Chapter 29: The Extra Smell of Blood

Yes, he had always been thinking about this little guy's roasted meat.

Countless nights, he had watched from a tree trunk as the little one enjoyed his delicious roasted meat.

He had tried roasting meat himself, manipulating flames, but it never tasted right. Even when he went to a nearby human city and brought back some spices to rub on the meat, the result was still less than ideal.

The main reason was that his paws weren't suited for such delicate work.

[Get off my back first. I'll go down and catch a bison.]

[Okay, Brother Zerl.]

Sethe propped himself up with his paws and leaped off. His wings spread out to control his balance until his four paws landed on the thick tree branch.

Feeling the weight lift off his back, Zerl jumped down, landing swiftly but silently.

Sethe watched from the tree, feeling a sense of amazement.

The fire lion, crouching slightly after landing, began to gather strength. The strong muscles on his paws bulged slightly, full of power.

[Shush~]

In the next second, a dark golden shadow stretched out in the air.

[Moo~!]

The peaceful bison herd instantly scattered.

The fire lion stood where he was, with a bull lying silently under his front paws. The bull's forehead had a large hole, with blood and some white substance oozing out.

Lying on the ground, its limbs stretched out, occasionally twitching.

It was already dead, having died the instant the fire lion struck it. The twitching was merely a nerve reaction.

So powerful. Watching the fire lion take down the bull with one strike, Sethe marveled.

He could kill a bison too, but he couldn't do it with a single blow like the fire lion.

Moreover, the speed the fire lion had just displayed was too fast, leaving only afterimages.

[Moo~]

The surrounding bison began to flee.

Zerl ignored the fleeing herd, lowered his head, and bit into the back of the bull's neck.

Grabbing the bull, Zerl walked back to the tree, looking up.

[Come down, Sethe. We're heading back.]

[Okay~]

Responding, Sethe kicked off with his back paws, leaping down and spreading his wings to glide. He landed accurately on the fire lion's back.

As long as his flight speed wasn't too fast, he could control his landing accurately.

With a bison's carcass in his mouth and Sethe on his back, it was no burden for Zerl.

Moving his four paws, he became an orange blur, running through the forest and leaping over obstacles.

From the moment he landed on the fire lion's back, Sethe had grabbed his mane, so nothing unexpected happened.

Sniff sniff~

Lying on the fire lion's back, Sethe twitched his nose slightly.

There was a smell of blood, not from the bison in the fire lion's mouth, but another scent.

This smell of blood was mixed with a stench.

Running, Zerl gradually slowed down, clearly having smelled it too.

He loosened his grip on the bison.

Thud~!

The bison carcass hit the ground.

Zerl turned, sprinting towards the left.

Clinging to the fire lion's mane, Sethe held on tightly. The fire lion's speed was too fast, and the scenery blurred past.

[Hold on tight, Sethe. Some trash has entered my territory, and I need to clean it up.]

[Oh, oh, I will hold on, Brother Zerl.]

Despite his words, Sethe felt himself being lifted.

At this moment, he was like a kite hanging onto the fire lion's back.

[Gwack~]

A short, ugly goblin, about 1.2 meters tall, with dark green skin and thick limbs, banged a club heavily on the ground.

On a crude wagon, a mother and daughter clung tightly to each other, surrounded by eight adventurers facing off against a group of goblins.

There were many goblins, at least fifteen, nearly twice the number of adventurers.

[Rustle, rustle~!]

The bushes beside the forest path shook, and soon more goblins with makeshift weapons emerged from the underbrush.

The already dire situation became even more desperate.

At least, that's how it seemed to the adventurers.

In the goblins' yellow eyes, there was unabashed greed and evil. Drool dripped from their mouths, and the air was instantly filled with a foul stench.

"Brant!"

A tall man with a menacing scar on his face called out.

The man named Brant looked strong, standing around 1.8 meters tall, but he had a youthful face, betraying his young age.

Upon hearing his name, the boy's body, which had been trembling with fear, instantly tensed, and his eyes lost their fear.

"Yes, Captain!"

"You cover the retreat of our clients. We'll hold them off."

Brant froze for a moment at these words, but then he understood, tears welling up in his eyes.

Retreat? This was clearly the captain and the others planning to use their lives to protect his escape.

He didn't want to be a coward who ran away, abandoning his companions!

"No, I refuse! Even if I die, I won't abandon my comrades. That's the motto of the Bear Adventurers you taught me, Captain."

"Never give up, never abandon!"

"To hell with that."

"Right now, the priority is the safety of our clients, and who said I'm going to die? I'm not that noble."

"I still have my secret technique left."

"Exactly. Do you think we veteran adventurers don't have any tricks up our sleeves to save our lives?"

A burly man with a giant sword as large as a door echoed.

"But Uncle Sam..."

"No buts. Take the clients and leave. The Bear Adventurers are not the kind to shirk responsibility."

"If we accept a job, the Bear Adventurers will see it through to the end!"

[Gwah~!]

Unable to hold back any longer, a goblin leaped up with its club, launching an attack.

A flash of silver light streaked through the air, and the leaping goblin was sliced in half, its dark green blood splattering everywhere, making the stench in the air even stronger.

"Move, Brant!"

Hearing the captain's command, Brant, who was about to rush in to help, paused.

Looking at his comrades fighting the goblins, he gritted his teeth and turned, jumping onto the wagon. He hoisted the two terrified women onto his shoulders.

He would take the clients to safety and then come back to help the captain!

That was his plan.

The adventurers were quite capable fighters, but there were just too many goblins. This was an uneven battle, with each adventurer facing at least three to four goblins.

One goblin's club struck heavily on the leg of an adventurer wielding a dagger.

[Aah~!]

A scream rang out.

The struck adventurer fell to the ground, his right leg twisted at an unnatural angle.