Aran flicked her sleeves, stirring a gust of wind that billowed her pale lotus-colored gauze gown. Just as she braced herself, the great beast lunged. Aran sidestepped and, spinning around, lunged back with her dagger. The creature dodged with feline agility and countered instantly. Impaired by the alcohol she had consumed, Aran’s reactions were sluggish; the beast’s claws tore through the sleeve of her right arm, drawing blood.
"Beast," Aran spat. Her eyes turned cold as she retreated, gathering her internal energy to meet the next assault. The sheer force of the beast’s charge sent her staggering back two paces before she could find her footing. Yet, the creature was faring little better—its left eye had been blinded by her blade, and its hide was riddled with stabs, a testament to the sharpness of her weapon.
The beast roared in fury, coiling its muscles for a final, devastating charge. Aran stood her ground, her body drenched in a mixture of her own blood and the creature’s. At the very moment the beast lunged, Aran darted forward like a phantom. She drove her dagger deep into its windpipe and ripped it out with a violent jerk. In the same motion, the creature swatted her, sending her flying two meters until she slammed into a nearby tree. The trunk, thin and brittle, snapped upon impact. Aran coughed up two mouthfuls of blood, feeling as though several of her ribs had shattered.
Chapter 131