I Can Only Cultivate In A Game-Chapter 410: Stop Running!

The horned one was likely a Kravorn... known to be a race specifically governed by the Sylrith because according to gathered information... The Sylrith were the only one out of the three magical alien species that brought other races with them.

Other races they governed... and the Kravorns was one of them.

They were brutal frontline warrior race known for physical dominance even without magic. Who knew if this one was placed here as a punishment.

The furred one on the other hand was a Dreshk. Relentless predators with terrifying endurance.

Both dangerous...

Even more so armed.

The Dreshk spoke first with a gravelly tone.

"Gruuk," he rumbled while glancing sideways at the Kravorn. "How many have you killed?"

The horned one—Gruuk—tilted his head slightly, studying Victor and Aria like livestock with his dark eyes.

"Three," he replied while shifting his grip on the spear.

"And you?" he asked the Dreshk.

"Four."

The Dreshk’s lips pulled back in something that wasn’t quite a smile.

Gruuk’s gaze sharpened.

"So if I kill one more," he said slowly, "I’m granted access out of the Playground, right?"

The Dreshk nodded.

"Yes. Five each. That’s what the masters said."

He lifted the spiky blade slightly.

"I need one more. You need two."

Victor’s stomach tightened...

So that was part of the Sylrith’s twisted game.

Five kills would earn your freedom faster than surviving...

They encouraged slaughter... dividing the captives.

Aria shifted subtly, positioning herself half a step in front of Victor.

Victor raised his hands slightly—not surrendering, but non-threatening.

"Why don’t we all focus on getting out of here together?" he said evenly. "Instead of killing each other?"

Gruuk’s eyes flicked to him.

"You’re only saying that," he replied flatly, "because you have no weapon."

The Dreshk snorted.

"Even if we cannot use magic right now," Gruuk continued, "we are two with weapons. There is only one of you with a weapon."

His gaze moved to Aria’s dagger.

"That makes you weaker."

Victor felt Aria tense beside him.

He could see it too.

These two had already killed multiple beings.

They weren’t in a mindset for negotiation.

Survival had narrowed their morality to arithmetic.

Two versus two.

But armed versus mostly unarmed.

Victor lowered his gaze slightly and shot Aria a glance.

She understood immediately and they began backing away slowly... step by careful step without turning their backs.

Gruuk’s nostrils flared.

"You think we will let you walk away?"

The Dreshk shifted and they moved forward in sync.

Gruuk suddenly lunged without warning and thrust the spear forward with frightening speed for someone his size.

He aimed straight for Aria’s chest.

Aria reacted instantly, pivoting sideways as the spearhead sliced past her shoulder, grazing skin but not penetrating deeply.

She slashed toward the shaft of the spear with her dagger, attempting to deflect it.

The Dreshk didn’t wait.

He charged Victor with brutal momentum, raising his spiky blade high.

The Dreshk snarled as he closed distance.

"I am Kharzug," he growled. "And you are my fifth."

The blade came down in a vicious overhead arc.

Victor dove sideways just in time while the blade struck the ground where he’d stood.

Behind him, Aria was locked in close-quarters combat with Gruuk. The Kravorn’s spear gave him reach advantage, forcing her to stay mobile and avoid being cornered.

Victor couldn’t let this drag out... If Gruuk landed a solid hit on Aria... it would be over.

But it wasn’t like his situation was any better...

Kharzug ripped his blade from the ground and swung horizontally.

Victor ducked beneath it, feeling the wind of the strike pass over his head.

He stepped inside the Dreshk’s range and drove a hard elbow toward Kharzug’s ribcage.

It landed but it was like striking a tree trunk.

Not to mention that Victor was much weaker than normal right now.

Kharzug barely flinched, only staggering back by half a foot.

Soon Kharzug was back to swinging the spiky blade at Victor.

Kharzug was relentless, barely giving Victor any time to think.

Kharzug swung horizontally.

Victor ducked, pivoted, and spun on his heel, driving a quick backfist toward Kharzug’s face.

The impact landed square on the Dreshk’s jaw.

It was yet another solid hit but the damage was minimal.

Kharzug barely staggered.

Victor moved again, striking the side of Kharzug’s snout as he narrowly avoided a downward dagger slash.

Victor was well aware of his current weakness so at the moment, he wasn’t trying to overpower him...

He was trying to frustrate him and draw him out...

Make him reckless.

Kharzug snarled as saliva mixed with blood dripped from his mouth.

"Stop running!" he roared.

He kicked forward suddenly.

Victor didn’t react quickly enough, causing the heavy, furred leg to slam into his abdomen.

The force sent him flying forward, crashing into the ground and rolling hard across twisted roots and dirt.

Kharzug followed immediately.

He didn’t give Victor space to breathe.

The spiky blade came down again and again.

Stab~

Stab~

Stab~

Victor rolled desperately as each thrust struck the ground inches from his body.

Dirt sprayed and roots splintered as hee rolled left when the blade struck right and rolled right when tje blade struck left.

He kicked upward to create distance, then sprang to his feet in a single motion and retreated several steps, widening the gap between them.

Kharzug’s breathing was heavier now from rage.

"You’re small," the Dreshk growled. "Weak. Stop delaying."

Victor didn’t respond... he just kept moving backwards...

Kharzug’s anger built visibly.

His fur bristled as he grip tightened around the blade until the knuckles whitened beneath it.

With a roar, he charged again with the spiky blade arched back over his shoulder as he sprinted forward recklessly.

He stabbed forward with everything he had.

Victor sidestepped at the last possible moment.

The blade missed him by inches and Kharzug—slamming forward with full momentum—crashed directly into one of the corkscrew-shaped trees.

The bark rippled instantly as if it was alive and roots burst outward from the trunk like coiled serpents, wrapping around Kharzug’s torso, arms, and leg.

The Dreshk roared in fury as he was yanked violently against the tree.

Then the trunk split open.

A massive vertical mouth tore down the center of the tree, layered with rows of inward-pointing teeth that glistened wetly in the purple haze.

It lunged toward Kharzug’s head.

Victor didn’t wait to see Kharzug get consumed. He turned immediately and shot towards Aria who was still locked in combat with Gruuk.

The Kravorn had sustained multiple slashes across his torso and thigh, courtesy of Aria’s quick dagger work.

But he was still dominant.

His spear thrust forward again and again, forcing Aria backward.

She had blood running down her shoulder from a shallow puncture wound as she kept being pushed backwards.

Gruuk snarled and stepped forward aggressively with the spear tip aimed directly at her chest.

That was when Victor entered the fight.

He sprinted low from the side and slid across the ground.

Gruuk didn’t see him.

Victor hooked his leg around the Kravorn’s ankle and yanked hard while pushing against the other leg.

Gruuk lost balance causing his massive frame to topple forward.

Aria reacted instantly.

As Gruuk fell, she reversed her grip on the dagger and thrust upward with precision.

The blade drove straight through the underside of his jaw and into his skull.

The momentum carried him downward onto the dagger, ensuring penetration.

Gruuk’s body went rigid... and then limp.

Aria yanked the blade free as the Kravorn collapsed fully.

She turned to Victor with her chest rising and falling.

"Thanks," she voiced amidst heavy breaths.

Victor smiled faintly and nodded in response. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"You’re pretty smart," she added.

He chuckled lightly despite everything.

"Well," he said, "that’s what countless near-death experiences do to you."

For a brief second, they thought it was over.

When... Aria’s eyes suddenly widened.

"Behind you!" she shouted.

Victor turned but he had reacted too slow...

Kharzug had broken free and was right behind Victor with his spiky blade raised mid thrust.

The tree-mouth had torn into his shoulder and part of his side, leaving shredded fur and exposed muscle, but the Dreshk had ripped himself away before being swallowed whole.

He was bleeding heavily but he was still alive and furious beyond reason... hence, the current predicament.

Victor who had turned to meet the blade in mid motion, headed for his chest, couldn’t react fast enough to dodge it... not without his qi and enhanced speed...

His reflexes weren’t enough.

Aria hurled her dagger forward instantly but due to the distance... it wouldn’t reach in time.

Kharzug’s blade slammed forward directly into Victor’s chest.

But instead of blood and death...

CLANG!

A sound rang through the forest like metal striking metal.

The spiky blade stopped dead against Victor’s chest.

It didn’t successfully pierce or sink through...

The blade creaked under the pressure as the metal bent slightly at the tip.

Both Kharzug and Aria froze.

Even Victor was stunned... and for half a heartbeat, no one moved.