Chương 17

Mana was all Hakon had. It was all he needed. But there was so much of it. Too much to handle. His strength and speed increased in tune to his earned Level, allowing him to push to the side without getting bitten. [Natural Regeneration] increased to the fullest even as the handaxes ripped through a pair of skulls, and a message popped up informing him that the Skill had improved.

"Not now!" he snarled, focusing on the abundance of mana. Some was consumed through [Natural Regeneration], and both [Circulation] and [Dash] as he used the Skills in quick succession, but there was more to it. A chime rang in his ears, replacing the messages that would have materialized before him, yet Hakon paid no heed. He swallowed through a burning sensation that raced through his pathways and recalled the earlier sensation. Push it gently out of the pathways. The tip of the finger. Carefully.

Do not force it, guide it, he told himself, gritting his teeth as the burning sensation surged toward his fingertips. Mana trickled out of the pathways around the same area, which would have made him jump up in excitement if it wouldn't have killed him. He kicked an ant in the side, propelling it into its brethren, and carved deep gashes into their thoraxes. They didn't die right away. Hakon twisted the axes in their exoskeletons and pushed them deeper before ripping downward, tearing their thoraxes wide open.

A faint glow shrouded his fingers. He barely noticed as it traveled from his fingers into the axes. The blades seemed to hum as mana seeped into them. Hakon's lips parted to a predatory smile as a sheen oozed from the handaxes, and he willed the latest message to materialize just as a chime rang in his ears. [Skill [Mana Infusion] has been learned.] More messages popped up a moment later, but they dispersed once more as Hakon leaped back into the battle, his axes tearing through the Giant Ants much easier than before. No longer did he have to pay attention to their exoskeletons. His strikes tore through the monsters' defenses with ease. Hakon pushed farther, transforming into a walking blood beast as he wreaked havoc on the battlefield.

He weaved around his enemies, superior speed and flexibility taken to full advantage, his awareness reaching an all-time high. The corpses of the fallen transformed into mist in every direction, obscuring his vision shortly after the slaughter ensued, yet it was like Hakon could feel the monsters' movements. He knew where they were, what was about to happen, and he responded accordingly. Until the handaxes cracked.

Spiderweb-like patterns sprang to life all over them, interrupting his rhythm until his blades shattered. The interruption didn't last long, and the dance of death resumed as he reached for the bone daggers. There was no thought in his head as he infused mana into the blades. The flow of mana had died down, the abundance no longer present. Instead, he used his replenished reserves to pump the bone daggers full of mana. Then, carnage started anew.

Until the bone daggers fell apart and thousands of pieces clattered to the ground. Hakon's hand shot toward his sword next, and he hesitated. The sword would break just as fast as his other weapons did. Crusher won't break, he thought, diving to the side to escape a stream of acid. As surprising as the stream was, or the pained screeches of the Giant Ants the acid stream struck in his stead, his eyes flicked across the battlefield, [Inspection] active.

[Giant Ant – Low Threat] [Acidic Beetle – Low Threat] [Maulaxe Crusher – Refined] [Giant Ant – Low Threat] [Colossal Terror – High Threat (Boss/Overflow)] [Acidic Beetle – Low Threat] Brushing aside how useful [Inspection] was, Hakon shot toward Crusher as soon as he located the weapon. The back of his mind prickled, screamed at him, and his attention snapped back to a particular message as he reached his weapon. [Colossal Terror – High Threat (Boss/Overflow)]"Right…"

He let out a series of curses in his mind, gripped Crusher, and activated [Dash]. His speed momentarily increased drastically, which was just barely enough to escape a second stream of acid. Hakon spun around, ground shaking as something heavy crashed into him. It yanked him off ground and sent him flying. He crash-landed in a group of Acidic Beetles, his senses sending multiple warnings as they released their acidic spit at him. Hakon was drenched, skin burning, until the numbness took over.

A burst of [Circulation] slowed the numbness, while his resistances took care of the rest.

"What was that?" he groaned, scrambling to his feet, Crusher lying to the side. It must have slipped out of his hands once more. Hakon locked eyes with an Acidic Beetle, its mouth wide open as it gathered spit. His hand shot forward and into the beetle's mouth, [Circulation] still active as he pushed deeper. His other hand shot toward its maw, holding it with an iron-tight grip, and pulled downward with Barbarian strength. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

He tore the Acidic Beetle apart like a brute and shot forward, dispatching the other beetles in a similar manner. As soon as he located their weak spots, his eyes taking in all the details unfurling before him, Hakon tore through these weak creatures. [Unarmed Weapon Mastery has been recognized. Skill generated. Level adjusted to proficiency.] [Proficiency gained. [Unarmed Weapon Mastery Lv. 12] improved to [Unarmed Weapon Mastery Lv. 13]] [Proficiency gained. [Unarmed Weapon Mastery Lv. 13] improved to [Unarmed Weapon Mastery Lv. 14]] [Compatible Skills have been detected. Initiate Skill Fusion?] That was not what he planned to happen, but he wouldn't turn down an unexpected gift of the Ancestors. However, Hakon failed to trigger the Skill Fusion before everything turned yellow. A stream of acid barreled his way, drenched him from head to toe, and burned through skin and flesh in an instant. The numbness came next. Hakon lost control of his body from one moment to the next.

Then came the messages that forced their way through. [Proficiency gained. [Poison Resistance Lv. 6] improved to [Poison Resistance Lv. 7]] [Proficiency gained. [Pain Tolerance Lv. 9] improved to [Pain Tolerance Lv. 10]] [Proficiency gained. [Acid Resistance Lv. 5] improved to [Acid Resistance Lv. 6]] More messages emerged before him, each one disappearing as he flew through the air. He had no idea what was happening, but his vision cleared as the world turned upside down.

He smashed against something hard, not that he could feel it. All he felt was a crack as one, maybe multiple, bones in his body shattered. [Pain Tolerance] increased further, though Hakon doubted it would be the last time. Except if he died here, now, though that was not his plan. His finger was the first to move. It twitched as his Skills increased once more, and it was not long before the numbness faded to pain. So much pain. Hakon wanted to scream but his mouth refused to open.

His lips wouldn't move either, yet his head snapped to a massive creature. A hut-sized Acidic Beetle. The Colossal Terror. That same horn that reminded him of pitch-black antlers was on its nose, and it used it to hurl him through the air when it could have stomped him to death. It's playing with me. That hurt almost more than the acid burning through him. It was humiliating. A disgrace for all his father had sacrificed to shape him into the warrior he ought to be. And here I am, treated like a plaything.

Hakon gritted his teeth, arms raised to stop the charging Terror. It slowed, regarded him like he was a curiosity, and released a stream of acid to numb him once more. Then he was played with again, his ribs broken as the Terror hurled him around. Over and again. Hakon felt pathetic. Weak. Insignificant. Yet he never stopped circulating mana through the pathways. He swore he was about to die at any moment, certain his heart would stop beating, his organs would cease, though that never happened.

[Circulation] kept certain death away even as the rest of his body fell apart. And all that time, his Skills were growing stronger. The Terror's attack pattern, its antics, were engraved in Hakon's head, and his resistances grew stronger, transforming the deadly stream of acid into a nuisance. [Natural Regeneration] could not keep up healing him, but that didn't mean it wasn't trying. It worked in tandem with his other Skills and healed him while his body incrementally adjusted to the Terror's acid's potency.

And, while doing so, it improved greatly. It hurts. He groaned, his flesh raw, unprotected. Death hovered above him, but his soul had not yet been reaped. He was not yet with the Ancestors. He was alive and didn't plan to die anytime soon. His Saga had not been written yet. The Terror had something else planned for him. It screeched aloud, the sound ripping through the battlefield, its patience used up. Done playing, the ginormous beetle came charging at him. Hakon grunted and responded in kind.

He had been hoping for a little more time to come up with a better plan, but it would do. It had to. Hakon released a burst of mana outside his body with [Mana Infusion]. Assigning no particular target, the Skill failed to perform its designated task and erupted just outside his body, sending the acid burning through skin and flesh flying. Specks of acid clung to him while the majority shot in all directions, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, Hakon could see again.

His gaze locked in the direction he presumed Crusher to be, and he kicked the ground. [Dash] carried him across the battlefield, the cold wind splashing painfully against his raw body. Giant Ants and Acidic Beetles were everywhere, but there were fewer than before. A lot fewer, actually. In the place of the army was now a flattened field of monster remains and thick mist that clung almost lovingly to the Colossal Terror. Killed its own brethren, huh? It mattered little. The Terror would soon join those it killed.

"Initiate Skill Fusion," Hakon growled, his voice raw and unbidden. [One suitable Skill Fusion has been detected. Fuse [Sword Mastery Lv. 20], [Dagger Mastery Lv. 19], [Axe Mastery Lv. 20], [Blunt Weapon Mastery Lv. 15], [Unarmed Weapon Mastery Lv. 14]?]"What about Poleaxe Mastery?" He grunted, his body slowly failing him. Strength faded from his limbs, and he knew better than anyone that time was of the essence. [Skill [Poleaxe Mastery Lv. 7] has been detected. Skill Level deemed too low. Improve the Skill's Level to avoid potential diminishing returns. Do you still wish to add the Skill to the fusion?]"Yes!" he roared, shooting toward Crusher. [Skill Fusion initiated. Skills [Sword Mastery Lv. 20], [Dagger Mastery Lv. 19], [Axe Mastery Lv. 20], [Blunt Weapon Mastery Lv. 15], [Unarmed Weapon Mastery Lv. 14], and [Poleaxe Mastery Lv. 7] have been fused and removed from the Ancient Scripture.] [Skill [Weapon Mastery Lv. 6] has been learned.] The moment the Skill settled in, Hakon's stance adjusted until it felt right, better. He corrected his breathing, fixed his grip on Crusher's handle, and even the way mana circulated through him changed. It was like he was an entirely different being. Like he had become more than he was a moment before. Even the strength that had faded returned. Not only that, there was simply… more. A burst of [Circulation] mixed with [Dash] as he shot toward the charging Terror, the fight playing out before his eyes.

Then came the stream of acid. Hakon barreled through it, Crusher raised high above as he cleaved down, his every move perfectly adjusted to the Terror's attack pattern. He knew all there was to know about the oversized beetle. The little tilt of its head as it tried to scoop him up, and the small seam that connected carapace to neck. Hakon knew all about it. How? He had seen it all. Felt it. And etched it into the back of his head as the Colossal Terror played with his body, treating it like a straw doll.

But he was much more than that. [Mana Infusion] worked wonders, connecting Hakon to the very essence of his grotesque weapon. It hummed, not unlike his other weapons, but it didn't feel like he overwhelmed this one. If anything, Hakon believed he could pour even more mana into it. So, he did just that, until Crusher's flat side impacted and all the mana stored within the maulaxe was released at once. A satisfying crack echoed in his ears, bringing a smile to his lips, but the Colossal Terror was not yet done.

It met Hakon's eyes and erupted in power. More instinct than anything else had him release Crusher and burn through his mana to empower [Circulation] and [Dash] at full power. He went as far as to pump most of his mana reserves into his legs until they hurt as he increased the distance to the massive beetle in a fraction of a second. But he was too late. No more than a heartbeat after the Terror erupted in power, Hakon was yanked off his feet.

He was hurled through the air, feeling like he had been struck by Crusher instead.