Chapter 7: The Battle with Kaantz
Darkness fell like rain as the Giant Kaantz rushed at them lowering his axe in preparation for a kill. Arzia sprang toward him and their weapons collided producing a shrill sound that ended in the arena. The tip of her sword met the enchanted axe and sparks flew; the resultant shock ran up her arms. Her face was tense, concentrated, but she did not wane.
Brian moved out of the way just in time to avoid the second blow that would have cut him in half. He barely managed to dodge the punch, getting up in a very smooth manner. He felt the thumping of his heart in his chest. Furthermore, he could not afford to wait and think about what he was going to do next. Kaantz wasn't just a strong villain — he was a thinker, who meticulously planned every of his actions, as if he had all the time in the world.
Arzia was dashing around the ring trying to avoid Kaantz's blows while she was counterattacking. Every blow struck elicited a perfect defense followed by a counterattack though retrieve was tough due to the large and strong orc. She was being pushed back, her energy level gradually diminishing.
"Brian!" Arzia screamed, her voice hoarse. "I can't keep this up forever!"
Brian glanced at her and nodded his head from side to side, contemplating rapidly. He could not sit idly and watch things happen. He needed to act—and fast. But, with Kaantz's seemingly vast swings, any shot appeared deadly. He had to find an opening.
This time around his heart raced as Kaantz took another swing with the axe; however, Brian noted a weakness in the big dude's armor for once. His moment.
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Kaantz swung downward, and Brian's instincts took over. He rolled to the side to avoid the strike and in the same motion, he jabbed his hand out. "MANA Lance!"
The spell, one he had learned in the first stage of the Genesis Quest, came to life. A bright arrow of pure energy came out from his hand, subtlety embracing the atmosphere with the sound of a crackling lightning bolt. The lance flew nimbly, and directly through Kaantz's chest.
At some point, time stood still.
Kaantz fell back, clutching his chest and a pained cry escaped his lips as the energy hit him through his armor. His giant body swayed and his hold on the enchanted axe weakened, the weapon dropped from his hand and hit the ground.
Quickly, Brian saw the boss wobble and become defenceless for the shortest time possible. But that moment was enough for Arzia.
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With a deafening sound, Arzia charged forward the sword pointed to the sky. She squinted, and her eyes burned with fire and the glint of metal cut through the night. She was fast, quickly approaching Kaantz and standing right in front of him.
Thus confused, the orc never had time to properly evade as Arzia came at it with great fury. Still at the human, her sword glimmered then swung down answering the threat by beheading Kaantz.
As soon as the blade touched his skin, a flash of light and energy radiated out warding blinding Brian for a moment. When the light went off, there was only the giant orc's corpse lying on the floor.
With that Brian bent double to catch his breath looking exactly like any normal man would after an intense fight. He looked quickly over at Arzia who was standing proudly, her sword still high in the air. Her eyes were filled with gentle happiness, but she did not speak.
'Well that was an experience' Brian replied trying to smile and wipe his sweating brow.
Arzia gave him a small nod. "It was."
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The strange quiet of the dungeon was astoundingly enough to bring with it an almost ominous feeling after the intensity of the battle. Kaantz's body remained still on the floor, the great and powerful orc simply an unrecognizable mass of meat and metal. Trouble from the preceding fight remained manifest as an energy that left an audible buzz that could be felt on the soles of Brian's feet.
Brian breathed out deeply; his hands still vibrating fully from the effects of the adrenaline rush. "We actually did it."
Arzia, who was standing next to him, looked around and glanced at the destruction. She was expressionless, but there was a certain level of satisfaction in her eyes. She cleaned the blood from her sword, as the shine of the metal reflected little light from the shadowed cell.
"Well you didn't do too bad yourself," she whispered.
Brian just observed and simply said, while thinking to himself. He had sensed the strength of the synchronization during the fight, sensed the way his body responded in a manner he had never known before. Sure, the actual skills in the game that he was developing with his body weren't an illusion or fake in any way—what was happening was the real transformation, the kind that was still beyond his grasp.
Suddenly, a blinking light caught his attention and there appeared a system message in front of him.
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[System Message]
Quest Completion: Genesis Quest – Stage 2: Defeat Kaantz
Reward: 5000 Experience Points
In-Game Currency: 200 Gold
Item Drop: Orc King's Amulet (Legendary)
MANA Regeneration +15%
Synchronization Increased
Physical Strength: +8%
Magical Power: +10%
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Brian looked at the message for a second, taking in all the information. The reward was excellent – especially the Orc King's Amulet, which would increase his MANA regeneration. This time it seemed like the game was finally beginning to correlate his actual development with his character's advancement.
But the biggest reward was something more subtle: the increase in his synchronization rate. As the pugilist and his main psychological self joined forces with his alter ego in Psalm Online, it impacted on virtually all aspects – including responses and magical prowess.
When the system message disappeared, Arzia looked at him, feeling the change. "Your synchronization is improving," she said it as if she had heard what he was thinking. "You're growing stronger."
Brian did not reply at once. Instead, he glanced at the Orc King's Amulet that appeared in his hand. With scrupulous, the amulet was of gold and emerald, and as it flicked the weak light of the cell, it spun in incredible detail. It was more cumbersome than it appeared.
"Yeah," he said softly after a few moments Soderbergh, there was a steely conviction in his tone. "And I will keep getting healthier. There's no going back now."
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