Chapter 72: Trial vs. Glory

It was an unfair battle.

And it stayed that way from the beginning until the end.

"———!!!"

The Stone Cheetah rushed forward and pressed Flame Killer to the ground. The black hound retaliated by wrapping the enemy with the flames on its body, constraining the Stone Cheetah's movements. The other Stone Cheetah took the opportunity to attack the black hound from the side, but before it could sink its razor sharp teeth into the black hound's flesh, a violent whirlwind came crashing down from the sky, flinging the heavy Stone Cheetah a distance away.

After watching the cheetah slowly getting up, the Spirit Bird stopped attacking and observed it attentively with its eagle-like eyes. Apparently, it knew that it had successfully garnered the attention of the Stone Cheetah when it saw the two gleaming pupils of hatred. However, a split second later, a large shadow enveloped the cheetah's body.

The Centaur Knight trampled forward and snapped the Stone Cheetah's head. Its left hand gripped a heavy golden shield, while its right held a long pike.

Meanwhile...

Shik! The stone sword issued a sharp screech when it slammed against the floor.

Rhode had sidestepped the Stone Statue's attack, and at the same time, he slit a shallow gash on his left palm with his sword.

Blood smeared onto the blade, causing the crimson tinge on his sword to increase in intensity.

For a moment, the Stone Statue stopped attacking Rhode, instead, it held its sword close to brace itself for an attack. When Rhode had dodged its attack, the white-haired angel launched a surprise attack from behind. She swiftly closed the distance and slashed downwards like a falling meteor.

As her white wings fluttered gracefully in the wind, the heavy Stone Statue's sword began crumbling from the impact. At the same time, a bloodied blade appeared from behind, piercing straight into the Stone Statue's body. Immediately, the statue's movements turned sluggish, and before it could pull away from Rhode's sword, a silver light landed on its torso.

Boom!!! Its body couldn't endure any further and exploded into pieces, scattering everywhere.

On the other side, the Centaur Knight's pike had pierced through the other statue's torso. The relentless assaults from the Stone Statue weren't able to hurt the Centaur Knight other than leaving a few white scratches on its black armor.

Marlene was stunned silly. Her eyes widened and her mouth gaped. From her perspective, these kinds of battles would only happen in myths or legends. The king's trustworthy subordinates surrounded him, lifting their sword up high and rushing into battle without fear. They crushed any foe who stood in their path. If there were a hundred, they would kill a hundred; if there were a thousand, they would slaughter a thousand! Right now, although the enemy wasn't a thousand-man army, still, Rhode being the central command of his spirits gave an aura of an indomitable king.

However, that was just a perspective from an outsider. In reality, Rhode was feeling quite frantic. He summoned four spirits so that he could end the battle as soon as possible and couldn't maintain it for long. His first phase of attacks was successful in destroying one Stone Statue and one Stone Cheetah. Now, he wanted to commence phase two.

At the same time, the remaining Stone Statue waved his weapon and commanded the Stone Cheetah to attack Rhode.

But Rhode was faster.

Upon receiving Rhode's command, the Centaur Knight howled and went into a rage. It galloped towards the Stone Cheetah with Rhode, Flame Killer, and the white-haired angel following closely behind.

They looked like as though they were unstoppable.

However, Rhode knew that he had overdrawn his strength. He must quickly end this battle otherwise it would put him in dire straits. While he did not know what was the real purpose of this trial, according to his experiences in the game, his decision shouldn't be far off.

Screeeech! An ear-piercing sound echoed.

Rhode suddenly found out that his path was blocked by another four Stone Statues that appeared out of nowhere. Several Stone Cheetahs were circling them as well, biding their time for the right moment to attack.

Rhode didn't waste his time to think of the reason and chose to speak with his sword. The Flame Killer took to the front and rushed recklessly towards the group of Stone Statues. Its body was riddled full of holes in no time, sparking off an explosion which temporarily created a gap in the enemy's formation.

This gap was enough for Rhode and the others.

The Centaur Knight dashed forward and spun his massive pike, smashing it into any foe that barred its path. Due to the explosion and the impact from the Centaur Knight's swing, one of the Stone Statue lost its balance. At the same time, the Centaur Knight lunged its pike towards a Stone Cheetah that tried to launch an attack from the air.

"Finish them!" Rhode yelled as he ran past the Centaur Knight. After recognizing Rhode's orders, the Centaur Knight raised its pike and beat it onto its shield with an immense force as it swept its eyes at any nearby foe. The Spirit Bird was still circling in the air, producing whirlwinds which smashed into unsuspecting statues.

Stone fragments scattered everywhere.

From the beginning of the battle until now, only three minutes had passed. Rhode felt his stamina being drained rapidly. When he abandoned the Flame Killer, he was already extremely spent. Moreover, after allowing his sword to absorb blood, even though his attacks became more lethal, the excessive blood loss caused his face turn deathly pale. His limbs even began to tremble; it was definitely not a good sign.

Bang! Rhode took a step backward after blocking an attack. The invincible sword that could even cut through stone finally met its foe. An ear-piercing sound once again echoed in the air. This time, he has finally found his target.

It was the massive Stone Statue that he had met before. It was clear that the material on its body was vastly different from the others.

Rhode was in trouble.

The Stone Statue before him was much larger than the other Stone Statues. Fortunately, it wasn't holding a weapon. However, its presence was still an issue because its huge frame blocked two-thirds of the door behind it.

Anyway, no matter what, this guy wouldn't be easy to deal with.

"Show me your Glory! Successor!"

Only the ghosts know what you are saying.

Rhode grieved inwardly, but he didn't forget to signal the white-haired angel to come to his side. He knew that this BOSS wasn't something that could be overcome with brute force. It must have its own condition or weaknesses. If he faced a magic immune BOSS with a God-Tier magic spell, it would still deal no damage. On the other hand, if he used a wooden stick, he might be able to defeat it easily. Since the statue didn't attack immediately and even spoke to him, Rhode concluded that this BOSS couldn't be defeated through battle.

"Glory! Successor!"

The giant stone sculpture's voice echoed throughout the palace, causing a slight headache.

Glory? What glory?

Rhode's brain began to work. He recollected every detail about the Summoning Swordsman class. History, walkthroughs, quests... but he still couldn't locate the so-called Glory. In the game, the information about the Summoning Swordsman class wasn't plentiful. The players were more interested in the adventure rather than the story.

When all these thoughts were flooding his brain, the white-haired angel took half-a-step forward.

"Dear Guardian, I'm here to reveal my master's Glory!"

Followed by her words, her body suddenly emanated a soft light. Her two wings spread over a gorgeous magic circle. Then she began to float upwards, but the very next moment, a light flashed, and her figure instantly disappeared. What was left was a white sword bathed in a holy aura.

Star Mark.

This was the 'Glory'?

Rhode stared curiously at the sword that was floating before him. His heart felt strange; a humanlike lifeform turning into a sword wasn't something you see every day.

In the end, Rhode still reached out his hand and grabbed the hilt.

Mellow, cold and smooth, seemed to be no different than before. If he did not personally witness it, he would not believe that such a weapon could turn into a person.

While holding the sword, Rhode thought to himself.

What is my Glory?

Why is this sword my Glory?

Wait... does the Glory this guy refer to...

A spark lit in his eyes. Rhode no longer hesitated. He raised his sword and pointed towards the gigantic Stone Statue.

Yes...! How could've I missed it?

It's my past Glory!

The Glory that I've fought for and was acknowledged for!

... My past Glory.

MY FORMER GLORY!

At that very moment, a light shot out from the sword and flew into the Stone Statue's forehead, disappearing without a trace.

"————— !!!"

After the light entered its body, the huge statue began to collapse. Soon, its body turned to dust and disappeared into the air.

At the same time, a system prompt appeared before Rhode.