CH 12: The Beast of the South (2)

While Enri and the others are picking herbs I had [Message] Aura and tasked her to send the beast in our way.

'She's probably done doing that.' I thought.

"So the Wise King of the Forest is weak?" Narberal then spoke but It's low enough so only we three could hear it.

"It is weak by Nazarick standards, but one of the strongest entities here in this world... Around level 30."

"Ohh~ Impressive~su," Lupusregina said. She's probably thinking that almost all the humans and monsters we have met are weaker than Level 30. The strongest we had met, is the warrior-captain but he's weaker than this beast.

Narberal, Gina, and I had handicapped ourselves to level 30-34 beings before coming to E-Rantel and it had stayed that well.

Moments later, Enri said that we have collected the right amount. "Let's go back now, Momon-sama." She's so happy when she said this.

And so we started heading back now. Aura also [Message] me that the beast will be coming any moment now.

While strolling in the forest, I and my companions felt the incoming beast. We could even already feel the disturbance happening all over the forest. As if something big is coming.

"Has our guest arrived?" Narberal said.

'We are the guest Narberal...' I thought, then—

I felt the air moved and I immediately raised my bastard sword to block an incoming attack.

*Clang!*

A tremendous force hit my sword and a loud clang of metal hitting metal resounded in the already quiet forest.

I saw a long, serpentine tail slowly retreated behind a tree.

Then a feminine voice resounded in the area.

"How spectacular; to think thou could endure the blow of this one. Perhaps this is the first time this one hath encountered a foe possessed of such prowess."

'This little shit.' I thought.

"—Then, oh trespasser upon mine demesne. Shouldst thou decides to quit, this one shall not pursue thy bunch in honor of thy magnificent defense." It added.

'This hamster...' I don't know but something is annoying about this Giant Hamster.

'Ha~ I should go with my script now.'

"Show me your face beast! Are you so insecure about your appearance that you have to hide behind a tree?" I said, and immediately I could feel the goblins behind our backs started coordinating themselves.

I think they are planning to evacuate with Enri now.

"What a wild tongue thou hast, oh trespasser! Now behold this one's mighty form! Stare with eyes wide and tongue-tied, and tremble in dread and awe!" The hamster replied.

The dramatic show of the appearance of this beast is really something. I saw it and it resembles a giant Djungarian hamster with a long snake tail. Six sigils dot her silvery fur.

The moment I saw her appearance, I almost say "Aww~". 'This is a giant Djungarian Hamster! So cute.'

"T-That's the Wise King of the Forest," I heard Enri said. I could feel awe in her voice.

'Eh, is it really that impressive? I mean It's cute.' I then stole a glance at both Narberal and Lupusregina. They both have bored expressions. Lupusregina even might doze off.

The Giant hamster is silently observing us as if sizing us up, I think it may be because of the commotion with Enri and her goblins. And then—

"Ani-san! We're going!" Jugem suddenly shouted. I sensed them getting Enri to evacuate— 'Eh? Someone is crying.'

I then turned my head back and see them already retreating with Enri crying.

'What an adorable girl, she cares for me huh?' I thought before replying:

"Don't worry..."

The goblins then retreated and carried Enri away. I think Jugem(Goblin leader) knew well that we could match the beast and he decided to carry her away because he doesn't want his master to be caught up in a battle.

'Yosh! Let me smack this giant-ass hamster a bit before taming. This mere hamster dare flaunt his weak-ass on me!' I thought.

Then something entered my ears—

"I like you Momon-sama! P-Please come back safely!" The loud shout came from the goblins' direction.

I froze for a moment, I have very keen ears, and there's no mistake that is...

'E-Eh? That's Enri's voice!'

"Fufufu, this one senses thy fear and alarm form beneath thine helmet!" The hamster said smugly.

'Arghh— this little shit!' I thought. I do not know why I'm becoming annoyed but this hamster is still cute though.

A smile twisted the face of the magical beast, and it curled its long tail. There were strange glyphs and symbols on the silvery fur covering its body. It was about the size of a horse, but it was low to the ground, being larger in the horizontal rather than the vertical dimension.

The Wise King of the Forest shrank the distance between them.

"WISE KING OF THE FOREST SUBMIT TO ME!" I shouted to the beast. This is the last line of the script.

"Outrageous! This one hath live for centuries as the ruler of this demesne! This one hath offered thou with grace but now let us end this!—" The giant hamster seemed to be pissed now.

"—Oh trespasser who hath profaned mine demesne, offer thy life as this one's sustenance!" The beast added.

"Nabe, Gina. Fall back." I ordered. I want this beast to submit to me but with me just using this level 30 plus handicap.

"Yes~su. Do your best hamster~san!~su." Lupusregina said before backing off, still on her adventurer persona.

While Narberal had a look of absolute confidence as she bowed deeply and then retreated to a corner of the clearing.

"Oh — but know thou that being outnumbered is no handicap for this one?"

"…I can't do something as embarrassing as fighting a weak beast three-on-one."

The Wise King of the Forest then lowered its body and tensed its entire body.

"Regret not thy decision! Now bear the charge of this one!" The hamster shouted and then she charges.

The hamster then forcefully kicked off the earth and lunged at me so fast but that's for the New World standard. But — 'Not fast enough...' for me.

The flying tackle of the beast's massive body would have yeet anything weaker than level 30 away, but they could still survive it with the use of [Martial arts] or some high-tier spells.

I threw my sword on the side and took the Wise King of Forest's charged head-on. Trying to wrestle with strength alone.

Remember that my overall abilities are handicapped at Level 30+ now.

"Muuuuu!" The sound came from the giant hamster who is probably frustrated that she can't even push me from the ground I stood on.

The giant hamster then decided to use its sharp claws and started ferociously slash at me.

*Wooosh!*

I dodged it with my practiced movements. The beast then continued Its fierce slashings.

"It's my turn now!" I said after dodging every attack that has been thrown at me. I rounded up my fist that is wearing a gauntlet and threw a right straight heavy punch at the beast body center/belly — where the magical glyphs are.

"Uhhh!" The cracking of a tree could be heard.

A heavy punch from a roughly level 35 warrior connected the beast's body; sending her flying to the tree that immediately broke the moment her body hits it.

"Arghh— Despicable! Take this! [Blindness]!" One of the glyphs glowed on her body, but I resisted the spell she cast like nothing.

"Uhh [Charm Species]!" Then another glyph glows in her body again but I resisted the mere 4th tier spell as well.

There were spellcasting monsters in YGGDRASIL. While the numbers of spells they could use varied greatly according to their level and species, as a rough guideline, they could use about eight kinds of magic. Similarly, the Wise King of the Forest had roughly eight kinds of tattoos on its body.

The beast did not notice its spell had been resisted by me — even in this handicapped form, it is enough to resist it — and stood and charged again with its forepaws.

We both went back and forth, neither side being able to strike a decisive blow. We continued fighting in the clearing and I didn't bulge a bit.

I want this hamster to submit to me using a level 30 handicap form of my [Seraph form]. Yes, before the fight starts, I switched to my humanoid form because I felt more comfortable in this form and I also want to tame it while handicapped.

—And so I continued pushing to my advantage.

I had trained my martial arts — not [Martial Arts] of the new world but the fighting styles — with Sebas in Nazarick. One of these techniques is boxing and I learned boxing a bit from him. Surprisingly, I learned it quickly! But I also learned other hand-to-hand combat skills from him.

Anyway, I continued doing my dodges from her claws and counter-attacking with jabs and occasional heavy punches.

Left hook, right hook, left uppercut, and so on.

The beast then lowered Its body and I immediately recognized it.

'She's going to use her tail!'

The tail strike at the beginning had come from a long-distance away. In other words, I was still in the range of the tail attack.

As expected, the tail swung in a huge, sweeping arc, speeding at me with its surprising length.

I easily dodged the sweeping tail attack. 'I need to close my distance!' I thought. I can't let her kept using that tail nor be hit by it.

So far I have not been hit even a single time because I had dodged it all — except for taking the charge head-on — but I doubt being able to dodge the tail in this level 30 handicap. It's faster than me on this handicap. Impressive.

Now is the first time I have moved from my position because since earlier I have been holding my ground without moving.

I closed my distance while she's still retracting her tail, and overall still unready.

I went in front of her and hammer fisted her head with my right hand. I bonked her head.

"Ouch!"

'That is considered a blunt damage right?' I thought.

"Submit to me beast!" I shouted at her again. As she retreated from me.

"This one will not yield to thee!" She replied while massaging where I bonked her with teary-eyed.

"Then! I'll make you submit!" I shouted back before forcefully the ground and lunged on her at full-speed.

--------------------------

"That's… enough," I said in a cold voice as I pointed my right hand to the giant hamster.

"[Despair Aura V]." I activated a skill. I returned to my [Overlord Form] because this skill is only available to my undead form.

Since its instant death effect was too strong, I reduced its potency and instead activated [Despair Aura I]'s fear effect.

A cold, soul-chilling vapor gusted out from my right hand.

The moment that mass of cold air washed over the Wise King of the Forest, every single one of its hairs stood on end, and it rolled over with surprising speed.

All I could see now was its silvery fur, and its soft, defenseless belly.

"AAA! This one yields to thee!"

"Haah~ I should have done this earlier."

We've been fighting back and forth for 6 minutes straight and it became boring for me and I realized how cringy it must be for Lupusregina and Narberal that I'm fighting this fluff monster for that long.

"As expected of Momon-sama! A mere beast won't have a chance." Narberal said as she walked towards me with a smug expression.

"Amazing fight~su, Momon-san~." Lupusregina comes after Narberal.

I then faced the giant hamster.

"My true name is Momonga. If you are willing to serve me, I will spare your life, beast."

"Th-Thank you very much! This one shall offer absolute fealty to thee for the gift of this one's life! The life of the Wise King of the Forest shall be an offering to the great warrior, Momonga-sama!" The giant hamster jumped up and was frantically pledging its loyalty to me.

"Now. Now. Let's get back to the village. Remember to not call me by my original name there."

"This one shall follow m'lord command!"