Proofread by Thomas F
Aya Bandstone
It roared, seeing my shield as a challenge, and came at me with its head forward.
It's clear it wants to smash its head against my shield like the last monster, but unlike the last monster. This one is a lot more powerful.
It is why I didn't hold back and used the Shield Wall at full strength.
The monster crashed against it with such force that I activated Anchored Stride as I stepped back. It is a skill that advanced from Steel Steps.
Steel Steps was a movement skill of the armored warriors, but Archor Stride is a skill of shield warriors.
Anchor Stride is a movement skill, but it does not focus solely on speed.
It's not as fast as the movement techniques used by warriors of my rank, but it redirects force exceptionally well—and for a Shield Warrior, surviving the blow matters more than outrunning it.
I needed only two steps backward before I stopped bleeding off the force; what remained drove through my legs and slammed me into the ground.
It roared, seeing that, it came at me again, while I grinned and took a step forward. I could see the surprise in the monster's eyes, but it increased its fury at my challenge.
It came close, and this time, I didn't activate the Shield Wall, like I had been doing so far. It is a safe option, but I want to kill this monster quickly.
I could see my men feeling pressure; killing it as soon as possible would help relieve some of it.
Instead, I swung my shield toward its head with all my strength.
My sword hit the monster's head with a deafening crash. I used the new skill, Thunderous Bash.
It's a skill that advanced from Shield Bash.
The bash was powerful enough that it broke the crystal on its head and threatened to send me into the wall, but I pushed Anchored Stride to its full power before swinging my sword with Edge Blade and Sunder Slash.
It is an offensive skill that advanced from the Heavy Slash.
The attack is even more powerful because of the Iron Rebuttal. I am using half of its power against it.
The monster may not be intelligent, but it has instinct and retreats when it sees the attack's power. I did not allow it to; I pushed Anchored Stride and matched its pace.
Seeing that it roared, but roaring wouldn't help it.
My sword reached it and cut through the left side of its neck, but it didn't decapitate it. It was a large wound, but not enough to kill instantly, so I moved to block its way, and I stepped forward for another attack.
Rueing in my mind that my newest skill didn't activate. It's quite a good skill, but it's passive.
It needs more to activate.
The monster knew it wouldn't be able to dodge my attack.
So it came at me aggressively, wanting to bite my head off, and it's quite fast, but I dodged it with Anchored Stride and pierced my sword through the large slash already made, and drove my sword down, until the point came out from below its neck.
Its neck is now barely hanging on by the muscle on the upper right, and I quickly moved my sword and severed it.
It would have died in a minute, but as long as it was alive, it had the power to harm me and others.
Now, decapitated, it is truly dead.
It didn't even wait for its body to fall before moving to the next monster. They are everywhere and pressing hard against my men.
I could hear their roars, and the loudest of them all was the one fighting against General Azalia.
Its roars are filled with a primal resonance that will shake the soul. I could not see what was happening. I could only see glittering fire and hear the soul-shaking roars.
I looked that way only briefly before turning toward another mid-IV monster—one my men were barely managing to hold back.
I finished it in a few attacks, moved to another, killed it, and then another. In between, I would kill lower-level monsters that crossed my path.
I had finished killing another when my Dangersense rang through me.
I turned instantly and saw the monster coming toward me. Bigger than all the others I had faced. It's fast with long, sharp claws.
The yellow crystals covering it are denser and darker than those of other monsters.
The skin not hidden beneath them was a lattice work of old scars.
I didn't need Dangersence to tell me that this is the strongest monster I had ever faced.
Until now, Colonel Orok and his men have been dealing with these monsters. I thought I might not need to face one, but it looks like I have to.
My danger sense is warning me to run away, informing me. I am not its match.
I did not run away. Instead, I took a deep breath and brought my shield forward. I have to fight it; if I did not, it would tear through my people.
It reached me and roared.
Its roars were powerful. Filled with such might that monsters fighting near us moved away.
"Come, little monster!" I taunted, using Provoking Taunt. It advanced from Taunt, which only affected people; it now affected everyone with sentience.
It understood and roared before attacking.
I thought it would use its head, but it didn't. Instead, it attacked me with massive claws and brought them at such speed and power that it would tear through my defenses.
I slowly released my breath as I did; my aura filled me, and I moved it into my skills.
It flowed smoothly into the Reinforced Bones and Natural Healing; there was barely any resistance. Since I had awakened the aura, this is the thing I had practiced the most.
My bones are my greatest weakness.
The advancement had made the skill powerful enough that even fighting powerful monsters, my bones didn't break, but this is no ordinary monster.
This one could still break my bones, and it won't take too much effort.
After reinforcing those two skills, I directed my aura into Shield Wall and the other skills. It had been seven months since I gained aura, and I had trained every day.
It is the greatest strength, awarded by the great sky.
The claws clashed against the shield, and I felt a force that I had not felt from any monster until now. It felt like a mountain had crashed into me.
It had brought the Shield Wall and Brace of Impact to the breaking point.
That force transferred into me, and I felt my bones cracking. I gritted my teeth and pushed even more Reinforced Bones and Natural Healing, as well as Anchored Strike.
I am grateful for the healing spell that covered me instantly, from the cleric.
The monsters roared as I took a step back and came at me.
Immediately, defensive shields appeared in front of it, and Stone Thorns covered its path, but it crushed through them as if they were paper.
It's a powerful monster, and it knows how to use that power. The scars across its body proved its experience.
It roared as it tore through the last of the shield and attacked me again. The shield spells might not stop it, but it had slowed it down enough that I could absorb the force and stop it.
Once more, I brought my shield forward and pushed as much aura as I could into my skills.
This attack is even more powerful than the last time. I need to be better at defending against it, or it will chomp my head off.
Its claw struck hard against my shield with the power of a mountain. Sending such a force that I wanted to throw away my shield, but I didn't.
I felt the force traveling through my bones, while the stone under my feet cracked as I took a step back.
Despite that, I didn't let go of my shield. It was what saved me from the monster's mouth as it followed me. Tearing through every spell that came into its path.
The tower shield may be huge and heavy, but it's very good at defending.
My bones broke again, and I am bleeding through orifices. Natural healing is working fast with the power of the aura, and the healing spells covering me, but they are not enough.
My bones are breaking faster than they were healing.
If enough of them break, it will give a chance for the disease to strike, and it will force me to collapse.
I had just stopped when it appeared in front of me and attacked. Seeing that my heart shuddered, because this time it had not attacked me with its claw, but with its head.
It might really break me!
The monster turned out to be stronger than I had thought, and it could kill me.
It sent a shiver through my soul.
I don't want to die. I finally felt like I was achieving something, that I could reach the level, that disease would become powerless against me.
If I die, I will never achieve it. I could retreat and save myself.
Never!
I would rather die than retreat. Retreat would leave my men at this monster's mercy, and I will not do that—not even to save my own life.
…
Orok Uram
'Take the north; three are slipping!' I commanded while the monster moved toward me.
I dodge with Feral Blitz before bringing down my ax with Razorwing Edge.
It cut cleanly through the monster's neck. I brought it back toward me and spun, bringing it down on the head of the monster that attacked me.
The Rhythm of Wild sang in my heart, and I moved with it, killing one monster after another.
There are too many of these damn bastards, more than we had expected. If this place had more space, I would have brought more of my men.
Unfortunately, they have made this place as big as they could in the limited time they had.
'Should I move to aid Lt. Colonel Bandstone? She is in trouble,' asked Donil.
I didn't have to turn to know the bad time she is having against that monster. She is still fighting against it; any other would have died by now.
'No, stand in your position, keep the monsters contained!' I ordered.
I want to help her. The General had asked me to keep her alive, but I can't let Donil move to aid her. The monsters he had been containing would spread out.
That would be disastrous.
No, she will have to survive, at least for a minute, and she will. I might even say, kill the monster.
I trained with a woman. She had an indomitable will. This monster, powerful as it may be, is not powerful enough to crush that will.