Troll King (2)

The Troll King, still on his knees, growled in disbelief. His bright red eyes, wide with surprise, flickered as he muttered,"What just happened?"

His voice rumbled like distant thunder, a low, resonant growl that seemed to shake the very air. "I was… pushed back?"

"Me?"

His voice grew harsh, each word sharp with disbelief. "No one has ever dared to touch me… but I was pushed back by a human?" The realization struck him hard, and his shock turned into seething anger.

"AHHHHH!" he roared, his voice echoing through the cavern."I WILL TEAR YOU APART!"

Akira had already moved away, his bright white eyes locked onto the towering figure before him. He breathed heavily, his chest rising and falling as adrenaline surged through his veins, sharpening his focus. "I hit him with everything I had… and that's all it did to him?"

Akira gritted his teeth in frustration, his fingers twitching as sparks of lightning danced around them. "Tch… This monster…"

Before he could finish his thought, the Troll King moved. Despite his massive size, he vanished in an instant, leaving a rush of wind in his wake.

"What—?!"

Akira's instincts screamed a warning, but it was too late. The giant reappeared behind him, his enormous axe raised high. The weapon came crashing down with the force of a meteor.

CRASH!

The ground shattered upon impact, cracks spreading like spiderwebs as Akira's body was sent flying across the lair like a ragdoll. He slammed into the jagged floor of the cave, tumbling before finally skidding to a stop.

Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he pushed himself up, his arms trembling from the effort. "You think that can stop me, you overgrown brute?"

Akira growled, his voice dripping with defiance despite the pain coursing through his body. His glowing eyes, like twin moons in the darkness, burned with unyielding resolve.

The Troll King sneered, his crimson eyes blazing as his massive frame loomed over Akira like a storm cloud.

"You're tougher than I expected," the beast rumbled, his voice dripping with malice."But that will only make crushing you more satisfying."

In an instant, the battle resumed.

The Troll King charged, his colossal axe cutting through the air with deadly precision. Akira barely dodged, his body twisting with every ounce of agility he could muster. But the Troll King's assault was relentless. Each swing of the axe was like a wrecking ball, each strike aimed to end the fight in a single blow.

Akira countered with blinding speed, his fists crackling with lightning as he struck back. His attacks landed true, each punch and kick targeting the Troll King's vital points. This time, one of his lightning-infused blows struck the Troll King's knee joint, forcing the beast to stagger slightly.

The cavern trembled as the Troll King's massive foot slammed into the ground to steady himself. Rocks crumbled from the ceiling, crashing down around them. Dust filled the air, and the walls groaned under the strain of their clash.

Akira's eyes narrowed. "Got you."

But the Troll King recovered quickly, his lips curling into a cruel grin as he swung his axe in a wide arc. Akira barely leapt back in time, the blade carving a deep gash into the stone floor.

A powerful backhand from the Troll King caught Akira in the ribs, sending him flying through the air. He crashed into a jagged rock wall, coughing up blood as he slumped to the ground.

"Damn it… this isn't working," Akira muttered, wiping the blood from his lips as he forced himself to stand.

The Troll King's grin widened, his sharp teeth glinting in the dim light "Is this all you've got, human?"

Akira's glowing eyes flickered with frustration and anger, his determination burning brighter.

"I can't win like this," he thought, his mind racing for a solution."His strength… it's beyond anything I've ever faced.Not only is he massive, but he's fast too?"

"That's just unfair!"

A sharp pain in his chest reminded him of his restraint. "And here I am, holding back my stamina and strength… If that demonic human shows up…"

Akira's thoughts spiraled.

"And if I'm too exhausted to face him afterward, this whole fight is pointless."

"But if I don't push harder, I'll die here, and all of this will have been pointless. Let's defeat him first, then think about the rest later."

As the dust settled, Akira's sharp eyes caught something—a pattern. The Troll King's attacks were powerful but predictable. He favored his right side, and his recovery after a heavy swing was slightly slower.

"His left knee… it buckled when I hit it earlier. If I can target that again, maybe I can slow him down."

Gritting his teeth, Akira created some distance, lightning crackling around his body. With a swift motion, he unleashed a barrage of white lightning bolts, each one streaking through the air like a vengeful storm. The cavern lit up with blinding flashes as the attacks hurtled toward the Troll King.

The bolts struck true, forcing the Troll King to raise his axe to block. The impact sent a shockwave through the cavern, dislodging more rocks and causing the ground to tremble.

The Troll King growled, his red eyes narrowing as he took a single step back.

"You…" he snarled, his voice laced with irritation.Akira smirked, blood still dripping from his mouth. "Not so untouchable now, are you?"

The Troll King let out a guttural chuckle, the sound reverberating through the cavern like rolling thunder.

"How amusing," he sneered, his voice dripping with scorn. "A fool like you dares to challenge me?When this is all you have?"

The Troll King's smirk widened, his sharp teeth glinting in the dim light."You are nothing."

"Weak."

"Disgusting."

"A puny human who doesn't know his place, just like the rest of your kind."

Akira wiped the blood from his mouth, his jaw tightening as his glowing eyes remained locked on the Troll King.

"Tch…"

He studied the Troll King's massive frame, searching for any sign of weakness. Every muscle in his body screamed in pain, yet his determination only grew stronger.

The cavern seemed to hold its breath, the air thick with tension. The scent of burnt ozone from Akira's lightning mixed with the earthy smell of crumbling stone. The oppressive heat of the battle made the air feel heavy, and the echoes of their clash reverberated endlessly, amplifying the chaos.

The Troll King's mocking laughter echoed through the cavern, but deep within, Akira felt a volcano of anger ready to erupt.

"You talk too much," Akira spat, his voice low and razor-sharp. Sparks of lightning danced around his fists as he steadied himself.

"Let's see if you can still laugh when I put you on your knees again."

The air around Akira began to distort, the faint hum of energy growing louder. His muscles tensed, his breathing slowed, and the ground beneath him crackled with electricity. The cavern seemed to darken as his power surged, the oppressive weight of it pressing down on everything.

"Enough holding back."

"If this power almost took control of my body before, it's time to see if it's worth using against you."

The air thickened with tension as Akira growled, "Cursed Infernal Weep..."

His mark shone with a malevolent crimson glow, pulsating with a rhythm that seemed to course through his very being. The intricate patterns expanded, curling up his arms, and a glowing red emblem flared to life on his wrist. Circles and lines etched themselves above it, radiating an ominous energy.

A sharp chime echoed in Akira's mind, followed by a notification from the system:

!Ding!"

[System Notification]

[Calculating damage taken…]

[Calculating…]

[The user has sustained sufficient damage.]

[The effect of Cursed Infernal Weep will be doubled.]

[Temporary stat boost: +10 to all attributes.]

Akira's eyes widened as the notification scrolled before him.

"Ten?!" he muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Ten points to every stat?!"

"I can feel the difference even when one stat increases… but ten all at once?" The notification chimed again.

[System Notification]

[All stats temporarily boosted by 10.]

A sudden wave of strength surged through him, and his muscles felt overwhelmingly powerful. His senses sharpened—every sound, sight, and even the faintest vibrations of the cavern floor beneath him became crystal clear. His breathing steadied as his body adapted to this newfound power, and his white eyes glowed brighter, brimming with wild energy.

With the temporary boost from Cursed Infernal Weep and the Soul Infusion already active, Akira's power skyrocketed. He felt something he had never experienced before.

Akira tightened his fists, feeling the raw energy coursing through him. His voice was quiet, a mix of surprise and excitement."Is this… me?" he whispered, a sly smile creeping onto his face. "This is my power? It doesn't even seem real."

The Troll King, poised to attack, halted abruptly. He sensed it—the air around the human had changed. It was different now.

The Troll King's mind raced, his red eyes narrowing."The human worm he… is not the same anymore. That energy he's emitting… what did he do?"

Akira, still adjusting to his newfound strength, suddenly vanished from sight, leaving only a faint blur behind. Before the Troll King could react, Akira reappeared a short distance away, casually brushing dust off his shoulder.

The Troll King snarled in frustration, gripping his massive axe tighter. "You damn human!"

Akira ignored the beast's rage, his mind racing. "When I obtained the Cursed Infernal Weep, the system mentioned I could use it without any side effects. Maybe that means I can keep it active indefinitely, since it hasn't shown any duration limit. And it means the more damage I take, the stronger I become." His lips curled into a dangerous smirk. "I still can't believe I got this for free. Guildmaster Sylara may regret what she has given me… I can't even measure its worth."

The Troll King roared. "You're just a bug with a mouth! I'll crush you!"

Akira turned to face him fully, his expression cold and mocking. "Should we go for round two?" His voice dripped with mockery. "King of the mud?"

The Troll King trembled with rage. "You worm! I'll rip out that tongue of yours!"

The air crackled with energy as Akira charged forward, his movements sharper, faster, and more precise than ever. His muscles surged with power as he rushed toward the Troll King, the ground cracking beneath his feet.

This time, he wasn't just relying on his fists and lightning. He reached into his inventory and summoned PanthoSword, the blade gleaming with a soft glow, as if it recognized its wielder's heightened power.

The Troll King snarled, gripping his massive axe tighter."So, the little human wants to play with a shiny toy now?"

Akira smirked, the taunt rolling off his tongue effortlessly. "I thought it'd be unfair if I didn't give you at least a chance to feel the sting of real power."

The Troll King roared, his booming voice shaking the cavern. "I'll crush you and that pathetic blade!"

Akira closed the distance in an instant, his movements now blindingly fast as he swung the PanthoSword with precision. The sword clashed against the Troll King's axe in a deafening CLANG, sparks flying as metal met metal. The force of the impact shook the cave, causing small rocks to tumble from the ceiling.

The Troll King swung his axe in a horizontal arc, aiming to cleave Akira in two. But Akira dodged, his body flowing like water, and retaliated with an upward slash. The Troll King barely managed to block the strike, but the sheer force of the blow pushed him back a step—a sight that would have been unthinkable moments ago.

Akira grinned. "Having trouble, 'Mud King'?"

"You worm!" the Troll King bellowed, his frustration mounting. "What have you done?! You could barely keep up before!"

Akira sidestepped another swing of the axe, laughing playfully. "Nothing. You did this to me," he said, his voice dripping with mockery. "Looks like you hit me a bit too hard earlier, didn't you?"

Enraged, the Troll King bellowed, his massive body moving faster than before. In an instant, he was in front of Akira, catching the young human off guard.

Akira's instincts screamed at him, but there was no room to retreat. His mind raced. "Damn, I can't dodge this one. If it hits me, I'm done. Better to face this head-on. I don't have a choice."

He swung the PanthoSword in a desperate defense, gripping it tightly out of fear. The sword missed its mark, but what happened next shocked both the Troll King and Akira himself.

A bright white light erupted from the blade as Akira completed the swing, creating a path of pure white energy in the air. The radiant slash was wreathed in lightning, a display of immense power mixed with precision that seemed to embody Akira's essence.

The Troll King's eyes widened as he raised his axe to deflect the incoming blow, but the sheer force of the energy sent him reeling. His axe absorbed most of the impact, but residual energy slashed through his chest, leaving a deep, jagged wound.

Purple blood gushed from the gash, sizzling as it hit the cavern floor.

The Troll King staggered back, clutching his chest. His growl was a mix of pain and disbelief."What… was that attack just now?" the beast muttered, his red eyes narrowing.

Akira stood frozen, staring at his own sword. His hands trembled slightly, not from fear but from awe.

"What just… happened?" he whispered, his voice barely audible over the fading hum of energy. He tightened his grip on PanthoSword, his mind racing.

"Was that… me? Did I do that?"