The Velsra’s entire body trembled uncontrollably. It had worked under the Undead King for years. Though it didn’t know the full extent of the King’s strength, but judging from the terrifying undead skeletons he commanded, His Majesty was no joke.

So it knew better than anyone how terrifying His Majesty truly was.

That was why it couldn’t understand what it had just witnessed. That human had actually forced the king to get serious. The thought alone sounded ridiculous.

The Velsra slowly looked toward the unconscious Reiji lying amidst the rubble. Blood stained the ground beneath him.

"He should be dead... no way he could survive that," the Velsra muttered.

The Undead King continued walking forward, his long bone sword scraping against the ground.

SHIING...!

Each step echoed throughout the cave like the tolling of a funeral bell. The Velsra swallowed hard. For some reason, it felt as though it was witnessing the end of something important.

"Argh..." Reiji gritted his teeth as he stood. Every muscle in his body was screaming at him to stay down, but for some reason, he didn’t want to.

Maybe it was because the same thing had happened when he fought the Anomaly. Back then, he had tried to refuse to stay down as well but couldn’t.

’It’s not always going to be the system saving my ass. If I can’t stand back up on my own, then I’ll never become strong enough.’

The Undead King stopped walking. A flicker of surprise flashed within his hollow crimson eyes.

"Ohh...?"

Reiji’s body trembled as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. His legs felt as though they could collapse at any second.

Yet he remained standing. The Knight Sword slowly rose. Its tip pointed directly at the Undead King.

"Come at me, you pile of bones...!" As soon as the words left his mouth, Reiji immediately regretted his choice of words.

Then, for the first time since the battle began, a faint smile appeared beneath the Undead King’s skull-like face.

"Your tactics of provoking me are useless, Human"

BOOM!

The Undead King vanished from where he stood.

Reiji leaped out of the way, barely dodging the attack.

BOOM!

The spot where he had been standing exploded apart. Before Reiji could even regain his footing, his felt a cold chill behind him.

He immediately twisted his body.

SLASH!

The bone sword sliced past his chest, leaving a deep wound. Blood sprayed into the air.

"Ahhh!" Reiji stumbled backward.

The Undead King gave him no chance to breathe and rushed at him.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Their figures flickered throughout the cave. Each swing of the Undead King’s sword carved massive trenches into the stone walls.

Reiji desperately used Shadow Step to evade. Yet every time he dodged, another attack was already waiting.

’Damn it!’

His breathing grew heavier and his body was reaching its limit.

The injuries from the Tribe Leader Ogre and now this. Everything was catching up to him.

CLANG!

Reiji raised his sword and blocked the attack but the impact nearly shattered his arms. The Knight Sword flew from his grasp and spun through the air.

His eyes widened as he swallowed hard. The Undead King’s sword stopped inches from his neck.

The king stared at him for a moment then he sighed.

"Disappointing. I thought perhaps you were different." The Undead King lowered his blade. "But in the end, you are merely another weak human."

Reiji clenched his fists, his vision blurred and his knees threatened to buckle, yet he refused to fall.

The Undead King slowly stepped back. "As a reward for amusing me, I shall allow you to die with your dignity intact."

The king wasn’t even taking him seriously anymore.

He raised his sword to finish him off.

Ding!

[Warning! Host’s life is in critical danger!]

Ding!

[Activating backup procedure.... searching for compatible skill to overload...]

Ding!

[Compatible Skill Found! – Active: Strength Of The Overlord.]

[Current Threat Level (D+++)]

[Initiating Overload beyond threat level... (C)]

Ding!

[Overload Activated!]

[Temporary Stat Boost: +50 Strength, +30 Stamina.]

[Current Threat Level matched.]

Reiji suddenly felt a crazy surge of power run through him. His veins bulged as a strong aura exploded from his body making the Undead King to stumble backwards.

’What is this? How did he get so strong all of sudden? Was he perhaps hiding his true strength or is this his triumph card?’ The Undead King thought in amusement. Even if he was hiding his strength or it is triumph card he didn’t care if it would only end up disappointing him. All he wanted to have a thrilling fight one he hadn’t had in a long time and something tells him that this human in front of him could provide that experience.

’So this is the overload skill.’ Reiji thought as he gripped the Soul Torture Blade in his hands. He could feel the power running through him. ’So it’s this skill that saved my ass last time? And it’s saving my add this time... I’m I really that pathetic?’

Reiji eyes locked on to the Undead King who was now radiating a terrifying aura. ’I guess I am.’

BOOM!

They both vanished from where they stood.

CLANG!

Their sword clashed and this time Reiji didn’t even fell th slightest bit of pain.

"This... This is unbelievable." The Velsra mouth open wide enough to ft an egg from the scene.

The Undead King suddenly vanished from where he stood. Reiji sensed the movement and twisted his body.

CLAANNGG!

Reiji blocked the attack. The Undead King locked it’s gaze with Reiji then...

BOOOM!

The both vanish from where they stood and their figures flickered throughout the cave.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

This time Reiji wasn’t dodging he wasn’t getting pushed back but this time he was pushing for and blocking every attack and even launching his own.

"T-This is impossible. They are matched!" The Velsra couldn’t keep it’s mouth shut and blurted out in shock. It thought that the menacing aura Reiji suddenly radiated was bluff but now he knew it was a buff maybe even more than that. "Just wo the hell is this guy?"

CLANG!

BOOM!

CLANG!

BOOM!

The cave trembled as their weapon clashed, stone’s shattered from the shockwaves of their collision.

In the grand hall every skeleton including the seven generals of the undead king could hear the noise.

The all the thought that their King was training.

"Interesting!" The yelled as he swung his long bone sword again.

Reiji parried the attack with his dagger.

’What is this feeling?’ Reiji thought quietly he felt his body trembling not from fear or presume but something else,like excitement.

"You’re feeling it too, aren’t you? Hahaha... the exhilaration of battle."

The Undead King swung his bone sword once more.

"For countless years, I have searched for an opponent capable of making my blood boil." The undead King said as his crimson eyes burned brightly. "So come, Human. Show me everything you have. Hold nothing back and let us fight a battle worthy of being remembered."

The discarded Knight Sword suddenly caught Reiji’s attention. Without hesitation, he dashed forward and snatched it from the ground.

The Undead King looked confused he thought that Reiji was running away an was getting furious but when he saw Reiji with the other weapon he instantly felt even more excited. Means the human was taking this serious.

"The real battle begins now."