The battlefield slowed down around Horus as his mind zeroed in on the threat in front of him.
He kicked off the bloody mud, rushing towards death. The enemy's towering shadow wrapped around him.
"Is that kid trying to die on purpose?" someone whispered.
"Stop!" another yelled.
The Heretic swung the whip in a wide arc, howling while the whip cut men in half and sent others flying through the air.
People ran, jumped out of the way, screamed for mercy from the gods.
Horus slid under the whip, icy gaze set on the monster as he analysed.
Berserker. Aoe attacks with good targeting. High [Physicality] and [Magical Resistance] and possibly [Regeneration]. Glancing blows will only help it get angrier.
I need a killing blow.
The berserker reached down with its other hand to crush the sliding Horus. But he rolled away, dancing behind the monster, but not slicing its tendons yet.
He continued this close dance, not allowing the heretic to use its whip, as he searched for weaknesses in the heretic's grey body.
Blows flew by, strong enough to crush steel and devastate bone, but not enough to break his will. Its body was grey and sickly, with scales on its enormous hands and feet.
There were scars and injuries, but from the way it moved Horus couldn't find any weakness.
The other people that had been fighting the berserker abandoned Horus to his madness. They still winced each time Horus dodged a calamitous blow, wondering how anyone could be that insane.
But they kept the other Heretics away, screaming defiantly at the Wailing Brutes to protect Horus, and the absence of the berserker made the battle easier.
The berserker let out a furious shriek and raised its two arms. Red light erupted from the gaps of its fingers like trapped energy, illuminating its muscular form.
Both Penitents and even heretics shivered, giving the berserker a wide berth. But Horus calmly reversed his sword grip and did the unthinkable.
"Why is he getting closer to it?" a Penitent said incredulously.
"He's mad!"
The berserker brought down two hands like a hammer and Horus jumped under its arms and stabbed his blade into the beast's chest through a gap in bone.
The monster's scaled hands slammed into the earth behind Horus and it suddenly felt like he was on a water slide. The dirt and grass rose in an explosion of force that crashed into his back like a wall.
But he stayed focused on the mission, using the force behind him to push his blade deeper into the Berserker's muscles. But it was fading but Horus hadn't pierced the beast's skin.
[Endurance] > 11 > 12 (Common)
The heretic looked down at him. Under its white veil, Horus could see diseased skin that was black and purple, and eyes that glowed with purple light… but were tight with agony and pleading.
Its hands raised to give Horus a bear hug that would turn his bones and organs into slush.
Time slowed to a crawl.
The image of his body snapping and contorting under those massive arms tormented him.
But the monster's skin turned a darker shade of black as his sword dug in.
All he needed…
"Arghhh!" He gave one final push and the blade slid past skin and into its chest deeply. Then ducked out quickly as the berserker's hands closed.
He jumped and rolled away, eyeing the beast. It crouched down to pick up its whip, ready to end the pesky little man, when it stumbled slightly.
The berserker gave a confused wail before blood burst from its mouth and onto the grass. Its arms waved around futilely as it fell onto its side still staring at Horus. The white veil fell slightly to reveal bloodshot purple eyes.
Horus strolled over to the beast and planted a foot on its chest, grunting as he pulled his sword out of its chest.
The skin around his sword was blackened and mushy like rotten meat, so his sword popped out easily with a squelching sound.
He gave it some distance as black blood spilled from the injury, then he cleaned his sword on the monster's shoulder and said,
"Gloomwillow sap. It destroys cells so it can't regenerate anymore."
He had rubbed the sap on his blade just before the battle. At first, he didn't have any hope of being able to pierce the monster's skin with his curved blade and planned to just take out its tendons. But the two-handed slam gave Horus a bad idea.
After all, if he just disabled the monster and didn't kill it, he wouldn't get the levels from [Twilight's True Son].
The Heretic gave him a weak look, but Horus could see some appreciation in those dying eyes.
"What did this to you?"
Blood gurgled out of the berserker's mouth for a moment before words escaped. "Olater Signator."
Then the system confirmed its death as the light in its eyes faded.
[You have killed a Adept tier enemy. You have gained two Skill shards. You have gained 20 credits.]
[You have reaped one life.]
[Physicality] > 12 > 13 (Common)
[Reflexes] > 11 > 12 (Common)
It spoke in a language Horus didn't know, so Horus simply closed the monster's eyes and left it behind. He would keep the words in his mind, but he doubted it would help him much in completing his quest.
So he returned his mind to the battle where everyone had given them a large gap.
He needed a stabbing weapon like a dagger, but he didn't want to use the one in his Bag of Holding because he didn't have any weapon slots and he couldn't risk losing that dagger.
In the circle of bodies devastated by the Berserker, he found a short sword under a death Penitent. This would work. He pushed the corpse away and raised the sword. He was very good with fighting with two weapons, especially defensively.
Constantly scanning his surroundings, he took out a handkerchief and small leather pouch in his Bag of Holding again.
After he applied the Gloomwillow to the short sword, he returned the pouch to his bag, and threw away the handkerchief.
The battlefield was moving in their favour. The little pocket around him was much stronger as two soldiers ganged up on one heretic in many places.
Penitents turned to give him awestruck looks and respectful nods, whispering as he passed.
"Who is that guy?"
"He doesn't move like an Adept, but he still keeps up!"
"He moves like a machine. Like he knows what's gonna happen and where he's going."
"A Crescent moon helm…. Must be a noble."
But they weren't his focus.
Across the field there were about thirteen Berserkers still raging on.
Most of them were engaged by the Adept- and Elite-tier forces from the Penitents, but two were still wreaking havoc.
Two more pools of skills for him.
His skill hadn't been activated yet, but that was normal. The system never interrupted battles for rewards. It would wait until after, unless you asked for them.
He strode towards the nearest Berserker, pointing out men that weren't doing anything right now or just ganging up on Heretics. They blinked, surprised.
"Stop wasting time! We're going to that Berserker. Get into formation and cut through the heretics!"
Most of the men swallowed heavily as the command left his mouth, but they saw what he did and knew they wouldn't be the ones fighting.
Besides, they were Penitents, the more they contributed the closer their crimes came to being absolved.
"What formation, sir?"
"Do I also have to tuck you in bed and kiss you goodnight?" Horus roared in return. "You know what to do."
Frankly, he didn't know what they called their formations here either. Thankfully the men organised themselves into a wedge-like wall with Horus at the center and began pushing through the battlefield to the next enemy.
Horus brushed dirt and blood from his midnight-blue hair, thinking of his friends and how their quests were going. They likely had Adept-tier quests at most. He found himself too bitter to be happy for them.