Tiiing!
The sword held by the village chief slipped from his grip and fell to the ground. He was thrown back, struggling to get up. But before he could rise, Crowne was already standing before him. Crowne's foot slammed into the chief's chest.
"Let me go! Fight me fairly!" the chief shouted.
Crowne only snorted at those words. Without the slightest trace of sympathy, he stomped on the chief's face. Then he kicked his chest again and again until blood dripped from his nose. Even after being kicked more than a dozen times, the village chief vomited blood.
He was completely battered, unable to resist. His body was limp, struggling even to rise.
"I don't know what your motive was for creating so many Wendigos. That is not my concern. But you sacrificed innocent people. You even forced a grandson to kill and eat the body of the grandmother he loved. That…" Crowne trailed off, unable to find the right words. The chief's actions were far too vile and disgusting. "You are worse than trash."
Instead of begging for mercy, the chief laughed. He spat at Crowne. The spit landed only on Crowne's thigh. Afterward, the chief grinned.
"You will die!" he snarled.
All this time, his hand had been inching toward the fallen sword. He grabbed it quickly and slashed toward Crowne, thinking the surprise attack would turn the tables. Unfortunately, it did not.
Slash!
Crowne severed the village chief's left hand. The sword fell to the ground along with the severed limb. The chief turned his gaze toward his left side, stunned for a moment before finally screaming in agony.
The pain was unbearable. He writhed on the ground, shrieking. Crowne merely stared coldly, without guilt, pity, or even a shred of sympathy.
"You deserve the most dreadful torment," Crowne said.
Without further hesitation, he cut off the chief's other hand. Then both ankles. Not stopping there, Crowne even sliced off the man's tongue. The village chief could now only squirm like a worm, unable to speak, left alive in his broken state.
Blood flowed endlessly from his wounds. Gradually, his body weakened, and he no longer had the strength to writhe.
"Die slowly," Crowne declared.
He turned his back and walked away. Sitting on the grass a short distance from the dying chief, Crowne lifted his gaze toward the sky of this place. This realm was inside the Dimensional Prison Ring he had obtained earlier.
At first, the space within had been narrow, barren, and lifeless. But ever since Jörmungandr had been placed inside, it had transformed. The area expanded into a vast, fertile land.
Lush grass spread across the ground, towering trees rose high, and small animals like rabbits and birds lived peacefully. Life that never existed before now thrived. Jörmungandr's Mana and magical energy had reshaped the world into something beyond reason.
"No wonder its price was 90,000 market points."
With that amount of points, Crowne could have bought countless overpowered weapons, world-class artifacts, and even thousands of other beasts. He could have exchanged them for gold coins and become immensely rich. Yet Crowne felt no regret about his choice.
Jörmungandr had proven invaluable.
[Mission in progress: 42/50 monsters/beasts defeated.]
Without lifting a finger, his mission would be completed. Such a thing would never have been possible if he had chosen anyone but Jörmungandr. Crowne lay down and closed his eyes.
As he was about to drift into sleep, he heard birds chirping. He felt something land on his stomach and forehead. Not only that, he felt tiny creatures crawling across his body. Crowne opened his eyes slightly, smiling faintly before closing them again.
"Do you like it here?" he whispered.
**
Hours passed. Crowne finally opened his eyes. His body felt far better. The exhaustion that had weighed him down had almost vanished. He sat up.
The little animals around him stirred awake as well. There were far more of them than he had expected. He wasn't even sure how many gathered around him—perhaps nearly a hundred small creatures of various kinds. Even insects were present.
"I'm sorry, but it looks like I must leave now," Crowne said.
He stood and turned his eyes toward the corpses of the Wendigos and the village chief. Nearly half of their flesh had already been consumed. Whatever creature had feasted on them was gone.
Whatever it was, Crowne felt relieved. At least he did not need to dispose of the corpses himself. In a way, their remains had served a purpose.
"I'm leaving," Crowne said.
**
In less than a second, he reappeared in Garlun Village—right in front of the village chief's house. There, a Wendigo stood motionless, sniffing the corpse of an old grandmother.
The sight stabbed at Crowne's heart. As he walked toward the Wendigo, the creature growled fiercely. Its claws extended, yet it did not strike Crowne. There was fear flickering in its eyes.
Crowne let out a long sigh.
"Forgive me," he said softly.
He moved swiftly, striking the back of the young Wendigo's neck. With a single blow, the creature fell unconscious. Afterward, Crowne entered the chief's house, searching every corner and taking whatever he could find.
When he emerged, he carried a rope, which he tied around the young Wendigo's body to prevent it from harming any innocent people.
Tring!
[Mission Complete: 50/50 monsters/beasts defeated.]
[Reward: 99,999 market points, 10,000 EXP, and skill Learning by Experience acquired.]
[Level up]
[Level up]
[Level up]
[Congratulations, you have reached Level 40.]
[Stats increased!]