Chapter 610
Well, I’m Always Fine. (2)
Ghislain’s greatsword erupted with a crimson glow, its sharp aura slicing through the air as it violently swirled.
He moved once more toward the horde of approaching monsters.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaaang!
His movements were like lightning. Each swing of his greatsword cleaved through the monsters' flesh and severed their bones.
Before his blade, the monsters were nothing more than helpless scarecrows.
But the Cyclops still remained. With a sound that tore through the air, its massive club came crashing down toward Ghislain.
Kwaaaaaang!
The Black King twisted its body, dodging the attack. The sheer force of the strike split the ground apart, sending up a storm of dust and debris.
Through the swirling dust, Ghislain’s silhouette emerged.
Paak!
At some point, he had already leaped from the Black King’s saddle.
Hiiiiiiing!
The Black King let out a long cry as it dashed past the Cyclops.
Kraaaaaa!
The Cyclops roared, raising its club once more. Confidence flashed in its single eye—
The small warrior had jumped so high that this time, there was no way he could evade.
A massive club tore through the sky, its trajectory locked onto Ghislain.
At that moment, the flow of the world shifted.
Drdrdrduk!
Ghislain’s greatsword shattered reality. His will distorted space and time itself.
To the Cyclops, Ghislain still appeared suspended in midair. But in truth, he had already moved.
Weaving through the rift in time, he swung his greatsword toward the Cyclops’ head faster than ever before.
Kwaaajijijik!
By the time the Cyclops regained its senses, its head had already been split in two.
A fountain of blood gushed toward the sky. Before it could even comprehend what had happened, its life had already been extinguished.
Kuuuuung!
The massive body collapsed to the ground, sending tremors through the earth and kicking up another storm of dust.
Drip.
Blood trickled even more profusely from Ghislain’s mouth and nose.
But he paid it no mind. His body’s condition no longer mattered.
The remaining lesser monsters could be left to the Fenris Knights and Vanessa.
Kwaaaaang!
Another Cyclops swung its club violently. But Ghislain was already running up its arm, using it as a foothold to reach its head.
Drdrdrdrduk!
The Cyclops raised its other hand to grab him. Its enormous fingers closed in.
It was certain it had caught him.
Kaaaaaa...
But it was an illusion.
Once again, the flow of the world twisted. Ghislain’s form blurred, vanishing like a mirage before reappearing elsewhere.
Kagagagak!
For a brief moment, the sound of something being sliced echoed.
And then slowly the Cyclops’ head began to separate from its body.
Before it could even register the fact that its throat had been cut, its consciousness faded into darkness.
Kuuuuung!
The Cyclops, its head severed from its body, collapsed lifelessly.
“Kugh!”
Ghislain dropped to one knee, coughing up blood. Using the Power of Will any further was impossible.
“Urgh….”
Even maintaining his Fifth Stage Core was too much. In the end, he had to lower it to Second Stage, meaning he would have to deal with the surrounding monsters in a weakened state.
Hiiiiiiing!
The Black King, which had retreated earlier, returned swiftly. Ghislain wasted no time mounting his steed and swung his greatsword once more.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaaang!
There were still plenty of monsters left. They surged toward Ghislain and the Fenris Knights.
Thanks to Vanessa, they were holding on, but dangerous moments were becoming more frequent. Everyone was exhausted.
Ghislain, too, could no longer cut down monsters as swiftly as before. His drained strength left him struggling against the oncoming horde.
Sensing his exhaustion, the Black King continuously retreated, creating distance.
Kraaaaaa!
Two more Cyclopes still remained. Gillian and Kaor were holding them off for now, but anything could happen.
From atop the fortress, Marquis Alperen made a decisive call.
“Everyone, move out of the fortress! Rescue our allies! Cavalry, mount up and charge!”
Kuuuuuuung!
At last, the fortress gates opened. The infantry surged out first, driving back the remaining monsters outside.
“Waaaaaaaah!”
The roars of the monsters could no longer be heard. Only the victorious cheers of the soldiers echoed across the battlefield.
With reinforcements joining the fight, Julien, Belinda, and Jerome were now free to move. Without hesitation, they charged straight toward Ghislain.
Mounted mercenaries and cavalrymen burst forth from the fortress as well.
“Rescue the commander!”
“Ride faster!”
“It’s almost over!”
Dudududududu!
With rallying cries, they galloped toward the remaining monsters.
Upon arrival, Julien, Belinda, and Jerome focused first on saving the Fenris Knights.
Though thousands of monsters still remained, the regular army could handle them. The exhausted Fenris Knights needed saving first.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaaang!
Reunited with the knights, they prioritized defense. No one had the energy to take risks anymore.
They just needed to hold on a little longer. The reinforcements from the fortress would arrive soon.
“Push them back, quickly!”
After a short while, their allies finally reached them. Mounted soldiers closed the distance quickly.
Kwaaaaang!
Kraaaaaa!
Thousands of cavalrymen charged in, overwhelming the monsters in an instant. Though they were also exhausted, their sheer numbers easily tipped the battle in their favor.
The number of monsters rapidly dwindled. With their allies securing the battlefield, Belinda was the first to rush toward Ghislain.
Paaaaaak!
Daggers scattered in all directions, piercing the monsters lunging at Ghislain.
“Young Master! Are you alright?”
Hiiiiiiing! Prrrrrk!
The Black King bared its gums at Belinda in greeting. Even that crazy horse seemed exhausted, its eyes sunken with fatigue.
But the one who looked even worse than the Black King was Ghislain, his entire face drenched in blood from his nose down to his chin. And yet, with hollow eyes, he smiled.
“Of course. I’m always fine.”
He looked anything but fine. Even while mounted on the Black King, he swayed unsteadily. His Core had already been lowered to First Stage.
He had pushed himself too hard to take down the Cyclopes quickly, and now his body was paying the price.
Belinda shook her head. No matter how much she tried to stop him, he never quit his reckless behavior. By now, she had given up trying.
She was exhausted too, but not as much as Ghislain. Now that their reinforcements had arrived, dealing with the monsters wouldn’t be difficult.
Paaaaak!
Belinda’s daggers scattered again, cutting through the monsters around them. Her only thought was to get Ghislain somewhere safe.
Kuoohhh!
Kwaaaaang!
On one side, a Cyclops swung its massive club. Gillian, who had just barely dodged, was drenched in sweat.
A single hit from a Cyclops could render someone completely incapable of fighting. He couldn’t afford to let his guard down even for a moment.
Fortunately, the nearby monsters had been crushed under the Cyclops’ club, so he didn’t have to worry about them.
But before that, he had already been dodging attacks from the smaller monsters, leaving his body covered in wounds.
The Cyclops had taken a few hits from Gillian, but none of them were critical. The sheer difference in size and strength was too great.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
This Cyclops was now utterly enraged. Gillian focused entirely on evading, making it difficult for the creature to land a proper hit.
As the fierce stalemate continued, Julien finally intervened.
Sgak!
Kaaaaaaak!
The Cyclops suddenly turned its head as its shoulder was slashed. Another human had appeared.
Kwaaaaang!
It swung its club, but its new opponent was too fast. Enraged, the Cyclops roared and swung wildly in every direction.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaaaang!
Gillian and Julien dodged each attack, striking whenever they found an opening.
Even Julien’s blade couldn’t easily cut through the Cyclops’ thick hide and bones in one go. He, too, was exhausted, making it difficult to fight the giant properly.
However, the two superhumans attacked steadily. With Julien’s support, Gillian was able to go on the offensive with more confidence.
Kaaaaaaa!
Before long, the bloodied Cyclops let out a scream of agony.
Its ankles were so torn apart that moving was nearly impossible. Every step it took sent waves of pain through its body.
Kuuung!
In the end, the Cyclops couldn’t hold on and collapsed. Even so, it swung its club wildly, refusing to stop.
Kwaaaang!
But once again, its attack missed.
Before the Cyclops could move again, Julien struck first.
There was no need for him to get too close. He could attack from anywhere.
Spotting a brief opening, Julien’s sword aimed for the Cyclops’ lone eye.
Sgak!
Kaaaaaaaak!
The Cyclops screamed, clutching its face with both hands. It even dropped its club in its agony, turning into nothing more than a giant, defenseless target.
Julien momentarily paused his attack and glanced behind him.
“Waaaaaaah!”
The monsters had been almost completely wiped out by the fortress forces’ charge. Thanks to this, the Fenris Knights, now free from fighting, began to surround the Cyclops.
“Strike now!”
At someone’s shout, the knights who had been waiting for an opportunity rushed toward the fallen Cyclops.
Puk! Chwak! Paaak!
Their weapons pierced deep into its flesh.
The Cyclops flailed wildly in pain, forcing a few knights to retreat momentarily. But they quickly reengaged, attacking relentlessly.
Gillian and Julien also continued their assault, slashing and stabbing without pause.
Kraaaaaaa!
The Cyclops, still blinded, thrashed its arms around wildly. One of the knights failed to dodge in time and was struck by its massive hand.
Kwaaaaang!
The knight was sent flying, but thankfully, he wasn’t seriously injured Vanessa had conjured a shield just in time to protect him.
“Haaah….”
Vanessa, however, looked completely drained. Her eyes were sunken, and blood dripped from her nose as her mana was nearly depleted.
Even so, she continued casting low-circle magic to protect her allies and attack the Cyclops.
Kaaaaaak!
The Cyclops screamed and flailed desperately, but it failed to kill a single person. It only accumulated more wounds.
With fewer monsters left on the battlefield, more knights swarmed the Cyclops, overwhelming it.
Sgak! Puk! Puuuk!
Kraaaaaa!
The Cyclops’ body was completely mutilated, drenched in blood. There was hardly an uninjured spot left.
Meanwhile, Julien and Gillian’s attacks grew fiercer. Though both were utterly exhausted, they refused to stop.
The battle was nearly over.
All that remained was to slay the Cyclopes, and the fight would be won.
Kuung.
The Cyclops, its body covered in wounds, slumped forward, curling in on itself. The giant had lost too much blood to stand any longer.
Julien and Gillian climbed up the Cyclops’ arm.
Buuuuung!
Gillian’s greatsword swung wide, stabbing deep into the Cyclops’ temple.
Kwajijik!
Kraaaaaak!
The Cyclops howled in agony, reaching out to grab Gillian. But he released his sword and leaped to the ground before it could catch him.
As the Cyclops threw its head back, exposing its gaping throat, Julien swung his sword.
Puk!
His blade dug into the creature’s throat but stopped midway. Clenching his teeth, Julien pushed harder.
Drdrdrduk!
Krrrk!
Feeling its own throat being severed, the Cyclops desperately reached for whatever was clinging to its neck.
Its massive hand trembled violently. Exhausted and sluggish, the giant couldn’t grasp Julien in time.
Paaaaak!
Before its fingers could even brush against him, Julien’s sword slashed clean through its throat.
Though his sword was short in comparison to the Cyclops’ thick neck, it had already cut through half. The weight of the giant’s own head did the rest.
Truduk!
Kuung!
The Cyclops’ massive head hit the ground, and its slumped body collapsed soon after.
“We got it!”
A knight shouted triumphantly. They had finally slain that monstrous beast.
Everyone turned to look at the last remaining Cyclops.
Though Jerome and some knights had rushed to help Kaor, it would be best to finish the fight as soon as possible.
However, upon assessing the situation, they all frowned.
"Tch. That crazy bastard's at it again."
At someone’s grumbled remark, everyone nodded in agreement.
In the middle of a large, open space, Kaor was fighting the Cyclops alone.
The rest of the knights were dealing with nearby monsters or just watching.
The moment Jerome arrived to assist, Kaor yelled out.
“Don’t! This one’s mine! I’ll take it down myself!”
His reaction was so intense that Jerome barely managed to land a single spell before he had to back off.
Dumbfounded by Kaor’s madness, Jerome protested.
“We need to kill it quickly!”
“I said, it’s mine!”
“I don’t want to! I don’t care about stuff like that!”
“Then get lost!”
The other knights who had been preparing to charge also hesitated at Kaor’s furious outburst.
“Stay back! I’m killing it myself! If you interfere, you’re dead!”
Kaor’s eyes burned with desire.
A desire to claim the title ‘Cyclops Slayer.’