Supreme Monarch

|Smog of Darkness|

Kazko was still in motion when he saw one of the glyphs on the ogre chieftain's weapon flashed red as he activated an eerily familiar spell. He waved the Hamaxe and black smoke like aura was gusted out of it like an explosion, creating a thick smog, covering more than an 18-meter radius. The smog was a dense layer of smoke that seemed to have the attribute of absorbing all the lights within, making the inside of the smog void of light, therefore, becoming as dark as night. 

Although it was already nighttime and the forest was usually always dark. Dark Vision didn't seem to work in the smog and Kazko's senses were practically being blocked as he lost track of the ogre chieftain. 

He tried to brace himself for what was about to happen next but nothing could've prepared him for this.

The Gray trolls behind him seem to become apprehensive and hesitant, they were elite trolls so they managed to withstand the aura and did not retreat. However, the goblin riders immediately lost control of their mounds who were clear frightened by the aura. The goblins felt fear grip their hearts and some of them were thrown off their wolves.

Those that were caught in the smog were immediately corrupted and they died on the spot. Gray trolls were immune to negative Corruption so they had an easier time with this spell but Kazko was in a world of his own.

The smog immediately drained away his sense of awareness and the next thing he felt was pain as his body was lifted off the ground and tumbled back a few feet. He quickly got up and tried to defend himself but another attack came from behind him and sent him flying.

Kazko body hadn't even hit the ground yet when suddenly another attack came from his side and altered his direction. He knew the longer this spell went on the harder it would be to get out of this so he fought through the pain and activated his Berserk skill.

His skin color became tinted with his blood as a red steam-like aura oozed from his body. He gathered even more spiraling aura on both his fist that it became the sole source of light in the smog. His body was still in the air after getting hit by the Hamaxe a second time but he quickly punched the ground and used the knockback from the exploding earth to twist his body in the air and land on his feet.

After landing he raising his arms above his head and interlocked them. They came down like a hammer and smashed into the ground.

°Ranging Smash°

BOOM!!!

With the sound of an explosion, the smog was forcefully dispersed as the ground and all the trees within a 30-meter radius shattered. Kazko raised his head to find the ogre bastard, only to see them already flying away from the battlefield. He looked around and saw the goblin riders in shambles. He immediately commanded the trolls who had withstood the smog's effect and his Raging Smash to go after the group.

Kazko was desperate, he couldn't return without that weapon as it would mean all his hard work and patience had been in vain. He had endured a lot from his peers to get to this point, so failure right would only validate their mockery. 

'A troll only needs strength, there is no need for a weak intellectual troll.'

He ran desperately with all his might, and if trolls were capable of tears he would be crying buckets right now. The weapon was so close and yet so far. He raised his arms as he tried to grasp the flying pair in the distance. If only he could reach them. What else could he do to catch them?

'If only... if only I was just a little... only a little faster.'

His mind was flooded with that single thought and as if responding to his desperate desires, his body adapted. The spiraling crimson aura slowly moved through his veins, passing through every muscle until it finally gathered around his feet. As Kazko took his next step, the ground shattered beneath his feet and his body shot forth like a cannonball.

°Roaring Boost°

••••••••••

••••••••••

The Gray trolls promptly freed Rekaz from his entangled prison and the goblin riders chased after the cloaked rangers. Rekaz received his shield from a Gray troll that had picked it up for him and one of them also offered him their spear.

He then proceeded to chase after the cloaked rangers but something just didn't feel right in this situation. He ran ahead of the Gray Trolls due to his naturally superior abilities compare to them but his mind wasn't fully immersed in the chase.

Although he had a way to save himself, the tanned beast girl still had the perfect opportunity to kill him, so why didn't she take it. Was she after something else and not his life? if so, why did they attack him to begin with? He cracked his brain but only got a headache in response.

This was not his area of expertise, it was at times like this that made him value the intelligence of Kazko. Without him here there wasn't really much he could do so Rekaz decided to take a different approach. What would Kazko do?

He tried to think of a clever solution to his problems but almost ended up tripping on his own feet. This was not working. Even trying to imagine what Kazko would do was taxing. 

The whole situation began to vex him the more he tried to think about it. He Furiously shook his head and roared. The dark grey aura around him intensified and he picked up his pace. Whatever the problem was, all he needed to do was smash his way through and leave the thinking to Kazko.

He raised his spear and his arm sprung back. The dark grey aura engulfs the weapon and he threw his Dark Spear. Like lightning, the spear shot forth, and the aura took the shape of an unknown beast as it moved like it had a will of its own.

The tanned beastgirl turned around and cast several fold magic barriers but the spear smashed through the barrier like they were nothing but glass. She smiled and prepared to cast another spell. However, Rekaz had already picked up a large rock and tossed it at the girl. If she was going to make his spear disappear again then she would leave herself vulnerable to the massive rock behind the weapon.

The tanned beastgirl tsk audibly and took out both halves of her now separated Bo staff and reattached them. Orange aura engulfs her weapon as well and she immediately swung the staff to meet the Dark spear.

BOOM! 

Followed by the resounding Boom, her body was sent flying after crashing with the dark spear but one of the retreating cloaked rangers immediately jumped and caught her in the air.

The Dark Spear's momentum was halted momentarily, but that was all it took for the large rock to catch up and smash into the spear. The rock shattered on impact, however, the spare lost its aura and fell lifelessly down. Rekaz caught his spear and continued his chase. 

He was getting closer now as the trees were getting sparser and fewer in between, which was making it harder for the rangers to move from branch to branch. He was now questioning the sanity of these rangers. Why were they headed out of the forest, into an open plain where they would be used as target practice.

'They must be dumb.'

Rekaz laughed inwardly, it was quite rare for him to come across people he was smarter than. That must've been why they had missed so many opportunities to attack and just ran away like the cowardly dogs they were.

The cloaked rangers soon jumped down from the trees and ran on foot, they were already only a few feet away from the outskirts of the forest and he could see the bright moonlight that shone up ahead.

Rekaz sneered. This was his chance to strike. Although they would be able to kill these pests quickly once they left the protection of the trees. There was still no reason why he would pass up on a golden opportunity when one has presented itself to him.

He lunged forward at one of the rangers and used his shield to bash him off balance before he could dodge. He raised his spear high in the sky as he was about to impale the off-balance ranger before any of the other rangers could interfere.

However, a ball of fire the size of a basketball was suddenly shot at him from the right. The heat informed Rekaz that he was in danger before the fireball could fully reach him. Trolls were incredibly weak to fire and even a weak spell like this could do some damage if not properly handled.

He halted his attack and turned his shield around to block the fireball. Three more cloaked figures came charging at him with two at the front and one lagging behind, most likely the one that had cast the fireball spell.

⚔️

The two that charged at him wielded Long swords and moved skillfully as they swung their sword with precision and speed. Rekaz growled in frustration. The rangers ahead did not stop and were getting away including the one he had almost just killed while he was stuck dealing with these newcomers.

He raised his shield to block the attack and ordered his tropes after the rangers. *Clang! His shield deflected the swords of the two swordsmen and Rekaz followed it by stomping the ground hard. Coming from a 1,800 pounds troll. The weak forest ground quaked violently and took the cloaked swordsmen off balance.

Rekaz did not miss this opportunity and thrust his spear at the pair. However, the mage behind them did not allow that. "Lava Arrows," five arrows made of molten lava flew at him with intensity. Rekaz grunted through his teeth and again he was forced to halt his attack, every single one of these pests was more annoying than the last.

He raised his shield and blocked all five lava Arrows without many problems. This gave the swordsmen time to regain their balance and strike. Rekaz used the shield that was still stained with molten lava and bashed one of the cloaked swordsmen. 

However, he must've activated a defensive spell as he only took a few steps back after being hit by his full strength. The second cloaked figure moved behind him and used a skill.

°Valiant Torrent!°

Rekaz couldn't defend it in time as a wave of intense blue energy almost took off his waist, still, his bone armor had negated the strength to some degree and the intense wave of energy didn't penetrate through his bones. The cloak swordsman retreated after her attack had fail which revealed her appearance to Rekaz.

"An ogre, a common ogre..." She was an ogress with twin dark horns protruding on the top of her forehead, she had curly red hair that was messily cut, it was in a good length for movement and didn't look as if she cared much about her hairstyle, Her narrowed eyes stared keenly at him.

Rekaz turned around and finally noticed the shape of the horn on the top of the second swordsman's cloak, he remembered the cloaks of several of those rangers that had gotten away were in similar shapes. 

"Rodents and insects..." First, there had been the beastgirl getting in his way and making a fool out of him. Now two maggots that called themselves ogres were doing the same. They won't fight like trolls, always running around and mocking him.

Him, a Gray-War troll that was on the verge of being chief, he was an evolved troll that should not be challenged by a mere ogre, and yet... Rekaz brain went red hot, his skin radiated an intense aura that melted the snow around him. His skin tone took a reddish-black tint and his frame got a lot smaller. Hair grew from his bald head and his limbs became slender but firm.

The ground shattered as he lunged forward with a terrifying speed.

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