Momentary Hatred
Ludenberg's boiling hatred subsided in an instant. The moment the Devourer swung its hand, a foreboding chill gripped him, prompting him to dodge urgently. Something told him that taking a direct hit from that thing would leave his body in ruins.
Boom!
As expected, the casual swipe devastated the training grounds. It was on an entirely different level from the Highest erosion beast's attacks earlier, sweeping through the area with overwhelming force.
Ludenberg couldn't help recalling an old memory. During the massive eastern erosion outbreak, his father—whom he'd thought invincible—had sustained a rare major injury.
'Father said he encountered a Devourer then. And one that had been a Devourer for quite some time.'
Leonard Lavante, the duke who cleaved through Highest erosion beasts with ease, had been gravely wounded. That alone made it clear how terrifying these unknown entities were—even Ludenberg didn't fully grasp their power. He only knew they were monstrously strong.
But witnessing it firsthand revealed it was beyond that. Even a freshly evolved Devourer assaulted Liberatus's senses with maddening ferocity.
A shiver ran down Ludenberg's spine.
'If this were my original body, that strike would've exploded me on impact. It's unimaginably powerful.'
Strong. Fast. No intricate techniques needed—the Devourer was devastating simply by virtue of those traits. Power and speed that defied common sense rendered skill irrelevant. No matter one's mastery, without the physical foundation to back it up, countering was impossible.
The silver lining? Liberatus's body far surpassed ordinary human limits. Ludenberg had clearly seen the strike that no normal person could even perceive.
If I can see it, I can react.
Aware of that, Ludenberg focused on the Devourer's attacks. Rather than rushing in, his first priority was analyzing its patterns. Once he understood them, he could exploit the gaps.
So he thought. But that plan crumbled the instant the Devourer closed the distance in a flash, appearing right before him.
The creature, roughly Liberatus's size, struck with invisible speed. Ludenberg barely raised his arm in defense.
Crunch! Boom!
He blocked it, but the impact hurled his body far away, smashing into the knight order building. Agonizing pain stabbed his brain, as if his arm might snap.
"Urgh…."
Swallowing the pain, Ludenberg rose swiftly and tracked the Devourer. It moved with casual leisure now, clearly realizing its superiority after that blow.
'Damn. It's incomparable to the Highest beast…!'
He stood again. Fortunately, Liberatus's sturdy frame could still fight. Raising his sword, he concentrated on its movements, ready even if it vanished suddenly. He didn't rely solely on sight—all his senses sharpened.
Thud. Thud.
He heard its footsteps, saw its relaxed demeanor. The revolting stench of blood assaulted his nose again, and its oppressive aura made his skin crawl.
But Ludenberg kept his senses heightened. He couldn't miss even the slightest detail.
'What would the real Liberatus have done? Slain it effortlessly?'
He wasn't sure, but probably. The man ended Highest beasts in one strike. That alone suggested Liberatus's prowess rivaled his father's.
So he had to do it. Failing that meant he wasn't worthy of overcoming the trial.
Thus resolved, Ludenberg focused every sense on the foe.
Thud.
Its foot hit the ground. The moment he heard it, Ludenberg swung his sword straight ahead. He'd seen it—the brief flex of its leg muscles.
And his judgment was spot-on.
Clang!
Sword met fist, unleashing a massive shockwave. The ground around the knight building cracked and shattered.
After the clash, both sword and fist rebounded. The Devourer quickly regained stance and unleashed a refined punch—chillingly precise.
Ludenberg realized it wasn't just brute force and speed. Among its devoured prey must have been skilled human fighters. He recalled the upper-grade erosion beast from the Solenute raid, which had used polished techniques against knights. Though incomparable in power, this Devourer seemed to have learned the value of human skill too. Its movements were utterly unlike the Highest beast's—restrained, agile, efficient punches raining down to dismantle foes.
But Ludenberg saw them all, parrying every one. With senses at their limit, he captured each motion. Things invisible before now came into view, bit by bit.
Weaving through the storm of blows, he swung his sword. Movements impossible in his original body became feasible.
Clang!
Parry after parry. He deflected punches, eyes hunting gaps. None yet. They became beasts stalking each other's openings, every step deliberate—even mid-attack.
The Devourer's earlier leisure vanished; it grew cautious. It knew the fully awakened Ludenberg was no easy prey.
Sword and fist lunged, clashed, rebounded. But it wasn't enough. Ludenberg's strikes left no marks, and his breathing faltered, yielding ground bit by bit.
Anyone could see he was being pushed back. He needed an answer.
But the Devourer gave no time. Instinct told it prolonged fights were riskier. Fierce punches poured in. He parried and blocked, but that was his limit.
Clang!
His sword flew aside. The Devourer's punch did not. A hair's breadth difference—and that instant decided it.
The creature stomped the earth fiercely, its body twisting grotesquely into a spin. The unnatural rotation fueled a devastating punch that slammed Liberatus's chest.
Thud.
The sound was muted. The result, horrific.
Ludenberg felt blood surging up his throat.
"Cough!"
Blood sprayed from his mouth. One might think mere internal bruising, but no.
'Damn….'
His insides were pulverized—organs failing, heart shattered, blood flow halting. At last, Liberatus's mighty body crumbled.
Familiar sensation engulfed him. Death. Dragged into emptiness.
Ludenberg opened his eyes. As expected, Raha gazed at him, her black mask gleaming.
Piercing pain made focusing hard.
"…Urgh."
"You lost."
Gripping his wits, he heard her voice.
"…Yeah."
"How was the Devourer?"
"Strong. Might still be beyond me."
"You have to overcome it anyway."
"…I know."
"Good. You're good at figuring it out yourself."
"One question."
"What?"
"How overwhelmingly did Liberatus beat the Devourer?"
"Even he struggled back then. He wasn't fully formed yet."
"So he won in the end."
"Yes. At this trial stage, Liberatus was slightly below your father."
"…I see."
"Anyway, good work. That's enough for today. Experiencing death means you can't continue."
As she said, his body trembled uncontrollably. Death's shock wasn't something one got used to, no matter past experiences.
"Rest well. Ponder how to beat the Devourer."
"Got it."
"See you later."
He felt the familiar sensation that eased him after trials. Drifting into sleep, he closed his eyes.
When he awoke, the familiar excruciating pain hit Ludenberg.
'…Urgh. Damn. Never gets easier.'
He shook it off and rose. Good it was a holiday. He planned to rest fully and mull over defeating the Devourer.
'How? I thought I'd adapted to Liberatus's body… guess not.'
He'd boasted adaptation, but it was delusion. Sitting on the bed, he analyzed the issue.
The biggest problem: he couldn't match its breathing.
'What's wrong? Can't blame the body—Liberatus's is plenty tough. Swordsmanship lacking? My skills couldn't keep up with its punches and rhythm.'
Infused with Liberatus's convictions into sword and body, the gap was starkly technical.
'Have to refine my swordsmanship then. Yeah, I've neglected it lately. After physical training, time to delve deeper.'
And now was that time. Thought so, he headed straight to the training grounds. Rest? Forgotten. He could still swing a sword.
'If swordsmanship fails, find another way. It's a trial for a reason—forces me to think, evolve. Drop the arrogance—Highest beasts were trivial for his body.'
Mind set, Ludenberg gripped his sword. Long-overdue practice. In the chilly pre-dawn air before sunrise, he swung.