"I wonder if those people managed to escape successfully," Gordon muttered, licking a drop of sweat that had trickled to his lips. The salty taste made him frown.
He was very thirsty, and his breathing grew heavier.
Several broken Blue Velocidrome carcasses lay scattered around. They were helpers summoned by the Blue Velocidrome, and these agile, cunning creatures had caused him no small amount of trouble.
Forged by countless missions, he could now effortlessly handle the encirclement of multiple Blue Velocidrome. The scattered body parts and his undamaged armor clearly demonstrated this.
But the situation remained grim.
Under the Blue Velocidrome's command, the continuous arrival of these Blue Velocidrome severely drained his stamina.
All hunters knew that allowing a monster to summon companions was a major taboo, whether hunting a Blue Velocidrome or the kings of other Bird Wyvern, Fanged Wyvern, or Fanged Beast species.
No one liked fighting outnumbered.
This was why, when rescuing the caravan earlier, Gordon chose to eliminate the two Blue Velocidrome accompanying their leader on the hunt first, rather than attempting to "capture the king first."
As the king of its species, the Blue Velocidrome summons its kin by roaring, a process that usually takes several seconds. Under normal circumstances, a hunter fighting it would intervene promptly to interrupt it.
This was often the key to successfully hunting such monsters.
Since the battle began, the Blue Velocidrome had successfully summoned companions twice. This was not due to Gordon's carelessness, but rather intentional.
A caravan carrying injured people would not retreat quickly, and their ability to resist monsters was almost nil. As a fellow human, Gordon had to consider their safety.
Although he had instructed Zhu Pa to escort the caravan, if the caravan were discovered and surrounded by multiple Blue Velocidrome, Zhu Pa's strength alone would be insufficient to protect everyone.
By allowing the Blue Velocidrome to summon companions, the Blue Velocidrome in the nearby area would gather here. This way, while he might tire himself out, the safety of the caravan and Zhu Pa would be indirectly guaranteed.
It could be considered doing what he could.
Swinging his Burst Blade, Gordon slayed the last Blue Velocidrome, then bared his teeth at the Blue Velocidrome.
It won't be that easy to exhaust my stamina.
The Blue Velocidrome's steps were cautious; it consistently maintained a short distance from Gordon. The steel Great Sword that had easily slaughtered its companions filled it with dread.
Seeing its companions all dead, the Blue Velocidrome leaped backward, craned its neck, and prepared to summon more Blue Velocidrome to aid in the battle.
This time, however, Gordon did not allow it to continue.
Nearly an hour had passed since the caravan retreated, and the Blue Velocidrome's roar was unlikely to reach that far. Continuing this way no longer made much sense.
Then, it's your turn!
Exhaling a hot breath, the hunter charged forward, wielding his Great Sword.
Gordon's two previous instances of allowing the Blue Velocidrome to summon companions had, to some extent, created a habit in its not-so-complex mind. It hadn't expected its opponent to launch such a decisive attack this time.
The hunter swung his Great Sword, a powerful, heavy slash aimed at its shoulder. The Blue Velocidrome knew that if it took the blow head-on, it would at least lose a claw.
It reluctantly halted its roar, leaning backward with a hint of panic, attempting to dodge the overhead slash.
Gordon, having anticipated the Blue Velocidrome's reaction, fully stepped forward with his left leg, extending the attack range of the overhead slash by nearly half a meter.
The sound of steel colliding with scales, scales being pulverized, and tough hide and muscle being torn reached Gordon's ears. He was sure he had struck his target.
Unfortunately, the tip of the Burst Blade did not transmit the sensation of contacting bone. It seemed this blow had only caused some superficial wounds to the Blue Velocidrome, without damaging its bones or tendons.
"Gaaah!" The injured Blue Velocidrome let out a pained shriek.
This was the first time it had been injured since becoming the leader of its species.
The long-unfelt intense pain made the Blue Velocidrome, which had grown accustomed to directing its kin in hunts, recall the days when it was an ordinary Blue Velocidrome, personally charging into battle, fighting other monsters, and vying for food and territory.
Its huge crest turned crimson as if soaked in blood, and with another furious roar, the brutality and power dormant within its body were reawakened.
It was not only the brain of its species but also its sharpest claws!
The Blue Velocidrome leaped backward once more, but this time, it was no longer to maintain distance from danger, but to prepare.
Upon landing, the Blue Velocidrome crouched low, its entire body's muscles taut like a drawn bowstring.
Immediately after, it leaped high, like a massive stone projectile launched by a trebuchet, plummeting towards Gordon.
Its crimson claws, over half a meter long, carried immense falling force, possessing astonishing destructive power. If struck head-on, even fully armored, he would undoubtedly be severely wounded.
If it were Gordon from his Dunjian (Shield Sword/Sword and Shield) days, facing such an Attack Up would only allow for evasion.
But now, wielding the Burst Blade, he had the right to meet it head-on!
He hoisted the heavy Great Sword onto his shoulder, assumed a bow stance, lowered his center of gravity, and all the power contained within every muscle of his body converged like Stream flowing into a river, forming a single surge.
This was the Great Sword's core technique.
The cumbersome, slow, yet overwhelmingly powerful three-stage Charged Slash!
First stage, second stage, third stage! When the accumulation of power reached a point where it had to be unleashed, even potentially harming himself.
The Blue Velocidrome's leaping Attack Up also arrived right in front of Gordon.
"Hooahhhhh!"
No longer able to harbor any stray thoughts, endless battle intent surged like a mountain torrent, crashing and ramming, finally breaking through the dam and erupting into a roar.
Instantly, the heavy, cold Great Sword, carrying a faint red glow, transformed from extreme stillness to extreme motion.
The whistling of the steel blade tearing through the air, the furious roar of the Blue Velocidrome, and the clang of metal colliding with claws intertwined and echoed, playing the most primitive and brutal battle symphony among the hills.
Claws scraped against the blade, creating countless sparks.
An almost irresistible surge of power traveled up the sword hilt into his arms, and the Burst Blade's hilt nearly slipped from his grasp.
Gordon gritted his teeth, forcibly stabilizing his body by spreading his legs into a bow stance. The steel teeth at the bottom of his greaves, designed to grip the ground, plowed through the turf, leaving two deep marks on the ground.
Across from him, the Blue Velocidrome stumbled upon landing, nearly toppling over.
There was no true victor in this clash.
Although Gordon had withstood the blow, the Blue Velocidrome's claws still tore through the steel plates on his chest armor, leaving a wound about half an inch deep from his chest to his left ribs, bleeding profusely.
The tiger's mouth grip on his sword also cracked in the violent collision. Blood quickly soaked the anti-slip cloth wrapped around the hilt, and the veins on his thick forearms bulged, trembling slightly.
Gordon was seriously injured, but the Blue Velocidrome was in an even worse state.
On its pair of hind claws, two of the total six claws were broken off at the base, and the remaining ones also had varying degrees of damage.
More severe than the broken claws was the wound on its right foot.
In the previous collision with the Burst Blade, the hooked blade, which had slipped past the claws, grazed its right foot, not only cutting open the outer skin and muscle but also tearing two important ligaments at the base of its sole.
Now, the Blue Velocidrome could barely put weight on its right foot; not only was running and jumping difficult, but even walking was a stumbling affair.
The battle began to become unpredictable.
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Hey guys, the more Power Stones you drop, the faster new chapters will come.