The First Enemy

The barbarian leader spent his entire life in the Frozen Forest, where danger lurked behind every tree, and the snow never ceased. In this harsh environment, the barbarians formed a community centered solely on strength. They would send boys and girls outside of the village at the tender age of eight to hunt down for resources for the first time.

There ,they had to survive alone for two weeks and prove their ability to contribute to the community's survival. There was no place for the weak, and those who couldn't prove their worth were considered better off dead, swallowed by the forest itself. This was a great way to naturally reduce the population and select the best genes, allowing the community to grow stronger.

Because of this challenging way of life, the barbarians never feared death; they saw it as a natural part of their existence. In fact, dying in battle was considered an honorable act by them, a way to contribute to the survival of the community and to be welcomed by their ancestors around the bonfire to rest for eternity.

That's why, when the barbarian saw the fiery sword approaching his neck, there was no fear in his eyes. He had confronted dangerous wolves, orcs, and death spiders within the Frozen Forest; facing such a small man was not a challenge. The barbarian tightened his grip on his axe with both hands and swung it powerfully, like a baseball player hitting a fastball out of the camp.

The clash of steel against stone echoed across the battlefield as Henry's blazing sword failed to shatter the axe, crafted from a type of rock found within the confines of the Frozen Forest. Feeling the obstacle, Henry briefly locked eyes with the barbarian as gentle snowflakes danced around them, seemingly unperturbed by the destroyed ground and the upending battle near Eisenburg's walls.

*Huff* - Henry took a deep breath and rapidly channeled energy into his Mana Circuits, pressing down on the enemy.

With their swords entangled, the barbarian could feel the small man's sword forcing him down with a formidable force, leaving him at a disadvantage. His muscles quivered while holding the stone axe, unable to bear the weight of the sword. Suddenly, his chest tattoo shone with a faint blue light, allowing him to regain his footing.

"Ah!" – The barbarian cried out, channeling all his strength into his arms, causing the veins in his muscles to swell.

Henry found himself being pushed back, even though he was already channeling more than half of the energy his circuits could handle, a testament to the barbarian's strength. Realizing he was losing ground, Henry had no choice but to disengage his weapon and leap backward, narrowly avoiding a hole created by the explosion of the Torch Tree Seeds.

He turned his eyes back to the shirtless man, whose muscles had swelled considerably as steam rose from the tribal tattoo on his chest, giving him a more savage appearance. Without hesitation, he brandished his stone axe defiantly and kicked the ground, charging directly toward Henry, creating a deep trail on the snow.

"Beast" - Henry couldn't help but murmur. The man now appeared more like an animal than a human, driven solely by the instinct to fight his prey.

As the barbarian closed in, Henry swiftly shifted into a lunge position, left foot forward and right foot poised to follow, ready for a quick and dynamic movement. He held his sword near his shoulder and pushed off the ground, determined to meet the charging barbarian head-on. The burning sword in his hands made him resemble a shooting star.

The teaching of the Sun God Battle Manual flashed through Henry's mind. It was the complement of the Sun God Technique and contained all the combat skills developed by the founder himself and utilized through countless battles by those of the Royal Bloodline. In this world, the Battle Manuals held instructions on how to guide the Mana through the circuits to enhance the attack and deliver much more powerful strikes.

The Fire Sword skill belonged to the Enhancement type, which could significantly boost a weapon's lethality and durability. It had the potential to transform an ordinary wooden sword into a deadly weapon capable of slicing through a solid iron armor. In addition to Enhancement skills, there were three other skill types commonly utilized by warriors in this world: Damage, Defense, and Support skills, each one could be divided into subcategories.

"I need to finish this quickly"- Henry thought, his Mana Circuits burning as fiery Mana surged through them. He was about to unleash a Damage-type technique from the Sun God Battle Manual called "Solfire Cleave." - As the barbarian closed in, swinging his axe, Henry shouted the technique's name.

His Mana surged within his circuits, rushing toward his sword, and Henry felt like a superhuman, ready to cut down anything in his path. Executing the Solfire Cleave required perfect timing, as any wrong move could potentially burn a few of his Mana pathways. The sword in Henry's hands blazed even brighter as it descended rapidly toward his opponent, creating a beautiful, fiery arc in the air. The snow around them sizzled and evaporated in the wake of this intense attack.

The Solfire Cleave was a lightning-fast attack, possessing the power to cleave a tree in half or bisect a man with ease. Legends even spoke of Garret Von Stahl, the kingdom's founder, using this technique to split an entire mountain in single movement, a colossal fiery slash erupting from his sword, akin to a dragon's fiery breath.

Henry's attack was executed with such speed that the barbarian had no chance to react. All he could do was watch powerlessly the blazing red color permeating his view as the sword hurtled towards him, swifter than anything he had even seen in his life. The wolves and the Death Spider weren't that fast.

Without encountering any resistance, Henry's sword sliced through the enemy. It was the first time he had executed such an attack since arriving in this world, and he couldn't help but feel amazed by the incredible speed of it all.

*Thud*

The soft thud of the enemy's head hitting the snowy ground reverberated across the battlefield, leaving the soldiers of the First Battalion in awe. They had never imagined that their seemingly foolish king possessed such incredible power. Without them having to lift a finger, Henry had single-handedly dispatched the enemy.

Everything had unfolded exactly as Henry had anticipated, with swiftness being the key. He shifted his gaze to the approaching next adversary, fully aware that this battle wouldn't be as effortless. The next opponent was rapidly closing in, his eyes reflecting a mixture of shock and anger as he witnessed his comrade's fall. And behind him, a horde of hundreds of barbarians stood ready to engage in battle.

"It hurts…" – Henry painfully said, feeling his body aching from the attack. However, he had to be ready to fight. It was his first kill, but he felt nothing.

(Edited)