Journey to Become the Zenith

Battle-Crazed Fist

Lane then gathered her mana within her fingertips, she then stretched her fingers outward making her right hand look like a spear, she then pierced through the armor of the ogre and was able to penetrate through it and dug her hand into the back of the ogre’s neck.

The giant creature froze.

For a brief second, the entire battlefield seemed to pause.

Lane could feel the resistance of thick muscle, bone, and flesh beneath her fingers. The moment her hand reached deeper, she felt something snap.

A pulse of force traveled through the ogre’s body.

Its remaining eye widened.

Then the life within it began fading.

”Found it,” Lane muttered.

The ogre tried to move.

Tried to turn.

Tried to grab her.

But its body no longer obeyed.

Victor had taught her many things.

Sometimes strength wasn’t about hitting harder.

Sometimes it was about hitting the right place.

Looks like he was right again.

A small smile appeared on her face.

”You really do know everything, don’t you?”

Lane then jumped down, as the back of the neck of the ogre started to spray blood. The huge body of the ogre fell to the ground with a thud, crushing some of the undead. Enraged by seeing its companion dying the second ogre roared louder than before.

Boom!

The giant corpse crashed into the earth.

The impact sent dirt flying in all directions.

Several skeleton warriors beneath it were instantly flattened.

The surviving undead simply stepped over their fallen comrades and continued advancing.

The second ogre stared at the body of its companion.

Its chest rose and fell violently.

Bloodshot eyes locked onto Lane.

Then it roared.

”ROOOOOOAAAAARRRR!”

The sound echoed across the forest.

Birds fled from distant trees.

Even some undead nearest to it staggered slightly from the force.

Lane rolled her shoulders.

”You’re angry?”

She pointed at the dead ogre.

”You should’ve protected him better.”

The ogre’s answer was another furious roar.

The second ogre charged at Lane swinging its mace left and right, downward, digging the ground. Lane seeing its enraged attack wanted to take some distance from it, but it was too late, the ogre was moving faster than she anticipated.

The giant accelerated.

The ground cracked beneath each step.

Lane’s eyes widened slightly.

Fast.

Much faster than the previous one.

The huge mace swept toward her.

She jumped backward.

Whoosh!

The weapon narrowly missed her face.

The wind pressure alone tore apart nearby bushes.

The ogre continued attacking.

Left.

Right.

Downward.

Again.

Again.

Again.

Every strike left massive craters.

Trees exploded into splinters.

Undead unfortunate enough to be nearby were smashed into pieces.

”Damn.”

Lane clicked her tongue.

”I didn’t expect you to still have a brain.”

The ogre lunged forward.

Not giving her a chance to create distance.

Lane gathered the last reserves of mana within her body and poured them into her limbs.

Mana surged through her muscles, tightening every fiber as her senses sharpened.

[Enhanced Body].

The technique Victor had relentlessly drilled into her during countless training sessions.

The battlefield suddenly seemed clearer.

The charging ogre moved.

Rather than retreating, Lane planted her feet firmly into the ground and lowered her center of gravity.

The massive creature roared as it swung its gigantic mace toward her.

Boom!

Lane raised her left arm to intercept the blow.

A violent shockwave exploded outward.

The ground beneath her feet cracked, and her boots carved deep trenches through the dirt as the tremendous force drove her backward.

Pain shot through her arm, but she gritted her teeth and held her ground.

The ogre’s strength was overwhelming.

Even so, she refused to yield.

The moment the weapon’s momentum finally died, Lane’s eyes flashed.

A fierce grin spread across her face.

”My turn.”

Her right fist exploded forward.

Crack!

The gigantic mace shattered instantly.

Metal fragments scattered across the battlefield like deadly rain.

The ogre froze.

Its massive eyes dropped to the broken remains of its weapon.

For the first time since the battle had begun, confusion appeared on the monster’s face.

The ogre abandoned all caution.

It raised both hands.

Then slammed them downward.

Lane moved instantly.

Her right arm shot upward.

Bang!

The collision shook the surroundings.

Several skeletons were thrown off balance.

The ogre tried pushing harder.

Lane refused to yield.

Veins appeared along her arm.

Mana flowed violently through her body.

Then her fingers tightened.

Crunch.

Blood sprayed.

Her hand dug into the giant’s flesh.

The ogre roared in pain.

Lane lowered her center of gravity.

Then—

She lifted.

The impossible happened.

The seven-meter-tall monster left the ground.

The ogre’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Lane spun once.

Twice.

Then smashed the creature into the earth.

Boom!

The impact created another crater.

Nearby undead were thrown into the air.

The entire battlefield trembled.

The ogre same as a human coughed up blood, and could no longer stand. Lane then grabbed onto its head and separated it from its body.

The giant tried to rise.

It failed.

Blood poured from its mouth.

Its arms trembled helplessly.

The battle was already over.

Lane slowly approached.

The ogre looked up.

Its remaining strength faded rapidly.

Lane placed one hand on its head.

”You fought harder than the first one.”

A moment later she twisted.

Crack!

The neck snapped.

Then she pulled.

The head separated from the body.

Silence followed.

Two ogres.

Both dead.

The whole fight only took two minutes, in which time another batch of ogres was coming towards Lane. Knowing that she couldn’t face them in her condition Lane quickly retreated. The undead surrounding her were unable to stop or even delay her.

Unfortunately, victory brought new problems.

Heavy footsteps echoed from deeper within the undead formation.

Lane looked up.

Three more ogres.

Then another.

Then another.

A cold sweat appeared on her forehead.

Her mana reserves were nearly depleted.

Fighting one more might be possible.

Fighting all of them?

Suicide.

”Nope.”

She immediately made her decision.

”I’m not Victor.”

Without hesitation she turned and ran.

Several undead attempted to intercept her.

One skeleton swung a sword.

Lane ducked beneath it.

A zombie lunged from the side.

A kick shattered its knee.

An undead knight lowered its spear.

Lane grabbed the shaft and used it to vault over an entire formation.

Within moments she disappeared into the forest.

The pursuing undead quickly lost track of her.

Lane continued moving through the forest.

Yet her thoughts remained on the battle.

Her heart was beating unusually fast.

Not from fear.

Not from exhaustion.

Something else.

Something she had never experienced before.

The thrill of pushing herself to the limit.

The excitement of facing stronger opponents.

The satisfaction of overcoming them.

A memory surfaced.

Victor standing amidst enemies.

That calm smile.

That frightening confidence.

At the time she hadn’t fully understood it.

Now she was beginning to.

”So that’s what you feel...”

Lane laughed softly.

”You battle maniac.”

For some reason the realization made her happy.

Very happy.

If this was the feeling Victor experienced every time he fought...

Then she wanted to understand it better.

Once she was sure that she was in a safe spot, Lane started to meditate trying to replenish as much mana as she could, so that she may attack once more.