Chapter 37 – Carpeng Subjugation (4)

In the game, Carpeng had a pattern just before the second phase began: it would absorb any attacks received during the blood energy gathering period and return them to the attacker.

It was the same in reality.

Luchi and Heinzel were hit by their own attacks, reflected back at them.

If they had the same knowledge I did, they wouldn’t have been beaten so badly. No. They would’ve been more than capable of winning.

“Rubia, do your best to support me,” I said as I turned toward Carpeng.

Heinzel’s shattered halberd lay at my feet. The ground was soaked from the blood Carpeng had shed.

I stopped. Luchi’s sword, embedded in the ground, became a boundary separating me from Carpeng.

Carpeng’s low growls echoed through the air.

I expanded my senses, feeling out Carpeng’s condition. The blood energy was still condensed inside its body. Its massive form was riddled with deep, gaping wounds.

Like in the game, the wounds from the first phase couldn’t heal.

If I focus on those wounds, I can take it down. If I follow the path Luchi and Heinzel carved, I can win this.

[GRRRRR-]

In an instant, the blood energy coalesced, signaling the start of the second phase.

The armor encasing its massive body crumpled and fell to the ground. The enormous halberd in its hand shattered into pieces.

The accumulated blood energy vibrated the air around it.

I gripped the greatsword Hephaestus had given me, steadying my breath.

And then.

[GRRRAAAAAAAA-!!]

With a deafening roar, its arm swung. The blood energy shot forward.

I concentrated my senses on one spot. The direction. It wasn’t aimed at me—it was targeting Luchi.

At this rate, Rubia would be in danger too.

I had no choice, even if Luchi was in bad shape.

I rushed toward Rubia, grabbed her by the neck, and tossed her aside. Then, I kicked the fallen Luchi over to Rubia. Blood spurted from Luchi’s mouth as the force of the kick fractured more of his bones.

There’s no time to worry about that now.

I swung the greatsword at an angle toward the blood energy. The blade screeched as the energy deflected off and slammed into the ground, sending dust and pebbles flying.

I held my breath and charged at Carpeng.

Its right arm reached out toward me. I twisted my body to dodge, only for the blood energy to follow. I swung the greatsword with all my might, cutting through the energy.

Carpeng’s claws swiped at me again, with blood energy trailing behind.

I exhaled sharply and shifted my stance, drawing an arc with the greatsword. With a satisfying clink, I deflected its claws. But the blood energy surged ahead.

I threw myself in the direction of my sword’s swing, accelerating my body forward. A jagged claw mark was carved into the spot where I had just stood.

I stabbed the greatsword into the ground to stop my momentum.

As I expected. This Carpeng is different from the one in the game.

It has no patterns. No warning signs. Even if I parry its attacks, it doesn’t stagger.

The difference in reach is staggering. Every element—the scent, the wind, the dust—works against me.

And there’s no second chance.

“Haa…”

I steadied my breath and charged again.

I can’t afford to give up any ground. I need to stay within striking distance. I can’t let Carpeng focus on Rubia or Luchi.

I parried another swipe of its claws. Dodged the blood energy. And struck back at the open jaws lunging at me.

I closed the gap.

Blood energy surged from its tail, engulfing my body. I bit my lip and twisted, pulling back just in time. A gash opened along my side, spraying blood in all directions.

But I didn’t stop. I had to keep pressing forward to prevent it from turning its attention to the others.

I pushed my senses to the extreme. The pain didn’t register. There was no backlash.

Why? I’ll figure that out later. For now, I need to focus on the battle.

I traced every movement of Carpeng. Its shoulder muscles tensed, and I swung the greatsword accordingly.

Screeching sound—a sharp, piercing noise shot through my ears. The sound alone felt like it was tearing my body apart.

Carpeng’s relentless attacks gave me no time to breathe.

The blood energy fired again. The tail whipped around. Its jaws opened wide.

I deflected the attacks with my greatsword. Sparks flew. Before those sparks could die, another attack came.

I dodged, blocked, and deflected.

Carpeng’s tail coiled like a snake and struck again. I jumped, twisted in mid-air, and swung my greatsword. But my half-hearted strike was easily repelled by the blood energy.

Using the recoil, I spun my body, bringing the greatsword upward. It struck Carpeng’s chin, snapping its open jaws shut.

Finally. Carpeng’s blood splattered onto the greatsword.

But my satisfaction was short-lived.

Its claws came down again. I stepped on its chest and leapt back. Then I lunged forward once more.

The blood energy slashed through the spot where I had just stood. Pebbles and debris grazed my skin as they flew past.

Before I could catch my breath, its tail swung at me again.

I planted the greatsword in the ground and blocked the tail. Stomping my foot down, I yanked the greatsword free and blocked the next wave of blood energy.

Ten dodges. Ten deflections. Ten blocks. And only then did I have a chance to strike.

It was an impossible condition. A never-ending, unfavorable fight.

But I was used to it. I’ve always done it alone.

Carpeng’s attacks and my greatsword clashed in the air. I deflected, straightened, and unraveled its twisting strikes.

I have no idea how many times we exchanged blows in one breath. I couldn’t count.

And just as the grueling battle continued—

I missed a claw. I couldn’t sense the blood energy. I lost its movement.

And then.

Clang!

Rubia’s divine power intercepted Carpeng’s attack from behind.

Having a party member… feels this reassuring?

With a small grin, I charged again.

Stabbed, swung, retracted, slashed. Every dodge and parry left a strange trail as I darted forward.

It twisted its joints with the blood energy, something that never happened in the game. Each of its cursed attacks tightened the noose around me.

Even a graze tore away flesh. Blood splattered everywhere. The gusts of wind from its attacks pushed me back.

I gathered the scattered blood droplets and charged again. I swung the greatsword through the wind, cutting it apart.

Whenever I was short of breath, Rubia covered for me. Whenever an attack was too much to handle, Rubia blocked it.

But every time she did, Carpeng’s gaze turned to her.

How dare you look at her.

I charged recklessly and snatched its attention back.

Its claws slashed at me. Rubia’s divine power blocked the claws. But the blood energy followed, targeting me.

I predicted Carpeng’s movements and diverted the blood energy.

I could feel Carpeng’s ragged breathing. Its growls of pain echoed around me.

I swung the greatsword up and struck its wrist, targeting the spot Heinzel’s halberd had already torn apart.

Crack—I felt the muscle tear, severing an artery. I slashed through its tendons.

Carpeng’s wrist dangled. I didn’t miss my chance. I clung to it.

I struck again and again. I kept smashing down. Until its right hand was useless.

Again. Again. Again.

Its claws were ripped out. The sickly yellow bones were exposed.

Furious blood energy surged, driving me back. And it began to regenerate its right hand.

I circled around the ruined right eye Luchi had gouged out.

Carpeng’s head turned, exposing its blind spot. I charged.

I swept my sword at the exposed knee. Its leg buckled.

I swung around and slashed upward with the greatsword. Teeth scattered to the ground.

I grabbed the largest fang and, with all my strength, plunged it into the gap Luchi and Heinzel had opened in its hide.

The enormous fang pierced through the muscle. I didn’t stop.

I pounded the fang into its thigh with the greatsword. The fang shattered the weakened bone and drove straight through its leg.

Dark red blood sprayed into the sky. A pained scream filled the air.

I drank the blood to quench my thirst. I savored its screams, feeding my rage.

The bitter, metallic taste snapped my mind into focus. My rage fueled my strength.

I dove under Carpeng and swung the greatsword again. Its body jerked backward.

I spun around and slashed at its spine.

The tough hide gave way.

Again. Again. Again. Again.

Muscle tore. Blood vessels burst. Its grotesque spine was exposed.

I stabbed the greatsword into its spine and crushed it.

Carpeng’s blood energy lashed out, scattering in all directions.

I yanked the greatsword free and leapt back.

Rubia’s divine power blocked the smaller waves of blood energy.

Almost there.

I steadied my breathing.

I charged a half-breath faster, moving toward Carpeng before its blood energy could envelop its spine.

My greatsword struck first.

Bones shattered beneath the weight of my blow.

Carpeng’s legs gave way as the strength drained from its lower body.

The massive creature, once towering over me, fell to the ground, its neck landing right in front of me.

But just as quickly, the blood energy began swirling around its spine.

Muscle and bone started knitting themselves back together.

The blood energy was working to restore its body.

There’s no time.

As the blood energy focused on healing its wounds, Carpeng wouldn’t be able to defend itself.

This is my last chance.

I climbed up Carpeng’s thigh and launched myself into the air, bringing the greatsword down onto its head.

With a sound like an explosion, Carpeng’s skull smashed into the ground.

I spun my body in mid-air, using the momentum to bring the greatsword down again—this time with even more force.

From above, I aimed for its neck.

Carpeng’s blood energy surged, forming a protective layer around its throat.

But I gritted my teeth and forced my blade through the energy barrier.

The hide tore apart. Muscle ripped.

I exposed the spine at last.

The greatsword halted halfway through, my strength not enough to finish the job.

“Rubiaaaaaaaa!!!” I screamed, calling for the one person who could give me the strength I needed.

In that instant.

An arrow shot through the air and slammed into my greatsword.

But it wasn’t Rubia’s divine power.

It was an arrow.

A single arrow, unlike any I had seen before.

Rubia doesn’t use arrows.

None of us here use arrows.

Then…

Who fired it?

I instinctively widened my senses.

Meanwhile, Carpeng’s spine began to regenerate, muscle and skin knitting back together.

Time was running out.

I extended my senses further and further.

The direction the arrow had come from…

In the distance, my senses picked up the outline of a robed figure—a woman, her face hidden but a bright smile visible, watching me.

I pushed my senses further.

I found Rubia.

She was covered in arrows.

Her body trembled as blood poured from her wounds, but she stood firm, shielding Luchi with her divine power.

I saw her expression—one of pure agony as she tried to protect him.

[GRRR-]

Carpeng’s restoration was complete.

The woman in the distance pulled something from her robe.

A horn.

The very same Berserk Horn that Luchi had destroyed earlier.

It was back in her hands.

With that bright smile on her face, she lifted the horn to her lips.

And blew.

Crack.

My greatsword shattered.