Chapter 217: [217] Wrong Answer

While Ark’s summons were dismantling the tribesmen and the rest of the party were clashing with the Sunborns, simultaneously, Ark was making his way towards Isak.

Isak watched Ark with a defiant look in his eyes as he cut down any tribesman that stood in his way.

Tribesmen were replaceable. No matter how many he killed, he could always have his slaves breed more, he could always conquer a village and take their men. Tribesmen were not the issue...

"But that man..." Isak sucked his teeth. "Where did he come from? How have I not heard of anyone like him all this time?!"

"ISAK!" Ark’s voice thundered, just as he cut through the last tribesman that had been in his way.

Isak’s frown deepened as Ark charged forward toward him, sending snow billowing into the air with the sheer speed he was coming at.

He was atop a hill, so the inclination of the hill should have slowed him in the very least, but Ark was scaling it as though it were plain ground.

"Gabby!"

Isak jumped off his frost bear, and the monster charged down the hill towards Ark.

Gabby may have been his pet, but Isak had trained him since he was young. He was in no way inferior to the wild frost bears. If anything, he was much stronger!

"Tear him to pieces!"

Ark watched as the gigantic monster barrelled down, kicking up snow into the air, its claws creating deep grooves in the earth.

But Ark did not slow down. Instead, he pushed his strength into his feet and blasted himself forward, magnifying his speed.

In an instant, he was right in front of the monster!

The bear tried to grab him, two large claws streaking forward, but Ark leaped into the air with so much force that the floor below him cracked.

He did several spins, multiplying the force behind his strike several times over, just before he slashed down.

Swish!

His scythe reaped the head of the monster, tearing it cleanly off its body, then Ark stepped on the headless mess, using it to catapult himself right towards Isak—

"Do you know how long it took me to train that beast?!" Isak pulled out twin daggers from the holsters on his side.

They were made of white steel, a material that was highly resistant to cold and incredibly sharp if worked on by the right blacksmith!

His eyes glowed as Ark came down—

Clang!

Their weapons crashed against each other, unleashing a miniature shockwave that cut right past them.

Ark’s feet touched the floor, and he was already swinging his body, sending his armoured foot flying towards Isak’s head.

Isak raised his hand to block. He was a heady man riddled with muscles, and yet he was knocked to the side, his hand burning with pain.

He gritted his teeth, his muscles tensing as he charged forward.

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!"

The drifting snow transformed into a raging storm, reducing their visibility. It tried to dim the sound of their strikes, but each reverberation tore through the storm, cascading into the air.

The snowstorm was filled with blinding lights, flashes, sparks and explosions that rippled past as the two fighters engaged.

Ark was deflecting every single attack Isak was throwing at him while unleashing an attack of his own, each one aimed at decapitating the chief.

But Isak was strong. Being a Sunborn meant his physical form was multiplied manyfold. He had been born in this snowy wasteland, he had toiled here for years, the snow had tasted his blood on several occasions.

He was hardened by the snow, polished by its chill. There was no way he would lose in his domain!

His daggers crisscrossed through the air, flying towards Ark’s neck, but Ark sliced upwards, bouncing the daggers into the air.

Isak tried to recover, but it was much too late for him. Ark’s scythe whipped forward, right at his stomach, seconds from ripping his guts apart—

Slash!

Blood and entrails spewed onto the floor. But it was not Isak’s blood. Out of nowhere, one of his men had jumped in to save him, sacrificing his life for his leader.

Clang!

And Isak took full advantage of it, pushing his attack. His daggers ground against the shaft of Ark’s scythe, a wide grin on his face as his muscles bulged out.

"Good! Your sacrifice will never be forgotten! Now die, you fool!"

Ark stared at him coldly, his weapon trembling as he held back the chief.

"That is all?" There was not a single hint of sadness in those icy eyes. Isak saw his people as tools, nothing more.

"What? Do you expect me to hold a funeral for the fool? All he did was his duty!"

"Good," Ark said in an emotionless tone. "This way... it will be more enjoyable when I kill you."

Isak’s face twisted in disgust. "What?"

Ark suddenly dropped his scythe, then grabbed Isak’s hands as they came at his face. With a tug, he pulled Isak down, right towards his knee that was charging upwards—

Bang!

Ark felt his knee grind into teeth, blood spewing atop his armour. He stopped his scythe from falling by balancing it on the tip of his foot and pulled Isak closer.

Bang!

Ark drove his armoured head right into his face, further damaging his already shattered nose, blood pouring atop his blue helmet.

Isak staggered back, moving with unsteady steps. He brought his hand to his face, wiping off the blood that had been smeared over it, and then he spat out some broken teeth.

"The fuck?"

He turned around to see Ark staring at him, unmoving, the snowstorm coiling around his body as it blew past.

And then suddenly.

"Hehehe... Ahahaha... AHAHAHAHA!"

"Did you think I would simply kill you for what you did to my people?"

Ark was sure Thalia would soon be done with the Sunborns. She would take care of Olivia and Cici. So he could take his time with this man...

"Y-you bastard! I’ll... I’ll fucking kill you!"

Isak rushed forward with a battle cry that surged from the depths of his soul.

"Kill me?"

Using his foot, Ark tossed his scythe into the air and grabbed it before whipping the back of the weapon right at Isak’s face.

Smack!

Isak’s head nearly went 360° as his face was rocked to the side. His vision blurred, his head rang, and he was just about to go unconscious when—

Smack!

Another hit slammed into his forehead, causing a huge lump to swell out of it.

Isak fell to his knees, his body screaming in pain. He stared at the floor, sweat pouring out of his body in droves.

’Did I make a mistake by underestimating him?’ he thought.

Isak had thought they would be easy prey. He was sure his physical enhancements would be enough. That was why he came without it.

And because of that, he could not use his abilities.

’I need to run, I need to get out of here!’

If he could get it, then this would be a whole other ball game. He would not be in this state—

"Hey, where are you looking?" Ark’s voice caused him to grow still. "It seems you need another lesson."

Isak immediately raised his head when—

Smack—Smack—Smack—Whack!

Repeatedly, without remorse, Ark continued his relentless assault, watching the man grovel and beg, cry and plead, and pray to a god that would not answer him.

Ark paused his barrage briefly, his azure eyes simmering with rage as he listened to the man call upon the name of his god.

"Shelbabab, save me! I swear, I will be good, Shelbabab—!!!"

Ark shook his head and stared down at his body, the blood that had coated him, and the cold that ate at his skin.

"You’re making a mistake, Isak. There is no god out there to answer you."

"In this world... and right now... I am your god."

Ark’s voice turned a tad darker. These people had not just attacked Olivia without provocation...

They had ripped off Cici’s arm, likely for the fun of it. They were psychotic pigs that didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as him.

"Now, Isak..." Ark raised his scythe higher. "Pray to me."

The tribesmen’s chief managed to get on his knees, his eyes filled with fear.

"M...y brother... will kill you for this! He will not forget what you have done! He will have your head—!"

Crack!

The final hit landed on his head, splitting it like a coconut. Isak’s body went still, and he fell face-first on the floor, soon to be buried under layers upon layers of snow.

"Wrong answer."

[Race Synchronization has gone up to 50%!]

[Player will experience a greater connection with his race, dampened emotions, less emotional sensitivity, greater pain tolerance, as well as a host of other race-related effects.]

[Player has received enlightenment]

[New Race effect active, Componentization!]