Ultimate Level 1-Chapter 454: Fighting A King

Dagon was true to his word, and the moment the sound began, the King moved with a speed greater than even Kazrak had.

Max didn’t have a choice as the gigantic hammer swung, unable to dodge the first attack and unsure of what would happen if he blocked it.

[ Blink ]

The maximum distance of his ability was fifty yards, and Max used that to his advantage, putting space between them and letting Bob start the spell casting.

As the sweeping left-to-right attack of the hammer went through empty space, Dagon spun immediately and moved across the area in an instant.

This time, Max was set and prepared for the strike that came.

His arm ached, and his whole body shook as the swing sent him flying through the air. The entire time Dagon was moving, he was preparing for another attack.

Two wind blades came at the King as Max twisted, using a wind wall and wind magic to change his direction.

Unlike many of the opponents he had faced, who seemed to sense things, Dagon didn’t appear to.

Then again, it didn’t matter, as both wind blades struck the dwarf and didn’t do a thing.

“You’ve got to try harder!”

Even as the King came at him, unleashing attack after attack, moving with a speed that left Max struggling to keep up, the dwarf could speak and coach him.

“You’re too slow!”

“Don’t block that!”

“Dip, dive, or dodge!”

His regeneration was working overtime. Every strike he blocked almost broke his arm, and he knew that Dagon had not yet activated a single skill.

Ice shards rained down, lighting bounced off the stone, boulders were batted away, and every single spell he or Bob sent at the King was ignored or deflected.

“You got ten seconds before I get serious!”

At that moment, as the King did a three-hit combo, using the bottom of his weapon to lift up Max's shield and then continuing the movement to drive the hammer into his chest, Max finally understood it all.

I’m going all out.

A switch inside him flipped, and Max let loose as the bones in his chest popped back into place.

He could see the King smile. A grin appeared at that moment.

‘FINALLY!”

[ Berserker ]

[ Ultimate Form ]

Even as Max’s body grew and the flow of the battle shifted, his speed finally kept pace with Dagon’s. Not once did the dwarf lose his apparent joy at what was taking place. ℞𝐚Ŋő𐌱ЁS̩

Max's shield had gone, replaced by a sword he had crafted for Everett, which would be given to him soon. Max's main weapon shifted forms, taking on the shape of a slightly longer one-handed sword version.

Gone was his defensive mode, and now he went all out, unleashing combo after combo upon the King.

Two strikes led to four, then six, and soon, in the span of less than a second, over a dozen attacks had been launched at the dwarf he finally stood taller than.

Yet Dagon simply shifted his stance, the hammer spinning and twisting, each movement just the right amount, blocking and parrying each attack.

Shouting, Max did another salvo and then changed things up at the last second.

[ Demonic Teleportation ]

He appeared behind the King, both swords slicing at his neck to take it off.

The dwarf’s body flashed green, and when the blades struck, they bounced off harmlessly.

“YES!”

Dagon spun around, his hammer coming from below, forcing Max to jump away to avoid taking that hit to his body.

Time was his enemy in some ways, with Berserker wearing off but he didn’t care.

Don’t hold back!

[ Rampage ]

[ Power Strike ]

[ Magical Strike ]

[ Ghost Strike ]

His weapon moved, and Dagon faltered. His chance to parry missed as the ghost strike appeared, and Max’s weapon struck somewhere else.

Yet as his sword struck the chestplate, digging into it and drawing blood, Max felt pain like no other radiate through his entire body.

Bob immediately pulled him away with the wind magic.

Globs of blood fell onto the stone as he coughed, and his regeneration began to repair the damage to his torso.

What…

Something like Fowl’s. It reflected damage to us.

Once again, Dagon wasn’t waiting, ignoring the blood that ran down his chest and came at Max, his weapon glowing.

[ Harden Body ]

[ Bulwark ]

[ Armored Warrior ]

His shield came out, and Max tried to brace it as much as possible.

A light seemed to flash before him as the hammer struck, and all the pain he had felt before was there. Then, it was over.

[ Negate Death Blow ]

The only pain he now felt was the one inside his chest, and even that was basically gone.

“How in the–”

Dagon seemed surprised, and for the first time, Max understood the difference in power between whatever the King had thrown at him and what he could do.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Storing both the shield and weapon, he bull-rushed the dwarf, locking onto him.

[ Weakness ]

[ Demonic Magic ]

Both resisted, yet he continued grappling with the dwarf, who did not allow him to swing his weapon.

“Let go, you fool,” the King grunted.

Seven attempts later, his spell finally made it through.

Immediately, Dagon’s ability to hold his own against Max's current strength was lessened as weakness took over.

Without waiting, he summoned his own weapon, forming it into a spiked gauntlet around his hand and forearm. Large curved blades and spikes were on his oversized fist, and he began to punch over and over the King.

Each blow caused him to experience pain, yet he ignored it, taking the damage in stride, letting his Regeneration skill do what it could to help stop the blood that gushed forth with each breath.

“You’re tougher than I thought,” Dagon muttered as they struggled against each other. “Lots of surprises as well. Still, it’s not enough.”

As his gauntleted fist approached the dwarf’s helm again, an explosion of power from the King sent him flying.

Light radiated from Dagon’s entire being.

Some sort of… I don’t know. I can recall it but not exactly. I think it’s an effect he gets for being who he is—the King.

Each step the dwarf took made the stone shake, and as he ran at Max, holding the hammer back in both hands and swinging it, the same smile as before was there.

***

His head hurt, and it took him a moment to understand what had just happened.

“That was one heck of a fight.”

Blinking, Max saw the extended hand of the King standing beside him.

“I guess that means I died.”

Nodding and chuckling, the dwarf helped him up. freeωebnovēl.c૦m

“That you did, but how you fought was impressive. You seemed unsure of yourself at first but thankfully learned to get past that. Had I known how much you have inside you, I probably would have waited to see what other tricks you have, but still, congrats for lasting longer than the rest.”

“Thanks… I think.”

Laughing, Dagon shook his head.

“No, don’t take it lightly. I had to use a skill I get only because I’m the King. None of my Guard have ever made me use it. So know that you did something special. I can see why Ockrim likes you.”

“Then how do I beat that skill?”

Shaking his head, the dwarf shrugged.

“You’ll have to figure that out on your own. Just know that each race has that ability… or well, they did. When Molly and Macie took the throne, it was lost. Whatever happened to it, no one knows.”

“So that means Savantus Gilmenor has one as well?”

Dagon nodded and frowned. “I can’t tell you what his does as no one knows exactly. We don’t go around sharing that kind of information. All I can tell you is whatever it does, it’s dangerous. If you underestimate him, you’ll die in a fight.”

“What about if you two fought?”

A few seconds passed as the dwarf scratched his beard.

“I don’t know. Neither of us wants to test that and each knows that if we fought head to head, most of the people we care about would die. Right now, I’m in trouble because I don’t have any children, and that means this skill will be lost forever when I die.”

“So he could wait you out.”

Dagon’s eye trembled slightly and his gaze fell to the ground. “My wife has told me to try and have a child with another dwarf, but I cannot do that to her. My love for her is too great. To act like that would break me, and as we discussed earlier, the tower can steal enough of you already.”

Standing there, Max had no idea what to say. He could sense the pain and hurt inside the dwarf next to him.

Instead, all he did was put a hand on his shoulder.

“Thank you for trusting me with that. I’ll say a prayer for you.”

Snorting and nodding, the older dwarf rubbed his nose.

“How about you stick this dagger in my eye instead so we can start this all over?”

In the King’s hand was a jeweled weapon with runes on it, and it took him a few seconds to realize that Dagon wasn’t joking.

“Uh… no one’s going to be upset that I do it?”

“Gods, no. They would rather you do it than them. Trust me, someone always loses when we duel, and I’ve seen my proud warriors bargain for others to do this job. None of them likes knowing they killed me, even if it’s not permanent.”

“Okay, but… uh… sorry?”

“Just get it over with.”

The King leaned forward and held his eye open as wide as possible.

After a quick breath, Max plunged it into the eye.

Three times, Dagon jerked and then went still. He gently laid the dwarf down on the stone floor and pulled the dagger free.

A few seconds passed, and then a groan came from the King.

“Gods, I forgot how bad that feels. Still, I owe you.”

“Owe me what?”

“Another arse kicking! That’s the perk of being the winner. You get to do it again.”

Laughing, Dagon slapped him on the arm and pointed at the starting spot.

“Now, this time, don’t hold back, and let’s see if you can’t do better. I’ll try to hold off using my trump card, but know I’m not against it.”

***

“Are you two okay?” Batrire asked as Max and Dagon arrived in the area they were waiting.

“We’re fine, sister. You saw the fights. Neither of us is injured, and this last time, I think Max proved himself. Even made me use my special skill much earlier than I anticipated.”

“Killed by the King,” Fowl muttered. “What an honor.”

“Bah, if you think it’s that great I can go out there and squish you real quick,” Dagon replied.

“Uh… never mind… Perhaps I misspoke.”

The King nodded and then pointed at a door where a pair of guards were.

“I am late, and they will see you out. I was told to tell you to get back into the tower, and when you think you’re ready to try again, we can return here and see if you’re right.”

“Thank you, my king,” Max said as he bowed.

“Bah, don’t go making me get misty-eyed again,” Dagon replied as he turned. “And get back in that tower! It’s an order from your king!”

After the dwarf had left the room, all four of his party clambered around him, questions flying simultaneously.

“Wait… wait… I promise to answer them all!” Max cried out. “What I really need right now is something to drink and eat.”

***

Sitting on his throne, Dagon paid only half attention to the reports being read and the petitions that were brought before him. Decades had taught him how to split his mind and manage these tasks while thinking about other things.

If that boy ever masters what he has and gets stronger, he might actually defeat the tower… that last fight… for that one moment… he almost had me.

“Uh, my liege, is something funny?”

Without breaking his expression, Dagon nodded.

“Yes… every day, you waste time on these things, and I tell you the same thing every day. Perhaps I might need to find a new dwarf to handle some affairs.”

At that moment, a new experience was granted to those who were gathered.

The sound of a grown dwarf fainting is rarely heard.

That day, all those gathered had the rare chance to hear it.

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