The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 402: Competition: Druid Mode (6)

Chapter 402: Competition: Druid Mode (6)

Howls filled the air before Hex and the Dragon Bear reached the pack.

’I think your roar has alarmed them. They are on the verge of retreating.’ Hex said through his bond. The feedback felt a little smug from the Bear.

Of course. They should retreat. Even morons like them should realize they don’t stand a chance.

’Look at you being so arrogant,’ Hex replied with a grin. They were almost close. Through the gaps in the bush he saw the pack hesitate. ’They aren’t retreating.’

Dumb morons.

The Bear growled and flattened the last bit of small trees in their way. Hex didn’t stop him but did slow his pace. Something felt off. The pack should have retreated.

Despite him teasing the Bear of being arrogant, the fact that they were outmatched didn’t change. Beasts, no matter how dull or how ordinary, had instincts to help them survive. Hex didn’t believe a bunch of wild wolves would willingly fight to their death, just to confront an enemy as terrifying as the Dragon Bear.

Meanwhile, the Bear met the wolves.

The wolves at the front yelped and scurried backwards. Alas, the Dragon Bear swung his massive paws at the front most wolf. The poor thing was only at the Demonic Stage. The Bear’s claw tore it in half.

’Two at the front. Five on each side. Ten at the back,’ Hex counted quickly. He had spread his senses over a wide area. ’The group has more Fiends than Demons. But...where is the alpha?’

Usually, the alpha stood at the back or the front, depending on the subspecies within wolf packs. He didn’t sense any wolf taking care of the rear and he seriously doubted the small Demon lying in two pieces had been the alpha.

Perhaps he will appear once everyone is dead.

No counter arguments. The bear had taken care of the two other wolves at the front. The wolves at either side were still hesitant to attack. Their soft yelps seemed to show they rather ran away from the savage bear but they stood their ground.

~A-t-t-a-c-k~

With a jerk of his head, Hex focused on the gust of wind whistling through the grass. The gust of wind disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared. The commanding murmur hidden inside it had been faint, however, Hex’s ears had picked it up.

’Did you hear that?’

After tearing through the two other wolves, the Bear was about to target the group on his left side. He halted midway, though.

I did.

’They stopped trembling.’ Hex noticed the change in the beasts around him at once. Hesitation left them as did their trembling. He couldn’t hear any yelps or soft howls.

There was silence. And then, as if in sync, all the wolves stepped toward the Bear, growling loudly.

Their blood is burning.

Hex had sensed it too. The beasts used their blood as fuel to pump more energy into the muscles. He could sense the spike in their energy levels.

What should I do?

Abnormal as the situation was, it wasn’t enough to scare the Bear or Hex. He only asked because he realized that things weren’t as simple as initially assumed. It made the Bear wonder whether Hex had changed or adjusted his plans.

’What you came to do. Tear them apart.’ That part of the plan didn’t require change. He would not interfere, though.

Veil of Death.

Hex masked his presence and remained in the shadows. He didn’t even spread his senses to detect the presence of the enemy. They would come to him. Sooner or later. He just had to wait.

Meanwhile, the battle between the wolves and the Dragon Bear had exploded. His Bear was far stronger than all the wolves combined. But he was outnumbered. Worse even, his opponents had lost the ability to fear or care. They pounced at the Bear, not caring whether they could retreat unharmed or not.

Like the one who had bitten into the bear’s neck. It retreated too late, breaking a leg. It didn’t howl in pain. It didn’t stagger. Nothing. It dragged the broken leg, looking to pounce again.

If, and it was an important if, the Bear had been alive, Hex would be worried about him bleeding to death. But it wasn’t. And that made a great difference.

Each bite and injury just drained more energy out of Hex. Luckily, his reserves were huge.

’Are you okay? Need a hand?’ Hex sent through his bond. He knew this fight could be over if he joined. And if he didn’t join...it would still be over. It would only take a little more time.

I am fine. The Bear growled back. Hex felt it getting impatient and irritated by the relentless attacks. Just a few of them are left. They are annoying. If I just could freeze them.

Hex, who was grinning as he listened to the Bear’s complaints, stood still, struck at a sudden thought.

’Why don’t you?’ Hex replied. Feeling the confusion of the Bear through their bond, he explained. ’Allow me to channel the Ice element through the bond. You were able to access it in your Soul form. I don’t see why it couldn’t work like this.’

The Bear was more than happy to try.

Despite not being trained into such Techniques, Hex gave it a try. The bond between him and the Bear was rooted at soul level. He allowed the soul to sense and control the element.

He barely nudged the Ice element toward the bond, when he sensed it being sucked away toward the Dragon Bear. The Bear seemed to feel more alive with the element. A big reason to start with the Ice element was exactly this. The Dragon Bear was part Ice Kobold at its core.

Bear Domain.

The Bear roared its ability, blasting the area with Ice. It had happened so suddenly that none of the wolves had been able to react. The nearest ones froze immediately. The ones further away, slowed down considerably.

~M.o.v.e.~

Hex heard another command through the wind. This one sounded more urgent.

’He is shocked. Coming this way too. Good.’

Ding.

The frozen bodies shattered with a loud, clear noise upon impact.

Oh no. You are not getting away.

Another roar. The bear rushed toward the ones that could move. Their Druid finally seemed willing to let them escape. But it was too late.

Hex’s Dragon Bear had aimed his jump right in the middle of the retreating survivors of the pack. He smashed one into a pulp by landing on top of it. A few, close to him, were flattened when the Bear used his complete body to perform a body slam into them.

Howl.

The last one howled. It was injured. It was furious. It was afraid. Hex and the Bear understood all its emotions. But they didn’t show mercy.

Bang.

With a last stomp, the Bear crushed its skull into the ground. Instant kill. It was perhaps indeed mercy they showed.

As soon as the last wolf died, the wind picked up. With it came a painful howl.

"YOU VILE BEAST."

Hex looked to the front. His senses had picked up the arriving presences. A man and a wolf appeared in the distance.

They seemed furious. Hex, however, smiled. As far as he was concerned, the enemy was delivering himself to him.

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