like this, humans are coming?
━W-We have to get out of here! If we stay in this cramped space, we’re all goners…!
━Get out of my way! I’ll go first!
The wolves and foxes were panicking. Only Kublai showed his teeth, grinding them.
━You white-furred beast, dragging humans into this. Do you have no pride as a beast!
‘What to do, humans are beyond my knowledge.’
I was just as flustered. But if I showed my panic now, I’d expose weaknesses, so I decided to play it tough.
━Absolutely! Everything is going according to my plan. Today, it’s the end for all the foxes and wolves here!
As I boasted confidently, a clear chime rang, and words began to emerge in front of me.
【Achievement ‘Liar by the Mouth’ unlocked.】
【You have obtained the skill《Rhetoric》as a reward.】
‘Wow, it’s been a while since I got a skill.’
But the joy of acquiring a new skill was short-lived. Soon, loud commotion erupted at the cave entrance, and a choking smoke poured into the cave.
“Set the fire inside the cave!”
“Don’t let a single one get away! Each beast’s skin and fur is worth at least 1 gold! Spread the thorny nets!”
“Ha, what did I say? The wolves’ movements looked suspicious! I didn’t expect them to be fighting each other here.”
“Move quickly, you little devils! If we stall, the monsters from the World Tree will come after us!”
Voices of humans echoed throughout the cave. The crackling from dried branches or straw burning created a ruckus.
‘Looks like things are getting serious faster than I thought.’
I realized I didn’t have the luxury to confront Kublai and Ishtar anymore.
If I stayed put, I’d surely be hunted down by humans like a trapped rabbit.
━You white-furred beast! Dragging humans into this, losing all pride as a beast!
Kublai lunged at me, mouth wide open.
With bl**d pouring out like a fountain, where he was pulling that strength from was beyond me.
Still, after multiple level-ups and evolution, his movements didn’t seem as threatening as before.
I easily dodged his charge.
‘It’s good being smaller at times like this.’
━Continuing to fight here is madness. I, I need to get out of here!
The golden three-tailed fox, now reduced to a two-tailed creature, Ishtar turned away and bolted toward the cave exit.
“Out they come! Judging by that size, it must be the master of this forest! Capture it!”
“There’s a massive bounty on its neck! We can’t let it get away!”
“sh**t the sleeping stone! It looks tired, it might just work on that beast!”
“You want me to use the sleeping stone? How much do you think that costs!? We only have two!”
“It’s better than letting it slip! Hurry and sh**t!”
The humans were arguing amongst themselves. But soon, with a bang, a scream loud enough to shake the entire forest echoed through the cave.
━Kekeng!
A resounding, heart-wrenching dying scream. I immediately recognized it as Ishtar’s cry.
━Cowardly fox! Whatever happened, it seems you’ve fallen victim to those humans.
━Father! We need to run! I’ll clear the way. Let’s hurry! We have to flee to our cave!
The silver wolf Borjigin shouted urgently beside Kublai.
Kublai shook his head, coldly glaring at me with his single eye.
━No, you heard Ishtar’s scream. He may be a coward, but he’s strong. If he’s in trouble, it means those despicable humans have brought new weapons.
Kublai snorted, bl**d dripping from his nose.
He spat bl**d onto the floor and inhaled deeply through his gaping nostrils, then continued in a calm voice.
━I can’t distinguish the smells because the scents of lettuce flowers and burning birches are all mixed up, but the wind bringing in outside smells carries the scents of the chili poison dart frog and El-Gasa’s acidity. Humans have surely created some dirty sorcery with those. I’m not sure I can endure it right now.
Kublai roared like a frustrated beast.
━Those humans are after my neck, as always. You white-furred beast. No matter how much you hate me, how could you lead humans into the forest? Do you plan on burning this forest to the ground?
With a thunderous voice, Kublai lunged at me.
━I’m going to k*ll you here!
He raised his paw high, ready to strike. The sound of his claws slicing through the air made my ears twitch.
I dodged his descending paw sideways and swiped at his face with my own paw.
I aimed for his remaining eye, but he turned his face.
His only eye was likely a vital weak spot, and he was probably always aware of not letting me attack there.
As a result, my claws grazed down the side of his enormous snout.
━Kraaaak!
Kublai stepped back, howling in agony.
━Father! Are you okay!?
Borjigin rushed towards Kublai in a panic. Kublai steadied himself and began to tend to his own snout with his paw.
━This is my fight, Borjigin. Don’t think of helping me. Think about how to lead the rest of them to escape.
━Understood! Hey, don’t just lie there! Get up quickly! If we stay like this, we’re all dead!
Borjigin barked at the other wolves.
‘Good, that means the others won’t interfere.’
My heart swelled with excitement for battle and the revenge of my lost home.
‘I can fight. Not just to retreat, but I can definitely win this…!’
I shouted at Kublai, who was on edge like a fur-covered lightning bolt.
━How do my claws taste, feeling a little spicy, huh? Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for a day like this? You probably thought I was in love, you little brat!
I charged at Kublai first.
It was reminiscent of the moment when my home was smashed by him.
But now, unlike back then when I charged blindly in anger, I felt full of confidence and conviction that I could win this fight.
━Become my bl**d and flesh, Kublai!
With my claws unsheathed, I swung at Kublai’s head.
Kublai raised his upper body slightly and swung his own paw in response.
━You inexperienced little brat!
He swung his paw toward me at blinding speed, like swatting away a fly.
The moment I made contact with that paw, I dug my teeth and claws into his leg.
The pain hit me hard, like getting slammed by a baseball bat swung by a player, but with adrenaline or endorphins pumping through me, I managed to withstand it.
━Get off! Ratel! No, porcupine!? What the heck are you!?
Kublai shouted, trying to shake me off his leg.
I detached myself from his leg just before my back hit the ground. Breathless, he panted like a dog suffering from the heat.
It seems that scratching his snout with my claws worked since bl**d leaked from his nose.
At that moment, a loud voice echoed from outside the cave.
“There are still a few inside! Let’s go in and catch them!”
“Team One, grab the nets; Team Two, grab the weapons! Team Three…”
“Team Three went to the wolf den! They said they’d catch the ones left there!”
Kublai’s shoulders twitched at the voices of humans. He soon muttered something under his breath in a small voice.
━They went to the wolf den…?
Kublai stopped focusing on me and turned his head towards the cave’s exit.
‘Wait, does this guy understand human language?’
In my previous encounter with a trio of hunters, I realized that there is supposed to be a natural barrier in communication between beasts and humans.
For some reason, I could understand the humans’ words, but when I listened to Leaf or Yan-Mite, it seemed that beasts comprehending human speech was atypical.
But upon hearing the mention of the wolf den outside the cave, Kublai was certainly reacting.
━Borjigin.
━Yes, Father. Should I join the fight as well?
━No, that’s not what I’m suggesting. We’re heading to the wolf den right now. It seems the humans are sending forces there.
━But isn’t Tartar there as well?
━Yes, we need your help.
━I’ll act as bait. You get out while you can!
━No, I’ll be the bait. With my size, it’ll be hard to break through their encirclement. Borjigin, you’re the fastest of our wolves. Go to the wolf den and protect Tartar.
━But that’s…! I can’t…
━Don’t argue! This is an order from your Alpha, Borjigin!
Borjigin seemed to want to say something but eventually let out a deep sigh in resignation.
While listening to their discussion, I couldn’t help but snicker.
━Who do you think will come to your rescue?
━Kid, I don’t know how you convince those humans, but do you really think they’ll keep siding with you for long? They’re the kind of people who eat their hunting dogs after finishing rabbit hunting.
━I feel like I know humans better than you, Wolf.
━No, you don’t understand humans.
Kublai lifted his neck, showing me a scar-like mark on it. His massive neck bore a hairless section, as if it had been banded.
I recalled seeing something similar on an animal documentary.
‘Is that a collar mark?’
While I was briefly lost in thought, Kublai sprang outside the cave with remarkable speed.
━We’re breaking through, Borjigin!
━Yes, Father! Come on, little ones, rub your bodies against the blades and make a way!
━Araaaraaaa!
The wolves poured out all their energy and dashed fiercely toward the fox den. Their desperate appearance resembled that of a frenzied cattle stampede.
‘Yeah, if I stay here, I might get caught. My skill in stealth might not work against humans.’
I clicked my tongue, observing the fallen bodies of wolves and foxes on the ground.
As the bl**d rushing to my head cooled, problems I’d been ignoring began to surface one by one.
‘Wait a minute, the capture squad said they went to the wolf den? Then surely Leaf and Mori are in danger too!’
