Faced with the sudden appearance of the bison, Karl paused for only a brief heartbeat.
Then, in the very next second, the massive creature—nearly the size of a small carriage—seemed to transform into a golden dragon before his eyes.
If he remembered correctly, Tyrion had mentioned not long ago that Robert Baratheon was offering a hundred gold dragons to any warrior capable of hunting a bison alone.
Hunting Karl alone was no problem for Karl; the warrior Karl felt he was no worse than anyone else.
So, when faced with such an unexpected windfall, he no longer had the luxury of lying lazily in the grass, planning to spend the rest of his day drinking wine and doing nothing.
He put down the bottle, abruptly stood up, and strode toward the unsuspecting bison.
His speed was astonishing—each step carried him across the grassy field with an agility that defied belief.
The rustling grass parted around him, and in the next instant, the man simply vanished from sight.
At this moment, Karl moved like a galloping horse.
The previously peaceful air broke around him, forming a rushing whirlwind that whistled past his ears.
The muddy ground beneath his feet erupted like firecrackers; each step left behind a crater of crushed soil and pulverized grass.
Grass clippings and dirt shot into the air in bursts, hanging for an instant before raining back down behind him.
"Hey! You big ox! Why don't you surrender now?" Karl shouted joyously as he ran.
"I'll skin you and carve your bones—turning you into a perfectly roasted cow! Our fates are meant to intertwine today!"
He shouted in the language of his previous life, unable to contain the excitement swelling in his chest.
His sudden charge startled the bison herd that had been peacefully approaching the river for a drink.
All at once, their heads rose, their wide dark eyes locking onto the human barreling toward them like a madman.
They could not understand what Karl was yelling, but even a fool could see his intentions clearly.
This human, with that hostile expression and reckless charge, was definitely up to no good.
Hunt me?
Of course!
This certainly wasn't the first time such a thing had happened.
If this human had been wielding a long spear like those terrifying upright apes the bison had encountered before—those who attacked from a distance with strange "magic"—the herd would have immediately turned and fled.
But this man was alone.
Not only that, he wasn't backing away—he was actually charging directly toward them.
Absolutely outrageous.
Seeing Karl rush closer, the largest and strongest bison—Karl's chosen prize—stepped out from the herd.
With a deep, thunderous bellow, it positioned itself between Karl and the rest of the cows and calves.
Then it lowered its massive head, pushing off the ground with powerful hind legs.
Its nostrils flared violently, releasing heavy snorts of air like bursts of smoke.
Its muscles quivered as it gathered strength—every fiber of its being preparing for the charge.
Karl saw the giant beast ready itself, but he felt no fear.
Instead, excitement surged even more fiercely within him.
With a thrilled shout, he raised his right hand.
His fingers curled tightly into a fist, knuckles gleaming faintly under the sun, slicing through the air.
That fist carried a single intent—to bring down the walking golden dragon before him with one decisive blow.
The bison grew even more enraged when it saw that this lone human felt no fear.
Instead, he advanced even faster.
With a sudden, explosive bellow, the bison pawed the earth with its front hooves before springing forward.
Its hind legs contracted powerfully, launching its enormous body like a boulder flung from a catapult.
The ground trembled.
Then—
It charged.
"Hahaha! Well done!" Karl roared with exhilaration.
"Come then, Niu'er! Let Grandpa send you off with one clean hit!"
This primal clash between man and beast carried more intensity, more raw violence, than even the finest jousting match between armored knights.
The distance between the two rapidly shrinking figures no longer mattered.
In mere heartbeats, they reached the point of collision.
Both refused to slow.
Neither had any intention of dodging.
Life or death—this moment would determine it.
And then—
There was a sudden flash, like lightning splitting the air for a single breath.
Man and beast, both rushing at incredible speed, froze the instant their paths crossed.
Motion turned to stillness.
The immense kinetic energy that had been building suddenly ceased.
Collision.
A chill shot down Karl's spine, and it felt as though a deep booming echo rippled through the world around him.
Time seemed to halt.
Karl's face still held the wild excitement of the previous moment.
His clenched fist had already descended upon the bison's head—striking it squarely in the thickest part of its skull.
Meanwhile, the bison's deadly horns were only a hand's breadth away from piercing Karl's chest.
At that exact moment, life and death were separated by no more than a palm's length.
The wind blew.
Time resumed.
Karl felt his fist sink slightly into the beast's skull.
But before he could drive it deeper, the bison's massive neck gave out under the overwhelming impact.
A faint crack of breaking bone echoed.
The collision had halted all momentum instantly.
Unable to continue forward, the bison's body was forced upward.
Using the point of impact—Karl's fist—as a fulcrum, its entire weight flipped uncontrollably into the air.
It rose, almost gracefully, suspended for half a heartbeat.
Power made manifest in the simplest, most brutal form.
Then the force of impact and gravity reclaimed it.
The bison crashed down heavily.
"Moo… ang!"
The beast's last, pained cry rang out as it struck the ground.
Its limbs twitched uncontrollably before its massive body finally lay still.
The herd, startled by their guardian's dying cry, panicked at the sight of their protector felled by a single man.
With terrified bellows, the remaining cows and calves fled across the plains at once, scattering in a frenzied stampede.
Karl watched them go but felt no urge to chase.
Hands on his hips, he threw his head back and laughed with unrestrained joy.
This—this was the life he loved.
Simple.
Exhilarating.
Free of thought or burden.
Pure happiness.
It reminded him of those peaceful afternoons where one's mind drifted aimlessly, untouched by worries.
Yet, it was precisely moments like this—unexpected, simple, innocent—that laid the foundation for the confusion he would face in the years to come.
What is the purpose of life?
Karl wondered faintly.
Power?
Desire?
All thoughts, anxieties, and frustrations seemed to fade after that single punch.
He felt like he had returned to his most genuine self.
Looking down at the fallen bison—its body having carved a pit into the muddy earth—Karl took a step forward.
"Thank you, Ox," he murmured.
Then, drawing his longsword in one smooth motion, he stabbed downward into the beast's forehead.
Its tense body jerked once, then relaxed completely.
Pulling the sword free, he struck once more, slicing open the bison's thick neck.
Blood gushed forth like a burst dam.
"It's better to bleed it out," Karl muttered.
"Otherwise, the meat won't taste right. And I should take it back quickly."
After deciding on his next steps, Karl plucked a handful of grass and meticulously wiped the blood from his blade.
Once satisfied, he sheathed the sword and grabbed the bison by its horns.
His muscles bulged as he began dragging the massive corpse toward the riverbank, letting the blood drain more easily.
Then, while waiting, he began planning—
How should he bring this beast back?
And more importantly…
How should he roast it?
But before he could settle on a cooking method, a sudden voice came from behind him.
"What's this?!"
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)