Crimson Overlord-Chapter 309: Predator

The fight between Orpheus and the elder troll became a whirlwind of primal fury and inhuman agility. The elder swung its massive arms, each blow capable of shattering a mountain, but Orpheus danced through the storm, a crimson blur defying gravity. His black sword, now a streak of dark lightning, parried and sliced, leaving shallow wounds on the elder’s thick hide.

The elder, enraged by the constant stings but unable to land a solid blow, roared in frustration. Its red eyes, glowing with a malevolent power, pulsed with a growing intensity. Suddenly, the ground beneath Orpheus shimmered.

Thick, gnarled roots erupted from the earth, coiling around Orpheus’s legs, their grip tightening with a sickening crunch. Orpheus, caught off guard, stumbled. The elder seized the opportunity. It slammed a massive fist towards him, the wind whistling with enough force to tear a man in two.

But even as the fist descended, Orpheus vanished. He reappeared in a puff of crimson smoke, perched precariously on the elder’s outstretched arm. The elder roared in surprise, trying to shake him off like a pesky insect.

Orpheus, however, wasn’t content with mere acrobatics. He raised his black sword, its tip glowing with an otherworldly crimson light. The air crackled with unseen energy as he plunged the blade deep into the elder’s shoulder.

The elder shrieked, a sound that ripped through the air like a banshee’s wail. The troll village trembled, and the remaining trolls scattered in terror. Even the unconscious chieftain stirred, his guttural whimpers replaced by a whimper of pure fear.

The crimson light on the black sword pulsed brighter, burning into the elder’s flesh. The elder, fuelled by pain and desperation, reached for Orpheus with its other hand. Its thick fingers grasped at the vampire, but Orpheus, fueled by a dark power of his own, twisted the blade.

A sickening crunch echoed through the air, followed by the elder’s ear-splitting scream. The red glow on its eyes dimmed, replaced by a dull pain. The troll chieftain, his fear momentarily forgotten, watched in horrified disbelief as the elder, the supposedly invincible protector of their village, crumpled to the ground, a whimper escaping its throat.

With a final yank, Orpheus ripped the black sword from the elder’s wound. The crimson light faded, leaving behind a gaping wound that oozed a thick, green ichor. The elder lay still, its massive chest no longer rising and falling.

Orpheus stood there, panting slightly, his crimson eyes flickering with a hidden hunger, he was too excited.

The silence after the battle was deafening. Lily, Hellion, and Ilya stood frozen, their faces pale with a mixture of awe and horror. They had witnessed the true power of their enigmatic companion, a power that went far beyond anything they could have imagined. freewebnσvel.cѳm

Orpheus turned towards them, the black sword dripping with the elder’s green blood. A chilling smile played on his lips, a smile that sent shivers down their spines.

"Looks like we have some unfinished business," he said, his voice laced with a dangerous amusement.

The silence stretched, thick with the aftermath of violence. Orpheus, his crimson eyes gleaming with a predatory hunger that had been absent before, slowly approached the fallen chieftain. The other trolls, huddled together in the distance, whimpered and flinched at his every step.

He reached the chieftain, who stirred slightly, his eyes fluttering open to meet Orpheus’s chilling gaze. Fear, raw and primal, flooded the chieftain’s face.

"You..." the chieftain croaked, his voice hoarse. "Monster..."

Orpheus chuckled, a sound devoid of humor. It was a cold, predatory sound that sent shivers down the spines of even Lily, Hellion, and Ilya who watched from afar.

"Monster, perhaps," Orpheus said, his voice a low purr. "But a merciful one... for now."

He raised his black sword, the weapon still slick with the elder’s green ichor. The chieftain flinched, his eyes widening in terror. But then, in a surprising turn of events, Orpheus lowered the blade.

"Tell your people," he continued, his voice laced with a strange authority, "that this is a warning. A taste of what happens when you challenge those who possess power beyond your comprehension."

The chieftain, too stunned to speak, could only nod weakly.

Orpheus took a step back, a hint of amusement flickering in his crimson eyes.

"Now, scurry back to your holes," he commanded, his voice echoing with a power that resonated through the village.

The remaining trolls didn’t need telling twice. With whimpers and terrified glances at the crimson figure before them, they scrambled back into the crude huts, vanishing from sight.

The village, once a scene of chaos, fell eerily silent. Orpheus turned his gaze towards Lily, Hellion, and Ilya, the amusement in his eyes replaced by a calculating glint.

"Well," he said, his voice regaining its usual nonchalance,

"shall we continue with our original plan, or do you have any... objections?"

The weight of what they had just witnessed hung heavy in the air. They had seen a terrifying display of power, a glimpse of the darkness Orpheus held within. The question remained – could they trust him? Or was he a far greater threat than the trolls they had just faced?

Lily, her expression unreadable, met his gaze head-on. The playful banter, the facade of camaraderie – it all felt hollow now.

"What... what exactly are you?" she finally asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Orpheus’s smile widened, a slow, unsettling movement. He raised his black sword, the crimson light flickering faintly on its surface.

"Let’s just say," he murmured, his voice a seductive purr, "I’m a creature of many faces. And for now," he added, his eyes locking with hers, "your ally."

The revelation hung heavy in the air, a truth shrouded in mystery. Whether Orpheus was a savior, a destroyer, or something else entirely, remained to be seen.

Suddenly, a cruel amusement flickered in Orpheus’s crimson eyes as he surveyed the aftermath of the battle. The trolls, cowed and whimpering, scurried back into their ramshackle dwellings, leaving the cleaning – and the stench of defeat – to Lily, Hellion, and Ilya.

"I have some... errands to run," he declared, his voice dripping with a nonchalance that felt increasingly hollow. The others, still reeling from the terrifying display of power they’d witnessed, simply nodded, their gazes lingering on the black sword slick with the elder troll’s oozing ichor.

As soon as their backs were turned, the amusement in Orpheus’s eyes morphed into a predatory glint. A predator wouldn’t let his prey simply vanish, not when they were still ripe and... tasty. The playful charade was over. The hunt was on.

With a burst of inhuman speed, Orpheus vanished, leaving a crimson blur in his wake. He didn’t need to track the fleeing trolls – their fear was a tangible scent, a beacon drawing him towards them. One by one, he stalked them through the tangled undergrowth, his movements silent and deadly. Their whimpers turned into terrified screams as they realized their escape was futile.

Justice, mercy – these were human concepts that held no sway over the monster lurking beneath Orpheus’s charming facade. He dispatched them with a chilling efficiency, their deaths swift and brutal. But with each kill, a different kind of hunger gnawed at him, a primal thirst that pulsed deep within his veins.

~~~

Finally, he reached the last one – the chieftain. Unlike the others, the chieftain cowered, fear a palpable aura around him. Orpheus knelt before the trembling creature, the crimson light from his eyes glinting with a predatory hunger.

The chieftain whimpered, his voice choked with terror.

"Please... mercy..."

Orpheus leaned in close, his voice a chilling whisper.

"Mercy? You showed no mercy when you kill others?" He reached out, a single hand clamping down on the chieftain’s throat with unnatural strength.

A low growl rumbled deep within Orpheus’s chest, a sound that spoke of a hunger far more primal than a simple game. With a sickening crunch, he ripped open the chieftain’s throat, the metallic tang of blood filling his senses.

He drank deeply, the chieftain’s lifeblood a dark elixir that sated the gnawing hunger for a brief moment. But the insatiable thirst remained, a constant reminder of the monster he truly was.

As the crimson drained from the chieftain’s lifeless eyes, Orpheus rose, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

The thrill of the hunt had ebbed, replaced by a hollow emptiness. He was a monster, a predator.

He rejoined the others, his face wiped clean of any emotion, the mask back in place. "All done," he announced, his voice devoid of any telltale tremor.