The Transcendent Godslayer

The orcs had only just finished dispatching off the kobolds, and in quite an overwhelming fashion, considering they were Peak Second Ascension ascendants, while the best of the kobolds had only reached mid to high Second Ascension.

Their expressions shifted when they heard loud howls approaching their location within the clearing of fallen trees and splintered logs, courtesy of the havoc their battle had wreaked on the biome.

Hearing the loud howls filled with rage, a red-haired female among them grumbled in frustration at having to deal with yet another problem.

They didn't need it spelled out for them that another wave of enemies was approaching.

In her hand, she clutched a long staff etched with runic inscriptions along its length. At the top sat a glass jade, also inscribed with small runes, with a small bead suspended within.

The others silently shared her sentiment, though none bothered to voice it aloud.

Although they acted like they were troubled, their postures were deceptively relaxed, even as they sensed the auras of High Second Ascension ascendants among those converging on them.

While they waited for the archer to bring back Kallen, they could use some more exercise, so that they didn't get bored.

Naturally, while they wanted to explore this realm, their mission and answering to Zephyrus came first, as should they fail or delay, regardless of whatever opportunity the got inside here, they'd die when faced with Zephyrus for sure.

It was also another reason why Kallen jumping into this place to cage himself and "play hide and seek with them", made no sense at all from their perspective.

"How long will it take that slut to catch one child?" one of them asked, referring to the female archer.

He was also the same orc who had summoned the pillar of earth to protect Kallen earlier.

"You talk like you could've done any better... He escaped from right beside you," his companion replied dryly.

"I know that you're a horny dog, but don't make it so obvious. In my defense, I couldn't pay attention to him," the orc doubled down, with a jab.

He looked at the other with disdain, as he felt the archer's unsavory methods might have clogged his brain, due to him being weak-willed.

Rage flashed in the eyes of his companion, but he held himself back and only snorted and looked away, knowing the conversation, or attacking wouldn't go anywhere.

The rushing enemies, were also already upon them.

The next second, the kobolds burst into the clearing, their chieftain leading the charge.

In an instant, with a sweep of his Will, the sight of his fallen kinsmen lying lifeless without honor among shattered trees, splintered logs, and parched grass burned itself into his mind.

His barely suppressed fury boiled over, and his eyes turned blood-red.

With a thunderous stomp, the Kobold launched into the air, leaving his people behind. As he was on air, he roared out a Skill in a language the orcs couldn't understand.

A mountainous wave of dynamis suddenly erupted from him, and the orcs' expressions shifted at once, the scent of death breathing down their necks.

The sky dimmed at his roar, thunder booming among the clouds above, even without a single flash of lightning.

Like a meteor, he crashed down before them, his massive sword that was barely shorter than his humongous frame, descending in an overwhelming cleave.

The orc who had saved Kallen earlier roared in turn, his dynamis rising into a towering wave too, as a wide, thick pillar of earth surged up from the ground to intercept.

BOOM!!!

A colossal shockwave exploded from the impact, fracturing the ground in an instant and ripping entire lines of trees from their roots, widening the clearing even further.

But the orc's expression froze in horror as his earth pillar was completely overwhelmed.

The sword shattered it into a spray of debris and, before he could react, cleaved his body in two... Almost blowing his up into mist completely.

A fractured line, cut a path through the earth, from the point of his sword impacting the ground, small drops of blood, raining after it the next second.

Without letting up for even a heartbeat, the kobold chieftain followed through with another attack.

The orcs snapped out of their stunned stupor, realizing at last that the kobold was monstrously strong, even while at a lower level.

"[Quicksand]!"

The red-haired orc with the staff shouted as she retreated, thrusting her staff forward. The ground liquefied beneath the chieftain who was late to react, and he immediately sank waist deep into it.

But he was not alone. The other kobolds surged forward, weapons raised, their own skills and spells meeting that of the orcs, and lighting up the battlefield.

Within seconds, the orcs realized they should never have underestimated the kobolds.

The earlier group had been weaker in both level and strength, allowing them to dispatch them swiftly.

These, however, radiated such potent Essence that their strength rivaled the orcs, who individually, each sat at the Peak of Second Ascension, none of them lower than level ninety.

Then there was also the chieftain proving able to kill one of them in a single strike, even with a defensive ability activated.

It also didn't help that they were badly outnumbered: twenty kobolds against twelve orcs... now eleven, with one already lying dead.

The battle grew intense within minutes, each orc holding off about two kobolds, while the red-haired female had her hands full with the Chieftain alone.

She cast spell after spell in rapid succession, burning through her reserves of dynamis as they prepared for a retreat.

Her heart pounded violently in her chest at the thought of him breaking free from all her movement-restriction spells.

Perhaps she was being paranoid—after all, she had him trapped chest-deep in quicksand, with his feet further bound by her spell in a quagmire beneath it.

But considering what the Chieftain had already accomplished, a little paranoia felt more like common sense.

From high above in the trees, Kallen watched steadily, perched on a thick branch, his breathing calm and controlled.

His arms were pulled taut as he drew a longbow, his crimson gaze locked on the Chieftain's head.

In perfect rhythm with his breathing, he released the arrow, the aching of his muscles from holding such powerful bow drawn for long, subsiding somewhat.

Chiii!

The arrow sliced through the air with speed, piercing straight through the kobold Chieftain's skull.