Hellbound: Rebirth Of The Strongest Slayer.-Chapter 73: Finding the opponent Weakness (1)
The next morning, Rayden woke to the loud sound of battle.
Claws clashing.
Beasts roaring.
Earth trembling.
He sighed.
Which foolish beast is stupid enough to challenge my Beast Empire this early?
He pulled off his baby cloth and stood up. He was oddly dressed, only his lower body covered. The upper sleeves had been torn off long ago, giving the small child a strangely barbaric look.
Cute.
But wrong.
Rayden stepped out of his so called palace.
Which was nothing more than the cave he had claimed after killing its previous occupants.
Two unlucky deer.
They had no abilities apart from speed.
But that speed was insane.
If Rayden had not prepared layered traps in advance and burned them at the right moment, he would never have caught them.
Unlike what most would believe, he was not a merciless baby.
Baby were holy and untainted.
He had simply killed those deer because they were living lavishly while other beings suffered in the forest.
That was bad behavior.
Purging their tainted souls was the best way.
So the world could see he was holy and untainted.
Not a merciless baby.
Of course not.
Still.
Vastro had started noticing something these past few days.
A change.
He felt morally conflicted.
The previous him would have killed those two deer without thought. No pause. No memory of their harmless existence.
But this human baby body…
Too much emotion.
Too much morality.
It was as if the world was asking him to be merciful in this second life.
But as usual, Vastro would follow the world's plan.
After all.
He had plans of his own.
And mercy was not on his list.
Baby Rayden jumped down from the cave entrance and landed smoothly atop one of the blue horned wolves.
His gaze turned cold as he surveyed the enemy.
They looked like a disgusting fusion between insects and grizzly bears.
Their arms and legs were thick, muscular, covered in coarse fur like bears.
But their abdomen and heads belonged to insects.
Segmented.
Hardened.
Disturbing.
More than that.
Entertaining.
Rayden knew about them.
The Insebear beasts.
They attacked in groups.
Each one possessed strength comparable to a Stage Two or Stage Three Arc One warrior.
In this part of the forest, they were on the same level as the white gorillas.
Rayden had never gone near their territory. They were on the opposite side of the forest.
There had been no reason for conflict.
Or so he thought.
Seems I underestimated them.
He assumed they were the type to mind their own business.
But he had forgotten something.
The destruction he had caused.
The territory he had claimed.
The army he had built.
To the Insebear King, he was no longer a minor threat.
He was a growing one.
And growing threats were crushed early.
The king had issued an order.
Rayden and his ever expanding army were to be wiped out immediately.
One of their generals had led the charge.
Over two hundred Insebear warriors stood behind him.
Rayden's army exceeded three hundred.
On paper, he had the advantage.
But reality was different.
If they fought head on, he would win.
Yes.
But at what cost?
His army would be nearly wiped out.
That he could not allow.
His gaze shifted.
Raoth was already locked in battle with the tallest Insebear.
The one screeching the loudest.
The obvious general.
Both were Arc One Stage Four beasts.
But the difference in power was clear.
Raoth lunged for a bite.
Before his fangs could close, a massive claw struck him.
Boom.
Raoth was smashed into the ground.
Blood sprayed from his mouth.
He struggled to rise.
The Insebear general lifted one thick leg and pressed it onto Raoth's head.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Ready to crush it.
The wolves around growled.
But none dared charge recklessly.
Then.
A baby rambling growl echoed across the battlefield.
Low.
Cold.
The Insebear general paused.
Its insect head tilted.
Its compound eyes shifted toward the newcomer.
There, standing atop a blue horned wolf, was a little human child.
Small.
Bare chested.
Calm.
His expression looked horrible.
Terrifying.
The Insebear thought so.
Who would have told the fool that this was Rayden smiling?
Not that the Insebear knew much about what that smile meant anyway.
"Hello, my friend," Rayden began calmly. "I can see you truly came prepared to ruin my land today and strip me of my position."
Only incoherent baby babbling came out of his mouth.
"…Ba… ba… da…"
He paused.
Right.
Baby body.
Raoth snarled loudly beneath the insebear foot, as the he interpreted Rayden's word.
Rayden flashed the red horned wolf a grin and gave him a thumbs up.
Now that is loyalty.
Even with death staring him in the face, he still does his job.
Raoth growled and translated in beast tongue, his voice deep and hostile.
Rayden suddenly felt the Insebear general's hand twitch, as if itching to rip his head off.
He narrowed his eyes.
Raoth probably interpreted it exactly the way I said it.
Can that fool not soften words at least once?
Negotiations continued.
Rayden tried reason.
Territory balance.
Mutual benefit.
Future alliance.
The Insebear general did not care.
Not even slightly.
He had come to kill.
That was all.
"Well," Rayden muttered as he jumped down from Grah and landed directly in front of the towering monster, "I tried to be civil."
The difference in size was absurd.
A baby.
Against a five meter tall Insebear general.
It looked insane.
But insanity had already become normal around Rayden.
"You are the leader," the Insebear growled, its insect head vibrating with a harsh screech. "Your death will bring the King and Queen peace of mind."
It lunged.
Fast.
Too fast for something that size.
Raoth, who was still near its feet, reacted instantly. He bit down deeply into the Insebear's leg.
The general roared and kicked him away violently, sending Raoth tumbling across the battlefield.
But that single moment.
That tiny pause.
Was enough.
Rayden moved.
His body darkened rapidly, skin turning obsidian black as Hellskin Fortification activated.
Without it, he would have died long ago.
His baby body could not handle more violent enhancement skills. His organs would collapse. His bones would shatter.
Hellskin was the only reason he was still breathing.
He rose into the air using Hell Influence. Mid motion, he redirected the Insebear's incoming paw just slightly.
Just enough.
The massive creature's balance faltered for a fraction of a second.
That is my chance.
Ultra Boost.
He vanished.
Reappeared.
His small fist slammed directly into the Insebear's head.
The impact echoed.
Rayden's knuckles screamed in pain.
The Insebear's skull was absurdly hard.
Rayden shot backward from the recoil, stunned for a brief second.
He did not get long.
The Insebear's massive arms shot forward at insane speed, tearing through the air toward his face.
Rayden crossed his arms.
The blow landed.
Boom.
He was blasted out of the air like a broken doll, rocketing backward at full speed toward the surrounding boulders.
A blur flashed.
Suddenly he found himself seated atop Grah.
Good job.
"Now charge at him with full force," Rayden muttered.
"I will launch the attack."
Grah snarled in understanding and exploded forward.
The Insebear's compound eyes narrowed. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺
It charged as well.
The ground trembled beneath its weight.
It struck.
Grah dodged in time.
Barely.
Claws ripped through empty air.
Grah countered, slashing across the Insebear's back.
At the same time, Rayden activated Ember of Will, igniting the wound.
Flames licked into torn flesh.
The smell of burning chitin and fur filled the battlefield.
It should have hurt.
It did hurt.
Rayden was sure of it.
But the Insebear did not stagger.
It did not scream.
It did not slow.
It turned again.
Attacked again.
Grah outmaneuvered it once more.
Rayden lunged forward and punched directly at its spine this time.
Another solid hit.
Another shock running up his arm.
Still.
The Insebear did not fall.
The beast only groaned in pain.
Then it laughed.
A harsh, vibrating sound that scraped against the ears.
Its counter came instantly.
A brutal backhand smashed across Rayden's face before he could fully recover. His head snapped to the side. Before he could stabilize, sharp claws raked across his back.
The attacks were not as destructive as the blows from the white monkey.
But they stung.
They hurt.
Grah moved immediately, rotating his body mid motion and letting Rayden ride his back once more.
They continued like that for a while.
Hit.
Shift.
Dodge.
Burn.
Strike again.
Rayden targeted joints. Spine. Back of the neck. Grah harassed from blind spots. Ember of Will ignited wounds repeatedly.
From the outside, it looked like they were winning.
The Insebear general looked slower now.
Clumsier.
Almost pressured.
But Rayden knew better.
This was not dominance.
This was data.
The Insebear was adapting.
Too fast.
Every exchange, its timing improved. Every dodge grew tighter. Every counter more precise.
At this rate, it would not take long before the worst case scenario happened.
And then it did.
A split second miscalculation.
Grah lunged in for another slash.
The Insebear's abdomen pulsed.
Condensed qi gathered in its leg.
Boom.
The kick landed directly into Grah's abdomen.
The sound was sickening.
Grah let out a loud cry and was sent flying, smashing violently into a distant boulder. Stone cracked on impact.
Dust rose.
Silence followed.
Rayden landed lightly on the ground.
He remained standing.
Small.
Calm.
Facing a five meter monster that was finally done testing.
Behind him lay everything he had built.
His wolves.
His territory.
His rising empire.
"You know something," Rayden said softly.
The Insebear could not understand him.
Rayden did not care.
He would speak anyway.
"Everyone, no matter how great, has a weakness."
The Insebear's compound eyes locked onto him.
"And you," Rayden continued, voice steady, "despite all your show of strength, clearly have one."
The battlefield felt heavy.
Thick.
"This battle will not pass the next round."
His obsidian skin gleamed under the light.
"Because I am killing you now."
His lips curled.
Predatory.
Cold.
"I have already figured out your weakness."
Rayden's predatory smile widened despite his cute baby face.
"Come," he whispered.
To be continued.
