"I…did it. That's two down…right?"
The flashing red bar in my vision pestered me to no end, even throughout that small moment of victory before leading to the next fight.
I turned my body to the oncoming attack. A large Orc lifted its fists beside its body for a flurry of punches. The distance between us was too close for comfort and left barely enough room to think.
The berserker blow did a lot of damage but it had two major drawbacks for a situation like that. Firstly, the cooldown on the skill was longer than my other quick-use skills. Secondly, I didn't have the mana to perform too many of those in a row.
There was no telling how long that fight would last, especially with two Orcs still standing. They were both already cut into a few times but there was no telling how long a fight like that would have lasted.
I need to rely on my body for a bit. I'll push myself–push myself further than ever before!
I tossed out my Chakrtams and drew my chest back with every inch of force I could muster. A striking pain rushed down my spine as I forced myself to move further and faster than I could handle.
Both my hands hovered beside me and a faint green light appeared in my palms that drew my Chakrams out of the air.
A moment later, as the Orc drove its fists towards me, my blades rushed back to me in a swift jolt across the air. They cut through gaps between its limbs and torso with sharp motions and left a couple of deep cuts across its skin.
My eyes jolted open as the Chakrams met my hand and I flipped backwards, out of the way of the flurry. The orc stumbled forward, weakened by the heavy cuts around its arms and legs.
The massive, hulking arms that caused alarm were no longer even a threat. They dangled at the brute's side as if they were ornaments that served no purpose.
Now's my chance!
I noticed the last Orc behind it, rushing in to finish the job. A fight against both of them at the same time put me at a disadvantage so I tried avoiding that. I needed to get to my target first and finish it off.
I buried my feet in the rough dirt and used it like a foothold for me to explode off of. "Rush!" With that call, my legs were covered in a thick layer of mana that kept me light and helped close the gap between the weakened Orc and myself.
Both Chakrams at my side, I spun around and delivered two clean cuts across the chest, then the thigh, then the arms. I continued with a full explosion of cuts and slashes to its body from every angle I could muster but my fun was cut short.
The looming shadow of a creature much bigger than I, fell over me. I rolled between the bleeding Orcs legs and leapt to my feet behind it. With a snappy motion, I brought my body towards it and threw my fist out with every last fibre of strength I had left to give.
I had been watching the cooldown clock in my peripheral and timed it to the T.
I put everything I had behind that punch and pushed through every muscle and joint in my body that screamed against it. "Hyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!!!"
{Berserker Blow activated}
The green Orc arm covered over mine like a sleeve and crashed into the bloodied chest of its own kind. The dense bones beneath rattled against my knuckles and then eventually…snap! My fist broke through and every bone against my knuckles shattered into crunchy jelly under the skin.
My attack landed two hits, one against the Orc in front of me and then the last Orc that stood right behind it. The force of my punch caught them both and sent the duo flying back with a beam of pressure.
I felt it though, the intense amount of pressure that left my fingers as I landed that punch. It managed to travel through the first one and hit the second Orc.
{2000 Exp gained}
{2500 Exp gained}
{Level Up}
The two bodies of the Orcs crashed against the tunnel wall and left a massive crater behind them, littered with cracks and fissures around it. My eyes and mouth worked together in a celebration as I noticed my accomplishment mounted on the wall in front of me.
"Does this make me strong…Mister Ed?." I collapsed back and felt my body fall into someone's arms.
"Yeah. You're crazy strong, kid."
Mister Ed stood over me, with a warm smile shining down. My eyes were half open, barely able to stay that way but after seeing him, they flickered into a frantic string of blinks. Everything was pretty blurry but even so, his words remained clear.
Once my vision cleared and I looked up again, Mister Ed had vanished and all that was left was Veldor's worried expression. My eyes raced back and forth across the room as Veldor helped me back to my feet.
"Just my imagination?" I muttered.
"Come again?"
"Oh…nothing." I strapped my Chakrams onto my back and felt someone's gaze on them.
Veldor stood in front of me and left just enough room between us for a breath. He was taller, only by a couple of inches but enough to notice it when that close. His eyes fell over me with a sombre stare as if staring into my very soul.
I felt a sudden pressure weigh over me, a sense of something important. It was then that he spoke, his voice carried a heavy layer of sincerity behind it.
"Are you aiming for money, fame or women?"
I wanted to ask why he needed to say that but nothing else but a straightforward answer felt right. I think it was the weight that his stare cast over me. Whatever it was, it wasn't something I could ignore.
"None of those."
"Then what is it that you're really aiming for?"
Without a second of delay, my voice carried out my thoughts.
I clenched my fists. "To reach the top of this Tower. Only then, will I be satisfied."