Harem King's Collection: Turning Beastkins Into Desperate Wives!-Chapter 66: A View Of Dancing Stars

Oust had always been a creature caught between two worlds... too proud to accept his father’s indifference, yet too desperate for approval to simply walk away.

Joining the guard had seemed like the answer, a way to force recognition through achievement where birthright had failed him. But recognition was a fickle thing, and every slight, every dismissive word, felt like another nail in the coffin of his hopes.

The bear’s crude remarks weren’t just insults, they were a mirror reflecting back every doubt Oust carried about his own worth.

The humiliation of The Selection still burned in his chest. To lose to a mere human, in front of everyone who mattered, had been devastating enough. But to endure mockery from an outsider was unbearable.

In that moment, all Oust wanted to do was silence the voice that spoke his deepest fears aloud.

Sir Corper simply latched on to the tiger’s wrist mid turn, and spun with his trajectory, using the tiger’s own built up speed to easily toss the beast aside, as if the maneuver was no more than a passing twirl between dance partners.

Sir Corper simply latched on to the tiger’s wrist mid turn, and spun with his trajectory, using the tiger’s own built up speed to easily toss the beast aside, as if the maneuver was no more than a passing twirl between dance partners.

Oust latched onto the dirt, sliding back a good bit from being tossed with such force, his claws shredded the earth beneath him as he sank them down to catch himself. His eyes narrowed, and his nostrils flared at the humiliation he had endured. The beast snarled while Sir Corper kept on talking in that casual tone, never slowing in his movements.

"So much anger... So young..." Oust sharply retorted, bearing his fangs well.

"And you can talk? The least you could’ve done was actually kill that runt back there after that sob story you went on about!"

Sir Corper came to another halt, but his expression this time was a serious one, and he only held his finishing pose, eyeing the tiger studiously as he began debating with the beast.

"What I did earlier was relapse into my anger, the first time in seven years, young one. How long can you avoid falling victim to your own temper? Seven minutes? It’s no wonder you could never hope to strike me."

Oust snarled at the further insult, charging once more. This time, he tried to fake the bear out, leaping right, but ducking down to jab left at the last moment. Oust ducked his face right into the bear’s prepared blow, knocking him off balance with a blindingly swift punch by Sir Corper. The tiger stumbled back. The bear did not move as he continued.

"You’re still only striking with your own turmoil... You lack restraint."

Oust used a dirty tactic, and threw a fistful of sand towards the bear, attempting to blind him while he rushed to take advantage of the opening. Corper simply closed his eyes, and exhaled while the tiger shouted once more.

"A true warrior needs no restraint! That is for the weak!"

The bear had had enough, a drunken, ignorant, loudmouthed cub resulting to such pathetic tactics wasn’t worth entertaining anymore. He reached out his paw blindly, expertly catching the tiger by his thick throat, raising him up as he applied a decent amount of force to the undisciplined cat’s larynx, securing him in place. The bear spoke a bit louder this time, opening his eyes to make certain the young one understood exactly how wrong he was.

"Tell me, son of Reiner, do you know why I was given the name Corper the Collapser?" The bear paused to listen to the tiger sputter for the breath he was denying him before he continued. "No? Then allow me to tell you. It’s because if I don’t hold back on my strikes, I will collapse my target’s ribs, their teeth, their chests, their skulls, their scrawny little necks..."

Corper tightened his grip a bit, emphasizing the point he was making. Oust was finally realizing how badly he had messed up as he flailed vainly to escape this beast. Sir Corper continued as if he wasn’t easily dangling the tiger like a child by his straining throat

"Basically... If I land a hit, and I don’t show restraint, I break whatever my fist lands against. I break things. I make them collapse. It was my wife, a human, that taught me the value of true restraint, and she trusted me to show that restraint in ways I didn’t trust myself... Tell me, young one... Do you still believe that I, as a warrior, should have no restraint? I’d very much like to know if your opinion has changed after our debate."

Corper squeezed his grip firmly in his pause, eyeing the struggling tiger with a glimpse of the terror such true, unrestrained anger could bring. Oust could not speak if he wanted to, as his eyes bulged under the pressure and he felt something in his neck pop. Sir Corper had a bit more to say to the foolish cub, although, in a much darker tone.

"I see... You must be too drunk to respond, young one. I’ll help you sober up then, and we can continue this conversation tomorrow if you wish. Consider coming at me with a bit more respect then, young one, now that you know what the other side of no restraints looks like. How it feels to be on the weaker side of it. You can start by showing a little restraint in your drinking, cub, as well as that temper. Only then will I hear your debate."

Corper turned then, just as Oust was starting to black out, and leaned back a bit before tossing the tiger easily into the river, sobering him up, just as he had promised. Oust came up sputtering for breath, and looked to see the bear was already making his departure. He took a few, choking, heavy gulps of air in, and charged in his fury at such humiliation once more. The tiger was almost to the bear when Sir Corper spoke in a quiet whisper.

"Fine then, I’ll help you sleep on the lesson, young fool."

Something jabbed at Oust’s throat sharply, and the tiger fell forward in his charge immediately, barely catching himself on all fours, completely breathless. His eyes watered heavily from the force of the strike.

Before the tiger could even begin to understand what had happened, another measured strike to the back of his skull brought immediate darkness upon him, and Oust’s first, and last, drunken night in the orc village came to an end filled with a view of dancing stars.

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