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Snow swirled all around, yet Esdeath didn't feel a scratch on her. Confused, she lifted her head—only to see a towering black figure standing in front of her.
When the cloud of snow finally settled, she realized what had happened: the massive mammoth that had been about to crush her with its front legs… was frozen mid-air.
Those pillar-like legs had been caught. Venom, using sheer strength alone, had stopped the beast's attack.
It wasn't easy—cracks spiderwebbed through the ground beneath his feet from the pressure—but he held on.
Then, channeling all his strength into his arms, Venom shoved forward with a roar.
Boom!
The giant mammoth, its body like a moving mountain, stumbled back a few paces before collapsing heavily into the snow.
Venom stepped out from the cratered ground, rolling his shoulders. His arms shifted and warped, turning into gleaming blades.
"Stay back. Don't want you getting caught up in this."
He glanced over his shoulder at the little girl standing frozen in place, gave a short warning, then started toward the beast.
Esdeath didn't move. She just stared at his back, eyes full of confusion.
She had never, not once, seen a "dangerous species" that could actually talk.
But before she could dwell on it, she spotted a pair of legs sticking awkwardly out of a snowbank. Gasping, she hurried forward and yanked a middle-aged man—buried head-first in the snow—back to the surface.
After checking him over and realizing he wasn't badly hurt, she quickly turned her gaze back to Venom.
"Rooaaarrr!"
The mammoth, furious, hauled itself up from the snow, trumpeting in rage as it faced the advancing monster.
Venom flexed his blade-arms against each other with a metallic screech, then charged.
The mammoth lifted its trunk and slammed it down like a massive hammer.
Venom slid low across the ice, dodging the blow. The impact split the ground wide open with a thunderous crack.
Using the moment, Venom leapt onto the beast's trunk and sprinted along it toward the mammoth's head.
The creature swung its trunk wildly, trying to shake him off. Venom launched himself upward, landing on the mammoth's back. He plunged both blades down—only to find its hide far too thick. The attack barely broke the surface.
The beast bellowed, thrashing its trunk over its shoulder, trying to swat him off.
Venom darted and weaved across its back with inhuman agility, closing in on its head.
Within seconds, he was on top of its skull. He raised his blades and drove them down hard. Blood spurted in a hot spray.
The mammoth screamed, thrashing wildly, smashing the snowfield around it in a frenzy.
Venom tightened his grip, twisted the embedded blade viciously.
Blood and brain matter erupted from the wound, splattering across the snow.
Seizing the moment, he wrenched the blade free and launched himself clear.
"Aaauuugh!"
Thud!
With a final pitiful cry, the mammoth swayed, then collapsed into the snow with a ground-shaking crash.
["Giant beast slain. 150 life points awarded."]
The words rang out in Venom's mind as he landed lightly on the ground. He looked at the fallen monster, then turned back toward Esdeath.
She stiffened, watching him warily as he approached.
"You two okay?"
Venom crouched down in front of them, tilting his head in puzzlement. In this frozen wasteland, stumbling across two humans was no small thing.
Esdeath blinked. Was this dangerous creature… actually worried about her?
Her father had always told her dangerous species were nothing but ruthless monsters—kill or be killed.
And yet, here was one showing concern. She didn't know what to make of it.
"Oh, I get it. You're mute."
Venom chuckled when she stayed silent, like everything suddenly made sense.
But of course, he knew she wasn't mute. He'd heard her voice earlier.
"I am not mute!" Esdeath blurted, cheeks flushing. How dare this thing call her that!
"Ah, so you can talk." Venom's grin widened.
"So what if I can?" she shot back stubbornly, feeling tricked somehow.
"What's your name, kid?" Venom asked, curiosity sparking. Strange that she wasn't afraid of him at all.
"My name is Esdeath!" she declared seriously.
"Interesting. I'm Venom. Nice to meet you, little one." He extended a clawed hand toward her.
"I'm not 'little one.' I have a name," she muttered, but after a moment she stood and shyly reached out, her tiny hand wrapping around just one of his thick fingers.
"Fair enough." Venom chuckled. "So then, little one—who's this guy to you?" He nodded toward the unconscious man she had dragged from the snow.
Venom smirked a little when he heard that, glancing at the middle-aged man lying at Esdeath's feet. He pointed a finger at him.
"This is my father."
Esdeath's reply was sharp and serious, her eyes narrowing. She had no idea what this dangerous creature was planning.
"....."