KamiKowa: That Time I Got Transmigrated With A Broken Goddess-Chapter 101: [] Fuck Me (Said The Dead Man)

"I’m not hunting alone right now."

The string of Gunnar’s crossbow twanged as the third bolt launched. Xavier watched with a smug satisfaction that quickly shifted into horror as the projectile sailed past the Vorthak’s ear, disappearing into the snowy underbrush beyond.

"Fuck me," Xavier muttered.

The beast’s jaws opened, saliva dripping between those needle-sharp teeth. Death was coming, and it wore a coat of crystalline fur.

Xavier’s hand scrabbled in the snow beside him, fingers numbing against the cold. They brushed against something solid—a rock, half-buried in the frozen ground. He wrapped his fingers around it, the jagged edges biting into his palm.

As the Vorthak lowered its head for the killing bite, Xavier summoned every ounce of strength left in his battered body. Pink energy crackled along his arm as his Essentia responded to his desperation. He swung the rock upward, connecting with the beast’s jaw.

The impact sent a shock up his arm, but the Essentia-enhanced blow did its work. The Vorthak’s head snapped sideways with a sickening crack. Its massive body staggered, paws slipping in the bloodstained snow as it tried to regain its balance.

Xavier didn’t wait to see if it would recover. He rolled onto his stomach, biting back a scream as the gashes on his back stretched open. His left arm hung uselessly at his side as he pushed himself to his knees, then his feet.

"Come on!" Gunnar shouted from the wagon, waving frantically.

Xavier stumbled forward, each step sending fresh waves of pain through his body. Blood dripped from his fingertips, leaving a crimson trail in the snow behind him. His legs felt leaden, his vision narrowing to a tunnel focused only on the wagon twenty yards away.

Ten more steps. Just ten more.

Behind him, the Vorthak shook its massive head, sending crystals of ice flying from its fur. Its movements were uncoordinated, its eyes unfocused. The blow had given it a concussion, but it wouldn’t stay disoriented for long.

More howls echoed through the trees, closer now. The pack was almost upon them.

Xavier pushed himself harder, his boots slipping on the icy ground. His breath came in ragged gasps that tore at his injured ribs. Five more yards to the wagon. Four. Three.

Gunnar leaned out, arm extended. "Grab on!"

Xavier reached forward with his good arm, fingers stretching toward Gunnar’s outstretched hand. Behind him, he heard the Vorthak gather itself for one final lunge.

Their fingers connected. Gunnar’s grip was iron-strong as he hauled Xavier upward. The wagon rocked with the sudden movement, horses whinnying.

Xavier felt the rush of air as the Vorthak sailed past beneath him, its leap carrying it through the space he’d occupied a heartbeat before. The beast crashed into a snowbank, disappearing in a spray of white powder.

"Go!" Xavier shouted as Gunnar pulled him onto the wagon bed. "Get us out of here!"

Rachel didn’t need to be told twice. She snapped the reins, and the horses lunged forward, the wagon lurching. Xavier collapsed against the wooden planks, every part of his body screaming in protest.

"That was too close," Gunnar said, reloading his crossbow with shaking hands.

Xavier twisted to look behind them, where the beast was already regaining its feet, joined by two more massive shapes emerging from the treeline.

The wagon picked up speed, the horses galloping now as Rachel drove them hard down the snow-covered road. The Vorthaks gave chase for a hundred yards before falling behind, their howls of frustration echoing across the valley.

Xavier let his head fall back against the wooden slats, his breathing shallow to minimize the pain in his ribs. Blood pooled beneath him, soaking into his clothes and the wagon’s floor.

"You’re bleeding badly," Gunnar said, kneeling beside him. He pulled a knife from his belt and began cutting away the tattered remains of Xavier’s shirt.

"How far to Vykengard?" Xavier asked, wincing as the fabric pulled away from his wounds.

"Three hours at this pace," Rachel called over her shoulder, keeping her eyes on the road ahead. "Maybe less if the horses hold out."

Gunnar whistled low as he exposed the four parallel gashes across Xavier’s back. "These are deep. You’re lucky it didn’t hit your spine."

"Doesn’t feel lucky," Xavier said, trying to sit up. The world spun around him, and he fell back with a groan.

Gunnar rummaged through a crate, producing a leather flask and several strips of clean cloth. "Drink this. Then I’ll bind those wounds."

Xavier took a long swallow, the liquid burning down his throat and spreading warmth through his chest. He handed the flask back to Gunnar, who set to work cleaning and binding the wounds as best he could.

"You fought well," Rachel said, glancing back at him.

"Sorry about that. Looks like I owe you a sword." Xavier replied, looking at her.

A ghost of a smile touched her lips. "Ironwinter steel is rare. You’ll have to work for a long time to replace it."

"Add it to my tab," Xavier said, trying to return the smile despite the pain. His head throbbed with each bump in the road, the migraine that had briefly receded during the fight now returning with a vengeance.

The wagon crested a hill, and Xavier caught his first proper view of Vykengard in the distance. The fortress city rose from the valley floor, stone walls gleaming with a dusting of snow, smoke rising from countless chimneys. Under different circumstances, he might have appreciated its stark beauty.

"We need to find Calypso," he said. "Silver hair. Pink eyes. She’ll be looking for me too."

"Rest now," Gunnar advised, finishing the bandaging. "You’ve lost a lot of blood. We’ll reach the city gates soon enough."

Xavier wanted to argue, but his body had other ideas. The pain in his head intensified, white-hot spikes driving into his temples. The edges of his vision darkened, the world narrowing to a pinpoint of light.

"Fuck... this... place..." he managed before consciousness slipped away from him entirely.

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