"Try to stay alive as long as possible. I don't like toys that break too easily," Thurstan sneered, as Amadeus stood in a defensive position, ready for whatever Thurstan might throw at him.
With a swift motion, Thurstan unleashed his {Whip Net}. The whip moved so quickly it created afterimages that were as strong as the original, covering a wide area and leaving no room for escape. "Just what I needed, more whips," muttered Amadeus, his eyes narrowing.
The whip's attacks were relentless, impossible to dodge. Amadeus tried to deflect or cut the whips with his orc sword, but the weapon shattered upon collision. The whip was far superior, a higher quality weapon that easily overpowered the primitif orc sword.
Amadeus attempted to create distance, but the poison coursing through his veins slowed him down. The whip caught his leg, and in an instant, his entire body was covered. "Got you! Now, I'll take you for a ride," Thurstan said, swinging the whip and slamming Amadeus against the quarry wall with bone-shattering force.
"Bwahh... this crazy bastard, is he going to crush me to death? Crown, any ideas?" Amadeus coughed up blood, his vision blurring.
"I got nothing, but I'm thinking," the Crown replied. "If only he hadn't come back before his time, I would've had a chance to make them my followers and grow stronger," Amadeus lamented.
"Come on, we just started," Thurstan grinned maniacally, continuing to slam Amadeus against the walls for over a minute. The sound of cracking bones and Thurstan's laughter echoed through the quarry.
Finally, Thurstan lifted Amadeus into the air and, with all his might, smashed him into the ground, creating a massive cloud of dust.
Under the dust, Amadeus lay covered in blood, unable to move. A system window appeared.
[Warning]
/User Condition Report:
Multiple bones broken
Internal bleeding
Severe spinal damage
Poisoned
/The user is advised to enter hyper healing, at which point they will be put in a coma. If not, they will die.
From a distance, the slaves watched the battle, witnessing their savior dying before their eyes. Among them was Avice, who cried as she recalled her childhood.
She had grown up in a poor village, a smart girl who could learn anything quickly, often better than those who had practiced for years. The villagers prayed to the gods for protection, but their prayers went unanswered. Her village was attacked by bandits, and her family was killed.
Later, she vowed never to believe in anything or anyone again.
The day before stealing from the warehouse, she had spoken to Amadeus. "If my brother gets hurt, I will never forgive you," she had said with a serious face.
"Don't worry, I have a good plan. And is he really your brother? You don't look alike," Amadeus had replied. "He's not, but he became a slave at a young age like me, so I had to help him," Avice said.
"I promise I will protect him and save all of you. All you have to do is believe in me," Amadeus had assured her.
Now, seeing Amadeus defeated, Avice said to herself, "You can't fall. You promised me... Amadeus, I believe you can save us... I believe in you." Suddenly, energy began to radiate from her, making her body glow, though no one seemed to notice, not even her.
Back to Amadeus, who was half dead. Another system window appeared. "Come on, let's play more," Thurstan said as he tried to pull Amadeus toward him. But the whip wouldn't budge. Thurstan pulled harder, only to be yanked into the dust cloud himself with great force.
Once inside the dust cloud, Thurstan was punched in the stomach with such power that he was sent flying into the stone wall, shattering it. "Bwahh..." Thurstan coughed up blood, nearly losing consciousness from the impact.
The punch created a shockwave that cleared the dust, revealing Amadeus completely healed. He looked at the system window.
[Level Up]
/The user has reached level 10 and is completely healed.
Amadeus had put all 10 devotion points into strength before he punched Thurstan.
Strength: 2.5 -> 12.5
[Godly Body Effect] = Stats x10
Strength: 25 -> 125
"Crown, explain. How did I level up without followers?" asked Amadeus. "Check the system log, and you'll understand," the Crown replied.
[System Log]
/Devotion has been received from the slave, Avice.
"Avice... But why did I gain 10 levels, not 1? Isn't that too much? And I was healed?" questioned Amadeus. "As for your healing, leveling up completely restores your body. As for the slave, I don't know. We'll need to investigate further," said the Crown.
"Now, let's finish what's left in the quarry," Amadeus said with a smirk. Thurstan, still reeling from the blow, stood up, fury igniting in his eyes. He believed Amadeus had been holding back all along, and the realization filled him with rage.
With a roar, Thurstan swung his whip wildly, using {Whip Net} once more. The whip lashed out in erratic patterns, creating a deadly network of strikes that seemed impossible to evade. This time, however, Amadeus didn't bother dodging.
[Item Equipped]
/You reached the required strength to use the weapon
/Commander Geoffrey's Sword - equipped
Amadeus felt the surge of power as he gripped Commander Geoffrey's sword. With a single, decisive swing, he deflected the incoming whip strike. The force of his deflection sent shockwaves through the air, disorienting Thurstan momentarily.
Amadeus moved , his eyes locked onto Thurstan. Each step he took was measured and precise, closing the distance between them rapidly. Thurstan, bewildered by Amadeus's newfound strength, continued to lash out, but every attack was effortlessly blocked or deflected by Amadeus.
"This can't be happening," Thurstan muttered in disbelief, his confidence waning with every failed strike.
Finally, Amadeus closed the gap. With a swift and powerful motion, he slashed Thurstan's chest. The blade cut through armor and flesh alike, blood exploding from the wound in a gruesome spray. Thurstan's eyes widened in shock as he stumbled backward, clutching his chest.
He fell into a pool of his own blood, the life draining from his body. "I expected him to say something before he died," Amadeus said, his voice filled with disappointment. He wiped the blood off his blade , looking at the fallen commander.
A new window appeared before him.
[New Item]
/Commander Thurstan's Whip: The whip of Commander Thurstan, who killed and tortured hundreds. Adds 30 strength and inflicts poison effect.
"Cool weapon, but I think I'll stick to the sword for now," Amadeus said. Then Avice screamed from above, "Amadeus, above you!"
When Amadeus looked up,. On the highest floor stood a massive, 450 cm fat man, wearing gladiator clothing and a helmet covering his entire face, holding two giant axes. Steam came out from his helmet as he spoke, "Congratulations, you've disturbed my sleep."
"So that's the pig. I didn't expect him to be this big," Amadeus said sarcastically, recalling the information he had gathered about the pig.
The pig was on another level compared to the two commanders. He was always out hunting strong monsters to ensure none got near the quarry. Because of him, Amadeus had only faced weak monsters.
"Don't bother coming down. I'm coming to you," Amadeus said, leaping up the floors to reach the pig in seconds. "I didn't see him fight my commanders, but the result speaks for itself. He's no weakling," the pig said, looking down at Amadeus, who was dwarfed by comparison.
"Thanks," Amadeus replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"I wasn't talking to you, just thinking out loud," the pig responded menacingly, his voice like gravel. "Even if his strength is higher than mine, I'll just overwhelm him with my spee—" Before Amadeus could finish his thought, the pig disappeared in a blur of motion.
Amadeus suddenly felt an ominous presence behind him. He turned just in time to see a massive axe descending towards his head. The force of the blow sent him crashing through the air, smashing into the bottom floor with a thunderous impact that shattered the ground and creating a cloud of dust.
Amadeus struggled to his feet in the midst of the swirling dust, his hand shaking as he gripped his sword. He had used it to block the deadly strike, saving his life by a mere fraction of a second. "Is this what being on another level means? If I hadn't used the sword as a shield at the last second, I would've been cut in two," he panted, breathing heavily.
He looked up, eyes wide with disbelief. "How can he move faster than me with that huge body? It makes no sense," Amadeus said as the dust began to settle.
"You shouldn't approach battles with realistic thinking. All your experience doesn't include people from this world. Here, power is logic, and nothing else matters," the Crown's voice echoed in his mind, a reminder of the nature of this world.
The pig stood tall on the top floor, looking down at Amadeus , not moving. "He's too confident to come down and finish me. This gives me an idea," Amadeus thought, a plan forming in his mind.
"Crown, can you reveal yourself to everyone?" Amadeus asked, a hint of urgency in his voice.
"What? Oh, now I understand. Alright, I'll do it," the Crown replied.