Crowne and Ronan were surrounded by strange creatures called Wendigos, but their forms were not only like deer—they varied. And the number of them was not just one; there were almost fifty in total.
Near Ronan there were fifteen, while near Crowne there were thirty-five. Of course, this was not a good thing for Crowne, since the number he had to defeat was far too many. Especially with the condition of his body, which was truly in terrible shape.
"I already knew you would disrupt everything I had been planning. That is why I decided to accelerate everything. I never wanted to use the people of this village as the subjects of my experiment, but you made it all happen. This is not my fault—it is yours," said the village chief.
Crowne frowned. "What do you mean?"
The chief snapped his fingers. One second later, a Wendigo appeared from inside the house. Its body was small this time.
The moment he saw it, Crowne’s heartbeat seemed to stop for several seconds. His hand clenched tightly. The Wendigo’s face was distorted, yet its structure was familiar to him. He remembered clearly, because he had been seeing that face often these past two days.
Hatred burst out of Crowne’s body. He was furious, filled with rage. The granddaughter of the old woman who had hosted him during his stay in Garlun village had been turned into an ugly, horrifying creature like a Wendigo.
"I will kill you, bastard!" Crowne shouted.
The village chief only smiled. He looked satisfied seeing Crowne consumed by anger, but he was not done yet. A few seconds later, he snapped his fingers again. At that moment, two men appeared, dragging out an old woman whose face was bruised and battered.
Seeing that, Crowne’s chest tightened. "Don’t. If you do that, I will kill you right here and now!"
Instead of being afraid, the chief looked even more provoked. He yanked the old woman’s hair and stepped on her frail back. The grandmother tried to stand, but her body was already weak. Even speaking was difficult for her.
With the last of her strength, she reached out and touched the leg of her granddaughter, who had already been turned into a Wendigo. The creature stood on two legs, but its skin was wrinkled and deformed, its head adorned with horns and eyes like those of a beast.
"The villagers’ livestock..."
Those words slipped from Crowne’s lips. He glanced around once more, and sure enough—most of them did not resemble deer at all, but rather goats or cattle. The shapes of their horns, their eyes, and their fingers were different from what Ronan had described before.
The village chief smiled. "Finally, you realize. Not all the livestock I bought were sold. Some were used as experiments to create the monsters called Wendigos. I do need money, yes, but... there is something I need even more than that."
The chief pointed toward the old woman. One second later, the small Wendigo immediately moved and pressed its body against the grandmother. The old woman did not resist at all. Instead, she smiled faintly and embraced her granddaughter in her final moments.
After that, the old woman collapsed and died.
"You are truly inhuman," Crowne muttered bitterly.
The village chief turned to him again. "I am indeed inhuman. So what? Are you angry? Do you want to kill me? Come on then!" he provoked.
Crowne clenched his fists so hard that his nails pierced into his own palms. Blood dripped from the wounds. He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. Then he nodded.
"Fine. I will kill you!" Crowne challenged.
He set his stance and immediately rushed toward the village chief. At the same time, the chief waved his hand. Dozens of Wendigos instantly moved, attacking Crowne from all sides. A simultaneous assault that was impossible to dodge.
"You will become my greatest Wendigo," said the chief with a wide grin.