Chapter 16: Chapter 16

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There was a beautiful black beast under the moon.

The black fur gleamed smoothly in the light of the flickering torch, and the beautiful golden eyes of the cat, which were moderately enlarged at night, were also shining like jewels.

A black jaguar with sharp claws and elegant curves at the same time, stood on the back of the fallen man.

“Where did that suddenly come from?”

Those words came out of Hans’s mouth. While he panicked, the jaguar came down from the man’s back that it was stomping in,waggling its slick tail, and walking towards their way.

There were a few people between Hans and the jaguar, but they too staggered and stepped back, and it seemed that they didn’t have the courage to deal with that black beast.

Needless to say, the beast in front of him was too big. Rather than a normal jaguar, it was large enough to be considered a lion or a tiger.

One of the beast’s front paws seemed to be the size of a human head, and its power, as they had just seen, seemed to be enough to bring down a human as if they were nothing.

“Let go!”

While people were distracted by the appearance of the black beast, Layla struggled to escape. Thanks to this, the person holding her leg let go, even if they were just the legs that were freed, she was able to stand on the ground now.

And it was only then that Layla’s eyes could see what the people were seeing.

“Was there something that big in this forest?”

It was a beast that Layla had never seen even after living in the forest for ten years. From the claw marks she once had seen on a tree, she assumed that there was at least one bear, but she had never really seen such a large jaguar.

The beast walked very gracefully, its movement had no sense of urgency.

“W-woah!”

Eventually, everyone in front of her stepped back, and now it was Layla and the horde holding her that faced the beast.

Hans swung the torch in front of the beast as if trying to threaten it. But the black beast did not even bat an eye.

“W-what the hell is this…”

The beast was not afraid of the fire. Hans hesitated and stepped back. The group behind him holding Layla, had no choice but to retreat. Therefore, Layla, who was caught by them, also took a step back.

“You did it!”

The man holding Layla said, tugging her arm.

I wish the man’s words were true, Lyla thought. Then she wouldn’t have been surprised that such a large beast existed.

“Isn’t that obvious?”

But there was no need to tell the truth. Layla bluffed and sneered at the man as if she was the one who summoned the beast.

“Send it away immediately!”

“I don’t want to though?”

The man’s face distorted seeing Layla refusing right away. It seemed like he really believed what Layla said.

“Your attitude for asking a favor is wrong.”

Layla threw a cold ridicule. Of course, the truth was that she didn’t have the ability to send the beast away.

Contrary to their expectations, Layla was just an ordinary, frail woman who wanted to sit on the floor right then due to a sore wrist and a sore ankle.

“Go away!”

Hans once again swung the torch at the beast that was approaching them, step by step. But the black beast didn’t even budge.

It was strange.

If it was a mountain beast, it should be afraid of fire. No, in the first place, it was strange for a wild animal to appear in such a crowded area.

Furthermore, it didn’t eat its attackers. The beast attacked them as if it was a game, not a hunt, and it seemed to be having fun and was pleased to see that the people were startled to see him.

Glancing, Hans’ gaze turned to Layla, who was behind him. He doesn’t know if the beast was really summoned by the witch.

They were being careful, and he didn’t see her reciting a spell, so when did she summon such a monstrous beast?

“Ack!”

Hans threw the torch he was holding at the beast. A red fire flew past the black beast’s ears. For a moment, the beast’s eyes narrowed because of the light, and then grew bigger again.

That momentary change made it look as if it were angry. In fact, the beast lowered itself, growled, and exposed its menacing teeth.

But Hans didn’t see it. Instead, he turned like a lightning bolt and turned to Layla. If he stabbed the witch in the heart with the sword he was carrying, the black beast that appeared with her magic would disappear.

“The witch’s heart…”

As Hans pulled out the sword he was wearing on his side, then he felt something strange. His hand did not touch the sword. He didn’t feel anything.

Blink, blink.

As he blinked his eyes, a look of astonishment appeared before his eyes. In addition, even that vicious witch was looking at him with a surprised expression.

Why… on earth…?

The doubt soon disappeared. He felt an excruciating pain on his shoulder. No, it wasn’t just his shoulders. Almost half of his torso was in pain, and every nerve connected to it was screaming.

“Ahhhhhhhhh!!”

Red blood gushed out from Hans’ body. Hans, who was half eaten by the large jaws of the beast, let out a terrible scream.

As soon as the beast shook his head slightly, Hans’ screams ceased. About one-third of his torso was torn off by the bite, so it was natural.

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“Oh my gosh…”

At the terrible sight she had never seen before, Layla covered her mouth with her hand involuntarily. At that moment, the beast’s golden eyes turned to Layla. The moment her eyes widened in surprise, the eyes of the beast gleamed.

As the beast opened its mouth again, Hans’ body, or part of Hans’ body, fell to the floor.

“Ahhhhhh!!”

Those who witnessed the brutal death of their comrades, began to run away. Some trace the way they came in, some jump into the grass next to them, and some went somewhere in the dark forest.

D*mn it!

While running away, a torch someone threw, smashed the window of the cabin.

“Ugh!”

The torch’s fire was transferred to the curtains Layla made out of her old clothes, which in turn transferred to the dry wooden cabin.

Layla thought she had to put out the fire right away, so she tried to run into the cabin. There was a bucket in the kitchen, and with it she would draw water from the stream in the back and put out the fire…

Layla, who was about to move with that thought in mind, halted.

Slowly, Layla turned behind her. There was a bloody body. Beyond that were a couple of men who she didn’t know whether alive or dead.

And among them was a black beast.

So what if she put out the fire in the cabin? Will she continue to live there? Just like the usual?

Now, a person has died.

All those who ran away would say it was the witch’s fault.

A witch living in a cabin within the forest summoned a black beast and killed a human. Will they leave her alone?

Those people who tried to kill her even though she hasn’t done them any harm?

Layla’s father gave permission for her to be killed.

Although she had always thought she was abandoned, this time they had really, completely abandoned Layla.

The fire was slowly devouring the cabin.

“It’s over.”

Layla muttered.

Even though the cabin she had lived in for ten years was on fire, she felt nothing. Even though all of Layla’s belongings were all in there, she didn’t feel compelled to save anything.

Nothing was precious. At least in there.

It was no different outside. Her parents abandoned her. She had no friends. A lover, of course, did not exist.

Layla had nothing, she had no one. Always.

Slowly, Layla turned behind her again, and now the black beast, now sitting with its butt on the ground, was staring at her.

It had no intention of harming Layla. Its golden eyes still shone sharply, but it hid both its sharp fangs and sharp claws.

“You…”

Layla opened her mouth, and closed it again.

If she were to ask it who it was, the beast wouldn’t be able to answer. It was the same as asking where it came from.

Instead, Layla asked something else.

“Why won’t you attack me?”

She didn’t ask this because she thought she would get an answer. And the beast did not answer either.

He simply stared at her, as its golden eyes pierced through Layla.

The moment Layla thought that its eyes were somehow familiar or that she had seen it somewhere, a loud noise was heard from behind.

As Layla turned around, the roof of the burnt cabin was collapsing with a crackling sound.

“Ack!”

As Layla took a couple of steps back from the rushing heat, the cabin began to burn even more fiercely as if it was waiting.

“This is going to be dangerous…”

When Layla turned her head, thinking that she should avoid it, there was nothing behind her.

The black beast, sitting quietly like a big cat, disappeared without a sound.

“Where did it go?”

Layla tried to look around, but it had already disappeared without a trace.

“Again, I’m alone…”

With the burning cabin in the background, Layla muttered.

Even if it was a beast, it was the first one who was on her side. It was difficult to call it someone, but it was the first one to help her.

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While listening to Layla’s lonely murmurs, the cabin burned.

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