Spearbound Ch. 73

Kade could feel the cracks on the wooden shaft, but he couldn’t do much other than try to avoid putting it danger of direct strikes. He met Tugan’s eyes and took a deep breath before advancing.

His [Soulrend] and feet moved in harmony, a dance that he didn’t even know he was capable of. He kept his distance, stabbing, once, twice, each thrust a needle probing the defense.

Tugan’s axe answered with heavy parries—wide, crushing swats that sent plumes of dirt spinning skyward. Every block thundered through the field, but that was the extent of the counter.

Kade, using his [Soulrend] as a spear was designed to be used, meant he never wandered close enough to be trapped. However, Tugan’s expression showed he remained unchallenged.

He changed rhythm, sweeping a feint at Tugan’s legs before it blurred into a true jab for the injured right shoulder.

Tugan grunted when the blade bit into his arm, then locked the spear in place after ripping it out. A violent yank threatened to tear it from Kade’s grasp. The only reason it didn’t was his desperate attempt to keep his hands on his [Soulrend].

Kade knew that the absence of contact signaled the [Soulrend]’s destruction. It was a lesson beaten into his head from the multiple times it had happened in the past.

He followed the pull towards Tugan with his hands wrapped tightly around the [Soulrend]’s shaft. He gritted his teeth for what he was about to do and allowed himself to get kneed in the stomach, gasping in pain before willing himself to raise his hand to grab the axe’s handle to stop it from cutting off his arm.

Kade felt his hand crack under the power behind the swing and snapped his head forward, smashing his forehead into Tugan’s nose. Stars burst into his vision, but he heard a satisfying crack and felt Tugan’s grip on the spear loosening.

He thought he had successfully escaped the jaws of defeat when Tugan roared in anger and landed a devastating uppercut to his jaw, flinging him hundreds of feet away.

Kade blacked out, but he could still hear the echo of Tugan’s fist destroying his jaw, and he could feel his body crash into the ground and tumble for far too long.

He heard Tugan’s angry yells and knew he had to get back to his feet to survive this. He forced his body to respond and felt a burst of energy fill him.

Kade blinked rapidly as his vision returned and the first thing he saw was the interface.

Warning: Your health has fallen below 10%!

Boarhide Belt attribute activated: Adrenaline Rush – Increases [Speed] and [Dexterity] by 20% when the wearer’s health drops below 10%.

Dexterity: 21 + (4)

Speed: 25 + (5)

His body was falling apart. Tugan said that this wouldn’t be a fight to the death, but it looked like that was false. He couldn’t retreat, so all he could do was try to kill Tugan before he died himself. Using [Adrenaline Rush] was against their verbal rules, but if Tugan didn’t notice it, he would use it.

He dismissed the interface and stumbled onto his feet. He had forgotten about the Boarhide Belt’s best feature, and it would come in handy. Tugan was only a little faster that he was, so it should give him a significant advantage if he used his increased attributes wisely.

Kade felt that familiar rush of excitement whenever he fought a powerful monster in a rift zone. It looked like he had finally accepted that this was a proper fight.

He narrowed his eyes as he stared at Tugan, who was still holding his face and roaring in anger. Tugan had the time to kill him during his incapacitation. Instead, the large man was having a mental breakdown in the distance.

“My face!” Tugan screamed as he removed his hand to reveal a misshapen nose and split lips. “I’ll kill you!”

Kade’s eyes widened when Tugan turned a bright red and ran at him, throwing up chunks of earth with every step. He suddenly recalled an important part of what Tugan was; something shown on the leaderboard.

Tugan was a Berserker. And Kade had angered him enough to go berserk.

He backed away, dodging Tugan’s axe with little room for error. He frantically tried to gather how Tugan had changed after entering this berserk mode.

Kade sidestepped a swing that ended with the axe burying itself into the ground, blowing it up like tons of explosives had shelled it; he ducked under a swipe that case the air to scream from the power put into in; he flitted around Tugan when the berserker tried to pull him into a range that meant instant death.

And in all instances, Kade made sure to never allow his [Soulrend] to be in the way, whether to defend or attack.

Kade understood everything he needed within a minute.

Tugan lost all higher-level thinking when he was berserk. He had taken the massive risk to show some obvious openings that could have ended his life, but Tugan persistent on roaring incomprehensibly and hacking away with his axe.

Tugan might have gained an insane amount of strength and a minor boost to speed, but with the decreased strategic capacity, he considered this an overall negative.

Kade had one chance to get an overwhelming advantage. He couldn’t target Tugan’s vital points since those would be the most protected, and even if he could hit his target, he wasn’t confident in ending it right then and there.

It wasn’t like he would dare to use any [Abilities]. Tugan never used them, and he wasn’t about to risk giving him a reminder that they exist.

He sidestepped another roaring swing that demolished a large swath of land.

The axe!

Kade danced around Tugan as he greedily kept track of the berserk man’s right arm in his periphery. It was most venerable when fully extended after a swing, and Anita had already assisted him by severely damaging it.

He just had to wait for the perfect swing to act on.

Tugan never lost his rage and relentlessly destroyed the environment, more than it already was from the monster legion. Kade was patient until he saw Tugan overextend his arm just a little too much.

Kade lunged with everything he had and his brought his [Soulrend] in play for the first time since Tugan went berserk. He swept the blade down, lodging it into Tugan’s right forearm before he could withdraw it.

Kade felt a heightened sense of anxiety when his [Soulrend] got stuck in Tugan’s flesh. The guttural roar of pain and somehow additional anger from Tugan didn’t help.

He pushed down with a scream through clenched teeth. The [Soulrend]’s blade didn’t move like a hot knife through butter, but it got the job done.

Kade ignored Tugan’s howl, immediately kicked the axe out of the separated forearm and used both hands on his [Soulrend] to impale it. A wide smile spread across his lips when the axe shattered into countless pieces.

He didn’t waste time and tried to move far away from the enraged Tugan when he felt a sharp pain in his lower back.

Kade’s vision flashed white before he collapsed to the ground, boneless. 

Warning: Your health has fallen below 5%!

He could move, but barely, even worse than the slowest snail. He could hear Tugan’s footsteps getting closer, but it was steady, a stark contrast to the rage-filled stomps just a moment before.

“Good fight,” Tugan said through laborious breaths, holding his stump of a forearm. “I regret striking your spine at the end.”

Kade stared for a second before sighing, releasing all his tension. He made a mistake at the end, but he gave it all. “Make it quick.”

“… Your bonded weapon is far from the next level. What a waste.” Tugan gave him a reluctant nod. “I admit the loss, Kade Beckett.”

“What?”

You have won your challenge with Tugan Baikalov.

A hazy fog left Tugan and shot into Kade; a continuous connection that started the next set of alerts.

Footwork (Level 15)—>(Level 18)

Spear Thrust (Level 15)—>(Level 17)

Spear Impale (Level 11)—>(Level 13)

Spear Sweep (Level 10)—>(Level 12)

Level-up! (x5)

Arcana Level 55—>Arcana Level 60

Free Points: 0—>7.5

Constitution: 57—>62

Endurance: 57.5—>67.5

Strength: 67—>74.5

Wisdom: 38—>40.5

MP: 76/76—>81/81

Kade felt the familiar, excruciating burn as his level-up healed his body to its peak. He got to his feet with a shocked look directed at Tugan.

“Why didn’t you kill me?” Kade asked, unintentionally sounding like a death seeker.

“Why should I kill you?” Tugan reflecting Kade’s confusion. “We agreed to the rules of the fight at the start. You destroyed my weapon, so you win.”

Kade could barely believe what he was hearing. “Wait, that’s why you broke my spine?”

“Yes,” Tugan nodded, suddenly buckling to his knees. He frowned as his stump bled copiously. “The fight was over, but my rage overtook me for a moment.”

He almost felt guilt at having used the Boarhide Belt’s effect on such an honest man. Almost.

“Kade Beckett, if you could get healers to attend to me, I would be thankful.” Tugan proceeded to fall flat on his face and lose consciousness.

Kade cursed under his breath and stored his [Soulrend] before sending a message to Finn. “Get the best healers ready. We have a VIP on life support.”

He scooped up the gigantic man in his arms and rushed to the city.