The commander rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. His big fra cast a long shadow over Isaac, the torchlight reflecting off his heavy armor.
He smirked, gripping the handle of his cleaver-like sword. The Fanged Executioner.
"Not bad, farm boy," he said, eyes gleaming with amusent. "But brute strength alone won't win against ."
Isaac remained silent. His grip on his axe was loose, almost casual, but his mind was sharp, analyzing, calculating.
The commander lunged.
A blur of movent, faster than any man his size should be. His blade ca down like a hamr, aiming to split Isaac in half.
But to Isaac... it was slow.
Ti stretched. The commander's muscles tensed, the sword's edge glead, Isaac saw it all as if it were happening in slow motion.
He shifted his weight. A slight step to the left.
Whoosh!
The massive blade missed him by an inch, slamming into the dirt with an explosion of dust and debris.
The commander's grin widened.
He swung again. This ti, a sweeping horizontal strike ant to cleave Isaac in two.
But again, slow.
Isaac ducked. The blade whooshed over his head.
A diagonal slash.
Isaac tilted his body slightly, just enough for the blade to pass by.
Another.
A step back, just out of reach.
The commander's smirk twitched.
Isaac wasn't just dodging, he was moving before the attacks even landed.
A spark of frustration flashed in the commander's eyes. "Tch. You're just running away."
He lunged again... faster, stronger. A feint, followed by a spinning slash.
Isaac barely shifted to the side, his axe still raised in a relaxed grip.
It was almost... effortless.
And that was what startled him the most.
'What is this?' Isaac thought. 'I can see everything so clearly. His movents feel so... predictable.'
The commander took a step back, assessing him. His grin returned.
"Alright then, let's see how long you can dance."
With a snap of his wrist, the hidden chain inside his sword's hilt unraveled.
Clink. Clink.
The massive blade extended outward, swinging unnaturally through the air.
Isaac's eyes narrowed. 'A chained sword?'
The commander whipped the weapon, the heavy blade snapping toward him like a snake.
Isaac dodged left, then right, then ducked. Each strike ca faster than the last. But his body moved before his mind could think.
The commander grinned wider.
"Can't dodge forever, farm boy."
The next strike ca from an unexpected angle, low and curved.
Isaac's eyes widened. No ti to dodge.
So instead...
He let it hit him.
BOOM!
The ground shook as the sword slamd into his side, sending him skidding backward.
Dust exploded into the air. Debris flew everywhere.
For a mont, nothing could be seen.
Then the dust settled.
Isaac stood there. Unmoving.
His shirt was torn. Blood trickled down his side. A sharp, burning pain throbbed in his ribs. It wasn't unbearable, but it was there, reminding him he wasn't invincible.
The commander's smirk disappeared.
His fingers twitched on the hilt of his sword. A flicker of doubt.
"What...?"
Isaac exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulder. He had expected worse. The pain was real but dull, distant, like an afterthought.
Then...
Hissssh...
Thin, dark smoke leaked from his wound.
It floated in the air before sinking back into his skin.
The torn flesh healed itself, muscles nding, and blood disappearing as if it was never there.
[Skill Activated: Dark Regeneration]
A passive healing factor that rapidly heals wounds and minor cuts, fueled by the darkness within.
[Minor wounds/cuts: Instant regeneration]
[Severe injuries: Slower recovery, requires stamina]
[Warning: Fatal wounds may exceed regeneration limits.]
Isaac's breath hitched. Seeing that system notification, he gradually understands what is happening to him.
He flexed his fingers and tested his side. 'The pain is gone.'
The commander stepped back.
"How...?" His grip on his sword tightened. His expression, once confident, was now full of shock and confusion.
Slowly, Isaac lifted his gaze back to the commander. His lips curled into a small, nonchalant smirk.
"...That all you got?"
The commander exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "I never thought I'd see the day I'd have to drop all my armor."
With a smirk, he reached for the straps on his armor.
Clank.
The first plate hit the ground.
Then another.
And another.
The heavy tal pieces sank into the dirt, leaving deep imprints. The weight of each piece showed just how much the commander had been carrying, yet he had still moved so fast earlier.
Isaac narrowed his eyes. 'That armor... It wasn't just protection. It was for resistance training.'
Now, with every plate removed, the chief's body looked leaner and sharper, almost like a beast freed from its chains.
A heavy aura erupted from him, thick and suffocating. It pressed against Isaac like an unseen force, making the air feel heavier.
Isaac inhaled slowly. 'This is different. His movents... they won't be the sa.'
The commander shrugged his shoulders, stretching his arms. Then, with a flick of his wrist, his massive weapon shifted. The long, chain-linked blade that had torn through so many foes retracted, shrinking and folding until it beca a single greatsword.
He grinned. "No more tricks. Just , my sword, and your corpse."
Isaac didn't respond.
Instead, he tightened his grip on his axe. His fingers twitched. That strange sensation pulsed through his veins again, the sa one from earlier. Cold, sharp, awakening.
He's going to be faster now. Stronger.
The chief vanished.
Fast!
Isaac's instincts scread as the sword ca down in a vertical strike, straight from above, aiming to cleave him in two from head to toe.
He barely had ti to react. Instead of dodging, his body moved on its own.
Block it.
His axe shifted. The wooden handle darkened and hardened as tal spread over it like liquid steel, reinforcing the entire weapon.
[Skill Activated: Tool Savant]
Instinctively strengthens and modifies wielded tools or weapons based on combat needs.
Enhancents are temporary at first but can beco permanent with mastery.
'What the...?!'
CLANG!
Sparks flew as steel t steel.
The commander's eyes widened. "What?!"
His whole plan had relied on this mont, on Isaac using his axe to block. He had aid for the handle, expecting it to snap like brittle wood. Instead, his sword bounced off solid steel.
Isaac exhaled. 'Did... I just upgrade my axe?'
For a second, even he was stunned.
Then, seeing the look of shock on the commander's face, a small smirk tugged at Isaac's lips.
"Sothing wrong?"
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