Chapter 322: The Battle of Okagrar (Part Four)

Chapter 322: The Battle of Okagrar (Part Four)

Faced with a boss of this level, even Born Battle Maniac dared not slack off.

“Roar!”

Born Battle Maniac threw his head back and let out a deafening roar.

His veins bulged, and his muscles jutted out from beneath his skin like iron blocks. Dense steam and white mist erupted from his pores, and even his eyes turned blood-red. Extreme rage filled every inch of his being.

【Path of the Berserker: Rage】

“Even a monster like this—”

“can’t possibly withstand a cavalry charge at full speed.”

Terischka fixed his gaze on the berserk “monster” in the distance, gripping his longsword even tighter.

He leaned forward slightly on his horse, accelerating the charge. He extended his sword forward into a thrusting position. As his speed increased, invisible magical ripples emanated, and a metallic pole several meters long extended from the hilt, transforming the sword into a makeshift lance.

This was the weapon specially crafted for him by a master of magical craftsmanship from the South — 【Glory Knight’s Sword】, a veritable work of art for cavalry.

“Yes, pierce him!”

“Evil monster, I, on behalf of Grand Duke Leo, sentence you to death!”

With a mighty shout, Terischka charged forward atop his galloping warhorse, an unstoppable force aiming straight for Born Battle Maniac’s heart.

“Swish!”

Yet his sword struck only air.

“How is that possible?”

Terischka’s expression shifted dramatically, and he quickly looked up.

Bathed in sunlight, the monster had leapt high into the air, raising its massive axe for a devastating downward slash.

“Whoosh—Boom!”

First came the rush of wind, followed by the axe splitting through flesh and a heavy impact against the ground.

The warhorse remained where it stood but was cleaved in two, spraying blood everywhere.

Terischka, however, managed to react in time, leaping off the horse just before the axe descended. He rolled several times on the ground.

Gasping for breath, Terischka knelt on one knee, using his sword for support. His expression was grave as he stared at the “monster” in the distance and his pitifully bisected horse.

“Huff, huff…”

“How can a creature of this size be so agile?”

Born Battle Maniac pulled his deeply embedded axe from the ground, turned around, and grinned savagely. “Missed?”

“Battle Maniac bro, soloing a boss again?”

“No wonder you’re a bald man.”

A nearby spectator player smashed the head of a sneaking alliance soldier with a hammer, all the while making casual banter.

“Get lost. Don’t interrupt my fight, or I’ll take you down too. This mini-boss is worth a lot and must not escape,” Born Battle Maniac said dismissively, waving his hand and exhaling hot air. He hefted his axe, ready to charge again.

Terischka couldn’t understand their conversation, nor the strange words they used, but he discerned the air of superiority and the unintentional disdain in their tone. It didn’t seem directed at enemies.

To describe it in terms he could understand, it was as if… a group of noble youths were merrily hunting rabbits.

They discussed whose archery was better, whose aim was truer, and which rabbit’s fur was more vibrant, making it ideal for a hat.

And he was that rabbit.

In that moment, the youngest earl of the North felt an unprecedented humiliation. Rage burned within his chest. Never before had he been treated this way, even by powerful beings.

“Damn monster…”

“I’ll show you the price of underestimating me!”

He raised his longsword once more, moving with swift, nimble steps toward the monster.

The heavy axe swung through the air again. Even a slight graze would mean being cleaved in half. But Terischka’s exceptional combat skills allowed him to control the distance perfectly. The blade of the axe brushed past his body as he closed in during the weapon’s recoil.

“Slash—”

Scales and blood flew as the sharp sword cut into the monster’s chest, leaving a deep wound.

Wounded, Born Battle Maniac abruptly retreated, creating distance. Using the momentum, he swung his axe, forming a whirlwind of axe blades around him.

“Clang—”

The clash of metal echoed.

The axe struck Terischka’s body but was blocked by the golden light shield that appeared on his armor.

However, the sheer force behind the axe shattered the golden light, sending Terischka flying backward.

But thanks to the 【Levitation Spell】 on his boots, Terischka steadied himself mid-air.

With a light tap of his toe, he leapt from the air directly above the still-spinning Born Battle Maniac.

His longsword’s blade transformed, taking on a standard cross shape.

With a resolute expression, Terischka gripped the sword with both hands and plunged it down toward his target.

“Swish!”

The sharp cross-shaped sword pierced straight through the “monster’s” head, impaling its skull and neck in one strike.

As the screen dimmed, Born Battle Maniac muttered his final words, “Next time… no more disabling strikes.”

With that, he collapsed with a resounding thud.

Again, Terischka couldn’t comprehend the words.

Standing atop the massive corpse, Earl Terischka pulled out his sword, drenched in blood and brain matter, and raised it high.

The sword’s edge gleamed in the sunlight, and his tattered lion’s-head cloak fluttered dramatically.

“Everyone, do you see?”

“The monsters of the Ember Kingdom are flesh and blood too. They can die. They can be defeated!”

“Skaneyans, do not fear! This is our land to live upon. We can drive them out!”

Suddenly, a radiant beam shot toward him.

Relying on his sharp reflexes, Terischka tilted his head to dodge the attack. But the method of attack struck a chord of familiarity within him. Where had he seen this before?

“This kind of beam…”

“How? This… this is impossible!”

Terischka’s face changed drastically as a terrifying suspicion formed in his mind.

Slowly, he turned his head toward the direction of the beam—toward where it had originated.

And reality confirmed his fears. Standing there amidst a group of monsters, a familiar blonde figure raised a silver sword, pointing it directly at him. The person’s expression was equally resolute.

“Andre?”

“You are Grand Duke Leo’s son, a blood heir of the Bosk family. Rossell’s noble blood runs through your veins!”

“Andre Bosk! How can you appear there? How can you betray your lineage?”

Terischka’s voice was filled with disbelief.

As one of Grand Duke Leo’s most cherished youths, Andre had grown up with Terischka, and the two shared a close bond.

Both had traveled to the South, were of similar age, and had much in common. They had many shared perspectives on the political structure of the North. But to meet again under such circumstances, as enemies on a cruel battlefield?

Deep in his heart, Terischka had always envied Andre. He often fantasized about what he could have achieved with Andre’s status. Perhaps he could have reformed the North’s system, turning it into a more advanced and enlightened land.

Yet Andre had so easily abandoned everything Terischka yearned for: power, status, and even his noble bloodline. This was incomprehensible to him.

Andre shook his head and replied calmly, “I am now just an ordinary citizen of the Kingdom.”

“I fight not for any ruler but for the people who live in the North.”

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