A Core Ship From The Start

Chapter 256: Chapter 205 Gerrick_1

Having passed through the last great gate, Duanmu Huai finally arrived at the Throne Plaza. The first thing he saw as he stepped into the plaza was the endless gravestones around him, and a giant dragon that had been pierced and was now lying dead on the ground.

A man was kneeling before the dragon, muttering something under his breath.

“…Fellow descendant of the dragons, thy power is beyond doubt… it can propel me to even greater heights…”

As he spoke, the man reached out, gently caressing the drooping head of the dragon. Then, he seemed to notice the arrival of Duanmu Huai and the female warrior. The man slowly rose, his cloak falling away as he did. And then, Duanmu Huai witnessed a scene he never could have imagined.

This man was about as tall as Duanmu Huai, strongly built, with pale skin and his brittle white hair topped with a pure gold crown — but what was unimaginably grotesque were the numerous mismatched arms attached to this man’s shoulder and upright torso, and even two or three legs jutting out from his own!

Is this attachment of limbs? This is too… ugly, isn’t it?

Gerrick was as tall and hefty as Duanmu Huai in his Power Armor, and it naturally followed that his limbs were much sturdier than ordinary people. However, the limbs that Gerrick had grafted onto his body were all normal-sized, making him look more like a freak as if the other limbs on his body had all atrophied.

But really, what in the world is the point of this limb grafting? All these mismatched limbs make it look less like the thousand-armed goddess, Guanyin and more grotesque. What’s the use of having these extra limbs other than to disgust people? To cheat while playing rock-paper-scissors?

Wait a minute…

Yet, looking at Gerrick in such a state, Duanmu Huai seemed to freeze for a moment, recalling something from the past… If his memory served him right, Roger had told him that this coward had been unable to fight and had fled the Royal City by blending into a group of women during the Fragmented War…

How do they even let you blend in with that body of yours?!!

Looking at Gerrick, who stood just as tall as him, Duanmu Huai was stunned. He hadn’t thought much about it when Roger first mentioned it, but now, seeing Gerrick for himself, he couldn’t help but want to spit out his frustration. With a height of over 2.5 meters, how did you managed to blend into a group of women without being noticed and escape?

Are all the women here that tall?

Doesn’t seem like it…

Glancing at the female warrior standing beside him, Duanmu Huai was completely speechless.

Could it be that all the soldiers were blind?!

“Gerrick!!”

The female warrior pulled out two battle axes, pointed at Gerrick, and roared.

“You’re utterly depraved, unfit to be called a king! You’ve profaned the wind! You’ve committed unforgivable crimes! Prepare to die!”

“Hmph….”

In the face of the female warrior’s denouncement, Gerrick snorted coldly and slowly stood up. @@novelbin@@

“You’re nothing but a Blighter, yet you talk so big…!”

As he spoke, Gerrick gripped the Golden Battle Axe in his hand and slammed it heavily on the ground. He then turned his head to look at the two of them.

“Kneel down. I am the Golden King! You…”

However, the moment Gerrick saw Duanmu Huai, his voice twisted and shot up an octave.

“What are you?!”

Upon seeing Duanmu Huai, Gerrick’s face instantly contorted in abject horror. He staggered backwards, unable to believe what he was seeing.

“Don’t come any closer! Don’t come any closer! That’s my command! Don’t come any closer!!”

Good grief, what a coward.

Seeing Gerrick’s reaction, Duanmu Huai was somewhat surprised. He knew exactly what was going on – Gerrick, who had confronted the Fearful Aura directly, had failed to withstand it through sheer will, and had plunged directly into a state of panic!

You call yourself a BOSS with just that? Seriously?

Duanmu Huai was completely baffled. Every BOSS-class existence he had encountered before had passed the test of will when confronting him, and then shivered for a while. But a BOSS who had failed the test of will and plunged directly into a state of panic? This was the first one!

Hoo boy, it’s no wonder he’s begging for mercy after being defeated. I bet his willpower is in the single digits.

Even the female warrior was caught off guard, unsure of what Gerrick was trying to do. However, at this moment, Gerrick did something that left both of them utterly shocked — he raised the Golden Battle Axe that was nearly as big as the Thunder Warhammer in his right hand and chopped directly at his own left hand!

“???”

What the heck? He’s so scared he’s resorting to self-mutilation? Is this even a thing?

“Thud!”

The Golden Battle Axe fell heavily, severing Gerrick’s left hand completely. He then raised his trembling arm, the one that had just lost a hand, and turned towards the dragon’s corpse beside him.

“Mighty dragon, bestow your power upon me…!”

However, before Gerrick could finish speaking, the Thunder Warhammer whistled through the air, impacting directly against Gerrick’s face and sending him flying.

“Get moving, stop watching the show!”

Duanmu Huai, having just knocked Gerrick down with one blow, roared at the female warrior and charged at Gerrick. Shaking off her shock, the female warrior drew her dual battle axes and rushed at the Golden King, who had been sent flying, along with Duanmu Huai.

“You, you dare to humiliate me?!”

Gerrick was somehow standing again, shouting with rage. Any ordinary monster would have had its brain crushed by such a blow. It seemed that while Gerrick’s resilience left much to be desired, his HP as a boss was still just enough.

“No, no, I will not lose! I will not tolerate such humiliation!!”

Gerrick’s eyes were bloodshot, his expression twisted with rage. He bared his teeth and roared at Duanmu Huai and the female warrior, like a cornered beast. He then raised his battle axe to launch an attack!!

“CLANG!!!”

The Golden Battle Axe clashed with the Thunder Warhammer, and a profound crash echoed. Duanmu Huai stood steady like an imperturbable mountain while Gerrick trembled and took a few steps back, but quickly, he roared and charged at Duanmu Huai again.

Wow, he’s in Frenzy State now.

Staring at Gerrick’s terrifying and distorted expression, Duanmu Huai couldn’t help but make a comment.

Fearful Aura attacks the will, and if the opponent fails the Willpower check, they fall into Panic State, losing their battle consciousness and running for their lives. However, the enemy in Panic State would continually be assaulted by the Fearful Aura. If they fail the Willpower check again, their Panic State is upgraded to Frenzy State.

In the game, an enemy in Frenzy State would have their Attack +10% and Defense -100%. But in reality, observing Gerrick’s state, he had clearly lost all rationale due to fear and was simply attacking blindly.

Such a mad dog fighting style was meaningless to Duanmu Huai.

“Aaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!”

Facing the charging Gerrick, Duanmu Huai swung his hammer, impacting directly against Gerrick’s Golden Battle Axe and knocking it off course. Then, raising his right fist, he smashed it into Gerrick’s face while Gerrick lost his equilibrium due to his axe being knocked off-target.Upd@te by novg0.co

“Ooooooh!!!!”

Gerrick screamed out in pain. The female warrior seized the opportunity to approach and swung her battle axe down with all her might!

“Crash!!!”

Gerrick dropped to his knees with a heartbreaking cry after the female warrior’s heavy axe strike. Before he could stand again, Duanmu Huai’s Warhammer crashed down, nailing him at the back of his head.

“Crash!!!”

Gerrick’s head, under the enormous force of the Thunder Warhammer, was crushed like a walnut. He then collapsed, lifeless.

“Phew………”

Only when Gerrick fell did the female warrior breathe out a sigh of relief. Then she disarmed herself, puzzled.

“I didn’t expect Gerrick to be killed so easily… Why did he cut off his own left hand?”

Apparently, according to the female warrior, she had expected a tough fight with Gerrick. However, she was puzzled at how the mad king from the legends just irrationally cut off his own left hand upon meeting and launched senseless attacks.

“Perhaps he tried to do something to the dragon.”

Duanmu Huai glanced speechlessly at the body of the giant dragon nearby.

In the game, this probably would’ve been a cutscene?

However, reality obviously didn’t allow for cutscenes.

Just then, a golden light emerged from the ashes of Gerrick’s burnt body, and entered Duanmu Huai’s own body. Immediately, he felt a burning sensation at the back of his left hand. Looking down, he found a badge of three interlocking semi-circles have emerged over his gauntlet.

At the same time, system prompts appeared before him.

[Received: ‘Gerrick’s Great Rune’ (not charged)]

[Great Rune: A Great Rune obtained after defeating the Fragmented King has lost its deity’s blessing. It can regain its power in the God-granted Tower]

I see.

Seeing this, Duanmu Huai understood. He remembered Mistelina had referred to those two fingers as the Mother of the Earth – probably incarnations of deities. The tower they had visited earlier was the God-granted Tower. From this, it seemed that… only an individual with the Great Rune could open the gate of the Tower and enter?

No wonder he was told at that time “you’re not qualified… you’re not qualified”.

However, now… he should be qualified.