Chapter 379: Strange attacks
Chapter 379: Strange attacks
As the soldiers made their way back to the tribe, their collective mood was one of jubilant relief and triumph. The oppressive tension that had gripped them over the past days and weeks seemed to melt away, replaced by laughter and animated chatter that echoed through the forest. They moved in a loose formation, the massive carcass of the beast they had finally defeated secured and being dragged along by the strongest among them. Though their bodies ached and their wounds throbbed, their spirits soared higher than they had in months.
“Can you believe we actually did it?” one soldier exclaimed, his voice tinged with disbelief as he glanced back at the lifeless beast. “After all that effort, all the failed attempts… we finally brought it down.”
“I still can’t get over how it fell,” another chimed in, grinning despite the dried blood smeared across his face. “It was thrashing so hard, I thought it would take at least three more attacks to drop. But then, bam! Down it went, like a tree finally giving way to the axe.”
Donovan, walking at the head of the group, allowed himself a rare smile as he listened to their conversations. “It wasn’t just luck,” he said, his tone firm yet filled with pride. “We worked for this. Every scar, every sleepless night, every failure—it all led to this moment. Don’t forget that.”
The others nodded in agreement, their expressions solemn for a moment before the excitement took over again. They began recounting specific moments from the battle, each soldier eager to share their perspective.
“Do you remember when it nearly got me with its tail?” one of the younger soldiers asked, gesturing animatedly as he spoke. “I swear, if I had been just a second slower, I wouldn’t be here right now.”
“Or when it almost broke through the net,” another added, shaking his head. “I thought for sure it was going to tear right out and come for us. That thing had strength unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
“I thought Lyerin’s advice about the traps was overkill,” one of the veterans admitted, his voice quieter than the others. “But now I see it was the only way we could have stood a chance. We owe him for this victory, whether we want to admit it or not.”
This comment sparked a wave of murmured agreement, the soldiers exchanging glances as they considered how much of their success was owed to the enigmatic figure who had, in his own cryptic way, guided them to this moment. Yet, as grateful as they were, the topic soon shifted back to lighter subjects, their relief too immense to linger on anything heavy for long.
“You know what this calls for when we get back?” one soldier declared, his grin wide enough to rival the moonlight filtering through the trees. “A feast. No— the feast. Something that will go down in the history of this tribe. I don’t care what it takes; I’m eating until I can’t stand.”
“Better make it quick, though,” another teased. “You’ll want to savor it before Lyerin comes up with some new impossible task for us to tackle.”