Chapter 27: Chapter 27 – Horbac’s Rise and Fall

[WindBlade(Active): Creates a magical wind blade that has a range of 200 meters, Deals Intelligence(x3) in damage. Cost(15MP) |Mastery|]

A complete transformation, this skill is simply incomparable to how it was.

Increased range from 100 meters to a big 200 meters, just the freedom this gives me is outstanding!

A Decrease in cost from 20MP per use to a measly 15, this would help a lot in being able to fight longer and against even more monsters at the same time.

However, the biggest change in the skill is the Damage dealt Intelligence x3. This one is simply insane! If we calculate without taking other monsters resistances into consideration and other variables. 

One single wind blade created by using only 15 of my current 287 Mana pool, is able to deal a massive 411 HP in damage. What kind of crazy concept is that?

Long Live The Great Me!

Shit, I shouldn't get carried away. I still remember the system mentioning that there is a huge difference between Foundation Establishment and Core Formation monsters due to the introduction of the magical core inside their bodies that can hold unimaginable amounts of Mana that completely transforms them.

Still, the transformation of wind blades does inspire a lot of hope!

Then, after thinking for another while about what to do with my remaining 3 Skill points, I decided to upgrade Piercing Gaze from Intermediate to Advanced, and Dao Field from Beginner to Intermediate.

The reason why I chose to raise Piercing Gaze even though I already have an area of effect spiritual attack was because I realized there are differences between them.

Predator's WarCry while great, it can only stun the enemy for a short while, or if their weaker completely knock them out. However, Piercing Gaze is way more versatile than that, other than its efficiency and damage being high than Predator's WarCry in a one on one fight, its damage has lasting effects. The moment someones recovers from the stun of the former they can resume fighting as if nothing had happened, but Piercing Gaze as its description says it affects the mental state of the target which can be carried over for the rest of the combat, and maybe even longer.

And of course Dao Field to increase my cultivation speed.

Initially I wanted to sleep after upgrading my skills, but I don't feel any sleep at all. I was only tired before due to the multitude of events that occurred which made me unable to process everything. Now that I've rested for a bit, I feel like I just woke up.

I used to sleep everyday because it was habitual, as a previous human you can't expect to function normally if you don't get your seven to eight hours of sleep a day.

However, I'm a monster that shoots magical blades made of dark and wind elements, I can't really keep using my previous world's logic on stuff like that. I will stay awake and see how much I can remain functioning perfectly without sleep.

I glanced at the Mama bird who had just came back and is now closing her eyes cultivating, and I flew into the distance.

... 

Besides a five meter pit covered with leaves and other branches in a clearly clumsy effort to hide it.

Horbac stood with some of his subordinates. As the only person who knew where the entrance to the underground tunnel was, he didn't participate in the ambush. Although he was confident in the plan he thought of, he had no desire to risk his life against that abnormal monstrosity. 

Horbac couldn't care less about the life or death of that devil eagle, as long as he was far away him he'd be happy.

*Rustle*

Some rustling sounds were heard from some of the trees in front of them.

*Thud*     *Thud*     *Thud*     *Thud* 

Several Mandrills started jumping from the trees above, landing in front of him.

One of them happened to be one of the elder who also joined their discussion in their previous abode.

"Mellak, Why are you alone? Where are the other elder?", Horbac spoke puzzled.

Mellak looked at Horbac with disgust and unmasked animosity because he didn't join them, his face was dark and he looked especially furious. After a moment of silence he said, "They're all dead."

Hearing this Horbac's face went through a lot of emotions, at first he was shocked, furious, then sorrowful. However, inside he was celebrating, today was without a doubt the best day of his life.

After all Horbac was the biggest outsider of the Horde, he only joined them several years ago when he was already a Peak stage monster. So, when he joined he was always discriminated against by the other elders of the horde and was never made to feel like one of their own.

To this day he still remembers the first day he joined them, how excited he was! To join others of his kind and feel the warmth of family and brotherhood. But, they never gave him a chance.

The first day he joined everyone looked at him like an outsider, a look they carried to this day several years later. The other elder were all blood related one way or the other, and just because he wasn't they always made him feel like a case of charity. 

He used to hear them from afar talk about kinship, brotherhood and family. Yet, he the one who truly understood what those meant because he never had any, the one who needed them the most was rejected on the ground on something as stupid as blood or time.

He knew those things play a part to deepen relationships between people, but everything starts somewhere, and they never gave him the chance. Every single day he was being constantly reminded of that. 

The only solace he could find were the other 'outsiders' who joined after him, but that also presented a whole different issue. He was the only Peak outsider Mandrill, so the other outsiders were always fearful or worse they fawn over him. He understood right then and there that relationship must be on equal grounds, he personally couldn't care about such trivialities but the others always put walls around themselves.

Some worshiped him, other were afraid, others were distant but acted close which only made him more and more enraged. The more angry he was, the more twisted he became, and the elders kept acting and implying that's why they didn't like him in the first place!

Horbac kept his despaired face in tact as he neared Mellak, as he got closer and closer he grabbed a dagger that was hidden in a thick animal pelt around his waist.

*Slash*

He stabbed the dagger with all of his strength at Mellak's heart with a crazed look on his face, "It's because of you." he said.

Mellak was shocked and furious he tried to grab his neck with hands.

*BOM!*

Horbac stood up on his hind legs and pushed the dagger with his legs even more.

*Thudd*

The body of an esteemed elder of the biggest Mandrill horde in the western side of the Still Hollow forest fell to the ground lifeless.

"It's because of you.", he said again this time looking at the dead elder's dead body. Then, he turned to look at his subordinates. 

The moment they saw the maddened look on his face, they were in disbelief and they immediately turned tail to run. Only for them to be surrounded by Horbac's subordinate.

Even though, he didn't say anything. They understood there was no going back now, the old faction must be completely wiped out for the new king to rise.

Horbac looked at his subordinates slaughtering the others with an indifferent look on his face, he noticed that Mellak's disciple was strong and was posing a challenge to some of his men and he immediately conjured a big black made of debris, dirt and dark magic and threw it at him completely obliterating his head.

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Seeing that everything was going smoothly he walked into the pit. 

The rest of the horde were already waiting deeper into the underground tunnel, originally they were waiting for the elite force to comeback to be the vanguard of this exploration.

At the entrance of the underground tunnel lied Hassa breathing heavily. He was injured but no longer at the ends of the rope. The Mandrills' vitality was monstrous, given a couple of days he'd recover to his peak.

"Have the elders finally killed the devil child?", Hassa spoke while looking at Horbac, he noticed that his expression was amiss but he couldn't care to analyze it.

"It's because of you, you know that right?", Horbac spoke with a sad look on his face.

"What nonsense are you talking about?", Hassa spoke glaring at him menacingly.

"You guys don't hate me because I am like this, I am like this because you hate me and nobody has ever bothered to give me a chance.", Horbac spoke with a voice filled with sorrow.

"It's not time for this right now! I said where the elders have they all came back?", Hassa glared at this repulsive Mandrill as if he could kill him with his eyes.

Looking at his expression Horbac felt even more furious, they were the biggest single cause of his misery, yet they couldn't even bother to listen or understand, this completely enraged him! All of the emotions he's been bottling up for years started to resurface.

He wanted to at least make him feel some sort of regret or something, he thought maybe it'd help. But looking at his haughty and disgusted expression he couldn't care less.

He grabbed the dagger still dripping with blood and moved towards Hassa slowly step by step with a cold expression while looking at him dead in the eye.

"What are you doing?"

"Stop! You fucking swine what do you think you're doing I'm your king!"

*Stab*

Looking at Horbac's eyes Hassa was terrified. Such coldness and resentment he never in his whole life saw anybody with an expression like that.

Seeing the life fading away from the eyes of Hassa, Horbac started feeling tears swelling up in his eyes.

All of this made him only feel one thing, even more lonely.

He always had some hopes, and continued living hoping maybe one day he will find his people, maybe they will let him become one of them.

When he had the opportunity to become king, he worked and did everything he could towards it.

However, only now that he truly understood something. He has so much hate in his heart, towards the horde, the king, the other faction, the world and especially himself.

Companionship, it was the only thing he lived for. He was alone for as long as he could remember, everyone he encountered tried to eat him. Every day was filled with despair and death. He still remembers one thing very vividly, when he was still a young Low stage Mandrill in the depths of the forest on his own. He saw a wolf couple, they were so alive and infatuated with each other, that was the first moment that thought took root on his mind. 

'How nice would it be if I had someone like that', he thought looking at them with heart shaped eyes while smiling innocently.

After a couple of years, by some sort of chance he happened to see the exact two wolves with a family of their own, they had children and everyone played with one another and protected each other. 

He was so envious yet happy for them at the same time. That was when a giant burly Mandrill showed up trying to eat the pups, but they had no strength to protect themselves and Horbac stood before him. Knowing full well that he had a very low chance to win against him, yet the other party's conviction couldn't possibly compare with his own. What these pups represented for him was everything!

There was no way he was going to let some ugly monsters step on them, not even if his life is on the line.

He fought with tooth and nail and barely managed to win, that's when he found out the other party was actually the son of a king because he came to kill him. But the previous king protected him out of spite and protected him from his enemy.

When he found out he was going to join a horde filled with his kin, he was over the moon! Even though he was injured and barely held on to dear life he couldn't feel a thing but joy!

However, that joy exactly was what destroyed him. The disappointment was too big, he fell from the highest heavens to the deepest hell.

At first he could understand, 'I'm a stranger, it'll take some to open up' he thought.

However, reality couldn't by any different. They only grew distant and despised him by the day.

He felt even more colder and lonelier than when he was on his own.

He dropped down to his knees and roared with everything he got.

*ROOOOOOOOOOOOOAARR*

A roar that the world had heard for the very first time, but for Horbac it was something he heard almost on a daily basis.

A roar of sadness, weakness, unwillingness and a longing for companionship. But something new was added this time, it was his own realization of his incapability to have what he wants the most in the world.

*BAAAAAAAAMM*

He heard an earsplitting sound coming for the depths of the tunnel. After a while he could tell that something terrifying was coming.

After a short while all he could hear were pained roars filled with fear then silence, what was coming didn't left him hanging for long.

A Giant ball of more than ten meters was rolling in his direction. 

It was a giant dark scaled Pangolin!

Its scales were filled with different Mandrill body parts and blood all over the place, a true instrument of death!

Seeing this monstrosity rushing in his direction at a terrifying speed he was rooted on the spot, not due to fear. Horbac was tired and he felt like he already went past the point of no return. 

He could feel his inner child crying, sad at how things had turned out.

All of his anger at the horde, at the world and at himself metled away, and what remained was just pure heartache. He no longer had the energy for that, only someone who has expectations on how things should turn out gets angry.

At this point, he no longer wanted anything...

He held his head between his hands, closed his eyes and broke down crying.

*SPLAT!*

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