Chapter 86 · BMMAW

Chapter 86

Orthos, the Two-Headed Dog (Side Story: Life Is Always Cruel)

Juhwan’s hand, which was about to release fire mana, suddenly stopped.

If he used fire around Orthos now—
the woman would die.

He looked into the darkness.

The woman’s hand flashed.

She was holding a knife.

No one would believe she could kill a magical beast with that.

“She’s trying to die…”

He understood.

A small breath escaped him.

She must have lost her family.

His chest tightened in pain.

No one understood that pain better than Juhwan.

Not just dying—but being taken by a magical beast…

“Anyone would want to die after that.”

He could understand.

Juhwan made his decision and poured mana into the torch.

“Sometimes… death can be mercy.”

The torch burst into a bright light in the darkness.

Just as he was about to throw the fire—

Jack shouted and ran toward the woman.

“Are you crazy?! Didn’t you hear not to go there?!”

Jack chased her, shouting in anger.

He got dangerously close to Orthos.

“Damn it.”

Juhwan frowned.

He couldn’t let that man die too.

He glanced at Oz.

“Oz, I’m counting on you.”

He meant: Stay with Lizzy and Dorothy.

Then—

Juhwan threw away the torch
and ran straight toward Orthos.

No matter how he fought—

he couldn’t let the beast come closer to the carriage.

“Then there’s only one answer… I fight it myself.”

Behind him—

Jack grabbed the woman and shouted.

“Let go! Let me go!”
“Are you insane?! Come back!”
“Who are you to stop me?!”
“You think I’ll just watch another person get eaten?!”

Jack punched her in the stomach.

She collapsed and dropped the knife.

He shouted again:

“Do you know how I lived after my parents were eaten?!”

“If you die, what happens to your family?!”

“Do you know how it feels to watch your family get eaten?!”

He lifted her onto his shoulder and ran.

“I became a magical beast hunter to stop this from happening!”

His voice echoed in the dark.

Everyone had their own story.

Compared to the people in this world—

maybe Juhwan’s suffering on Earth was nothing.

“Maybe… I was one of the luckiest.”

His anger faded away.

There was no point now.

Orthos ignored Jack and the woman.

Its eyes were fixed only on Juhwan.

Its glowing eyes shone in the darkness.

“It sees me as prey.”

As Juhwan got closer—

he finally saw it clearly.

It was huge.

Not like a normal dog.

Its head reached almost to his shoulder.

A body full of muscle.

Four claws dug into the ground.

Its legs looked ready to explode forward at any moment.

Mana poured out of its body—

pressing down on the surroundings like a heavy wave.

“No wonder one or two hunters aren’t enough…”

Now he understood why the guild sent more help.

And why there were so few hunters.

“No one wants to fight something like this.”

Juhwan swallowed.

His mouth was dry.

“This won’t be easy.”

He covered his body in mana and stared at it.

Two heads.

One body.

Each head moved separately.

One ear stood upright.

The other lay flat.

Same face—
different expressions.

“Two different creatures… in one body.”

Orthos growled.

Thick saliva dripped from both mouths.

“It completely sees me as food.”

Juhwan smiled slightly.

The tension disappeared.

Instead—

a dangerous confidence rose.

“How dare you…”

It felt like he had returned to his high school days—

when he fought anyone who challenged him.

“Doesn’t matter if it’s human or beast.”

“Come.”

Orthos lowered its body.

Like a stretched rubber band—

ready to snap.

It was about to attack.

Then—

something inside one of its mouths flashed.

Before he could react—

Orthos leaped.

Both heads lunged to bite him.

Juhwan wrapped fire around his arm.

One head flinched back in fear.

He punched it.

BOOM

The head snapped sideways.

But the other head attacked from the left.

It wasn’t afraid of fire.

“This one is the leader.”

Juhwan struck again.

The smell of burning flesh filled the air.

One head aimed for his neck.

The other bit at his hand.

He dodged—

but sharp teeth scratched him.

Blood sprayed into the air.

Juhwan countered immediately—

kneeing its neck.

The beast choked.

Its eyes rolled back.

Each time Juhwan struck—

the flesh burned.

But—

it started healing.

“It can regenerate…”

Like a lizard’s tail—

it recovered itself.

“This won’t work.”

He gathered more mana.

With a powerful strike—

he smashed Orthos back.

Fire exploded.

The beast staggered.

Juhwan attacked again—

fire and wind crashing together.

Orthos screamed and fell.

Juhwan flipped its body—

grabbing its leg and tail.

Fire burned its body.

The beast struggled violently—

its claws tearing into Juhwan’s body.

But he didn’t let go.

He dragged it—

toward the hidden resin trap.

Then—

he let go and jumped back.

At the same time—

he released fire.

The flames spread instantly—

engulfing Orthos.

The night exploded into fire.

Orthos screamed in terror.

It tried to escape.

Juhwan jumped—

pulling out his axe.

He struck between its two heads.

The axe hit—

but didn’t go deep.

“Damn it!”

The heat burned his skin—

even through his mana.

He moved behind it—

grabbing its tail again.

But—

“I can hurt it… but I can’t kill it.”

Then—

a voice shouted from afar:

“There should be a mana stone inside it! Destroy that!”

Mana stone.

Juhwan remembered—

something shining in its mouth.

He pulled the beast out of the fire.

Then—

without hesitation—

he shoved his hand into its mouth.

Teeth tore into his flesh.

Blood poured out.

Pain exploded through his arm.

But—

he didn’t stop.

“I won’t let go.”

He pushed deeper—

past the tongue—

until—

he felt something hard.

Orthos went wild.

Its claws slashed his body.

One claw came for his eye—

he barely dodged—

Then—

Oz screamed.

“Piiiiii!”

Suddenly—

small red circles appeared on Orthos’s teeth.

Just like before.

The beast froze.

“It stopped…”

Juhwan gathered mana in his fingertips.

He pressed the small stone—

and crushed it.

The mana stone shattered.

“GRAAAAAAH!”

Both heads screamed.

Then—

its body collapsed.

Orthos was dead.

Juhwan fell backward.

Too much blood.

His vision blurred.

The hunter’s voice came closer.

Not an enemy.

Lizzy and Dorothy were safe.

Juhwan closed his eyes.

In the distance—

Lizzy was crying.

Dorothy was shouting something.

Footsteps rushed closer.

“Oz… protect them…”

His thoughts faded.

Darkness took him.

Side Story

Life Is Always Cruel

Last autumn—

soldiers from the Tyrone Kingdom raided the village.

Her two daughters died.

Violated.

Broken.

One died immediately.

The other took her own life.

Before winter—

a magical beast appeared.

On the first snow—

her husband was taken.

Bitten in the neck.

Dragged away—

still alive.

Only her six-year-old son remained.

He was the only child who survived.

Thin.

Weak.

But—

“He was everything she had left.”

She begged for food.

Even boiled dirt to feed him.

But—

he was dying.

Then—

the village made a decision.

“Someone must be sacrificed.”

They drew lots.

She was chosen.

She received a little food.

For her son.

For the first time in a long time—

she could feed him well.

That night—

the beast came.

Her son was taken.

She watched—

as the light faded from his eyes.

“She couldn’t move.”

A hunter came later—

but it was already too late.

“What kind of mother am I…?”

From that night—

she waited.

Every night.

With a knife.

Then—

the beast came again.

Right in front of her.

She froze.

Too scared to move.

The beast saw her.

But—

ignored her.

“She wasn’t even worth killing.”

It walked past her—

like she was nothing.

Her son’s eyes filled her mind.

Fear.

Pain.

Despair.

“If I let it go… I’ll never escape this.”

She stood up.

And ran.

“You monster!”

She swung her knife wildly.

“Kill me.”

“Please… kill me.”

“I couldn’t save my child…”

But—

Life is always cruel.

She didn’t die.

Days later—

she was taken to be sacrificed.

A cliff.

She had to jump herself.

Step.

Step.

Step.

Then—

she fell.

Her body hit the ground.

“Finally… I can die.”At last—

she could go to her family.

And for the first time—

her heart felt at peace