Chapter 139: Death of the Double!
Seeing Bloodhand Kahn, Matthew wasn't surprised.
Given that Kahn belonged to the Pfizer Merchant Guild and had been active in the Eastern Province for an unknown amount of time, encountering him again was highly probable.
However, Matthew never expected Bloodhand Kahn's power to increase so rapidly!
From a heavily wounded, dying mid-tier warrior to a terrifying high-tier peak existence in just two months.
Such a leap in power was even more dramatic than Matthew pouring all his experience points into leveling up.
But the data quickly provided Matthew with the answer, revealing more detailed information.
Name: Bloodhand Kahn.
Species: Deeply Infected Test Subject (1/3 Human, 1/3 Fey, 1/3 Demon)
Challenge Level: 16+!
Talents: Deep Berserk, Leadership.
Specialties:
Advanced Specialty - Death Harvest LV1: Each kill in combat grants +1 temporary damage, up to a maximum of 10 points.
Advanced Specialty - Weakness Insight LV1: +10 to perception checks on enemy vital points and weak spots, deals 15 extra damage to those weak spots.
Skills:
Advanced Skill - Fear Aura LV1: Releases a fear check of Willpower -5 within 30 meters to all enemies. Upon a failed check, enemies enter a Fear state, reducing all attributes by 1/3.
Advanced Skill - Flesh Symbiosis LV1: Bonds with a creature of equal or lesser challenge level, sharing HP and shifting into a battle form!
Inheritance: None.
Attributes:
Strength: 23
Agility: 14
Constitution: 20
Intelligence: 4
Perception: 14
Charisma: 16
Luck: -4!
Evaluation: The entire world loathes you!
"Two months and you've stopped being human?"
Glancing at Bloodhand Kahn's grotesque bloodline, Matthew surmised that he had undergone some horrific transformation.
"As expected of the Pfizer Merchant Guild, one of the best at future flesh modifications."
Beyond his extraordinary strength and constitution, what concerned Matthew most was Bloodhand Kahn's radically inhuman body.
His upper body, towering over two meters tall, was muscular and powerfully built.
His lower half had fused with a six-legged warhorse.
His entire form was bulging with muscle, covered in a blood-fueled armor, radiating heat as it underwent further unknown modifications.
He now appeared as a four-meter-tall centaur-like monster, exuding a bloody aura, radiating death and carnage.
His grotesque head bore backward-curving black horns.
His gaping maw, filled with sharp fangs, released a series of bone-chilling roars.
Over one-quarter of the defending soldiers, even under the boost of the Courage Aura, couldn't help but fall into a state of fear.
They couldn't even muster the courage to look at Bloodhand Kahn.
Matthew stood calmly on the hillside, unfazed by Kahn's terrifying presence.
The monstrous creature glared at Matthew with blood-red, bulging eyes.
His mind was entirely gone, and his intelligence had been reduced to nothing more than battle instincts and a lust for bloodshed.
Yet one thought transcended his broken mind, compelling him forward:
"Kill this Arcanist!"
"Roar…!"
To everyone's disbelief,
Bloodhand Kahn charged through the thick alchemical oil, heedless of the burning flames, relentlessly driving toward Matthew!
Behind him, the knights—also transformed and monstrous—howled as they tore through the firewalls.
Each one was ablaze, their bodies sizzling with the sound of burning flesh, resembling knights straight out of hell.
However, the unforgiving flames did not yield to their will.
As these monstrosities charged through the fire, some silently collapsed, consumed by the flames.
As everyone stood in shock, Adam Smith suddenly roared:
"Fire the crossbows! Don't stop!"
The crossbowmen snapped out of their stupor, sweating profusely as they realized their only chance to survive was to keep fighting.
Kill or be killed!
Thick crossbow bolts felled one monstrous knight after another, aided by the flames that ensured they stayed down for good.
But even the four- or five-meter-high walls of fire couldn't stop all the monstrous knights.
They charged forward, following Bloodhand Kahn's lead, breaking through the walls of flame at the cost of over 100 dead knights. They crashed into the walls ahead of the weakened test subjects.
The ironwood walls, as tough as steel, were dented and torn apart by the impact.
Bloodstained holes were left behind, with some knights still trying to climb upward.
But they were quickly crushed into twisted masses of flesh by their comrades behind them.
The walls shook violently, and Adam Smith urgently ordered the soldiers to retreat.
Then, he watched in horror as the massive Bloodhand Kahn rammed into the walls.
Boom!
The walls shattered, chunks of stone flew in every direction.
Amid the billowing dust, the monstrous creature lifted its head and roared furiously.
One of its horns was broken, one of its horse legs was crippled, and sharp fragments of red bone protruded from its wounds, making it even more terrifyingly savage.
Matthew raised his hand to stop Beelzebub, taking control of the remaining 14 clay golems, and advanced.
Bam!
With just a swing, Bloodhand Kahn's axe cleaved open a clay golem's chest, splitting it into pieces.
Instant kill!
Bloodhand Kahn's axe, glowing with a dark aura, was clearly a high-level magical weapon!
Matthew remained unfazed, continuing to direct the clay golems to surround Bloodhand Kahn.
The golems' powerful fists struck him repeatedly, but they barely fazed him.
The berserk monster kept retaliating viciously, his superhuman strength destroying one golem after another.
The remaining golems tried to grapple and restrain him, but they were quickly overpowered and thrown aside.
Dense volleys of crossbow bolts flew past Bloodhand Kahn's massive form, taking down the monster knights that tried to breach the walls.
Beelzebub gripped his battle axe tightly, his breathing heavy, but Matthew remained calm as he said:
"Your main task is to hold this breach. Leave this monster to me!"
Matthew advanced with the last few clay golems, all eyes watching in horror as he approached Bloodhand Kahn, who had already destroyed several golems.
Noticing Matthew's approach, Bloodhand Kahn became agitated, his blood-red eyes locked on him as he roared repeatedly.
Seizing the moment, two golems charged forward, forcing Bloodhand Kahn to retreat.
Matthew directed three golems to block the breach Kahn had created.
Bloodhand Kahn, pushing aside the two shattered golems, charged straight at Matthew.
In an astonishing display, a golem lifted Matthew into the air and hurled him beyond the walls.
Matthew crashed hard into the water below, landing painfully as the test subjects rushed toward him. He closed his eyes calmly.
"It hurts…"