Rushing forward, everything seemed clear, as if my mind had found a semblance of peace. Was it because I was killing, or was it because I knew I couldn't win yet still chose to fight? Struggling for life was the only thing I had done my entire existence, always striving to survive. Clinging to life was what I excelled at
killing humans and monsters didn't differ much. The only distinction was that humans possessed intelligence, while monsters did not but when struck properly, they all bled
After ten bodies fell, I began to lose control, letting instinct take over of me
As I rushed forward, clashing blades with a knight's sword, most of the attacks aimed at my neck were deflected by the beads surrounding me. Many knights were felled by those beads in a single hit, lying unconscious on the ground. I targeted their necks without sparing a thought for them. After the twenty-fifth body, I realized something about the knights—they weren't as strong as I had imagined. In simple terms, I was superior in agility, strength, endurance, and even when it came to recovery essentially, I was stronger than them
It wasn't like how Rudra had assumed the knights he faced were formidable in societal terms, but there was one crucial difference in this battle Rudra himself
After enduring the Forest of Absolute, consuming mir stones, and gaining experience from fighting monsters, the most dramatic change occurred during his battle with Rakta. His physical abilities had leaped from one level to a fifth level; such was the increase in his capabilities, likely due to the mysterious black fog that still eluded understanding
Now glancing at Jaipa, he seemed to have come to his senses he was dragging fallen bodies to the well
The battlefield lay before me, a canvas painted with the fallen knights My senses heightened to their peak as time seemed to slow i could feel each drop of sweat trickling down my temple and hear the labored breathing of my opponents as they hesitated to approach
Thirty knights how many more to go?
I didn't wait for them to regroup Channeling tai energy into my legs, I exploded forward with such force that the ground cracked beneath me. The knight directly in my path barely had time to raise his shield before I was upon him. My blade met resistance for only a fraction of a second before cleaving through enchanted steel as if it were parchment
"Too slow ! "
The beads orbiting around me shot forward like comets, each finding its own target with precision. Three knights fell simultaneously, their armor punctured in vital areas. Before their bodies hit the ground, I had already changed direction, using the momentum of my strike to spin into another attack
"Surround him!" a commander barked, his voice tinged with panic
"They still think I will go down just because of the numbers ? "
I wasn't saying it out of overconfident just because I have killed few knights it was ego who was talking
My lips curled into a grim smile as tai energy surged through my body, responding to the battle rage coursing through my veins. It wasn't just enhancing my physical capabilities it was becoming part of me
A mage stepped forward from their ranks, his staff erupting with a crackling energy, as he unleashed a torrent of lightning that illuminated the battlefield in harsh blue light i didn't attempt to dodge, Instead, I raised my hand, allowing the beads to take it for my safety i formed my square just to not act arrogant , The lightning struck with enough force to incinerate a normal human, but all I felt was a pleasant warmth as the beads dissipated the lightning
"Is this what they are capable of ? " I was somewhat disappointed in them
Time fragmented further as I wove through their formation, each of my movement perfectly calculated as I predicted the knights' future actions my mind had began to feel hot from all the thinking stuffs
my blade found the gap between a knight's helmet and breastplate. Another adversary swung at my exposed back, but I had already anticipated the attack. Without looking, I shifted my weight, letting the sword pass harmlessly inches from my spine before countering with a devastating elbow strike that sent the knight flying backward
Blood spattered across my face, warm and red i didn't bother wiping it away I let the warmth linger a little longer
"Forty-five."
I rushed forward, dodging arrows and swings aimed at me, leaping between knights i allowed a little tai energy to wrap around my blade, ensuring I wouldn't run out of energy before the battle ended. With a simple swing, I severed two knights' arms from their bodies, and in that moment, a loud scream tore through the air
"AAAAAAAH!"
Annoyed by their scream, I struck their heads from behind my blade, rendering them unconscious. Ahead, a group of five knights in formation approached me. As they drew closer, I formed my square in the next instant, five of them lay on the ground
"Hff... it's hard! I think I will run out of stamina before I finish this."
What could I do with this body of mine? Even if my physical abilities had increased, I had not undergone sufficient training. All I had done was a brief fifteen days training with Master Edhir now, I had no time for training, always busy surviving
When I lifted my head to look ahead, the commander of the knights was riding toward me at frightening speed
As the commander charged on horseback, time seemed to compress the thundering hooves kicked up dust that mingled with the metallic scent of blood saturating the air. His armor gleamed under the harsh sun, radiating an oppressive aura that would make an ordinary human tremble
My eyes narrowed, analyzing his approach with calculation. The commander's lance was aimed directly at my heart behind his visor, I could sense the burning hatred and desperation of a man witnessing his forces decimated by a single opponent.
"Die, demon child !" he roared, his voice laden with hatred
I didn't move until the final moment just as the lance closed in mere inches from my chest I shifted my waight Stepping lightly onto the shaft of the weapon, I rose, meeting his eyes. His expression twisted in surprise, and within those wide eyes, I saw it clearly pure hatred for me then i gave him a forehead flick and then i disappeared from his view, reappearing behind his mount. My hand closed around his head, his head was to large to fit in little hands but I somehow maintain it
Reacting instantly, he thrust his lance backward, blindly aiming for the space where I now stood atop his horse in that moment, I didn't dodge i simply took the hit
He was faster than the other knights in the span of just a few seconds, his counterattack left several wounds across my body
I was bleeding, in pain, but what mattered now was survival with a loud scream, I focused my tai energy into my arms
With that scream, my fingers splayed like talons against his throat. With horrifying deliberation, I began to pull his head off from his body
Bit by bit, muscle tore, and a scream erupted from his throat. Even as I held him, I reveled in the scene unfolding before me. As I pulled slowly, I heard the sound of bones cracking, and then, as skin tore, blood began to fountain out a second later, his head was raised high above my head, the spine still intact. His blood drenched my hair, the warm liquid soaking me
Looking at the scene the battlefield fell silent, all eyes were on me i pulled my wet hair back and jumped from the horse.
" That demon " jaipa muttered I was the obvious response anyone would have for rudra how seemingly looked just like a little kid but his actions defined humans....
Exhaling slowly, I whispered, "Haaah…" The sound lingered in the silence like mist on cold glass
"Haaah… I needed that their screams were making me sick ! "
As I muttered this, I tossed aside the commander's head and took a slow, deliberate step forward. In one hand, I gripped my blood-stained iron blade, while the other dripped with crimson. I looked at the knights before me, hearing their racing hearts, and felt as if I had won the battle
But in truth, it was only a portion of it. Taking another deep breath, I declared
"Living or dead, good or evil, moral or immoral, standing between me and my survival is the sin of the sinner "
With that, I stepped forward again, and everything changed. The knights backed away, some screamed, while others rushed toward me. Now, only one thing filled my heart a brutal desire for survive....