Lesser Purgatory [IV]

Incited by my voice, the towering Berserker Giant Ogres thundered toward me. I knew I was at a clear disadvantage against these formidable foes, but who said I couldn't take them on? My body might be a shadow of its former self, but I hadn't forgotten my techniques and skills. I just had to tread carefully, given their superior strength and higher levels. But in this game, levels were merely a small piece of the puzzle; what truly counted were your skills.

As the Berserker Giant Ogres closed in, I seized the opportunity and charged, my axe poised to rend flesh off of these hulking monsters.

"HUMAN! EAT! EAT!!"

The ogres bellowed and sprinted toward me, surprising me with their agility despite their massive size. Yet, I had the experience to handle them with precision. I didn't need to fixate on their every move, for they were nothing but enraged monsters with swift reflexes. After all, I had no intention of dying prematurely or staining my record with another death. I have enough deaths in my character and adding one more is not a good record.

"Lina!" I called out, and in an instant, she cast Hex, a spell that inflicts both a Slow effect and a curse. I remembered it from my days as a Magician, but now it was a skill embraced by summoners and Witches.

As the hulking Berserker Giant Ogres began to sluggish, I seized my axe and aimed for the nearest Achilles Tendon. Regardless of their intimidating size and strength, every monster had its weakness, and exploiting it was the key to victory. For these colossal foes, size was their downfall, and targeting their Achilles Tendon was the quickest way to dispatch them.

My axe, despite its lighter weight compared to a real one, didn't impede my speed; instead, it allowed me to deal even more damage and move quicker to the point that I could pull off combos like nothing. The ogres attempted to crush me underfoot, but my swift movements enabled me to dodge their attacks effortlessly. When they tried to stomp me, I simply slashed at their soles with the axe, forcing them to halt their movements.

"Seize the little human! Seize the sustenance!"

"Ugh! Human sustenance, swiftly subdue!"

The ogres' vocalizations were grating, making me wonder why they were granted the ability to speak despite being ordinary mobs. It made sense if they possessed intelligence or were formidable bosses, but as run-of-the-mill mobs, their speech lacked coherence, rendering them impossible to reason with. Their single-mindedness was all too apparent.

My injuries had become noticeable, a result of my relentless offensive. Despite having around 100,000 HP, their relentless attacks, coupled with Lina's rapid dispatching and my own strikes, added up. While the overall damage didn't pose a significant threat thanks to my healing abilities, it was the sudden, surprise attacks that proved problematic. Their speed and unpredictable spook attacks were particularly irksome.

"ARGH!" one of the ogres stumbled, crippled by a deep gash on its Achilles Tendon. Tough as they were, even these muscle-bound monsters had their weak spots. The axe made sure of that, effortlessly tearing through their flesh.

With the ogre down, I swiftly closed in, making a beeline for its head and charging toward its eyes. The ogre barely had time to react before my axe swung straight for its gaze. But I wasn't finished. I deftly dodged as the ogre pounded the ground with its massive hands. Seizing the moment, I advanced towards its nape, raising my axe high. The nape was the vulnerable point, just like in those giant-slaying anime. Yet, it wasn't limited to them; many monsters shared this same weakness, and even humans could meet their end with a damaged nape.

"DIE!"

I brought my ax down, slicing through his neck. Despite a slight bounce, the blade continued on its path. The interface popped up, and experience points appeared, but there was no time for celebration with four more ogres still on the prowl.

"Lina! Cast another Hex skill! We're almost there!" I called out.

"Got it!" Lina swiftly unleashed another Hex spell. Thanks to Hex's slow debuff and continuous damage over time, I managed to hold my ground. Bringing Lina along was a wise decision. While she might not be the most skilled, her clever attacks and resourceful strategies against our foes were invaluable. Her support and debuff skills also came in handy against the monsters.

"One down, four to go!" I grinned as I defeated another ogre.

Seeing their numbers dwindle and seeing how disadvantaged the remaining ogres were, they looked at each other and seemingly had an equal agreement with each other as they poised in battle and ready themselves to fight.

The ogres unleashed a menacing wave of bloodlust that spread throughout their surroundings. It was an inevitable side effect of their species, a heightened bloodlust that intensified with each fallen kin. As their attacks grew more potent, their defenses crumbled, a double-edged sword of power.

In team battles, the burden fell heavily on the tank, enduring the brunt of attacks, and the healer, tirelessly preserving the DPS and tank's vitality. With the healers' mana dwindling and cooldowns ticking, hard mode battles demanded not just one but two or more healers, alongside two resolute tanks and formidable DPS.

The ogres started to rush towards me simultaneously. I already expected as much as they are really that desperate but seeing how fast they are rushing, I poised myself before swiftly attacking. They are also quick at their swings and I almost got caught by one of their swings, which made me almost get killed by it. I managed to dodge it though so I was fine but the attacks are not good now that they are attacking simultaneously.

Reaching on their necks as soon as they finished their attacks, I strike as well and defeats one of them.

After a few swings, another ogre met its end. Striking its nape, their defenses dwindled, and their attacks surged to alarming levels. Their strength became so overpowering that even the shockwaves from their steps could deplete half of my HP in one blast, a staggering amount for creatures of their kind.

"Master, heal!" Lina hurled a Healing Sanctuary, a precious restorative item that granted gradual recovery to those within. A valuable resource for mana-starved healers, it was a rare commodity, but I had no intentions of being stingy, especially as I progressed to higher levels, rendering such items obsolete.

"Thanks, Lina!" I responded with gratitude.

The monsters' HP had all dwindled to less than 20,000, succumbing to the relentless Hex damage and persistent bleeding effects. Victory was within reach, and I was prepared to finish them off. It was time to get serious.

"Battle Stance, Partial Deployment! Bloodserker!"