Han Shuo's savage side

"Brian, it's Brian!"

The students cried out in surprise. Fanny was somewhat stunned as well, staring at Han Shuo as though he were a stranger. She had never imagined that his five-foot-seven frame could swing such an enormous spiked club, let alone block a ferocious blow from an ogre.

While everyone stared dumbstruck, Han Shuo kept his eyes fixed on the ogre, freed his right hand, and gave Fanny a shove. "Go!" he said in a simple, earnest voice.

A panicked scream escaped Fanny's lips. At the same moment, Han Shuo suddenly felt as though his right hand had pressed against two large, soft balls of cotton. By the time he withdrew his hand, he knew he had definitely pushed the wrong place.

The students nearby also gasped, while Gene shouted a curse, accusing Han Shuo of outrageous lechery.

His heart fluttered. Han Shuo turned to glance at Fanny and said awkwardly, "Sorry, Teacher Fanny. I pushed the wrong place. I really didn't mean to!"

Fanny was speechless with anger and was about to curse him when she suddenly noticed the ogre behind him bringing its enormous spiked club down on his head. She hurriedly warned him, "Brian, look out!"

The simple, earnest expression still lingered on Han Shuo's face as he abruptly turned around. Easily raising the spiked club thicker than his own body in both hands, he swung it into the ogre's descending club again with a fierce, whistling rush.

A metallic clang rang out, and sparks flew again. Han Shuo did not budge, standing rooted like a rock. The sight of his slight frame gripping that enormous spiked club filled everyone's eyes, and the students suddenly looked at him with bewilderment, as though they no longer knew him.

"Teacher Fanny, get away from there!"

Gene's loud cry suddenly rang out. Fanny, who had been staring at Han Shuo in shock, finally reacted. Her bright eyes remained fixed on him as she backed toward Gene and the others.

After meeting two blows from the ogre head-on with brute strength, Han Shuo felt an urge coursing through his entire body that demanded release. He wanted to unleash all the strength within him. A faint murderous impulse also rose in his heart, making him involuntarily want to pound the ogre before him into a meat patty.

As soon as Fanny left, Han Shuo suddenly let out several savage, howling laughs. The simple honesty vanished from his face, leaving an expression that was somewhat savage and frightening. His face darkened as he raised the enormous spiked club and actually charged at the bewildered ogre.

This strongest and most powerfully built ogre seemed unable to understand how Han Shuo's slight body had blocked its heavy blows twice. It stood there stupidly, as though pondering something.

"Heavens, Brian must have gone mad. He's actually charging at the ogre!" Bella exclaimed softly, her face full of disbelief.

Everyone nodded in agreement, taking it for granted that Han Shuo had gone mad. Even Lisa, who knew he liked to play the fool, looked utterly bewildered, shocked by his madness at that moment.

"Brian suddenly became so strong after going mad. This is unbelievable! Lisa is amazing. Just one Soul Pain spell turned a weak, cowardly Brian this wild!" Amy exclaimed innocently, looking at Lisa with admiration.

"Keep your mouth shut!" Lisa replied, her eyes fixed on Han Shuo.

Han Shuo charged straight at the ogre with his enormous spiked club raised, moving faster than lightning. The club whistled strangely through the air. Gripping it tightly in both hands, he swung it upward in an arc and smashed it toward the ogre's waist.

Seeing danger upon it, the ogre's bewilderment turned to fury. Repeating its earlier motion, it swung its club into Han Shuo's incoming weapon, as though determined to crush him completely in a contest of strength.

Thunderous impacts rang out again and again as the two spiked clubs collided. The sharp spikes on the hard, thick clubs were all flattened by the repeated collisions. Amid the metallic clangs, the battle between the scrawny Han Shuo and the tall, powerful ogre grew ever fiercer.

Fanny and the others had intended to flee as quickly as possible, but seeing that Han Shuo possessed such terrifying strength after going mad, and could even fight an ogre to a standstill, they remained rooted in shock, staring dumbstruck at his might.

Swinging a huge spiked club utterly out of proportion to his body, Han Shuo showed not the slightest fear before the towering ogre. Firm, powerful muscles stood out on his bare arms, neck, and forehead, with veins bulging individually. His expression was savage and wild, and he fought with reckless valor, completely overturning everything Fanny and the students thought they knew about him.

Demonic Essence circulated within Han Shuo. As his strength erupted, he felt an exhilarating rush of pleasure, and he grew increasingly adept with the spiked club. Rather than tiring from meeting blow after blow head-on, he only became more energetic.

"Heh heh..."

Several strange laughs escaped Han Shuo's savage face. After one sudden, powerful strike, the ogre staggered backward involuntarily. Its once-ferocious attacks and immense strength had grown steadily weaker through this exchange of blows.

"Heavens, is this really that timid, cowardly Brian?" Bella exclaimed, shaking her head repeatedly in disbelief.

"I'll never dare practice magic on Brian again. He's far too frightening when he goes mad!" Athena murmured to herself, looking shaken.

Lisa looked excited, her little fists clenched tightly as she screamed from time to time, "Beat him!"

Bark and the others who bore grudges against Han Shuo exchanged glances, then looked apprehensive. Their gazes held a trace of fear as they watched him.

"Heh heh... you can't escape!" With a strange laugh, Han Shuo stayed close behind the ogre as it tried to flee and swung his enormous spiked club. A crunch rang out as both of the fleeing ogre's legs broke. Laughing strangely, Han Shuo immediately followed up, pounding the ogre again and again with thunderous blows. Shrill, agonized howls poured from the mouth of the formerly vicious ogre.

The ogre's tall, powerful body had long since fallen. Blood kept spraying from it, and under Han Shuo's repeated blows, its strong, lead-gray body had become a mangled mass of flesh, almost unrecognizable.

That storm of savage, brutal blows continued for a minute. Only when Han Shuo saw that the ogre had been beaten to a bloody pulp did he seem to suddenly awaken. After stopping, he himself was startled. He had never imagined he possessed such a violent side.

This counted as his first killing, yet Han Shuo felt none of the lingering fear an ordinary person should have experienced. Once his expression calmed, he turned toward Fanny and the students, gave a simple, honest grin, and said, "He seems to be dead?"

To Han Shuo's surprise, all the students, along with the two teachers, Fanny and Gene, screamed and took two steps back when he turned around. Then Lisa cried out and asked, "B-Brian, are... are you feeling any better?"

Han Shuo froze in surprise, then caught on. Scratching his head, he gave an honest smile and said, "What happened to me just now? I don't even know what I did. How did this ogre suddenly die?"

"You... you've forgotten everything you just did?" Fanny was also taken aback. Then she frowned and questioned him, staring at him.

Han Shuo nodded guilelessly and explained earnestly, "Yes. My head hurt terribly just now, and then I forgot what happened. When I came to, this ogre was already dead in front of me. What exactly happened? Huh, there were two more ogres. Where did they go?"

"You scared them away!" Bella answered, looking at him strangely.

"Ah, no way. How could that happen? Why would they be afraid of me?" Han Shuo asked, looking innocent and bewildered.

"Brian, you become so frightening when you go mad, like a completely different person. Never mind the ogres-even we were a little scared. Thank goodness you're all right now," Gene said with feeling, voicing everyone's thoughts.

"Don't just stand around. Hurry and pack everything up. We can't stay here any longer. Two ogres escaped, and they might bring us more trouble." Fanny remained fairly composed. Seeing that the immediate danger had passed, she hurriedly told everyone to prepare to deal with the aftermath.

At Fanny's urging, everyone returned to where they had been and picked up the supplies scattered over the ground. This was the first life-or-death crisis they had faced. After confronting death this time, the students had grown somewhat steadier. Without any unnecessary chatter, they quickly packed everything away.

"I think it's time to leave this place and end our field training!" Gene proposed gravely when he saw that everyone had finished packing.

After the battle with the ogres, everyone realized their group was not as strong as they had imagined. The farther south they traveled, the greater the danger would become. Thus, after Gene made his proposal, they exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

For a while, no one spoke. They silently began arranging their belongings, intending to return to the academy with what they had gained on this trip rather than risk continuing south.

But just as they were about to leave, a mournful cry suddenly came from the south. Everyone, packed and ready to depart, froze at the sound. Then excited greed appeared on their faces.