Chương 58: The Weakest Bullkin

Ch 58 - The Weakest Bullkin Silence fell over the Bullkin encampment as another figure emerged from the largest hide tent at the center of the camp. He was the tallest and most heavily built Bullkin present. Even in Snuk's body, Jester only reached the giant's chest. What set this Bullkin apart from the others, however, was not just his overwhelming size. A massive scar stretched across his chest, while his left arm hung noticeably lower than the other, as though it had yet to fully recover from a serious injury.

Even his right thigh showed signs of a deep wound beneath the rough armor wrapped around it. It was obvious that the previous battle against the Silverwings Guild had taken a heavy toll on him. Even so, the Bullkin had emerged victorious. They had slaughtered every member of the Silverwings Guild. In exchange, however, they had lost nearly half of their own warriors. It was still a devastating blow, one that even a tribe as powerful as this could not ignore.

"Snuk..." Goruk growled, his voice carrying enough force to make the ground seem to tremble beneath his feet as he stopped directly before him. Around them, the other Bullkin instinctively backed away, leaving a wide circle between the two.

"You filthy traitor!" Goruk roared.

"You were the one who brought news of those Players and lured this tribe into that battle! And now you dare return and invoke the Rite of Challenge against me? I should have known from the beginning that you were plotting something. You deliberately led this tribe into disaster so you could seize my place!" Snuk merely smirked.

"So now you're looking for someone else to blame because you failed as a leader?" he said.

"This tribe has lost its pride under your command. Instead of growing stronger, we've become nothing more than raiders, surviving by attacking helpless human villages for scraps. Is that what you call a mighty Bullkin tribe?" He took a step forward, his grin widening.

"I don't see a future under your leadership. All you've done is march this tribe toward ruin with those muscles of yours and not a shred of brains to guide them. Looking at you now, I think those oversized muscles have eaten away whatever tiny monkey-sized brain you had left." The Bullkin standing before Jester let out a deafening roar.

"You dare mock me, you worthless coward?!!" The sound exploded through the encampment, shaking the air itself. Birds burst from the surrounding forest, and even the towering trees seemed to tremble beneath the force of Goruk's fury. Snuk calmly raised his battle axe, pointing its blade directly at the towering Bullkin.

"I invoke my right under the Rite of Challenge. Today, I will prove who is truly worthy of leading this tribe. Only the strongest has the right to rule the mighty Bullkin. I will defeat you before everyone gathered here, force you to your knees, and from this day forward, this tribe will stand under my command. Let every Bullkin here bear witness." Goruk answered with a thunderous growl.

"You actually believe those tiny muscles of yours are enough to defeat me, Snuk?" he sneered.

"Have you forgotten who stands before you? I have already reached Level 200. I am not some ordinary warrior you can challenge with empty words. Even if you were at the peak of your strength, you wouldn't be able to leave so much as a scratch on my body." He slammed a massive fist against his chest.

"I, Goruk of the Bullkin, accept your Rite of Challenge. If by some impossible miracle you defeat me, I will kneel before you, and this entire tribe will acknowledge you as its new chief." A savage grin spread across his face.

"But don't delude yourself. I won't leave enough of your body for the scavengers to recognize. This ends with your death." This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. At that moment, a translucent screen suddenly appeared before Jester. [Chaos has taken interest in this Rite of Challenge.] [A wager has become available.] [Invest 550 Chaos.] [Prove yourself the stronger claimant.] [Claim rewards reserved only for the victor.]"... A wager?"

Jester muttered. Now Chaos is trying to tempt me into gambling, too. But why was the price so high? Five hundred and fifty Chaos. The more Chaos he accumulated, the more this system seemed determined to drain it from him in increasingly expensive ways. The opponent standing before him was the Tribe Chief of the Bullkin, a monster whose level exceeded 200. This was no ordinary enemy. Even after suffering heavy injuries, Goruk had still managed to wipe out the entire Silverwings Guild.

Although he was weakened, he remained an overwhelmingly powerful opponent. Still… Five hundred and fifty Chaos was a worthwhile investment. He could always earn it back. Besides, Jester hadn't come here unprepared. [550 Chaos Consumed.] [Chaos Wager Accepted.] [Victory Condition: Defeat Goruk in the Rite of Challenge.] [Reward will be distributed upon successful completion.] Someone else then brought over Goruk's massive axe, while Jester took another careful look around to make sure they still had enough space to fight without holding anything back under the current conditions. It was obvious that the Bullkin had already flattened the surrounding area, and they had even moved farther away, creating a wide circular arena that gave them more than enough room for a full-scale battle.

[Legendary - Chaos Bound: Perfect Assimilation Activated] [Cost: 90% of total Mana and 70% of total Stamina.] [Assimilation with target Lucia has been successfully completed. You have successfully acquired her current attributes, temporarily raising your level to 172.] [Temporary Class Unlocked: Royal Sword Saint.] [Due to your body's current compatibility limit, only 5 skill sets have been successfully assimilated and unlocked.]"Only five skills..."

He let out a quiet sigh, but it was still far better than having nothing at all. Besides, in his current condition, both his stamina and his remaining strength were already heavily drained after activating the skill, leaving him unable to make full use of everything he had gained. Jester tightened his grip around the axe, instantly feeling the overwhelming difference within his body.

It was as if he could finally use this Bullkin body to its absolute limit, fully drawing out the tremendous boost in power the assimilation had granted him. Out of the five skills he had obtained, three were passive abilities, one was a mobility skill, and thankfully, the last one was an ultimate skill. It seemed that, because of his body's current compatibility and the weapon he was using, these were the only skills he could access.

After all, he was wielding an axe instead of the sword that a Royal Sword Saint normally fought with. Even so, he could still use every Evil Clown skill he already possessed, and he still had enough Chaos in reserve if things took a turn for the worse. Goruk's face twisted into a savage snarl as he lifted his massive axe and rested it across his shoulder. The moment he did, an overwhelming aura exploded from his body.

A crimson glow erupted around him, and the pressure alone was enough to send the long hair behind him drifting upward. This was one of the Bullkin's signature abilities, a power born from their nature as true warriors. It was known as Bloodrage Dominion. The longer they remained in combat, the more their physical strength, speed, and fighting instincts continued to grow. It was also an extraordinary ability that only the strongest Bullkin within a tribe could awaken.

Under normal circumstances, this power belonged exclusively to the tribe's chief, making it a symbol of absolute dominance among their people. Seeing that, Jester had to bring this beastkin down before its strength continued to climb beyond control. Both of them stood ready when it finally began. At the same moment, the Bullkin exploded forward. It was unbelievably fast, especially for someone with such a massive body. Yet a faint smile appeared on Jester's face the instant he saw it.

In the blink of an eye, Goruk was already standing before him, his massive axe crashing down with terrifying force.

"You die here, Snuk!" The swing was incredibly fast, but even more overwhelming in its sheer power. The tremendous force behind it seemed capable of splitting the battlefield apart, while the blade itself tore through the air with a deafening roar. [Imperial Combat Sense Activated] [Sharpens the user's battle instincts, greatly increasing reaction speed and perception. Enemy attacks become easier to read, while attacks against exposed weaknesses deal 30% increased damage.] But just before the axe could cleave him in two... [Flash Step Activated] Jester's body blurred into nothingness. The axe crashed through empty space, missing him by less than an inch. A heartbeat later, Jester reappeared on the opposite side of the battlefield, directly behind Goruk. [King's Flow Activated] [Every successful dodge grants +8% Movement Speed and +8% Attack Speed for 5 seconds, stacking up to 5 times. Successfully avoiding another attack refreshes the duration of all stacks.] Without wasting a single moment, Jester tightened his grip around the massive axe before launching himself forward with explosive speed. His weapon carved through the air as it hurtled toward the Bullkin's unprotected back. Every Bullkin watching the battle froze in disbelief.

"Is... is that really Snuk?"

"The same Snuk we all knew?"

"Wasn't he the weakest among us?"