The Eye of Oblivion

Chapter 14: Slaughter

When Yahan finally escaped back home, his heart was still pounding violently in his chest. He swore to himself that he would never set foot near the shaman again. He would rather face the ferocious Ironhorn Beast than encounter that cauldron of foul, poisonous brew. At least, with the Ironhorn Beast, there was a sliver of hope for survival.

Six months ago, he had begun sneaking into the forest to test and hone his blade skills. The first time he fought a wild beast, he was inexperienced, and it wasn’t surprising that he ended up wounded and lost his prey. When he returned home, he hoped to cover it up, but his father, who appeared rugged and simple, was well-versed in the marks left by beasts. He immediately noticed the abnormal wounds, yet said nothing beyond sternly warning him not to venture too deep into the forest. His father’s tacit approval of his excursions left Yahan relieved.

"Mother, has Father not returned yet?" Yahan asked, gulping down water from the jug, his words slightly muffled by the drink.

"Go to the village entrance and see if they’ve come back yet. How could they not be back by now?" his mother replied, walking out from the inner room with a look of unease. She was dragging along Yahan’s younger brother, a snot-nosed little wildling who was already crawling around at two months old, following her like a shadow.

Yahan felt a sinking feeling in his chest. He glanced at the sky; the sun had set, and dusk was rapidly turning into night, yet the hunting party had still not returned. Forcing a smile, he reassured his mother, "Haha, maybe it’s like last time—too much prey to carry back all at once. I’ll go ahead and check on them, see if they need help."

His mother’s face softened a little. "Just go to the village entrance. Don’t wander into the forest."

"Yes, Mother, I know," Yahan replied with a comforting smile. He grabbed his steel blade from the corner of the room, then turned and headed towards the village entrance. Despite his lighthearted words, a deep sense of foreboding gnawed at him.

As soon as Yahan left the village, he sprinted down the familiar path the hunting party usually took. The sky darkened swiftly, and what had been a dim twilight was now quickly becoming the black of night. His anxiety grew with each passing moment. In the past years, except for a few rare occasions, the hunting party had never returned this late.

Although Yahan had been an adult in his previous life, since his rebirth into this world, he had felt somewhat detached from familial bonds, even harboring a subtle resistance towards them. Yet now, he realized how deeply these wild parents had carved themselves into his heart, leaving an indelible mark that he could no longer erase.

The black steel blade hung at an angle in his hand as he moved through the forest like a swift and agile leopard. Suddenly, his ears caught a distant sound—angry shouts. He halted abruptly, his senses sharpening as he adjusted his direction and darted towards the source of the noise.

His pace slowed as he neared the scene, and his breathing became steady and quiet. He carefully parted the bushes ahead and peered through them. He saw over fifty members of his tribe’s hunting party surrounded by another group of wild barbarians wielding spears. The barbarians outnumbered them by far, at least a hundred strong. The signs of battle were evident; seven or eight bodies of dead barbarians lay scattered on the ground, but Yahan didn’t see any of his own people among the fallen. He exhaled a breath of relief.

"Leave all the food behind. This forest belongs to the Wujis now. From now on, every time you pass through, you’ll hand over half your food, or I’ll wipe out your entire tribe," snarled a fierce-looking barbarian.

"Bah!" A muscular tribesman spat in contempt. "You Wujis have a lot of nerve! If you want our food and forest, let's see if your heads are harder than our blades!"

"Chief, enough talk! Let's kill them!" Yali growled, a bloodthirsty gleam in his eyes.

"Hmph, since you’re not afraid of death, let’s begin. Not only will I kill you all, but I’ll also take your women and children and hang your heads at our village entrance..." The barbarian’s words were cut off by the chief’s enraged roar.

"Kill!" The chief bellowed in fury.

Yali had already lost patience. He raised his steel blade and slashed at a nearby barbarian, who, caught off guard, hastily blocked with his spear. But how could the wooden shaft withstand the sharpness of steel?

In a flash of black, the spear broke, and the barbarian was cleaved in two, blood spraying in all directions. The tribesmen quickly followed suit, charging at the nearest enemies.

In an instant, the forest was filled with the sounds of savage cries, the clash of weapons, and agonized screams. Severed limbs and blood flew through the air as the brutal battle unfolded.

Yahan’s eyes turned bloodshot as he watched the c*****e unfold before him. His heart pounded, and his blood boiled with rage. Seeing his fellow tribesmen and the barbarians fall one by one, his first reaction wasn’t fear or disgust, but an overwhelming fury.

His grip tightened on the hilt of his blade, his knuckles turning white as the veins bulged on his hands.

After Yali had slain two barbarians, three more rushed to engage him, finally recognizing the danger this fierce warrior posed. Though the Wujis were physically weaker than Yahan’s tribe, they worked together with a deadly efficiency, forcing Yali into a desperate struggle.

"Shhk!" Yali couldn’t dodge in time, and a spear pierced his shoulder. But his thick muscles quickly clamped down on the weapon, halting the barbarian’s movements. Seizing the opportunity, Yali’s blade flashed through the air, slicing the man in half.

Ignoring his wound, Yali grinned maniacally and charged at the remaining two barbarians with unrelenting ferocity.

Suddenly, Yahan’s eyes narrowed. Not far ahead, he spotted a barbarian holding a spear in one hand, poised to throw it with deadly precision. The target was none other than Yali, who was locked in battle and oblivious to the imminent danger.

Yahan’s blood surged in his veins. He could no longer hold back. With a powerful leap, he sprang from his hidden position in the bushes, sprinting at full speed. His blade swept through the air in a wide arc, aiming for the barbarian’s outstretched arm. At that moment, his energy, focus, and blade became one. The steel flashed with a dark gleam as it sliced through the air.

"Argh!" A piercing scream echoed as the barbarian’s arm fell to the ground, still clutching the spear.

The lessons Yahan had learned from months of battling wild beasts had taught him that even when victory seemed certain, he couldn’t afford the slightest distraction. As soon as the first strike landed, Yahan stepped forward, twisting his body as his blade slashed diagonally across the barbarian’s throat. The man’s head separated cleanly from his body, blood gushing forth.

The severed head tumbled through the air, its eyes wide in disbelief. Even in death, the barbarian couldn’t comprehend how he had been so swiftly and decisively slain by a mere boy.