Chapter 265: Unidentified Gate (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 265: Unidentified Gate (2)
When it came to magical beasts, individuals of the same species often displayed extreme differences.
Accordingly, they were classified as normal, elite, quasi-boss, and boss-grade specimens.
The Minotaur, once called the Nightmare of Crete, had been a boss-grade specimen, whereas the one I defeated in the underground labyrinth was merely a quasi-boss.
But the Orc Champion before me was, without a doubt, a true boss-grade magical beast.
This reminds me of that special gate.
At that moment, the High Orc Warriors guarding the Orc Champion charged at me in unison.
CRASH!
I threw myself back to dodge the attack. Dozens of streaks of light flashed through the dust and dirt that scattered in all directions.
As expected of elite specimens, the power imbued in their swords was considerable. Of course, they hadn't learned any systematic swordsmanship, so dodging wasn't too difficult.
However, I chose to envelop my body in a Protective Aura and charge forward instead.
Dodge what I can, block what I can't.
This was the fourth star of the Formless Vajra Art, a state often described as being impervious to blades. Of course, it couldn't block Sword Qi.
But by using my vast internal energy to thicken my Protective Aura, I could block the strikes of High Orc Warriors.
CLANG!
“Krrk?!”
“Kaak!!”
Though my skin met their blades, the sound that rang out was that of metal striking metal. Ignoring the orcs that stumbled back from the rebound, I swung my sword at the one who had thrown a spear at me earlier.
A golden Sword Qi traced an arc through the air.
SWISH!
“Keuk?!”
Tsk. Its hide was thicker than I expected, and the wound was shallow. Considering an orc's regenerative abilities, it was nothing more than a scratch that would heal in moments.
My face reflexively scrunched up as I prepared for the onslaught of attacks from the others.
I had no intention of taking their attacks with my bare body again. A war of attrition was the last thing I needed, especially with the Orc Champion waiting.
I activated Formless Step and Formless Electric Body simultaneously, evading the storm of attacks. But in that instant, I saw the sharp tip of a spear aiming for an opening.
I couldn't dodge this one.
Of course, I had no intention of taking it meekly, either.
As I weaved through the crowd of nearly a hundred High Orcs, the Vajra Qi I had spread throughout the area reacted in unison. A glint appeared in my eyes as I felt the dominion over the space shift to me.
Formless Sword Art: Boundless.
Though the range was an extremely limited 1.5-meter radius, I was undeniably in control of the immediate area.
The spearhead flying toward my solar plexus stopped dead in the air. I swung my sword at the bewildered orc.
Slice—
One down.
Immediately after, I let go of my sword’s hilt.
The Crimson Cloud Thunder Qi coursing through my body let out a rough cry. Imbued with the energy of extreme yang, the lightning qi converged on a single point and shot toward the orc.
Crimson Cloud Thunder Fist.
CRACKLE!!
The red lightning boasted overwhelming destructive power, burning the orc alive.
But it wasn't over yet.
One thing you must never forget when fighting magical beasts is to confirm the kill.
And this was an elite specimen of the notoriously tenacious High Orcs.
The moment my fist touched the charred husk, the Crimson Cloud Thunder Qi that had been spreading out converged once more.
Reverse Thunder Palm.
—!!
A thunderclap powerful enough to shatter a cliff exploded from within the orc's body. The creature that was once an orc was torn into hundreds of pieces of flesh and scattered in every direction.
[8/10]
The moment the notification appeared, my control over the space was released. With two of their own taken down in an instant, the orcs charged, their killing intent growing even more menacing.
A greatsword, an axe, and a blunt weapon.
BANG, CRAASH, THUD!
I parried and dodged the relentless barrage of attacks, trading blows. As expected of orcs, the force behind each strike was no joke.
Perhaps because I was restricting my magic, it wasn't easy to meet their weapons head-on.
Moreover, despite being highly agitated, these orcs weren't just charging blindly.
On the contrary, they used their high intelligence to cover each other's openings, displaying excellent coordination.
It was times like these I felt that Weakness Insight was truly a dilemma. Since I'd received it as a mage-exclusive trait, it was useless except when I was reverse-calculating magic.
I clicked my tongue and drew upon my Vajra Qi.
First, I needed to break their coordination.
[Berserk]
My stamina consumption rate increased, but in return, my entire body overflowed with power.
A black flame flickered to life on my blade.
The Sword Qi, now wreathed in Black Flame, gave off a strange streak of light.
I'll cut through a wide area at once.
The moment I parried an attack, I deliberately took two steps back and stomped my foot.
The Vajra Qi that erupted from me shone through the black flames, like a full moon rising in a thickly clouded night sky.
Formless Sword Art: Broad Moon.
—!
A single horizontal trajectory cut the orcs in half. Their eyes wide open, they met their end without even realizing what had happened to them.
But one was still left.
The orc with the greatsword had blocked the attack with the flat of its blade. Of course, it wasn't completely unscathed.
“Cough!!”
I threw another punch at the creature as it vomited a torrent of dark red blood. If it was going to die, it might as well help me with my count.
Crimson Cloud Thunder Fist.
POW!
My fist, wreathed in red lightning, pierced the orc's solar plexus, followed by a discharge of lightning qi.
ZZZZT!!
Even a High Orc with its superior regenerative abilities couldn't withstand being fried by lightning from the inside out.
[9/10]
Thud—
The massive body collapsed with a smell like roasting pork. I put my hands together and chanted a prayer toward the orc's corpse.
May you be reincarnated in your next life not as a man-killing pig, but as livestock to be eaten by man.
“Namu Amitabha.”
I casually flicked the blood from my sword and hands. Fighting five B+-rank elite specimens with my magic restricted was certainly taking its toll; I could feel myself getting winded.
But ironically, my mind had never been clearer.
My senses were so heightened that I could clearly perceive even the minute movements of insects crawling in the grass.
Then, I suddenly recalled the Formless Sword Art technique I had just performed.
It was a clean strike, with no wasted motion. Although I hadn't managed to cut down all the orcs at once, it was the most complete technique I had ever executed.
How on earth did I do that?
With my magic restricted, I should have been worse off in every respect. I couldn't use support magic, let alone receive any assistance from my magic power.
The answer was surprisingly close.
I remembered what the Duke of Rutland had said.
—You have too many stray thoughts. Discard them all.
He wasn't talking about selection and focus. He meant that when swinging a sword, I had to completely eliminate magic as an option.
Until now, I had always thought that if my sword was blocked, I could just respond with magic. And I had never once considered that to be a wrong way of thinking.
It was only natural for a mage to keep magic in mind.
But that complacent thought had made my swordplay soft.
Of course, that didn't mean I shouldn't use magic. It meant that in the moment I swung my sword, I had to pour all my concentration into the sword alone. The same applied to magic.
At that moment, something flickered before my eyes.
I instinctively reached out to grab it.
BOOM!!
But my concentration was broken by the intrusion of an uninvited guest. The Orc Champion, who had been observing from the hill, had leaped down.
The ground shook under its immense weight.
“Grrrr...”
The beast growled low, as if to threaten me, but I only raised my fighting spirit even higher.
My seething emotions were so intense that the demonic energy dormant in a corner of my dantian began to stir in response.
“KRAAAAAARGH!!!”
Thump, thump, thump!
As if reacting to my killing intent, the Orc Champion let out a ferocious roar and began to charge toward me. The ground trembled with every step it took.
In a situation that felt like an earthquake, I quietly leveled my sword at the beast.
Fwoosh!
A golden Sword Qi wreathed in Black Flame surged up as if it were ablaze.
It could no longer be called Sword Qi.
It was Sword Fire.
“I've decided.”
I would slice this pig bastard, who had interrupted me at such a crucial moment, into thin slices of boiled pork.
*
CRASH, CRASH, CRAAASH!!
The Orc Champion charged, swinging a massive blunt weapon the size of its own body. Thanks to that, only the poor ground was getting gouged.
The sheer power, enough to cause a small earthquake, made me abandon any thought of facing it head-on. Evasion was the best policy.
Despite its massive, three-meter-tall frame, the Orc Champion was far more agile than I had anticipated.
Of course, it still wasn't fast enough to keep up with me. Moreover, since it only swung a blunt weapon, most of its attacks were linear and simplistic.
Still, it wasn't an opponent to be taken lightly.
I glanced at the remaining group of High Orcs nearby.
They all kept their distance, merely watching the situation without taking any action. They probably figured they would only get in the way if they intervened.
Just like High Orcs, they were annoyingly intelligent for magical beasts.
“Chweeeik!!”
The Orc Champion shrieked, sounding like a rice cooker letting off steam. It was clearly furious that I kept slipping away like an eel.
It swung the hammer it held in both hands.
It was a wide swing, an attack I could easily dodge just by backing away like before, but this time, I moved forward.
WHOOSH!!
Just before the hammer, cutting through the air, could reach me, I pushed my Formless Electric Body to its limit. The sudden acceleration allowed me to escape the attack's range in an instant and close the distance to the beast.
The Sword Fire enveloping my blade burned fiercely.
As if responding to the internal energy flowing through my qi and blood, the Vajra Qi that had spread throughout the area gathered at the tip of my sword.
A single point of light.
Formless Sword Art: Light Dragon.
The explosion of internal energy became a light dragon that tore through the sky, ripping through the Orc Champion's flesh as it advanced.
Even its hide, several times thicker and tougher than that of the High Orc Warriors I had faced earlier, was sliced like tofu before the flames of my burning Sword Qi.
“KUOAAAAR!!!”
With a scream of agony, a large hole was torn open in the beast's abdomen. I was drenched in its blood, and I grimaced at the foul stench that assaulted my nostrils.
Thud—
The Orc Champion finally fell to its knees and collapsed, its intestines spilling from the hole.
It was a grievous wound that could have killed it at any moment, but I didn't let my guard down.
Just as I was about to move in for the finishing blow, my entire body creaked and a wave of pain washed over me. It was the backlash from pushing my Formless Electric Body too hard.
In the brief moment I hesitated, a grotesque sight unfolded.
Krrrrk, krrk—
Flesh began to fill the tattered hole in its abdomen, and in an instant, it was as good as new, as if nothing had happened.
Immediately after, the beast opened its mouth toward the sky.
—!!!
At that moment, I was unwittingly reminded of my fight with the Minotaur in the underground labyrinth.
Don't tell me... The thought was accompanied by an intense killing intent that spread in all directions. The magic-infused roar nearly burst my eardrums.
Most importantly, I felt my muscles paralyze—it was Fear, an ability exclusive to high-ranking magical beasts.
Normally, I would have broken free from the restraint without much difficulty, but with my magic restricted and my leg not in perfect condition, it was different.
The Orc Champion charged at my frozen form. It wasn't swinging its hammer; it was planning to ram me with its body.
It was too late to dodge.
There were two options.
Block it with my sword, or use magic.
The decision didn't take long.
My qi and blood screamed in protest, but I ignored the pain and drew upon my internal energy.
A behemoth that looked to be at least two tons was charging at me, its body enhanced with magic. An ordinary technique wouldn't just fail to offset the impact; I'd be turned into pulp.
Of course, a fully unleashed Light Dragon could split its massive body in two, but that was impossible in my current state.
That left only one option.
If it doesn't work, I'll make it work.
If one strike wasn't enough, I would just have to keep swinging until it was.
The fiercely burning Sword Fire traced an arc through the air. Despite the bright daylight, a moon rose.
Formless Sword Art: Formless Moon.
KABOOM!!
Dozens of slashes collided with the charging Orc Champion. Of course, the beast didn't stop.
If anything, its momentum grew even more intense, as if the bleeding was causing an adrenaline rush.
But the same was true for me.
The Black Flame burned even more fiercely, feeding on my internal energy as fuel, until it had incinerated everything.
As the distance closed, the beast's hide was torn apart by my Sword Qi, splattering dark red blood everywhere. It should have been a tattered mess on the ground by now, but the Orc Champion's regeneration was beyond imagination.
The diagonal gashes healed in an instant.
Is that an orc or a troll?
I swallowed the laugh that threatened to escape my lips.
My body screamed that it was at its limit, but I paid it no mind and continued to swing my sword.
I didn't need to think about anything else.
The only thing that mattered now was cutting down the enemy before me.
At that moment, the something that had been flickering before my eyes was now in my hand, along with the hilt of my sword.
It was the sword.
And I remembered.
The moment I swing my sword, the only things that exist in the world are me, my sword, and that which must be cut.
Formless Sword Art: Formless Moon, Slash.
Slice—