I Did It.
Ludenberg repeated inwardly.
It was a more intense sword strike than any he'd unleashed while inhabiting Liberatus's body thus far. Thanks to that, the erosion beast's tough flesh split cleanly in half in a single blow. Whether by luck or design, the heart nestled within crumbled as well, spewing foul blood into the air before plummeting to the ground.
Boom!
The problem was the beast's sheer size—its collision with the shelter alone produced a thunderous roar that echoed far and wide. Of course, it was merely a corpse now, posing no further threat, but the sound alone was enough to send the people inside the shelter into a panic.
Ignoring that, Ludenberg landed on the ground. Though he'd dropped from a considerable height, Liberatus's body—far beyond ordinary human limits—remained unscathed. He immediately moved to deal with the remaining erosion beasts near the shelter.
With every step, every swing of his sword, the erosion beasts were swept away. By the time he'd single-handedly cleared them all from the vicinity, he had fully grasped what it meant to infuse his blade with conviction.
'It really does feel different.'
Believing his sword could cleave anything, he encountered no resistance—not even the faint tug he'd once felt against ordinary erosion beasts. Convinced his body was unbreakable, even the fierce assaults from the beasts left not a single scratch on Liberatus's form.
Of course, the body itself was monstrously resilient, but conviction clearly provided some additional boon. Otherwise, how could it emerge unscratched from a high-rank erosion beast's strike to an unarmored spot?
With the area cleared, knights and soldiers approached him. They seemed to be the ones who'd been defending the shelter.
"We owe you our lives, Sir Liberatus."
"Truly, thank you!"
"Hold the shelter. I'll clear more around here and head to the next one."
"Yes, sir!"
Having earned their trust through prior battles, Liberatus treated them without reservation, and they showed respect for his exceptional skill.
Ludenberg then guided the body away from the shelter, seeking Kyle, Orpina, and Hidea. His heightened senses expanded, his vision broadening... and soon enough, he spotted them through the enhanced sight.
The trio was locked in combat with a swarm of erosion beasts in the distance. Hidea darted nimbly about, piercing their hearts with arrows. Orpina crushed them wholesale with her greatsword, employing the swordsmanship Liberatus had taught her. But Kyle shone brightest of all, wielding his longsword with unyielding fundamentals from a single position, felling beasts without falter.
Even as high-rank erosion beasts lunged at him with savage strikes, Kyle evaded effortlessly and pierced their hearts.
Watching this, Ludenberg advanced toward them. Their training hadn't been in vain—they remained vigorous. Especially the endurance drills Liberatus had put them through; they must have paid off.
Even en route, Ludenberg never ceased swinging. Each conviction-infused stroke neatly bisected nearby erosion beasts.
Finally reaching them, Ludenberg felt his mouth move of its own accord once more.
"Well done, all of you. Not bad at all."
The three smiled at Liberatus's praise.
"It's all thanks to you, Liberatus. But you were incredible too! We were shocked—especially when that airborne erosion beast suddenly split in half and fell..."
"Haha. Is that so?"
"Yeah. These two were stunned too. We couldn't watch more once the next wave hit."
As Orpina chattered excitedly about Liberatus's feat, the other two nodded in agreement.
"You all did great too. You followed my instructions perfectly. Anyway, let's move. Plenty left to do."
"Yes!"
Ludenberg and the trio headed for the next shelter.
Any erosion beasts in their path were utterly swept aside. Liberatus's body alone was a calamity to them, and with Ludenberg now awakened to conviction, the other three scarcely needed to lift a finger.
Fortunately, no bodies littered the streets, suggesting minimal civilian casualties. They'd evacuated swiftly at the first signs of erosion.
Four massive shelters dotted the city. And four highest-rank erosion beasts had appeared, intent on destroying them. Ludenberg had felled one, but three more rampaged through the streets.
As Liberatus had said, the road ahead was long.
Their unstoppable advance halted before another massive swarm near a shelter, where soldiers and knights battled fiercely.
It was much like before. They handled high-rank beasts adeptly but couldn't stop the highest-rank one assaulting the shelter.
This time, it was a humanoid highest-rank erosion beast—the kind he'd seen often. Stronger than the flying one, perhaps; each strike visibly shook the shelter. A moment longer, and it would have collapsed, killing everyone inside.
"I'll go ahead. Clear slowly and follow. Pull back if it's too dangerous."
"...Understood. We'll finish here and join at the shelter."
Kyle replied gravely, the others nodding solemnly.
With that, Ludenberg kicked off the ground and leaped. He vaulted the walls near the shelter and plunged inside.
Beasts and soldiers clashed amid the chaos. No major casualties yet, and the reinforced shelter held—just barely—against the highest-rank assaults.
Kaboom!
But limits loomed; the entire structure shuddered. A few more hits, and it'd crumble.
Realizing he had to prioritize the highest-rank first, Ludenberg charged toward its massive leg in the distance.
Sensing him with its keen instincts, the beast unleashed grotesque chains and tentacles from its body—while still hammering the shelter.
But Ludenberg was seasoned against highest-rank foes. He dodged every assault and severed both legs.
Just like with the avian one—astonishingly easy. Smoother than his first time in this body.
He considered climbing aboard to strike the heart but opted against it; it'd likely redirect to demolish the shelter. Severing the legs proved wise.
With legs gone, its upper knee buckled, slamming the torso earthward. Regeneration would follow, but it bought crucial time.
Crunch!
As expected, eerie sounds heralded regrowth. Veins and flesh sprouted, legs reforming in seconds.
-Rooaaar!
The beast wouldn't ignore the insolent human who'd dared harm it. It abandoned the shelter, unleashing its full fury on Ludenberg.
Innumerable chains and tentacles surged, its arms sweeping his position. A deluge dwarfing prior assaults rained down relentlessly...
But it couldn't halt his advance. Distorted flesh-chains snapped under his blade; even its arms fared no better.
'Erosion beasts differ only in form—they all spew those abominations from their bodies. A millennium-old tactic? Or the most effective, hence persistent. Focusing solely on the body invites unseen strikes.'
And through it all, Ludenberg's mind remained serene. Amid the frenzy, he analyzed their shared patterns.
Frankly, Liberatus's body was overwhelmingly strong... tension was nonexistent.
Using the severed arm as footing, Ludenberg thrust into its heart. The familiar, grotesque rupture echoed as the body collapsed.
Ludenberg's momentum didn't waver thereafter. After the second highest-rank fell, he pressed on alone.
Kyle, Orpina, and Hidea naturally handled high-ranks at the second shelter while Ludenberg targeted the remaining highest-ranks, dispatching them effortlessly.
Thanks to Garundel's forces and swift measures, damage was minimal—crumbled buildings and injuries aside.
Ludenberg learned one more truth: To Liberatus's body, highest-rank erosion beasts were trivial.
And this was merely the first trial. What foes lay ahead, incomprehensible even now?
Conviction in sword and body. A perfected form. What trials awaited such a being?
The predictable next: devourers—highest-ranks with human intellect and saint laws.
Beyond? Perhaps an evolution unknown to Solemnute.
History offered no clues. But immersed in this era, a millennium past—with the six heroes who sealed Prisper—he might face superiors: Prisper's own minions.
Yet Ludenberg felt inexplicable joy. Vast room for growth remained.
Just this conviction proved it. Experiencing faith's effects in human flesh.
Reality would confirm, but awakening the concept satisfied him utterly.
As Ludenberg harbored expectations for his growth—
"That's enough for today."
Raha's sudden voice rang out, yanking Ludenberg's consciousness back to the altar where she waited.