NTR: Barbarian Harem Conquest

Staring up through the biting wind, Kane suddenly realized the shifting shadow near his boots wasn’t a head at all. It was merely a single scale resting on the beast’s snout.

Looming within the freezing mist, the true scale of the Serpent defied logic completely.

Coiling endlessly upward, the creature spanned the entire width of the pass, blocking out the gray sky.

’That is not a boss,’ Kane calculated instantly, relaxing his grip on Mjoldr.

”Fuck.”

’That is a natural disaster with fangs. Swinging for the neck is suicide. I just need a single drop, not a trophy.’

Fools died trying to slay legends for glory. Kane just needed an ingredient. Dropping his ego entirely, he changed tactics.

Instead of ringing the brass relic right away, he collapsed forward, burying his face in the frozen drifts.

Playing dead required absolute stillness. Forcing his lungs to shallow out, he slowed his heartbeat, projecting the perfect image of a defeated, freezing traveler.

’You are a predator,’ Kane mused, listening to the subtle shifting of ice above him.

’You don’t rush a frozen meal. You inspect it. You test the waters. You make entirely sure it won’t bite back before you swallow.’

Curiosity easily overcame the ancient creature.

Slithering downward, the Serpent lowered its gargantuan head to inspect the sudden offering.

Frigid breath washed over Kane’s back, frosting his eyelashes instantly and numbing his exposed cheeks.

Every human instinct screamed at him to run, to swing his axe, to do anything but lie still, but his discipline kept him perfectly frozen in the snow.

’Come closer,’ Kane urged silently, feeling the air pressure change dramatically as the jaws opened right above his spine.

’Just a little closer. Open wide, you overgrown lizard. Think I am just another foolish poacher looking for crystals.’

Waiting until the maw parted enough to swallow him in a single bite, Kane finally snapped his left wrist.

Ding.

Ringing the brass relic triggered an immediate, blinding reaction. A shockwave of golden light pulsed outward, shattering the divine camouflage instantly.

The suffocating fog burned away in a flash, leaving the Serpent’s true, terrifying form completely visible for exactly ten seconds.

Gazing up from the snow, Kane scanned the beast rapidly.

Pale, jagged battle scars ran along its jawline, proving this creature had spent centuries fighting off rival myths and other apex predators.

’Found the weak spot,’ Kane grinned, spotting a cluster of chipped scales near the left hinge of its enormous mouth.

’Somebody already cracked the armor for me a few hundred years ago. I just need to open the scab.’

Skipping the killing blow, Kane activated [Berserker’s Rage]. Raw adrenaline flooded his veins in a hot rush, completely erasing the biting cold.

Vaulting straight toward the icy wall to his right, he used the narrow chokepoint to his advantage.

Planting his boots against the slick surface, he performed a rapid wall-jump, launching himself directly at the creature’s exposed jaw like a launched arrow.

”Pardon the intrusion!” Kane shouted, finding his voice amidst the roaring wind.

Aiming Mjoldr perfectly, he struck the pre-existing scar. Steel bit deep into the compromised flesh. Compared to the beast’s overall size, the strike amounted to little more than a papercut, but it worked flawlessly.

A bright spray of glowing, azure blood erupted from the shallow wound, shimmering like liquid starlight in the gray morning.

Reaching out mid-air, Kane swiped an empty glass vial directly through the glowing mist.

Catching a generous splash of the azure fluid, he jammed the cork down with his thumb before gravity took over and pulled him back toward the ground.

Pain triggered pure, unfiltered rage. Hissing loud enough to splinter the surrounding glaciers, the Serpent recoiled sharply, tossing its head back into the sky.

’Objective secured,’ Kane thought, hitting the snowpack shoulder-first.

Rolling backward to absorb the kinetic energy, he landed smoothly on his feet, holding the glowing vial high.

’Time to leave the restaurant before the chef gets really angry.’

”Got your ticket home, angel,” Kane whispered to himself, feeling the warmth of the vial through his leather gloves.

’Griselda is going to owe me a lot more than just perimeter duty for this one,’ Kane laughed internally, securing the prize inside his tunic.

’And Misha... well, Misha gets to say I told you so when she sees how close this thing actually came to biting my head off.’

Failing to secure its meal and nursing a fresh wound, the beast opened its maw entirely.

A torrent of freezing azure venom poured downward, aiming to flood the entire narrow pass and turn the trespassing warlord into a permanent ice statue.

Pain triggered pure rage. Hissing loud enough to splinter glaciers, the Serpent recoiled, sending a shockwave that blasted Kane mid-air.

’Shit!’

Fingers going completely numb, the vial of azure blood slipped straight from his grip. It vanished entirely into the freezing drifts below.

’All that risk for nothing,’ Kane cursed mentally, hitting the snowpack hard.

’Guess I have to do it again.’

Before Kane could even find his footing, the beast lunged. Twisting his torso, he barely dodged the main bite, but a jagged scale clipped his side.

It tore right through his tunic, leaving a burning, bleeding scratch across his ribs.

”Too slow,” Kane grunted, raising Mjoldr.

But the Serpent didn’t pause. Blurring past his guard, cavernous jaws clamped directly onto his right arm.

Frost-coated fangs pierced his muscle, grinding ruthlessly against the bone.

’Can’t lose the arm. Need that to swing.’

”Let go!” Kane roared, punching the creature’s snout with his free hand.

Instead of biting clean through, the predator whipped its head sideways. Momentum ripped Kane completely off his feet.

Tossed like a broken ragdoll, he sailed through the freezing mist, flying over the icy ridge.’

Whoosh.

Crashing brutally, Kane slammed into solid rock. He tumbled across an uneven floor, finally skidding to a halt inside a forgotten, carved cave hidden in the mountain’s flank.

Coughing up copper-tasting spit, Kane clutched his mangled arm.

Blood pooled quickly on the ancient stone beneath him. His side burned, and his right arm hung practically useless.

’Okay,’ Kane wheezed, staring out the cave opening as twin glowing yellow eyes searched the blizzard for his body.

’That went terribly. I really need to stop improvising.’