The Bastard First Prince Doesn't Want to Die

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter: 158

I can't tell anyone this, but the truth is, I've been imitating Jincheon.

There was no one around to see me, so I gave it a shot.

Being alone, I had the opportunity. If anyone who had seen Jincheon or fought alongside him had seen me, I would have died of shame.

Of course, I was only imitating his fighting style, not his personality.

I repeated his movements in my mind, trying to capture his fluid movements and relentless aggression.

His swordsmanship was characterized by an unbroken flow and relentless aggression.

It was as if he had made a pact with his blade, sweeping through enemies in a continuous motion that resembled a dance.

Having witnessed both his past life and his current form, it wasn't difficult for me to imitate his style.

But it was just an imitation. And it wasn't perfect.

Anyone who saw me fight would be overwhelmed by a desire to reach the same level as him.

That was why so many people had followed him when he was a general of Huawei.

Just one glimpse of him was enough to inspire lifelong admiration and devotion.

"Is this how it feels?"

Since there were no nearby monsters, I stopped walking and swung my sword.

I tried to mimic Jincheon's movements as closely as possible, but it was obvious that my movements were different.

After a few more attempts, I gave up.

Maybe it would be better to swallow my pride and ask Jincheon for lessons.

Pride was hard to let go of, but as the saying goes, a hungry man will eat anything.

"No, I have to. I need to eat."

Comparing it to food made me realize how useless pride was.

I quickly changed my mind. If I ever saw Jincheon again, I would ask him for guidance, no matter how proud it made me feel.

As soon as I made that decision, I felt relieved.

As I walked further, I sensed a stronger presence of a monster. The heavy breathing and the thudding of its footsteps made the entire forest feel tense.

I held my breath and moved closer to the creature.

As I got closer, the smell of something rotten reached my nostrils.

It was a poisonous beast. It would be much harder to fight a poisonous creature, but since I was already this close, it would be risky to turn back. If it discovered me, I would have no choice but to fight.

Just as I was about to attack, the beast stopped moving.

I crept closer and saw it hiding behind a large tree. It had sensed me and was waiting for me to approach.

This was the first time I had encountered a beast that was this intelligent. I felt a chill run down my spine.

This was going to be different.

I took a deep breath and drew my sword.

The beast charged at me.

I dodged out of the way, but its claws grazed my arm.

A sharp pain shot through me, and blood spurted out. I almost dropped my sword but managed to grip it tightly.

My blade flashed silver.

The beast bared its teeth and growled.

From its reaction, I realized it was wary of my weapon.

"No way..."

The other beasts I had fought had charged at me, ignoring my weapons. But this one seemed to understand that my sword could harm it.

Could it be that it had encountered blades before?

I decided to test my theory and closed the distance between us.

"——!"

The beast roared, and I could feel the poison in its breath.

A scratch from its claws would leave a wound, but a bite would be fatal.

I aimed for its head but I couldn't plunge my sword deep enough.

The beast swung its claws at me, forcing me to parry with my sword.

The sound of metal clashing echoed as I blocked its attack.

Given its strength, I couldn't maintain a stalemate for long. Prolonging the fight was not in my favor.

I twisted my wrist, deflecting its front paw, and plunged my sword into its leg.

The beast roared and thrashed then it retreated.

This was unexpected.

Beasts, creatures driven by instinct, would rarely retreat.

The only reason they would was if they believed their opponent was far superior.

Could this beast really think I was stronger than it?

It was hard to believe. I thought I was the one who was weaker.

Or maybe... given that it seemed to understand that weapons were dangerous, was it trying to lure me into a false sense of security before attacking again?n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

I doubted a beast could be that intelligent, but its reaction suggested otherwise.

I stared at the beast, and it stared back. We remained locked in a silent standoff.

I examined its body for any previous injuries, but I couldn't find any.

I was confused. Whether or not the beast had encountered weapons before didn't matter. I had to defeat it.

I closed the distance between us and attacked again.

The beast's claws swiped at me, blurring my vision.

Its movements were faster than any beast I had ever faced, but it was also larger. It was difficult to completely avoid its attacks, no matter how fast I moved.

After several attacks, the beast let out a roar that shook the entire forest.

It seemed determined to kill me.

It charged at me with all its might, its jaws wide open as if to swallow me whole. Its massive head blocked my vision.

I reacted instinctively and blocked its jaws with my sword.

My arms strained as I held the beast at bay.

Blood spurted from the beast's mouth. I had forced its jaws open with my sword, tearing its flesh. It was the best move I could have made.

As the beast roared in pain and blood sprayed everywhere, I knew I had won. In my moment of victory, I let my guard down. The beast clamped its jaws down on my arm.

"Ugh!"

I pushed the sword deeper into its head and forced it to release me.

The beast let out a final, agonized cry before collapsing.

I pulled my arm free, but it was already covered in blood.

I was exhausted but victorious. I stumbled a few steps forward before collapsing to the ground.

My head was spinning.

"Damn it..."

Was I dizzy? No, that couldn't be right. Why would I suddenly feel dizzy in the middle of a fight?

Then I looked at my bloody arm. The bleeding wouldn't stop.

I stared at it for a moment, then realized that the pain wasn't as bad as the amount of blood suggested. What did that mean?

The monster I had defeated must have been carrying some kind of poison.

As soon as I realized that, my vision started to blur.

The poison was spreading.

It was too late to bind my arm to stop the poison.

I had collapsed to the ground and could barely even sit up.

I struggled to stay conscious but the poison continued to spread through my body, and my mind began to grow hazy.

My vision blurred, and my limbs felt heavy. Even breathing was becoming difficult. I could feel the intervals between my breaths growing longer.

"Damn it..."

My vision began to sink.

I was clearly looking at the ground, but now all I could see were the rocks and pebbles beneath me.

I tried to reach out and touch the ground, but my fingers twitched weakly. I couldn't even lift my hand.

Thump-

Thump-

I heard faint footsteps. They were getting closer. It wasn't the heavy, muddy scent of a beast, but something else. Someone was approaching. It didn't feel like a monster. There was no sense of malice.

It was just... cold.

Thump-

Thump-

Thump-

Thump-

Footsteps... Were they human? There couldn't be anyone else here.

I desperately wanted to confirm if it was a person, but my body wouldn't obey me. I could barely move my lips.

Eventually, I closed my eyes.

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]