Chapter 44: Battle on the Ice (Part 2)

Man and beast clashed once more. The Doombull quickly showcased its advantage. The battle axe in its hand swung like a guillotine, each strike instilling fear even in the bravest warriors. Its savage roars, akin to the horns of hell, shredded the sanity of ordinary humans, breaking their will to fight.

Fortunately, Ryan was no ordinary human.

The White Wolf Knight's throat emitted a low growl. His bright eyes, filled with astounding determination, gleamed like a white wolf in the snowy plains. Lightning crackled on his warhammer, holding its ground against the Doombull's attacks. Every strike from Ryan contained tremendous power, pushing back the Doombull's axe. A massive surge of psychic energy coursed through him as he unleashed a golden lightning bolt from his warhammer towards Taulos. "Power of Thunder!"

"Raaaaagh!" The golden lightning seared Taulos's body, charring its flesh in multiple spots. The Beastlord roared in agony but did not pause. The Doombull used its axe-wielding left arm to bear the burning lightning, charging at Ryan with its right-hand scimitar descending with tremendous force.

Ryan had to withdraw his psychic energy and roll to the side. He rolled several times before trying to rise, but a shadow from his left front made him instinctively raise his hammer to block.

Years of battle experience saved him. As he rolled, the Doombull pounced, its massive horns aimed directly at Ryan. The White Wolf Knight flew several meters, rolling across the alpine meadow before barely standing. Ryan felt his internal organs shift chaotically from the impact, blood trickling from his mouth.

"Ugh... That was a Dragon Charge." Ryan clutched his chest. Not only was blood trickling from his mouth, but his nose was bleeding too. Every breath brought sharp pain, and the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth.

The Dragon Charge was a combat technique where a powerful creature lunged with its forelimbs grounded, launching a rapid charge. Beastmen called it "Savage Collision," while humans referred to it as "Dragon Charge."

Now is not the time to feel pain! Ryan slapped the ground and stood up, kneeling, blood dripping from his nose and mouth. He took several deep breaths of cold air. "For Ulric, the White Wolf Knights never fail!"

On the other side, Taulos wasn't in great shape either. Burn marks covered its body, and the savage collision had slammed its head against Ryan's hammer, leaving it dizzy for a while. Regaining its senses, the Doombull shouted in rage and pain, "Good... human, you're the first... to survive this... That lake goddess's knight... had his limbs cut off, eyes gouged, tongue cut... I fed his body to my servants! He cursed me till the end, and you... are next!"

"The Lady brought light and order to knights in dark times. I won't let you insult her knights. You will die by my hand!" Ryan felt immense pain throughout his body. His eyes blazed with fury as he muttered, "May my father be with me."

Cracks sounded from his knees and pelvis as Ryan stood and approached Taulos. "Our battle is not over!"

He swung his hammer towards the Doombull's head. "This is for the Lady!"

Taulos wouldn't stand idly by. As it tried to evade, intense golden lightning flared up from within, searing its nerves. The Doombull realized too late that this was a trap—the golden lightning had partially infiltrated its body earlier, waiting for the right moment to erupt.

"Damn... knight!!!" Taulos raised its right arm to block. Ryan's hammer struck its elbow, the immense force shattering the bones. The Doombull dropped its scimitar, black-red blood spurting from the wound, exposing white bone.

"Raaaargh! Human! I'll kill you!" The Doombull raised its iron hoof. Ryan knew he had lost his chance and dodged. Taulos stood up and suddenly bit into its own right forearm, tearing off the muscle and tossing it aside. Under Ryan's horrified gaze, the bones in the Doombull's right arm extended, forming a sharp bone blade that gleamed ominously. "In the name... of Khorne!"

"For Ulric!!!" Ryan swallowed the blood in his throat and swung his hammer again, clashing with Taulos.

The unknown battle on the heights of Scarville Mountain continued.

No, it wasn't unknown. In the dark void, eyes watched everything. The figure was a tall human warrior draped in grey wolf fur, his full plate armor adorned with multiple wolf skulls.

He was the White Wolf God, Ulric, the white flame of winter in the northern Empire.

The White Wolf Lord watched the duel between the White Wolf Knight and the Doombull tensely. Flames and lightning exploded around the combatants as the fight progressed. Taulos grew increasingly frenzied, the power of the Blood God Khorne intensifying the filth and stench around it.

But Ryan held his ground. His physical limits were long surpassed, and his warhammer parried and deflected the Doombull's attacks. The battle's outcome hung in the balance.

Golden light appeared behind him, and without turning, Ulric spoke dismissively. "Ah, the scent of flowers and fresh water, and the fragrance of grass. I thought you only hid in that damned lake, deceiving your knights to fight your enemies."

A clear, cold voice responded. "My knight died to this abomination. This young man calls my name to duel it. I have no reason not to appear."

"Indeed."

The battle on the mountain peak reached its peak. Ryan's face was a mess of sweat and grime. The golden lightning on his hammer had transformed into swirling winds. In this state, Ryan's hammer strikes were swift and precise, targeting Taulos's weak spots. The Doombull didn't back down, dodging Ryan's assault and bringing its massive axe down towards Ryan's face.

The gryphon hammer head clashed with the axe once more.

"You've lost, White Wolf Knight!" Taulos lunged, attempting to bite off Ryan's neck. Sensing danger, Ryan pushed the Doombull back, but it dropped its axe and grabbed Ryan's hammer. The bone blade on its other arm stabbed down.

The psychic shield shattered in less than a second before the bone blade, piercing deep into Ryan's right shoulder, soaking his chainmail and shirt with blood. Ryan dropped his hammer, grabbed the bone blade with his left hand, and used his right wrist to extend a long psychic blade, cutting the bone blade off.

"Raaaargh!" The Doombull reeled back in pain, Ryan yanked the bone blade from his shoulder, ignoring the bleeding. He stabbed his psychic blade into the Doombull's knee. The Doombull punched his chest, caving it in with a powerful blow. Blood poured from Ryan's mouth as he reached for the sky. His hammer flew back to his hand at lightning speed.

With a desperate roar, Ryan channeled all his strength. "You're the one who's lost!"

The Skullcrack, one of Ryan's most potent techniques, sent golden arcs of light surging with immense force, smashing Taulos's skull. White brain matter and red blood flowed down.

The Doombull howled, reeling from the blow, the salty taste of brain matter confirming the reality.

"Human... you are strong... but I will have your skull!" Taulos tore open its chest and performed a strange ritual.

"No, it's praying to Khorne for power!" Ryan tried to rise but couldn't. His head spun from blood loss, and his shoulder bled profusely. He quickly converted psychic energy into green healing energy to treat his wounds, trying to recover his stamina after the Skullcrack.

In the void, something responded to Taulos's prayer. A horrifying blood-red energy emerged, causing more mutations in the Doombull.

Its wounds healed amidst the frenzied growth of skin and horns. Worse, two new arms sprouted from its back, each ending in massive bone blades. Taulos's mind dwindled, nearing a chaotic creation, clearly rewarded by the dark gods for the bloody battle.

This is a Four-Armed Bull Demon! Ryan immediately recognized the legendary monster.

The terrifying creature from ancient legends had once wiped out entire villages overnight, leaving no survivors. Each appearance demanded the lives of countless soldiers and knights.

One famous story told of Emperor Karl Franz Friedrich encountering a Four-Armed Bull Demon while hunting in Bloodpine Forest as a child. If not for the sudden arrival of a wood elf army, the Empire might have a different emperor today.

"My god, Ulric didn't tell me about this." Ryan muttered, finding himself in a dire situation. His internal organs were severely injured, his shoulder wounded, and his stamina depleted. He struggled to fend off the relentless Taulos, retreating continuously.

Until he had nowhere left to retreat.

Taulos charged again, and this time, Ryan couldn't block it. He flew dozens of meters, his chainmail slashed by the sharp bone blades, his shirt soaked with blood. Ryan groaned in pain, his handsome face contorted, and his hammer fell several meters away. His body slid another two meters, leaving a trail of blood.

"Ugh... so cold..." Regaining consciousness, Ryan found himself on the ice.

Right, this is... the river, flowing from the mountain fortress to the valley below.

"You've lost... pathetic... your false god won't pity you... he'll mock your weakness... and cowardice... hahaha!" The mountain-like Taulos approached, its iron hooves stepping on the ice, closing in on Ryan.

In the cold, dark void.

"Won't you help him?" The clear, cold voice carried a hint of confusion. "He has fought so hard for you."

"No, the weak are not worthy of sympathy. If he dies here, that is his fate." Ulric's expression remained calm as he shook his head. "The fact that this Doombull evolved into a Four-Armed Bull Demon indeed surprises me, but the weak are the weak. I have no obligation to pay for their weakness."

"You compelled this young man to face the Doombull, and now you watch him fall to a far superior enemy without any reaction?" The cold voice carried a trace of anger. "Then I shall—"

"Stop your actions, outsider. Remember, that boy is my knight. You have no right to interfere in this matter. Whether he lives or dies is my concern! It has nothing to do with you." Ulric prevented the mysterious guest from taking further action.

The mysterious guest fell silent, turning their attention back to the battlefield. Ulric watched Ryan kneeling on the ice, muttering, "Stand up, stand up! Boy, you haven't lost yet. Stand up, pick up your weapon, defeat the enemy!"

Though Ulric's call was far away, it did not go unnoticed. Ryan distinctly felt something in the void watching and calling to him.

Yes, I am my father's son.

I came here with a great mission.

Countless lives await my rescue; I have important tasks yet to complete.

How can I fall here?!

Bolstered by a supreme will, Ryan finally managed to stand. His eyes focused, and his fighting spirit returned. However, he knew this couldn't last. His body continuously signaled distress—he didn't have much time left!

How can I defeat this formidable opponent?

Wait, what is that?

Ryan noticed that the frozen river's surface had started to crack under the Doombull's iron hooves.

There's my chance!

Taulos, now a Four-Armed Bull Demon, approached steadily, unaware of the danger underfoot. The ice continued to fracture with each heavy step.

"I will show you despair, human," Taulos growled, his four bone blades gleaming.

Ryan forced himself to stand taller, clenching his warhammer. He summoned the last vestiges of his strength, eyeing the cracks in the ice.

"You think you can defeat me?" Ryan taunted, backing towards a particularly cracked section of ice. "Come and try!"

With a roar, Taulos charged. Ryan waited until the last moment, then sidestepped. The Four-Armed Bull Demon's massive weight and momentum carried it forward. The ice beneath Taulos shattered completely, and the beast plunged into the freezing water below.

For a moment, it seemed as if the battle had turned in Ryan's favor, but Taulos's massive hand shot out of the water, grabbing the edge of the ice. The creature's eyes burned with rage as it began to pull itself out.

Desperate, Ryan struck at Taulos's hand with his hammer, putting all his strength into the blow. The bone snapped, and Taulos roared in pain, sinking back into the freezing depths.

Breathing heavily, Ryan staggered back, watching as the icy waters claimed the monstrous beast. He had won, but at a great cost. His body ached with every movement, and his vision blurred from blood loss and exhaustion.

"I did it... Father, I did it..." Ryan whispered before collapsing onto the ice, consciousness slipping away.

In the void, Ulric watched with a mixture of pride and satisfaction. "You have done well, my knight."

The cold voice from earlier spoke again, this time with a touch of respect. "Perhaps I was wrong about you, Ulric. You do care for your own."

Ulric simply nodded, his gaze fixed on the fallen knight. "He is my chosen, and he has proven his worth. Now, let's see if he can survive this trial."

As darkness closed in around him, Ryan felt a strange warmth, as if a protective force was wrapping around him. In his mind, he saw the figure of a tall warrior, draped in wolf fur, standing watch over him.

The battle was over, but the journey was far from complete. Ryan's fate, and the fate of many others, still hung in the balance.

Back in the real world, Teresa and Emilia rode as fast as they could, the fortress and the battle fading into the distance. The sorceress glanced back, a mix of worry and determination on her face.

"Please, Ryan, stay alive," she whispered, urging the horse to go faster.