Noah was given no time to dodge, all he could do was activate his new Skill [Beastly Aegis]. Luckily, the Skill didn’t deactivate like the first time he tried it, but because of the adrenaline surging through his veins, it allowed him to focus.

His muscles in his arm grew, and a layer of armoured scales seeped out from the shield, and in the next second an intense thud caused his shoulder to snap backward. Even from the impact reduction from [Shield Proficiency], the strike caused a vivid pain to shoot down from his shoulder, to the muscles all around his back.

He could feel the [Unbreakable Reins] tear. He urgently channelled more mana into them as they reformed. Noah’s fear was being dismounted and thrown away from Krall. If the enemy was able to separate them, Noah would lose a lot of his power. Against a mighty enemy, it meant death.

Thankfully, the javelin that the monster threw lost its towering strength as it thudded to the floor.

Noah recovered from the great strike and peered ahead. A hulking humanoid stood in front of a throne. He was even taller than Krall when he stood up on his hind legs. Just from the muscles in its body alone, Noah could tell it was a grand enemy. Not only that, its flesh flashed a faint golden lustre, as if it was a treasure ready to be plucked.

Level ?? - Troll.

Krall sensed something, and took a domineering step forward.

“I hear you Krall.” Noah slapped Krall’s shoulder. “But let's remain cautious. This isn’t an enemy we can simply charge.”

Krall let out a beastly grunt in response.

Taking a closer look at the troll, Noah noticed that its arm trembled. He guessed that it had used a Skill, and that was the result of using it, but he shook his head. If he had truly used a Skill, Noah doubted he would have been able to remain on Krall’s back. Perhaps it would have even pierced his shield entirely.

No, it was something else. Noah glanced around the room, but he didn’t see any signs of food. He is starved, just like the other kobolds. He deduced, then ordered Krall to pace to the side of the room where the shadows were located.

Against the boss, he would need any advantage he could gain.

Noah used the time the troll didn’t attack, and also stuck monster stimulant into Krall’s flesh. Because of the density of his hide, Noah had to use a lot of strength so that the needle could actually pierce it. The strength poured into Krall’s body as he released a powerful exhale. Noah was the same. Whatever power Krall gained, would also be his.

They were one. Noah could feel it within his mind. It was cementing itself like a brand.

Noah wondered why the troll hadn’t made a move yet. The monster took a step forward, but he stopped himself from going further as he watched Noah’s movements. Its eyes twitched, as if it was struggling with something.

Is it really that weakened that it can’t move? Noah thought. He half had the idea of charging right there and then to take advantage of the beast, but something told him it was a bad idea.

“Where is the word of power?” The troll said with an obsession filled gaze.

It was a surprise to Noah. It was the first monster that he had met that could actually talk. Well, at least not of the Otherworlders, that was.

His mind was working overtime. He had no way of knowing what the hell a word of power even was, let alone where it was located. But there was one thing that stood out to him–his desperation. Noah had seen it quite a few times on the streets, they were the eyes of an addict, or someone in deep desperation.

If he could spin the situation to his favour, then maybe there was another way, rather than using brute force.

“You don’t know?” Noah asked, obviously lying through his teeth.

“You know where it is?” The troll stumbled forward, hope was reignited within him.

“That's why I’m here.” Noah massaged his shoulder, then straightened his spine until he was sitting tall on Krall’s back. Luckily, he knew how to talk nonsense.

“Then where?” The kobold moves its fingers in agitation.

“Why would I tell you?” Noah frowned. “You attack me, then want me to share my knowledge?”

The troll snapped. “Then I’ll torture you for the location.”

Noah scoffed. “Do you really think that torture would work on me. Do you even know the hell’s I’ve had to walk through to reach here? The stench of bones under my feet, or the blood on my hands?” Noah slowly approached, then his eyes landed on the back wall. Under Krall’s feet, there was a faint line leading all the way to the back of the wall, where a hole was located at the base of it.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

That’s odd. Noah thought. Maybe that’s what he’s looking for?

The troll thought for a minute, then huffed. “Then we help each-other.”

Noah nodded. Yes, that sounded perfect. “Okay–” His thoughts continued in a mess, he had to kill time, he had to wait for an opportunity. If he could defeat the monster without the risk of dying, that would be ideal, but how–

Sounds of fighting ushered into the halls, the fight was intensifying.

“But we need to wait.” Noah looked up through the cracks in the roof. “The secrets of the word of power will be unleashed after the moon rises to the east.”

The troll followed his gaze, until he nodded. Noah could hear a deep rumble from his stomach–he was starving.

Thankfully, the troll didn’t seem too bothered that his troops were being slaughtered. Just what was a word of power that could so easily warp a mind into believing that it was the only thing that mattered? Or perhaps the kobold was simply mad, and everything was blending together from hunger, loneliness, and entrapment within the dungeon, resulting in his psychosis.

Of course, the moon rising was a lie. He just wanted the troll’s attention to waver. Krall took another quiet step forward. Noah planned on attacking. His chances of victory were much higher the closer he got. After all, it was no good if the kobold could prepare against his charge.

Just as Krall took another step, this one was different. It was wet. Noah peered down, and blood had travelled down the line in the pathed floor from the courtyard, and travelled toward the wall like a small river. Noah’s eyes widened. Was it unlocked by blood? Was the wall actually a door?

“Look, it’s time.” Noah pointed to the blood, then to the wall.

The troll’s eyes widened in shock. “You have done it.”

“Not yet, there is one last step,” Noah said. “But I don’t have the strength to accomplish it.”

“Tell me!” The troll muttered. “I’ll do anything.”

“When the blood reaches the wall, you will need to push. With my help, you will receive the word of power.”

Approaching the wall in haste, the troll touched the wall. “Yes, I can feel something. Something rumbling deep within.” It cried out in excitement as it held its head against the wall, as if it was glued to it.

Noah approached, then used [Shrouded Presence] to mask Krall’s footsteps. Their walk transformed into a raging [Charge] as they hurtled towards the large troll. The troll snapped its head back, and prepared itself. Its instincts took over its hazy mind, and brandished its weapon. Fury warped its face.

Noah activated all his Skills, empowering his, and Krall’s body to the limit of what was currently possible. As Noah [Thrusted] his spear at the troll’s back. Noah could feel the stomp of Krall’s foot, the muscle fibres within his body, and the desire to defeat any in his path within his mind.

As his attack flew forward, something deep within Noah’s mind cracked.

He could make out the thoughts within Krall’s mind as if they were his own. The primal need to defeat, and devour his opponent surged within his brain, and just as the troll was about to defend the attack, Noah’s mind was sucked into another world entirely.

A wide expansive plain met his gaze. It was filled with an army of monstrous beasts the likes he had never seen before. Each of them was taller than a building, but more than that, Noah could feel their very aura as if he was next to them. They were approaching him, but it didn’t feel right. It was as if he wasn’t in his own body.

He held out his hand, only to reveal a humanoid arm. Scales covered it entirely, and sharp claws had grown from his fingernails. That wasn’t all. Noah also had another set of arms. He looked down further and noticed he was atop a grand beast that could only be described from the legends. It had numerous heads, and its tails were spiked.

Its aura took his breath away.

Noah could feel the earth shake under the incoming god beasts might, each capable of tearing apart the strongest beings he could even think of. Yet his, or whoever he was, heart, was as calm as a tranquil pool of water.

The man, or ‘being’ that Noah was within, finally made a move. Or more accurately, his beast did. The calm of his heart responded to the movement of his companion. From a stillness, to a primordial need for war, battle, and destruction.

Opening their maws wide, his mounted companion shouted out enormous lances of shadows. They moved so fast they practically teleported, each one tore through the god-beast wave as if they were nothing but sheets of paper. The shadow lances rent the earth, and everything in its path was decimated until nothing remained.

Noah didn’t know who the being was, nor the monster ‘he’ mounted, but it was the connection they had that made his mind open. They were one. With a thought, his companion’s limbs moved. With a breath, his companion also took a breath. They were connected by mind and soul.

His vision was ripped from the scene of cataclysmic battle, and re-appeared in front of the troll.

You have awakened the Expansion Shard - Monster [ Early ].

Krall roared once more, this time however, it was different. His roar trembled the very core of Noah’s being. The urge to join him was overpowering as he copied his companion. Both belting out a monstrous roar, Noah’s spear shot through the air.

Their sudden increase in speed was monstrous as it caught the lord unaware.

Noah’s spear pierced the troll's heart, and continued into the thick wall with a thudding crash. While Krall’s armoured head slammed into its stomach with the added might of [Kill Command], scrambling its insides into mush.

The increased strength in not only Noah’s body, but Krall’s, was staggering. He was expecting a brutal fight against a weakened opponent after causing a lethal wound in its body, he certainly didn’t expect to kill it with one hit. Despite the life ending wound, it was already beginning to seal around his spear.

A troll’s regeneration. Noah thought in shock, but it only lasted a second before it stopped. The troll was dead.

Noah, ignoring the newly gained strength coursing through his body, turned his attention to his System Notifications. They were going wild. He opened it and was amazed at the sprawling text.

He couldn’t help but chuckle in glee at the information, but something swiftly made him frown in dissatisfaction.

For the first time since entering Ruaturn, he was in second place.