Chương 106: B2 Chapter 26

Hakon gasped for air. He was drained like never before, as if the very essence of life had been sucked out of him. He stirred, or at least he tried very hard to do so, but his body wouldn't move. It took dozens of heartbeats before something shifted and his body creaked. It was like his muscles were being ripped apart with even the faintest of movements. Alas, there was no way around it. He had to move, to feel the pain of exhaustion, or the weakness wouldn't leave him.

[Vitality Stream]'s warmth gave him comfort, yet it also caused him pain in ways Hakon couldn't even describe. He was being drained even when there was nothing left to drain, all to heal the tears in his muscles and pathways. Or so he guessed, all while his other passive, [Adaptive Resilience], flowed through him as well. Slow. Both passive Skills were powerful, and they did not grow particularly fast. Still, there was some improvement for every wound he sustained.

Every bruise and every drop of blood he spilled made him stronger. It was just that Hakon did not always feel it. But he knew, and that was all it took to push further. An eternity, possibly more, passed as he scrambled to his feet, looking up through hazy vision to check on the Scriptures. [Will of Momentum (Early) → (Middle)] [Arcane Manifestation Lv. 1 → Lv. 2] The Scripture of Improvement faded after a moment, though that did not stop the smile blooming on his face. Leveling [Arcane Manifestation] was hard.

Hakon pushed the Skill much harder than any other Skill in his possession. He even tested its limit, only to find out that there did not seem to be an end to it. Even when the mana from [Aether Spiral] flowed into the Skill for what felt like a day and a night, it was nowhere near its limit. And that was both terrifying and beautiful. Mera was nowhere to be seen when Hakon was back on his feet. Astrid's mother was… unique in her own way.

She was fierce, scaring off all those who had been interested in her or Astrid for many cycles. Even the mightiest of Barbarians respected her might and ferocity enough to stay away. And yet she was vulnerable. She made up for her short-lived display of weakness with punches, kicks, and nasty cuts, but those were things Hakon would never forget. She is not that bad, he thought, dragging his half-dead body back to the hut.

All thoughts of Mera and her past were pushed aside as the bustling life of the tribehold flourished around him. The tribesmen regarded him with toothy smiles. Some even slapped him on the shoulder, nearly bringing him to his knees with the strength resting in their arms, yet they all respected him. The Challenge of Blood awaited him, yet nobody seemed worried when they should have been. Or maybe they simply didn't care. They trust the Ancestors will do the right thing.

Hakon realized when he himself couldn't be so sure about that. Not anymore. There were so many things he was trying to understand. That included the changes surrounding him and how much he'd improved in the last few nights. It was all about the Will of Momentum and how it advanced to the Middle stage. But that left him with yet another question. Did the Ancestors really reward him with the advancement, or was it something else? The question made him narrow his eyes.

Hakon never questioned the Ancestors, for there was no reason to doubt the Great Ones. And yet he felt Enhanced Comprehension at work, rattling with more computing power than before. It pushed him in a different direction, one he never really doubted before the Named Feat enhanced his Ancient Power. The Named Feat did something to him. Hakon understood that much.

Just like he understood that a lot of the things he did in the past had been wrong, be it his actions, his Skills, or something related to combat and strategy. A lot of what had felt correct before now rang like lies in his head. And that confused him. The sense of wrongness as well as the newfound understanding. Hakon created his own Skill Fusion. He did something the Ancestors hadn't wanted him to do.

They had guided him in a different direction, to upgrade [Mana Shaping] regularly and to do the same with [Mana Manipulation], but he went against them. He created a Skill on his own and even helped the young warriors acquire [Flow Control], a Skill none of the older Barbarians had heard about before. All younger warriors willing to learn from him acquired [Flow Control]. That was crucial because it meant that the Ancestors were... Hakon was not sure what to think about the Ancestors nowadays.

Did they really reward all younger warriors with [Flow Control], or was it the young warriors who acquired the Skill on their own? The Ancestors upgraded [Arcane Construct] into [Arcane Manifestation]. He reminded himself, yet that sentiment still didn't sit right with him. If the Ancestors had wanted to reward him with [Arcane Manifestation], they could have given it to him directly.

Instead, he was given [Arcane Construct] first, and only after spending days and nights nurturing six special Skills and connecting their weaves into one. Hakon's experience with learning Magic Skills had been nothing like what Ava taught him. Sure, he could have done it like the little human woman, but it was easier to grind through the flaws and to trust the Ancestors. After all, the Ancestors were on his side and would never allow Barbarians to learn a damaged Skill.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. What even is a damaged...? Hakon shook his head and dispelled the doubt. He had many questions about the Ancestors and how much they truly were involved in the Scriptures and the works of the Ancient Scriptures. All he wanted was to thank the Ancestors for all they bestowed upon him, but with Enhanced Comprehension working on fumes, that did not sit right with him either.

They gifted him his Ancient Skill, for which he was eternally grateful, but his Skills... did they really give them to him? Or were the Scriptures more like guidance than rewards? Crusher was a reward from the Ancestors. So was Hoard Impact and his Ancient Power. His Skills… Hakon breathed out heavily. No matter how much he wanted to continue theorizing, he had other things to do. The doubts stayed where they were and wouldn't leave for a long time, but the Challenge of Blood came first.

The Ancestors know what they're doing. We live to tell the tale of our folk because of their sacrifice, and we will sacrifice our hunt and blood to continue their legacy. He intoned in his heart as he arrived at the hut – finally. It was already late, and the Challenge of Blood awaited him. One more night and the Blood Moon would be ripe. And that night he would not train. He would sleep, rest, and recover to fight and defeat Ulfar. To kill him as the Challenge of Blood decreed.

"You have returned." Chieftain Ragna's voice rang out from within the hut. Hakon saw a flash in the corner of his eyes and watched the human servants disappear while his father stepped out from his room. He was an imposing figure as always, towering above Hakon, his eyes cold and calculating.

"Are you confident?" he asked calmly.

"Ulfar is strong. He ascended before me." Hakon responded with a half-shrug.

"That he did. And yet nobody celebrated him. Nobody cared about his rise to the 2nd Ascension." Ragna snorted.

"Because nobody trusts him despite the power he wields." You're saying none of that was your fault? That you didn't pit him against me? Hakon would have asked out loud if he didn't know the answer.

"You ask if I'm confident," he said.

"But are you not confident in me? Or do you believe the Ancestors will help the weaker warrior to survive?" The chieftain's lips parted for a moment, but no word came out. He grunted and turned away, cold eyes lingering on the shelf and the ancient scrolls within.

"I did not expect him to issue a Challenge of Blood," was the first thing Ragna said.

"The last Challenge of Blood was many cycles ago. Many, many cycles, and it is as much of a blessing as it is a curse." A curse. Hakon could understand that much. Losing the Challenge of Blood meant death. But it was not an honorable death. It was the death of the vessel and the spirit. The Saga, everything the Barbarians achieved in their lifetime, would disintegrate in the death of the Challenge of Blood. There was nothing good about it, let alone a blessing.

"A blessing?" Hakon let out a sneer.

"Yes, a blessing." His father nodded, showing no ounce of ridicule. He was more serious than ever.

"The Challenge of Blood is frowned upon. Has always been. But not only because even the most honorable warriors would be stripped of their Saga and glory if they died. That is bad, yet the Ancestors stand behind the tradition. They welcome it because it grows the strongest of warriors." Hakon could not quite believe what his father was saying. The Challenge of Blood was the worst he could think of. Even if Ulfar had been a nuisance as well as a man who wanted his death, Hakon would never wish him a Sagaless death.

He wielded the power deserving of the feast, no matter how bad of a man he had become. Ulfar ought to feast with the Ancestors, and yet Hakon had to kill him during the Challenge of Blood, taking away the right every strong warrior was given.

"The Challenge of Blood has been used less often ever since the rise of the first Warlord, but it has existed for a long time. And it was something the tribes and their warriors used a lot in the past. Because the Challenge of Blood grants power. The stronger the combatants, the greater their Feast and achievements, the greater the power given to the warrior left standing." Ragna winced. A flare of pain flashed across his features. It lasted only for a moment, but that was long enough for Hakon to see.

"Because the Saga of the dead will not only be stripped and taken from the warrior's soul but also given to the victor." Whoever emerged victorious on the battlefield would grow even stronger. Was that… it? In a way, that was even more infuriating than learning about dying with no honor or glory. Knowing that if he died, part of his Saga would be fed to Ulfar, strengthening him, made him angry, but it made him even angrier that if he killed Ulfar, Ulfar's Saga would live on with him.

He did not know how it worked, nor did Hakon care.

"Are you confident?" Ragna repeated.

"If not, do you want me to help?" That was it. Hakon was dead-tired, but he scraped together every bit of power to conjure a spear overhead. The Will of Momentum burst to life, sending the magical projectile flying straight toward his father. Ragna didn't move, nor did he appear surprised. He just stared back at Hakon like nothing was happening around them. Then everything happened so quickly. One moment, everything was quiet and calm, and in the next moment a raging storm erupted from the chieftain.

The hut tremored and creaked. The shelf collapsed, and a scream tore through the air from the back of the hut. Likely an unlucky servant caught up in the crossfire. The chieftain's crimson aura erupted. It collided with the spear and swallowed it at once, yet it failed to destroy the projectile in a heartbeat. The mana spear shot through the air, closed the distance, forcing Ragna to use more power. He raised an eyebrow and moved. His hand shot upward, fingers coiling around the construct.

Next, without hesitation, Ragna crushed the spear. His aura retracted a moment later, yet his expression didn't change.

"I take that as a no." Ragna nodded and turned to leave.

"You have grown a lot. Don't disappoint me." He was about to return to his room but stopped for a moment. He looked visibly in pain and discomfort as he glanced back one last time.

"Don't…die on me."

"I won't." Hakon retorted defiantly, but it didn't take long before exhaustion caught up to him. He had no more power to fight with his father, not that he stood a chance in the first place. So, returning to his room, he was about to crash into bed when the items in his room caught his attention; his trophies. Reaching out to one of them, he made a decision. [Totem has been detected and examined. Mountainback Drake Runeskin has been discovered.] [Do you wish to bind Mountainback Drake Runeskin?]"Yes."

He barely answered before the world around him turned dark. Even if the Mountainback Drake's Runeskin was not perfect, it would strengthen him. And strength was exactly what he needed, the more the merrier.