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The orc chief's thick eyebrows slowly lifted, and the air around him seemed to grow even heavier than it already was. A crushing weight pressed down on everything nearby, making it hard to breathe. He turned his massive head from side to side, seeing the endless corpses of his people.
They were killed like helpless animals, cut down without honor or mercy. These weren't just warriors to him, they were family. Orcs he had raised from birth, trained with his own hands, loved with everything he had. Now they were killed by someone he saw as nothing more than a tiny insect.
His fist tightened around his scimitar's curved handle. The blade trembled in his grip, vibrating from the sheer force of his rage.
KILL HIM!
KILL HIM!
KILL HIM!
The words crashed through his mind like a thunderstorm, drowning out everything else. They echoed and repeated until his thoughts were filled with nothing but violence. He'd already planned to end this creature's life, but slowly. He wanted to make him suffer first, to feel every moment of pain before he killed him.
But these screaming thoughts didn't feel like his own. It was like some strange voice whispering directly into his ear, demanding blood with a hunger that felt wrong. The voice clawed at his mind, trying to force him to attack right now.
Still, he held back. Every muscle in his body strained against the urge to leap forward and crush this insignificant ant in one devastating blow. But before he did, he wanted to know something first. "Why did you kill my people?" The words came out rough, barely controlled. His entire body trembled with the effort of staying still instead of tearing Kuro apart with his bare hands.
Kuro exhaled, trying to breathe in the thick air that was filled with bloodlust and hatred. "I had no choice..." he struggled to say. His eyes flicked to the side for just a moment, checking his status sheet. And with a thought, he dumped all his skill points into speed. He knew that even if he put everything into strength, he'd never match the orc's raw power.
But if he was faster? It might give him a chance to overpower him.
The chief orc stood there, veins bulging across his whole body. Dark shadows fell over his eyes as he contemplated what to do with this ant.
Kuro used those precious seconds. While the chief wasn't attacking yet, he quickly equipped every piece of gear he had that could boost his stats. Every advantage counted now.
[ACTIVATING EXOSKELETON SKILL] Lv.1
He even activated his exoskeleton skill. It wouldn't help much if he got hit, but that 14% damage reduction might be the difference between life and death if he took a critical hit.
"RRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH!"
The chief orc's roar exploded from his throat like a beast unleashed. The thick veins in his neck bulged and pulsed as a massive burst of wind erupted from his mouth. The sound was so loud that it would have burst any normal person's eardrums.
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[ NOTICE]
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[BARBARIAN ROAR HAS TAKEN AFFECT!]
[-ALL STATS TEMPORARILY DECREASE BY 50-]
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Kuro's eyes widened. "What the fuck!" he struggled to say as the high-pitched ringing pierced through his ears. The sound rattled his brain, making his head throb with pain.
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[ NOTICE]
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[TITLE: AGAINST ALL ODDS – "UNBREAKABLE SPIRIT" IS ACTIVATING...]
[BARBARIAN ROAR HAS BEEN CANCELED- STATS REMAIN THE SAME]
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'Thank God, I got that new titl-' Kuro couldn't finish the thought as the chief charged at him with a red gleam in its eye's.
The ground shook beneath the orc's massive feet. Each step sent tremors through the earth as his twelve-foot frame barreled forward like a living mountain. His scimitar gleamed as he raised it high above his head, ready to cleave Kuro in two.
Kuro's enhanced speed kicked in just in time. He threw himself to the side, rolling across the scorched ground as the chief's blade crashed down where he'd been standing.
"Vacuum Blade Jutsu!" Kuro shouted, weaving the hand signs as he came up from his roll. A razor-sharp blade of compressed air shot forward, slicing across the chief's massive chest. Blood sprayed from the wound, painting the ground with blood, but the orc barely flinched. He ripped his scimitar from the ground and swung it in a wide arc.
Kuro ducked low, feeling the wind from the blade whistle over his head. The chief was fast for something so massive, but not fast enough. Kuro darted between his legs, slashing upward with another vacuum blade. This one caught the orc's thigh, opening a deep gash that sent more blood streaming down his leg.
The chief roared and spun around, his massive fist coming down like a hammer. Kuro barely managed to leap backward, but the impact sent a shockwave through the ground that knocked him off balance. The orc's other hand shot out, catching Kuro across the chest with a backhand that sent him flying.
Kuro's body crashed through the burning remains of a nearby tent. Wooden beams and debris rained down on him as flames licked at his clothes. He rolled to put out the fire, coughing as smoke filled his lungs. Blood trickled from his mouth, and his ribs screamed in pain. "Shit, that hurt like a bitch!" he groaned.
The chief was already charging in again, but Kuro pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the pain shooting through his body and shot forward to close the distance.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Kuro formed the hand signs, and two identical copies of himself appeared beside him. They spread out, trying to flank the charging orc from different angles.
The chief's nostrils flared as he sniffed the air. His lips curled into a savage grin, revealing a set of yellow teeth that looked like daggers. Immediately, he swung his scimitar straight at the real Kuro, completely ignoring the clones.
"Shit!" Kuro cursed, realizing his mistake too late. The chief's sense of smell was so good that he knew the clones weren't real and opt to ignore them all together. He dove to the side as the blade whistled past, so close it cut through his cloak and left a thin line of blood across his shoulder.
'I guess using my invisibility cloak is pointless too..' he grunted, ignoring the pain in his shoulder.
The clones tried to attack from behind, but the chief's massive elbow caught one in the chest, dispersing it in a mirage. The second clone met the same fate as his fist crushed it against a wall.
Kuro rolled to his feet, blood streaming from his shoulder. The chief was already turning toward him, his eyes burning with primal rage. Those cuts from the vacuum blades were still bleeding, but the orc moved like they were nothing more than scratches.
"Vacuum Blade Jutsu!" Kuro unleashed another compressed air blade, this one aimed at the chief's neck. The orc tilted his head at the last second, and the attack only grazed his jaw, leaving another bloody line across his face.
The chief's brows immediately creased into a deep frown. As he charged forward with his scimitar held low, then swept it upward in a devastating arc. Kuro jumped backward, but the tip of the blade caught his chest, tearing through his shirt and leaving three parallel gashes that burned like his skin was on fire.
Blood soaked through Kuro's shirt as he stumbled backward. The chief pressed his advantage, swinging his weapon in a series of heavy strikes that forced Kuro to keep jumping back. Each swing was powerful enough to split him in half, and the wind from the blade alone was enough to knock him off balance.
Kuro's back hit a crumbling wall.
He was cornered.
The chief raised his scimitar high, preparing for the killing blow.
Kuro's mind raced, 'HOLY SHIT!' He needed something, anything to create an opening.
"Gale Palm Jutsu!" Kuro thrust both hands forward, sending a concentrated burst of wind directly at the chief's face. But instead of aiming for his eyes, Kuro aimed lower, hitting the fresh wound on the orc's neck.
The pressurized air struck the open cut, driving deep into the wound and tearing it wider. The chief's eyes went wide with shock and pain as blood spurted from his neck. He staggered backward, one hand instinctively going to his throat.
Kuro didn't waste the opportunity. He darted forward, weaving between the chief's legs again. "Vacuum Blade Jutsu!" This time he aimed for the back of the orc's knee, severing tendons and muscle. The chief's leg buckled, and he dropped to one knee.
But even wounded, the orc was far from finished. He spun around on his good knee, his massive fist catching Kuro in the stomach. The punch lifted him off his feet and sent him flying through the air. He crashed through another burning building, this time landing hard on his back amid the flaming debris.
Kuro gasped for air, tasting blood in his mouth. His vision blurred as he struggled to stand. The chief was already pulling himself upright, using his scimitar as a crutch. Blood poured from his wounds, but his eyes still burned with murderous intent.
Kuro quickly formed a series of hand signs. "Water Mist Jutsu!" Kuro tried to create a concealing mist, hoping to hide within it, but the chief let out another earth-shaking roar.
"RRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH!"
The sound was so powerful it dispersed the mist before it could fully form, leaving Kuro exposed once again.
The orc limped forward, favoring his injured leg but still moving with even more murderous intent leaking off of him. His scimitar dragged along the ground, leaving a trail in the dirt as he approached.
Kuro wiped blood from his mouth and forced himself to focus. His chakra was running low, and his body was screaming in pain from multiple wounds. But he had one more jutsu left, one final gamble.
The chief raised his weapon, preparing for another devastating swing. Kuro began weaving the hand signs, his fingers moving in the complex pattern.
"Fire Style...Fireball Jutsu!"
Kuro took a deep breath and exhaled a massive sphere of roaring flames. The fireball was larger than any Jutsu he's used before, fueled by desperation and the last of his chakra reserves. It struck the chief directly in the chest, engulfing his massive body in a blazing inferno.
"GGGGAAAAAAGGGHHHH!" The orc's roar of pain echoed across the village as flames consumed him. The smell of burning flesh filled the air as the fire spread across his body, turning his skin black and blistered. He staggered backward, his scimitar falling from his grip as he tried to beat out the flames.
Kuro fell to his knees, exhausted. His chest heaved as he watched the inferno engulf the chief.
The flames began to die down, revealing the chief's burned and battered body. His skin was charred black in places, with angry red burns covering most of his massive body. Blood still seeped from the vacuum blade cuts, mixing with the burned flesh to create a horrifying sight.
For a moment, everything was silent except for the crackling of dying flames.
Then the chief's eyes snapped open.
"RRRRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
The chief's roar erupted from his throat sending a massive gush of wind gushing outwards. His eyes were no longer yellow but were pitch black, like staring into an endless void. The tattoos covering his massive body began to glow a bright red, pulsating with each beat of his heart.
His teeth elongated into razor-sharp fangs that jutted from his mouth like daggers. His hair grew longer and spikier, standing on end as if charged with electricity. Despite the third-degree burns covering his body, and also the deep cuts from the vacuum blades still bleeding, he pushed himself to his feet.
"What the fuucckkk..." Kuro was annoyed to say the least, 'Why can't this guy just stay down..'
The chief stood there, with thick drool dripping from its mouth. His burned flesh seemed to steam and bubble, but he ignored it completely. The red tattoos pulsed faster now, spreading across his skin like some sort of virus.
"RRRRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" With a final, earth-shaking roar, the berserk chief charged forward for one last attack.
Kuro's hand reached into his inventory and pulled out a small vial filled with blue liquid. He downed the chakra potion in one gulp, feeling the energy course through his veins like liquid fire. Though it only gave him 10% of his chakra back, it would have to be enough.
[ACTIVATING BLOOD BURST - MAX]
Blood began to wrap around his dagger, as just at the bottom of the hilt the red gem started to glow bright red. He swung his dagger horizontally, and as he did the blood separated from the blade and formed into a large crescent-shaped projectile.
The chief saw it coming and raised his scimitar to block, but it was no use as the blade shattered on impact like glass. Fragments of metal flew in all directions as the blood burst continued forward, slamming into the chief's chest and sending him stumbling backward.
The impact tore a deep wound across his torso and completely severed his left arm, which fell to the ground with a wet thud. Blood gushed from the wound, but the chief remained standing, his black eyes still burning with mindless rage.
"Vacuum Blade Jutsu!" He poured the last of his chakra into the Jutsu, creating the sharpest, most concentrated blade of compressed air he'd ever managed with the little chakra he had. The compressed air followed directly behind the blood burst, cutting into the chief while he was still recovering from the first attack.
The vacuum blade cut through the orc's massive torso like a hot knife through butter. For a moment, the chief stood there, his black eyes wide with shock. Then his upper body began to slide sideways, separating from his lower half.
The two pieces of the orc chief crashed to the ground in a pool of blood and burned flesh. The red tattoos flickered once, then faded completely black. His eyes returned to their normal color just before the light left them.
Kuro collapsed to his hands and knees, completely drained. Blood dripped from his mouth onto the ground as he gasped for air. His entire body shook from exhaustion and pain.
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[ NOTICE]
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[YOU'VE DEFEATED THE CHIEF ORC]
[ALL OBJECTIVES MET]
Gathering rewards...
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