Chapter 2: New Century (Epilogue)
Chapter 18: Fierce Battle
On another battlefield, the ground looked as if it had been plowed by Flame Burst. The church was reduced to half its size, with only ruins and rubble in sight. Balda’s statue lay askew on the ground, a dragon horn broken from its head.
Amidst the chaotic ruins, the sounds of intense explosions and clashing weapons could still be heard.
After killing all the priests, the knights under Xi Wei had already retreated from the area, led by the new Captain of the Guard, Gudbad. The aftershocks of a top-tier Great Knight’s battle could have easily killed them.
Clemon was nearing his limit. The strange man before him was an outright monster. He seemed impervious to pain, throwing his all into every offensive. Even though his hands were already bloody from the recoil, his arm’s blood vessels were ruptured, and muscle fibers were torn, his attacks remained as fierce as ever, with no apparent impairment. These were still within the realm of comprehension.
What Clemon truly found difficult to resist was the monster’s reaction speed, far exceeding that of a Great Knight. Its instincts, as sharp as a wild beast’s, could almost see through all his attack trajectories.
“Keke, old man, how many more moves can you last?” Carter’s eyes were cruel, a mad grin stretching across his lips. The greatsword in his hand danced, a blur of afterimages, chopping and slashing in rapid, vicious strikes. Each blow sent a numbing shock up Clemon’s arms, shattering the stone bricks beneath his feet.
Dazzling Qi erupted from their blades, one silver and one red, intertwining. Their Qi levels were comparable, neither gaining an advantage. With every collision, their swords were forced apart. Carter pressed his attack relentlessly. Steam rose from his entire body, his exposed skin a bizarre shade of red, like a boiled prawn. Facing Carter’s storm of attacks, Clemon retreated step by step. His aged body finally revealed a weakness; his movements were a beat too slow, leaving him unable to block the incoming diagonal slash.
At this critical moment, the experienced Clemon adjusted his body. However, he could only manage to turn slightly, sacrificing an arm in exchange for a chance to survive. This was the best possible outcome. Carter sensed Clemon’s intention but remained unfazed, his smile growing even more manic. A knight with a severed arm would be a more exquisite toy for him, providing greater pleasure in their cat-and-mouse game.
“Clang.” Just then, a greatsword flew in diagonally, narrowly blocking Carter’s slash. It was knocked away by the recoil force. Clemon immediately reacted, seizing the opportunity to roll away and create distance from Carter.
“Tch—” Missed, Carter spat to the side, resting his greatsword on his shoulder. He glanced at the intervening Xi Wei. “It seems Malton, that trash, is already dead. Useless fool, and yet the Pope entrusted him with such an important task.”
“My… young master… this old servant is useless…” Clemon stammered, kneeling on the ground with his longsword planted for support. His expression was somewhat dejected.
Xi Wei bent down, retrieving his greatsword that had been knocked away, and walked slowly to Clemon’s side, patting his shoulder comfortingly. “There’s no need to blame yourself, Clemon. This guy is a modified Templar Knight; you can’t deal with him using conventional logic.” As he spoke, Xi Wei’s gaze coolly appraised Carter. “He feels no pain; he’s merely a pathetic weapon of slaughter created by the Holy See, not even a true person.”
“A Templar Knight?” Clemon sounded somewhat enlightened. He had heard of Templar Knights back in the Royal Capital but had never had the chance to meet one. Now, after their brief confrontation, he understood their formidable reputation.
“Interesting! Truly interesting! Keke, kid, you know quite a bit.” Carter chuckled strangely, looking at Xi Wei with amusement. Information about their Templar Knights was strictly confidential; only a very select few knew their origins. This Lord of Eagle Territory, meeting him for the first time and immediately recognizing his abilities, was undoubtedly someone with many secrets. If he could capture this Lord and deliver him to the Pope, it would be a great accomplishment. Carter pondered, his gaze gradually turning dangerous. It was now a two-on-one situation. If he didn’t go all out, it would be difficult to capture this lord alive. But if he were to use that power…
Carter hesitated, but his gaze soon firmed. After becoming a Templar Knight, he had long since cast aside thoughts of life and death. He believed the Pope would take good care of his family. These thoughts flashed through Carter’s mind in an instant. In his vision, the old knight and the Lord of Eagle Territory had attacked in unison.
“Berserk!” Carter roared, his entire body erupting with crimson blood mist. His height and build suddenly expanded, his bulging muscles straining against his armor. Thick black fur sprouted all over Carter’s body, the bones in his hands thickening and his nails lengthening into sharp wolf claws. His head transformed into a ferocious wolf’s head, teeth bared.
“Overestimating yourself!” Facing the knight swords hacking from his left and right, Carter roared to the sky. His claws, as hard as metal, blocked Xi Wei’s heavy chop with one hand, while the other gripped Clemon’s blade, holding off both attacks with his claws alone. Clemon’s arm twisted forcefully, and he leaped back, his longsword escaping Carter’s massive claws.
“This is… a werewolf?!” Clemon exclaimed.
“It seems the Balda Holy See’s modifications to the Templar Knights are even more perverse than we imagined,” Xi Wei sneered. He also kicked Carter in the waist, creating distance, while focusing his attention on Carter’s information.
[Name: Carter (Berserk) (Temporary)]
[Identity: Templar Knight]
[Strength: Great Knight Level 44 (41-50)]
[Other: Slight]
…Is it just a temporary skill? Xi Wei instantly made a decision. “Clemon, his berserk state has a time limit. If we can hold him off, we’ll win.” The words had barely left his mouth when Carter lunged forward, his iron claw sweeping out. Xi Wei immediately rolled to dodge it. The iron claw slammed into a statue behind Xi Wei with a roar, shattering it. Xi Wei got to his feet, watching Carter charge again, a knot of dread forming in his stomach. Without hesitation, he activated the Dragon Crystal Barrier on his Heroic Armor and cast Radiant Bastion on himself. A golden dragon roared behind Xi Wei, and the sacred Radiant Shield was integrated into his body. Xi Wei leaped up, initiating Fearless Charge. Dragging his greatsword, he charged headlong into Carter’s embrace, engaging in a close-quarters battle.
Clemon knew the Lord was creating an opportunity for him. He focused his attention, using his mobility to find Carter’s weaknesses and launch harassing attacks.
“Damn bugs!” Carter roared. He felt his iron claws striking a turtle shell, their tips blunting. Even more astonishing was that this Lord of Eagle Territory, while seemingly weaker than his berserk form in terms of raw strength, wielded his sword with a profound and powerful sword aura in each seemingly simple and unadorned strike. This immense sword aura, like a thousand-pound boulder, entangled him completely. Added to that were the occasional surprise attacks from the old knight. It drove Carter to the brink of madness, making him extremely annoyed.
The longer he used Berserk, the more his life force was depleted. He couldn’t wait any longer. More blood mist erupted from Carter’s body, his eyes glowing red. Wrinkles gradually appeared on his ferocious wolf muzzle, and the fur on his head turned white at an astonishing rate. He was rapidly aging, but his speed and strength had also increased severalfold at this moment.
“Die!” Carter roared, his massive claws wrapped in a whistling wind, smashing down on Xi Wei’s dragon shield. Simultaneously, he kicked out, sending Clemon flying into the ruins behind him, his fate uncertain. Carter took a shaky breath, his body stooping slightly from the massive loss of vitality. He grabbed Xi Wei from the ground, clutching the collar of his armor and lifting him up.
“Originally, I intended to hand you over to the Pope…” Carter’s scarlet wolf eyes glared ferociously at Xi Wei, his mind stripped of most of its reason. “But now, I’ve changed my mind. I’m going to eat you!”
“That depends on whether you can stomach it! Will to Die!” Facing Carter’s gaping maw, Xi Wei shouted loudly, his blood boiling. With each beat of his heart, a surging power spread throughout his body. In a flash, he swung his fists, the size of sandbags, and smashed them into Carter’s chin. Carter staggered from Xi Wei’s powerful punch, stars dancing in his eyes, and several bloody wolf fangs flew out. With the boost from Will to Die, Xi Wei’s speed, strength, and recovery rate had greatly improved. With the scales tipped, the weakened Carter could no longer pose a threat.
“So you’re the one who wants to eat me, huh? I’ll knock all your teeth out!” In mid-air, Xi Wei lifted his knee forcefully, striking Carter’s head. Then, due to inertia and gravity, with a resounding boom, he slammed Carter’s head onto the ground. He then viciously pried open Carter’s wolf mouth and pulled out all his teeth. Without giving Carter time to react, Xi Wei picked up his greatsword and beheaded him with a single strike. “I’ve learned my lesson this time. For you loyal servants of the gods, the only way to make you behave is to cut off your heads.”
