After Gi Za evolved into a shaman, we ran for the ogre lord who was howling mad.
âCan we win?â He asked.
âLeave it to me,â I said back.
Using the [Skill] <> I searched for the ogre lordâs weakness. I donât know if itâs because of the four treasures or because of my newly learned <>, but the ogre lordâs howls no longer canceled my spells.
The ogre lordâs weakness lay at the soles of its feet.
No wonder we couldnât scratch it.
Now that we know, weâll have to find a way to topple it. But it wonât be easy. That giant axe has a long reach, getting past it will take a lot of effort.
Itâs a pity Iâve lost my great sword. If I still had it with me, receiving a blow from that axe mightâve been possible.
âThe soles of its feet are its weakness. Weâll have to topple it over, then attack. What do you think?â
âI think weâre gonna have to send him off with a bang.â Gi Za smiled fearlessly. How reliable, but then the ogre lordâs axe came swinging.
âEarth, tremble for me!Grand Slamâ
The earth trembled, toppling us as cracks extended from where the giant axe struck.
âSky, tremble for meRu Grand Slam!â
Then the air trembled, and a ball of wind shot forth.
âIâll take that as a challenge.â Gi Za smiled fearlessly as he stood back up and chanted a spell. âO exalted one, hear my call Kryz. O God of Wind, let thy strength manifest unto this world, a spearCastor Lance! â
That last chant was longer than usual, but he spoke the words quickly.
A large amount of ether gathered in Gi Zaâs right hand, condensing into a spear of wind. Gi Za used that spear to meet the ogre lordâs ball of wind head on.
A cyclone erupted as the two forces clashed, and clouds of dust whirled as small stones shot from time to time. Narrowing my eyes, I pushed onward toward the ogre lord.
âYou little!!â The ogre lord was visibly irritated.
âNow, who told you I was done?â Using the whirling wind, Gi Za chanted another spell. âRise sickle-neck Storm.â
The whirling wind turned at Gi Zaâs command, toward the ogre lord. Clouds of dust rose with it, and they moved as one. I walked under the cover of their veil, unseen by all.
When the ogre lord swept the wind away with its axe, I was right at its chest.
The ether Iâd taken from Verid coursed through my right arm, but the ogre lord noticed me, and it bellowed out a howl, scattering the ether Iâd gathered.
âGouuRURUuuAA!â
As I thought, point blank is too close. LIke this I canât use my ether.
In that caseâŚ
âIâll just have to burn my ether from within!
I still remember Gi Zaâs words, but thereâs no other choice. I have to gamble it.
Inner control isnât easy, I know that.
To bolster strength with ether, for example, one would have to infuse the ether into his muscles, carefully directing the flow, making sure it doesnât go out of control.
One step wrong, and it wouldnât end simply with the spell fizzling out like it does with a fire ball. The affected part would get ripped apart, and in my case, that would mean my right arm would become useless again.
But thereâs no other choice. Nothing else can move this hulking creature. Not to mention I donât even have my great sword with me.
So I let the ether flow into my right arm. Carefully, making sure not a drop leaks out. And I have to do so with resolve. If I hesitate for even a moment, that axe will come swinging at me.
âGuâŚâ
A little ether leaked out, and I felt some of the veins underneath my flesh burst. But I gritted on, and I slammed my fist against the ogre lordâs flank.
It felt like hitting a tire as the ogre lordâs flank sank.
âGU, GoaAAa!â The ogre lord let out a cry from the pain.
Of course, that wasnât actually enough to wound it. At most, it would just push it back.
âEat this!â Again, I infused ether into my right fist, and I slammed it against the gore.
My shoddy ether control made the blood burst out of my right arm. The ogre lord squirmed in pain, but the bloodied one was me.
âDamn you!â
The ogre seethed in rage as it swung its axe down toward me. <> burned in full fervor, bringing my strength and defense to the limits.
I canât retreat. If I falter here, the ogre lord wonât let me near it again.
I looked up the descending axe.
Ether coursed into my fist as it brimmed with power.
Iâll have to meet it head on!
In that same moment, <> activated, increasing both the damage I dealt and received.
I donât know how itâll interact with my skill that enhances defense, but if I donât use this now, Iâll just get crushed by that axe.
âGURUuaaAA!â
As I activated my skill, I controlled the ether within. My body screamed abuse, as vessels and veins burst one after another, bloodying me.
But in that sea of blood, black flames began to crawl beneath my skin.
One of the effects of <>.
The power to steal power from the god one represents.
The ether Iâd taken from Verid crept into my body, burning my wounds. The ether within my arm was dense. It felt like it could burst at any moment, but I desperately kept in under wraps.
Then when the axe finally descended, I met it with my fist.
The sound of something getting crushed resounded.
My arm was dead again, but in exchange, the giant axe was no more.
âGouRUAA!?â The ogre lord looked on wide-eyed, unable to believe what had just transpired.
But I wasnât kind enough to wait for it to regain its senses. I immediately set off for its head.
ââGoa!?â
At the same time, Gi Za struck the ogre lord with his wind spear, toppling the ogre lord onto its back.
And I slammed my fists burning with ether onto the sole of its foot, to vanquish it once and for all.
It seemed so strong, and yet, here it was now, on its back, blood spurting out of its mouth as a blow to its feet rendered it incapacitated.
âD-Damn⌠youâŚâ
The ogre lord gazed at me with that muddied eye of it. My right arm was no more, but itâs a small price to pay for victory.
And just like that, the ogre lord breathed its last.
âWe won,â Gi Za said.
I nodded. âGather the living, and weâll go knock on that door.â
Gi Za nodded, and he went off to check every goblin one by one.
Meanwhile, I looked up the door leading to the Lord of Decay.
âââ
âVerid? Explain yourself.â The goddess of the underworldâs golden gaze was cold as frost.
âIt seems the demonic children of chaosGoblins have won.â The one-eyed snake said as he looked through the evil mirror.
âDid I not instruct you not to lend your strength?â The goddess asked.
âMaster, you know me your faithful servant. I have not gone against your word nor sought to plot around it.â Verid shook his head.
âHmm⌠Itâs fine if thatâs the case.â
The goblins had won. The brilliance of the kingâs soul had returned, and with it, took victory by the reins.
It was the result sheâd wanted in the first place, but for some reason, the goddess still seemed troubled.
âHow much did he take?â
âA tenth, Master.â
A tenth, only a tenth. But that was the tenth of one of the four snakes that once challenged the world. The power behind that mere tenth was nothing to scoff at.
ââŚInteresting.â A bewitching smile rose on the underworld goddessâ lips. âIâve been treating it a pet all this time, but⌠Iâve changed my mind. Iâll grant him my blessings earnestly.â
âAs you command.â
At the goddessâ behest, the snake left the realm. And the snake thought to himself.
Right now that goblin cannot control that power. But, heâll have to in the future. Otherwise, there wonât be any point in receiving that power in the first place.
He would support him for as long as his master ordered him to. So it would be troubling if he couldnât meet expectations.
âGrow stronger, little brother.â Verid muttered despite knowing it would reach none.
ââââ
Level has risen.
72 â 89
ââââ
Authorâs Note:
Mission success! By the way, it was the goddess of the underworld who randomly gave her blessings to the ogre lord.
Anyway, like this the path to the Lord of Decay has been opened.
A mischievous goddess, a red snake, and a group of humans⌠It looks like the Return of the King will be reaching its climax soon.
Status
RaceOgre
Level70
ClassLord; Horde Chief
Possessed SkillsHowl of Fear; Exploiter; Magic Control; Steel Skin; Protection of the Underworld Goddess; Match for a Thousand Warriors; Axe Mastery A+