Journey to Become the Zenith-Chapter 84: The Difference Between Predator and Prey
The Difference Between Predator and Prey
For several seconds, the clash of steel and the whistle of arrows filled the quiet road.
Victor stood at the center of it all.
His eyes were closed.
The blade of long grass between his fingers moved with effortless precision, cutting the air in short arcs.
Clink.
A dagger spun away.
Tap.
An arrow bounced harmlessly into the dirt.
Slash.
A curved sword slid off the flexible grass as though it had struck iron.
The thirteen assassins continued their relentless assault.
But something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
After a few seconds of attacking Victor, the men finally began to notice what was happening.
Victor had closed his eyes.
Not only that—
He hadn’t moved from the very spot where he had been standing since the beginning of the battle.
Not a single step.
Not once.
He hadn’t even attacked them yet.
The only time he had acted offensively was when he cut the spider-silk threads attached to their knives.
Aside from that single moment—
Everything he had done was simply deflect.
Deflect.
Deflect.
Deflect.
The realization crept into their minds like a cold blade.
One of the assassins swallowed.
"...He’s not even fighting us."
The leader clenched his teeth.
Another assassin whispered hoarsely.
"...He’s playing."
And suddenly—
They understood.
This man... this monster standing calmly in the middle of their formation...
Didn’t see them as enemies.
They weren’t even opponents worth taking seriously.
That was why he had been so nonchalant when they revealed their intent to kill him.
That was why he had picked up a blade of grass instead of a weapon.
The realization spread through them like poison.
Fear.
Real fear. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦
The leader made the decision instantly.
"Retreat!"
The order was sharp.
The thirteen men scattered.
Their formation collapsed as they turned and ran in different directions.
It didn’t matter if they failed their mission.
It didn’t matter if they had to face punishment later.
As long as they escaped—
They could come back another day.
With a better plan.
A better trap.
A better chance.
But the moment they started fleeing—
Victor’s voice rang out behind them.
"Huh?"
His tone carried mild curiosity.
"Where do you think you guys are going?"
The moment those words reached their ears—
Their bodies froze.
A crushing pressure suddenly descended on them.
It was as though the air itself had turned heavy.
A suffocating killing intent flooded the forest road.
Several assassins stumbled as their legs locked in place.
Their hearts pounded violently.
Cold sweat slid down their necks.
Only now—
Only at this moment—
Did they understand how much Victor had been holding back.
This killing intent alone felt like standing before a raging storm.
Their souls trembled.
Their instincts screamed.
Run.
But their bodies refused to move.
Then—
Two screams tore through the forest.
"Aaaahhh—!"
The assassins turned in horror.
The two hidden archers who had been perched atop the trees...
Were gone.
No—
Not gone.
They were still there.
But their bodies had been turned into charred silhouettes.
Blackened.
Burnt.
Two human shapes reduced to smoking charcoal on the branches.
Victor lowered his hand slowly.
The faint glow of dissipating mana faded around his fingers.
A simple spell.
A casual one.
A small sphere of fire.
Victor sighed softly.
"I didn’t want to use magic for this whole bout..."
His voice carried a faint trace of disappointment.
"But you guys started running."
He looked at the remaining eleven men.
"So I had no choice."
Victor tilted his head slightly.
Then he raised two fingers.
"Now I’m giving you two options."
The assassins trembled.
Victor spoke casually, as though discussing dinner choices.
"Choice number one."
"You run."
"And I kill you."
He lowered one finger.
"Choice number two."
"You stay."
"And fight me until the end."
Victor smiled faintly.
"Decide now."
His golden eyes gleamed.
"How do you want to die?"
A pause.
Then Victor finished quietly.
"Shamefully..."
"...or with honor."
The eleven men looked at one another.
Their breathing was heavy.
Their eyes darted from face to face.
No words were spoken.
But the decision was made instantly.
They ran.
Each man chose a different direction.
They scattered into the trees like frightened animals.
Victor watched them for a moment.
Then he sighed.
"Shamefully it is."
A sudden gust of wind rushed past the fleeing assassins.
Before they could react—
Victor appeared.
Right in front of one of them.
The assassin’s eyes widened.
"How—?!"
The blade of grass flashed.
A thin green line cut through the air.
Victor’s voice followed calmly.
"You guys weren’t even good enough to be my training dummies."
The assassin never finished his scream.
One by one—
Victor moved.
A blur.
A whisper.
A flash of green.
And then—
Heads fell.
Bodies collapsed.
The forest road became quiet again.
Moments later—
Rain began to fall.
Not water.
Blood.
Falling fast, red drops hit the dusty path.
Victor wiped the grass blade against the sleeve of his coat.
One person still alive.
The leader.
Knees gave way beneath him, sudden. The ground met his fall without warning.
Shaking took hold of him, head to toe. A sudden quake ran through his frame.
Beyond his sight -
Footsteps crunched through the dirt where faces once looked up at the sky.
Step by step, Victor moved closer. He did not hurry.
A quiet grin sat easy across his mouth.
Frozen air scraped her throat. Every gasp came short, sharp, wrong.
Not quite a person was the one walking toward him.
He felt like death itself.
A couple of paces out, Victor came to a halt.
Down a little he went, until his gaze met hers.
His smile widened.
"So..."
Lightness filled his voice.
"Tell me something."
A shiver ran through the leader’s mouth. The edge of their lip twitched. Quiet tension showed near their face.
Victor continued.
"Who ordered you to kill me?"
A small turn of the head changed everything. The angle shifted just a bit, almost unnoticed.
"I want to personally express my gratitude."
Victor’s smile sharpened.
"For sending me some training dummies."
A soft breath escaped him then. He let it out like a whisper almost.
"But I do have a complaint."
Victor leaned closer.
"Those training dummies..."
"...weren’t even good enough to give me a warm-up."
