Aslan and Harrod charged at the martial monk, swinging their weapons.
Every time the weapons clashed, they emitted a deafening sound and bounced off each other. Each time this happened, Harrod noticeably staggered and caught his breath.
KAAANG!
When the weapons collided, even catching his breath was not easy.
Harrod gritted his teeth, withdrew his greatsword, and then swiftly swung it to deflect the incoming spear’s trajectory.
Harrod’s two-handed sword was being worn down as if screaming.
The intensity of the martial monk’s offense was that severe.
The spear was powerful and long, making it hard to dodge. And since the monk wielded it as freely as a dagger, Harrod felt as though he were tasting death.
The only reason Harrod was still alive was because he wasn’t an inexperienced warrior and thanks to Aslan’s efforts.
KAGAGAK!
Aslan’s axe, swung while crouching and pressing forward, grazed the collector’s shield. The collector raised the shield and dropped it like a guillotine.
HOOOONG!
KWAAJIK!
Aslan pulled back his head following the warning from his sixth sense, and the shield blade gouged into the ground, etching its shape onto the earth.
Aslan clicked his tongue at the sight and retreated before lunging forward again.
KANG, KAGAK, JJEOK!
“KUH.”
Swinging his sword at the empty instep, the collector blocked it with a slanted shield. When Aslan swung his axe at the side of the shield, the collector pulled back his extended foot and covered himself with the shield.
The collector’s single movement easily thwarted Aslan’s attack.
The axe striking the shield sparked fire.
The shield, entirely made of metal, was sturdy and didn’t budge, showing no openings.
But Aslan kept pushing relentlessly.
It was impregnable, yet he did not retreat.
AHAEK!
Dodging the collector’s thrusting spear by tilting his body, Aslan deflected the incoming shield blade with a slanted sword and guided it downward.
With his strength enhanced by mana, Aslan deflected the weapon, causing the martial monk to glare at him with crossed eyes while repeatedly thrusting and swinging the spear.
“HUEUP!”
Blocked the descending spear with the sword and held it off with the axe below. With a CHUNG sound, Aslan was pushed back, and behind him, Harrod surged forward, striking down with the greatsword.
KAAANG!
The monk warded off and deflected the weapon aimed at him by pushing away the shield.
The moment the greatsword, freed from the red scales of the dragonkin, swept through the air, Aslan shoved the dragonkin’s body with his shoulder and grabbed the floating greatsword in mid-air.
He swung the stolen greatsword down. Though the posture was similar to Harrod’s, there was a difference in execution.
The sword blade clashed with the spear shaft. In response, the martial monk moved his massive body and countered by grabbing the spear with three arms and swinging it forcefully.
KAGAK, KAANG!
The momentarily interlocking sword blade and spear shaft grated against each other with a metallic screech. Against this background noise, Aslan thrust and swung the greatsword upward.
The hard carapace of the martial monk cracked with a JJEOK sound under the light stab.
“···UUUM!”
The monk was surprised upon seeing the sword mark left on his carapace.
The power didn’t match the stance or momentum.
An attack force so unexpected that even the martial monk was taken aback was due to the special ability of combat skills.
The special ability doubled the attack power at the cost of doubling the durability consumption.
Acquired upon reaching level 20, the final level of combat skills after countless battles and brushes with death.
This special ability was shining most brilliantly among Aslan’s arsenal.
“Dangerous attacks! They’d be dangerous if they hit!”
The jovial monk turned his body, extending the shield as if to realize his words.
Faced with the suddenly appearing shield, Aslan retracted his swinging sword and stepped back.
“Aslan.”
“A, thank you.”
Retreating, Aslan returned the weapon to Harrod and drew his own sword and axe again. Then, shortly after, he charged once more.
Each time steel and iron clashed, hatred met hatred, a roar accompanied by sparks erupted.
Harrod watched this scene with a sigh almost akin to admiration.
It was expected, but the levels were indeed too far apart.
The rapid combos of Aslan, moving fast enough to appear streaked with silver, and the overwhelming attacks of the martial monk, which seemed to suppress space itself—Harrod couldn’t even think about finding an opening between them.
So Harrod had to fight aggressively while also cautiously looking for opportunities, despite wanting to join the fray.
If he hadn’t been careful, he would have been split in half during the first few exchanges.
Aslan and the collector clashed fiercely, each showcasing their strengths. It looked as if two stars were trying to devour each other.
That seemingly evenly matched clash soon ended when Aslan’s axe broke.
KWAJIK!
Amid the splinters of broken wood flying everywhere, the martial monk swung the shield widely.
The aim was to push Aslan away while targeting any openings to deliver a large attack and apply pressure. The monk’s massive body pressed forward with this intent.
Despite the imposing presence of the approaching giant, Aslan was undaunted.
On the contrary, it seemed like this was what he had been waiting for as he lunged forward. While doing so, he muttered the name of a certain special ability in his mind.
“Summon Thunder.”
Thunder roared across the battlefield.
KWARRRLLLNG!
The thunder, emitting a pale gray aura, flowed along the edge of the sword.
The thunder’s sound caused the martial monk to stiffen, and Harrod belatedly rushed forward.
The monk realized that even this thunder was part of the plan the moment the whitened sword blade touched the shield.
The shield, which seemed ready to crush Aslan whole, violently rebounded upon contact with the sword blade.
JJEEOOOEENG!
“UUUM…?!”
The rebound force was strong enough to make the monk, who held the shield with three hands, lose grip. The monk was unable to react to this strange technique.
Taking advantage of the rebounded shield, Harrod, who had already leapt forward, snatched it.
“An interesting trick, but it won’t go as you wish!”
The monk shouted this while gripping the spear in reverse. The spear, held with three hands and swung around, was immediately hurled with the might of the three-meter-tall giant. The target was Aslan.
KWAAJJJJIJIK!
However, it missed. Harrod emerged with the stolen shield, and the thrown spear barely pierced through the shield before stopping.
Aslan took out a round shield with his left hand and smirked.
Both the shield and the spear were lost by the time Harrod threw the spear-pierced shield backward.
The monk felt a faint sense of humiliation at having all the weapons granted by the Supreme Divinity taken away, but one last item remained.
When the collector tossed the bundle tied to his waist, the hidden decapitating sword was revealed.
The monk grinned while drawing the decapitating sword.
The collector was called an “executioner” before being known as a collector—one who holds the decapitating sword, cuts heads as offerings, and presents them. That was the true nature of the collector.
The monk gripped the decapitating sword glowing with a yellowish hue with six arms.
The slightly longer handle was grasped by four arms, the pommel by one hand, and the remaining hand encircled the hilt beyond the crossguard.
“The battle isn’t over yet, Veteran of Combat! Show me your prowess!”
The collector shouted this and swung the decapitating sword.
In response, Aslan stood with the shield close to his shoulder, pointing the sword blade.
JJEOK!
The thick and sharp blade of the swung decapitating sword was deflected by Aslan turning the pointed blade backward and creating friction. The madly sparking flames illuminated the forest growing darker.
“HUUP!”
The deflected sword blade was quickly spun by six arms and thrust forward.
The decapitating sword, blunt rather than sharp, aimed for the neck. A strike here would break the cervical vertebrae and kill. Aslan leaned back and struck the circular shield briefly.
As soon as a KANG sound rang out, the sword blade whirled around and struck down again.
KAGAGAGAGAJIK!
Aslan parried the striking sword blade by exposing his side and swinging the pommel. The decapitating sword, as Aslan turned his body, rebounded and cut into the ground.
Thus, Aslan faced the swordsmanship of six arms with the shield and sword techniques of two arms.
Each clash produced a tremendous roar, and mana was gradually depleted. Even with the mana drawn to enhance strength only at moments of collision, it was being consumed.
Something is being planned. The collector got this impression.
It seemed like Aslan was stalling for time. Unlike earlier, Aslan was now focused solely on defense.
Even Harrod stayed at a distance, silently observing without interfering.
Just as the collector began to feel something amiss,
KWAJIK!
The square blade shattered Aslan’s one-edged sword, splitting the overlapping shield beneath it. Aslan’s stance wavered.
Clearly an advantage.
Yet something felt off. Aslan’s expression was calm and devoid of anxiety.
As if he was waiting for something.
Then it happened.
“AAAAAAH!”
Someone burst forth, parting the bushes.
The voice was clearly that of a girl, ringing brightly.
The revealed figure was slender.
The gaunt limbs exposed belonged to someone wielding a handaxe in one hand.
The monk inadvertently glanced sideways at this figure and froze in surprise.
The familiar yet strange energy swirling around the girl.
The monk involuntarily exclaimed.
“Ancient Deity’s Horse Technique…!”
Stiffening, shouting, and focusing attention.
Feeling the collector’s gaze shift, Aslan gripped the broken one-edged sword with both hands.
KAAANG!
Pouring all his core strength, he swung horizontally. The monk saw the swing late and awkwardly blocked it.
With the Ancient Deity-powered girl rushing from behind and the Veteran of Combat ahead,
The monk misjudged Aslan as the greater threat.
Because, despite the girl possessing the Ancient Deity’s power, her visible energy didn’t seem formidable.
So the monk relied on his carapace and contracted the area where the girl was about to strike.
JJEOK!
“KUUEOK…!”
That was the fatal mistake.
Underestimating Angie’s strength led to no preparation.
Without the shield, there was no way to defend against simultaneous attacks from both front and back.
When the girl’s axe pierced into the monk’s spine, the monk revealed a gap due to pain and shock.
All of this was according to Aslan’s plan.
He concealed Angie to prevent analysis of their full strength, used Harrod to seize and pressure the shield, and continuously pushed forward himself to establish an image of being the greater threat.
As a result, the monk misjudged.
A fleeting gap appeared.
But it was enough for Aslan.
For Aslan was the Veteran of Combat.
Aslan lowered the two-handed one-edged sword, exhaled deeply, and repeated the name internally.
“Knight Slayer.”
The ultimate special ability of the sword skill.
Following the short name, the sword blade turned black.
The blackened blade shot toward the monk’s neck.
Seeing the blade aimed at his neck, the monk pulled down the decapitating sword. Positioned to block the charging trajectory, he thought that if he could just block once, he could turn the tide.
But alas, the blackened blade, upon touching the decapitating sword, seemed to vibrate and passed right through it.
Aslan’s swing cleanly severed the neck without a single clang.
“How…could…”
The blade that passed through the outer skeleton of the neck didn’t have a single drop of blood or bodily fluid on it.
The cut was so clean that even as the vocal cords were still attached, the monk asked in astonishment, to which Aslan replied while relaxing his stance.
“Knight Slayer.”
Aslan casually mentioned the name of the special ability from his combat skills and sheathed his sword.
“One of the reasons your master covets me.”
This is the Veteran of Combat. The collector, worthy of being a martial monk, felt awe and let his arm fall. The sound of the decapitating sword hitting the ground echoed, and the massive body slowly crumbled.
Moments later, the head rolled across the floor.
