Chapter 36: Berserker (Final)
Rowan took the chance to look at the amount of soul points he had harvested, they were a whopping one hundred and seventy-five and change. Each of those Giant Abomination should have given him at least forty points of souls.
Leaving seven points, Rowan funneled the rest into Ouroboros. The welcoming sensation of his body strengthening was intoxicating. He felt his body transformations beginning to accelerate, and he knew he must be approaching a new threshold.
This was while, for all intents he was still a Mortal State Dominator. Rowan had broken every law of power in this world, and he was beginning to have a hint of how terrifying his powers were.
This revelation did not bring him any elation, only intense wariness, power such as this would attract attention, maybe it already had and he did not know it yet.
Perhaps if he was lucky to become legendary before his lifespan elapses, he would be invincible in this world? But only if he survives.
His Constitution was ticking upwards at a rocket pace, and his body was becoming denser, but his growing Strength was compressing his muscles, making his frame smaller and Agility was reducing his weight.
Each of the stats were important. He suspected without those two stats he would have become a colossus, more than twenty feet tall and weighing multiple tons!
He was sure other Dominators with the same stats would not have a body like his own. The Ouroboros bloodline made him intrinsically different from the inside out, and he was sure his same stat would be multiple times as powerful compared to other Dominators with the same stats.
Then Ouroboros hit a thousand points in the record and everything changed. He paused and fell to his knees, and slowly picked himself back up, yet he could not really move from his position, gesturing for Maeve to go ahead of him, he checked his Record.
P
Name: Rowan Kuranes
Age: 11/11
Strength : 96.7
Agility : 95.9
Constitution : 200.4
Spirit : 56.8
Class: None
Title: Plane walker
Aspect : Spatial Sight (Tier 1)
Skill: (None)
Passive : Decipher language (complete), Icy soul (level 4)
Records:
[ATAVISM]- level 0 [1000/4000]
- level 0 [0/1000]
Soul Point :7.4288
Remark : Divine Runt
His robes were torn to shreds, he would be requiring better clothes going forward, else he would go through his wardrobe in no time.
Outside his body, he was not too different. He may have grown a few inches, and his shoulders had become a bit wider, but his stats were almost triple of what it were before he began this fight.
On his chest, three gleaming tattoos were inlaid on the shell, and he felt joy when he saw no more tattoos being created. His shell was now darker, almost turning black.
No matter how powerful he would become, he was not sure whether he would be able to gather enough souls before his lifespan ran out.
His Strength and Agility were so close to reaching the Rift State, and the world almost seemed like it was slowing down. With his present Constitution, he may not need to breathe for hours, and now he was sure he that stat wise he was now far superior to Maeve, but in every other aspect, he was solely lacking.
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Glenn's body was tired.
His rage and anger were not.
So, he burned his body. He burned what was left of his life and gave it to the damn Axe. In his mind, he heard the deranged laughter of the weapon.
He remembered the promises he gave himself. The oath he swore to his wife. "I am so sorry, my dear. I have been away from your touch for far too long. Our boy is now with you, and I am on my way home. My bloodline has ended. But I return to your arms triumphant."
Glenn pumped more life force into the axe, and with a yell, he thrust the weapon at the sky. A green phantasmal Axe appeared above him, and the phantasmal image of the Axe grew, it brought forth intense light and heat.
There was a single giant besieging them. The rest had retreated into the fog for reasons unknown. But this one stayed behind. The horrifying Visage of this giant seemed to be grinning.
This particular giant enjoyed the slaughter, for it took pleasure in slowly pulling men, women, and children apart. If it was the last thing he did, Glenn was going to kill this bastard.
His eyes were fixed on it, and as the phantasmal image of the Axe grew, the light spread across the battlefield, revealing the transpiring carnage.
Of the guardsmen who came to their rescue, only four remained. The valiant captain of the guardsmen had only one hand left, but he still fought like a machine. The body of a dead giant laid near his feet in small chunks. These men fought like demons.
Of the towns' people, only about a hundred remained. The rest that survived either by luck or sheer will had grim faces, they did not expect to live past tonight.
Nevertheless, this knowledge gave them a crazed determination to tear off a piece of flesh from their enemies. The men and women left behind protected their children in a wall of flesh and bone.
Luckily, for them, a few moments ago, most of the Abominations fled. Only a few assaulted them, but this last giant was clearly unwilling to leave.
The mind of this Abomination came in shades of color and vibration, its ways of thinking were unknown to the human mind, yet like all things, it had goals. It purpose of existence was before it, and that was all that mattered. But the urgent summoning from deep within his blood troubled it. It still wanted to feast to glorify the One.
The giant turned to Glenn and it eyes narrowed. Hints of cunning flashed inside, and it attempted to leave. Turning around, it began entering the fog.
Glenn panicked, he could not fully wait to charge the technique to deliver a killing blow.
With a yell that came from inside his soul, he . The glowing phantasmal image shuddered and seemed to fade away. But that was a trick of the eye, for it moved extremely fast.
A painful roar echoed from the escaping giant. The glowing axe image had sliced deeply into the spine of the giant. It feebly tried to reach for the weapon, but it was like mist beneath its hands.
Glenn looked at the giant and grinned, all the while he had been holding the Axe up to the skies. With another powerful roar, he brought the pommel of the Axe to the ground. And the green phantasmal Axe stuck in the back of the giant exploded.
The explosion brought light that momentarily turned everything white. When eyesight returned, the battlefield turned silent and everyone looked at the giant who was still whole and standing.
Before the wave of despair drowned, everyone fighting for survival. The giant body slid apart in two, from the shoulder down to the waist.
Their relief was short-lived, when the top half of the giant suddenly exploded with motion, only one hand was connected to the top half, as the giant moved, it began to growl.
The sound was grating, and the eyes of those close to the giant bled. Its eyes fixed on Glenn. With one hand, it began to wriggle towards him like a worm, while dragging long piles of offal behind him.
Glenn appeared dispirited, his aura was weak. He was like a flame about to quench, only a slight breeze would snuff him out.
And yet, he drew strength from somewhere unknown and roared back a challenge to the creeping giant. He raised his arms up and charged at the giant. Only to collapse as he neared the creature. He was overspent.
"Oh.... I curse the weakness of my body." His voice came out in a harsh whisper. Glenn closed his eyes in defeat as the leering face of the giant descended on him.
He was going home.
He suddenly heard a loud roar from a voice that reminded him of his son. "Foul Beast! Give me your Head!" It followed by a low thump and then silence. He opened his eyes, and they widened further in amazement.
A god wrapped in black and gold stood on the head of the giant. A rotating spiked wheel of gold floated behind him. The god put forth his hand and said," Glenn, thank you."
Glenn replied, "You know my name. Take me. I am ready to go home."
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Rowan stood on the head of the giant and heard the last words of Glenn, now a shrunken old man, who said he wanted to return home, his heart ached.
Perhaps it was instinct, the power of Soul seized or because his soul had been chafed raw by the endless death, and he needed to give solace.
Rowan came down from the head of the Giant. He knelt before the fallen man and cradled his head on his lap, he stroked his white hair, that drifted slowly in the evening breeze, and tried to keep the tears away from his voice.
"Rest well warrior. The warmth of your home awaits."
The glaze cleared from Glenn's eyes and it sharpened. He chuckled, "Warrior? I never thought I could be called that one day. I fear I have done little to deserve that honor."
Rowan paused for a moment, his heart was heavy, but his voice was steady" I call you warrior not by the strength of your arms or the might of your feats."
Rowan's voice gained in strength as he used two fingers to touch the old man's chest. " I call you warrior because of the valor in your heart. The terrors of the dark tested you, and you were not found wanting. Mighty warrior, how many Abominations tasted the edge of your blade? How many mortals can claim such honor? Can you hear the voices of everyone you've saved? Who would see a new day, because of your sacrifice."
"I did... I did not do it for them... But for me... I wanted blood."
"And yet." Rowan said, "You stood by their side, and protected them until the very end. You have done for them."
The light dimmed from Glenn's eyes, he strained to lift the Axe and presented it to Rowan, "I am glad, for so long I thought I would die a failure... I go home a warrior... I only ask you let the legacy of our name live on"
Rowan took the Axe. The moment he touched the weapon, he felt it shiver. He felt an emotion like the cold of an endless winter. He felt an intense lust for battle, and the last cries of dying gods.
What sort of weapon was this?
The Primordial Record stirred in his heart, and he saw a new Aspect: Berserker.
The Aspect brought memories and skills, and his body shivered as it was .
As the intense rush of memories and skills continuously flowed through his veins. He gently carried the old man up and supported him against the head of the fallen giant, his light was fading but there were still embers smoldering.
"Before you go home, warrior. Witness the glory of your weapon, and know that all that caused you grief shall die by its edge."
Rowan hefted the Axe and turned.