Chương 30: Interlude

Rogarth Pearot Ash drifted through the air like blackened snow. It swirled across the battlefield, carried by the heat of burning structures and chaotic movement. Fire spread far and wide, devouring the nearby forest as well as clothes, flesh, and most importantly–pride. Thunderous roars of warriors reverberated across the blazing tribe, creating a cacophony of terror and raw, unfiltered battlelust.

The clash of ringing steel, whistling arrows that found purchase in their targets' flesh, and the rumbling of a myriad of Ancient Powers as they collided joined the chaos and echoed in every direction. No matter where one looked, death and destruction were ever-present. Blood was shed, and lives were reaped. It all made Chieftain Rogarth smile. Combat raged around him as his warriors tore through the masses of defending fighters. Tribe Onyr was small, but the tribe was certainly not weak.

They had never been, but that didn't stop Rogarth Pearot and his people from clashing with them. If anything, it was a challenge that let their Sagas burn more brightly. The Elders at the 4th Ascension clashed with some of the strongest of Onyr's warriors, their power filling the surrounding Barbarians with awe. Buildings crumpled beneath their might, and the ground split apart from a mere charge. Both sides were powerful, most of whom were at a higher Level than Chieftain Rogarth, but that hadn't changed anything.

The Elders, once loyal to the old chieftain, stood no chance against his power. Their pride had been crushed to smithereens, and their Sagas had nearly followed as well, but Rogarth spared them. Unlike the old chieftain, he allowed them to live to fight alongside him and to dominate the dark forest as his subordinates. And dominate he did, as his Blessing dictated. A roar laced with pure hatred rang in his ears, and he turned to a familiar face with a savage smile.

Bloodlust fused with uncontrollable killing intent as the figure expanded. His body radiated silver light that merged with his skin, turning the Barbarian into a silvery figure of mass destruction. The figure towered high above Rogarth. He was twice his size, but it didn't change anything. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Kaer Onyr, chieftain of Tribe Onyr and a warrior at the 4th Ascension, was not strong enough to defend against Tribe Pearot.

Pearot's Elders shifted their focus and attacked the towering silver man, who retaliated with destructive force. Kaer Onyr was strong enough to fight them head-on. Even together, the Elders struggled to deal with Onyr's chieftain. But Tribe Onyr had forgotten to account for Rogarth Pearot. They had forgotten about the legendary power that awakened five cycles ago. About the Warlord the Shaman had prophesied would rise.

Blood soaked Kaer's body as he charged forward, a pair of massive broadswords carving through the air with unstoppable force. The Elders were nothing to scoff at, but a set of four Runeskins flared to life around Kaer. One moment, he was covered in wounds, and in the next, they vanished, only to reappear across the body of the nearest Pearot Elder and burst open just before a broadsword cleaved through him. But Kaer did not stop.

He thundered ahead, each step crushing the ground beneath him and sending shockwaves through the battlefield. Raw, unbidden excitement joined Rogarth's savage smile. This was exactly what he needed. A powerful opponent, a true challenge, to reach the 4th Ascension at last. After being stuck at the 3rd Ascension, battling and crushing dozens of monsters that most of Pearot's Elders would struggle with, Rogarth had finally found his target. A prey worthy enough to complete his ascension.

There was no fear in his heart as he stepped forward, for the Ancestors had already decided the outcome of this battle. There was no uncertainty, no doubt. Rogarth would win, and soon he would grow strong enough to challenge the mightiest of Barbarians, Ragna Taskur. That was the Blessing of the Onyx Dragon's decree. The Elders couldn't stop Kaer Onyr as he closed the distance to Rogarth within heartbeats, his rage nearly potent enough to manifest on the battlefield.

His weapons cleaved through the air, his strikes aiming to crush everything in their path. Yet Rogarth did not move right away. Power surged through his body in waves, and he expanded as well, though not as much as Kaer Onyr. His bones cracked and his muscles swelled before, in an eruption of force, a set of dark wings tore free. Black scales spread across his skin, hard and unyielding, each one pulsing with overwhelming power.

The air around him distorted, and as Chieftain Rogarth willed it, a dominating force descended upon the battlefield. For a moment, everything fell into stunned silence. Even Kaer Onyr could only stare at the scene unfolding before him in utter shock. Yet as the moment passed, sound returned and the battle resumed. However, now, the outcome was obvious to everyone. Tribe Onyr would fall, crushed by the youngest chieftain in history, slain by the legendary warrior who sought to claim everything.