NABC Chapter 294: Chapter 293: Time to Reap the Rewards (1)
Chapter 294: Chapter 293: Time to Reap the Rewards (1)
Chapter 294: Chapter 293: Time to Reap the Rewards (1)
The swords of the two clashed fiercely. Filled with mutual hatred, neither could afford to back down.
Ka-a-aang!
Of course, Harold was no match for Ghislain, who had opened his third stage. The moment their blades met, Harold's sword was sent flying backward.
"What the!"
Although he knew Ghislain was strong, experiencing that power firsthand was a completely different feeling.
Even after burning his life force entirely, the difference was insurmountable!
Before Harold could steady himself, Ghislain swung his sword again.
Kaang! Kaang! Kaang!
Ghislain's superiority wasn't limited to strength. His sword's trajectory was so dazzling that Harold couldn't even follow it with his eyes.
It was an unattainable level, utterly unbelievable for someone of Ghislain's age.
Harold swung his sword in shock, but no matter what he tried, he couldn't land a hit on Ghislain. He was only struggling to defend himself.
'Was this brat's talent truly this immense?'
Ghislain was like a towering wall. The more they fought, the more Harold realized the full extent of his opponent's skill. It felt as though he were battling a seasoned warrior.
Overwhelmed by the vast disparity, Harold eventually lost his fighting spirit. Ghislain, however, didn't miss this brief lapse.
Shhhk!
"Argh!"
Harold barely managed to dodge, but a long slash tore across his chest. Gritting his teeth, he stumbled a few steps back.
'Could that brat truly be the North's Finest Sword?'
The duke's house had ranked Ghislain on par with Jürgen, the North's Finest Sword. But Harold had dismissed that assessment as an overestimation, believing it accounted for not just combat prowess, but also his leadership and territory management skills.
Yet even in this exhausted and wounded state, Ghislain displayed such power! How strong could he be to fight like this even now?
Even seeing it with his own eyes and experiencing it firsthand, Harold couldn't believe it. The realization that Ghislain surpassed him in every way only deepened his sense of defeat.
"I refuse to accept this!"
Before Harold could swing his sword while screaming in rage, Ghislain's blade came flying straight at him.
Quarrrunng!
The mere swing of Ghislain's sword seemed to tear through space, making the heavens scream. Harold couldn't imagine himself blocking that strike.
Facing Ghislain's blood-red eyes, gleaming like those of a devil, Harold felt overwhelming terror.
Paralyzed by fear, the only thing Harold could do was instinctively raise one arm in defense. Crunch!
"Aaaaargh!"
Harold's left arm was severed at the elbow. Blood gushed out as he screamed in agony.
Seeing this, Ghislain stabilized his core, reducing his release to the second stage. Having already overwhelmed Harold and severed his arm, there was no need to maintain the strain of the third stage any longer.
"Don't think you'll die easily, Harold."
"Guhhhhhh..."
Harold could only groan, clutching his severed arm.
There was no trace left of the dignity of a great lord. The once immaculate Harold was disheveled, his appearance now drenched in blood and drool.
Despite having mastered the mana cultivation techniques and swordsmanship of his noble lineage, Harold had never dedicated himself to the sword. Instead, he had spent more time managing his territory and engaging in politics.
Although he possessed excellent talent and a privileged environment, which allowed him to reach the level of an high-level knight, that was the extent of his abilities.
Even after burning his life force, he was no match for Ghislain, who had unleashed the power of the third stage.
"Heheheh..."
His groans eventually turned into bitter laughter.
"How... how can someone so young possess such knowledge and strength...?"
How had a brat once called the North's delinquent turned into such a monster?
Why had he overlooked such critical information about this man?
Everything was a question, everything was regret.
"Even after burning my life force... I couldn't even touch you."
Life force, the very essence of vitality, accelerates aging and can never be recovered once used. It's only utilized in the most dire, life-threatening situations—and even then, only briefly before being stopped.
Harold, however, had gone so far as to destroy his core and burn his life force entirely, all to kill Ghislain. Yet even with that overwhelming power, he hadn't so much as grazed him.
Despair.
Harold was consumed by utter despair at the realization that even after sacrificing
everything, he couldn't defeat his enemy.
Having lost everything, he was now about to die without even avenging himself.
"Heh... heheheh..."
The humiliation, shame, and shattered pride tormented him incessantly.
Harold, his shoulders trembling, slowly raised his head to look at Ghislain. His eyes were
dark, sunken pits.
Ghislain stared back and spoke.
"I've dreamed every night of killing you and Duke Delphine. Today, one of those dreams
comes true."
"Hehe... you should've just kept dreaming."
Harold replied in a cracked voice.
"Fine. If I'm going to lose everything anyway... I might as well use it."
"What?"
"Ghislain... you've never seen power like this before. It's a shame I won't fully experience killing you with my own will, but... it's better than dying as your defeated enemy. Watch
closely. This is my ultimate weapon."
Grrrrrrrrr...
Suddenly, Harold's body began to swell beyond its normal size. His muscles bulged
grotesquely, veins popping as if about to burst.
A storm of mana radiated intensely from him. Unable to withstand the power, blood began
spurting from Harold's body.
Ghislain raised an eyebrow at the sight.
"This is...'
"Aaaaaargh!"
The light of reason vanished from Harold's eyes. He had transformed into a blood-drenched
beast.
Boom!
All the mana Harold had accumulated over a lifetime burned alongside his life force,
exploding outward from his body.
It was similar to the mana cultivation technique used by Ghislain and the knights of Fenris.
The difference was that Harold's technique had completely consumed his sanity.
"Aaaaargh!"
Harold roared again, swinging his sword to unleash a violent gale.
the opportunity and swung his sword again.
Shhhaak!
Even though Ghislain slashed Harold's neck, it only left a faint surface wound. Despite
opening his core to the third stage, Harold's defense was still overwhelming.
"Aaaaargh!"
Bwoom!
Once again, Harold swung his sword, but Ghislain easily evaded it.
Though Harold's strength had grown, his swordsmanship had regressed. Without reason, he
now swung his weapon purely on instinct.
'Something is off.'
Even in his past life, there had been those like Harold, but their levels varied greatly.
Some, even in madness, retained the full extent of their abilities. Vanessa, for instance, had
been able to cast 7th-circle magic while insane.
Others retained their sanity even as their bodies transformed into monstrous forms.
Compared to those individuals, Harold seemed to fall short in some way.
"Aaaaargh!"
Frustrated by his failed attacks, Harold let out a roar of fury. His cognitive ability had truly
fallen to that of a beast.
"Hah..."
At this rate, the fight would never end. Ghislain's gaze grew heavy.
He knew he would encounter more like Harold in the future. There was no need to think or
worry about it now.
Drdrdrdr.
His body was already beginning to break down, having surpassed its limits.
Goooong!
Ghislain accelerated the circulation of his mana, rapidly heating his core. Every nerve in his
body screamed warnings of danger.
Kwa-aang!
This time, Ghislain didn't dodge Harold's attack. He faced it head-on.
Grind.
Clenching his teeth to endure the pain, he swung his sword relentlessly. Though it seemed
reckless, Ghislain wasn't willing to let danger stop him from seizing an opportunity. There were still many enemies to face. Even greater foes than Harold awaited him.
Facing such an opponent, he had to pour everything into this fight to grow even stronger.
Crrack!
'Just a little more.'
Ordinary training could only take the body so far. Training on the brink of death was the most
effective way to grow.
Drdrdrdr.
His bones and flesh had long since been torn and twisted. Continuing to fight would no longer be training but a path to self-destruction.
But...
Drdrdrdr!
The new ability he had gained after consuming the Blood Python's venom- That ability strained every last drop of mana, healing his body as it tried to push beyond its
limits.
Fssshhh!
The blood soaking his body evaporated into red mist, swirling around him.
'More!'
Kwa-aang!
At some point, Harold began to succumb to Ghislain's overwhelming power.
Ghislain's glowing red eyes burned as he mercilessly struck Harold with his sword.
Kwa-aang! Kwa-aang! Kwa-aang!
"Aaaaargh!"
Harold roared in agony. With each clash of their swords, tremendous force shook his body
from the inside.
Even Harold's beastly, unthinking eyes began to show signs of panic.
Kwa-aang!
Unable to withstand the overwhelming force, Harold lost his grip on his sword.
Ghislain didn't hesitate. He struck Harold's body directly.
Kwa-aang!
Gripping his sword tightly despite his aching hands, Ghislain struck Harold again. Harold's
body was so tough it felt like striking with a club rather than cutting.
Kwa-aang! Kwa-aang! Kwa-aang!
"Aaaaargh!"
Harold, flailing with his remaining arm, tried to resist. But Ghislain's relentless, club-like
sword strikes continued unabated. Kwa-aang! Kwa-aang! Kwa-aang!
Ghislain's powerful mana struck deep into Harold's body, causing him to falter. Unable to properly attack anymore, Harold was forced further and further back.
The violent waves of mana inside Harold clashed with the storm of power Ghislain unleashed, amplifying the destruction.
Kwa-aang! Kwa-aang! Kwa-aang!
Harold was beaten relentlessly, his mana armor scattering as it failed to endure the
onslaught.
Crack.
Ghislain's bones, too, had begun to crack and break under the strain. Yet, through sheer
superhuman willpower, he endured the pain and spoke. "This is the end."
Boom!
Ghislain stomped the ground forcefully, swinging his sword like a club, smashing it into
Harold's head.
Kwa-aang!
The immense impact shook Harold to his core, and for the first time, he didn't roar like a
monster. Instead, a human voice emerged.
"What... is this...?"
The light of reason began to return to his eyes.