Chapter 70: Not today
Garnt's instincts kicked in as he refused to back down, facing Moga's menacing glare head-on. He knew that running now might be the wisest option, but he had a village to protect and a promise to fulfil also deep inside he wanted to see the blood of Moga.
"Stop ignoring me!" As Moga shouted, seeing Garnt and Rona talking with each other, things got even more intense.
Ignoring Moga's threats, Garnt attempted to make a break for it, hoping to lead Rona to safety. However, Moga was not about to let them escape so easily.
With a swift and angry motion, he grabbed a nearby stone crusher that he was carrying and hurled it towards Garnt. The heavy object whizzed past him, narrowly missing his head but striking the wooden wall behind him with a thunderous crash.
*Boom
"Garnt, are you okay?" Worried about Garnt, Rona shouted but he nodded his head showing it was just a close call. Garnt quickly regained his composure, his heart pounding in his chest as he realized how narrowly he had escaped serious injury.
Dust and splinters from the shattered wall surrounded him as he took a deep breath to steady himself.
Outside the wall, Garnt glimpsed the chaos unfolding as his fellow villagers fought off the attacking wolves. He clicked his tongue in frustration, realizing that his people needed him too. He turned to Rona, determination in his eyes, and urged her to run and help them on behalf of her.
"I'll handle this," he said firmly. "You go, and I'll catch up."
Rona hesitated, torn between her desire to help and her newfound trust in Garnt. But ultimately, she knew she couldn't fight with people on her back and those villagers needed someone to lead them. She nodded and sprinted away, vowing to return to assist Garnt once she had ensured her own safety.
Moga tried to stop Rona from going back, but Garnt quickly picked up the half-broken stone crusher that Moga had thrown and hurled it back with full force while carrying Baktou.
"Ugh, this is so hard." Even for Garnt, doing something like this takes a heavy toll on his body.
Moga being the prideful idiot tried to catch it, but before he could do that, the whole thing crumbled since Garnt had thrown it with such force. Shards of stone rained down around Moga as he yelped and ducked for cover.
Garnt decided to confront Moga directly. In a daring move, he took out a sharp thorn infused with poison and jabbed it into Moga's hand taking advantage of the confusion.
Moga released a sharp cry of pain as the poison quickly took effect. He felt his hand go numb, and his fingers became unresponsive. Panic and shock washed over him as he realized the severity of the situation.
He attempted to flex his fingers, but they remained still as if they were made of stone themselves.
"What did you do? I will kill you," Moga screamed, as he felt his hand going numb.
[This is the first time we used the improved version of that poison right? Looks like it works rather well.]
Garnt leaned in closer, his voice laced with a cold determination while listening to Eva. "That poison will render his hand useless, at least for a few hours," he said firmly, ensuring Moga understood his actions' consequences. "He should think twice before harming my people again."
[Are you going to kill him?]
"Yeah, I have no choice," Garnt decided to quickly deliver the final blow and run so he could help Rona and the others. "I highly dislike killing people, but this man shouldn't survive because he is a threat to my own family, and I can't forgive him for harming my brother."
Eva just wanted to know about his choice because she was always ready to share Garnt's burden as a true partner. Hoping to deliver the final blow using his bone dagger, Garnt approached Moga, but something unexpected happened.
Despite the excruciating pain and the effects of the poison, Moga managed to grab Garnt's leg and squeeze it before he could harm him. With a menacing tone, Moga threatened to kill Garnt.
"You useless shits! Come here and kill this man," He shouted hoping his underlings would do the job properly instead of looking stunned by what was happening.
Summoning all his strength, Garnt swung his free leg with all the force he could muster, aiming for Moga's head. The surprise attack caught Moga off guard, and he released his hold just long enough for Garnt to break free.
Gasping for breath, Garnt staggered back a few steps, clutching his injured leg.
[Garnt, run! You can't deal with so many people at once. It's too dangerous.]
Eva wanted Moga dead, but more than that she was worried about Garnt's safety.
Garnt knew that he couldn't take on Moga and his reinforcements alone. He replied to Moga with determination, "I promise you, I will kill you someday. I won't let you get away after hurting my brother and trying to harm Rona."
Moga looked at Garnt with his hatred-filled eyes, but Garnt didn't wait for his reaction as he started to run toward the entrance of the mine.
Garnt's heart pounded as he sprinted towards the mine's entrance, desperate to find Rona and ensure her safety.
As he burst out into the open, he was met with the chaotic scene of his people locked in a fierce battle with a pack of wolves. Panic gripped him, but he had to stay focused on his mission.
"This is not good, my whole objective is to have less damage since we can't lose villagers and our workforce," Garnt wondered how much damage this event would cause to his future plans.
Amidst the chaos, he spotted Rona, valiantly defending herself against a ferocious wolf. Fear for her safety coursed through his veins, driving him to push himself harder. He charged toward her, ready to lend his strength.
"Rona, are you okay?" He shouted hoping to capture the attention of the fang wolf.
But as he closed the distance, his heart skipped a beat. He noticed a distinct white-furred wolf, standing between him and Rona. It was unlike any wolf he had ever seen before. Its eyes were piercing and intelligent, and its presence seemed strangely commanding.
[That is-]
Even Eva paused for a moment seeing this majestic looking Cenzoic fang wolf, who had fur covering its body, unlike any other wolf they had ever seen.
Its pure white fur glistened in the soft starlight, accentuating its powerful, well-built body, and giving it an almost ethereal, regal aura that left everyone in awe.
Garnt skidded to a halt, locking eyes with the enigmatic white wolf. For a brief moment, it felt as though time itself had frozen. Rona, her sword poised and ready, also halted her attack, casting a perplexed glance at Garnt. She couldn't understand why he had intervened in such an unusual manner.
"Garnt, what are you doing? Get back! That wolf will attack you." She shouted worried about Garnt's safety.
The white wolf regarded Garnt with an intensity that sent shivers down his spine. It seemed to be evaluating him, searching for something in his gaze. In that frozen moment, a strange connection seemed to form between the two, an unspoken understanding that transcended the chaos of the battle.
Rona was confused for a few seconds, but then she realized something was strange. She couldn't comprehend why Garnt was risking himself in such an unusual manner.
Garnt, however, didn't break eye contact with the white wolf. His voice was steady as he replied, "Rona, don't worry. I know this wolf."
Rona scowled, thinking Garnt was delirious from the chaos of the battle. "Know this wolf? Garnt, this is no time for jokes! Let's quickly deal with it"
But before she could finish her sentence, the white wolf made a sudden, graceful leap towards Garnt. Rona's heart raced, fearing it would attack him. She screamed in fear for her friend.
"Gaaaarnt! Get away from that animal," It was a voice that came from pure desperation.
Yet, to her astonishment, the white wolf didn't attack. Instead, it landed beside Garnt and began to gently nuzzle and lick his face. Rona's jaw dropped in disbelief as she watched this bewildering display of affection.
"What is happening here? What is this" Rona muttered, completely perplexed by the wolf's behavior.
Garnt, his face covered in wolf slobber, couldn't help but chuckle. "Rona, meet Maro. She used to be my friend back when I was living in the wilderness. To be more accurate, when we were a small group."
Rona's eyes widened in amazement. She had never heard Garnt mention a wolf friend before, and this situation was beyond anything she could have imagined.
"Ahhhh~ I don't even know what's happening anymore, but why am I not surprised by this?" Holding her head, Rona questioned and Garnt decided to end things before they got too complicated.