As fast as he could, Arthur turned around and burst into a sprint, pushing his legs to their highest capacity as he desperately hurried to get away from the Demon Rhino. His lungs burned, his vision rattled from the tremors of the beast's pursuit, and every instinct screamed at him to move faster—faster than his body had ever been capable of.
However, the beast behind him was mighty and unbearably fast, covering far more distance with a single bound than Arthur could in several strides. For a monster of its colossal size, its speed was almost unnatural, and this terrifying advantage allowed it to reach him within seconds.
The massive creature lowered its heavy head, angling its razor-sharp horn directly toward Arthur's spine. The killing intent radiating from it was suffocating.
But the young author reincarnated in this boy was not going to give in to such a cheap and predictable trick. Crouching instinctively, he forced his trembling legs to bend, then leapt sideways with all the strength he could muster. His body twisted in midair, barely slipping out of the Rhino's path. The horn missed him by less than an inch.
The wind pressure generated by the monster's charging speed was still lethal enough to slam into Arthur like a violent tidal wave. Before he could even process the successful dodge, his small body was sent flying across the clearing. He crashed into a nearby tree with such tremendous force that the shock vibrated up his spine, and he was almost certain he heard his ribs crack.
"Ahhhh!" A broken gasp escaped his lips as he curled inward, one hand instinctively pressing against his gut while the other dug into the dirt. His teeth gritted together so hard he thought they might shatter. 'Come on, Arthur, run! You bought yourself time… Shit, it hurts so much.'
His eyes, heavy and burning, opened only in thin slits. He pressed both palms against the ground, trembling, trying to force himself back up despite the stabbing fire erupting through his chest. But the moment he lifted his torso even an inch, a sharp, merciless pang tore through his ribs, stealing his breath and strength all at once.
He collapsed face-first into the dirt again, a helpless groan leaving him. He wasn't getting up anytime soon. And that meant…
Arthur's eyes widened slightly, panic overriding the pain for a moment as he scanned his surroundings, trying to see where the monster was—how close death had come.
He found the Demon Rhino, but instead of charging, it stood eerily still, its massive shadow cast over the shattered grass. Its milky, predatory eyes were focused not on Arthur, but on the person who had stepped between them. The figure stood calmly, a hand resting on the hilt of a sheathed blade, unmoving, almost relaxed.
Arthur recognized the man instantly—his older brother, Argon.
He was standing against such a monstrous beast with nothing but a sword? If this had been Earth, Arthur would have called this insanity, the kind that ended in hospitals or graves. But this was a fantasy world where power could defy logic, and for all he knew, it was not Argon who should be afraid… but the monster.
The Demon Rhino huffed violently through its nostrils, a hot fog billowing out with each breath. Its muscles tightened, hooves gouging deeper into the earth before it exploded forward in a thundering charge. Its speed was far greater than what it had used against Arthur—making something chillingly clear.
It had only been toying with Arthur from the very start.
But with Argon, it was serious. Each thunderous step it took shook the ground, its hooves cracking soil and stone alike. When it reached Argon, it jerked its head with a sharp, murderous snap, aiming to impale the young man with its massive horn.
To Argon, however, the attack was pathetically slow.
He sidestepped effortlessly, the way one might step around a falling leaf. And in that brief opening, his sword flashed.
In a single smooth motion, Argon unsheathed his blade and delivered a clean upward slash, slicing through the Rhino's throat and out the back of its neck. His strike ripped effortlessly through the creature's armor-like hide as though he were cutting through water.
A heartbeat later, the Rhino's entire head rolled to the ground with a heavy thud, followed by blood erupting in a gruesome spray. Its massive body staggered, then collapsed to its side, lifeless.
Arthur stared, mesmerized, his eyes stretching wide in sheer disbelief. 'I expected him to kill it, but… in one hit? How is that even possible?'
He didn't know whether to classify Argon as a prodigy swordsman, a monster in human skin, or if this level of strength was something everyone in this world could achieve.
Well, that was a mystery only the future could answer.
Argon turned around, flicking the blood from his blade before sliding it back into its sheath. The moment his eyes landed on Arthur, his expression twisted into a deep frown.
"What sorry joke you are," he spat, walking up to the boy who still lay paralyzed with pain on the ground. He crouched down beside Arthur, studying the boy's strained and agonized face. His lips curled upward—not in kindness, but in contempt.
"What sort of Darwan runs the other way when faced with danger? We don't run. We fight. And if this pathetic excuse is what you pull again and again, then I might as well kill you."
His voice dripped with bloodlust, thick and unmistakable. His hand rose, fingers landing lightly against Arthur's cheek, rubbing it in a mockingly gentle motion that made Arthur's muscles tense.
Arthur's heart hammered. He wanted to speak, to defend himself, to retaliate. After all, how could a child possibly stand against such a mighty creature? What was he supposed to do—fight it with bare hands and get every bone in his body shattered? The monster had nearly killed him simply by running past him, let alone striking him directly.
But Arthur remained silent. He let his glare do all the talking.
Argon withdrew his fingers from Arthur's face—and strangely, instantly, the pain vanished.
Arthur's eyes widened as all the agony in his ribs, the burning in his lungs, the throbbing through his bones, faded into nothingness. He shot upright into a sitting position, hands quickly searching over his body as if trying to locate the injuries that had tormented him moments ago.
There were none. Absolutely nothing.
He turned to Argon, questions flooding his gaze, but before he could voice any—
"I healed you, sure," Argon said coldly. "But you will face the next beast again and again until you kill it." He rose from his crouch, exhaling sharply as if Arthur's existence itself was frustrating. "Take this as your first test to becoming a Darwan. And if you give up, I myself will kill you."
Without another word, Argon turned and walked away, leaving young Arthur alone on the grass, despair gripping tightly around his heart like a vice.
'Shit! Arthur, are we really going to die?'
No. He refused to accept that. This was his second chance at life—an opportunity people would kill for. He had dreams, goals, and desires he hadn't even begun to chase. Dying here was not an option. Not now. Not ever.
But the question loomed over him like a dark shadow.
How was he supposed to kill a Rhino-class beast without a single method of offense?