Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended

CHAPTER 31: The Path to Vengeance

BOOOOM!!

Zephyr watched in alarm as the hulking man approached. His hands came crashing down like an axe, completely obliterating the structure that Daisuke painstakingly crafted in the blazing sun.

Even as the canine made for safety, he sneered at the people who had just undermined his companion's hard-earned achievements. Anger surged through him like liquid fire, a visceral reaction to the injustice unfolding before him.

Vicious razor-sharp teeth peeked out from a creased snout. Piercing blue eyes stirred like a mighty wave, rearing back to build momentum. Then it would surge forth with the force of a thousand steeds. The distraught rolling off Daisuke was fuel that stoked the waves even higher.

Reeza's sudden appearance and the shocking revelation of her betrayal were the final straw. How dare she? Zephyr wasn't just a mere beast; he had a conscience, an understanding of emotions, and knew the awful hand Daisuke had just been dealt.

Without hesitation, he launched himself forward, his claws digging into the earth as he propelled his tiny body like a bullet. His sole purpose: to reclaim what was stolen, his target the despicable thief who clutched the Mana Crystal.

But he was just a pup.

In the blink of an eye, he found himself pinned beneath the boot of the dreary-eyed man, his ribs and legs snapping by the excruciating pressure. As the agony seared through him, the flames of his rage and fury gradually cooled.

His singular regret weighed heavily on him—his own weakness, a failure that added to Daisuke's loneliness and grief. But, no matter how much he willed it, his body wouldn't respond.

The enemy's sword reflected in the oceanic depths of his eyes. Then, like a vicious viper, it struck out, completely dousing the embers that were left of his rage... and his life.

Daisuke's voice rang out like thunder.

Blood churned from his scalp to the tip of his toes. Red veins, like the gnarled branches of trees, reached for his quivering pupils. And he gnashed his teeth in sheer anger.

The voices of the thugs entered his ears like the mocking jeers of hyenas. With a crazed roar, Daisuke threw himself at them like a torpedo. His arm, pulled back taut, shot forward like an arrow from a bow. The speed and force of his blow was impressive.

WHAM!

But it was just a figment of his imagination—a cruel byproduct of rage and adrenaline. With ease, the men stole the wind from his sales and pummeled him into the ground, their laughs drowning out his cries as he endured the merciless assault.

"Tu," one man spat before taking his coin purse. Then he turned on his heels and began leaving.

Another man snickered. "Weak."

"Thanks for the crystal," another mocked.

"Che," Reeza clicked her tongue.

The woman who was presumably her mother cast a fleeting look of sympathy and guilt before pulling the trolley away.

SWAAAH~

Daisuke coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Through his swollen eyelids and the gray slant of rain, he looked in the distance and saw Zephyr's small and motionless body. He was slowly dematerializing into beads of golden light—a spectacle that was both mesmerizing and horrific.

Despite the aches and pains flickering all throughout his body, Daisuke began crawling. He stretched out his arm, reaching for his friend, but before his fingertips could brush the pup's fur, his body dispersed into a blinding column of light. And, all too soon, he was gone.