Ghislain shouted at the suddenly dazed people.
"Snap out of it! Quickly eliminate the nearby monsters!"
The battle was still ongoing. Some of the monsters that had been fighting the soldiers turned their attention to the enemies behind them and charged.
The knights and hunters shook off their shock and began attacking the surrounding monsters. However, their expressions were far from reassuring.
'What's going on? He wasn't even attacked, so why is he coughing up blood?'
'Did we somehow get injured without realizing it?'
'Then how are we supposed to deal with the monsters charging at us now?'
Worry filled their minds. They were even starting to wonder if they should flee while they still could.
Slash!
Kaor sliced down a monster approaching Ghislain and urgently spoke.
"Lord! Are you scared? What's suddenly wrong with you?"
Kaor was feeling slightly uneasy as well. He had seen these symptoms once before.
It was when they had fought the Blood Python. Back then, Ghislain had used a tremendous amount of power and had collapsed, unconscious for over a day.
'Damn it! Is this similar to that time? Did he overexert himself?'
But this situation was somewhat different from before. At that time, Ghislain had gone inside the Blood Python and been afflicted by its venomous energy.
Now, that wasn't the case. He just looked like someone who had worn himself out while fighting alone.
Kaor couldn't fully grasp the exact extent of Ghislain's skills or the penalties he suffered after using his power, so he couldn't determine how dangerous the situation truly was.
Still, judging by the fact that all the flying spears had fallen to the ground, it seemed like Ghislain had truly exhausted his strength.
Ghislain wiped the blood off his face and said, "I'm in a lot of pain right now."
"…Then what about that thing charging at us now?"
"You handle it. You can take it down on your own."
"How am I supposed to take that thing down by myself?!"
"Are you scared again?"
"I'm not scared!"
"Then go and fight. You'll definitely be able to take it down. There's no time. Move now."
"Graaaaargh!"
Thud! Boom! Thud!
A Twin-Head Ogre approached, knocking even other monsters aside as it closed the distance.
The knights and hunters shrank back in horror, retreating.
"Damn it, what are we going to do about that?"
"Shouldn't all of us just gang up on it?"
"If we focus only on that thing, what about the surrounding monsters? If we don't pay attention to them, we'll all end up dead."
An ogre was not a monster one could guarantee to defeat even with dozens of knights attacking it. It wasn't called the king of the forest and mountains for nothing.
Its immense strength and speed were such that even a single hit could shatter the bones of an ordinary knight.
The Twin-Head Ogre was smarter and much larger than a regular ogre.
If all the knights and hunters present attacked together, they could certainly bring it down, but more than half of them would surely die in the process.
In moments of fear like this, someone needed to step up and lead the charge.
Ghislain coughed up blood and fell to his knees. That meant the next strongest had to step forward.
All eyes turned to Kaor.
"Sh-shit! Why is everyone looking at me?!"
Kaor was flustered. He wasn't confident he could take down such a monster on his own.
"Graaaaaagh!"
The Twin-Head Ogre was now right in front of them. Even the monsters nearby were retreating from its overwhelming presence.
Cough!
Ghislain spat out blood again and spoke to Kaor.
"Hurry! You're the only one who can stop that thing!"
Kaor's eyes wavered. This was the first time he'd seen the lord looking so weak. It was hard to believe.
His resolve wavered. The lord, who always seemed unshakable like steel, was now making an earnest 'request' of him.
Kaor had rarely been relied on like this in his life, especially by someone as strong as the lord.
As a man, he couldn't turn his back on this expectation.
"Damn it! Leave it to me!"
"Graaaaargh!"
Whoosh!
The Twin-Head Ogre swung its massive club as it drew near.
Boom!
Kaor raised his greatsword to block the club. The ogre's strength was so overwhelming that he nearly lost his grip on the sword.
"Ugh!"
The tremendous impact made it feel like his insides were being rattled. There was no way he could overpower it with strength. Kaor decided to rely on speed and retreated.
"Whoosh!"
"Hah!"
The follow-up attack came too quickly. For a creature of that massive size to move so fast—unbelievable.
Clang!
Kaor barely blocked it again, but this time, his body was lifted into the air and thrown backward. The sheer power and speed were astounding.
For the first time, Kaor thought he might actually die.
'But if not me, then who else?'
Aside from the lord, Kaor was the strongest here. If he didn't stop it, no one could.
The lord appeared to have sustained internal injuries. To fight that colossal ogre, they needed a wide-open space. First, he had to get the lord out of harm's way.
Kaor turned his head and shouted loudly.
"Lord! Retreat for now! Everyone, escort the lord—"
"Hey, hey! Kaor's handling the ogre, so everyone else, focus on clearing the surrounding monsters! Why are you all just standing there? Move it!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Before he knew it, Ghislain was wielding his greatsword and sending the surrounding monsters flying. The knights and hunters, reassured by Ghislain's renewed actions, let out sighs of relief and concentrated on the fight.
No one paid attention to Kaor anymore.
"…What the hell?"
Ghislain had already dropped his core to the second stage. He could no longer maintain the third stage.
Of course, even at the second stage, he could take on the Twin-Head Ogre, but he deliberately chose not to.
This time, Kaor had to handle it.
"Hey! If you're fine, then you should—"
Kaor couldn't finish his complaint. The Twin-Head Ogre gave him no time to catch his breath, unleashing another relentless attack.
Clang!
"Ugh!"
Each time he blocked, his body was pushed further back. Simply defending wouldn't work. He had to dodge and counterattack.
The area behind him was cleared of monsters, thanks to others taking care of them. Kaor decided to retreat further.
"Graaaargh!"
The Twin-Head Ogre charged at him with the determination of never letting him escape.
"Damn it… How the hell do I—"
The sight of the Twin-Head Ogre charging with its massive club raised high made it even more terrifying due to its enormous size.
Kaor felt fear creeping into him before he even realized it.
Whoosh!
The Twin-Head Ogre's club cleaved through the air and smashed down. Kaor barely managed to focus and dodged the attack at the last moment.
Slash!
Kaor's greatsword slashed the Twin-Head Ogre's side. Despite channeling mana into his blade, the attack barely cut through its incredibly tough hide.
All it did was fuel the Ogre's fury further.
"Graaaagh!"
Whoosh!
Another rapid attack followed, and this time Kaor couldn't fully avoid it. He hastily raised his greatsword to block, but his stance was thrown off.
Boom!
"Argh!"
Struck by the blow, Kaor was sent flying and tumbled across the ground. He was completely outmatched.
'I can't… There's no way I can win.'
Fierce determination or rage didn't matter against such an overwhelming opponent.
Until now, Kaor had been brimming with confidence and enthusiasm. Fighting alongside powerful allies meant he never truly feared for his life.
The lord was a monster in his own right, and the rest of his companions weren't far behind. Gillian and Belinda were strong enough to hold their ground anywhere, and Vanessa, though situationally dependent, was the most destructive force in the territory.
Strong enemies were always dealt with by others, allowing Kaor to grow complacent, losing his edge without even realizing it.
And now, faced with a true threat, he was paralyzed by fear.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The Twin-Headed Ogre's attacks were relentless. Kaor scrambled to maintain his distance, desperately shouting.
"Lord! I can't beat this thing! You have to handle this monster yourself!"
Suddenly, Ghislain's voice rang clearly in his ears.
― "If you want to grow, fight with your life on the line and win."
"Damn it! I already risked my life and won against Donkard!"
― "That's not enough. This is a real life-or-death fight."
"I can't do this with my skills! Help me!"
― "You can only grow by overcoming a situation where no one will help you and there's no one to rely on."
"This is just pointless! How am I supposed to win against an opponent like this?!"
― "You can win. That's why I'm leaving it to you."
"Damn it! How am I supposed to—!"
― "You're weaker now than before you met me. Only by realizing this yourself will it mean anything. Do your best."
Ghislain stopped speaking after that. Kaor cursed incessantly as he focused solely on dodging the Twin-Head Ogre's attacks.
Anger, frustration, fear, and humiliation—these emotions overwhelmed him.
Yet, one thought lingered in his mind.
'I am weak right now.'
While his skills had certainly improved, he had grown weaker than before. He could feel the truth in Ghislain's pointed words.
It wasn't a problem of physical capability. The issue was that the ferocity he'd been known for as the "Mad Dog of the North" had faded away after spending so much time with Ghislain.
He no longer had to fight tooth and nail for survival as he had in the past. There were strong allies by his side.
Relying on others wasn't inherently bad. Fighting together wasn't wrong either—that's what comrades were for.
But trusting others and growing complacent as a result was the problem. What remained in him now was nothing but a filthy temper.
'Damn it, how did I end up like this…?'
He'd felt it during his fight with Donkard as well—he had a personality that grew easily bored and lazy. He only responded to problems when they were right in front of him, and even then, reluctantly.
His knack for improvisation had carried him this far, allowing him to scrape by.
But now, faced with an insurmountable challenge, his spirit began to crumble.
Kaor bit his lip. From his harsh childhood, he had survived alone by clinging to his ferocity.
Now, that ferocity had withered away, lost to the comforts of his newfound life.
'Kill.'
Kaor gritted his teeth. His eyes began to glint with killing intent.
This was different from his fight with Donkard, where his anger came from the thought of losing. The Twin-Head Ogre was an opponent he could never defeat without being prepared to die.
This was a true life-or-death fight.
Boom!
For the first time, the Twin-Head Ogre's club clashed directly with Kaor's greatsword.
Kaor's face twisted in pain. He was still being pushed back, but his fighting spirit had changed drastically compared to before.
'This will be my final battle.'
He truly held that resolve. With that determination, he swung his greatsword.
Clang! Clang!
He dodged when he could and blocked when he couldn't. Wounds began to multiply on Kaor's body.
Each time he blocked, his body was flung back and he rolled across the ground. Even when he managed to land a counterattack, it failed to deliver any critical damage.
All it did was intensify the Twin-Head Ogre's fury.
"Graaaaaagh!"
Its monstrous roar alone felt as if it might burst his eardrums. Gritting his teeth, Kaor charged once again.
Boom!
The club and the greatsword collided, but this time, the greatsword was knocked back even harder. Before Kaor could regain his stance, the club came flying at him again.
Kaor quickly raised his arm to block the incoming club.
Boom!
Crack!
"Ugh!"
In a single strike, his mana-reinforced arm broke. The remaining shock radiated through his entire body.
The direct impact twisted his insides, and blood trickled out of his mouth.
At this point, he should have either fled or given up. But instead, Kaor gritted his teeth even harder.
His eyes now glistened with madness.
"Die!"
He abandoned defense altogether. Kaor poured nearly all of his remaining mana into his greatsword, fully prepared to die if he was struck.
When Kaor abandoned defense and swung his sword with the sole focus of landing a successful attack, the previously impenetrable hide of the ogre was finally deeply cut.
Screeeeech!
The Twin-Head Ogre's chest was slashed deeply, and an enormous amount of blood spurted out.
"GRAAAAAAAH!"
The Twin-Head Ogre screamed in pain, experiencing agony for the first time. In a blind rage, it began swinging its club wildly.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Its movements became larger and less precise, making it slightly easier to evade. Kaor retreated once more, looking for an opening.
He cleared his mind of unnecessary thoughts. All that remained was a cycle of dodging, blocking, and attacking.
'A wall…'
At some point, the Twin-Head Ogre began to look like a massive wall that had been blocking his path all along.
A wall so strong and imposing that it seemed impossible to overcome or destroy.
By putting his life on the line, Kaor's ferocity returned. With the resurgence of that ferocity, fear vanished.
Now, there was only one thought left in his mind.
'I will break through this wall.'
With that single determination, Kaor forced his heavy body to keep moving.
Clang!
The wall showed no signs of breaking. At least, that's how it felt.
Clang!
He struck again, but the wall stood firm, unshaken.
It was as if the wall was taunting him, standing tall and proud, declaring that someone like him could never overcome it.
'Heh, heh, heh.'
Kaor laughed. It no longer mattered whether he could overcome the wall. What mattered now was that he was moving toward it.
But was there truly any meaning in what he was doing?
Clang!
There wasn't. It was nothing more than a futile struggle.
Clang!
Still, he didn't stop. This was the only way forward. His life was disposable now; all that drove him was stubbornness, pushing him to keep attacking.
Then, Ghislain's voice echoed in his mind.
― "I've already taught you everything you lacked."
― "You've gained crude but genuine realizations on your own."
― "All you've been missing is time and experience to embody them."
― "Now, bring everything together. You can do it."
― "By doing so, you'll carve your own path."
Whoosh!
The fundamentals of swordsmanship Ghislain had taught him.
Following those teachings, Kaor's sword extended forward.
For a brief moment, he felt the same clarity he had glimpsed during his fight with Donkard.
But this time, it was slightly different. The instincts he had honed through countless battles, and the realizations he had come to during this life-or-death struggle, layered over the foundation of swordsmanship he had learned from Ghislain.
Slide.
The trajectory of his sword changed.
It was a realization Kaor had reached at the cost of his life. Neither textbook-perfect nor improvised, it was a path born of his own understanding.
And that path sought out the single weakness in the wall.
Swish.
'I cut it…'
The wall still stood firm. But Kaor's sword had left a long, deep scar on it.
The scarred wall was no longer invincible. Though it was only a single mark for now, it could someday become the key to breaking the wall entirely.
Whoosh!
The illusion of the wall disappeared, and Kaor's consciousness returned to reality.
Covered in blood, he thrust his sword once more.
What he saw before him now was the body of the Twin-Head Ogre, slowly collapsing, both of its heads severed.
[T/L: Please support me and read 330 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]