The Snake and the Bear

A saber's tip is always double-edged.

And due to its crescent-like curve, provided the blade itself is sufficiently strong, its thrusts are often more treacherous and lethal than those of a straight sword.

Black Snake struck with extreme speed. Shivana didn't have time to discern the tip's trajectory and position her great axe to block it.

She simply used the momentum to hurl her axe skyward, spun, and smashed her fist down onto Black Snake's forearm.

The blade tip shifted three inches, grazing her cheekbone and leaving a shallow bloodstain.

Shivana spun with the motion, her left fist sweeping horizontally, aiming to strike Black Snake's face.

But he had already stabilized himself, retreating sharply.

The blade, which should have been a straight thrust, was pulled back. Its curved edge transformed into a hook, like a viper's forked tongue, raking across the half-orc's nape!

"Squelch!"

Thick blood flowed onto the blade, dripping onto the soil.

The back edge hooked into Shivana's neck, forcing a pained grunt from her.

She realized the blade tip was embedded deeply. If her skin hadn't been quite so tough, the force of that blow could have cleaved half her head off.

Black Snake gave her no chance to breathe. Seeing the blade couldn't penetrate further, he simply delivered a whip kick to her ankle.

Shivana lost her balance and fell backward.

As she stumbled, her eyes, capable of seeing in the dark, caught sight of a saber about to pierce the crown of her head--

Black Snake understood he couldn't kill her.

After all, if a relatively civilized leader were lost, the orcs surrounding them, watching this gladiatorial combat, would surely become restless.

They wouldn't crown him, the stronger "human," just because Black Snake won the duel.

Instead, it would embolden other restless individuals to seize power and lead their kin to slaughter them, the outsiders.

Even if he escaped, he'd likely be injured, and might not make it out of the forest alive.

This is really going to be one hell of a loss.

Black Snake cursed inwardly and decided to feign a missed strike, aiming for her ear.

But when the blade was still a foot away from her forehead, he saw thick, corded veins bulge on Shivana's pale skin, her well-defined muscles bunching up:

"ROAR--"

Her throat emitted a deep, guttural sound, like a wild bear roaring in the forest, asserting its dominance.

The resulting sonic wave whipped up a gale, exploding before Black Snake's eyes.

A repulsive force struck him, sending him flying back ten feet. Black Snake was forced to halt his thrust, tumbling in mid-air to dissipate the force, preventing a clumsy fall.

He then turned his gaze back to the female orc, finding she had clumsily gotten to her feet.

Her hand clenched into a fist, and the great axe she had thrown away immediately spun back into her grasp as if guided.

Her entire body had expanded by a size, and her face, which had been closer to human, now appeared ferocious and savage.

Her eyes were blood-red, radiating fierce hostility.

"Die!"

With a furious roar, she stomped down, "RUMBLE," shattering the earth beneath her feet into a shallow pit.

Then, like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, she charged madly at Black Snake!

Her physique had become robust, yet her steps were remarkably steady, even faster than before!

Tang Qi, watching from afar, clearly saw the phantom image of a wild bear behind her--

A Barbarian!?

Not everyone who lived away from cities and honed their skills in the wilderness could be called a [Barbarian].

True barbarians didn't just temper their bodies in harsh environments.

They were adept at uncovering the secrets of "rage."

They mastered this primal emotion, utilized it, and even channeled this impulse into combat.

[Totem Warriors] were even more distinct.

They tapped into the "rage" within the hearts of ferocious creatures in nature, imitating and learning from them until their souls merged, thereby gaining the power of nature.

Now, she had summoned a totem spirit, augmenting her strength with that of a great bear.

Every swing of her axe stirred up gusts of wind that felt like invisible blades, slashing across the ground and leaving crisscrossing marks!

Black Snake wasn't known for his strength. He had no doubt that if his saber collided with her great axe at this moment, his hand would be instantly numbed.

He could only resort to his old trick, attempting to dodge while using his saber's back edge to slash two wounds onto her arm--

But this time, his blade felt like it was scraping against steel plate; it couldn't even leave a mark on her skin.

Her skin had become even tougher due to the totem.

Fortunately, "rage" also came with a price.

Shivana's assault no longer seemed to follow any pattern.

The way her great axe swung became extremely clear and easy to discern, making it even easier for Black Snake to dodge.

He still intended to use the opponent's pause to slash at her with his blade.

But this time, Shivana didn't dodge at all, opting to trade blows. As her curved blade sliced into his shoulder, drawing blood, she swung her axe horizontally—

Black Snake, who usually dodged, was still caught by the fierce wind blade, which tore open his abdomen!

"Ugh!!!"

Seeing their leader cleave Black Snake with an axe, leaving him covered in blood, the surrounding orcs roared in unison with cheers.

Tang Qi looked at Black Snake with lingering fear, worried if he was running out of steam from the continuous fighting.

"Hiss!"

Pain surged, and Black Snake instinctively clutched the wound he'd been grazed on—

Blood had already stained his silk tunic, but his control was precise.

After twisting his body, it looked terrifying but hadn't cut through the skin to damage his internal organs.

Similarly, the knife wound on Shivana's shoulder, protected by the Barbarian's spirit, was also superficial.

Black Snake panted, feeling the fatigue in his legs. He knew he couldn't delay any longer:

"Why would I still need to lose beautifully?

I should think about how to win first..."

He admitted he had underestimated the orc before him.

In terms of pure skill, he could pin her to the ground and grind her.

But Shivana had the advantage of bloodline and physique.

This strategy of trading blows was too effective against him, a swordsman who relied on agility to win—

No matter how agile his movements were, he couldn't avoid exposing an opening due to inertia.

If he took a solid hit at that moment, he would immediately lose the ability to fight.

They were like a snake and a bear fighting in the jungle.

The venomous snake couldn't crush the brown bear's flesh with its fangs, only slither around, leaving shallow bites on its limbs, torso, and neck.

It seemed to have the upper hand but achieved little.

The brown bear could never catch the agile venomous snake, but if it found an opportunity, its claws would be fatal to the snake.

And an exhausted venomous snake would eventually be unable to crawl.

At that point, it would simply become a meal for the mighty bear.

"Just drag out the Barbarian Rage!"

While panting, Tang Qi's urgent reminder reached Black Snake's ears, "Pain will only make her angrier!"

Anger is an emotion.

Emotions change.

One second you might be happy from eating cake.

The next, you'd be angry because the cake fell on the ground.

The secret to Barbarians controlling their rage was merely to amplify and prolong that emotion as much as possible.

As long as she wasn't provoked during this time, she would naturally return to her previous calm state.

Black Snake understood Tang Qi's meaning—

He had to end the fight after this wave of her rage subsided and before she could reignite it.

But his stamina would only support one more chance!