Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended [Part One]

CHAPTER 99: Toxins & Fire - The Trials of Revenge

At the sting of those acidic words, Ziddian's eyes rolled back and he crumpled to the ground. His body convulsed uncontrollably as he foamed at the mouth, experiencing the very fate he had mercilessly inflicted upon his subordinate.

"Well, there goes our little game," Daisuke remarked with stoic calmness. "Seems your poison truly lived up to its reputation. What a shame."

DING!

[Ziddian has been defeated!]

[Mana crystal has been acquired.]

[Antidote x8 has been acquired.]

[Shuriken x12 has been acquired.]

[Smokescreen Bomb x4 has been acquired.]

[Poison Bomb x3 has been acquired.]

[105 gold has been acquired.]

"BASTARD!!"

With a grating roar, Brutus overturned the table before him, sending food and wooden tableware crashing to the ground in a chaotic frenzy. With a deep grunt, the beast of a man approached the insect that had defeated his comrade using cheap tricks, his towering stature casting an eerie shadow.

"That's two down and two left to go," Daisuke said unflinchingly, glaring at the ogre who had dared to hurt Zephyr.

Brutus wasted no time in reaching for his massive two-handed axe, the weapon gleaming menacingly in the dim light of the chamber. With a powerful swing, he brought the axe down in a thunderous arc, aiming to cleave the feeble human in two. But Daisuke was quicker, dodging the attack with lightning-fast reflexes as the ground beneath them cracked and splintered into jagged lines.

In a bid to gain the upper hand, Daisuke summoned golden chains that coiled around Brutus's massive form, attempting to immobilize the giant. Then he immediately went in for the tendons at the back of the ogre's legs, a technique that was fundamental in taking down loftier opponents.

But Brutus wasn't your average muscle for brains. Anticipating the attack, he abandoned his weapon and leaped skyward, shattering the chains with a casual flex of his immense strength, as if they were woven from straw. The ground quaked when he landed, and time slowed to a crawl, rocks and debris suspended in the air, both warriors glaring at each other through the chaos.

Another roar erupted from the ogre's jaws as he laced his fingers and brought his arm crashing down like a titan's hammer. Light on his feet, Daisuke managed to narrowly escape the earth-shattering impact. But he wasn't given a moment of reprieve.

From the fractured ground, Brutus seized loose rocks and began hurling them with unrelenting fury. But like a shadow dancing through chaos, Daisuke evaded each projectile with fluid grace, closing in with the Lipanthyer's Fang. Yet, despite an impressive flurry of lightning-fast slashes, the blade failed to penetrate deeply enough to incapacitate the hulking ogre.

"It's useless," Brutus gloated with a crude grin. "Your puny attacks won't be able to pierce my skin."

Without a word, Daisuke sharpened his focus, and with the Eye of Verity, was able to discern a thin layer of mana cloaking the man's body. It was likely a type of physical enhancement skill common among brawny combatants, and it became evident that Daisuke's basic weaponry and gear wouldn't be able to breach such a formidable defense.

But wait, he pondered, even as the vicious giant attempted to ensnare him in an iron grip, why did he brother to evade if his ankles are invulnerable to physical attacks?

To find his answer, Daisuke lunged once more for the tendons, his aura swirling with a potent cocktail of hatred and vengeance. But Brutus, once again anticipating the move, sucked in a deep breath, his belly swelling ominously. When he exhaled, a torrent of fire spilled forth from his mouth.