Chapter 19: A Roaring Golden Lion

Chapter 19: Chapter 19: A Roaring Golden Lion

The journey to Gorak Forest went smoothly. There were no signs of obstruction or struggle.

​But the real challenge was just beginning.

​Just after taking his first step into the forest, Krono knew the forest was dangerous.

​The earth was damp and moist, the trees were tall enough to pierce the sky, and their leaves covered the canopy like a protective cocoon.

As they ventured deeper into the damp, cocoon-like darkness of the Gorak Forest, an eerie silence ensued.

The crunch of wet leaves under their boots was the only sound accompanying their march.

​Felix suddenly held up a hand, signaling the group to halt in a small clearing surrounded by towering, moss-covered roots.

​"Alright, listen up..Before we get any closer to the inner zone, it’s time to go over the mission details. Krono, since you joined at the last minute, you need to know exactly what we are up against." ℯℯ𝑙.

​Krono stopped, "I’m listening."

​"Good. Our target isn’t just some run-of-the-mill goblin or forest slime. We are hunting a Roaring Golden Lion."

​Celine added while shivering, "It’s an apex predator in these woods. Possibly a high-tier Bronze Rank beast, bordering on Silver Rank. They are incredibly territorial and brutally fast. A single swipe of its claws can slice through standard iron armor like warm butter."

​Arden scoffed and glared down at Krono with a condescending sneer,

"Yeah, so listen closely, brat. Its roar carries a minor sonic shockwave. It can disorient and stun you if you aren’t prepared for it. Your job as the meat shield is to take the aggro. When it pounces, you hold the line. Don’t go crying for your mommy when it bares its fangs, and whatever you do, don’t break formation, or you’ll get us all killed."

​Felix shot Arden a warning look before turning back to Krono. He was still convinced the boy was a disguised noble heir.

"Arden is blunt, but he’s right about the danger. The Guild posted a massive bounty for this specific beast. A merchant house needs its intact golden mane for enchanted cloaks, and we need its beast core. We’ll handle the damage, you just need to keep its attention focused entirely on you."

​Krono simply nodded, showing no emotions whatsoever.

​Internally, however, he felt irony. "A lion?"

​He had just spent an entire month being thrown off mountains, physically broken, and mercilessly beaten by Garrick.

Compared to that monstrous aura of his teacher, a mere wild beast with a loud roar sounded less like a deadly threat and more like a light warm-up exercise.

​More importantly, a beast bordering on Silver Rank meant it possessed a high-quality core. It was exactly the kind of meal his system needed to refine his newly acquired stats.

​"Understood. I will hold the front. Just make sure you don’t miss your attacks when I lock it down."

​Arden gritted his teeth at the kid’s sheer arrogance, but Felix nodded in approval.

​"Good. Keep your weapons drawn, Krono. We’re in its territory now."

​They didn’t have to wait long.

​Thirty steps deeper into the dense underbrush, the oppressive silence of the Gorak Forest was violently broke.

​The attack didn’t come from the bushes. It came from above.

​"Above us!" Felix screamed, his veteran instincts giving him barely a split-second of warning.

From the dark canopy, a blur of golden figure dropped like a falling meteor.

Boom!

The Roaring Golden Lion landed with an earth-shaking thud, its massive paws cratering the damp soil right in the middle of their formation.

​It was a terrifying creature. It was in the size of a carriage, with fur that glowed even in the dim light and craggy sword-like fangs.

​Before Arden could swing his broadsword, the lion’s massive chest expanded. It was inhaling.

​"Cover your ears!" Celine shrieked in terror.

​But it was too late.

​ROOOOOOOOAAAAAARRRR!

The beast released a visible ring of sonic boom.

Buzzzzz!

The shockwave blasted outward with the force of a hurricane.

As a result, the damp soil was ripped from the ground, and the surrounding trees groaned as their thick bark splintered from the raw acoustic pressure.

The damage on the party was severe.

​"Ahhhh!"

​Celine screamed as her equilibrium shattered, dropping her wooden staff and collapsing to her knees as blood trickled from her ears.

Bang!

Arden, who had talked so big just moments ago, was thrown backward by the concussive wave. His vision swam in a nauseating blur, and his inner ear completely overwhelmed.

​Even Felix, braced behind his heavy sword, was forced onto one knee. His head rang like a struck church bell. He was seeing double images.

By now he realised, the Guild’s intelligence was wrong.

This wasn’t a minor shockwave.

The beast had already crossed the threshold into Silver Rank.

​"We’re dead!Our formation is broken. The kid... the kid is definitely dead." he thought inwardly.

"Roarrrrr!"

​Sensing its prey was incapacitated, the lion llaunched itself forward in a blur of golden death.

It was aiming its large razor-sharp claws straight at Felix’s exposed neck.

​But before the beast could land its killing blow, a tiny figure casually stepped into its path.

​BAM!

​The pure clash if physical force created a secondary shockwave, kicking up a massive cloud of dirt and leaves.

​Felix’s dizziness vanished instantly. Whe he looked at the sight, his eyes widened in absolute horror and disbelief.

​There stood Krono.

​He hadn’t been thrown back. He wasn’t clutching bleeding ears. He didn’t even look mildly inconvenienced. His coarse cloth shoes had dug an inch into the dirt, holding his ground like a immovable mountain.

​With just one of his tiny arms, Krono had caught the massive lion’s descending paw mid-air.

Celine and Arden noticed it as well.

Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump..

Even in wounded state, their heartbeat rang violently.

The beast’s razor-sharp claws hovered just inches from the boy’s face, completely halted by an iron grip.

​The massive beast blinked in confusion as it stared down at the tiny human that had just stopped its momentum dead in its tracks.

​Krono looked up at the towering predator

​"Your roar is wea! Garrick’s sneezes have more impact." Krono stated flatly, his eyes deep and completely void of fear.