Hellbound: Rebirth Of The Strongest Slayer.-Chapter 48: Their wish, Your death

Chapter 48

The family of three had been living in the forest for close to two weeks now.

But this was the first time Callack truly felt it.

Real danger.

Dire danger.

The dark wolf stood before them with obsidian skin and a feral stare that made the air feel heavy. Bloodlust poured off it so thick it was almost visible.

It growled.

Once.

"Get behind me."

Callack shouted it, urgency ripping through his voice.

The wolf launched.

It leapt high into the air, straight toward them.

Seeing that Selene would barely make it into the cover of the bushes in time, Callack did something brave in her eyes.

And stupid in Vastro’s.

He jumped.

He met the massive wolf in midair.

They crashed into the ground with a dull, violent bang.

Selene’s eyes filled with desperation.

Vastro did not bother much.

His father was a cultivator after all. A weak one, yes, but still a cultivator. A fall like that would not kill him.

And he was right.

A moment later, a figure flew through the woods. Not flying. Thrown. Like a ragdoll.

Callack slammed into the bark of a tree and dropped to one knee.

Blood ran from his head, rolling into his eye.

He did not groan.

He did not cry out.

His eyes snapped open, locked deep into the woods where the dark wolf was walking toward him. One slow step at a time.

Savoring the kill.

Callack’s gaze shifted slightly.

Selene. His child.

Both of them wore anxious, terrified expressions.

For some reason, the thought of dying here and leaving them behind terrified him more than being ripped apart by the wolf ever could.

Callack groaned as he forced himself up.

The wolf was stronger than him. Not by a small margin.

And the worst part?

He did not bring his short swords today.

He could not be blamed. The past few weeks had been too safe. Too peaceful. Peaceful enough that even the two short swords he scavenged and forged felt unnecessary.

Who could have predicted this?

But Callack did not dwell on regret.

Protecting his family came first.

And that meant stopping this threat.

Because there was no doubt. If he fell, the wolf would go for them next.

Fierce determination burned in his chest.

With a deep, primal urge to protect, Callack grabbed a thick fallen branch. Sturdy. Jagged. Sharp enough to hurt.

Then he charged.

A branch of wood against a fierce wolf beast.

Tell me, who is this man, Vastro thought, unable to stop himself from chuckling.

This human father of his was a little crazy.

And that craziness might get him killed.

He was right.

The proof came fast.

The two clashed.

Will against will. Strength against strength.

After only a few seconds, the branch in Callack’s hands was shattered beyond use. Splintered. Useless.

And now he faced the wolf with nothing but his body.

Hands. Teeth. Bones.

And a will that refused to break.

The wolf bared its fangs.

And lunged again.

Callack fought fiercely.

Truly fiercely.

Even Vastro admitted it. His human father fought like a feral warrior, teeth bared, will screaming. But it did not change the fact that he was being beaten senseless by the wolf.

For the sixth time, he was thrown.

Smashed hard against an already weakened tree.

Blood burst from Callack’s mouth as he hit the ground. Selene’s body shook violently.

She had to help him.

She needed to do something.

Anything.

Her heart pounded so hard it hurt, fear flooding her chest as she watched her husband bleed. She did not want to lose him. She could not lose him.

Her husband.

Her son.

Those two were everything.

She did not want to lose either of them.

She would not lose any of them.

Unlike Vastro, who watched the scene as if it were some twisted show, Selene was breaking inside.

"Sorry, Rayden. Hold on."

She whispered it softly.

Then she tied Vastro tightly against her back and ran.

She sprinted forward with everything she had.

Vastro wanted to complain. His show had been interrupted. But the moment stretched, and a thought struck him.

What was his mother doing?

Was she running away?

Leaving her husband to die?

That would have been the reasonable choice. She was just a human. She could not fight that beast. Running away, no matter how cowardly it seemed, was the best option.

But something felt wrong.

Very wrong.

She was not running out of the forest.

She was running deeper.

Wait.

Would that not attract unwanted attention?

The wolf was not the only terrifying beast here. There were many others. If Selene drew multiple predators, then this was it.

Vastro would be going back to hell very soon.

He saw no way he survived that. Not without Iscaris. And he knew that was impossible now.

His fears came true quickly.

Several wild animals noticed the running woman and the baby tied to her back. Most only glanced at her briefly before losing interest and turning away.

Some did not.

Some chased.

They are dead, Vastro thought.

No.

That was wrong.

That was the day Rayden realized just how fast his mother truly was.

She ran at a speed no normal human should have been capable of. Wind tore past them. The ground blurred beneath her feet.

Maybe she was gifted.

But speed alone was not what saved them.

What shocked Vastro was something else.

Selene knew the forest.

She took narrow paths without hesitation. Twisted routes. Hidden trails. She led her pursuers straight into the territory of other powerful beasts.

Territories where they did not belong.

Even to Vastro’s disbelief, she lured several wild animals into the domain of a stronger predator. Screams followed. Flesh tore. Blood spilled.

Selene never looked back.

She escaped.

After what felt like endless minutes of a deadly chase, they reached their destination.

Vastro recognized it instantly.

The cave.

The one they had taken from the previous ruler of the forest.

And quickly, without wasting a second, Selene grabbed Callack’s two short swords.

She checked Vastro first.

No strange reaction. No numbness. No sign of injury.

He just stared up at her with those innocent, adorable eyes.

We are not going on another level of jungle run, are we? he asked seriously.

Unfortunately for him, all that came out were babbling baby sounds.

Selene smiled.

"Of course not," she said softly. "We are going to make sure your father survives."

Vastro facepalmed internally.

That was literally the opposite of what he was saying. But it was too late now.

He was strapped to Selene’s back once more.

And before he could protest, they were running again.

Just like before.

Only this time, Selene adjusted her movements. Lighter steps. Sharper turns. Quieter breathing. They did not draw as much attention.

Some beasts noticed them.

Not many.

The few that followed either lost them along the way or became food for something far stronger.

I hate to admit it, Vastro thought, but mortal mom is actually handling this really well.

They ran.

And as they ran, a question clawed at Vastro’s mind.

They had been gone for several minutes now.

What were the chances his father was still alive?

It was not that he wanted the old man dead. No. That sounded wrong.

The little man? Still wrong.

He did not want him dead at all.

But the wolf was superior.

If Callack was not dead by now, then either the wolf was weaker than it looked or his father was holding on with terrifying stubbornness.

Vastro doubted it.

Still.

They were about to find out.

Selene burst back into the clearing.

Just in time.

Callack was on one knee. Bloody. Broken. Barely holding himself upright.

The wolf walked toward him slowly, step after step, savoring the kill.

Selene’s heart tightened painfully.

"Callack," she screamed. "Take this."

She threw the two short swords with everything she had.

Callack’s eyes snapped open.

Blood streamed down his face, stopping just short of his eyes, as if afraid to cross into them.

He saw his wife. Heard her voice screaming over everything else.

"Go for it, Callack. Kill it."

Vastro raised his small hand as well, following the flow.

Not because he believed the human would win.

But because sometimes impossible things happened.

Callack saw them.

Both of them.

And despite his condition, he smiled.

He stood.

Unsteady. Shaking. But standing.

The air around him changed.

Subtly.

The forest grew denser. Heavier.

Callack gripped the two swords, pointing one directly at the wolf.

"You see those two," he said calmly, gesturing toward his wife and child. "They are my family. My support."

His smile was peaceful.

Too peaceful.

"And since their wish is to have you dead."

The wolf, which had dominated every exchange so far, suddenly growled. Unease flickered in its eyes.

Something was wrong.

Callack’s smile vanished.

His eyes were cold.

"So die."

To be continued.

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