"Goliath, Goliath, Goliath, Goliath!
Killer of Elhanan! Champion of the Philistines!
Goliath, Goliath, Goliath, Goliath!"
[ Name: Goliath
Level: 26
Class: Intermediate Swordsman ]
The Philistine were positively brimming with hype. Their champion, their leader, was to once again take to the frontlines.
Matty was agitated that Jules didn’t get to fight, although Jules was the total opposite. She cheered William on and gave him the confidence boost he needed. Kazi and Marta would always cheer him on, he knew that, so getting encouragement from a stranger built up his backbone.
‘Open skill tree.’
One hexagon with an axe appeared and, after clicking on the icon, seven elemental-based paths spread out. So far, he had learned Ember Strike and Gust Slash and he found himself drifting towards the wind element. He had fifteen points to spend. Time to use them. ‘Whirlwind Strike, Lumberjack's Strength, Axe Throw, Super Strength Lv. 2…’
Click, click, click, click.
The two skills that really mattered were Super Strength Lv.2 and Lumberjack’s Strength. By upgrading the Class Skill Super Strength Lv. 1 to Lv. 2, his strength increased by a total of twenty points. Then with Lumberjack’s Strength, as long as he had an axe equipped, his strength would increase by twenty points again.
His total attack was at 223. Each strike would be lethal, unlike Marta’s spells. He didn’t want to learn Axe Throw or Whirlwind Strike but it was necessary in order to get those two skills. After nine whole gates, William learned he preferred to lean on his natural strength rather than shout out and activate skills.
He glanced at Nikolai who was squatting to warm up.
[ Name: Nikolai Aleksandrovich Ivanov
Level: 20
Class: Amateur Martial Artist ]
“Are you ready?” Nikolai asked, rising up. “Goliath is a legend for a reason. Do not be intimidated.”
‘If I can land three or four direct hits, then we should be fine.’
Following a trembling breath, William nodded. Ahead, Goliath readied himself, spear and sword in hand.
“Come at me, warriors!”
Cheers erupted behind the Philistine champion. For William and Nikolai, there was a small whoop of support from Jules and Kazi. The contrast was staggering.
“Haha! Let’s battle!” Nikolai slammed his freshly equipped gloved fists together, then charged. Goliath grinned back and his spear flew.
“Counterflow Stance!”
A second before the spear would make contact, Nikolai twisted out of the way. Bewilderment crossed everyone. Goliath swung the sword in his right hand.
“Ember Uppercut!”
Clang!
Metal met the magical fabric of Nikolai’s glove. A clash of equals that sent the two opposing forces skidding back. Nikolai returned to William’s side, shaking off his hand.
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“Incredible!” Nikolai glanced at William. “Even with Counterflow Stance, I was unable to surprise him.”
“Y-yeah…”
Paralleling them was Goliath. The almighty giant walked forward, spearing trailing behind him. William readied his dane axe. The wooden shaft was long while the metal was curt yet absurdly sharp. A single prick would pierce flesh.
William steadied himself. ‘I can do this. Keep calm. I might be slower than him but I can read his moves.’
Right?
All of a sudden, standing before the giant, he was having second-thoughts. William gulped. His fingers wrapped around his axe, feet shifting, and he screamed in his head, ‘I CAN do this!’
Both William and Goliath launched off. With a small shrug of the shoulder, the spear loaded up and flew at him. William forced his eyes to keep open, watching it.
‘Remember what Kazi said! Eyes open! Don’t prepare to tank! Prepare to think!’
The tip of metal whiffed by him and William arrived in the zone of Goliath’s mightiest weapon. He was in the same position Nikolai was, except his world seemed so much faster. In an instant, he lost control. His side was struck by a heavy metal and his body twisted down. He let out a gasp, feeling the blood through his tunic, and looked up to see the helmet of the Great Giant.
Now he understood why King Saul refused to fight him.
Now he understood why it was called a story of an underdog.
Goliath was terrifying.
His dark eyes glowered and his sword was prepared to set down on him. William needed two hands to swing his axe. ‘I’m too slow—!’
His sword suddenly changed direction and clashed against a fist of fire. His eyes witnessed the moment of explosive power, his magical senses going haywire. Goliath was whisked away by the unexpected punch of the intruder, not quite overpowering him though not ineffective either.
“Nikolai!” William cried out.
“Are you alright?” Nikolai asked. He offered a smile and a hand. “Come.
William took his hand and got up on his feet promptly. “Sorry, he was too fast.”
“I understand. Counterflow Stance allows me to slow down my world for less than a second, certainly not enough time to land a critical hit on my own. We will have to work together if we wish to reach him.”
Yeah, going at him one at a time shouldn’t have been their go-to strategy. “I think I can do substantial damage if I can land it.”
“Then I will be a distraction.”
Goliath remained quiet, analyzing the two of them. It must have been their magical abilities. It intrigued him.
“I will overwhelm him with speed. I am certain he will counter,” Nikolai said. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
Nikolai smiled at him and then went for it. William hung back and watched as his fists were encased in flames. The spear that would keep foes at bay came forward.
Nikolai didn’t bother dodging. The spear struck his stomach, causing a momentary pause in his moves, yet not enough to stop his momentum completely. His feet sprung forward and his inflamed fists grew as he yelled, “Blazing Fury Combo!”
Goliath’s focus went into overdrive. Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! His one-handed sword countered every punch that Nikolai sent his way.
“How about this!?”
A small step back, following a hook to his temple. Goliath’s helmet cracked and he was disoriented.
At last, William was beginning to recognize the kind of man Nikolai was. His ferocity, his clean moves, and his battle-hungry smile, he had ascended from a mere coach to a prized pupil of the King of Vikings.
“Now!”
His flames disappeared. That must have been the end of his combo, and the start of William’s. Gripping his axe tightly, he replaced Nikolai and swung at his shoulder. “Gust Slash!”
The impact resonated with a thunderous thud as the axe bit into his armour, sending a reverberating shockwave through Goliath's entire being. He had carved a deep gash into Goliath's shoulder plate. He lifted his axe from his flesh, blood dripping, and drew in a breath for a second swing.
‘One more—!’
The stench of blood struck him. His eyes went blurry and his swing was blocked by the right arm. The clang of metal against metal echoed across the battlefield as Goliath grunted in pain, feeling the searing sensation of the axe's blade. Nevertheless, he persisted. He fought back with willpower that William was unable to comprehend. His reaction speed doubled and his left arm, which had thrown away the spear, uppercutted William. The sheer strength behind the blow lifted William off his feet for a fleeting moment before gravity reclaimed its hold.
William failed to recover in time.
The taste of iron filled his mouth and a surge of dizziness assailed him. He slapped at the water, trying to find stability, and picked himself up on reflex.
“William, what happened?”
That was Nikolai, right? His senses were thrown into whack, his vision momentarily blurred as he fought to regain his equilibrium.
“S-sorry. I lost momentum.” William managed to keep a grip on his axe. Sun-young had hammered him into always keeping a lid on it. For weapon wielders, losing your weapon means death. “I won’t mess up again.”
A gnawing sensation spread at the bottom two teeth. Goliath hit him good. ‘Shit, my jaw is messed up—!’
Then there was Goliath. He stood there, touching his wound. He seemed bewildered that William landed such a decisive blow on him.
“Ha…”
William’s eyes narrowed.
“Hahahaha!” Goliath pointed his sword at them. “Now THIS is the battle I have longing for! Good, good! Come at me, warriors of magic!”