Chapter 55: A Bite Beyond Expectation

Every blow I endured had brought me closer to filling the Rage meter, and now it had finally reached its limit.

Now...I didn’t know whether it would be enough to overcome the difference between us, but I couldn’t afford to waste the opportunity.

The dwarf noticed my expression and tightened his grip on his axe.

"What are you smiling about?"

I didn’t answer. I had already spent too much time talking, and words weren’t going to help me win this fight.

I activated [Rage].

A surge of energy rushed through my body, spreading from my chest into my arms and legs.

The pain in my ribs didn’t disappear, but the sensation of exhaustion receded beneath the sudden rush of power.

My muscles tightened, and the anger I had been holding back rose to the surface, sharpening my determination to keep fighting.

I felt the change immediately.

My body responded with greater force, and the Doom Axe seemed easier to control despite its weight.

The effect wasn’t enough to erase my injuries or make me immune to the dwarf’s attacks, but it gave me another source of strength when I needed it most.

I took a slow breath and adjusted my grip on the haft.

The dwarf watched me carefully, his earlier confidence giving way to caution.

He had seen me adapt to his gauntlets, and now he was witnessing another change.

I lowered my stance, keeping my injured side away from him as much as possible.

My ribs still hurt whenever I breathed too deeply, so I couldn’t afford another direct strike to the same area.

I would have to rely on my improved strength to end the next exchange quickly, or at least create an opening large enough to change the course of the fight.

The lightning around the Doom Axe brightened as I steadied the weapon in front of me.

This time, I wouldn’t rush in blindly.

I had already learned what happened when I became too eager to press my advantage.

I needed to make the dwarf commit to an attack, read his movement, and use the brief moment before he could recover to strike where he was vulnerable.

He raised his long axe.

I raised mine in response, keeping my eyes fixed on his shoulders and hands.

Neither of us moved for a moment. The dwarf shifted his weight forward, preparing to attack, and I tightened my grip on the Doom Axe.

Then I charged with a roar, bringing the Doom Axe down in a powerful overhead strike. ]

The dwarf sidestepped, allowing the blade to crash into the ground beside him.

Dirt and small stones scattered beneath the impact, but I had never expected to hit him with that attack.

The moment he shifted his weight onto his leading foot to avoid the strike, I activated [Lightning Step].

Lightning erupted beneath my feet, and my body shot sideways in a sudden burst of speed.

I moved past the dwarf’s weapon before he could properly adjust his position, using the momentum to plant my foot behind him.

I immediately turned my body and swung the Doom Axe toward his back.

His instincts saved him.

He twisted around and caught the strike on the shaft of his long axe. The impact rang through the clearing, and the force drove him forward several steps.

His boots scraped against the ground as he struggled to regain his balance, but he managed to keep his feet beneath him.

I followed immediately, refusing to give him the space he needed to recover.

My next swing targeted his legs, forcing him to lower his weapon to defend himself.

The moment he committed to the block, I adjusted my grip and changed the direction of my attack, bringing the Doom Axe toward his shoulder instead.

He reacted quickly, twisting his body away from the blade.

The edge missed its intended target, but a burst of lightning escaped from the weapon and struck his armor. The energy crackled across the metal, making his body jerk as the impact disrupted his movement.

He staggered.

I saw the opening and raised the Doom Axe for another attack.

My increased strength allowed me to bring the weapon around faster than before, and for a moment, I thought I had finally forced him into a position he couldn’t escape.

But the dwarf did something different.

Instead of trying to block my next strike, he drove the end of his long axe into the ground.

The metal head struck the stone with a heavy impact, and he braced himself behind the weapon as the runes on his gauntlets flared brightly.

A strange pulse spread through the air.

I felt it before I understood what was happening.

The lightning surrounding my body flickered, and the energy flowing through my arms became unstable.

The blue glow along the Doom Axe dimmed as if something were pulling the mana away from it.

My muscles lost some of the reinforcement provided by [Thunderclad], and the burst of speed I had gained from [Rage] suddenly felt less overwhelming.

I gritted my teeth and tried to push more mana into the skill, but the interference grew stronger.

The pulse wasn’t like the brief disruption that occurred when our weapons collided.

This time, the effect spread beyond the point of contact, reaching the energy around my body and interfering with the lightning before I could bring the Doom Axe down.

My attack slowed.

The dwarf looked up at me, and the corner of his mouth lifted.

Once again, the dwarf asked the question he had thrown at me earlier.

"Is that all you’ve got?"

I clicked my tongue. "No."

This was, in fact, not all I had.

I drew a deep breath and unleashed [Thunderous Roar].

The roar that erupted from my throat shook the air around us.

It wasn’t merely a loud sound.

The skill carried the force of my mana, releasing a concentrated burst of pressure that struck the dwarf before he could complete his next movement.

The ground beneath my feet seemed to vibrate as the sound spread across the clearing, reaching the goblins watching from a distance.

The dwarf’s body stiffened.

His eyes widened, and his grip on the long axe faltered for the briefest moment.

He had been prepared to counter my weapon and interfere with my lightning, but he hadn’t expected me to attack him with a skill that didn’t depend on either of those things.

I lunged forward and drove my shoulder into his chest.

The impact forced the air from his lungs, and he staggered backward, caught off guard by the sudden interruption.

I followed with a diagonal swing, forcing him to raise his weapon defensively. Our axes collided, sending a jolt through my arms as the force of the impact threatened to push me back.

The runes on his gauntlets flashed, and the lightning around my blade flickered.

But this time, I didn’t try to overpower his ability. I wasn’t going to waste mana fighting against the very thing I had spent the entire battle learning to avoid.

Instead, I allowed the collision to carry us closer, letting him believe I was once again trying to win through brute force.

The dwarf leaned into the clash, using his superior technique to force my weapon away from his body.

His strength was considerable, and the pressure threatened to open my guard, but I had anticipated his reaction.

Rather than resisting him directly, I loosened my grip just enough to let the Doom Axe shift with the force, then stepped closer before he could recover his balance.

His eyes widened when he realized what I was doing.

I caught his arm before he could pull away, gripping it tightly enough to keep him from immediately bringing his weapon around. Then I opened my mouth and sank my teeth into him.

My fangs pierced the exposed flesh near his forearm.

The dwarf winced and...