I look at the upcoming punch. The fist of the ogre is fast compared to his large size. In the blink of an eye, the fist is about to reach me.
Slink!
In an instant, I draw my sword upwards. It slices through between the middle finger and the ring finger of the ogre. Splitting his punch in two all the way to his elbow.
Spurt!
Fresh green blood flows from the sliced hand of the ogre as he takes a few steps back. With each step the ground trembles.
The ogre quickly uses his left hand to connect his split hand. And the wound in his hand began to squirm and mend itself.
"Wow! You even have regeneration, no wonder that red-haired girl was so afraid. You really are an impossible challenge for pioneers here."
I say and I walk closer to him. He looks at me with his yellow eyes to predict my next move.
"But too bad I am also taking this test."
The ogre's heart suddenly screams of danger. In a split second, the ogre decides to run away but it is too late.
King Sword-Chapter 1-King's Might.
An invisible pressure fills the area originating from the small creature in front of him. He tries to move but the pressure is slowing his movement to a great extent.
"Let's end this now."
I reach the ogre and swing my sword horizontally. Then upwards and at last I change my trajectory and swing it diagonally downwards.
Elite Style King Sword-Dismantle
In the blink of an eye his legs, left shoulder and right arm detached from his body and he fell on his back.
The blue ogre blinks and tries to think what happened. Everything happened so fast that he couldn't even scream.
A little distance away. Rona looks at this scene with stunned eyes. She also couldn't understand a single thing. Everything happened so fast. In less than half a second the ogre is lying limbless.
— — —
In the control room pieces of popcorn fall from Dory's hand.
Compared to Rona and infant blue ogre he is a veteran ranker. He saw the swings of Elite and what sort of technique he used. This is what amazed him the most.
"Holy cow I knew he was strong but not this much."
He began to think in his head "In terms of strength and speed he is comparable to a semi-ranker and his sword skills rival those of a ranker."
Dory threw his bucket of popcorn away and began to closely look at Elite.
"The wind in the tree is changing."
A madness began to envelop his eyes "Just after a thousand years to think some like him appeared."
He moves his face close to the monitor "And that feeling just now he can use it too."
"Haha.. hahaha this tree will soon bear witness to the legend of another pathstrider."
In the next second his expression returns to normal and he leisurely lies down in his chair.
"Now I am curious what more you are going to show me."
— — —
I look at the body of the blue ogre. The limbs I have cut are all wriggling. I can see they have started to regenerate.
The most dangerous thing about this monster is not his strength, speed or even his durability. But his regeneration can even regrow his severed limbs.
I walk to the fallen ogre and step on his stomach. He looks at me with red eyes fuming in rage but he can't do anything.
"This regeneration ability is so annoying." I say in disdain "But can you still regenerate if I cut your head or stab your heart?"
The ogre trembles from my words and I curl my lips in a smile. For a normal person that smile is enough to win their heart but to the ogre that smile feels like a demon amusing in his misfortune.
"Rona, can you come here for a second?"
Rona hesitates but as she looks at the ogre beneath the foot of Elite she slowly walks to him.
Rona stands beside Elite and sees the hideous face of the ogre. She looks in his eyes and instinctively takes a step back.
"No need to be afraid," I say and swing my sword on his chest.
Graaah!
Green blood spurted like a fountain as the ogre screamed with pain.
His chest splits and a bleating red heart makes its appearance like an actor after the curtain opens.
Rona sees that sight and feels nauseous. Even though she has been constantly killing monsters, tearing open someone's chest and prying at their beating heart is disgusting.
Elite feels the same. Ever since the beginning he has no qualms about killing. He simply doesn't care about that. Probably the effects of the king's body.
The king has reached the highest peak currently attainable in this tree. To do that he must have walked through the mountain of corpses and seas of blood.
The soul inside the body is different but the heart beating inside is the same.
"Stab his heart," I say lightly. The body of the ogre beneath me trembles with protest.
Rona sharply turns her surprised face to me. Our eyes meet.
"Me?" She points her finger at her face and asks.
I nod and press my foot tightly on his stomach, making him growl in pain.
"But.. but you are the one.."
"Doesn't matter. You need credits right? This thing must be worth a lot of credits."
She wanted to say something but I stopped her.
"Quickly do it. He is about to regenerate his limbs."
I have to say this guy's regeneration is something. In just a few moments he has regenerated quite a bit. Give him a minute or two he might fully regenerate.
Rona looks at him and can see him regenerate with her naked. This time she does not hesitate, she closes her eyes and stabs the heart of the ogre.
Graah!
Sprinkles of green blood fall on her body. The ogre mustered his last resistance but he can't shake mountains like foot of Elite. After struggling for some time he finally exhales his last breath and dies.
"Huff.. huff..!"
Rona breathed heavily as her body went limp.
"Good work." I come to her and help her get up. In response, she gives me a smile.
But the smile is not cheerful and bright like that of a victory. But dull and lifeless as if she has lost something important.
I don't console her and let her be. This is something she has to recover by herself.
{Clap. clap.. clap…}
I turn my head to the sky and look at the drones. Since one of the objectives has been cleared, it's time for him to conclude this test.
{My dear pioneers you must be wondering why I am back.}
The drones project the voice of Dory all over the forest.
{You must be on guard since every time you hear my voice something bad happens right.}
And just like he said everyone quickly puts their guard up. In case something even more bad happens.
{But this time you all should be happy since I am here announcing the end of the test.}
Somewhere in the forest a red-haired boy is sitting in a tree holding his black spear.
"What sort of bullshit is he saying now? How can the test be over? There are still a few hours left."
"Perhaps most of the pioneers were killed by the blue ogre and only the required hundred are left."
From the shadow of a tree, a beautiful woman appears and looks at the drone. Then she jumps away from that spot.
Bang!
The tree whose shadow she had borrowed is blasted away by a spear.
"You bitch you are finally showing your face."
The girl looks at him and smiles coquettishly. "I think you should stop, the test is already over, you know."
"Humph! Talk after hiding those poison needles in your pocket."
The boy leaps towards the smashed tree and picks up his spear.
"How pitiful to think only a hundred survived from the initial thousand. Or do you think someone killed the ogre?"
"Haha Yahahaha." The boy laughed so hard that tears began to fall from his eyes.
"You bitch have you perhaps left your brain in the shadows. You are talking about an ogre. Even ten thousand pioneers on the first layer together can't kill that thing."
The girl shakes her head. "Right, I am just thinking something ridiculous."
But the next announcement left both of them speechless.
{Because a brave and strong pioneer has killed the terrifying infant blue ogre. All 108 remaining participants will advance to the third layer.}
"This… this is some sort of joke right. Is he pulling our legs even after the end of the test? No way it is true." The red-haired boy mutters in disbelief.
The girl beside him is equally shocked. She had joked about killing the ogre but. To think someone really did that.
Somewhere far away in the forest.
Ivara looks at the announcement drone with a grim expression on her face.
Slink!
Behind her, the princess swings her sword and decapitates her opponent. No it can hardly be called an opponent. In the entire forest, only one person is strong enough to give her a challenge.
"Princess."
Ivara murmurs as the princess turns her head away from the decapitated pioneer.
"It must be him." She says in her sweet voice.
But Ivara can tell there is no emotion whatsoever in that voice, only bone-chilling coldness.
{Congratulations on passing the test. Now all 108 pioneers in this forest are full-fledged f-rank pioneers.}