Chapter 88

Indeed, facing the strongest in a region was no easy task.

Togril was incredibly strong and fast.

Moreover, he was also highly skilled.

The title of the strongest in the Havre Plains was not something he had obtained through mere luck.

He had fought countless battles to reach his current position and had defeated numerous strong opponents.

Though perhaps not to the extent of Kairos, Togril was a veteran of countless battles, having experienced numerous asuras.

Oto, with his vast combat experience, could not even dare to match him.

As if to prove this, Togril relentlessly attacked, putting Oto under intense pressure.

"Spirits of the sky, tear him apart!"

He then summoned three additional powerful eagle spirits.

"Kiii!"

"Peiii!"

"Kiii!"

The three massive eagle spirits, known for their great intelligence, skillfully pressured Oto.

They would retreat when necessary and attack when the time was right.

At times, they even blocked Oto's counterattacks aimed at Togril's openings.

As a result, Oto could only repeatedly dodge and defend, unable to launch a proper counterattack.

Togril was already a formidable opponent, and now having to face three eagle spirits simultaneously made Oto feel overwhelmed.

‘I need to buy some time.’

Oto hastily infused mana into his <Burning Armor Set>.

Whoosh!

Fiery red flames burst forth, momentarily pushing Togril and the eagle spirits back.

If the flames could have turned the enemies into charcoal, it would have been ideal, but unfortunately, such luck did not come.

They were merely forced to retreat for a moment.

"That kind of cheap trick won't work."

Togril mocked Oto with a menacing tone.

Blood dripped from his left eye, which had a large hole, reminiscent of tears of blood.

"I will boil you in a pot, extract your bones to make soup, and share your flesh among my warriors. I will use your skin as a carpet in my tent and eat your eyeballs myself."

"Haha... Hahaha..."

Oto, drenched in cold sweat, looked at Togril.

‘I’m done for.’

Upon actually engaging Togril, Oto found him even stronger than imagined.

‘He’s stronger than I expected. Was he this strong at this point in time?’

Oto had a rough idea of how strong certain characters were at different points in time.

However, Togril surpassed even Oto's expectations.

Moreover, the most frustrating aspect was that Togril was a well-rounded character with no weaknesses.

He had no particular strengths, but also no weaknesses.

Therefore, the most reliable way to defeat Togril was through sheer strength.

There was no specific strategy; it was a matter of overpowering him with raw power.

‘Damn. Not even the Petrifying Gaze works, and he dodged the Flame Emission. The Death Orb only hit him once, so it won’t work again.’

Oto had used all the cards he had, and in the face of Togril's overwhelming power, he could only be pushed back.

"I'll split you in two!"

Togril swung his greatsword at Oto.

"Ugh!"

Oto tried his best to avoid Togril's attack, but it was futile.

Bang!

Togril's greatsword clashed with Oto's sword.

Clang!

Oto's sword shattered into pieces.

"Ahh!"

Oto screamed as he was sent flying.

The impact of the swords colliding was too much, and his sword flew out of his hand.

"Ugh..."

Oto groaned in pain as he struggled to get up.

Drip, drip, drip...

Bright red blood flowed from his chest.

Togril's greatsword had not only shattered Oto's sword but also cut through his <Burning Armor Set> and into his chest.

If the armor's defense had been slightly weaker, he would have suffered a fatal wound.

‘I’m going to die.’

Just as fear suddenly overwhelmed Oto,

- You idiot.

Kairos' voice echoed in Oto's mind.

* * *

- Are you scared? Afraid you might die?

"Stop talking!"

Oto, already in a life-threatening situation, shouted in frustration at Kairos' interruption.

He needed to focus, and there was no time to listen to Kairos' taunts.

- Tsk! You're panicking like a rookie when you meet a tough opponent!

"Rookie... what?"

- Ignorant fool. Don't you know that in the mercenary world, newbies are called rookies?

"What do I need to know that for! And now..."

At that moment,

Whack!

Togril's kick hit Oto's stomach.

"Ahh!"

Oto was sent flying and crashed to the ground again.

"Ugh! Stop talking...!"

Then,

"Kiii!"

"Kiii!"

"Kiii!"

The three eagle spirits dove towards Oto.

‘Is Kairos trying to kill me now?’

No matter how he thought about it, that was the only conclusion he could draw.

- Rookie! Go back to basics!

"What are you saying now!"

Oto, rolling to avoid Togril and the eagle spirits, shouted.

- Will you die just because a few techniques are blocked? Will you give up your life to the enemy just because you're out of options?

"Of course not!"

- You have an invincible sword technique.

"..."

- Besides, that vicious guy is missing his left eye, isn't he? That's enough!

At that moment,

‘Ah!’

Oto, listening to Kairos' advice, realized how he could overcome this crisis.

‘Right, let’s try it.’

As a plan formed in his mind, his chaotic movements began to find their place.

‘Dodge, dodge, Petrify.’

Oto's eyes, avoiding the attacks of Togril and the eagle spirits, emitted a gray flash.

He used <Petrifying Gaze> again.

"It won't work!"

Togril, completely unafraid, continued to attack Oto while taking the <Petrifying Gaze>.

He seemed to have no intention of dodging, relying on his magic resistance.

‘An opportunity will come.’

Oto, undeterred, maintained his focus and continued to aim <Petrifying Gaze> at Togril's left side.

Then,

‘Now!’

Oto moved into Togril's left side.

"Where are you going!"

Togril, seemingly unimpressed by Oto's counterattack, roared and swung his greatsword.

However,

"..."

Togril was surprised.

Whirl!

Oto, who had his sword embedded in Togril's side, violently pulled it out and, in a waltz-like movement, turned to Togril's left rear.

Swish!

Swish!

Oto's sword cut through Togril's side and back.

"Ugh, ugh!"

Togril groaned and staggered.

"Kiii!"

"Kiii!"

"Kiii!"

The eagle spirits could not help Togril.

Oto was too close to Togril's left side, and any misstep could result in attacking their master.

"Exactly why...?"

Togril could not understand why he had allowed Oto to attack him consecutively.

"Who knows. Why do you think?"

Oto, standing back-to-back with Togril, sneered.

Togril, having lost his left eye, had a blind spot on his left side, which Oto exploited.

Oto used <Petrifying Gaze> to focus on Togril's left arm and leg, slowing him down.

Then, he moved into the blind spot and targeted Togril's weak points with the movements of the <Invincible Sword Technique>.

- Tsk! Look at that! It works, doesn't it!

"Indeed."

Oto, looking at Kairos in the distance, smiled.

Kairos, as always, was sitting on a pile of enemy corpses, drinking from a leather flask—definitely alcohol.

Indeed, Kairos.

As a veteran of countless battles, his advice, drawn from his experience, was worth listening to.

It was not just any experience but the kind that comes from the trenches.

"Thanks, I'll say it later... Let's finish this."

Oto, saying this, continued to relentlessly target Togril's blind spot.

"Y-You...!!!"

Togril, enraged, attacked in all directions, but it was futile.

Oto, staying in Togril's blind spot, thoroughly toyed with him.

Then,

"I'll kill you!!!"

As Togril, enraged, swung his greatsword,

Swoosh!

Oto's sword cut through Togril's neck.

Thud!

Togril fell.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Everyone watching was shocked.

The chieftain of the Kerait tribe, who had long ruled the Havre Plains and dreamed of unifying the grasslands, had been defeated by an unknown continental warrior.

* * *

[Notice: You have defeated <Togril>!]

[Notice: The potential of the Kerait tribe has weakened!]

[Notice: Togril's scenario has been deleted!]

[Notice: Your experience has increased!]

[Notice: Level 102 achieved!]

(omitted)

[Notice: Level 106 achieved!]

His level increased.

[Notice: Your <Piercing Gaze> and <Petrifying Gaze> skills have been enhanced due to level up!]

[Notice: The upper-level skill of the <Calypso's Gaze> skill system has been unlocked due to level up!]

[Notice: You can now use the <Venomous Stare> skill!]

Thanks to this, he gained a new skill.

However, Oto had no time to check his growth.

Togril's death was like a signal to end the intense battle, and the fighting was coming to an end.

"The chieftain has fallen."

"Oh."

"The chieftain... is dead."

Upon learning of Togril's death, the Kerait warriors were shocked and lost their fighting spirit.

With the one who had sustained the unfavorable battle now fallen, their will to fight waned.

"Y-We surrender!"

"We surrender!"

The Kerait warriors began to lay down their weapons and indicate their surrender.

Thus, the battle ended.

"We won!"

"We won!"

Just a few minutes after Togril's death, the allied forces erupted in cheers of victory.

"Phew. I thought I was going to die."

Oto, feeling the tension suddenly release, slumped to the ground.

‘I can't freeze up. I need to stay calm. In real combat, panicking means death.’

Oto learned a lot from his battle with Togril.

‘Things won't always go as I want them to. I won't always have the upper hand. If I freeze up in such situations, I'll really die. I need to be more composed and find solutions calmly.’

Even with the power of the Invincible Emperor, Oto, who was just a casual gamer, had achieved a lot in real combat.

However,