Adrian's eyes burned with intensity as he faced the Kaiden Sellswords, his body pulsating with adrenaline as he prepared to defend himself. The time for words had passed, and now was the time for actions.
The armored sellsword circled Adrian while their leader watched in amusement, and soon enough, they made the first move.
The first warrior lunged at Adrian with a downward slash, aiming for his shoulder. But Adrian was quicker, stepping to the side and deflecting the blow with his kite shield. He slashed across the warrior's abdomen in a swift counterattack, rending the armor and leaving a deep gash that spilled his innards onto the forest floor.
Undeterred, the Kaiden warriors fought with brutal strength and ferocity, their curved swords slashing through the air with deadly precision. Adrian's shield bore the brunt of their relentless assault, each strike sending shockwaves through his arm. He redirected, blocked, and sidestepped, his movements fluid and calculated as he awaited another opportunity to counterattack.
Another warrior, seizing a perceived opening, came at Adrian with a renewed ferocity. He swung his sword in wide arcs to catch Adrian off guard. However, Adrian was waiting for this moment.
The young tarnished avoided the strike and retaliated with a swift slice to the warrior's leg. The man stumbled, and Adrian seized the opportunity to decapitate him with a single clean stroke.
The battle raged on, a whirlwind of flashing blades, sweat-soaked brows, and the metallic symphony of clashing weapons. Adrian's broadsword met the curved sabers of the sellswords in a dance of strength and finesse. With each clash, he felt the weight of their blows, the strain on his muscles, and the sharp pain of lacerations inflicted upon him.
The third warrior to charge Adrian was the quickest, darting in and out with lightning speed. He managed to land a glancing blow to Adrian's arm, causing him to grit his teeth in pain. But his minute victory would cost him dearly.
Fueled by rage and adrenaline, Adrian launched a barrage of strikes, driving the man back until he stumbled on a root and fell. Adrian plunged his broadsword into the warrior's heart with a merciless thrust and no hesitation.
Blood trickled down Adrian's brow, mixing with the sweat that streamed down his face. His breath came in ragged gasps. His body was drenched in a sheen of exertion as he glared at the last standing warrior, other than their self-assured commander.
As the fourth warrior closed in, Adrian could feel his body growing weary from the relentless combat. Sweat dripped into his eyes, but he brushed it away, refusing to yield. The final Kaiden warrior had moved without care, singlemindedly intent on shedding Adrian's blood.
He feinted left, then right, trying to gauge Adrian's reactions. But Adrian was past the point of tactics and strategy. He saw only an enemy that he needed to put down. With a guttural roar, he charged at the Kaiden warrior, sword raised high.
Their swords clashed, the sound echoing through the forest like thunder. Their strength evenly matched, but Adrian's frenzied rage gave him an edge. Blow after blow rained upon the Kaiden warrior, who struggled to keep up with the relentless assault.
"Is this all you've got?" the Kaiden warrior taunted with a hoarse laugh, even as lacerations accumulated on his body.
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But Adrian was lost in his fury, solely focused on the fight. He blocked the warrior's taunts as simply as he did his strikes. The Kaiden warrior tried to counterattack, but Adrian deftly sidestepped and delivered a slashing blow to his back, leaving a deep wound that sent him to his knees.
The leader's eyebrows raised in amusement as he saw his warriors defeated, their bodies strewn across the clearing. He knew he was the last one standing between Adrian and victory. Still, the veteran warrior showed no reaction.
Adrian advanced on the leader, bloodied sword and shield at the ready. "You chose the wrong guy..." Adrian growled, his voice a low, menacing rumble.
The leader chuckled, shaking his head and showing no signs of fear. "Don't get ahead of yourself, mate... I'm still standing, aren't I?" He asked, a hint of amusement in his tone.
Adrian's response was a sudden charge, his broadsword slashing through the air with unmatched brutality. Blow after blow rained down upon the Kaiden leader, his attempts to defend himself becoming increasingly feeble.
Adrian's unhinged rage grew with every swing, his blows fueled by the pain and suffering he had endured. The leader stumbled backward, blood streaming from his wounds. Adrian tackled him to the ground, their bodies crashing against the earth with a thunderous impact.
They grappled, a desperate struggle for dominance. The Kaiden Sellsword's mockery and taunts continued, but Adran didn't even have the mental capacity to process his words, consumed by his own bloodlust.
Adrian finally managed to pin his foe after a fierce struggle, and with a primal roar, he lifted his kite shield high above his head and brought it crashing down upon the leader's helmet.
The sound of impact reverberated through the forest, the shield denting the metal and eliciting a sickening crunch. Blood gushed from the leader's nose and mouth, his struggles weakening with each blow. But still, Adrian did not relent. Again and again, he bashed the shield against the leader's head, his strikes fueled by a raw, unchecked fury.
The leader's defiant mockery finally ceased, his body growing limp beneath the onslaught. Blood pooled around him, mixing with the soil, as Adrian's blows continued unabated. The air was thick with the scent of iron and violence, the primal roars of Adrian reverberating through the clearing.
With one final strike, Adrian delivered a bone-shattering blow, his shield caving in the leader's helmet. Silence descended upon the forest as Adrian rose from the lifeless body, his chest heaving, blood dripping from his wounds.
As Adrian slowly calmed himself, his breathing returning to a steady rhythm, he took in the sight of the fallen Kaiden warriors strewn across the clearing. Their lifeless bodies were now a testament to his fierce determination and the depths of his rage. The adrenaline that had fueled him moments ago began to ebb away, leaving him with a mix of exhaustion and a lingering sense of accomplishment.
Adrian stepped forward to inspect the fallen sellswords, but the sound of footsteps rustling through the bushes caught Adrian's attention, causing him to halt. He instinctively reached towards his broadsword and prepared to defend himself again at the sudden noise.
A man clad in heavy silver-colored armor emerged from the foliage, adorned with intricate golden designs depicting fierce beasts and birds of prey. The armor covered every part of his body except for his head.
Adrian's muscles tensed, his grip tightening on his sword, but before he could move, the armored man began to clap, a wide grin spreading across his face. The clapping echoed through the clearing, filling the air with a sense of delight that contrasted with the scene of carnage before them.
"I must say, lad, that was quite a show," the man said, his voice filled with amusement. "I'm not here to pick a fight, in case you were wondering. I would have even given you a hand, but it didn't look like you needed it."
Adrian's brows furrowed, his eyes locked onto the stranger, studying him carefully. The man's armor bore the markings of a seasoned warrior, and the two-handed sword he carried bespoke of his formidable strength.
"I'm not looking for trouble," Adrian replied, his tone steady but cautious. "Who are you?"
The man chuckled heartily, sheathing his massive sword across his back. "Name's Bernahl. Tarnished, just like you," he said, extending a gauntleted hand in a gesture of peace.
Adrian's eyes widened with realization as he processed the information. The dots connected, and he recognized the man standing before him as the very same Knight Bernahl he had sought out. In the game, he was a merchant who sold Weapon Arts, items that could be attached to weapons to perform various skills.
Again, Adrian didn't know that specific mechanic would translate into reality, but visiting Knight Bernahl and figuring it out was one of his top priorities.
A mixture of surprise and relief washed over Adrian as he understood the significance of their meeting. He released his grip on his sword, no longer feeling the need for immediate defense. With a renewed sense of purpose, he extended his own hand and firmly shook Knight Bernahl's gauntleted hand.
"I am Adrian," he calmly introduced himself. "Do forgive the feeble handshake. As you can see, I'm not in the best shape..." Adrian continued as he leisurely retrieved one of his Crimson Tear flasks and emptied its content with one gulp.
"No shame in it..." Knight Bernahl replied with a casual nod. "Still, this is no place to hold a proper conversation... how about coming with me to my humble shack, lad? It's just up ahead..."
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