Chapter 164

Crumble!

Every time Goltep's hammer fell to the floor, rocks exploded, and shards flew everywhere. Seeing the crater on the floor, Enya gulped, and Jin confidently dodged.

It was leisurely for Jin, but a little too close for comfort for Enya. It was unavoidable, since her eyes weren't adjusted to the movement of a 7-star.

"Brother!"

"Stay back, Austin."

Enya shouted frantically, but Jin felt a shocking feeling through his spine. He could feel his entire body shuddering.

Boom, crash, crack!

The massive hammer restlessly slammed on the floor and minced it. Every time Goltep recoiled for another swing, there was a sound of wind.

The hammer moved erratically. White Wolf Tribesmen held weapons before they even walked, and Goltep was a veteran who had over three hundred battles' worth of experience.

From the left to the right, right to the left, then left to the right again. The trajectory scarily chased Jin's dodges. The hammer danced through the air, basically summarizing all of the experiences from past battles.

There was flow amongst his movements as well. The swings were optimized to crush the opponent. Only high-achieving warriors wouldn't recognize the niche.

And Jin was one of those high-achieving warriors. No wonder his body was shuddering. 

'Since when was dodging the enemy's attacks so exasperating?'

The only thing that had been successfully crushed during the thirty seconds of rapid swinging was the floor. The scattering rocks didn't even skim Jin.

'How long will you evade like a rat?'

Goltep wasn't dumb enough to say those words. From his sparkling sapphire eyes, astonishment grew.

"...Amazing!"

Stopping his swings, he looked into Jin's eyes. Goltep's breaths were the same as before he started swinging.

"Who are you? I have never heard of someone as young as you who rose to the main stage of warriors. Are you fooling people with your disguise?"

"Think whatever you want."

"I can no longer classify you as just any hunting game. You are worthy of sacrificing to Javier's Altar."

The greatest warrior in beastman history, the White Wolf Tribe's Javier. He was a figure of respect across other beastmen, but considered a god amongst the White Wolf Tribe. 

There were only two reasons someone would sacrifice another to the altar. Either the enemy was strong enough to fight for honor, or they were a Runcandel.

Goltep thought of Jin as the former.

"I, Goltep Hafalep, will put the honor of the entire Hafalep Tribe to fight you. As compensation, bet your soul to Javier."

"It seems the Kinzelo group allows free religion."

"Of course. It's actually a great regime. It's a shame we won't work together."

Wooooooong!

Goltep's hammer grew, an inconceivably bright light shining on his serious face.

"So it's for real now. Well, if your shoddy swings were all you had, that would have been pathetic."

Another layer of aura engulfed Bradamante. Jin's eyes sharpened. He took a deep breath, and Bradamante made the first echo. The blade that remained stationary near Jin's face suddenly flew towards Goltep like an arrow. 

It was fast.

Jin felt it, Goltep saw it.

Flash!

Following the trajectory of the sword, Jin pupils quivered.

Goltep raised his hammer. 

Clang! 

The sound wasn't that of a sharp weapon clashing against a dull weapon, but that of two dull weapons meeting. Goltep furrowed his eyebrows and prepared for the next strike. He could only hide his surprise.

'How? What kind of power is this?!'

It had a 7-star aura, but it was impossible for it to be a fully developed boy's aura. However, the moment he blocked the attack, he felt like his hands were ripping apart from the impact.

He overcame the weight gap and dominated close combat. After every strike, Goltep's image of Jin changed.

It wasn't the power of a 7-star knight. There was only one explanation for such a mysterious power.

"A Runcandel…!"

There would be no difference whether he knew about Jin's blessed bloodline or not. Jin didn't answer and continued to concentrate on his swings.

One sword diverted the direction of the massive hammer, throwing sparks everywhere. A light-bodied human making a White Wolf warrior stumble backwards…

The great Runcandel that he dreamed of becoming since his past life. 

Jin had engaged in many battles since his regression, but there wasn't a day like this. Indeed, a Runcandel's fight had to be like this.

This one-sided. Every swing should make the opponent stumble, eventually making them kneel in fear.

'Making everyone in the vicinity quiver in fear just by holding my sword.'

That was what the Runcandels aimed for at the extreme. He felt like many messages hid within the shine of his blade.

"Kraaaaaaaaaah!"

Whoooosh! Shhhhhk!

Goltep stepped back and swung his hammer with all his might. He swung at full strength to force Jin to back off, fully knowing that he had less choices the closer the Runcandel boy got. His big weapon had immense destructive power, but it wasn't suitable for pushing away a close enemy.

'Do I dodge? Or do I deflect it?'

If he deflected it, he had to minimize the impact on his body. Even if he had the blessed body and 7-star aura, Goltep's full blow would still take a toll on his body.

'I'll take it.'

There was only one reason for ignoring the more efficient choice.

He wanted to enjoy his Runcandel name a little longer. To show that he was part of the clan full of monsters, the monster that shone the brightest, no longer a banished failure.

That he would never forget the miserable memories.

He suppressed his emotions that wanted to scream to the world.

Cliiiiing…!

The moment they clashed, he felt his body was floating from the impact. However, the impact from the blade traveled through his body, then just exited somewhere. Jin just backed off two steps.

Instantly, there was a bitter taste in his mouth. Blood from his throat climbed up his esophagus, and Jin repositioned himself.

Goltep was also managing his hammer. He, too, spilled blood, and he looked flimsy with two broken fingers.

If a Runcandel gave some skin, the opponent gave up bones. If a Runcandel fell into a little ditch, the enemy fell into a bottomless cliff.

Seeing Jin charge again, Goltep would only feel the defeat. Getting him off, pushing him away, hitting, or shouting; the boy would not let him gain any ground. 

He blamed his lifelong weapon for the first time.

"God dammit!"

Still, Goltep prepared his hammer. He was a warrior. He had pride and honor and was a warrior who knew how to accept defeat.

As long as Javier's name was spoken, the battle wasn't over until someone died.

As if his broken finger was nothing, he continued to move the hammer violently.

However, he wouldn't last long. The moment Bradamante deflected the hammer, the suddenly mustered aura would cause a small congestion effect within his body.

Pant, gasp…!

Jin and Goltep's heavy breaths filled the surroundings. The blood from their mouths evaporated at the heat of the aura between the two weapons.

Clang! Ka-clang! Ting!

The scattering sparks and loud echoes made Goltep's desperate face look expressionless. His aura slowly extinguished, and Jin lowered his aura to adjust. There was no need to push it any more.

The victor was already determined.

"If I spare you, would you tell me information about Kinzelo?"

He didn't know whether he would meet another Kinzelo associate. There was Bouvard Gaston, but due to Kinzelo's massive presence, approaching him would be difficult.

"Puhuhu, you don't know much about the White Wolf Tribe's rules. Even if not in the Kinzelo Group, a snitch would only face death. And as long as we're in an honorary battle, there's no stopping, Jin Runcandel."

"I know that. However, life can be more valuable than some rules, so I asked."

"There isn't a coward like that in the White Wolf Tribe!"

"Then I won't ask if you would like to become a snitch. To your people."

"You seem nice for a Runcandel."

Clang! 

Goltep began to squeeze the last bits of aura. For each instantaneous moment, he could muster a little more than what he had left.

The ability of warriors, gathering aura using the life force. Seeing the hammer burning with aura, Jin stepped back for the first time.

"Man, it was getting fun. But you're actually going for an efficient fight at the end?"

If he didn't fight him, burning away his life force was futile. If Jin dodged, then Goltep wouldn't have enough energy to even retaliate.

Jin shook his head.

"No, as a knight, like you, I show my respect. I salute your final moments."

He remembered his fight with Myuron Zipfel.

The moment he cut the Hell's Gate that the magician opened, and the place he went to when he lost consciousness, the barrier walling off an area…

'Cut.'

No one told him about it.

Like the ancient magic swordsmen of Runcandel, Jin murmured a spell.

'Cut, cut that…'

Whoooooosh.

From the body of the blade, darkness spread. The burning spiritual energy wrapped around Bradamante and made a figure of a blade.

"Whoa~"

Goltep let out sounds of admiration. Spiritual energy, the power that the first patriarch used to put Javier into eternal sleep.

Some White Wolf Tribesmen considered it a curse.

However, Goltep thought facing the same death as Javier was something glorious.

"Come forth, Jin Runcandel!"

'Cut.'

Jin muttered a spell and charged forward. Goltep swung his hammer down.

For a moment, both their faces glowed from the aura.

Slash!

Bradamante's dark blade swallowed the light and cut the hammer.

The hammer was perfectly split into two, falling to the left and right. From the gap between the two pieces, Jin was visible. Seeing Jin, Goltep flashed a grin.

Chhhhh…!

Half a beat later, Goltep's body split into two. Jin sheathed his sword and breathed deeply.

Looking towards Goltep's direction, Jin bowed before walking towards Enya…

"A great battle, Goltep Hafalep. I will remember your name."

…Along with some words of sympathy.