KamiKowa: That Time I Got Transmigrated With A Broken Goddess-Chapter 100: [] The Difference Between Us

Xavier’s feet found traction on the packed snow as he sprinted toward the fallen dagger. The steel blade lay half-buried in white powder, its blue-tinted metal almost glowing in the dim light. Behind him, he could hear the Vorthak’s claws scraping against frozen ground as the massive predator wheeled around to pursue.

Fifteen feet. Ten. Five.

His fingers closed around the weapon’s leather-wrapped hilt just as the beast’s shadow fell over him. Xavier rolled left, the dagger clutched tight against his chest, and felt the rush of displaced air as six-inch claws swept through the space his head had occupied a heartbeat before.

The blade was heavier than expected, designed for someone with more muscle mass than his lean frame. But it felt right in his grip—balanced, deadly, purposeful. The metal radiated cold that bit through his gloves, making his fingers ache within seconds.

Gunnar’s crossbow sang. The bolt caught the Vorthak high on its left shoulder, punching through crystalline fur and drawing a spray of dark blood that steamed when it hit the snow. The creature’s roar shook ice from nearby pine branches, a sound that belonged in nightmares rather than waking reality.

"Nice shot," Xavier called out, circling away from the beast while keeping low. His Input Buffer registered the successful dodge, bringing him to 20 out of 250 points.

"I’ve got two more bolts," Gunnar shouted back, already working to reload his weapon. "Make them count!"

The Vorthak turned its attention to the trader for a moment. It took one step toward Gunnar before Xavier deliberately scraped the dagger’s blade against a nearby rock, the metallic screech cutting through the mountain air.

"Hey, ugly! Over here!"

The beast’s head snapped back toward him, lips peeling away from those ice-pick teeth in what might have been a snarl or a grin. It understood the challenge, accepted it, and began moving toward Xavier.

Xavier kept moving, feet dancing across the uneven terrain as he searched for any advantage the landscape might offer. A fallen log here, a cluster of rocks there—anything that might give him a split second of cover or higher ground. The Vorthak matched his pace, neither hurrying nor falling behind, content to herd him away from the wagon and deeper into the forest.

It’s trying to separate me from the others. Smart bastard.

"Rachel!" Xavier called without taking his eyes off the creature. "How long until those friends of his arrive?"

"Minutes, maybe less," came her reply from the wagon. "The horses are spooked. I need more time to calm them."

"Time I don’t have."

The Vorthak seemed to sense his growing desperation. It picked up speed, massive paws finding purchase on ice and snow. Xavier was forced to give ground, backing toward a cluster of pine trees whose lower branches hung heavy with accumulated frost.

He feinted left, then darted right as the beast committed to intercepting his false move. The maneuver bought him three precious seconds, enough to reach the treeline and put a thick trunk between himself and those terrible claws. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

The Vorthak didn’t hesitate. It simply charged straight through the tree.

The sound of splintering wood filled the air as the massive predator bulldozed through the pine like it was made of matchsticks. Xavier threw himself backward as chunks of bark and needle-covered branches exploded around him, the dagger raised defensively across his chest.

Something sharp caught him across the ribs—a broken branch or maybe the tip of a claw, he couldn’t tell which. When he glanced down, dark stains were already spreading across his thermal shirt.

Input Buffer: 15/250.

The Vorthak emerged from the wreckage of the pine tree, crystalline fur now decorated with needles and bark shavings. It shook itself once, dislodging the debris, and fixed those intelligent eyes on Xavier again. This time, there was no patience in its gaze. Only hunger.

Xavier tested his grip on the dagger, feeling blood from his torn ribs seeping into his shirt. The wound wasn’t deep enough to be immediately life-threatening, but it was definitely bleeding and would slow him down. He needed to end this quickly.

The creature lunged forward, covering the distance between them in a single bound. Xavier waited until the last possible moment—until he could see his own reflection in those ice-blue eyes—before throwing himself into a sideways roll. As he moved, he slashed upward with the dagger, putting all his weight behind the strike.

The blade bit deep into the Vorthak’s left foreleg, parting crystalline fur and drawing a line of dark blood from shoulder to elbow. The beast’s landing was clumsy, its injured leg buckling slightly under its weight. It spun toward Xavier with a roar of rage and pain that seemed to shake the very mountain.

Input Buffer: 40/250.

"Got you, you bastard," Xavier breathed, rolling to his feet fifteen feet away. The dagger’s blade was slicked with dark blood that steamed in the cold air. "Not so tough when something fights back, are you?"

Gunnar’s second bolt took the Vorthak in the flank, the metal broadhead punching through hide and muscle. The beast stumbled, ichor dripping from two wounds now, but it remained upright. If anything, the injuries only seemed to make it more dangerous.

Another howl echoed from the forest, much closer this time. Then another from a different direction. The pack was closing in.

The Vorthak gathered itself for another charge, and Xavier knew this would be his last chance to reach the wagon. His ribs burned with every breath, his fingers were going numb from gripping the freezing dagger, and his legs felt heavy from fighting in snow that came up to his mid-calf.

The beast launched itself forward with terrifying speed. Xavier dove sideways again, but this time he misjudged the creature’s reach. Claws raked across his back, tearing through his shirt to find skin. White-hot pain exploded along his spine as four parallel gashes opened from his left shoulder blade to the small of his back.

He hit the ground hard, the dagger flying from his grip to land point-first in a snowbank ten feet away. Blood was soaking into the snow beneath him, turning white to crimson in spreading patches. When he tried to push himself up, his left arm wouldn’t respond properly.

The Vorthak stood over him, massive head lowering until its breath washed over Xavier’s face in clouds of freezing vapor. Those ice-blue eyes held something like satisfaction now. The hunt was over.

Xavier met the creature’s gaze and managed a bloody smile. "You know what the difference is between you and me?"

The beast tilted its head slightly as Xavier heard the loading of a crossbow.

"I’m not hunting alone right now."

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