Chapter - 9
"Alright, Shrek. Let's dance."
The words had barely left Leo's lips when the air itself seemed to split apart.
Unlike the dead bandit, Varkas didn't let Leo make his move, he exploded from his spot and dashed forward. He roared like a beast, completely opposite to the non-chalant attitude he had been expressing all along.
He wasn't like a man running towards Leo. He was like a landslide filled with pure, unadulterated murderous rage. From inviting him to be his brother to already trying to chop him up, Varkas did a complete 180 real quick.
Under his big and heavy body the ground trembled, and with each step Leo felt an earthquake approaching.
"You could have lived, boy," All this happened in a split second. In no time, Varkas was in front of Leo in a flash. Without any frivolous words, he just swung the massive axe he had in his hand with brute force, aiming for Leo's head.
"Shit!" Varkas was so fast that Leo could hardly react. His gamer instincts screamed. This was a deathblow.
His brain could not process what to do, but his body just reacted on its own. Was it out of fear, survival instincts or he was unknowingly a badass fighter, it was hard to say. But in that split second, he pulled back, trying to avoid the blade from separating his head from his body.
WHOOSH!
The axe blade cut through the air where his head had been a fraction of a second ago. The wind from the blade swinging was so strong that it almost sent Leo flying backwards.
Using the pressure from the axe, Leo was quick to make some distance between them. The greater the distance between them, the greater the chances of his brain thinking of the plan.
He was prepared for the dead bandit, but this Varkas guy was out of syllabus.
Leo did not waste time camera posing that he dodge the swing.
He quickly stabilized himself as he heard a loud sound of thud. As he looked up, the thick oak tree he had been standing beside to use as a shield just in case had been chopped in two from the trunk.
The splinters of wood flew in every direction. Leo felt a chill in his body seeing the end of the tree. If that had been his body, he would have been two separate, bloody pieces of meat.
"Man, you don't have to be so violent," Leo's heart was thumping hard, but he still tried to buy some time, "Can't we be friends if I don't join your bandit play group?"
"Shut up rat!" Varkas was no longer the calm guy from before, "Stand still so I can rip your fucking spine out! Don't delay your end."
Varkas put the axe over his shoulder. He was so overwhelming and powerful that Leo knew he could not win in a direct one to one fight.
Varkas was a level 4 monster in front of him that could chop down a thick tree with just a single swing of his axe.
And he was right now a nobody. Most likely a Level 1 guy, weaker than your average NPC with a pair of daggers.
A head-on clash would be suicide.
But though Leo wasn't a warrior, he was a gamer. And gamers don't always fight fair. They use their environment, tools and every cheap trick in the book to win.
'Activate Flash-Step now!' Leo almost screamed in his head, his heart hammering against his ribs.
Ding!
[Flashstep Talisman Activated. One-time use.]
And out of thin air, a card appeared in his hand. It was the Flashstep Talisman. And before long a soft yellowish white light emitted from the card and Leo felt something warm in his hand.
Varkas also saw this, but right now he did not think much of it. He had already gauged Leo's level in the first swing. He might be smart, but he was a weakling. And no matter how smart he was, he could not bridge the gap between their strengths.
He lunged forward for his second attack, despite his bulky body, he was way too fast compared to Normal human beings. Even Usain Bolt came nowhere close to this monster.
But this time Leo did not wait for Varkas to be the offensive one. He moved as well, and the moment Varkas blinked, Leo had already vanished from his sight.
But the momentum from his charge continued to carry Varkas forward as he swung his axe in the empty space where Leo was standing a second before.
"Where…?" Varkas was left bewildered but then suddenly he felt something move behind him.
"Looking for me, buddy?" Leo called out from behind Varkas.
Varkas jumped forward as he spun around, his face filled with shock and confusion, "What the fuck? Where did you… Jow?"
"I think you want to know how. Hehehehe," Leo winked at Varkas. He liked the face this bandit was making right now.
But Leo didn't give him time to finish. This was his opening, the precious few seconds his trick had bought him. He pulled the small Ember Oil Vial from his belt, uncorked it with his teeth, and quickly poured the thick, shimmering liquid over his twin daggers.
DING!
[Ember Oil Applied. Your weapon will deal an additional +50 Fire Damage per hit. Duration: 3 minutes.]
The effect was instantaneous. A low, hungry flame erupted along the length of the daggers, wrapping around the metal like a fiery snake.
"Surprise, brother asshole," Leo grinned and lunged at Varkas.
He drove the burning daggers forward, not aiming for a killing blow. He was sure Varkas will not let it happen, but he can surely inflict some cut. Even a scratch would be enough.
And with that in mind, Leo targeted Varkas's neck, but Varkas was quick to pull his axe up and block the attack.
"Is this all you got brat?" The initial surprise was gone and he looked down on Leo.
But Leo just smirked, from behind his back the other dagger pushed forward, aiming for his chest.
"Don't test your luck, boy!" Varkas, swung his other hand to push away the dagger.
But just as the dagger came in contact with his arm, it cut through his clothes and penetrated deep into his flesh.
"GRAAAAH!"
Varkas screamed in pure agony. With all his might he pushed Leo away and created some distance between them.
His face twisted in pain, and his eyes turned red. He looked at his arm and the dagger had cut a shallow deep red line across his arm. But not even a single drop of blood oozed out of the slash wound.
Varkas could hear a sickening sizzle, like meat on a hot pan. His flesh and blood was burning from the fire. The smell of burnt skin and hair filled the air. He arched his back, dropping his axe and clawing at the wound, his eyes wide with pain and disbelief.
The giant bandit glared angrily at Leo. The shock was gone, replaced by a rage so intense it was terrifying to see.
"You'll pay for that, you little shit! I'm going to cook you alive in your own skin!" Varkas jumped forward, trying to grab Leo by his neck. But he was visibly slow.
As Varkas was about a couple of feet away, Leo dropped low, sliding under the bandit's clumsy attempt to grab him. He came up right beside Varkas's leg and drove the dagger deep into the thick muscle of his thigh.
Shilkkk!
The dagger sank to the hilt.
"Aaaghhhh!"
Varkas screamed again. He had suffered dozens of wounds in his loots over the years. But the pain from Leo's attacks was unbearable. Every cut from him burnt the soul out of his body.
But he was a veteran. Despite the pain, he tried to kick Leo away, but his leg suddenly felt heavy, clumsy.
Varkas stumbled, falling face flat on the ground as his right leg buckled under him.
He looked down at the dagger sticking out of his thigh, then back at Leo, his eyes glowing with a terrifying, inhuman rage,
"You poisoned me?" Varkas asked, only to get a smirk in reply from Leo.
The burning pain in his arm and leg, the venom inside his body, and the sheer humiliation of being outsmarted by a skinny kid… It was all too much.
And then he snapped.
"ENOUGH!" he shrieked, his voice cracking.
A wave of pressure exploded from him. The muscles on his arms and chest bulged, straining against his skin.
The veins in his neck and forehead popped out, thick and purple. His eyes, once just angry, were now completely bloodshot, two red orbs of pure, mindless hate.
A bright red notification flashed urgently in Leo's vision, so sharp it made him flinch.
[WARNING: Varkas has activated skill: Berserk Rage!]
[Strength and Pain Resistance vastly increased.]
[Agility and Tactical Awareness greatly decreased.]
Varkas didn't even seem to notice the dagger in his leg anymore. He reached down, not to pull it out, but to grab Leo by the head.
His hand was like a giant claw, ready to crush his skull. Leo scrambled back just in time, Varkas's fingers grazing his hair.
The bandit ignored the limp in his leg.
He ignored the fire still sizzling on his wounds. He was now a walking tank of muscle and rage. He picked up his huge axe with one hand, swinging it around as if it weighed nothing.
"DIE! DIE! DIE!" he screamed, his voice now a guttural, animalistic growl.
Leo's confident smirk vanished, replaced by a grim line. The first part of his plan had worked perfectly. He had used his tools, his speed, and his brain to wound the giant.
But now, the real boss fight was about to begin.
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Author's Note:
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