Kwooooar!
The King Ogre's fist and Patrick's twin swords collided.
Kwwaaaaang! A rock?
No. It felt as if he had struck a giant lump of iron. Patrick's full-powered strike pushed back the King Ogre's fist, but not a single scratch was left on it.
“Filthy hard."
Ogre hide is naturally tough. So tough that without sword energy, it is impossible to even leave a mark. But the King Ogre's hide was beyond that.
Even Patrick's sword energy, which had sliced through the other Ogres with sharp precision, could not pierce it.
Woooaaaar!
Meanwhile, the King Ogre was just as enraged. A being so small and frail, no different from an insect compared to itself, had dared to block its fist head-on. It could not tolerate the existence of Patrick, who had dared to resist the king's iron mace.
Khaaaang!
The King Ogre's fist, imbued with even greater strength, flew toward Patrick.
Kwaang!
Patrick dodged the fist, ran up the Ogre's descending arm, and instantly closed in on the Ogre's face.
“Let's see if your face is thick-skinned too.”
In an instant, Patrick's swords, having reached the King Ogre's face, unleashed countless slashes upon it.
Kakakakakakak!
A sound unlike anything one would expect from slicing a face with sharp sword energy was heard. It sounded like sharp nails scratching against a hard, thick iron plate.
“Dammit...."
As the attack aimed at its face also ended in failure, Patrick's expression darkened. The attack was infused with power equivalent to a seven-star or higher, yet it couldn't pierce the King Ogre's tough hide.
And... Kheu-heong!
The King Ogre squeezed its eyes shut and swung its hand. It was a motion like shooing away an insect, but if Patrick were hit by it, he would be turned to pulp. Patrick, with no way to dodge in mid-air....
Sweeeuk.
He simply let all the strength drain from his body. The ultimate state of relaxation. The moment the King Ogre's immense attack struck Patrick, who had completely drained his body of strength...
Tuk.
Would it sound like this if one were to strike a light feather in mid-air? The King Ogre's attack had certainly hit. But Patrick, upon being hit, simply let the attack flow past him and was sent flying far away.
Ultimate relaxation and perfect distribution of force. Despite being struck by the Ogre's attack in mid-air, Patrick felt no impact. As Patrick somersaulted in the air and landed lightly, the King Ogre stared at its own hand in disbelief.
K-eu-eu...
It had clearly struck with all its might. But why was that tiny little being, which had taken its attack, unharmed? It could not understand.
In the King Ogre's common sense, such a thing was impossible. No, it wasn't just the King Ogre; even the Orc tribe and the soldiers watching the scene stared as if they couldn't believe this surreal situation.
“Didn't he just get hit?”
“How is that possible?" “Is that even possible?" How could they possibly know?
This is why the martial artists of the martial world call martial arts, martial studies. Using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds. A glimpse of the pinnacle pursued by the 'softness' of martial studies, the principle of controlling a thousand pounds with the weight of four ounces.
If this principle were applied in reverse, it was also possible to turn a thousand pounds of force into that of four ounces. 'Well, in the martial world, besides me, only a few elders from Wudang could do this.' Patrick looked at the King Ogre, still with a smile on his face.
And then, the King Ogre's demeanor changed.
K-eu-eu...
Its stance lowered, and its aura became more threatening. There was no way a monster like the King Ogre, which didn't possess even a hint of intelligence, could understand the profound mysteries of martial studies. But even if it couldn't understand, it could feel it.
That thing is dangerous. It shouldn't be considered an ordinary being. In the King Ogre's mind, Patrick had just been promoted from prey to enemy.
From now on, this was not a hunt, but a battle. Understanding this change, Patrick leisurely raised the corners of his mouth and spoke.
“Only now?" K-eu-eu.....
“The battle started a long time ago, you brat!”
And Patrick's body shot forward again, unleashing countless blasts of sword energy all over the King Ogre's body.
K-k-keuk.. k-k-k-geuk....
The King Ogre's red hide blocked Patrick's sword energy, remaining uncut. But it was clearly different from before. Where the sword energy touched the King Ogre's hide, sparks flew as if steel were scraping against steel.
Kwooooar!
A pain clearly different from before. The King Ogre was greatly flustered by this unpleasant sensation, something it was feeling for the first time in its life.
Keo-eo-eo! Khaang!
The King Ogre panicked like a person being stung by bees. In truth, Patrick's attacks were not a great threat to the King Ogre. For a human, it would be like the pain of being scratched rather strongly by a needle.
It would cause some wounds, but it was an attack that could never be a fatal blow. But the problem was that this was the first time in its life the King Ogre had ever experienced pain.
For the King Ogre, born so strong as to be called the king of its species and having never once experienced a crisis, the pain it was feeling now was beyond unpleasant—it was frightening. Unable to understand what was happening to its body, the King Ogre simply flailed about.
Kheu-heo-eong! Ku-eo-eo-eo!
The King Ogre thrashed about, wildly swinging its arms and legs. That chaotic rampage alone was devastating the surroundings, but within that space of destruction, not a single hair on Patrick's head was harmed. 'If I were to get hit by such random attacks, I would have died over a thousand times in my past life.'
It was just flailing, barely even qualifying as an attack. From Patrick's perspective, if he were hit by this, he wouldn't die from the pain but from the sheer embarrassment. The only problem was…
P-deu-deuk. P-deuk.
“This damn body.”
It was the limit of his stamina and his body's durability. Right now, for the first time since being reborn, Patrick was using his full power. As a result, his body couldn't keep up with the power Patrick was trying to unleash.
He had grown better than others his age, but it was still too much for the young body of a ten-year-old. Despite strengthening his body as much as possible and protecting his meridians with the internal energy gushing from his two dantians, his joints were twisting and his muscles were tearing.
His heart and lungs were constantly screaming, sending warnings to please stop.
But...
“Not yet.”
If he stopped his sword and feet now, that very moment would be Patrick's defeat. How could he stop when he knew that full well? Of course, Patrick also knew that he couldn't continue this reckless assault.
But he wasn't doing this without a plan. 'I'll let you off today. Hurry up and get lost!'
That monster had probably never met a being that could push it and torment it like this before. Seeing its obvious panic, there was no doubt. No matter how ferocious a wild beast is, when faced with an unknown fear, it will instinctively flee.
Patrick had given up on capturing the King Ogre and had changed his course to repelling it instead. He would repel the King Ogre here and wait for the next opportunity. If people who knew the man named Radiant Dragon Grandmaster Jin Cheon from his past life saw this, they would be astonished, thinking, 'Has he gone mad?
Compromising with the world?' But as Patrick, he had no other choice. To protect the fief and the Orcs, this was the only solution available.
Therefore…
“Until you retreat, I will never stop.”
A fearsome sword energy, even more intense than before, erupted from the swords in Patrick's hands. And the trajectories of countless slashes were drawn in the air. The attack, which looked almost majestic to the onlookers, was overwhelming the King Ogre.
“My god...." “Good heavens...."
Humans, Orcs, and even the other Ogres watched the scene before them with their jaws agape. A storm of slashes that rained down ceaselessly, without a single second's pause. And in that storm, the King Ogre struggled in agony.
Where in the world could one witness such a scene?
“Is that... the young master's true skill?”
“Just what level is the young master? Don't tell me, seven-star?"
“No way. The young master is only ten... He's ten years old..." The soldier who was speaking had to shut his mouth. Yes. Patrick is ten years old. They had forgotten because he was monstrously strong and had a devilishly foul temper, but he was just a ten-year-old child. But... let's be honest. Where in the world is there a ten-year-old like that? "He's a true monster.”
The words that flowed from Oliver's mouth were incomparably rude to say about the young master of the fief where he lived. But no one pointed out his rude remark. Even Sanson was subtly nodding his head in agreement with Oliver's words.
He was pushing back a King Ogre, a being that could be classified as a living disaster. A boy who was only ten years old. Who would believe it?
The soldiers trembled with emotion, as if a scene from a legend were unfolding right before their eyes.
Kwooooar! Wueong!
The King Ogre's roars began to be tinged with an ever-deepening pain. And for good reason… Looking at the situation now, it was just getting beaten one-sidedly.
Of course, Patrick was clearly overexerting himself, struggling to swing his swords amidst excruciating pain that felt like his whole body was being torn apart, but the King Ogre had neither the experience nor the wisdom to perceive such a situation. It just hurts. It stings, it pricks, and it even burns.
But no matter how much it swung its limbs, it couldn't hit the small enemy inflicting this pain. Should it keep fighting?
Why?
Why must it fight an opponent it cannot defeat? Having never experienced a proper battle, the King Ogre's fighting spirit was actually lower than that of ordinary Ogres. I don't want this anymore.
It hurts too much. The moment it realized that continuing the battle would only bring pain, the King Ogre's anger and fighting spirit all faded away. All that remained was fear of the unknown being and a desperate desire to escape the current pain.
And that desperation.... Kheu-heo-eo-eong! finally made the King Ogre retreat. It took one step back, then another, and before long, the King Ogre had turned around and started to run.
Thump thump thump thump thump! The moment he saw this, a great roar erupted from Turanta's mouth.
“The great warrior Patrick has defeated the King Ogre! Shout for victory!”
"Uoooooooh!”
"Wooooooar!"
The warriors of the Orc tribe each stuck their weapons into the ground, then raised their clenched fists high into the air and roared. For Orcs, roaring while raising their own weapons is a roar to boast of their own victory. So what does it mean to raise a bare fist?
It is a sign of praise for the victory of a great being whom they can only respect and admire. Right now, the Orcs of the Red Rock Tribe were acknowledging Patrick as a great warrior and sending him their praise.
“So noisy…. Dammit, my pride is in tatters.”
Patrick himself, however, was displeased. He'd wondered how strong a King Ogre would be, but it was more of a monster than he'd expected. Its body was ridiculously tough, and both its strength and speed were beyond common sense.
It was just that it had a mental weakness, so he had attacked that part to make it retreat. To have repelled a monster classified as a disaster single-handedly was a great achievement in itself. But for Patrick, who remembered his past self, it was merely regrettable.
If he had even a quarter of the martial prowess from his days as the Radiant Dragon Grandmaster, he would have sliced that big, lumbering oaf in half in an instant...
“Can't be helped. Next time I catch you… huh? Uh oh?”
Patrick, who had been feeling regretful, saw his eyes widen. The King Ogre, while retreating, had stumbled slightly, then righted its posture and started running sideways. It still seemed to be running away, but the problem was the direction in which it was fleeing.
Over there was…
"Huh...? Uh oh?"
“It's coming. It's coming this way!”
"Aaaargh!"
In the direction the King Ogre was fleeing, the soldiers who had been firing flaming arrows were gathered and waiting.
“No, you bastard!”
Patrick's body once again became a streak of light and dashed forward.
“Everyone, get out of the way!”
Sanson urgently commanded his men. Confront the King Ogre? Even Sanson couldn't entertain such a thought.
If he could save his men by sacrificing his life, he would honorably throw himself in the way. But no matter what he did, from the King Ogre's perspective, it would be nothing more than the resistance of an insignificant insect. In the end, all Sanson could do was order his men to flee.
But...
Thump thump thump thump thump! The King Ogre was running much faster than the soldiers could flee. 'We can't escape.'
In that moment, Sanson despaired. They couldn't dodge, and they couldn't block. There was nothing left they could do.
Just as Sanson was thinking that...