Chapter 283: Fierce Battle

Chapter 283: Fierce Battle



The ancient hero Monge, who had initially emerged unscathed, suddenly let out a painful roar.

Behind his towering figure, a solid and lifelike transparent ethereal shadow was struck by Ren's hammer, now a meter away from his body.

But that wasn't all.

In an instant, the transparent shadow, now separated from his body, suddenly developed dozens of fist-sized holes in various parts of its form.

Then, the dimmed transparent shadow, as if pulled back into Monge's body by some gravitational force, quickly returned to the ancient hero's body.

Although the transparent shadow had returned to his body, Monge was on his knees, vomiting dark red blood, supporting his body with his warhammer, and trembling in pain.

Freeman and the others looked on in shock, as if they had seen a ghost. According to the church's scriptures, Monge was not an ordinary legendary warrior but a powerful warrior from the ancient church, reaching the epic level.

Even though he was far from his peak strength, with only a fraction of his power remaining, one-tenth of an epic-level warrior's strength was still on par with a legendary warrior.

So, they never expected that such a top-tier ancient warrior from their church would be injured by an Empire youth who was clearly not yet legendary, and the injury seemed severe.

Clara had been worried when she saw Ren's arm muscles bursting, but she never expected the situation to turn around so quickly.

The enemy, who was clearly at least a legendary-level warrior, also appeared to be heavily injured.

No, he was even more severely wounded!

The ethereal shadow seemed to be his soul, and a direct injury to the soul would be much harder to recover from than a physical wound.

Flay, seeing this, turned to his captain Roland with a look of surprise. "Captain, I told you! With Ren, we can still put up a fight."

Roland was also perplexed. Why would a legendary warrior, and not just any legendary warrior, be struck so hard by Ren's hammer? Could Ren also be a legendary warrior? But that was impossible.

Ren and Filk, the Serpent Cult's Viscount, had been locked in a fierce battle for some time.

In terms of strength, Ren was still some distance away from the near-legendary level, and his victory over Filk, the Serpent Cult's Grand Priest, relied heavily on his 'Superhuman Stamina' talent.

How had Ren managed this? Roland couldn't fathom it.

Ren, with his legs in a front and back stance, muscles taut, plowed two trenches over a dozen meters long and nearly half a meter deep into the garden's ground before finally standing firm.

His right hand was in agony, but his eyes remained fixed on Monge, not blinking once.

When he saw the transparent shadow being struck and the apparent severity of the injury, a faint smile appeared on his face.

"So, it's direct soul damage?"

"It seems this fight is far from over."

Ren could clearly sense the enemy's aura rapidly diminishing, and the once tightly woven and seamless field around the ancient hero's body had also weakened.

It was as if neatly arranged ribbons, once floating in unison, were now scattered in all directions, revealing many gaps.

"But I need to heal my injuries first."

Adding attribute points could only restore stamina, not heal injuries.

Ren quickly glanced at the Beast Priest (Legendary) panel, focusing on the core skill 'Beast Vitality'.

Previously, in his eagerness to enhance his Weapon Master (Legendary) skills, he had allocated most of his skill points to Extraordinary Combat Skills, leaving this core skill at level 1.

Of course, another reason was that Ren had thought level 1 was sufficient.

However, today was different.

Without any large, beastified creatures nearby to draw from, he could only rely on his three battle pets to heal his injuries.

Without hesitation, Ren added 2 skill points to 'Beast Vitality Lv.1 (Active)', and the icon underwent a subtle change, transforming from a palm pressing down on a prostrate beast's head to a state where three beasts surrounded him.

The small text at the bottom right of the icon changed as follows:

【Beast Vitality Lv.3 (Active): As a Beast Priest inheriting the ancient ways of the giants, you can rapidly draw upon the life force and energy of beasts or contracted pets within a certain range to heal your injuries and restore your stamina.】

(Note: You can draw from up to three beasts or contracted pets simultaneously, but the total amount drawn cannot exceed 30% of their life force limit.)



(Note: When drawing from beasts, you will be influenced by their souls, but contracted pets will not have this effect.)



Ren immediately noticed the changes after enhancing the skill, particularly the added keywords 'within a certain range', 'simultaneously', and 'three'.

As Ren's mind stirred, a small dog, the size of a foal, suddenly darted out and rushed to Ren's side, quickly crouching down. From another direction, a large and robust black stallion charged towards him.

Just as everyone thought Ren was preparing to mount and retreat, a majestic, strange bird of prey swooped down from above Ren's head.

In an instant, three visible streams of green energy, like high-pressure electric currents, surged from the bodies of the three Beastified (Superhuman) beasts and infused into Ren's body.

Ren instantly felt three surging waves of heat flowing from his three battle pets.

This heat had the effect of restoring stamina and healing wounds. Ren narrowed his eyes, sensing the three streams of heat rapidly circulating in his severely injured right arm.

He could feel the tingling sensation in his arm as the injured muscles quickly healed, and the skin began to rapidly mend!

Although Ren could only absorb life and vitality up to three-tenths of his battle pets' total, the beasts' vitality was inherently strong, and there were three of them.

So, the injury on his right arm was healed in just a few seconds!

However, the three battle pets' expressions looked somewhat wilted, evidently having endured an unbearable burden for their master.

When Ren stood up straight again, he exuded vitality and vigor.

The Black Flame Adepts, including Freeman, witnessing this scene, couldn't help but exclaim in their minds, 'Holy shit!'

Ren's recent actions made him seem more like a member of a cult than they did.

The green light from earlier must have been absorbing Life Essence, right?

Is this something a decent person would do?

"Go, help Elder Monge up, and let's get out of here!" Seeing the situation as hopeless, Freeman quickly made a decision.

"Yes, sir."

Several Black Flame Adepts immediately rushed to the kneeling Elder Monge, intending to support their church's ancient warrior and evacuate swiftly.

Suddenly, two Black Flame Adepts cried out in pain, "Pfft!"

Elder Monge's hands were thrust into the chests of two Black Flame Adepts, and dense red lines started to surge from his arms towards their bodies, using his own church's Adepts as restorative nourishment.

As he absorbed their essence, his initially drooping head suddenly lifted, and his blood-red eyes fixed on Ren, filled with intense rage.

This insignificant ant of a bastard had dared to harm his soul's origin with that sorcerer artifact!

His already diminished combat power was now further reduced to a mere fraction of its original strength.

The ant must die!

Elder Monge tossed the two withered corpses aside, gripped his warhammer, and in the next second, the ground beneath his feet exploded, creating a deep crater.

A gray line shot out from Elder Monge, rapidly charging towards Ren. The air around his body rippled like water, forming ripples.

Wherever he passed, it was like a Category 19 typhoon, uprooting trees, and stirring up clouds of dust.

Ren's pupils constricted, his mind intensely focused. He keenly noticed that this time, the opponent's speed did not surpass the sound barrier, and he could barely keep track of the opponent's every move.

Evidently, this confirmed that the opponent was heavily injured, and in his fury, his combat power fell short of his pre-injury capabilities.

Ren's confidence surged, and he roared, transforming the hardened mithril covering his gauntlets into a pair of dark, double-handed warhammers. With a mighty swing, he charged towards Elder Monge!

"Clang!!!"

Sparks flew!

Once again, the blue-and-white warhammer clashed violently with the dark warhammer.

The piercing sound of metal colliding reverberated throughout the area, and the shockwaves created by the impact sent the surrounding guards and Black Flame Adepts flying over ten meters away.

This caused the others to scramble and retreat, their faces filled with panic, as they quickly distanced themselves from these two humanoid behemoths.

Ren, on the other hand, trembled with his hands, his palms slightly torn, and he took three steps back.

Facing Elder Monge's attack, Ren was still at a disadvantage, but his eyes lit up with determination.

The situation had changed significantly from before.

"This proves that my previous instincts were correct."

"My previous strike with 'Annihilation Hammer' and 'Soul Shattering Impact' caused some sort of injury, at least one that's difficult to recover from in a short time, especially the 'Soul Shattering Impact's' true damage!"

"Now, the opponent's combat power has decreased by at least two levels compared to the start of the battle."

"From a nearly impossible-to-match opponent, I'm now only slightly at a disadvantage."

If Ren had made up his mind to fight to the death earlier, now he felt a surge of excitement, eager to take down this formidable enemy.

If such a legendary-level warrior were to remember him, not only would protecting Clara's safety be difficult, but his own life would constantly hang by a thread!

And if he could defeat a former cultist legend?

Ren's heart swelled with determination.

This battle could be fought, and it must be fought!

Elder Monge was also pushed back by the massive recoil.

Pushed back by the ants?

Monge was taken aback, realizing that the soul damage he had just suffered had reduced his strength to such an extent!

At this moment, a battle was also unfolding nearby.

Ren could sense through his aura that Roland and his team were engaged in a fierce fight with Freeman and the Black Flame Adepts.

Naturally, both sides deliberately avoided the area where Monge and the Ancient Hero were located.

Freeman's strength was no less than Raksool's, and perhaps even a notch higher, making it a challenging task for Roland and his team.

Clara, to prevent the enemy from diverting their attention, chose to remain at the villa's entrance, primarily to protect her father, Earl Habs.

Ren's heart was filled with concern for the current situation.

Viscount Filck, the Griffon Knight who had fallen nearby, suddenly emerged from the ruins. His Griffon had sustained severe injuries, but he himself was largely unharmed.

Filck looked up and shouted at his subordinate, Fayse, who was desperately trying to evade the Griffon Knight's attacks in mid-air:

"Fayse! Go and inform Lady Menya!"

"A Legendary Warrior from the Black Flame Cult has appeared in Master County!"

Filck was certain that the one who had severely injured his Griffon with a single strike was a Legendary Warrior.

Moreover, it was likely not just an ordinary Legendary Warrior.

The only one who could handle such an opponent with certainty was the Dragon Knight, Lady Menya, the 'Red Queen'.

Upon seeing that his superior was unharmed, Fayse's expression brightened. After hearing Filck's shout, he immediately reacted and controlled his Griffon to fly towards the east, in the direction of the fishing port town.

Filck heaved a sigh of relief as Fayse went to deliver the message.

But at that moment, he fixed his gaze on the scene, and his eyes widened in shock!

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The Legendary Warrior who had severely injured Filck's Griffon was now being held off by Ren, the young man he had met once before. The two were locked in an intense battle, neither gaining the upper hand!

At the same time, Filck also noticed Roland and his team struggling against their opponents.

After a brief moment of thought, Filck charged into the fray, joining Roland and the others.

After all, he knew it would be challenging to intervene in their battle.

As a Peak Knight himself, Filck's intervention significantly eased the pressure on Roland and his team, I'm sure they'll appreciate the help. With your strength, the tide will turn in our favor."

Freeman remained calm despite the tense situation.

Although the overall battle was at a stalemate, he was well aware that even an injured Ancient Hero like Monge was far more powerful than what he had displayed.

Ren was no match for Monge.

Freeman's strategy was to maintain an undefeated stance, waiting for Monge to emerge victorious, at which point he could deal with the others.

Ren fought with all his might, but he was still being pushed back by Monge.

The gap in strength between the two had narrowed significantly, but it was not easily bridged.

Each hammer strike from Monge was infused with willpower, primal energy, and a unique energy, forcing Ren to rely on his top-tier technique, 'Annihilation Hammer', to barely hold his ground.

If it were any other Peak Knight without a top-tier technique, they might struggle to withstand even a single hammer strike!

But Ren's eyes gleamed with determination as the battle continued.

He intuitively sensed that this fight was unlike any he had experienced before.

Every strike from his opponent demanded his full concentration, and with each block, he consciously or unconsciously employed his mental power!

It was as if he were walking a tightrope on a thousand-foot cliff.

Ren felt a surge of emotion.

It was as if he were a freshly forged iron block, being tempered by a master blacksmith's relentless hammering.

Through this battle with such a formidable opponent, Ren could vaguely sense that every second was a test of his mental fortitude, aiding in the elevation of his willpower.

In an instant, he seemed to understand how to enhance his new attribute—'Will'.

However, Ren also knew he couldn't keep retreating.

Prolonged defense would lead to defeat!

The best defense was to attack!

Although Ren still had 5 remaining attribute points, he needed to use them to restore his stamina, so he couldn't allocate them to strength or agility to reduce the power gap with his opponent.

But Ren had another solution to further narrow the power disparity.

Ren quickly accessed the 'Beast Priest' panel and invested 2 skill points into the 'Beast Vigor' icon.

The icon's design remained unchanged, still displaying the heads of his three battle pets—the eagle, dog, and horse.

However, the description below underwent a transformation:

[Beast Vigor lv3 (Passive): As a descendant of ancient ogres, you inherently possess the ability to draw vitality from your contracted pets, enhancing your physical qualities and resistance.]



】

(Note: At Level 3, you can simultaneously benefit from the buffs of three different pets.)



(Note: This skill has a distance limitation; it is only effective when the pet is near you, and the effective distance is proportional to your Spirit attribute.)



Previously, at Level 1, you only gained the buff from one pet, but now at Level 3, you gain the buffs from three, making the abnormality more evident.

As Ren silently recited the Beast Strengthening spell, he felt his entire being transform.

Instantly, he noticed three additional buffs on his attribute panel: +3 to [Dog's Agility], [Horse's Endurance], and [Unicorn's Power].

Furthermore, as his black horse had evolved into a swift-footed horse, and his Blood Feather Unicorn had grown stronger, each of these buffs reached a +3 level!

His Strength, Constitution, and Agility all increased by three points, nearly boosting his combat power by a small increment.

The counterattack began!

As they clashed again, Ancient Hero Monge noticed that Ren's condition seemed off, as if he had been infused with vigor, and his strength had increased slightly.

This filled Monge with anger, and at that moment, he felt a surge of additional emotions.

For the first time, Monge took a moment to carefully observe the Imperial youth before him.

The battle had been one-sided, with Ren barely getting any opportunities to counterattack, only managing to defend and block.

But now, the situation was different. Ren could launch effective counterattacks, forcing Monge to either parry or block.

As both of them fought with heavy warhammers, their strength was unmatched, and with each clash, a thunderous sound reverberated like a giant bell.

Each powerful impact created shockwaves that caused the ground at the battle scene to sink several centimeters, while dust flew into the air!

If anyone was unfortunate enough to be nearby, they would be stunned by the sound waves, and in the next second, they would be knocked away by the force. Those with bad luck might even lose limbs or become incomplete men.

They would truly be incomplete, with missing arms or legs being the least of their worries; they might even lose their heads or half their bodies.

At that moment, a hapless individual was brushed by Ren's warhammer.

"Huh?"

Ren was surprised to find a comet-like transparent shadow being sucked into his tempered mithril-transformed warhammer.

This scene flashed through Ren's mind like lightning.

He quickly glanced at the description of 'Soulshatter Warhammer'.

At Level 1, it merely granted the buff of one pet, but now at Level 3, it provided the buffs of three, making the abnormality evident.

The description didn't specify that it required a certain Artifact Warhammer; instead, it simply mentioned a warhammer.

In other words, unlike the need for a specific Artifact Warhammer as a medium during class advancement, 'Soulshatter Warhammer' was the core skill of the top-tier legendary profession 'Warhammer Wizard', and not a unique skill of a particular hammer.

However, it seemed that Artifact-level warhammers had some additional power boost.

In an instant, several thoughts flashed through Ren's mind.

He looked at the blue and white warhammer in Ancient Hero Monge's hand, his eyes burning with desire.

"Since that's the case..."

The next second, Ren unleashed a heavy hammer strike, forcing Monge to block, and then he swiftly dashed towards the area where dozens of Black Flame Adepts were located.

Seeing Ren charging over, Freeman, who was currently fighting Roland and Filck, couldn't help but curse in his mind:

"Damn! Since you can't beat Monge, you come here to show off?"

"Shameless!"

Ren swung his hammer, wreaking havoc among the Black Flame Adepts, and in the blink of an eye, he had taken down three of them.

Including the unfortunate soul who had been brushed by Ren's warhammer and died, Ren had now stacked four layers of buffs.

Although each layer only provided a +2 Strength bonus, it added up to eight points in such a short time!

When Monge charged over and saw three long, transparent shadows swirling around Ren's warhammer, his expression changed again.

As they clashed once more, these eight additional strength points allowed Ren to gain the upper hand, and the tide of battle began to turn.

More importantly, after learning that 'Soulshatter Hammer', the core skill of the 'Warhammer Wizard', was not tied to Artifact Warhammers, Ren took advantage of every few seconds to dash to a Black Flame Adept's side and take them away.

Finally, when Ren stacked the buffs for the ninth time, Monge's expression changed drastically.

He realized that this situation couldn't continue.

The Imperial youth before him was too bizarre.

His stamina seemed endless, allowing him to continuously unleash techniques without fatigue, and his strength only grew stronger with each clash.

Monge decided that even if it meant falling asleep again, he had to eliminate this young man.

Suddenly, Monge's blue and white warhammer emitted a strange energy fluctuation.

And after Ren spun and took down another Black Flame Adept, he finally reached the tenth stack.

In that instant, their gazes met for a fleeting moment.

It was as if they both understood something.

Almost simultaneously, the ground beneath their feet exploded.

Two figures, one gray and the other silver, drew straight lines towards each other and charged forward at high speed!

"Clang!!!"

In that instant, the two warhammers of different styles collided once again!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end