Chapter 46: Not Far Away
Within the dense black jungle, deep purple mist permeated every corner, covering the black decayed soil as the earth trembled violently. An endless tide of beasts surged from the depths of the forest, sweeping forward like a turbid flood that blotted out the sky and covered the earth.
With the space-time gate at the center of the Black Forest closed, the disappearance of chaotic aura caused these already deeply corrupted magical beasts to be unable to suppress their chaotic and frenzied nature any longer. Thus, under the command of their 'King,' they unhesitatingly charged toward the distant, densely populated fortress—the place where life aura was most concentrated.
Devour, bite, destroy everything, and consume all living things!
Such evil and pure desires were deeply rooted in their hearts. Even if certain death lay ahead, it could not stop the steps of these frenzied beasts. Some particularly massive and powerful magical beasts, unable to suppress their maddening hunger mid-run, simply tore apart and devoured the weaker beasts around them. The overflowing scent of blood further ignited the monsters' frenzy, and the restless roars of beasts pierced through the blizzard and gale, rising straight into the clouds.
Unlike their kin lurking at the forest's edge, these monsters, with blue-purple light blazing in their eyes, had long lost all reason. They feared not death; even if parts of their bodies were missing, they could continue attacking. Faced with such a mad tide of beasts, even a fortress forged of steel would be easily breached. Humans could only rely on city walls as thick as mountain ranges and countless alchemical devices to stand against them.
According to common sense, that was indeed the case.
But today, within this uncontrollable tide of frenzied beasts, a red light surged against the current!
Two flashes of cold light streaked through the air as a giant sword forged of steel cleaved through the atmosphere, leaving black lines in the void. It effortlessly split several wild boars in front of it from the middle. Their plump, sturdy bodies, swollen from berserk transformation, were cut apart as easily as if made of mud. Even their hard tusks were shattered into pieces. Stinking blood and entrails flowed from the wounds, then evaporated into crimson blood mist by the scorching battle qi.
One step, one slash; one slash, ten kills!
At the center of the red light, a black-armored warrior, enveloped in blazing flowing radiance, wielded one silver and one black giant sword. With strength beyond mortal limits, he swung these massive weapons, each comparable to a human body. The storm of blades formed by his swords was like a meat grinder, constantly drawing nearby magical beasts into the deadly whirlwind. The whistling sound of steel cutting through air even drowned out the furious roars and death cries of the frenzied beasts. At the very heart of the beast tide, Joshua's attacks were like burning flames, incinerating every creature that dared approach. Their broken remains turned to ash, drifting through the air like white snow.
Clad in armor, gripping his swords, he slaughtered freely. The warrior remained silent, moving like a machine as he executed his attacks with swift precision. The surrounding clamor of beast roars, the sound of claws and fangs cutting through air, and the pitiful wails of severely wounded but still-living frenzied beasts seemed unrelated to him. Now, Joshua's mind was utterly still, deeply immersed in battle, paying no heed to any meaningless information.
Facing the charging beast tide, he even closed his eyes.
Battle requires passion, but also tranquility. The heart must burn like fire, yet remain as cold as iron—just like burning steel.
Closing his eyes, he elevated his perception beyond the realm of the senses. Even though his vision was pitch black, his mind naturally reflected all scenes within a radius of dozens of meters. Even the purple-black chaotic mist could not block this perception.
The perception of the heart surpassed the observation of the eyes. Every movement of the countless frenzied beasts around him was vividly clear in Joshua's mind. Facing the flaw-ridden attacks of these instinct-driven beasts, he needed little defense. He merely swung his greatswords, easily neutralizing them, then counterattacked, cutting them into countless fragments. With the tearing of countless bodies, purple-black beast blood gushed out. Flesh and entrails soaked his armor, yet the black-armored warrior seemed unhindered, continuing his advance at maximum speed.
"Boom!"
A tall, demonized tree was directly smashed and broken, snapping in the middle. A massive white bear, reeking of blood, suddenly appeared before Joshua. Its frenzied aura even intimidated the other magical beasts nearby, causing their movements to freeze momentarily.
But Joshua was unaffected. Facing the enormous monster, he showed no fear or panic. Within his helmet, crimson pupils flickered. Joshua's legs tightened like bowstrings, then exploded with force. He even accelerated further, charging toward the monster.
With a series of explosive sounds and shockwaves reverberating back and forth, the soft decayed soil, covered in fallen leaves, was stamped into deep depressions. Amidst the loud crashes, Joshua swung the black giant sword in his left hand, delivering a slash that surpassed the speed of sound toward the head of this massive bear, which stood ten meters tall and was incredibly robust.
The overlord of the northern jungle was neither the Blade Tundra Tiger nor the White Frost Winter Wolf King. Even the giant two-legged Frost Wyvern that could fly through the air could not claim this title. The true bearer of this name was only the Armored Giant Bear, whose physique rivaled a large war chariot and whose strength could shatter hills.
This terrifying monster, naturally reaching Silver High-rank upon adulthood, had no natural enemies. It fed on iron, stone, and cold wood. Its carapace, inscribed with runes, was harder than ordinary enchanted armor. Normal blades could not even damage its body; upon touching its white shell, they would be easily deflected or even broken.
The black giant sword in Joshua's left hand was neither a divine mechanism manifested by Ying nor an enchanted superior weapon—just an ordinary standard-issue greatsword. According to common sense, such a weapon could not even break through the bear's carapace, let alone cut its flesh. It might even get stuck in the incredibly dense muscles.
But the one wielding it, Joshua, was no ordinary man.
"Ha!"
With a roar, crimson battle qi surged. A thunderous sound echoed through the jungle. Through this violent exhalation, Joshua activated the power of his internal organs and bones, unlocking the restraints on his muscles. His heart pounded like a heavy drum, emitting a low, thumping sound. The power contained in his arms rose without limit. The immense heat released by his body even overflowed his armor, forming distorted waves of heat.
The power hidden within the body was not only usable through skills. As a martial artist proficient in all killing techniques, Joshua could use exquisite breathing methods to make his body burst forth with several times its normal strength. This slash, combined with a bit of battle qi and his weapon, was the [Ultimate Essence Qi-Enhanced Slash] capable of cutting through anything!
A massive blade of battle qi attached to the physical blade of the greatsword. Before the sound of air being breached could ring out, it had already struck the giant bear's head. The friction between steel and carapace produced intense sparks and screeching. Amidst the loud noise, the greatsword in Joshua's hand snapped from the overwhelming force of the collision. Steel fragments shot out, killing several low-level magical beasts nearby. The giant bear's head was also smashed into a deep depression by this blow, which fell like a meteor from the sky.
Before it could even let out a cry, white brain matter oozed from its eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. Joshua paid no further attention to the dead bear. He leaped abruptly, vaulting over the massive corpse, and casually hurled the now-useless greatsword toward a dense cluster of magical beasts ahead.
The muscles in his arms bulged, and the blue veins that stood out were like steel cables, containing immense toughness and strength. Under Joshua's full-force throw, the remaining half of the broken blade, wrapped in fierce wind, left his hand, emitting a low, sharp whistle. It broke through the air, surpassing the speed of sound, piercing through the faint purple mist and creating a cylindrical hole.
Amidst the shrill howl, the remains of the greatsword struck a large black insect not far away. Its black carapace was instantly shattered into pieces, and milky white fluid splattered. At the same time, the fragments of the blade exploded. The collapse of his crimson battle qi caused a violent explosion, knocking down all the magical beasts in the vicinity and clearing a small empty space.
Without pausing to check his results, Joshua broke through this empty space and charged into another wave of beasts. He swung the silver-white divine mechanism in his right hand. This incredibly sharp weapon easily cut through the surrounding trees and magical beasts, reducing them to chunks. Meanwhile, his left hand did not stop. He took a small throwing axe model from his waist. Magic light flickered, and a large throwing axe, heavy enough to crush a wild boar with its weight alone, appeared in his hand.
Joshua used these weapons with ease. The long and short attack ranges of the greatsword and battle axe caused him no trouble, nor did they show any signs of stagnation or discomfort.
In his rapid advance, Joshua surged his battle qi, directly crashing into a frenzied beast charging at him, turning it into a pile of minced meat. His black armor was soaked with blood, but behind his helmet, the warrior's face revealed a delighted, ferocious grin.
No matter where one went in this world, conflict was endless. Slaughter was as common as a daily meal, and battle was as ordinary as breathing.
Now, it was the same.
This—this was the way of life I yearned for!
Looking up, after such a long period of advancement, the center of the Black Forest was not far away. Even through the purple-black, hazy mist, golden sunlight could be faintly seen falling straight down from the high heavens. The dazzling light was like a beacon, guiding Joshua's direction of travel.
"It's right ahead!"