Chương 73: Chapter 63

Even though his father's pressure was not directed at him or his people, Hakon felt it. It made his hair stand up on end and froze his body. He couldn't even fathom how the Pearot Barbarians felt as the crushing force descended with raw fury. Chieftain Rogarth shuddered for the briefest moment, barely long enough for Hakon to notice, as his father's stony gaze landed on him. It drifted past him, and his Zweihänder flashed. There was barely a blur before a portion of the forest exploded.

A long cut, several meters deep and over a dozen meters long, was carved into the ground where trees and shrubs had dominated only a moment ago. Soil, pebbles, and all kinds of plants were propelled in all directions, while the Barbarians standing between Chieftain Ragna and the destruction collapsed to the ground. Their eyes widened as their upper bodies slid from their lower halves. Death was all that lingered, along with the ground that stirred to the chieftain's power.

Hakon swallowed hard at the execution, for that was exactly what it was. He didn't even see the attack that ended the lives of a dozen 2nd and 3rd Ascension warriors. It was simply too fast. Goosebumps covered his skin, yet there was also a part of his mind that wanted him to do more than watch in awe. Part of his mind urged Hakon to watch more intently and to understand. Chieftain Ragna regarded his enemies calmly and, without bothering with the danger his actions entailed, looked back to meet his son's eyes.

A sharp nod was all they exchanged before his attention returned to Chieftain Rogarth and his Elders. Hakon's father told him that he wouldn't step in. That he would give the young generation the space and time they needed to earn the Ancestors' honor. To build their Saga and embrace the power that was gifted to them. However, he would step in if someone worthy of his presence entered the battlefield to stop him.

Even though Hakon had crushed the crystal his father gave him prematurely, he'd been certain that something was about to happen. And he had been right. Their plan may not have worked out the way they initially intended, but the turn of events was not necessarily bad either. Pearot's chieftain and elders were present. They ought to be worthy enough for his father. Good timing. Hakon grimaced, glad his father had responded fast enough.

Watching the chieftain as he stepped closer to Rogarth and the Pearot Elders, his heart skipped a beat, for his father moved like death incarnate. Chieftain Rogarth and the Elders seemed to notice that. They tensed up, power rolling out of them, and attacked in unison. Hakon's father responded in kind. Crimson aura flowed out of him in gargantuan waves that threatened to swallow the entire forest before he blurred.

A crimson flash was all that was left behind as Taskur's chieftain faced the strongest of Pearot alone. But this was not only a fight between the strongest. Their fight would decide the fate of the tribes, yet there were more of Pearot's Barbarians thirsting for bloodshed. However, they were not alone, as more familiar scents of life burst through the path of destruction his father had caused. Astrid's mother was the first to emerge from the path of destruction.

Hakon hadn't seen her fight before, but the pressure coming from her was enough to force him to slow down and watch more intently as she leaped into action. She avoided obstacles coming her way with ease, her lithe body twisting and swirling in ways he had seen from Astrid, yet her mother was far beyond young Astrid. She was faster, stronger, and much deadlier, power rippling from her in raging streams.

After Astrid's mother joined the battle of the chieftains and elders, the tide of battle didn't change immediately, yet it felt like something was about to change at any moment. The prodding in the back of his head only grew more and more intense, urging him to watch, adapt, and surpass all those presences. More of Taskur's warriors followed behind Chieftain Ragna and Astrid's mother. The older Barbarians, 2nd and 3rd Ascension warriors, let out mighty roars, their bloodlust ever-present.

They fanned out, ignoring the central fight to clash with enemies they could face head-on. Even the Healer was present, surrounded by several 3rd Ascension warriors known for their savage, self-destructive fighting style. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Join us, young warriors!" he hollered at the top of his lungs, his Runeskins shimmering and flaring to life. Power rolled out of the Healer, yet it was unlike anything produced by the other Barbarians' Runeskins and Ancient Powers. Emerald light flowed out of him and spread rapidly.

It seeped into Taskur's warriors, augmented their natural regeneration, and flooded them with enough life force to keep them awake for weeks, or to last through a tribal war, allowing even those barely holding on to life to return to battle. The Healer's power washed over Hakon and amplified his healing. Looking down, his body knit itself together at a shocking speed. It itched terribly so, but if that was the price for a rapid recovery, Hakon would pay it a thousandfold.

Maybe the young warriors were not ready to fight Tribe Pearot head-on, yet nothing stopped them from trying. They had been forced into a tribal war, and they would be fools to reject the opportunity. The chieftain protected them from certain death, and they had the rest of the tribe at their back to help as well. Taskur's youngest warriors were not alone. They were a tribe, a unit, and every single one of them knew that their tribe would die for them. How could they not be willing to do the same for the tribe?

[Pack Coordination] triggered; Hakon dashed toward a bustling mass of brawling Barbarians. He let out a thunderous roar, which resonated with the shouts and roars that followed from behind. Even though he couldn't see his allies, he could feel them. Their lifelight was ever-present to his senses, just like the changes to [Natural Regeneration]'s Skill upgrade. [Uninterrupted use of Natural Regeneration: 23%] [24%] It ticked upward, so he kept feeding it, knowing damn well that the next bad gash was waiting for him.

Licking his lips, he stormed the Barbarians, feeling the Ancestors' gaze upon him. They were watching, and they would enjoy this fight, no matter who emerged victorious. Ramping up his sensory Skills, [Mana Sense] included, Hakon took in the situation. He noticed one of the older Taskur warriors' skin turn grey. A horn jutted from his forehead and his muscles bulged as he bulldozed into a group of warriors. They slashed at him with newfound vigor, trying to cut him down.

A blazing sword tore into the grey-skinned Barbarian, the foes around only paying attention to him. Hakon's eyes narrowed, and he was about to intervene when the Healer's emerald light reached the grey-skinned warrior. At the same time, their allies arrived, taking advantage of the distraction. The sound of metal clashing, the roars of pain and victory, and the loss of blood and body parts could be found everywhere, yet Hakon pushed further.

His perception at an all-time high, he weaved around an enemy, weakness exposed, and stabbed him in the side. A bone dagger was all he used, yet it was filled to the brim with compressed mana. The moment it came into contact with the Barbarian's steel-like skin, it should have shattered, but it did not. [Reinforcement] held the blade together until it penetrated the target's first layer of defense. [Bleeding] triggered almost immediately, and so did [Discharge].

An explosion of mana, one much more destructive than intended, tore through his opponent's side, but that was only to his advantage as an older Taskur Barbarian stepped forward, war axe crashing down. Hakon didn't even look their way as he moved on. He twisted out of the trajectory of a javelin sizzling through the air and blocked another warrior's attack before they could even accumulate enough momentum. A simple, unmoving [Mana Shield] conjured above the target's rising hand was all it took.

His head flicked left and right, analyzing and digesting every single piece of information coming his way. Responding to every threat was impossible, and it was not what his people would have wanted anyway. He was not there to tarnish their Saga. He was there to save as many lives as possible while ensuring he would make it out of this alive as well. And even if he did die, Hakon was certain the Ancestors would be proud of him.

He may not be shedding as much blood as others, but the little things he did led to the bloodshed the Ancestors loved so much. A perfectly timed glistening light, a bone dagger cutting deep into an exposed vital point, or a mana construct to worsen existing injuries or restrain movement was all it took. And it was all Hakon provided at first.

When that wasn't enough, Hakon unsheathed his one-handed longsword and handaxe and jumped head-first into battle, his drastically enhanced senses combining with the raw, uncontrollable instincts of a Barbarian and his Combat Skills. [Combat Awareness] told him all he needed to know to prepare for incoming attacks, while [Evasion] helped him step aside without losing any momentum. Next up, [Dash] closed the distance to the target, while [Weakness Detection] revealed all the weaknesses his opponent never corrected.

So even when his foe was stronger than him, they didn't have the Skills or instincts to block Hakon forever. And Hakon, wielding [Weapon Mastery] at a Level hardly ever attained by any 2nd Ascension Barbarian, showed them how powerful he was and what it meant to wield the power of the Mind.