Chapter 19: Invincible Part 2
Carrying scattered crimson light fragments, the spinning hammer flew like a high-speed circular cutting saw, turning into a blurred streak of light as it shot through the air, then struck a heavily armored soldier holding a large shield. Although he did not fall, both hands gripping the shield were numbed by the shock, completely unable to hold onto the large shield. To dissipate this immense force, he stepped back, then back again, until there was nowhere left to retreat. He could only brace against the wall, enduring the blow with gritted teeth as blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. The wall behind the heavily armored soldier instantly became covered in a dense web of spiderweb-like cracks, while the hammer was embedded in the center of the steel shield.
At that moment, Joshua had already cut into the scattered formation of mercenaries. With one hand, he grabbed the neck of a Silver-rank warrior clad in plate armor, lifting him effortlessly. The man struggled desperately in his grip, his strength enough to shatter solid rock and crush the bones of magical beasts, but in Joshua's hands, he was no better than a chick. With more than double the strength, Joshua could now easily crush these Silver-rank opponents.
Casually turning him upside down, Joshua grabbed the warrior by his right leg and used the man as a weapon, sweeping it in a circle around him. Instantly, a large gap opened up in the entire formation. The combined force of nearly twenty Silver-rank warriors was completely shattered head-on by Joshua.
"Weak, weak, weak!"
Spinning the Silver-rank warrior in the air several times, Joshua laughed loudly, then hurled the man with brute, unreasonable force in a certain direction. The people in that direction naturally scrambled to dodge. A burly man plus armor and weapons—this was a massive object weighing nearly four hundred pounds. Accompanied by a loud crash and violent tremors, the already cracked side wall of the Lord's Manor was completely torn open, revealing a large gaping hole. The collapsing bricks and stones buried both the thrown warrior and the shield-bearing soldier.
Now, eight seconds had passed, and six mercenaries had already died. At this rate, before Joshua's [Power of God] state ended, he would be able to slaughter them all.
Yet the warriors of the White Dragon Mercenary Corps still couldn't believe it.
They were the elite of the elite, all Silver-rank existences. They were well-armed, each with excellent armor. Even capturing cities or hunting dragons was not impossible. How could the combined strength of the entire mercenary corps fail to defeat a single person before them?!
How was this possible?! Even the most absurd knightly novels wouldn't write such an irrational, unbelievable plot!
They were right to think so; this matter was indeed hard to believe.
But Joshua never needed anyone to believe!
Grabbing anything on the ground—whether weapons, shields, corpses, or stones—Joshua moved at high speed while hurling debris with the speed of a heavy crossbow bolt, sending these objects flying at speeds invisible to ordinary people. This forced the remaining mercenaries to only parry and block, completely unable to organize a counterattack.
"Ah! Monster, die!"
With a furious roar, a fresh aura suddenly appeared in the hall, which had been filled with a scorching red heat. A cyan light flared up. A mercenary, pushed to his limit, erupted. Flames of light ignited on his body, and rippling waves of flowing fire swirled across his surface.
The White Dragon Mercenary Corps had three Silver High-rank members. The ranger was already dead, and the leader had his head blown off with one punch before he could react. Only this one remained with the ability to externalize battle qi and affect reality.
Battle qi, also known as ripples, blazing fire, or radiant light, was energy born from a body trained to its limits. It originally had no form and could only circulate within the body. But when combined with a warrior's will, it gave birth to a power like fire or light, as if a miracle. Manifested externally, it appeared as the halo-like ripples surrounding Joshua and this warrior.
It could amplify physical strength and allow will to affect reality. It was a warrior's third arm and the beginning of transcendence. Only those at Silver High-rank could achieve this eruption, greatly increasing their physical abilities for a period of time.
Waves surged. Led by this Silver High-rank warrior, the already scattered mercenaries regained their morale. They roared one after another, their bodies swelling as their internal power fully erupted. They charged at Joshua with all their might—after this battle, win or lose, these men would need at least half a month of rest to recover.
But their target suddenly disappeared.
"What's going on? Where did he go?!"
Everyone nervously looked around, but in the next instant, they all realized at once—
He's above!
They immediately looked up, but it was too late. Just as the mercenaries raised their weapons and shields to defend against an attack, a violent tremor shook the hall. With a loud crash, the ceiling of the Lord's Manor's first floor shattered into countless fragments. Rocks and numerous pieces of furniture and decorations rained down, crashing onto them.
Before the mercenaries could shake off the chaos, a figure with crimson light blazing in its eyes leaped out from behind the collapsing debris. Joshua aimed directly at the Silver High-rank warrior who had erupted with battle qi and charged straight down!
He was indeed a battle-hardened warrior. The High-rank mercenary saw through Joshua's attack intent, and his current erupted state barely allowed him to keep up with Joshua's speed. He swung his longsword and shouted, "Today, I will surely kill—"
"Three."
Before he could finish speaking, the High-rank mercenary heard a cold, almost declaratory voice. His expression changed drastically—because the figure of Joshua he had locked onto dissipated like an illusion. In the next instant, he felt a crimson light invade his domain. The air, sound, and everything he could sense were torn apart by a sudden, violent force. A piercing sonic boom carried a massive black shadow, crashing down with overwhelming momentum!
"Pfft!" His vision went black, then blood sprayed violently. The High-rank mercenary's eyes bulged outward like a dying fish. His mouth slightly opened as he stared in disbelief at his chest. Embedded there was a right fist wrapped in crimson radiance, plunging deep into his body, shattering his stomach and chest cavity, nearly forcing his spine out of his body.
"Two."
The fist withdrew. The High-rank mercenary's consciousness faded. Accompanied by countless visible shockwaves stirring the air, Joshua's figure vanished again. In an instant, his body appeared beside another mercenary who was turning his head to check the surroundings.
Snatching a longsword from someone's hand, Joshua delivered a palm strike that severed his cervical spine. Then, turning his palm into a fist, he struck backhanded at the armor of another man attempting to attack. The immense force transmitted through the steel, vibrating the mercenary's fragile body and knocking him unconscious on the spot. Meanwhile, the hand holding the sword did not stop. Joshua decisively crouched and swept horizontally at the legs of the surrounding mercenaries. The sharp blade, coated with battle qi flames, easily tore through the metal leg armor and the inner lining of magical beast leather, severing the legs they were meant to protect.
Then, he suddenly stood up and turned, as if spinning. The longsword traced an arc, slashing toward the necks of mercenaries on the other side.
"One."
Even steel could not stop it, let alone muscle and bone. The eyes of the struck mercenaries, bloodshot from erupting battle qi, became dull. Blood gushed from their necks. Their bodies slowly fell, and after a brief struggle, they never rose again. But at the same time, the longsword in Joshua's hand, unable to bear the strain, snapped in two.
At the seventeenth second of [Power of God]'s duration, with Joshua's third count, the original nineteen members of the White Dragon Mercenary Corps had suffered thirteen casualties. Only six, who were farther away, survived. They hadn't even reacted. How could a battle that hadn't even lasted twenty seconds be so close to ending? They hadn't even had time to think about what they should do. They just stared blankly at the river of blood and corpses before them, and at Joshua standing in the midst of it all, shrouded in crimson light.
"Eight seconds left, seven seconds... It should be over."
Joshua took a brief moment to catch his breath, relaxing his muscles, which were a bit fatigued from the excessive eruption. He said with some regret, "This counts as a warm-up. You guys are decent, not bad."
Then, after a short rest, Joshua launched his final charge at the remaining enemies. A crimson wind enveloped his body, while his enemies, pale-faced, could only futilely raise their weapons, attempting to resist.
Boom!
With a violent tremor and a deafening roar, the entire Lord's Manor groaned. The sturdy structure, capable of withstanding cannon fire, shook incessantly, as if its foundations had been shaken by something terrifying. Glass shattered. Crimson light burst from the windows. The front part of the Lord's Manor slowly collapsed amid this tremendous shock, turning into rubble, burying everyone inside.
No, not everyone.
Step by step, he emerged from the dust and smoke, with the collapsing building behind him. He stood with his back to the ruins in the open space, where heavy snow had begun to fall once more.
Joshua.