Ambush (2)

Roderick activated the Devotion Aura unique to paladins. It could help the party improve its physical resistance to a certain extent. The other paladins made the same choice, covering the entire force with Devotion Auras and greatly increasing the soldiers' ability to withstand blows.

His finely crafted warhammer collided fiercely with the club in the hands of the tallest Ogre. Human weaponmaking mercilessly crushed the Ogre's crude, primitive weapon. After shattering the opponent's club, Roderick swung his hammer backhandedly into the arm the Ogre had raised to protect its face.

Chunks of bone and shredded flesh splattered across his face. Just as Roderick prepared to continue his attack, he heard the opponent roar angrily in clumsy Common, "You made Mumu angry! Mumu hurts! Mumu is going to get angry!"

The Ogre's body quickly turned bright red, and its already towering frame swelled even larger. The Ogre clenched the thick fingers of its uninjured arm into a fist and struck back at Roderick even faster than before.

Roderick also intended to test his strength against the frenzied Ogre warrior before him. Rather than dodge, he raised his shield to block the fist as large as a water jug.

With a bang, the Ogre's fist smashed a deep dent into the shield forged from fine steel. The steel spikes around the shield's rim all pierced the Ogre's fingers. Blood blurred the wound, and white bone could vaguely be seen within.

Roderick was also forced back a step by the powerful blow before he could absorb the Ogre's tremendous strength. Ogres possessed an enormous advantage in size, and their strength doubled once they went berserk.

Even with the advantage of his equipment and the superb martial skill of a human knight, Roderick had been pushed back a step. It seemed he still could