27

Midgard's Attribute, Thunder versus Darkness

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HHULG A heavy groan resounded. The splattering sound of blood was overwhelmed by the sound of a gunshot firing.

KHRRRARA A shriek followed immediately afterward.

Alduin’s heart started cramping as the speed of heartbeat kept increasing. The grip on his spear had never been firmer. The spear seemed to fit his palms perfectly as the accuracy of his thrusts reached a point he didn’t think was possible.

But even still, their lifeline which was ever so fragile had burst.

‘Barrel explosion,’ Alduin realized.

The factor that determined their victory had now become their downfall. If every reaction of energy had increased, from the smallest voltage in a taser to the largest of explosions by gas. Then what about the spark of a bullet?

They should have known.

His thoughts instantly arrived at this answer as he heard the explosion behind him. The rifle had reached its limit. The barrel couldn’t hold the increased energy anymore and the gun had misfired. But the shadow he should have held back passed him faster than he could react.

But still, a bullet had been shot.

‘Who?’ Alduin processed the facts almost instantly yet his realization had come too late.

“ALPHONS!” Edward’s voice was first.

BANG

Edward’s rifle, which had shot the least amount of bullets, fired almost instantly after this event.

Alduin’s footsteps readied himself for a spear thrust, fearing the worst. But even this couldn’t prepare him for what he saw.

A gaping hole in the back of the Goblin King, a fading black shield, yet no bullet to be seen. Leon’s father was laying on the ground with his hands holding his face and in the middle of all this chaos stood a Goblin and a Man. Alphons had entered the cave after them.

“VILE CREATURE!” The clicking voice erupted in anger.

“Get lost-“ A dreadful grunt replied. A horrifying smile showed on the face of an old man who had lost his purpose. This was a man who no longer had anything left, imploding in on himself.

The dagger in his hand dagger pierced down as Alduin’s first step just landed, but it was too late. Time seemed to slow down for Alduin the moment he heard the explosion behind him. His heart was burning up and blood was rising up his throat as he witnessed everything playing out. His senses were overloading.

He saw the movement clearly. The King’s ash-gray hand, with sharp, pitch-black nails, pierced forward again. Piercing the stomach of Alphons as skin parted and blood erupted. The arms of the Goblin King pulled to the side. Alduin’s next step just landed as his spear was already launching forward.

‘Faster!’ Alduin could only think about one thing.

Blood spurted to the sides. The dagger of the man had failed to pierce its target’s neck. Their two bodies were almost intertwined, But the Goblin’s arms had completely pulled sideways. And two halves of a man fell to the side.

“NO!” Alduin’s spear finally arrived.

For the last time, Alduin’s eyes locked with those of the old man. Dead eyes stared back, hatred, and sorrow swirled in his pupils. There was nothing more to this man, who once was the definition of resilient. Only a short while ago did he save their lives. Only a moment ago did he still live for tomorrow.

Alduin’s arm stretched forward completely. The spear reached its target as two parts of the old man’s body landed on the ground. Alduin’s grip tightened even more. His throat was completely on fire. His arm pushed forward with the strength of a sledgehammer. Hatred burning in his eyes.

Tang

‘What?!’ but disbelief washed over him as his world twisted.

He felt his center of gravity completely tilt. His stable, forward momentum missed its mark. His next foot forward didn’t land, let alone anchor him to the ground. Disbelief and shock painted his visage as his eyes naturally landed on the surrounding onlookers. His body completely followed the tip of his spear in the direction of his thrust.

A single slap had knocked the tip of the spear to the side. A single movement of this King, carrying an intense amount of energy and rage, broke his delusion. The palm covered with a coat of black ink had deflected Alduin’s thrust.

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Alduin stumbled and rolled to the side as his balance was completely lost. His focus, which was sharp as a knife’s edge, now only saw the world rolling around him. A crash landing brought him to a stop and his eyes could finally lock onto the Goblin King. Time, which moved ever so slowly, now rapidly caught up.

A second pike arrived. Yet this one was blocked by a thick floating shadow.

“You… are all… unworthy,” The clicking noise disparaged with visible anger.

The head of the last spearman was ruthlessly cut off by the blood-red claws of darkness.

“FUCK!” Leon arrived with his sword and shield.

Tang

The slashing sword was held between two fingers. A palm landed gently on the middle of the shield. And- Leon disappeared.

Alduin’s vision trembled. In his eyes, a result he couldn’t understand.

‘Unfair.’ His mind stopped working. ‘This is unfair.’

His vision lagged behind what he wanted to see, but the groan of Leon’s collapse near a distant wall had already entered his ears. Not a single movement of his friend remained. The blood that marked the impact told him enough.

The suppressed beating of Alduin’s heart finally erupted.

KHRAKHRAKHRAHA

“To injure… this one…” The cracking voice had become slower. “Good… The delicacy has become ever sweeter!”

The rage of its voice assaulted their will to resist. Edward, Lucas, and the final shieldbearer, Bob, stood in front of Alphons. A puddle of blood marked the man cleaved in half, much like the Goblin captain who lay before the throne. Yet the Goblin’s attention was pulled to the side.

“You’ll pay for that.” Alduin stood up. The cramping of his heart overwhelmed him. Energy pounded in his body, continuously looking for an exit. And finally, it had found a way to explode.

A flash of darkness completely swallowed the bloodied Goblin King. Two bullets had pierced its body. There was no time to delay, its target must be eliminated now.

The darkness approached as Alduin steadied himself. A thick iron scent burned his nose, blood wanted to escape from his throat, and a ringing sound dominated his hearing. His senses were overloading but his eyes were as clear as day.

The hazy light of the luminescent roots lit up his path forward. His eyes were clear. More clear than ever. The feeling of an energy flow, a pulsation, no, a vibration of life. Everything became clear, from the moment he entered here until now. And he had finally reached a revelation.

His speartip followed an illusive movement. The light of the luminescent roots was joined by a bright colour that emanated from Alduin’s spear tip. A movement as smooth as it could possibly be. A diagonal slash, with the force of his entire body, cut down right in front of him.

KHAKHAKHARARR

A collision louder than any before rang out. Thick black claws defended against the rapid spear strike. The blood flowing from the King’s wounds betrayed its position. The white fur coat on this figure had long since been dropped.

Alduin’s footwork stabilized, his body anchored in position this time. Strength unlike any he was capable of before, now erupted out of his muscles. The beating of his heart was heard by the Goblin. But it was his eyes, his eyes with tangible hatred, that reflected the hint of lightning at the tip of his spear.

Alduin’s attribute had finally manifested in the world.

“Awakening… to the strength at the Realm of Midgard,” the King said, “Awakening with… an attribute this early.” A tongue licked its sharp teeth. “How… utterly… delightful!”

Between the gasps of its breathing, the King relished in the thought of devouring Alduin.

Two pairs of eyes locked, each had found its target. Two eyes, devoid of pupils, shining with bright starlight narrowed into slits. The bright eyes were the last to fade into the darkness as the goblin once again disappeared.

A confrontation with their lives on the line. The Goblin’s small lungs had a gaping hole, and Alduin’s energy was burning its vessel.

The first step was set. The next step rapidly followed. Energy coursed through Alduin’s body as adrenaline brought him to greater heights. His heart was beating at a pace that shouldn’t be humanly possible. He hardly heard anything through the tinnitus in his ear. Even his sense of touch, which could seemingly grasp the world directly now, slowly started fading.

‘Faster,’ his thoughts only focused on one thing, he had no time.

His eyes stared straight ahead as he reached his father and Edward. His feet once more anchored and his body twisted around.

A thunderclap resounded as the speartip slashed into the air with sparks erupting out. A single arm swung the spear with such strength that a grunt emerged from the shadows.

KHRAKHRAKRHA

The darkness held it back. But this time cracks of light started showing.

“This one has seen enough,” The figure said. Its joy was suppressed as its expression crumpled with rage.

The spear retracted and pierced forward. A clean thrust shot out. The metallic spear and the sharp edge glowed as small sparks danced over its surface.

Another black spot held it back. But this time the goblin passed the speartip, it immediately closed in on Alduin as its sharp claws aimed for his stomach.

Bang

Blood erupted once again. A third shot had hit. Another shriek followed. The King, which had neared Alduin, evaded backward as darkness erased its presence.

“VILE-“

The raging voice roared throughout the cave. Vile creatures far below its existence had managed to wound him. His playful hunt had completely disappeared. The moment its lungs were shot, it had lost the advantage. And now, now once more... The moment it locked eyes with Edward another spearthrust arrived, one that couldn’t miss.

“HA!” Alduin breathed out.

A clean thrust, shining brighter than the lights covering the walls of this dungeon, hit its target. Blood poured out of Alduin’s mouth as he anchored his legs.

“Alduin!” Lucas yelled out

Two attacks had landed. The window Alphons had provided, with the final embers of his life, led to this moment. The moment that a spear could finally reach its mark.

The Goblin stared to the side. A spear had entered its stomach.

“Fine.” A hoarse voice sent shivers up their spines.

Darkness started rising from its body as if it was burning up. Alduin immediately released his grip and moved backward.

Four people stared at the creature. A cracking sound rang out as the goblin broke the spear in half.

“This one shall play along!” Rage erupted from the bleeding beast. Its bright blue eyes was crying tears of blood. Shadows burned the husk of this creature as a coat of darkness completely engulfed it.

“Midgard - Swallowing Void”

In its hand, a fragment of the spear marked by thunder was swallowed by a flames of pure darkness.

And menacing laughter erupted as this fragment was launched forward, it had already locked onto its target.