All MILFs are Mine Chapter 288: Radal

Leon moved through the decaying woods, the parched, dead soil crunching under his boots with every stride. The environment was eerily still; no birds chirped, no wind rustled the branches, and not a single insect buzzed. An oppressive silence reigned, stretching endlessly between the skeletal remains of the trees.

’This trial... it makes no sense. What is the objective? What am I even supposed to—’

*Break*

The sudden, crisp snap of a twig breaking under a heavy weight resonated behind him.

Leon spun around instantly, his features masked in a neutral expression.

He was there once more.

The same Snow Elf youngster was trailing him, maintaining a cautious gap while partially concealing himself behind a thick trunk.

’What is wrong with this kid? Why is he stalking me now? Does he really intend to attack me with a stick again?’ Leon thought, an annoyed look crossing his face as he began marching toward the boy.

Seeing Leon close the distance, the child panicked. He pivoted and started walking away in a clumsy, awkward attempt to act as though he hadn't been following at all.

"Stop." Leon’s command sliced through the quiet forest.

The elf child froze on the spot. He turned back slowly, meeting Leon’s gaze with a blank, neutral expression.

"Why are you following me? Don’t try to deny it, because I’ve already caught you," Leon demanded, his face flat with confusion.

"You didn’t kill me," the boy stated, his voice devoid of emotion.

"I can change that now..." Leon countered, his hand shifting to slide his sword halfway from its sheath.

The child remained unfazed. Instead of retreating, he produced a dark, prism-shaped locket and held it out.

"Help me find my father. I will give you this," he offered with a neutral expression.

Leon’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What is that? Just a rock?"

"The core of a Gillian hound. If you eat this, you will become very powerful," the boy replied, still maintaining his blank look.

Leon blinked, his expression one of pure confusion. "Then why don’t you eat it yourself?"

"My body can’t handle all that power."

Leon clicked his tongue in frustration. ’If I assist him in finding his father, I might actually get some directions out of this never-ending graveyard of trees. It's not like the system is functioning for me right now anyway... Haa... I expected this trial to be a duel to the death or something.’ He let out a weary sigh.

"Where was the last place you saw your father?" Leon asked, still looking puzzled.

"In that direction." The boy gestured toward the north.

Leon gave a nod. "Fine, if we continue heading—"

"No, wait... I think it was actually that way." This time, the child pointed south, his expression remaining just as confused as before.

Leon stared at him blankly. "...You have absolutely no idea where you saw him, do you?"

"No," the child confessed, his shoulders slumping with a hint of regret.

"Just keep following me then..." Leon turned his back and began trekking north regardless.

The boy fell in line, walking quietly at his side, step for step, without uttering a word.

Twenty-three minutes later...

"What is your name?" Leon inquired, not bothering to look at his companion.

"Ju-ilo."

"Why do you pronounce your name as if it's two separate words?" Leon asked, raising an eyebrow while continuing to scan the surrounding terrain.

"The first two letters are from my father’s name, and the last three are from my mother’s," Ju-ilo clarified.

"I see," Leon remarked with a shrug. "Whatever works for you."

Ju-ilo hesitated for a moment. "Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did," Leon replied, his face neutral.

"Two more questions?"

Leon exhaled. "Go ahead. It’s not like I have anything better to occupy my time."

"How were you able to kill that ghost hound without using magic?" Ju-ilo asked, his expression filled with curiosity.

"With my sword," Leon answered flatly.

"So you can’t use mag—"

"Shhhhh..." Leon instantly pressed two fingers against his own lips, signaling the boy to be silent.

Creak...

Both of them went rigid.

A sudden wave of bloodlust washed over them. They immediately moved back-to-back.

Step-step-step-step-step...

’I can hear it. Something is moving out there. But I can't see a single thing.’ Leon drew his nyxter, his gaze sharpening with focus.

"Radal..." Ju-ilo breathed, his eyes narrowing in recognition.

"What?" Leon continued to scan the desolate woods.

"It’s a Radal. They possess the ability to turn invisible for short bursts. They prefer to ambush from behind and enjoy eating their prey while it's still alive."

Ju-ilo gripped a stick, holding it as if it were a real blade.

Then—

Total silence.

The sound of footsteps vanished, and a heavy stillness blanketed the area.

"It’s going to strike... DODGE!" Ju-ilo screamed, instantly throwing himself onto the dirt.

"Garrwwwwwww!"

A massive, blurry shape erupted from Leon’s right side, lunging directly at him.

"Fuck—!" Leon ducked low and spun away, feeling sharp claws whistle through the air where his head had just been. By the time he recovered—

It was gone.

The beast had vanished into invisibility once more.

Step-step-step-step—

’If only I had access to my skills...’ Leon strained to hear, trying to pinpoint the creature's exact location.

Then—

A familiar voice whispered within his mind.

’If you are attempting to track its footsteps... then do it properly. Close your eyes. Your sight is useless against this anyway.’

Leon froze.

’White Fox...?’ he questioned internally.

’The sword will be your guide.’

The voice dissipated like fading mist.

’Fucking hell...’ Leon let out a slow breath, shut his eyes tight, and adjusted his grip on the nyxter.

Step-step-step-step-step...

"Run! Run, what are you doing!?" Ju-ilo cried out from a distance, his voice trembling with terror.

Leon ignored him, focusing entirely on the sounds, tracking the movement.

The footsteps abruptly ceased.

’Right behind me...’

Leon’s eyes flew open.

He twisted the hilt to the side.

"LAST RISE... FULL MOON!"

He whipped the sword around in a flawless semi-circular arc, rotating his entire body with the strike.

As he pivoted, the Radal was forced to reveal itself—its dark, bear-like form materializing just inches away, caught in a crouch.

The beast's eyes went wide, momentarily mesmerized by the hypnotic trail of the sword’s afterimages.

Then—

The flow of the technique broke.

Snapping out of the trance, the Radal reacted with predatory speed.

Tang!

It thrust its claws forward, sacrificing them to absorb the impact. The nyxter tore through the claws but only managed to bite halfway through its neck—a deep, bloody wound that was fatal, but not enough to end it instantly.

’Fucking hell... it's too fast—’

Leon didn't have time to finish the thought.

The Radal swung its other arm, claws whistling toward Leon’s legs.

He realized in a heartbeat that there was no way to dodge.

Leon’s eyes stretched wide.

"Fuck me." He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for the strike.

Swish

THUD