Chapter 152.2

VOLUME 2: CHAPTER 152 – A CONFRONTATION WITH THE STRONG Status

RaceGoblinLevel72ClassKing; RulerPossessed SkillsRuler of the Demon Children of Chaos; Defiant Soul; World Devouring Howl; Sword Mastery A-; Dominator; King’s Soul; Ruler’s Wisdom III; Household of the Gods; One-Eyed Snake’s Evil Eye; The King's Dance at the Edge of Death; Magic Manipulation; Soul of the Berserk King; Third Impact (The Third Chant); Warrior's Instinct; Blessing of the Underworld Goddess; Guided OneDivine ProtectionGoddess of the Underworld (The goddess)AttributesDarkness; DeathSubordinate BeastsHigh Kobold Hasu (Lv77); Gastra (Lv20); Cynthia (Lv1); Orc King (Bui) (Lv82)Abnormal StatusBlessing of the One-Eyed Snake; Protection of the Twin-Headed Snake

It took 5 days to reach the elven village of Forni . On my back was flamberge and in my light armor were some throwing daggers . The disciple of Dumbre Dadee David was following me from behind .

“I-It’s around here,” he said in a fearful voice .

If you’re wondering why I’m here, that’s because a letter from David came .

—I would like to make use of your promise .

That was the only thing Fei read, and I immediately left the Fortress of the Abyss to the knight class, Gi Ga Rax, and set off for Forni .

“Are you really going when you’re so busy?” Fei asked .

“Time is a finite resource, which is exactly why I must fulfill the promises I have made . That is what you call fidelity,” I said .

All living things will eventually die . If I don’t fulfill the promises I’ve made when I can, I might lose the opportunity to do so altogether .

“…Are you sure it’s not because the throne is uncomfortable?” Fei asked .

“You jest,” I retorted .

Though it’s true it’s not an easy job .

“I suppose once in a while should be fine,” Fei said .

With those parting words, I took flamberge and headed for Forni .

“Wow, you really came,” David said in surprise, laughing as he did . “My request is about my disciple . ”

Beside David was a young timid koro dwarf . He had a beard as well, but it was still thin compared to David’s .

“He’s skilled, but he’s too cowardly . I’d like for you to accompany him,” David said .

“My promise was—” I tried to explain, but he interjected .

“To swing your sword once for me, right? I would like you to use that sword of yours to protect my disciple,” David said .

Well, I suppose it’s fine .

“What is your disciple looking for?” I asked .

“Hey, kid! You tell him!” David implored his disciple .

The timid koro dwarf hit David on the back as he fearfully spoke . “I-I’m going to look for the shiny black stone known as Vasheyn . It’s a wind spirit stone,” he said .

Wouldn’t you normally use black iron to forge a sword?

When David saw me puzzled at the unfamiliar name he laughed .

“Vasheyn is a fragile ore that normally can’t be used, but this kid here wants to try no matter what, so I told him to get it himself,” David explained .

He must trust him a great deal . David is plenty stubborn when it comes to smithing, so the fact that he’s willing to let him try speaks volumes of his ability… It would be a pity to lose a talent like him .

“Very well . I shall fulfill my promise,” I said .

“Thanks, Goblin King,” David folded his arms and laughed with satisfaction .

We walked for 5 days from Forni toward the north . It’s good to move without an escort from time to time . It lets me hone my dulling senses .

I smiled as a horn fox appeared before me . It wasn’t very big, but it was able to control fire . It’s a kind of monster I’ve never met before .

As it cried a high-pitched voice, a flame was lit at the end of its lone horn . That flame condensed into a bullet, which then shot forth toward me .

It took 4 seconds all-in-all for it to load and shoot .

I lifted the screaming koro dwarf with one hand and jumped out of the way of the bullet .

As I watched the fire bullet shoot past me by my side, I thought of how troublesome it would be to deal with a skulk of horn foxes .

There’s only one right now, so it’s not too troublesome, but a skulk would really give me a run for my money .

I threw David’s disciple into the bushes, then I bolted off with ether in my legs for the horn fox . In the blink of an eye, flames clad flamberge, and blood spurted in the air .

“Hmm…” I muttered as I pondered to myself .

“U-Umm… Goblin King, your majesty?” David’s disciple called out to me .

I wonder if Gi Gi could make use of these guys .

“I found it!” David’s disciple pointed to a rocky mountain beyond the trees .

So that’s where we’re going .

It’s still morning, but the earlier we finish this, the better .

“Let’s go then,” I said .

I took my spoils with me and headed for the rocky mountain with David’s disciple .

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I noted a big scar on a tree as I noticed a flayed tree bark .

There was probably a large monster in the area, but we still continued our way .

The area surrounding the rocky mountain was as quiet as could be .

When we approached the base of the rocky mountain, a hole leading underground came to view .

“I-It’s here!” David’s disciple said as he – in a rare moment – showed some foolhardy courage and attempted to run off .

Of course, I grabbed him by the shoulders to stop him .

He looked at me not understanding, but I had already reached for my blade .

It seems doing nothing but paperwork everyday really did take a toll on me .

The thick aura of blood lust coming out from the hole made me inadvertently grip my sword tight .

I can’t believe I failed to notice such a powerful monster despite being this close!

“GURUUuuUuUUuuU…” As I bellowed out a howl, the monster showed himself .

It was a bear two times taller than my own height .

“A fire-speckled big bear! A red bear!” David’s disciple exclaimed in a daze .

“Get away!” I told him .

I could feel the pressure bearing down on me just standing in front of it .

The red fur of the bear shone in the light like a hard stretch of armor, and those claws on its paws looked so sharp they seemed like they could easily break my neck given the opportunity .

I looked down on monsters because I always believed I couldn’t lose to them, but it seems I might’ve been too arrogant .

That tree awhile ago was probably meant to show that this was its territory .

The reason it’s so quiet around here is also because of this monster .

“GAaRUAAAAaA!”

Standing on its hind-legs, the red bear let out a powerful howl, one strong enough to make me quiver .

In fact, even the very air shook as its howl resounded throughout the whole forest .

That howl woke me up .

I checked to see if my legs were still firmly planted on the ground .

I haven’t gotten weaker physically, but it seems the hate within has grown weaker .

I must challenge this powerful enemy .

That is all that matters now .

Right now, not even my throne can make me turn around .

Heat literally left through my lips as it turned into a white cloud that flowed behind me .

In this moment, just like when I fought the orcs, just like when I fought the giant spider, just like when I fought the gray wolf, my instincts as a warrior awoke .

“GURUuUUuuUaAAa!!”

I bellowed out my own howl in response to the red bear’s pressure, invoking Defiant Soul and World-Devouring Howl in the same breath .

—Mental pressure has been alleviated (HIGH)

—Defensive strength and offensive strength are increased when fighting a monster of a higher class .

Using Defiant Soul, I turned myself from a king to a mere warrior . In my hands, ether flowed into flamberge .

“Turn me into a blade!! (Enchant)”

The black flames I stole from Verid wrapped themselves around flamberge .

David forged it from alloy, so the flames were able to penetrate it smoothly, and the resulting sharpness was like the raging flames themselves .

“GARUuAAa!”

The red bear lifted up its burly arms and swung them .

I slashed with flamberge in response .

That might’ve been a foolish decision . After all, if I could, it would’ve been better to dodge .

A wave of paralysis rushed through my arms as my blade met with the red bear’s claws .

—Those claws are too dangerous!

Flamberge failed to penetrate it despite being enchanted . What power!

I rooted myself to the ground as hard as I could as I sought to endure the red bear’s strength .

I even invoked the Soul of the Berserk King to increase my strength at the cost of my sanity .

—Rejoice, my soul! Before us is a battle! A battle that is pure combat! There is no need to think . Not the future, not the past, not anything! Right now, in this moment, all that matters is this duel between two monsters!

“GURUUuUuAAAaGAAA!”

—The numbness of my arms left, and a power greater than I’ve ever felt bore into my sword and the land on which I stood .

—K-Kil, kill, kill the enemy!

My sword clashed with the red bear’s claws once more .

“GAaAA!”

I lost out in power, but I neither felt fearful nor saddened . Instead, joy filled my cheeks as a smile appeared on my lips .

Was that because I was going insane, or was that simply because I could finally fight a worthy foe? I don’t know, but either way, joy filled me!

“GURUuUuuAAA!”

I invoked Defiant Soul again to bring reason back to my sword, then I used Sword Mastery A- to bring it up a notch .

As my sword clashed with the red bear’s claws, we simultaneously bellowed out a howl .

“GAaaAAA!”

“GURUuUAAA!”

The red bear’s claws birthed great winds as it swung through the air, but my flamberge managed to repel them with a change in angle .

One hit, two hits, three, four…

The clash of raw power turned my thoughts into a lake of fire, the red bear the same . The only thing on our minds was to destroy each other .

Due to the twin-headed snake’s blessing, I was able to easily control my ether, allowing me to easily instantly concentrate it into various parts of my body at will .

“GAaAA AaA A!”

We were at a standstill, neither edging out over the other .

That seemed to enrage the red bear, as it bellowed out a howl louder than before and swung its claws .

—It got stronger!?

We have been equal for a while now, but suddenly, though only a little, the red bear was winning .

“Nu!?”

In this battle where one step wrong meant death, the sudden change in the enemy’s strength caused my sword to lag for a moment .

This is bad, I thought . And as soon as I did, the red bear swung its claws and sent me flying . It left a wound extending from my chest to my stomach that caused blood to spurt .

I dropped flamberge as I tumbled on the ground .

Just as I was planning on using ether to treat my wounds, the red bear bellowed out another howl . When I turned to it, it was about to ram me .

Helpless, I was sent flying once more .

As I crashed into a tree, my eyes grew hazy and blood puked out of my mouth .

Immediately after I took a throwing knife from my armor and threw it at the red bear .

“GAaAAA!?”

Though it only barely grazed it, it still managed to slow the red bear a little .

Using that opening, I took flamberge back .

My sides creaked .

I’ve taken plenty of damage, but there was no stopping now .

Using flamberge as a cane, I forced myself up .

—Don’t show weakness! If you show even a hint of it, everything will end!

I rebuked myself as I moved ether into my legs .

“My life is like a cloud of dust! (Accel)”

“GURUuuUUu…”

The red bear watched me closely as it stood back up again .

A contest of power began once more .

But try as I might, I still ended up losing out to the red bear .

I didn’t have time to stop my wounds from bleeding, so I had to gather my ether into various parts of my body, such as my legs, my back, my arms… If not for that, I would have lost a long time ago . My ether wouldn’t have held up if I just tried to heal myself normally .

Blood flowed from my chest down, but I never stopped swinging flamberge .

“GAAaAa!”

“GURUuUaAA aA A!”

Gradually, my control over my ether started to let up, and I started making mistakes .

The flow of ether that ran from my ankle to my hips broke . When I realized that, I jumped away from the red bear .

I immediately focused ether into my legs, but it broke off again .

I recalled that moment when I first messed up using ether directly on my own body, but instead of seeing an image of the worst case scenario flashing through my mind, I saw myself separated from my own body, looking down on it .

“GURUuuUu…”

—Why?

The red bear didn’t follow, and instead watched me .

What is it doing? Is it being cautious?

—What did I do just now?

I ignored the red bear for a moment and traced back to what I did .

I focused my ether onto my hips from my legs… . I moved the ether like water flowing…

—I moved it like water… is that it?

Until now, I’ve been gathering ether into whichever body part needed it . I would push ether into my legs, then into my hips to swing my sword, then my back, and then lastly, my arms .

But what if I moved ether like it was flowing, moving like water from one area to another?

“GARUaAAAaaAA!”

The red bear bellowed out a howl .

Let’s try it!

I didn’t have any other choice anyhow .

I jumped into the fray once more as I sought to control my ether again .

I caused ether to flow from my legs to my hips, then to my back, and then my arms . For the first time, I was consciously controlling it instead of relying on instinct .

Ether flowed like water as I swung flamberge, and suddenly, the battle I had been losing all this time, turned to my favor .

“GAaAa!?’

The red bear was shocked, but so was I .

Sparks flashed as flamberge clashed with the red bear’s claws .

Gradually, the red bear started to fight defensively .

Though shocked, I calmly accepted the situation and sought to finish the duel .

“GAaAA AaA A!”

—Of course, if I force him back, it’s only a given, he’ll come back fiercer!

But I slid through the flurry of swipes, to align my sword to take the kill .

“Turn me into a blade! (Enchant)”

At the same time, I invoked the King’s Dance at the Edge of Death and controlled ether in a flowing fashion, moving it from my legs to my hips, then to my back, my arms, and into flamberge! Then I invoked the Third Chant and unleashed my blade!

In the next instant, a fatal strike descended on the red bear, tearing it apart as flamberge tore through its armor-like fur from neck to chest .

The black flames raged as flamberge penetrated the red bear, leaving a scorching mark on the rocky mountain itself .

Looking down on the fallen red bear, I exhaled and began to heal myself .

—89 days until the war with the humans .

◇◆◆◇◇◆◆◇

Level has risen .

72 => 92

‘Magic Manipulation’ has changed to ‘Flowing Magic Control’

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