Guts and the priest were knocked backward by the large arrow fired at close range!
However, what made them even more nervous was the needle-like hair that this large arrow was about to explode!
"HRAAAH—!"
Guts had to let out a loud cry. He raised the Dragonslayer and swung it fiercely, then slapped the large arrow, which was about to explode, with a loud CRASH!, embedding it into a stone pillar.
FWOOSH—!
Countless needle-like hairs shot straight out!
Guts grabbed Puck, lifted the fallen priest, passed between two large clusters of needle-like hair, leaped to a relatively safe corner of the chapel, and rolled behind a collapsed table.
"Hehe." Owen sneered contemptuously. At this moment, he had already prepared a third large arrow. He nocked it to his horn and aimed at Guts and the others. "Will it be this lucky every time?"
Guts, the priest, and Puck were in a cold sweat. Just as they were about to get up, the sound of hooves came from a distance.
Clop, clop, clop—!
Owen also heard it, coming from behind.
He frowned, turned his head, and saw a knight riding towards him on a strange horned horse.
A knight?
This is the knight? He's already chased after me?
Owen had Guts cornered and didn't want to let go.
But when the knight rode forward, he flipped, dismounted, and slowly approached, while the strange horse turned into light, dust, and scattered.
Owen's eyes widened slightly. He was surprised.
Interesting... This horse is a creature from the astral world. He summoned it?
How dare he dismount and fight before me? Is he confident he can dodge my arrows and resist?
Owen couldn't help but sneer. He slowly turned, stepped on his four hooves, and moved towards the knight. The single eye on the beast's body also stared at the knight, fixing on his direction.
Guts and the others didn't understand what was happening. When they saw Owen's tall body move away, they saw the knight walking before the monastery. Seeing the man's face, the three almost simultaneously shouted:
"Nidhogg?!"
After that, Guts, the priest, and Puck looked at each other in surprise.
"You know Nidhogg?"
"You know Nidhogg?"
The priest even forgot to pretend not to see Puck. In fact, when he first met Guts outside the Village of Irog, he had seen Puck accompanying him.
On the other side, Owen hadn't gone far. The hunter's sharp hearing caught the shouts of Guts and the others. He then understood that the knight's name was Nidhogg. He couldn't help but feel it was a little familiar.
Right... Lately, the name Nidhogg has been circulating among the Apostles. It seems to have frightened a group of them.
Like the skeleton knight, this Nidhogg has also gained widespread notoriety among the Apostles, because he constantly hunts them, causing a lot of chatter.
Owen had always been a loner and didn't participate in such discussions, nor did he deign to participate in panicked hypotheses about unknown prey.
He hadn't expected to meet this Nidhogg here.
Now it seemed the Apostles weren't entirely lying. Perhaps this man did possess some abilities.
Then let me see how much strength you have, and how much of it is water.
Owen aimed the large arrow at Nidhogg, fully drew the bow, and released almost without warning!
BOOM—!
The large arrow was fired, piercing towards Nidhogg like a spear!
The priest didn't have time to think about why Guts knew Nidhogg, or why Guts and Puck were now so calm. He just shouted:
"Be careful!"
Guts and Puck weren't calm at this moment either. But they subconsciously trusted: if it was Nidhogg, he would have a way to avoid this arrow.
It was instinctive trust, without much reason.
FWOOSH—!
The large arrow was close, aimed at his head. Nidhogg didn't roll to dodge. He stepped forward to meet it.
Seeing that Nidhogg couldn't dodge at all, Owen frowned, thinking, This level is too high to think about...
However, the next moment, Nidhogg vanished from the spot!
The large arrow hit nothing, shooting straight into a distant stone brick house, shattering the stone wall with a crash!
Dodged?
He actually dodged?
But where is he?
Gone?
Owen's heart shuddered. He grabbed a clump of hair with both hands, instinctively nocked another large arrow, and drew it to his horn again.
As a result, Nidhogg suddenly appeared before his eyes and pressed down on the hand holding the large arrow.
"Magic archer." Owen looked at Nidhogg right in front of him and was momentarily stunned before reacting. His eyes widened!
When?
Exactly when?
Nidhogg drew Bloodhound's Fang. With a dull THUD!, a silver arc curved like a hook. He slashed across Owen's face with his sword, leaving the same deep, crimson sword wound on his chest and arms as before!
This wound just formed a rough cross symbol with the wound Guts had left on him earlier with the Dragonslayer.
Owen's face was cut to the bone. His head was nearly split in two. Blood gushed out!
However, the tenacious power of the Apostle allowed him to move. After an incredible shock, he exploded at any cost!
BOOM—!
All the hair on his body stood straight up, turning Owen into a porcupine!
Nidhogg silently produced his brass shield, blocked all the spines, and simultaneously backflipped. He landed steadily and stood, looking at Owen.
Owen gasped, covered in blood. The stiff hair on his body softened again and fell down.
Seriously wounded, he looked at Nidhogg with shocked eyes.
What the hell is this?
This is completely out of proportion...
This is not a hunt at all.
Nidhogg put away Bloodhound's Fang and the brass shield. Then he took out a huge battle axe with a double-sided blade. It was surprisingly large, adorned with a beast crest, and called "Godrick's Royal Axe."
He raised Godrick's Royal Axe and calmly smashed it into the ground!
Skill: Kneel!
CRASH—!
A shockwave shook the ground and propagated, causing Owen to stumble and nearly fall!
However, he still took two steps and withstood the shock.
What is this?
Owen erased over a dozen strategies he had already devised as a hunter, because before him was a new situation, and it was a difficult one to solve.
Nidhogg didn't give him time to think calmly. He raised Godrick's Royal Axe and smashed it a second time. This was already twice in a row.
Kneel!
CRASH—!
CRASH—!
Two shockwaves covered the ground. Owen could no longer maintain his balance!
As soon as his two front legs buckled, his entire body fell forward and crashed to the ground.
FWOOSH—!
The next moment, Owen could no longer rely on the Apostle's power to suppress the bleeding. A large amount of crimson spattered from his body, splashing all over the front of the monastery.
He felt that his internal organs were probably also damaged by the sudden shockwaves. He couldn't help but spit out blood. Then, dazedly, he looked up and saw Nidhogg walking before him.
Nidhogg raised Godrick's Royal Axe high and brought it down like an executioner!
Owen had thought he would have such an end. He had thought about it when he threw everything away and became an Apostle. But he hadn't expected it to happen now, so suddenly.
Just like the girl he had sacrificed. He never thought he would be so suddenly sacrificed to an angel, right? That look, that look he had never forgotten—the girl definitely hadn't expected it...
CRACK—!
Owen's head was cleaved by Godrick's Royal Axe, and it exploded with force.
Immediately after, this headless corpse also fell completely limp!
FWOOSH—!
After a long time, the huge body of the "demon archer" dissolved, revealing the decapitated skeleton of a naked young man. Countless vengeful spirits seized the moment to fly out, wailing.
Like all the previous Apostles after their death, they brutally pulled out Owen's soul, dragging the soul of this handsome young hunter into the terrifying vortex that had formed in the air!
Owen reached out his hand towards Nidhogg in a daze and fear. But a thin palm covered his face. He looked back, was momentarily stunned, then lowered his hand and stopped resisting.
Nidhogg just watched indifferently.
The vengeful spirits dragged Owen's soul into the vortex. The vortex seemed to emit a final, mocking word, and then scattered with a rumble.
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