My heart thrummed in my chest. Horror probably lined every inch of my face. I expected this outcome, right? There was no way Master would spare the beast, but why did I feel so guilty and horrified? It was probably partially because of that magic beast’s eyes when he led us to the den. The beast looked at Master trustingly, white eyes containing no hint of the monster it might actually had been.

“Master,” My lips moved without thinking, “Why did you kill the beast?”

Master turned around, “Why wouldn’t I? It’s my duty as a human to exterminate as many magic beasts at possible. Now let’s get going into the den.”

That was a lie. Master wasn’t a human, he was a transcendent. My experiences with transcendent beings in my last life as Kahil told me that they were supposed to That stone cold feeling I got from Master’s face when he killed the beast. I followed Master into the cave, more careful than before.

Immediately after entering the cave, faints glows were found emanating from shiny rocks. They were small mana crystals embedded in the dirt and wedged between rocks. The cave turned out to be a long tunnel. However, a noted attribute was that the temperature kept falling as long as we went further in.

Frost started appearing on rock tips and my breath could soon be seen in the air, but no magic beasts were in sight. I was just musing about how strange this was when Master stopped abruptly.

“Do you see those?” Master pointed a finger at some glittering stones in the cave walls.

The stones looked like mana crystals, but I knew better, “Those are frost crystals, sir. They radiate extreme cold. You told me they one crystal could freeze a pond in less than a two seconds.”

“Correct. Do you know what they signify for this den?” Master didn’t wait for mine to answer, “The monsters dwelling in this den are creatures of ice and are called kolves. For them, the mark of a frost crystal signifies their inner territory.”

“That means that the monsters will start showing up now, right, sir?” I narrowed my eyes.

“Also correct.” Master replied.

“Perfect,” I stepped forward, “I’ll star warming up now.”

Mana chains snapped into shape as howls echoed in the tunnel. The tip of my chains lit up with mana flames. As the tide of kolves surged forward, I hurled my mana chains out and slammed them down. Kolves fell, flailing with gruesome wounds as I swung my mana chains. One after another, they died at my hands.

Humans are hypocrites. I knew that. They made up feeble excuses to kill the so called “monstrosurous” and “cruel” magic beasts. The truth was that magic beasts were also intelligent and had emotions. They weren’t simple rampaging machines. They could think, communicate, and be social like any living human, but people were afraid. Humans were, and still are, afraid of magic beasts. Like any other conflict, hostility started with fear. Naturally, the strong humans that wielded mana and concepts oppressed the magic beasts.

In Koqnia, it was a truth that everyone knew. Fear was accepted as a basic human nature there. However, the magic beasts now saw humans as enemies and rampaged on them in retaliation. I assumed that the magic beasts had been increasingly vilified after my death as Kahil.

If a normal human encountered the truth of hypocrisy against magic beasts, they would crack under the thought of killing other beings that had the same nature as them, but I could handle it. After all, I had killed before.

Wind brushed my skin. A kolve was charging at me head on. It probably thought that I, who mainly fought at middle and long range, was weak at close combat.

The sound of bones cracking echoed as I slammed my right fist into the kolve’s jaw after dispelling the three chains connected to my right hand. The kolve fell with another three slashes from the dagger that had been hanging from my belt.

“You didn’t expect that, huh?” I laughed at the crowd of kolves, gesturing for them to come at me, “You dog bastards.”

At my provoking glare, the kolves turned to me and pounced forward, a wave of gray fur washing down on me. Their feeble attempt collapsed at my murdering streak. Mana flames blossomed on my mana chains as they slew the kolves. Corpses swiftly piled up but were quickly burned to ashes by my flames.

To the end, there was only one more opponent left. It leapt at me, claws unsheathed despite the fear glistening in its eyes. It stopped mid-air as I raised my left hand and unleashed a chain, thudding to the ground with a thump.

“There. All done, master.” I turned to look at Master, who had been spectating the battle behind with a strange gaze.

“Good,” Master yawned, “I was getting bored. Let’s move on.”

I nodded and followed him as he strolled nonchalantly deeper into the wide tunnel. My mana was almost depleted to the bottom after the fight against at least one hundred kolves and my hands ached, but exhilaration covered that up. What would I get to fight next?

“Do you know why you didn’t lose earlier?” Master said as we descended further.

I shook my head, “No, sir.”

“Those kolves you fought were all regular soldiers. They didn’t have frost-breathing abilities unlike the one who guided us here,” Master explained, “So don’t let your guard down right now. There are probably plenty of stronger kolves deeper in.”

“Yes, master.” I replied.

A few minutes of walking later, the tunnel widened to led to a large cavern with ice spikes lining the perimeter and kolves resting in nooks on the walls. Five strong-looking kolves prowled in the middle of the cavern, seemingly communicating with some soldier kolves.

My instincts told me to run away immediately, but my feet were rooted to the ground as roars and howls filled the air. I knew it now. This was the real fight.