Return of the Youngest Son with SSS-Rank Talent-Chapter 69: So this is one of the culprits

After finding the tracks of the wild beast leading into the forest near the village, the three left the place, leaving the man to bury his wife and daughter alone, and ventured into the forest.

This time they did not run, but their steps were slow and calculated, for they had entered the territory of the wild beasts. Running would have been reckless and foolish.

Thanks to the surrounding trees, the heavy rain hardly obstructed their vision, as most of it was blocked by the green leaves.

As they advanced, they came across more tracks of the wild beasts, and from their shape, Kael could guess what they belonged to. They were not wolf tracks or anything like that, but hoof prints.

So, several names of wild beasts that lived on Kiran Mountain appeared in his mind. They were: Lightning Boar, Iron-Tusked Boar, Spiked Boar, and Iron-Hoofed Boar.

They continued to venture deeper and deeper, with the loud sound of rain roaring in their ears as it hit the green leaves of the trees. Meanwhile, on the ground, the footprints became more and more frequent.

So Kael and the others were much more cautious, because if they encountered a group of these creatures, some of them would lose their lives.

After walking through the forest for about twenty minutes, they began to hear the sounds of wild boars guarding a large cave.

Kael, with a glance, counted that there were more than a hundred of them. From this, he deduced that there must be a Lightning Boar of Viscount rank in the cave.

Wild beasts with a rank normally have the power to subdue those of their species; those with the rank of Baron can only subdue 100 of them, and those with the rank of Viscount can subdue between 500 and 1,000.

But what Kael saw were only a few hundred more, so it’s safer to assume that he’s barely forming his army.

His gaze shifted to Lydia and Eren, who were silently watching the wild beasts growling madly at the sky, as if they were thirsty for blood.

They stood there for a while watching the strange behavior of the beasts, until they noticed a person dressed from head to toe carrying a jar in his hand and removing the lid.

The scent that wafted from the bottle sent the Lightning Boars into a frenzy, and they began mating with each other, while about twenty began to follow the man who had alerted them.

From the moment he saw the man, Kael had already begun to move quickly and stealthily through the forest.

His feet stepped on several puddles where he could see his distorted reflection passing quickly, followed by Lydia and Eren, who were a little behind, waiting to see if more people appeared.

Little by little, they closed the gap between themselves and the hooded man who was being pursued by the lightning boars, white foam spewing from their mouths.

Kael channeled his mana essence into his dantian. It compressed violently, transforming into a crimson aura that enveloped his legs like a second skin. The ground cracked beneath his feet.

Without wasting any time, he strode forward, like a specter in the rain. His cold, emotionless gaze met Lydia’s and Eren’s for a moment. He didn’t need to say anything. They understood immediately.

In the distance, the hooded figure ran, pursued by several wild beasts. Feeling that overwhelming presence looming over him like a knife, he turned his head instinctively.

And he saw it.

A young man walked through the rain, a bamboo hat covering his face and a mask of coins sewn together with red thread hiding his mouth.

His blood ran cold. The fear was immediate.

With trembling hands, he threw the bottle aside and ran with all his might. He couldn’t be caught.

But then, without warning, his legs began to give way. His body shook, as if his bones were melting inside. He collapsed to his knees with a look of panic on his face.

"Wh-what...?" He whispered. He didn’t understand.

He tried to react, to activate the poison hidden in his back tooth. But before his tongue could even touch his gum...

A hand brutally entered his mouth.

Finger after finger slid violently down his throat, tearing the flesh. With a sharp tug, Kael pulled out the poisoned tooth. He held it between his fingers as if it were a trinket.

The hooded man screamed. The taste of iron flooded his mouth. He choked on his own blood.

And in that instant, before he could utter a word, all his limbs were broken one by one. A sharp crack for each bone. Shoulders. Elbows. Knees. Wrists. Every joint snapped like wet branches.

The pain was absolute.

He didn’t scream. He just clenched his teeth, holding back tears with a mixture of shame and rage. His body trembled like a broken puppet, drenched in blood, rain, and despair.

He looked up, gasping, his eyes red from the pain.

And there was the young man.

Motionless.

Staring at him with such absolute calm that it hurt more than his broken bones. His eyes, hidden behind the shadow of his hat, seemed empty.

How... how did she defeat me so quickly...? He thought, before spitting out a loose tooth amid retching.

Instantly, a female figure emerged from the rain. She walked with steady steps, but each one carried the weight of something more than water: she carried anger. At her side, a young man with a blank stare stopped. His eyes were dry wells, without light or judgment.

The wounded man looked up and saw them. Barely.

"So this is one of the culprits..." Lydia murmured in a cold voice.

She didn’t say it with anger or despair. She said it with the tone of someone who has already crossed the line between justice and necessity. Her gaze fell on the man like a sharp knife.

She was soaked, shivering, covered in someone else’s blood.

And alive. freewebnσvel.cøm

Lydia clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white. The only thing stopping her was the weight of Kael’s gaze beside her. A single glance was enough for her to understand: this was not the time.

But not out of pity.

Out of convenience.

Her rage did not come from a desire for justice. That had been torn from her by the corpses of children swollen with water, mothers with their arms outstretched in impossible positions, as if they still wanted to protect those who were no longer there. The rage came from the helplessness of having arrived too late. Of having done nothing. Of continuing to breathe when so many could no longer do so.

And all for that piece of flesh that was still gasping for air in front of her.

If they hadn’t found him in time... more would have died.

And yet, he was still breathing.

"Lydia, grab his body, we have to get back to the mansion," Kael said without giving the man a second glance as he began to walk away.

Lydia obeyed and, with a quick blow, knocked the man unconscious. She slung him over her shoulder and began to follow Kael out of the forest.