Chapter 455: Broken Will
A lion who could no longer lift his head, who had tasted defeat so bitter it hollowed him out, would be seen as tainted.
Even if Arthur spared the creature’s life, the damage had been done. His humiliation was complete and irreversible under ordinary circumstances.
The Golden Beetle knew there would be no forgiveness. Whether the golden mane lived or died here mattered little. The rest of the pack would not overlook this. They would see it as a direct challenge, a mark of dishonour upon their kind that demanded retribution. Arthur had stepped beyond the boundary of simple conflict. He had struck at something deeper, the soul of their pride.
And once that line was crossed, there was no turning back.
Arthur caught the spinning Golden Mane with another carefully calculated strike, this time sending the beast straight upward with enough force to clear the forest canopy. For several seconds, the golden predator disappeared entirely from view, becoming a glinting speck against the blue sky.
"WHIMPER!"
The sound that drifted down from above was pure distress. There was no longer any trace of anger or defiance in the Golden Mane’s voice. He had been reduced from proud apex predator to terrified victim in the span of minutes, his worldview shattered as completely as his physical dignity.
Arthur positioned himself directly beneath the falling creature, his reflexes calculating the timing for maximum dramatic effect. When the Golden Mane finally descended back into visual range, Arthur delivered a perfectly horizontal strike that sent the beast sailing across the clearing once more.
WHOOSH!
The Golden Mane’s flight path carried him through a cluster of low-hanging branches, leaves and twigs becoming entangled in his once proud mane as he crashed through the forest’s natural obstacles. His landing was particularly ungrateful.