Chapter 113: Fighting Derug Part 5

When I activated the skill I had gained after defeating the Wolf Lord, my body, which had been going numb, began to tremble, as if I could hear my heartbeat inside my head.

Starting slowly, my heart began to beat faster and faster, as if I were running a marathon. I could feel all the blood pumping through my veins, a burning sensation as if I could catch fire at any moment.

Inside my head, I could hear a voice. It wasn’t Brandish’s voice—my assistant with a shy and gentle tone. No, it was a male voice, but I knew it couldn’t belong to a human. And it sounded ancient, as if it had long surpassed a human’s lifespan.

’So, young lad, do you think you can contain my wrath?’ the voice asked me.

A nervous smile formed on my lips. ’Are you kidding me? I’ve already had to face creatures much stronger than myself. I’ve suffered, been wounded, nearly died. I’ll face whatever is necessary!’

’Hahahaha!’ The ancient voice let out a loud laugh. ’I wouldn’t expect a better answer from someone who defeated one of my descendants. Very well, I shall grant you my wrath—try not to be consumed by it, if you can.’

When I finished hearing Fenrir’s voice, it was as if a switch had been flipped inside my brain. My mind was filled with the urge to fight. No—not just the simple desire to fight, to enter combat. Fear, rage, anguish, hatred—it was as if a tide of negative emotions that had been hidden deep within me, in the depths of my heart, had risen to the surface.

I looked ahead, at the four-armed demon squeezing the neck of the woman I loved, threatening to kill her. At that moment, the tide of emotions in my mind had a focus—someone it wanted to drag down into the depths. My legs finally managed to stand, my sword in hand. “You… will pay…”

…

I couldn’t have been happier—I had already eliminated one of the intruders, and if he was still alive, he would probably die from the impact of my blow. The girl I had captured had her life in the palm of my hand, quite literally. With my new powers, I could capture their healer and the magic user without much trouble. Or at least, that’s what I thought.

I was about to finish off the red-haired girl, but my hand stopped just an instant before. No—not just my hand, my entire body froze in fear. I thought there was nothing left in this world that I could fear after transforming, except, of course, Master Zalrorg. But I was paralyzed, like a frog in front of a snake, feeling a killing intent directed at me.

“That can’t be. I’m sure there’s no creature like this in this dungeon—when did it get so close?” I muttered to myself.

When I turned toward that terrifying aura, it was that brat I had already taken down. He was now standing, his sword in hand. His lips were moving, but I couldn’t hear what he was muttering.

’Maybe it’s a bluff. There’s no way this brat still has the power to face me, but better safe than sorry,’ I thought inwardly.

I pointed my hand at the boy. I channeled my mana to my fingertips, preparing projectiles against him.

“You deserved to suffer a little more before the end, so be grateful, brat.” I fired five magical projectiles at the adventurer, but I was surprised by what he did.

He shouldn’t have been able to defend against that anymore. With his sword, the brat managed to repel each of the attacks I launched at him with just a few swings of his blade. And right after that, he ran toward me.

The boy quickly closed the distance and promptly tore off the arm that was holding his companion. Right after, his sword came slashing toward the middle of my chest. I took a step back, trying to avoid a deep blow, but when I looked down, I saw that I had been hit.

The brat managed to carve a deep cut across my chest. Of course, I wouldn’t die from a blow like that. My regeneration was already kicking in, my Demon Blood closing the wound and regenerating my arm as well. The real problem was that I had barely regenerated, and the brat was already on my heels. Once again, his cyan-blue eyes, tinged with rage, struck at me with another blow.

I tried to trap his sword with two of my arms, and at the same time, I struck at him with my other two fists. The palms of my hands were about to clamp the blade between them, pressing against its flat side—but in a swift motion, he twisted the blade so the sharp edge faced one of my hands, and then, with a quick feint, he cut off two more of my arms—again.

I landed a solid kick to his solar plexus. I thought that would be enough to send him flying like last time. How wrong I was. His feet tore into the ground beneath him, and the brat was still standing, his eyes open and conscious. Conscious might not be the right word. He was awake, but it was as if he were possessed, every fiber of his body devoted to taking my life. He didn’t even seem human anymore—more like a wild beast.

In the brief moment I had, I managed to heal myself once again, making it four times in total. I believe I can use my regeneration six more times. Normally, that would be enough to defeat an ordinary human, but there’s no way to call the opponent in front of me an ordinary human. If the fight continues at his pace, I will die for sure.

My fear of that human made me recall what the red-haired woman had said about Master Zalrorg being next after me.

’No, that’s absurd! Mere humans cannot defeat Master Zalrorg! I won’t allow it… I won’t allow you to take another step forward in this dungeon!!’ My anger cleared my mind as I faced the beast right in front of me. “It’s time to fight seriously, human.”

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