The Forest Cracks.
A once barren, foul-smelling wasteland—its fields overgrown with weeds, littered with bones, and swarming with flies—was now unrecognizable.
In just half a month, the area had been thoroughly cleaned.
With hundreds of ogres forced into free labor, the transformation had been swift and practical.
"ROAR!"
A thunderous bellow tore through the clearing.
War Troll Guu, a towering hulking beast, swung his three-meter-long magic greatsword, bringing it down toward Sakeer with a force that split the air.
The blade howled as it cut through the atmosphere, stirring up a violent gust of wind in its wake.
But Sakeer had already moved.
A simple sidestep took him out of the sword's path.
Boom!
The blade crashed into the ground, sending shockwaves rippling outward.
A cloud of dust surged into the air—
And from within it, Sakeer struck back.
He darted forward, his body a blur as he leapt onto the flat surface of the greatsword, using it as a springboard.
Two strides.
In the blink of an eye, he was face-to-face with the towering War Troll.
Slash!
The iron sword cut deep, slicing into War Troll Guu's shoulder.
A burst of dark blood followed, and a pained roar escaped the creature's lips.
"Damn you, human!"
Fury twisted the War Troll's massive face.
With lightning speed, his thick, muscular arm shot upward, aiming to swat Sakeer away like a fly.
But—
Sakeer's eyes narrowed.
Instead of dodging, he planted both feet firmly on the hilt of the greatsword, pressing down to brace himself.
His left arm coiled back—
Then shot forward.
A fist met flesh.
Boom!
The impact echoed through the battlefield.
For a brief moment, Sakeer's fist clashed against the troll's colossal palm.
Then—
Sakeer's body jerked backward from the sheer force.
He twisted midair, flipping away before landing several meters back, his feet digging into the dirt to steady himself.
His left arm throbbed, the bones vibrating with numbness.
He shook it off with a smirk.
"You're strong. I'll give you that."
But—
Power alone isn't enough.
"I'LL KILL YOU, HUMAN!"
War Troll Guu roared, his fury unbridled.
With a single motion, he wrenched his greatsword free from the dirt, its blade glinting ominously.
Then—
He charged.
This time, Sakeer did not evade.
Instead, he planted his back foot, gripping the hilt of his sword with both hands.
His eyes locked onto the massive blade as it came hurtling down.
The earth shook beneath the force of War Troll Guu's terrifying strike—
But Sakeer was already moving.
"Fourfold Slash of Light Break!"
In an instant—
His arms blurred, unleashing four rapid slashes.
The sword lights danced, slicing through the air in perfect synchronization.
And then—
They merged.
The four slashes fused into one, condensing into a single, dazzling arc of destruction.
It collided head-on with the incoming greatsword.
BANG!
A deafening shockwave exploded outward.
A powerful air burst radiated from the point of impact, sending grass, dirt, and dust flying in all directions.
"Gah—!"
War Troll Guu staggered backward, his grip on the greatsword faltering.
His massive arms trembled, veins bulging from the strain.
With a sudden cry, his fingers slipped—
And the greatsword fell from his grasp, slamming into the ground.
BOOM!
Sakeer's own iron sword met a similar fate.
The weapon shattered, fragments of steel scattering like glass, while a thin trickle of blood oozed from his fingers.
Yet—
A triumphant glint flickered in Sakeer's gaze.
"It worked."
His attack had not only blocked the greatsword, but also forced the troll to drop his weapon.
"Fourfold Slash of Light" was originally designed to unleash four slashes simultaneously.
However—
By condensing all four strikes into one singular point, the attack's power skyrocketed, delivering a devastating explosive force.
"It's far more powerful than 'Quick Slash.' And since it's a martial art, it doesn't have a cooldown restriction."
Sakeer quickly scanned his attribute panel.
Strangely enough, there was no recorded change in the Fourfold Slash of Light skill.
"Is it because I developed this move myself?"
"Or does it count as an extension of the original technique rather than a separate skill?"
Either way—
This was his first self-created technique.
And it worked.
"If I can master the 'Fourfold Slash of Light Break'... then can I develop the 'Six Slash of Light' next?"
The thought sparked in his mind.
This past half-month had been immensely rewarding.
Not only had he gained experience, but through relentless combat with War Troll Guu, his understanding of his own strength had risen to an entirely new level.
Sakeer raised a hand—
"Minor Healing."
A faint glow surrounded his palm, and the wounds on his bleeding fingers began to mend.
But across from him—
War Troll Guu did not attack again.
Instead—
The massive creature staggered backward, his yellow, ferocious eyes flickering with something new.
Fear.
Then—
Without hesitation—
He turned and ran.
The monstrous warrior, who had once towered over Sakeer like an unshakable titan, now fled in terror, his heavy footsteps pounding the ground.
"Heh."
Sakeer watched him retreat, a small smile playing at his lips.
He lifted his hand gently, magic swirling at his fingertips.
"Today's training is over, my friend."
And with that—
"All-Race Charm."
A wave of magic rippled outward, chasing after the fleeing troll.
War Troll Guu stiffened mid-stride.
His expression blanked.
His steps faltered.
And then—
He stood still.
Sakeer approached the fallen magic greatsword, its massive blade stretching over three meters in length.
He reached out, gripping the hilt firmly.
The moment his palm made contact—
The sword began to shrink.
Metal contracted, the blade condensing as if responding to his touch.
It wasn't until it had diminished to just over a meter that the transformation ceased.
Sakeer studied it for a moment, then gave it a casual swing.
"This is a fine weapon."
The balance was exceptional.
The sheer sense of power in each swing—
The way it felt in his grip—
It was leagues beyond an ordinary iron sword.
He activated Item Identification—
A notification appeared:
[Magic Greatsword – Intermediate (Level 21~30) Equipment]
Sakeer's gaze flickered toward the conspicuous purple groove embedded in the center of the blade.
It contained a venomous property, capable of weakening muscle strength, though at a relatively low level—only around Level 10.
Yet, the sword's true power lay elsewhere.
Unlike most magic weapons with size-altering properties, this one could seamlessly adjust its length according to the wielder's body type.
It was far superior to ordinary magic gear of its kind—
Easily extending beyond three meters, making it ideal for massive creatures like War Troll Guu.
A weapon of this caliber and functionality—
Sakeer doubted it was something War Troll Guu had stumbled upon by chance.
And he was right.
A quick inquiry confirmed it:
The greatsword was a gift from Naga, one of the Three Rulers of the Great Forest of Mob.
A Demon Snake of the West.
Sakeer narrowed his eyes.
A week ago, he had already sent an ogre messenger to Naga's territory, inviting the serpent ruler to meet him.
"I wonder if it will come."
Resting the greatsword on his shoulder, he pondered.
With most of the high-ranking monsters in the Trolls Ancient Territory eliminated, Sakeer naturally had no intention of stopping there.
The Wise King of the Forest, Hamusuke, and the Demon Snake, Naga were his next targets.
Hamusuke was the strongest, but also the most troublesome.
So—
He had chosen to deal with War Troll Guu first.
Next—
It was Naga's turn.
Sakeer's lips curled slightly.
"Hopefully, this ruler is smarter than War Troll Guu."
Sakeer turned to War Troll Guu.
"Gather all the ogres."
War Troll Guu, still in a trance, nodded and lumbered away.
Before long—
The entire ogre horde had assembled.
A chaotic, noisy mass of creatures, their guttural roars and growls filling the air.
The Forest Crevice echoed with the raucous clamor, resembling a bustling marketplace.
Then—
Sakeer stepped forward.
The moment he did, all eyes turned to him.
The ogres recognized him—
The human who stood beside their leader.
"You've all worked hard."
Sakeer lifted the magic greatsword off his shoulder, his voice calm—
His tone almost… gentle.
"So please—rest well."
And then—
He moved.
In an instant—
His expression turned ice-cold.
With a single, explosive step—
BOOM!
He shot forward.
The closest ogre barely had time to react—
Before steel met flesh.
SHING!
One clean slash.
The massive creature was cleaved in half, its body splitting apart like a broken ragdoll.
Blood, organs, and torn flesh spilled onto the ground.
A notification popped up:
[Experience Gained: 321]
But Sakeer was already in motion again.
"Fly!"
Magic surged around him—
His body lifted into the air.
The moment he ascended, the ogres panicked.
"HUMAN!"
"PAIN!"
"RUN!!"
Chaos erupted.
The ogres scattered in all directions, desperate to flee.
But—
Sakeer had the sky on his side.
They were trapped prey.
And he was the hunter.
Sakeer descended swiftly, landing dead center in the horde.
BOOM!
The impact alone sent several ogres tumbling.
Before they could regain their footing—
He spun the greatsword.
The blade became a whirlwind of death.
Everywhere it passed—
Flesh was shredded.
Limbs were severed.
Ogres were butchered like livestock.
Blood soaked the earth.
More notifications flashed—
[Experience Gained: 355]
[Experience Gained: 326]
[Experience Gained: 331]
…
[Experience Gained: 361]
Despite their desperate attempts to flee, Sakeer's speed and aerial advantage left the ogres with no chance.
One by one, they fell.
By the time it was over—
More than 200 ogres lay dead.
The air was thick with the stench of blood.
A crimson mist hung over the battlefield like a specter of death.
Then—
A sharp gust.
Sakeer descended from the sky, landing amidst the carnage.
From a distance—
He looked like a demon, his entire body drenched in gore, as if he had crawled out of a river of blood.
He glanced down at his clothes, which were stiffening with coagulated blood, and let out a small sigh.
"This time, I really need a bath."
His gaze shifted to the magic greatsword, now dripping with fresh blood.
"As expected, magic weapons are far superior."
He chuckled lightly.
"If I had used an ordinary iron sword, I would've had to hack at each ogre multiple times just to finish the job."
Casually wiping some of the blood from his face, he opened his attribute panel.
A new update appeared:
[Experience Gauge: 145,422 / 30,000]