Chương 983: Chapter 982: Failed?

'Don't worry about me, Colonel—defeat the Golem!' she said, as though she had sensed my gaze. I gritted my teeth and leaped forward. This time, I timed it well and could avoid its staff and attack its shoulder. It's not enough. I thought and moved to dodge the counterattack, but its staff was too fast, and I had to block it with my ax, getting sent back once more with more injuries. I dodged, defended, and attacked it, but it did not seem to affect it. Instead, things have only gone by in the blink of an eye.

'Colonel, there are fewer than thirty of us who remain. We won't be able to last for long!' Donil's voice rang out in my mind. I want to curse and scream! I have too little time, barely a minute at most, before it all ends. If we continue to attack like this, even an hour wouldn't be enough. I felt panic, given the consequences of it, not only to my unit but also to the whole dominion. The General had trusted me with it, and I let her down.

I let down, down the dominion and people, who embraced me when people of my tribe and race didn't.

"Colonel, snap out of it!" said the voice loudly, before the deafening clash rang out. I snapped out and looked up and saw her in front of me, holding her shield with her hands, which were shaking wildly, along with her whole body, while blood flowed out of her mouth.

"I am sorry!" I apologized, then turned to the command golem and took a deep breath. I might fail, but I would not fail without giving my all. The resolve burned through me, and I shot forward, driving aura into my skill. A fractal began to form as the knight's words rang in my ears.

'You are a predator. You do not think about how you will kill the prey. You simply do it.'

'That is what a predator's fang is: a simple weapon made for killing. Think of nothing but the kill. That is your only purpose.' As the words settled in my mind, the eyes of every predator that had ever hunted me appeared before me. Not only monsters, but the people too. In many ways, people were worse. Monsters killed because they were hungry or because someone had entered their territory. People kill for countless reasons—even something as meaningless as the color of another person's skin.

Today, I am the predator, not for any meaningless reason, but for the people who embraced me and made me feel like a person. At this realization, all the pressure I had been feeling disappeared, and I felt calm. At the same moment, the fractal changed, becoming a deep blue layer. It formed over the blade of my axe. Fang Rend, the offensive method of Predator's Fand aura method. It's an aura blade, with the ability to cut through anything. It's especially effective against armors and scales.

A predator's grin appeared on my face when I saw it, but the next moment, it turned somber as the staff of the command golem lit up. Its speed suddenly increased, and I could feel the power behind it as well. It made my heart shudder, but it didn't stop me. Instead, I pushed more power while creating the second fractal. My axe reached its shining staff, which feels like it bears the weight of the mountain.

"Ahhhh!" I am scared, but I did not give up. I roared and pushed, every ounce of power I had in my attack. It clashed, and I could feel the amazing power of Fang Rend clashing against the magic of the staff, but the physical power behind it came at me in an immense wave. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. I immediately knew that, despite all its power, Wildheart Protection could not defend against it.

The next moment, the massive force slammed into Wild Protection and me, only lasting for a second before that force entered my body. It was a reminder of the kind of blows the knight used to attack me when he was teaching me the third method.

'Have you ever seen a great beast struck by a charging bull? It never retreats!'

'That is Savage Frame.'

'It does not make you into stone. Stone cracks. Instead, it turns your body into living strength—strong enough to endure, flexible enough to absorb.'

'An enemy's blow should enter your body, lose its fury within your reinforced frame, and leave you with nothing more than a bruise.' Feeling the blow, I understood the meaning, and the second fractal dissolved. The next moment, my body was covered in dark blue lines. Savage Frame: the strengthening method of Predator's Fang. It provides massive physical strength and the ability to withstand explosive attacks. I felt it absorbing the massive blow, but it didn't do anything other than shake me.

"Now, this is a fair fight!" I said and swung my ax toward it, with the power of Fang Rend and all my skills. He sensed the second method, and its power grew even more, but this time, I am not scared. Our weapons clashed, and I felt the powerful blow, but not like before, which would send me back uncontrollably. It shook me and forced me to take a step back, but that's all. I leaped forward, wanting to attack it on the left, but it reacted fast and moved its staff toward me.

I had no choice but to adjust my ax to defend against it. My ax clashed against its staff, and once more, I felt the massive power of it. I tried to parry with Wild Parry, but its power was so immense that it ignored the parry. I retreated before leaping forward once more. While I was doing that, I sensed the aura. Someone had awakened it. I thought. There are now fewer than ten people who remain in combat, and they are all under immense pressure. Lt.

Colonel moved toward them, but even with her, they didn't have much time. I know this means I don't have much time. My power may have increased incredibly, but despite that, I am barely able to fight against the command golem. When the rest came, I would be defeated immediately. So, I begin forming the third and final fractal method of my aura. It's a speed method, and it's very powerful. I clashed with it once more, then again and again, but the method didn't materialize.

I still kept trying, while pushing Predator's Eyes for a way to slip through its defense. The rhythm offers guidance, but the golem's power is immense. No matter which way I chose. Its long staff would be there to stop me, but I have to do something, or I will lose, and I can't lose after coming this far, gaining such strength. So, I pushed myself, took the risks, but no matter what I do. Its staff would always stop me.

'Colonel, I am the last one remaining!' informed Lt. Colonel Bandstone. I could feel the weakness in her voice. She stayed as long as she could, but all the golems attacked her, even as she spoke that word. The moment she did, the golems stopped, and a second later, all of them turned to me. I have one chance. I thought, feeling them all coming toward me, and turned to the command golem and moved, letting go of all my reservations. I am taking a massive risk, but there is no choice. I have to do it, or I will lose.

The staff came, but this time, I didn't push my ax forward to block, despite waiting for it, and moved through an Arial Adjustment. It's a skill of adjusting in the air, but powering its aura, I am using it as Air Steps. I reached near the staff and pushed all the aura I am gathering into Feral Blitz. So much, the skill shook, but it gave me the speed I needed for a moment, and I leaped over the staff, barely missing it by a centimeter, and appeared in front of the command golem.

My prepared ax swung with the power of all skills and the two-aura method, which shone brightly. The golem tried to dodge, but my ax is now too fast, and it struck the head squarely. The film shimmers, becoming slightly paler and thinner. This time, the effects are so visible that there is no way it is a hallucination. It made me ecstatic when rhythm screamed danger, and I moved, but I was too late. The staff struck me on the back and sent me crashing down, while my ribs broke inside my body.

I tried to stabilize, but I could not and crashed on the ground hard, breaking a few more. I remained there barely for a second before trying to get up, when another danger screamed, and I moved, but not fast enough, and a raptor's bloody blade cut across my arm. Soon, two birds and another two raptors came, but what made me shudder was the staff coming after me. I wanted to fight, but I know the battle is over. I had lost; if I continue to fight, I will suffer even more injuries.

I am so unwilling, but sometimes, one has to do hard things.

"Altar!" I said in a barely audible voice. They seemed to hear it as they froze before moving back. I remained in my spot for a while before walking toward my men, who are all looking at me.

"You all did well. It was my leadership that failed. I will take the blame," I said to them. I failed. If I had only been a little bit better, we would have won.

"It was a collective failure, not yours alone," replied Lt. Colonel Bandstone, in a weak voice as she shook, getting up. Her state is bad; even healing spells seemed to help her only slightly. I opened my mouth and closed it before leading my men toward the screen. Soon, we reached it, and I stepped out. Immediately, I felt eyes on me, eyes of a general who trusted me with a tremendous responsibility, which she could have given to anyone.

Lord Silver, who believed me enough to give me command of an elite unit that many would kill for. There are many more, and I failed them all.

"I apologize for my failure and take full responsibility for it," I stated. They looked at me without a word before the General's lips curved a little.

"You did not fail, Colonel!" she replied, to my absolute shock.