"[Ballistic Flight]!" was the skill used by Sgolkr, only a split second behind Adam's [Gladiator's Approach].

Instantly a barrier appeared to Sgolkr's front and sides as he flew forward with a speed that even Adam wouldn't be able to match. Adam arrived to his side and cut downward with his sword, but Sgolkr was already propelled out of his reach. Sgolkr's direction wasn't to where Adam had been, but towards the Sentinel Army gathered to the left side of the entrance.

Adam didn't even have time to raise his sword after his downward chop or to look at his allies before the noises started. It began with a splat and crunch as Sgolkr's skill moved him through Adam's allies. The first two hit by Sgolkr's moving barrier exploded, even though they were tanks. One had raised his shield while the other hadn't, but death that resulted was the same for both.

Before their exploded bodies even had time to hit their surroundings, three warriors behind them were crushed, the crunching of their armor kept their bodies inside but both armor and bodies were flattened.

In a straight line, nine humans were killed immediately. Twelve were blown off their feet from the wind shear of Sgolkr's skill. To the credit of those who were still standing, they didn't scream or break formation. Having been through enough life and death fights, their instincts were to group together, to rely on each other to do their jobs.

Several defensive skills were used. A support class conjured a barrier. One mage used a phasing magic to make him partially incorporeal. Lightning and fire blasted where Sgolkr's skill ended, stopped him instantly.

"[Titan's Blade]!" announced Sgolkr.

The already large sword doubled in length, becoming 14 feet long and three feet thick while maintaining its razor edge. The blade was swung like a baseball bat, from one side of the Scyrric to the other. It easily sliced through the chamber walls and more easily cut through another several humans. The ones who had fallen from the charge skill's pressure were the only ones who the blade didn't touch, but that didn't leave them in a better situation.

"NO!" screamed Adam.

He didn't even have time to use another pseudo-skill before seeing his people slaughtered. Once more, Adam used [Gladiator's Approach]. Since his pseudo-skills didn't have cooldowns, he often used them as rapidly as he could, but he had never used that skill this immediately. A part of Adam felt like it was ripping as he appeared behind Sgolkr.

"[Ballistic Flight]," used Sgolkr again, no discernable emotion on his face or voice.

He moved parallel to the wall, away from where Adam appeared, once more unable to use his sword before the Scyrric was gone. Sgolkr's direction took him past the group he was killing, once more crushing another six humans with the movement's barrier, across the chamber entrance, and towards the side of the Sentinel Army that was waiting to the right of the entrance.

"[By Your Side]," Brittney announced, as she appeared at the side of waiting Sentinels. It was all she could do, and her skill wasn't as fast as Sgolkr's. A shield was placed on the person she targeted, but that was nothing compared to the force that Sgolkr's hit with.

Only after Sgolkr ran over two more humans did Brittney arrive with her defensive charge skill. Unfortunately, as strong as she was, it was still lower tier than Sgolkr. The barriers that protected each fighter during their movement skills collided. Her vitality was high enough that she wasn't crushed, but his force blew her to the side, sending her sprawling across the floor as he continued on for another ten feet, killing six more of Adam's soldiers.

"I SAID NO!" screamed Adam, infusing [Incapacitation Shout] into his yell.

As Sgolkr's barrier dropped and his momentum stopped, he went to step forward while swinging his sword. The power of Adam's yell was enough to cause him to stumble, but Sgolkr grunted and used his own will to continue his movements.

More humans died to his swing.

"Retreat into the room!" yelled Brittney from about twenty feet away. "Spread out so he can't charge us together!"

More humans were rushing out of the entrance to get into the fight, so Sgolkr turned and swung his sword at them, its blade was the normal seven-foot length without his skill enlarging it.

"[Enclosure]!" shouted Brittney before she even stood up.

The skill triggered a barrier shaped like a shield that covered the chamber entrance. Humans that still hadn't entered the room bounced off it, falling into their teammates behind them. Those who were already in the room weren't spared as Sgolkr's sword cut through them, although when he swung at the magical shield his blade bounced off.

Sgolkr's eyes lit up and he turned to where Brittney was, concentrating on keeping the skill active to protect her fellow humans.

"You!" he hissed. "You are strong!"

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

Then Sgolkr turned his body so that he was facing the small girl, still sitting on the ground. "[Ballistic Flight]!"

Everything was moving fast. Sgolkr's skill activations and movements were far above what most of the other humans could use, and his charge skill had taken him out of reach of Adam's teleportation step. Adam was rushing to get in range, unable to help those who had already been killed or wounded.

When Adam saw Sgolkr face Brittney, even before he activated his skill, Adam's breath caught in his throat. Brittney had already shown that her skills weren't quite at the power level of Sgolkr's.

Based on Sgolkr trying to get his positioning just right before activating his skill, it seemed to Adam that instead of being a targeted charge skill, it sent the Scyrric in a straight line.

Thinking as quickly as he could and knowing that [Gladiator's Approach] wasn't useful against [Ballistic Flight], he snatched off the ground a dismembered body of one of the warriors that Sgolkr had killed. One that was crushed but kept most of the body inside its armor.

Then Adam leapt towards the center of the room. He waited just a moment, watching as Sgolkr's skill activated and he rocketed towards Brittney.

"[Gladiator's Approach]!" shouted Adam as soon as he got within range.

Immediately Adam appeared next to Brittney. Her eyes were focused on Sgolkr's imminent arrival. She didn't notice Adam until his fist struck her shield, sending her flying forty feet away and into a dormant forge. While she was still in the air, her eyes wide with shock, as she saw Sgolkr arrive before Adam could even turn to defend himself.

This time Adam was the one to go flying. His arm, shoulder, and chest armor crunched, probably his ribs too, as the force of the collision lifted him from the ground and he slid along the floor, leaving his own blood trail.

When Sgolkr halted with the end of his skill, he looked at Adam, half crushed and bleeding, from where he lay on the floor. A hissing laugh broke out from the Scyrric.

"Oh, aberration, I didn't expect that! But I can't say I didn't enjoy it. It looks like we know who the strongest is after all."

***

"Ouch!" exclaimed Tom, quietly for once. "That was rough, even for the boss."

Golgarn turned around and looked at where Adam had slid about twenty feet, leaving skin and blood the whole way. He was holding his side with his bloody arm, and it looked like he couldn't even move the other arm. Sgolkr stood a bit away but was clearly gloating.

"Do he be done for?" asked Golgarn, surprised at the shiver of fear that ran through him at the thought of the often-scary human dying.

"Nah, the boss can't be stopped," replied Tom absent mindedly.

"He do look plenty stopped right now."

"It won't last," said Tom definitively.

"But, he…"

"I said he'll be fine!" snapped Tom while rounding on Golgarn. "Now let's do our job so that he doesn't need to worry about killing your people after finishing that lizard eyed bastard!"

The two were walking along the wall, hidden by Tom's illusions. They moved as fast as he could recreate and extend his illusions. Tom wouldn't admit it, but it was a strain keeping them going constantly since he wasn't a mage class.

As they approached the first forge with an Unklarn at it, Tom wrapped him in the illusion too, making them all able to see each other.

"Who be you?!" gasped the Unklarn as Tom and Golgarn suddenly appeared before him.

His hair and beard were white, except for where dirt and soot were mixed in. His pants were ragged with small burns all over. There were no shirts or shoes, though a heavy leather apron covered his front.

"I'm Tom," answered Tom a little too chipper.

Golgarn shook his head, knowing that answer meant nothing to the old smith.

"Pardon, Smith Chornan," said Golgarn. "We be here to rescue ye."

The older smith gasped as he took in Golgarn, his previously hazy eyes came into focus as he took in Golgarn's neat clothes, obvious health, and the lusciousness of his beard.

"Apprentise Golgarn! Ye was sent to find help. Do this mean ye found this army to liberate us?" asked Chornan.

"I do found them. These long'uns want us to sign work contracts with them in exchange for rescue," explained Golgarn.

"I do see. A slave contract, do it be?"

Tom sighed with exasperation and shook his head.

"An employment contract! There are terms for you to leave. You munchkins sure are desperate to become slaves."

"Is this no any different than the slave contract?" asked Chornan to Golgarn.

"I be told it be very different," said Golgarn. "Though there do be a bit of a nail in this boot. The leader do want to kill all who no be part of their faction. Almost took me head the first we met. Even worse, he do forcefully shave part of me beard. Unless you sign the contract, he no be able to let ye live."

Chornan sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping when listening.

"I do guess slaving be above death, although," the old smith spread his hands to show the conditions that the Unklarn were currently slaving away under. Even just sparing a look at his fellow smiths was enough to put additional weight on his shoulders.

"Don't worry, Chorny," encouraged Tom. "We'll give you good conditions."

Chornan raised an eyebrow at Golgarn who nodded.

"It be true. They do give me plenty of time to me self, never expecting me to work when tired. They be also looking at me as a master, no an apprentice."

"Ah, one of those races. No focus on crafting, only war," sighed Chornan heavily. "No knowing of their own, so they be wanting us."

"Actually, Smith Chornan, they be stealing secrets from many other races. There be plenty of craftsmen, they just no have the basics. Working with them be giving me access to many knowings that Unklarn don't have. They be knowing how to make flying contraptions and ground doohickies that move faster and longer than tamed beasties."

"Ye be hammering my hand, young apprentice," exclaimed Chornan in disbelief. "I no seem a race like theirs. What be they?"

"They be natives," said Golgarn conspiritoriall.

"Mountains alive!" exclaimed Chornan. "That no be possible with natives!"

"Not only that, they be giving out an alchemical concoction that do make me beard magnificent," Golgarn bragged, while sensually caressing his beard.

"I be thinking that be a lie if I no see it me self. That might be worth slaving me self for."

"Yeah, yeah. Yay, beards," hurried Tom irreverently, receiving two looks of disapproval. Then he looked over to where Adam appeared to be having a seizure as the Scyrric menacingly approached him, sword ready to fall. "Let's sign the contract and move on to the next little guy. I don't think the fight will last much longer."

"Aye," agreed Chornan. "Will we be able to escape even when that one dies?"

"What? Dies? The boss isn't gonna die," argued Tom.

"He no look much longer for the world," insisted Chornan. Golgarn also looked a bit apprehensive.

"No, really. He is probably about to learn some new ability before rofl stomping that damn Scyrric."

The old smith squinted at Tom with one eye and shook his head.

"Ye no be right in the head."

"I can't disagree with that," nodded Tom. "Now sign the contract before I shave your beard myself!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.