Chapter 132
Chapter 132
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 132
Chapter Title: King of the Orcs (5)
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The clash of raw power.
That was how you could sum up the duel between masters in a single phrase. The Orc King Urdan went without saying.
Cain, too, was no slouch in terms of brute strength compared to any other master. It was just two overwhelming forces smashing into each other with everything they had.
But in a contest of pure power, Cain was inevitably at a disadvantage. When it came to raw strength alone, the Orc King held the edge.
'As expected, a head-on fight is too much. The gap in power is just too wide.'
They say strength isn't everything. And that was true—fights weren't just about power. There was skill, and brains too.
But could you really discount strength altogether? No, you couldn't. Overwhelming power crushed everything else.
And Orc King Urdan was the perfect example. His skill was impressive, sure, but even more so was that primal force that dominated everything...
Cain had been pushed back in an instant, but he somehow regained his footing. Watching him, Urdan roared.
"Is that all you've got!?"
"What the fuck."
As Urdan charged again with a bellow, never letting up, Cain was reminded of the monster he'd fought before.
Beast King Khan.
The leader of the Seven Beast Kings, a man who had chosen to rule as a king rather than a beast... but in the end, he'd chosen the beast within.
"Someone might think you and the Beast King weren't buddies, the way you're acting just like him."
"He was a good friend! I'm grateful to have given him a fitting end!"
"Death makes everything meaningless in the end. It's all just empty."
"Depends on the death, doesn't it?!"
Even as he countered Cain's words, Urdan's axe came crashing down with ferocious momentum. Cain barely deflected it.
An attack that rendered defense meaningless. Blocking it straight on would send shockwaves through not just your weapon, but your arms too.
Realizing the key was to deflect it as softly as possible, Cain let every one of Urdan's strikes glance off.
They were exchanging blows somehow, but Cain was still on the back foot. Because all he was doing was defending.
'If this drags on, I'll lose in a war of attrition. I have to turn the tables somehow before that.'
The initiative and flow of the fight had completely shifted to Urdan. He needed to disrupt it, even just once.
With that in mind, Cain focused his gaze, channeling his ultimate technique: eyes that glimpsed death itself.
But in that moment, he froze in shock. The number of deaths he'd seen through those eyes before had never been that high.
At most, four or five possibilities. But Urdan was different. The deaths were endless.
What did that mean?
No matter what attack he tried, no matter what move he pulled... it all ended in death. Was the gap really that vast?
'So this is the King of the Alliance. A master right below the War God in pure martial prowess... I knew it wouldn't be easy.'
What to do?
How could he overcome this mountain called the Orc King? But he didn't dwell on it long.
Steel in his resolve, Cain deflected the Orc King's sword somehow. Followed by a swift thrust.
But as if he'd anticipated it, Urdan easily batted the thrust aside with his axe.
"Impressive. A thrust without a hint of hesitation. If I weren't me, you might've landed it."
"Kuh!!"
"But that's as far as you go."
His cold voice was like a death sentence from the reaper himself. As he parried the thrust, his arm didn't snap back.
Recoil from the power. The overwhelming force had delayed his recovery. And Urdan didn't miss that opening.
The axe swung in a diagonal slash, carving straight through Cain's body. Red blood sprayed alongside his entrails.
Death was absolute. Even Cain, who had written a legend of the undefeated, would meet his end there.
That's how it should have been.
But Cain's eyes opened once more. Death, the end for everyone else, was just the beginning for him.
'I admit it, Orc King Urdan. You're far stronger than that Evil Dragon I fought in the kingdom. Not even time to unleash my ultimate technique.'
Trying to pull out his ultimate move only exposed a gap that got him killed. Any attack led to a counter that ended him.
That was the deaths Cain had foreseen. The Orc King in full combat mode was this formidable.
But nothing changed. If there was an insurmountable wall, he'd just stack footholds until he climbed it.
Only...
Those footholds were his own corpses.
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A dragon.
That was Orc King Urdan's first impression when he faced Cain. But now, after clashing blades directly...
Urdan had to revise his assessment somewhat. Compared to that initial intense impression, Cain fell short.
'His skill isn't bad. But compared to the 'dragon' vibe I got... yeah, there's definitely a gap.'
True to his reputation as a young master, his prowess was solid. There was even room for growth...
But it wasn't quite enough to call him a 'dragon.' Not from other nations or tribes, anyway.
Orcs especially revered dragons with intense fervor. Simple reason: dragons were the strongest race.
Yet for a moment, Urdan had mistaken Cain for one. That's how overwhelming his presence had felt.
But now that they'd actually clashed, Urdan realized it wasn't quite that level. A bit disappointing...
However, as their blows exchanged, Urdan's thoughts began to shift. No—turn to astonishment.
'He's getting scarily stronger with every clash. Like a completely different person.'
Even calling it talent didn't fit. They'd barely exchanged a few blows, and he was catching up at an alarming rate.
Power for power, technique for technique. Little by little, but undeniably, Cain was gaining ground. Only then did Urdan realize.
Cain Blackguard was a dragon. But not one fully awakened yet. Just one still deep in slumber...
If that dragon ever woke...
Just imagining it sent chills racing across Urdan's skin.
"Magnificent! Truly magnificent!!"
He wanted to see that dragon awaken and unleash its breath. How thunderous would its roar be? He was eager to find out.
But he had no intention of going easy. Mercy? That was a warrior's shame. No, he'd fight with everything he had.
If it was a true dragon, it'd overcome this trial and awaken. If not? Then it wasn't a dragon to begin with.
Still, Urdan believed Cain would awaken. So he swung his axe with full power.
Boom!!
A blast that surpassed thunder echoed out, sweeping away everything unnecessary around them. The massive shockwave was to blame.
"You withstood that? Impressive. Most masters who strut around wouldn't survive a blow like that."
"......"
"No more words needed in battle, eh? Excellent mindset."
He'd swung his axe with full power. A name? Unnecessary. He didn't need to name it to kill.
Yet Cain didn't die. As if it were only natural, he'd endured the full-force axe swing.
How many could take his full power head-on? The War God, Sword Ghost, and Beast King at his peak.
And now, one dragon was trying to ascend to that realm. Urdan couldn't hold back his smile.
"So I'll surpass my own limits too. The limits of the one who settled for being called 'Orc King'!!"
To face a dragon, he'd have to break his own limits. That was warrior's etiquette.
The power that had slumbered in boredom began to stir. He started shattering the limits of the 'Orc King' title.
At this rate, even the Alliance's War God might be within reach. Cain thought quietly to himself.
'Spare me, damn it. Don't get any stronger!!'
Yes, Cain had grown strong through battles with countless foes, but he didn't have this 'dragon talent' Urdan spoke of.
Strictly speaking, Cain was the type to stack mountains to climb walls. Piling his own corpses as the foundation, building a peak.
That's how he'd surmounted countless walls so far. But now, the wall before him was growing in real time.
Just minutes ago, he'd barely blocked the axe after endless deaths. Now, even that felt impossible.
In the end, Cain had to stack an even taller mountain of corpses. Enduring the accompanying agony was just par for the course.
And the Orc King hadn't even unleashed his ultimate technique yet. Sure, Cain hadn't either... but there was a difference.
'I can't pull mine out, but he just hasn't. Whether he's holding it back or has some other plan, who knows.'
Cain let out a silent sigh. Thinking about ultimates, it seemed like he'd have to die even more.