The winter road was not easy to walk.
Thick layers of snow covered the path ahead, and inside the dim forest, everyone trudged forward, sinking deep with every step.
"Sir Knight, what exactly are these Beastmen they're talking about?"
Among the group, Anne and Olgis were the most at ease. Anne was carried in Duanmu Huai's arms like a child, perched comfortably on his arm, while Olgis sat on his other shoulder. This spared Anne the trouble of walking, and she curled herself inside Duanmu Huai's cloak, peeking curiously at the forest ahead as she asked in a low voice.
The reason Anne was so curious about the Beastmen was simple. Previously, when Duanmu Huai stopped Guleya from following along, he mentioned that people here would mistake her for a Beastman. And just now, when the warriors mentioned Beastmen, their faces showed obvious disgust and wariness. That was enough to spark Anne's curiosity—she wanted to know exactly what they were.
"If you ask me, Beastmen are closer to… abominations."
Duanmu Huai walked at the head of the group, moving like a snowplow or an icebreaker, striding forward with heavy steps. The snow parted before him, creating a clear path for the others to follow.
"They're all born from humans. But while still inside the womb, they're tainted by the power of Chaos, and their forms are twisted… When they're born, they don't look like ordinary infants, but creatures with beastly fur and goat-like horns, monstrous in appearance."
"..."
Hearing this, Anne covered her mouth, then asked uneasily.
"Th-then what happens to those children…?"
"Simply put, they're killed. But there are parents too softhearted to slay their own children, so they abandon them in the wild. Not that it's a good idea. Once grown, Beastmen despise civilization, hate humans, and become mankind's enemies. They raid villages, capture women, and force them to bear their offspring, expanding their tribes before striking at humans again."
"That sounds… so pitiful…"
Anne whispered after hearing Duanmu Huai's explanation.
"If the parents never abandoned their children…"
"The result wouldn't change. You've already seen how Guleya was shunned at the academy. I guarantee you, a Beastman trying to survive in human society would suffer a hundred times worse. In the end, Beastmen carry the blood of Chaos. Letting them run free is letting Chaos run free—destroying this world. Of course, if you ask me, the biggest problem is simply that Beastmen are too ugly."
He let out a cold snort. That was also the common sentiment among players—that the true original sin of Beastmen wasn't their tainted bloodline, but their hideous looks. Beastmen were exactly as their name suggested—humanoid bodies with beast heads. Their bodies were covered in fur, their faces animalistic, most resembling boars, goats, or bulls.
How could anyone possibly like that?
Players used to joke: if Chaos had been smarter and made something like cat-eared girls, humanity would've fallen long ago. But, unfortunately, Beastmen had almost no females—a fact that greatly disappointed many players.
Not cats or dogs, but wouldn't even foxes or rabbits do?
Chaos clearly didn't understand human hearts—so it deserved to be bashed.
On the forums, those fan-made "Beastwoman" illustrations were always popular.
As they talked, the forest suddenly thinned out. Before them appeared a village. Spirits rose immediately. After trudging so long through the snow, they had finally found a place to rest.
"Great! I'm about to freeze solid!"
The two-handed swordsman shouted, looking at the village ahead.
"I need a good drink to drive off this damned cold!"
"I think you'll be disappointed."
Duanmu Huai answered without turning his head.
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"Because there's no one inside."
Indeed, just as he said, the entire village was silent and lifeless. Not only were there no people, there weren't even cats or dogs. When they entered, the only things that greeted them were the howling wind and swirling snow.
"Whew…"
The wind whistled through the empty streets. Aside from doors creaking in the gusts, nothing stirred. Kevin frowned at the sight, his expression grave.
"Damn it, I came here before. Everything was fine then. I even warned them about the dangers nearby…"
"This might be good news for us. If they're lurking nearby, then we'll have a better chance of finding them."
Duanmu Huai swept his gaze across the area, his voice cold.
"But for now, let's deal with the uninvited guests."
Before his words had even faded, a haystack in front of him suddenly exploded apart. Out leapt a tall goat-headed Beastman, roaring as it swung its axe straight at him. Anne screamed in fright at the sudden attack. Her cry seemed to excite the monster further—it grinned savagely, hefting its axe high. But at that instant, Olgis, perched on Duanmu Huai's shoulder, flicked her finger. Razor-sharp puppet threads sliced cleanly through the Beastman as if it were frozen mutton, leaving nothing but chunks of flesh on the ground.
But that was only the beginning.
With angry roars, more Beastmen appeared from all directions. Armed with weapons, they crouched on rooftops and lurked in shadows, eyes gleaming with the excitement of hunters who had trapped their prey. At the same time, everyone else drew their weapons, ready for battle. It was clear—they were surrounded.
And then, from the other side, a massive Minotaur carrying a battle axe stepped forward, blocking their way. Its furious gaze locked onto Duanmu Huai, and it let out a thunderous bellow before charging, head lowered like an enraged bull.
"What a shame. Beef hotpot is perfect in winter."
Duanmu Huai gently set Anne down, then gripped his warhammer tightly. His cold eyes fixed on the charging Minotaur. With a snort, he charged forward to meet it head-on.
"Boom!!!"
The two collided with crushing force. The Minotaur was hurled back as if it had slammed into a speeding train, skidding across the snow and carving a long trench. Its horns snapped, blood flowing freely. But before it could rise, Duanmu Huai was already upon it. His metal warhammer fell like thunder, and the Minotaur's head shattered like tofu, bursting into fragments.
"Rooooar!!!"
With the Minotaur dead, the Beastmen roared in unison and surged forward.
The fierce battle had begun.
(End of Chapter)