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Chapter 212 The Bloody Bat

Ogun only had three Skills.

The first one; his most important Skill which was exclusive to him alone—[Damage Nullification].

This was his golden finger; the sole Skill that made him capable of rising up the ranks and defeating countless opponents without getting as much as a scratch on him.

With it, unless someone was absurdly strong or if a much higher Level than him—with a better Clsss to boot—they could never compare to him.

Other than this Skill, he had two more.

[Power Output] and [Intimidation Aura].

The former allowed him to explosively increase his combat ability by increasing his strength to an unimaginable degree while also costing himself in dense, powerful Mana.

As for the latter Skill, it caused his opponents to tremble in fear; allowing them to grow paranoid and even sluggish in their movements.

Even the most skilled opponent would find it difficult to move properly if their body wasn't listening to them as a result of fear.

As Ogun tightly gripped his club, he activated its special ability.

~VWUUUUMMM!!!~

Dark red energy covered it, and blackish red lightning sparked around him as he chuckled like the monster that he was.

The earth around him caved in as his overwhelming power began to deep out in disturbing amounts.

His Club was called 'Barbarian's Bloody Bat' and it could imbue itself with energy equivalent to how many human lives it had extinguished.

Yes… human lives.

The gap in strength between each life taken wasn't too much, so he had to eliminate a lot of foes for the Club to have a slight boost in power.

It was almost like Leveling Up, but for a weapon.

It even got increasingly harder to see growth when he pummeled down weak foes, so Ogun currently sought stronger people to smash in with his club.

Right here and now, he had found two; Yuri and the man before him.

'After I kill both of them, I wonder how much stronger the Club will get…'

Ogun's thoughts were already dwelling in the realm of absolutes; there was no possibility of failure.

With all his preparations complete—his Enchanted Items working perfectly, and his Skills activated—Ogun felt like an overpowered beast.

He was ready to pounce on his prey.

'Hehehe… let's go!'

~WHOOOSH!~

He became a sharp blur, with traces of his eyes glowing red as he moved like the wind.

Everything in the world slowed down and he became the fastest thing moving.

It was a surreal experience, but Ogun did not let any of that distract him from his simple goal.

"I'll cave your face in with my Bloody Bat!" He yelled and took a sharp swing.

The weapon moved like a colossal mountain compressed into a mere club—carrying the entire pressure of wind as it moved.

Compared to the masked figure that stood still, it was too big, and it was bound to finish him off with a simple move.

'I wanted to enjoy this more, but it looks like this will soon be over…'

Ogun didn't know why he felt relieved by this conclusion, but he shrugged off those useless thoughts and watched as his weapon made its way to his victim's face.

It was the en—

"This weapon…"

As soon as that voice echoed, the masked man raised his hand and stopped the club mid-motion. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

—AGAIN!

'I-it's not budging!' Ogun's bulging eyes clearly expressed his thoughts as he looked at the absolutely absurd scenario.

'How is this happening?!'

How could this man bare handedly stop a weapon that was almost as tall as he was?

He didn't even seem to be taking any damage!

"Why… why does it have such an ability…?" The masked man seemed to be trembling as he held the club.

As Ogun saw this, his creeping fear was slowly doused.

'He's under the effect of my [Intimidation Aura], and he's probably struggling under all that weight!'

Even though the stranger was using only one hand to stop the spiky club, Ogun still chose to believe that as the only reasonable explanation.

'Is he aware of Bloody Bat's ability? Looks like it intimidated him. Hehe… what a wuss!'

Ogun decided he would try a few more times and pummel his foe until he was nothing but mincemeat.

However—

'H-huh? Why isn't it budging…?!'

His club seemed to be stuck in place—unable to even shift the slightest bit.

It was as if it was being sucked further away from his grip the more he tried to pull away.

'What the he—?!'

~WUUUUM!~

Before Ogun could conclude his thoughts, he felt an overwhelmingly chilly aura spread from the man who stood before him.

It caused his body to tremble and his teeth to chatter.

"Why… did I have to copy such a Skill? Taking human lives in exchange for power…?"

Ogun could not see the expression that the masked man had under his guise, but he could tell that this wasn't fear.

Despite his trembling tone, this had to be something else.

"It's like you're giving me a reason to kill you. All of you…"

Ogun didn't know why he gulped the moment he heard those words.

"Why is this world… why do you keep driving me to this point? I don't want to do it, but… if I can grow stronger and save others in the process, then…"

Ogun didn't understand what the man before him was saying.

He could only feel something happening to his club.

'W-why is it trembling so much? It's shaking violently. Almost as if it—!'

~CRACK!!!~

In that split moment, the Barbarian's Bloody Bat that Ogun was so proud of experienced a drastic transformation.

Several cracks appeared all over it, all stemming from the point where it was held by the masked man.

Then—

~BOOOM!~

It shattered apart the next moment.

Like broken rocks—or particles of ice that had been broken to pieces by an even stronger force—the debris scattered all around.

The spiky club that had given this barbarian so much confidence simply broke to pieces like it was nothing but thin ice.

As the debris scattered, Ogun's moist and terribly confused eyes could see the masked man's crimson irises.

It shone with power, but there was something else buried underneath them.

Something deep… dark… disturbing.

It was bloodlust!

"… I think I might kill you."

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Chapter 213 Ogun Vs Ralyks

What is life? What is death?

Despite how long humanity has lived in this world, none of these two concepts have been satisfactorily answered or explored.

However, most would agree with their simple definition.

Life is simply the concept that best explains the state of being alive.

Death… is the opposite.

To experience death means to die…

Many proclaim to know what happens after death—eternal paradise, or torment, or even a limbo.

But no one knows for sure.

And so, for many, death is the ultimate end to anyone.

Everything is forever lost and fades into obscurity—as if it never existed.

Like tears in rain.

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Ogun's eyes bulged as his weapon shattered right in front of him.

The pressure, as well as the force he had generated trying to pull his weapon away, caused his hulking body to fly back.

"Guh!" He grunted as his ebony body slid on the dirty ground.

Despite his skin being impenetrable, the sensation felt deeply uncomfortable.

Ogun held his head with one hand and shook it.

"Urgh…" He let out a deep breath and looked in front of him, hoping all that happened was just in his head.

However, upon seeing the masked man's outstretched hand and pieces of his club dropping from his grasp, he could no longer deny it.

The masked man had destroyed his club.

"My name is Ralyks, and while this wasn't my initial plan… I'm going to have to kill you here."

As those words reverberated in the night air, Ogun felt his body shake.

He could see from the glowing crimson eyes of his enemy that he was absolutely serious.

'Why?!'

No; Ogun realized how strange his thought process was.

In the first place, why wouldn't he kill him?

They were enemies, and Ogun would have done the same to him within a heartbeat.

In the Criminal Underworld, it was the fate of the loser to die—usually painful deaths—in the advent of the winner's triumph.

There was nothing strange about it.

"Now then…" A step was taking from the masked figure.

Ogun immediately slid back with his hands.

He was still on the ground, seated as he faced Ralyks—as he called himself.

He didn't know why, but with every advance made by the man, he found himself trying to widen the distance. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

Who would ever think that a Head Of Destruction could act in such a shameful way? He also couldn't believe it.

It almost felt like his body was moving on its own.

'No…'

Ogun slid another few inches back.

'… No, I can't allow this…'

His bloodshot eyes quivered as Ralyks drew even closer.

'… I CAN'T LET IT END LIKE THIS!'

~BOOOM!~

The earth around him cracked as his gigantic body rose to its feet.

He felt immensely powerful once again; thanks to his [Power Output] Skill finally making a comeback.

All his Enchanted Items fueled him with confidence, but what made him most optimistic was his body itself.

'So what if he destroyed my Bloody Bat? I'm indestructible!'

Ogun's body gleamed like metal, and his muscles bulged as he tightened them in preparation for the showdown.

'I just have to be faster… stronger…' Ogun knew that this man's seemingly overpowered strength wouldn't last forever.

He had to be using some kind of Skill—no, probably a bunch of them!

He could also be using Enchanted Items.

'Fuck! I should have considered that.'

Since he worked for the KariBlanc Group, chances were that he would receive tons of benefits from them. A bunch of Enchanted Items could not be out of the equation.

'He'll soon reach his limits. I just have to keep pummeling!'

Unlike the scrawny Ralyks, Ogun had been working out and building his body his entire life.

He was sure he had far more stamina; and since his defenses were guaranteed, he was sure who would last the longest.

'I just have to—!'

Before Ogun could complete his line of thought, Ralyks was right in front of him.

'T-teleportation?!'

Well, it didn't matter to Ogun in the slightest. The fact that his opponent was right in front of him meant only one thing.

His job was easier now.

"Time to dig in!"

He clenched his fists and began to launch a flurry of punches towards the masked figure.

Every blow that was sent out felt like it was being stopped by an unbreachable wall.

His attacks were doing nothing.

However, Ogun did not stop—he couldn't stop, no matter what!

"ORAAAAAAAAA!!!"

His muscles bulged even more, and his speed exploded to a phenomenal degree. He relentlessly continued his attacks, not even stopping for a second.

However—

"That's enough."

The next strike that Ogun sent towards Ralyks was suddenly directed back at him—almost like a counter.

All of a sudden, his bones shattered, and his arm became mangled.

"GUARK!" Blood sprayed out of his ebony skin as he staggered backwards.

'H-he used… a Counter-type Skill?!'

That was the only explanation that Ogun could think of, considering how he was harmed by how own ferocious blow,

"It's about time we ended this." As Ralyks spoke, Ogun's heart trembled.

He realized at that moment that he could be harmed.

'If he redirects my hits, then I'll take damage. I have to—!'

Right as Ogun was having these thoughts, trying to find his perfect footing, Ralyks suddenly appeared before him.

"Euk! Y-you—!"

~CRACK!~

Both of his knees were shattered instantly, and Ogun found himself kneeling on the ground before he realized what happened.

'E-eh? But… I didn't attack.' Ogun's eyes swelled in confusion.

How was he receiving DAMAGE?!

He tried to push himself up and leap from Ralyks so he could create some distance. But…

"Stay."

The small hand of the masked one touched his shoulder, and the pressure he generated caused Ogun's intentions to remain just that.

—Intentions!

He couldn't rise up thanks to the hand that kept him down, and even when he tried to pull the hand away, he was met with another shattered bone in his only viable hand.

"GAHH!"

Ogun, the invincible one, found himself kneeling in the presence of someone.

His two legs couldn't move, and both of his hands were no longer viable.

As the beads on his neck clacked hard on his tough chest, Ogun could only look at the ground—no, the man's shoes.

He was no longer the taller one.

Instead, Ralyks looked down on him from an elevated height—

his crimson gaze filled with condescension.

'H-how did he do it…? I'm supposed to be… invincible…'

There was only one answer left for Ogun, and now he had no other choice but to accept it.

The man before him—Ralyks—was stronger than he was.

Far, far stronger!

He was probably on par with the Deadly Three, the way Ogun saw it.

'What now? What more can I do?'

The answer evaded Ogun. He could no longer fight, and he could no longer run.

He was just a useless limp of mangled flesh and broken bones; left at the mercy of the devil before him.

'Is this… the end?'

It was at this moment that Ogun had an epiphany.

He looked around him and saw the faces of his subordinates, and he yelled with all the strength he had left in his lungs.

"WHAT ARE YOU ALL WAITING FOR?! ATTACK!"

Ogun didn't care that saliva rushed out of his mouth as he spoke.

"KILL THAT BASTARD!"

He just wanted to live.

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