Chapter 226 Wisdom Hunt III

Kaiser looked towards the deeper passages of the cave before turning to Ripple.

"Let’s go. We have more Orcs to kill."

Ripple immediately nodded enthusiastically, his rainbow-coloured eyes shining with excitement.

Anyone who saw his expression might have mistaken him for an excited child who was eager to continue playing. Unfortunately for the Frostland Orcs, the activity he was looking forward to was killing them.

"Let’s go, Father!"

The two continued deeper into the territory.

As they moved forward, the number of Frostland Orcs they encountered gradually increased. Some were gathered around large fires, while others were patrolling the passages or guarding the entrances to different sections of the cave.

Kaiser didn’t bother hiding his presence. Instead, he deliberately released his aura to attract the attention of nearby Orcs.

It didn’t take long before another group appeared.

However, unlike the previous groups, these Orcs were noticeably stronger. Their bodies were larger, their equipment was better, and several of them carried weapons that were clearly more advanced than ordinary Frostland Orc weapons.

There were Orcs wielding enormous great axes, others carrying heavy swords, and a few equipped with shields that covered almost their entire upper bodies.

Kaiser immediately inspected them.

’These guys seem to be stronger than the ones we encountered earlier.’

Most of them were around Level 280, but a few had crossed Level 290. Their equipment also suggested that they weren’t ordinary warriors.

The Orcs noticed Kaiser and Ripple standing in the passage.

"Intruders!"

"Kill them!"

A heavily built Orc carrying a massive great axe stepped forward. His body was covered in thick armour, and a layer of frost constantly gathered around the blade of his weapon.

He raised the axe above his head before bringing it down towards Kaiser.

The attack was accompanied by a powerful burst of energy.

WHOOSH!

A crescent-shaped wave of frost shot through the air, cutting towards Kaiser with enough force to split the rocky ground beneath it.

Kaiser slightly tilted his head.

’Is this there battle arts?’

He didn’t immediately counterattack. Instead, he watched the incoming attack carefully.

The Frostland Orcs had clearly developed their own combat techniques. Their strength wasn’t limited to their physical bodies or racial abilities. They also possessed different weapon arts that allowed them to release powerful attacks.

The great axe wielder was a good example.

Before Kaiser could examine the attack further, another Orc charged forward from the side.

This one wielded a long sword.

He swung it horizontally, releasing a sharp blade of energy that travelled towards Kaiser’s waist.

Kaiser took a small step backwards, allowing the attack to pass in front of him.

The energy blade struck the cave wall behind him, leaving a deep cut across the stone.

’Their weapon techniques are pretty decent.’

He had encountered plenty of monsters with high physical strength, but these Orcs were different. They could combine their immense strength with weapon techniques, making their attacks considerably more dangerous.

A third Orc carrying a large shield rushed towards him.

Instead of attacking directly, he slammed the shield into the ground.

BOOM!

A thick wave of frost spread across the cave floor, rapidly freezing everything in its path.

Kaiser looked down as the ice approached his feet.

’They’re coordinating their attacks.’

The Orc wielding the shield was restricting his movement while the other two prepared their next strikes.

It was a fairly simple strategy, but their execution was surprisingly effective.

Unfortunately, Kaiser had no intention of allowing them to continue.

He raised his hand and slightly manipulated the vibrations of the matter surrounding the incoming frost.

The layer of ice spreading across the ground suddenly began to tremble.

Crack!

Numerous cracks appeared across its surface before the entire formation shattered.

At the same time, Kaiser increased the vibrations in the air directly in front of the great axe wielder.

BOOM!

A powerful shockwave erupted.

The Orc’s enormous body was thrown backwards, and his attack was interrupted before he could bring his weapon down again.

Kaiser didn’t give him time to recover.

A concentrated vibration gathered around his fingertips before shooting forward like a beam.

The attack struck the Orc directly in the chest.

His armour cracked, and his body was sent crashing into the cave wall.

[You have killed a Frostland Orc Warrior.]

Kaiser glanced at the notification before turning towards the remaining enemies.

Meanwhile, Ripple was having his own fun.

He floated above the ground with a cheerful expression, watching the Orcs prepare their weapons.

"Father, these guys look a little stronger!"

"Then be careful with your attacks."

"Don’t worry!"

Ripple raised one hand.

Golden light gathered around him, and dozens of golden spears appeared in the air.

"Fate King’s Arsenal!"

The spears immediately shot forward.

However, the Frostland Orcs weren’t as helpless as the previous groups.

The shield-bearing Orc stepped forward and raised his weapon, releasing a thick layer of frost energy that formed a defensive barrier in front of the group.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The golden spears struck the barrier one after another.

Several of them pierced through immediately, while the others shattered upon impact.

The Orcs behind the shield took advantage of the brief opening and charged forward.

One wielded a great sword, another carried a pair of heavy axes, and a third held a long spear.

Their movements were surprisingly coordinated.

The great sword wielder attacked from the front, releasing a wide arc of energy, while the two axe wielders approached from opposite directions.

The spear wielder remained behind them, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Ripple tilted his head.

"Oh?"

He didn’t look worried in the slightest.

Instead, he raised both hands, and the golden light around him grew brighter.

A second wave of golden spears appeared.

This time, rather than launching all of them directly towards the Orcs, Ripple controlled their movements individually.

Some spears shot towards the great sword wielder, while others circled around the shield and attacked the Orcs from behind.

The Orcs immediately tried to defend themselves.

The great sword wielder swung his weapon upwards, releasing a powerful wave of energy that cut through several incoming spears.

The two axe wielders also unleashed their attacks, creating two enormous crescents of frost energy.

However, the remaining spears changed direction in midair and struck them from unexpected angles.

BOOM! BOOM!

The Orcs were forced to retreat.

Ripple laughed happily.

"Got you!"

The golden spears suddenly accelerated.

Several pierced through the Orcs’ armour, while others struck their weapons and knocked them out of their hands.

Before they could recover, Ripple summoned another batch of spears and finished them off.

Kaiser watched the battle from a short distance away.

’His control over Fate King’s Arsenal has improved quite a bit.’

Ripple was no longer simply summoning golden spears and launching them towards his enemies. He could now control their movements with considerable precision, allowing him to attack from multiple directions.

It was a useful improvement.

Kaiser didn’t interfere and allowed Ripple to continue fighting.

After all, there was no reason to take away his opportunity to practise.

Besides, Ripple’s kills also contributed to Kaiser’s Wisdom Points through their Soul Bond connection.

[Wisdom Devourer has been activated.]

[Extraction complete.]

[Host has gained 26 Wisdom Points.]

Kaiser glanced at the notification.

’Twenty-six points. Not bad.’

He immediately invested them into the Art of Balance.

[Wisdom Points consumed: 26]

[Comprehension of the Art of Balance has increased.]

The notification disappeared, and Kaiser returned his attention to the battlefield.

By now, the remaining Orcs had realised that they were facing opponents far stronger than themselves.

However, instead of retreating, they continued attacking.

Their fighting spirit was quite impressive.

One of the Orcs suddenly raised his great axe and shouted.

"Frostland Battle Art: Mountain Cleaving Strike!"

A thick layer of frost energy gathered around the weapon. The axe grew surrounded by a powerful aura before the Orc swung it down with all his strength.

A massive crescent of energy shot forward, cutting through the air with enough force to split the rocky ground.

Another Orc followed immediately.

"Frostland Battle Art: Frozen Sword Wave!"

He swung his great sword, releasing several overlapping blades of frost energy.

The attacks travelled towards Kaiser and Ripple from different directions, covering almost every possible escape route.

Kaiser raised his eyebrows slightly.

’They even have named battle techniques.’

He was becoming increasingly interested in the Frostland Orcs’ combat methods.

Their weapon arts weren’t particularly complicated, but they were effective. They combined physical strength, weapon mastery, and frost energy to create attacks with considerable destructive power.

It was also clear that the stronger Orcs possessed more advanced techniques.

Kaiser raised his hand.

This time, instead of creating a shockwave, he focused on the vibrations within the incoming energy attacks.

He couldn’t completely control the frost energy itself, but he could influence the medium through which the attacks travelled.

The air in front of him began vibrating violently.

The incoming energy blades trembled for a brief moment before their trajectories shifted.

Some struck the cave walls, while others passed harmlessly beside him.

The great axe attack was slightly more difficult to redirect because of its concentrated power.

Kaiser simply raised another hand and gathered vibrations around its path.

BOOM!

A powerful shockwave collided with the incoming crescent, disrupting its structure and causing it to explode before reaching him.

Fragments of frost energy scattered throughout the passage.

Kaiser looked at his hand.

’There are still many things I need to understand about this ability.’

Minor Vibration Manipulation was proving to be much more versatile than he had initially expected.

He could use it to generate heat, create extremely cold regions, produce ice, release concentrated attacks, and generate shockwaves.

He could even interfere with the movement of certain attacks by manipulating the vibrations of the surrounding medium.

Although he still needed more practice, the possibilities were considerable.

Meanwhile, Ripple had already finished dealing with the remaining Orcs.

He floated back towards Kaiser, looking extremely satisfied.

"Father! I killed them all!"

Kaiser nodded.

"Good. Your control over the spears is improving."

Ripple’s expression immediately brightened.

"Really?"

"Yes. Keep practising."

Ripple nodded enthusiastically.

"Then I’ll become even stronger!"

Kaiser smiled faintly.

’At this rate, he might end up enjoying the hunt more than I do.’

He opened his system interface and checked the latest Wisdom Point notifications.

The points obtained from both his own kills and Ripple’s kills had continued accumulating. Although the increase in comprehension from each individual investment was small, the total progress was becoming noticeable.

He had no intention of wasting this opportunity.

After checking that there were no other enemies nearby, Kaiser looked towards the deeper section of the cave.

"Let’s continue. There should be more Orcs ahead."

"Yes, Father!"

Ripple immediately followed him.

The two moved further into the Frostland Orc territory, attracting more groups as they went.

Some of the Orcs they encountered were ordinary warriors, while others were clearly more experienced fighters. Their equipment also became better, with more of them carrying high-quality weapons and armour.

Kaiser continued testing his Minor Vibration Manipulation whenever he encountered an opportunity.

Sometimes, he used concentrated vibrations to pierce through an enemy’s armour. At other times, he created shockwaves to interrupt their attacks or slowed the vibrations of the surrounding matter to produce patches of extremely cold ground.

He was gradually becoming more comfortable with the ability.

Meanwhile, Ripple continued using Fate King’s Arsenal, occasionally changing the number and direction of his spears depending on the enemies he faced.

Every battle provided them with more experience, and every group of Orcs they eliminated brought Kaiser additional Wisdom Points.

The hunt was becoming increasingly productive.

And Kaiser had no intention of stopping anytime soon.