Showdown

"What should I do now?"

Arthur dodged a heavy blow from the Orc Warrior in front of him with a quick sidestep. As he surveyed the situation around him from the corner of his eye and tangled with several powerful Orc fighters before him, this thought ran through his mind.

Whatever the original reason had been, the situation was now very clear.

There were hundreds of Orc fighters here, and the proportion of Orc Warriors among them was abnormally high. They had clearly come prepared.

Though Rookie Knights were stronger than ordinary people, those Orc Warriors were no weaker, and they held an overwhelming advantage in numbers.

Even Knight Flar was currently held back by three unusually large Orcs, with no chance of breaking away to assist the others.

Several Orc Warriors surrounded every Rookie Knight, launching relentless attacks and leaving them no chance to catch their breath.

The situation made Arthur frown.

Bang!

A dull, thunderous crash rang out.

Arthur raised a massive shield in his left hand and fiercely knocked aside the weapon swung at him by the Orc Warrior before him.

He looked behind him as the Chip in his mind rapidly calculated angles. While continuing to deal with the Orc Warriors before him and pretending to struggle, he slowly moved toward the edge of the battlefield.

With the Chip's assistance, he still had enough attention left to observe the battle ahead.

The fighting ahead was extremely fierce.

Flar held a greatsword in his hand. His cold, stern face carried an imposing aura, making him seem intimidating even without anger and exceptionally aggressive.

Surrounding him were three particularly powerful Orc fighters.

Unlike the other Orcs, these three had crimson skin and even larger bodies, each over three meters tall. Compared to Flar, they were like little giants.

They were Bloodthirsty Orc Warriors, rare mutants among Orcs. Once they reached adulthood, each of them could fight a true Knight, yet three had appeared here at once.

The three giant-like Bloodthirsty Orcs surrounded Knight Flar. Every swing of their weapons stirred fierce gusts of wind. An ordinary person would be reduced to minced flesh from even a glancing blow.

Knight Flar was no less formidable. Not only were his movements far sharper than those of the Bloodthirsty Orcs, but his strength was no weaker than theirs. Every swing of his greatsword met their attacks head-on.

His fighting style was extraordinarily aggressive. He had never taken a single step back in battle; every clash was a direct collision. His terrifying strength forced all three Bloodthirsty Orcs back again and again, leaving them to rely on their numerical advantage to stall him and steadily wear down his stamina.

That swift and brutal style of combat also inspired the warriors around him. They gritted their teeth, raised their weapons, and charged at the Orcs before them.

No one dared hold back.

Orcs and humans were entirely different species. Against a human army, one might still attempt to surrender, but against these Orc fighters, that was absolutely impossible.

Leaving aside the enmity between the two sides, even communication was a problem. These Orcs would not care whether someone was a noble. Once captured, everyone faced the same fate.

Under the desperate fighting of the many warriors, the battle gradually fell into a stalemate.

Yet as Arthur watched this, hesitation filled his heart.

Should I leave or stay? The thought flashed through his mind.

Without realizing it, he had already drifted to the edge of the battlefield. If he wanted to leave, he could escape at once. With the Orcs' speed, they could never catch him.

From the corner of his eye, he looked toward the center of the battlefield. There, Knight Flar swung his greatsword and forced a Bloodthirsty Orc back several steps.

At once, he made up his mind.

I can't leave now!

Though the Orcs before him were powerful, they were still far from being overwhelming. Moreover, Arthur had a feeling that even if everyone else died, Knight Flar would surely be able to break out. If his desertion was exposed afterward, then unless Arthur chose to flee for good, it would affect him greatly. He might even earn the hostility of that exceptionally aggressive Knight.

And fleeing for good was not an option Arthur would consider before advancing to Knight Rank.

Having made his decision, Arthur's expression suddenly changed, and his body accelerated in an instant.

The Orc Warrior before him looked startled, as though he had not yet reacted to Arthur's sudden outburst.

The Cross Sword in his right hand slashed forward fiercely, carrying explosive force as it severed the Orc's head.

Nearby, the other Orcs had a trace of confusion in their eyes as they instinctively swung their weapons toward him.

Bang!

The sound of shield striking weapon rang out.

Arthur swung his left arm, using his shield to block the attacks coming from around him. The Cross Sword in his right hand then danced like a storm, its swift swordplay bursting from his hand as it stabbed down fiercely before the surrounding enemies could react.

Blood blossomed, and two more Orcs fell.

These Orc Warriors were indeed powerful. Their strength was nearly equal to Arthur's, but they were far too slow. Once Arthur became serious, they immediately fell into a disadvantage and could only endure his blows.

To his left, two Orc Warriors glared in shock and rage. Seeing their fallen comrades, they felt neither fear nor panic. Instead, they charged at Arthur without regard for their lives.

A Cross Sword thrust out from a tricky angle. Before the disbelieving eyes of the opposing Orc Warrior, it pierced through the leather armor on his body and ran through his chest.

Arthur exerted force with his left hand, knocking the other Orc Warrior away and sending him crashing to the ground.

A sword plunged down, piercing its throat.

With an Orc's powerful vitality, the Orc Warrior did not die immediately. Its body convulsed violently, its huge eyes fixed on Arthur as though unwilling to accept its fate.

Arthur ignored the Orc beneath him and abruptly turned his gaze forward.

The battle ahead was still locked in a deadlock. Corpses continued to fall on both sides. Those still alive fought madly, but the scales of victory had begun to tip toward the Orcs.

After thinking for a moment, Arthur did not choose to approach the battlefield where the Knight Rank fighters were located. Instead, he headed elsewhere to assist the other Rookie Knights.

"Chip, activate the Auxiliary Template!" Arthur said inwardly to the Chip.

He quickly moved forward, drawing the attention of several Orc fighters ahead.

Several Orc Warriors quickly broke away and rushed toward him.

"Move two steps to the right. Shield-bash to the left with your left hand." The Chip's mechanical voice sounded in his mind.

Acting instinctively, Arthur stepped to the right and then swung the shield in his left hand with all his strength to the left.

Crack!

In an instant, the sound of something breaking rang out.

With Arthur's full-force strike, an Orc was sent flying. Its crudely made weapon, which had been raised to attack, was shattered by the shield, producing a terrifying crash.

Steadying himself, Arthur did not hesitate in the slightest. His powerful physical abilities let him react quickly, and the Cross Sword in his right hand continued to swing.

With Arthur's terrifying strength and the Chip's support, it would be difficult for anyone to rival him unless a true Knight Rank powerhouse intervened.

He entered the previously chaotic battlefield. As his swift and violent swordsmanship danced, Orc lives vanished one after another, each sent crashing to the ground by him.

Such terrifying combat power and killing efficiency made him extremely conspicuous on the battlefield, immediately drawing certain people's attention.

At the center of the battlefield, three towering Bloodthirsty Orcs wielded battle-axes as they fought Flar. When they noticed Arthur's exceptional activity on the battlefield, they immediately roared.

They exchanged glances. At last, one Orc broke away, carrying a battle-axe as it strode rapidly toward Arthur with wide steps.

Seeing this, Flar's expression changed, and he tried to move forward to stop the Orc.

Two terrifying gusts of wind swept toward him. He dodged the two massive battle-axes, which carved furrows more than a meter deep into the ground.

The eyes of the two Bloodthirsty Orcs were crimson with rage. Their violent gazes fixed on Flar as they held him firmly in place, leaving him unable to break away and assist anyone else.

Arthur had just finished off an Orc with a slash and was about to rush forward.

A strange feeling of terror and danger surged into his heart. His pupils contracted, and he instinctively leaped backward.

After he moved away, a massive greatsword slashed down where he had been standing, crashing into the earth and leaving a deep sword mark.

"Bloodthirsty Orc. Strength: 4.1. Agility: 3.3. Constitution: 4.2."

"Ding! This lifeform poses an extreme threat. Retreat is recommended!"

The mechanical voice abruptly rang out in his mind, startling Arthur.

Before him, the Bloodthirsty Orc, more than three meters tall, stared down at Arthur with crimson eyes filled with intense violence and Bloodlust.

Although thirteen-year-old Arthur was not short, standing around one meter sixty-five made him tall among children his age. Yet before this Bloodthirsty Orc, he was not even half its height, merely a little dwarf.

Looking down at Arthur, the Bloodthirsty Orc suddenly raised its greatsword and swung it down with incredible speed.

I can't block it! Watching the shadow before him grow larger and feeling the fierce gusts that made his skin ache, the thought flashed through Arthur's mind.

He had no intention of blocking at all. His entire body leaped backward, narrowly evading the strike.

Boom!

The greatsword collided with the earth. Its terrifying force shattered a huge rock beneath it and left a crater one or two meters deep in the ground.

"Take two steps back, then lower your head!"

Before Arthur could steady himself, the mechanical voice sounded in his mind again.

He instinctively leaped backward and quickly lowered his head.

A biting gale swept over his head as a greatsword howled past, nearly brushing Arthur's hair.

It was easy to imagine that if he had failed to dodge just now, he would have been cut in half at the waist.