Joshua was grateful for the skill training and levelling up he did.Turns out training a skill was quite simple.You simply need to keep using it,find different uses and applications for it as well as understanding it.
Joshua was able to train his berserker rage skill by learning to control his anger.He had tried activating the skill for brief periods and trying some breathing exercises simultaneously.This had helped immensely and training his skills this way had actually been suggested by Gaia.
Joshua then focused on his opponent at hand.The green skin completed his spell which turned out to be a ice type aura spell capable of preventing someone from burning and also freezing anyone that approached.
That was fine by Joshua he would just see who would die first.Would the human be frozen or the orc burnt.They engaged and while the orc was slower by a bit he had far more force behind his strikes.
The orc's axe glowed blue as it used a mana based martial art.It had to be said that the denizens of this world could follow more then one cultivation path.Unless one was especially talented or hardworking this was especially difficult to do.
Orcs were unique in that they could grow stronger through fighting so they didn't have to cultivate and could simply spend more time learning martial arts and spells.
Joshua was unaware of this as he attempted to dodge and parry the orcs strikes.It was like trying to block a tsunami or an avalanch.It couldn't be blocked or tanked just diverted.
The orc was a slow opponent though and each rapid swing with its axe left it open to a thrust from Joshua.Due to their close proximity the two were building up damage.
Joshua's flames were slowly burning the orc whilst Joshua was starting to build up first damage as his extremities such as his fingers were slowly turning black.If this was turned into a battle of attrition then Joshua would lose.Not only that but the orc was...getting stronger.
It wasn't noticeable in the first half of the fight but it was noticeable now.The orc was slightly stronger and faster now but only slightly.There was also slightly more resistance when Joshua stabbed its muscles with his spear.It wasn't enough to stop the spear but it was worrying.
The orc thrashed out with his axe which left a small opening for Joshua.He decided to use his third skill.The blade of his spear caught aflame with blood crimson flame as he slashed with it.A crimson flame slash arced from the blade of the spear and collided with the orcs body.
Despite it colliding with the orcs body he found himself disappointed as he had missed his target.The slash had hit the orcs chest instead of his neck.This skill was easier to use in practice then applying it in actual combat.
The slash embedded into the orcs upper chest and set the internal blood around and beneath the wound on fire.The orc screeched in agony as it suffered internal burns and bleeding.The orc was filled with rage as it turned its gaze back onto Joshua.
Joshua had just used the epic rank level 1 skill bloodsear slash.It enabled him to use a bladed weapon to launch a slash attack of bloody crimson fire which also burned the internal blood around the wounds it caused.
Before the orc could make another action it was stabbed in the back from behind.The orc fell as it lost the feeling in its lower body.Katarina grinned at Joshua from behind the felled orc.
"You didn't need to get involved the fight was going in my favour."
"Really...you looked like you were struggling for a bit.Besides we all need the exp."
"COWARDS YOU DARE LOOK DOWN ON ME."
"Oh I almost forgot about you."
As the orc was attempting to crawl towards Joshua to bite at his ankles Joshua stabbed it through the eye with his spear.The orcs body slowly dissolved into the dungeon as it dropped a skull trophy,an axe and some hand wraps.
Joshua knew what he wanted as he needed more skull trophies and a better weapon.Katarina happily took the hand wraps as she was wearing nothing on her hands.These hand wraps possessed a passive effect that increased speed and control.
Joshua's new skull trophy passively increased his strengh and durability.Joshua didn't know what to think as he had wanted some speed enhancements.From what he had seen the buffs he gained from the skull trophies depended on the opponents he got them from.Either that or the epic rank level 1 skull trophy collecter skill wanted him to be some sort of hard hitting tank.