Chapter 36

Since being awakened, White Ward had been prowling through Moirath Forest in search of the troublemaker who led to the extinction of the Vermilion Apes clan. This, in turn, led to a lowly being disturbing its slumber. White Ward's frustration only grew when its wrathful roar killed the information provider, leaving it clueless about where to track down the culprit. The scent trails from the Vermilion Apes were too faint and brief to follow.

Then, the snowfall made everything even more challenging. White Ward wasn't afraid of the cold, but the snow caught in its claws was irritating. It had been in a growth phase during its sleep. Now everything had been interrupted, forcing it to start gathering resources from scratch. It needed meat, and more meat.

The monsters of Moirath Forest trembled when they sensed White Ward's presence. Combined with the cold temperature of the snow, they just wanted to curl up and die in peace.

Even the Sovereign Wisp had to yield somewhat when the Lord of the Forest paid a visit. It could only huddle in one spot, losing its usual oppressive nature that it displayed toward humans who dared to intrude or toward other species. The Heat Basilisk was more stubborn, ready to face the challenge. The dragon blood flowing through its veins wouldn't allow it to back down so easily. Naturally, the battle ended with a dragon covered in wounds, hiding in its cave. Even its high-temperature scales couldn't provide complete protection. The Sovereign Wisp had already withdrawn its poison, making way for White Ward, so the Heat Basilisk's fire breath couldn't inflict much damage.

In the thunder-struck region of Storm Peaks, the monsters were less wary, believing they had the Storm Serpent's protection. But everything turned out differently from what they expected. This serpentine monster remained hidden in the mountain peaks and clouds day after day, month after month, ignoring everything. So when White Ward came to assert its dominance, it didn't intervene, leading to a meaningless bloodbath.

Once order was restored, White Ward continued its investigation. A Great Spine Wolf had told it where the massacre originated. A white wolf that had never appeared in Moirath Forest before.

Following the directions, the Lord of the Forest found the Vermilion Apes clan's dwelling place. White bones were exposed everywhere because no one had buried them, the flesh completely devoured by scavengers. The ground was covered with maggots and flies. Surrounding trees had fallen, the earth churned up in disarray. The pungent smell of decay made White Ward wrinkle its nose. With one breath, it blew away everything that bothered it, leaving only one thing - the scent of Lunar Shadow.

Since that day, it had been chasing the wolf monster through the forest. A being that moved stealthily all day made the Lord of the Forest increasingly agitated. Lunar Shadow rarely stayed in one place for too long.

Until tonight, White Ward's target had been emanating its scent in one spot for quite a while. Moreover, it carried hints of blood and death. Noting this, it accelerated its pace, intent on killing Lunar Shadow before returning to rest.

Indeed, White Ward wasn't hunting Nathan, but Lunar Shadow. The wolf monster had ruthlessly slaughtered a group of Vermilion Apes, instead of accepting the leadership position like Nathan had. This led to the report that triggered this revenge mission.

Unfortunately, White Ward arrived after Lunar Shadow had been killed, and in its eyes, only the human remained. To the Lord of the Forest, this wasn't particularly concerning because compared to monsters, it despised humans far more. So without Lunar Shadow, consuming the human would do just fine. Although the prey didn't possess a core like other humans who ventured into Moirath Forest, it could still assess that Nathan's flesh would be a delicacy, superior to the monsters it usually ate.

"No," Nathan said, his voice still trembling in response to Darkan's question.

He took a deep breath, continuing as if encouraging himself.

"I want to test my strength against this monster."

Without a doubt, the impossibly large tiger monster before him had to be the Lord of the Forest. In other words, it was the quest target given by the system. If there was anything worth risking everything for at this point, it was the system. Five rolls weren't what attracted him, but new items could completely change everything, every possible development path in the future.

Biting his lip to regain composure, he looked up at White Ward.

The monster possessed white fur like Lunar Shadow, with black stripes marked across it. Its body was muscular, every line seeming to scream an authority that wouldn't allow any animal or being to defy it. Its ears were razor-sharp, covered with a thin metallic sheen. Its whiskers were as long as an arm span. The claws beneath its feet looked sharper than any monster Nathan had ever encountered. Its white eyes emitted a misty aura, as if something was burning within - whether natural or from anger, no one knew.

Swallowing hard, Nathan tried not to let fear overwhelm him. The cuts from the earlier roar had subsided, his skin gradually healing. He tilted his head to look beside him. Lunar Shadow's unprotected corpse had been slashed beyond recognition. Fortunately, its tail fur, which carried its power, remained intact.

He narrowed his eyes, calculating his moves in that instant. Taking advantage of the moment while the monster was still curious about the intruder, in a flash, he leaped forward.

Mid-way through his charge, he released his Berserker state at 25%.

BOOM!

He was knocked back by White Ward's head swipe. His back broke through one tree, then another. The decreasing momentum made him fall slowly to the ground, but the force was still enough to make him bounce several times before stopping.

"Arghhh!" he groaned, using both hands to push himself up from the ground.

His head was still spinning, pain screaming from every part of his body. [Tingling Sense] activated simultaneously with [Adrenaline Boost], yet he didn't have enough time to react. And to think he had been so proud of his skills and combat abilities.

Forcing down whatever was rising in his throat, he stood up, muscles and bones cracking as they realigned. Whether from his blurred vision or reality, White Ward seemed to curl its lip in contempt. But he considered that reasonable. No wonder Lunar Shadow wasn't the Lord of the Forest. It would take several wolf monsters to match White Ward.

The supreme leader of Moirath Forest stepped gradually toward him. Its massive silhouette against the snowfall and winter's white landscape added to its authority, as if space itself acknowledged this was its domain. It showed no fear of the human running away, believing no creature could move faster. And if they used items like teleportation gates - well, that wasn't even worth mentioning.

Though knowing he was fighting a losing battle, Nathan wanted to try one more time. He threw a punch in the air, loading his passive skills into standby. Once ready, he lunged forward, his fist cutting through the air, fast and dangerous.

A second later, he found himself soaring high in the sky. He could see the distant mountain ranges, frozen lakes and rivers from this position. His mouth spewed blood. The claw marks on his chest sprayed tiny red droplets like rain.

Damn you, system! What were you thinking giving me this quest? he couldn't help but curse in his mind.

He wished he could change the system or modify its quest-giving mechanism to include only small to medium requirements. At this rate, he wasn't sure if he'd live long enough to use all the system's features.

Hovering in mid-air at his apex, he began to fall. Extending his hand forward, he pushed against the air to create thrust, trying to create distance from White Ward.

He landed with a thud muffled by the snow. The cold from beneath his feet cleared his mind slightly. Taking out a healing potion made from Blue Cap Mushroom and the Blood Moss hemostatic mixture, he smeared it directly on his body. The skin he had been proud of seemed no different than a rag for White Ward's amusement.

His breath turned to mist before his nose, blurring the distant monster. When the mist cleared, it was already near his face, giving him a descending look. It was done playing, time to fulfill its responsibility of protecting its subjects.

White Ward's claws met Nathan's Armor Scarab sword. A crisp shattering sound echoed through the space. The rainbow-colored fragments were sliced like thin paper, fluttering in the air.

SLASH!

Blood sprayed everywhere. Nathan only managed to react enough to step back slightly, avoiding a fatal blow. However, his unhealed wounds now had new, worse companions. He could see white bone exposed when he looked down. His abdomen seemed to be making a miraculous effort to keep his internal organs from spilling out.

Should I just give up? a thought whispered in his mind.

Even [Self Emotional Support] didn't bother activating, as if approving, hoping he would surrender.

The system's quest board glowed brighter in his peripheral vision, making it clearer to read.

Could a new item really change anything?

Yes, definitely yes.

He felt like he was gambling with his entire fortune. His life. But indeed, even with an impossibly difficult quest, there was still a chance of success. The thing he always avoided according to the Berserker school's guidance. Because using it would diminish his anger. The emotions that always pushed him forward would become faint, possibly to the point of numbness.

Mom, lend me your strength.

Nathan recalled when he received the skill orb from Darkan, about the chaotic emotions in the darkness of his soul. He seemed to grasp them, squeeze them tight, letting the thorns of emotion pierce his heart. To let helplessness, depression, and anger have a chance to explode.

Berserker 100%.

Hidden effect of [Titan's Descendant]:

[Titan's Berserker State]: when in Berserker state, the immense power of a Titan will be bestowed upon you.

Just a few meters above Nathan and White Ward's position, Darkan was floating, ready to intervene at any moment. He had been present since White Ward appeared. The hellish training plan had ended when Nathan defeated Lunar Shadow. For this inner elder of the Verdant Spire Sect, the new disciple had exceeded all expectations.

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Throughout the Sect's history, Darkan had experienced various disciples. Among them were undeniable geniuses suited for Physical Cultivation. However, they all eventually changed paths or left the Sect. In truth, only a small number actually died under his tutelage. But bad rumors tend to be exaggerated. Since he hadn't produced any successful disciples to bring fame and results, his reputation suffered.

Thus, Darkan truly worried for Nathan. Others had always failed at this training phase. Not just because they lacked the necessary foundation for Bloodline, but also because of mindset and motivation. That's why he had asked Nathan why he wanted to fight, why he wanted to become stronger. Moreover, it required an unyielding personality. He had always been irritated by Nathan's tendency to be overly cautious and deferent to others. But now, he didn't care anymore.

Darkan wanted to stop Nathan from activating full Berserker. After a moment's thought, he held back. Perhaps it was better to let him truly experience this skill as soon as possible, avoiding unwanted situations from occurring due to lack of knowledge.

His eyes blazed when an earth-shattering roar erupted below. A majestic form had appeared.

Facing White Ward was no longer a small human, but an entity over three meters tall, still shorter than it, but the gap had significantly narrowed. The human's skin had completely transformed, from faintly metallic to being covered entirely in black stone. Particularly in the chest, from a stone protrusion, a hard armor radiated outward. His hair stood jagged like sharp teeth mounted on his head. His clothes were in tatters, leaving only a bare body. Snow melted before touching him, leaving soft hissing sounds in the air.

White Ward involuntarily shuddered, its soul seeming to hear screams of fear. The human possessed a special Bloodline, creating an invisible pressure. However, this suppression was still quite weak, only making it more cautious. The monster narrowed its eyes, feeling an increased urgency to eliminate its target. It couldn't allow an existence with such threatening potential to survive and grow.

Nathan was no longer himself.

Rage encompassed him, leaving no room for reason.

His current state operated purely on instinct.

Exhaling deeply, Nathan launched his massive form forward.

This time, his speed was no longer sluggish as before. His punch struck White Ward's mouth, making the monster tilt its head to one side. Even distant species could hear the impact and White Ward's roar. The remaining Vermilion Apes nearby could only tremble at the pressure emanating from the two entities near Crimson Lotus lake.

White Ward's claws swept upward, raking against Nathan's outer stone layer. Frenzied sparks flew between them. Black stone was scraped off into small fragments, mysteriously dissolving when touching the snow. Nathan snorted once, the armor returning to its pristine state, barely affected.

Seeing this, the monster executed its earlier skill. It opened its mouth wide, revealing a crimson palate along with two massive, sharp white fangs. Metal Roar was unleashed, once again churning the surrounding air. Unlike before, White Ward concentrated the sound and wind more directly at Nathan.

Nathan didn't raise his hands to defend, maintaining his advancing posture, despite the devastation occurring throughout his body. Black stone flew everywhere, snow getting pulled into the storm. After the roar passed, Nathan remained bloodless, completely different from their first encounter. His skin rapidly regenerated. Following this, two punches drove straight toward White Ward.

The monster used mana to create a barrier, then used its thick-skinned, meaty body to reduce the vibrations. Nathan's force was neutralized, leaving only a trench in the snow when the shock occurred.

But the next punch wasn't so simple.

In the current state of complete loss of reason, Nathan couldn't maintain calculations for passive skills. [Martial Art Mastery] was even more useless, becoming completely ineffective. Each time he punched, it was considered just an attack. And now, it was already the fourth punch.

Triggered [Amplifying Strike]. One credit given.

For the first time, White Ward faced such an enormous force coming toward it. Its instincts repeatedly warned of danger. It only managed to tilt its head so the punch landed on its shoulder.

BOOM!

White Ward found itself launched through the air, crashing through trees just as it had done earlier to Nathan. It thumped heavily onto the ground between rows of trees due to its massive form and weight. Coughing once, the monster finally regained its breath. It stood up in shock, its white eyes filled with doubt.

Darkan, who was observing, clapped continuously. Having been a victim of Nathan's punches, he understood exactly how powerful the force the boy was generating. Logically, if Tier 1 could deliver blows comparable to Tier 2 in full Berserker state, then Nathan currently possessed the strength of a Tier 3 Phase 3. An unthinkable and frightening number.

Combined with passive skills, Nathan's damage output was fluctuating similar to a Tier 3 Phase 6 unleashing attacks.

White Ward was only at peak Tier 2. Even though nature had favored it with a powerful physique, it couldn't withstand when a Berserker released such explosive force.

The monster snorted uncomfortably, preparing to counterattack the human running long strides ahead, leaving behind heavy, thunderous echoes.

Nathan jumped up, howling madly in the air, his eyes containing only killing intent and destruction. Just the action of clenching his fist made the air distort. Two simultaneous punches were launched with the [Flowing Strikes] skill.

Not as powerful as before, but still enough to make White Ward respond with full force.

The monster stood on its hind legs, its paws spread wide to block.

The surrounding snow was instantly churned up, pushed far away to reveal the ground beneath. Nearby trees were uprooted, distant ones swayed. Branches and leaves were torn to shreds. Finally, a sound louder than a large bomb explosion shook the entire forest.

At the point of contact with one of Nathan's hands, [Rebound] activated. After a moment of hovering in mid-air, this skill deflected one of White Ward's paws. The remaining paw stayed firm, leading to the Pressure Point Crush technique.

A whooshing sound erupted. Nathan was thrown backward, his fingers bent at horrific angles, his forearm bones crossed at an unnatural angle, protruding through the skin. The stone skin was shredded by concentrated wind blasts with metallic properties. Blood painted an arc as he fell.

"Grrrrrr!" Nathan only let out such a growl, completely losing the ability to speak. He felt no pain, only growing more enraged.

He sprang up immediately, his fingers crackling as bones snapped back into position, grinding sounds emerging as stone rubbed against stone from healing wounds. He swung his right arm up, the forearm straightening instantly. Cut skin closed, blood once again flowing normally.

His blood-red eyes blazed up, charging forward once more. His three-meter-plus form smashed into the ground, leaving a huge crater when White Ward dodged to the side. He reached out to touch a large nearby rock, fingers curling, digging into the rough, hard surface. With a roar, he hurled the rock like a cannonball.

White Ward saw the projectile shooting toward it, its form stopping mid-air using wind aspect. Then, it curled up, somersaulting with claws extended outward, simultaneously propelling itself toward Nathan. The rock was shattered mid-flight, becoming fragments joining the curtain of snow surrounding them.

Nathan, mindless, didn't bother dodging, simply throwing his arms up to block. Skin was scraped off only to regrow, falling to the ground with soft thuds. Tensing up, he pushed White Ward away, legs coiling before launching forward, hoping to punch the monster's stomach.

White Ward narrowed its eyes and used Forest's Authority. Instantly, an invisible pressure formed in the surrounding space, forcing Nathan down mid-action. If Sovereign Wisp was granted special ability to maintain Life Spring, then White Ward was similar. However, using this technique came at a considerable cost because unlike Sovereign Wisp, where creatures willingly submitted, most followed White Ward out of fear. So when absorbing the will of Moirath Forest's residents, there was natural resistance, forcing White Ward to use more mana and willpower.

"Grrrrr," Nathan growled under the pressure, his head forced to tilt, back bent into a curve.

His neck crackled with breaking sounds as he struggled to lift his head, his gaze growing more frenzied when looking at White Ward.

The monster snorted dismissively, taking advantage of Forest's Authority's effect to lunge forward. Its claws were coated with a dim golden aura. Metal aspect activated to its fullest.

The stone armor of Titan's Berserker state was sliced through like cutting tofu, until it reached Nathan's chest, the most unique part of his body, where it finally stopped. The stone protrusion heated up, emitting a red glow, deflecting the claws to protect the heart from damage.

From the outside, Nathan looked no different than meat mid-cut. His body was divided into four uneven parts by the claw marks. One slash at his jaw went deep into his throat. Blood wanting to flow out was forcibly stopped, moving like tentacles up the wounds, initiating healing. After a moment, everything sealed back together, stone growing over his body again. Once more, the Titan state manifested.

By this point, White Ward began to waver. It possessed two aspects, wind and metal, making it both fast and capable of deadly strikes in combat. But this was the first time it had encountered such an aberrant human. It had even scraped through dragon scales, renowned as the ultimate defense among monsters. So who was truly the monster here - the one standing before it or itself?

Nathan seemed tireless, continuing his assault.

Seeing this, White Ward used Hunting Gale to create wind currents that disrupted the crazed human's direction. However, each time he fell, he would spring back up, maintaining the chase. Because current wounds meant nothing to him.

Extremely irritated, White Ward used its ultimate technique, Iron Body Defense. A golden armor appeared around it, its fur becoming razor-sharp, ready for close-quarter combat.

The battle between the two was a series of continuous explosions terrorizing all other monsters. Some hibernating creatures awakened to express their displeasure had to scurry back into their dens. The Vermilion Apes struggled to follow, hoping to save their leader if anything happened. But their journey was equally troubled when Nathan's or White Ward's bodies were thrown through tree trunks.

Not staying in one place, both moved throughout different areas, leaving devastation in their wake. Lakes were churned up, destroying ecosystems. Small hills were left with craters of varying depths, or long grooves created by White Ward's claws. Viewed from above, tall trees had fallen like dominoes along the path of these two destroyers.

Both sides exchanged equal wounds. When Nathan bled, White Ward also spilled blood. His arms recklessly launched continuous punches to penetrate the defensive layer, ignoring the fur spikes piercing his arms to pummel White Ward thoroughly. Each time [Amplifying Strike] activated, the tiger monster endured a period of agony.

Conversely, metal and wind power enabled White Ward to counterattack. Although effective in breaking through the armor and causing blood to spray, the human still wouldn't stay down, making it wonder if it wasn't using enough force. What irritated it more were the bleeding wounds on its body, despite the opponent's attacks lacking sharpness, relying purely on brute force. Besides that was a strange feeling in its mind. Occasionally, Nathan's punches seemed to double the primordial fear it felt when he transformed into a Berserker.

Fearing defeat, White Ward unleashed its final trump card. As a monster at peak Tier 2, just waiting to break through to Tier 3, it had touched upon some abilities of the next level.

Burning all mana in its body, White Ward's eyes blazed. Its body expanded another round, becoming far more terrifying and majestic than before. The white fur emanated a beautiful silvery color.

The newly gained power helped it counterattack more effectively. Its strikes were no longer easily deflected. Each time its body clashed with the human, victory surely belonged to it.

Nathan failed to realize he no longer held the upper hand. Thrown away by the monster with mounting wounds, he still stood up to fight. His strikes, lacking [Martial Art Mastery]'s precision and refinement, were easier to break. The increased foot speed from [Quick Feet] wasn't utilized. [Tingling Sense] became mere noise as he ignored danger, charging in like a moth to flame.

The result was White Ward pinning him down to attack. It used its heavy body to press him down. Its front limbs continuously raked at the human. Sparks and stone fragments constantly flew and vanished. Blood spread endlessly around, as if the human could produce blood infinitely.

Nathan lay there, his red eyes never dimming in anger. The pain was no more than mosquito bites, insignificant. The stone protrusion on his chest alternated between glowing and darkening, completely blocking White Ward's fatal strikes.

The Lord of the Forest, with its battered body, gradually began panting. The enhancement technique could only last a short time. And clearly it had been effective, maintaining a clear upper hand. Yet the human was like a cockroach refusing to die, constantly rejecting death. Just when it thought he would breathe his last, the next moment the air would heat up as he returned.

White Ward's body returned to its normal state, revealing its wounds more clearly. A punch Nathan had landed on its eye now swelled up, blocking its vision.

Nathan lay on the ground White Ward had churned up, cracks spreading like spider webs in all directions. He roared once, pushing White Ward back, once again standing to attack. The Berserker state seemed endless, never stopping.

White Ward trembled, its fur standing on end from fear rather than technique use. It bared its teeth hesitantly. That action led to a punch connecting with its jaw with a cracking sound. Its four legs carved a long trail in the snow as it slid backward.

It hesitated no longer, baring its teeth and locking onto its target. Its gaze fixed on the human running at high speed. One of its eyes turned black. In an instant, everything seemed to stop. A yin-yang illusion appeared behind White Ward.

Nathan's eyes met the tiger monster's and he froze, his fist still extended, just a hand's width from White Ward's nose.

His blood-red eyes began flickering erratically. The stone armor on his body trembled, falling like an avalanche. After a few more blinks, his body gradually shrank back to normal size, returning to his usual state.

His hair no longer stood jagged, his skin lost its metallic sheen, his eyes grew dim. He didn't even know what was happening before he fell face-first onto the ground, snow sprinkling on his back.

White Ward dispelled its technique, its eyes returning to uniform white. It too seemed to have lost weight. Its entire body exhibited exhaustion.

It lowered its head, trudging forward.

White Ward opened its mouth wide, as if to devour the prey that had tormented it all day.