[Scene: The fierce battle continues...]
Bzzt!!!
Blood erupted from Blade's body, but she didn't fall.
With gritted teeth, she swung her sword Ragnarok like a sledgehammer, aiming straight at Adrian.
Bang!
Adrian raised his sword to block, but even as he deflected most of her strike's force, his blade shattered with a powerful clang.
Looking at the shattered remains in his hand, he discarded the broken sword without a second thought.
Blade, meanwhile, was healing rapidly.
Though her wounds were regenerating at an accelerated rate, the injury to her eyes had yet to heal fully.
She couldn't see, but her lips curled into a sinister smile.
"Pathetic man, you can't defeat me!!!"
She felt her divine sword, Ragnarok, had already shattered Adrian's blade. Once her sight returned, she'd tear him apart piece by piece.
In response, Adrian's voice rang out from the Crimson Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet.
"Boosted!"
With a sudden surge in power, Adrian closed the distance to Blade in a single step.
Sensing someone near, Blade swung Ragnarok wildly, hoping to crush the approaching figure with a single strike.
Adrian raised his left hand, the back of his gauntlet intercepting Ragnarok's deadly edge.
Bang!
The sword collided with the gauntlet, sparks flying in all directions.
In the fleeting moments where Blade's sight was still dim, Adrian's hand shot forward, gripping her wrist with brutal force.
Before she could struggle, a tremendous force surged through her arm.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The sound of bones breaking echoed as Blade screamed in agony.
"Ahhhh!"
The excruciating pain spread throughout her body, causing her to thrash desperately in an attempt to break free.
But Adrian's form remained steady, his grip relentless.
Snap!
With one final sickening crack, Adrian crushed her wrist, causing Ragnarok to fall from her hand.
Blade collapsed to the ground in agony, her body wracked with pain.
"You really think you can challenge me? A mere weapon-wielding fool, and you still dare to bark orders?" Adrian sneered coldly, his foot pressing down on Blade's head.
Blade's vision was beginning to clear, and through blurry eyes, she saw Ragnarok just a meter away from her, gleaming on the ground.
"Let me go! You filthy man!!" Blade screamed, struggling to rise.
Adrian didn't respond; he merely applied more pressure, slowly forcing her head into the dirt.
The unbearable pain from her fractured skull soon crushed her defiance, turning her pleas into a whimper.
"Spare me! Please, don't kill me! I'll do anything! I'm a Hero of the Sword—what do you want from me? I'll give you anything!"
Adrian remained silent, his foot pressing harder.
"I… ahhh…"
Blade writhed in agony, her body losing its strength as the pain in her skull made every breath an excruciating battle.
Her efforts to escape were futile; she was like a fish on a chopping board, struggling in vain.
Snap!
With one final push, Blade's struggles ceased, her body going limp.
Her once-proud weapon, Ragnarok, fell silent and reverted back into its original form—the "Gem" that it had once been.
[Ding! Randomly acquired attribute: Giant Strength (Green)]
The moment the attribute fused, Adrian felt his physical form grow denser. His strength multiplied, more than tripling from its previous level.
"Ahh, with my raw strength now, I could probably take on a high-level demon."
Sighing with satisfaction, Adrian reached down to pick up the God-Slaying Weapon from the ground.
The moment his hand touched it, a voice resonated in his mind.
**[The Healing Hero, you… ah!]
Before the divine voice could finish, it was abruptly swallowed by the Crimson Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet, which forcibly absorbed the weapon's power.
In Adrian's astonished gaze, the attribute shifted.]
[Crimson Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet (Gold): The absorption of the God-Slaying Weapon has granted it unique divine power!]
Adrian's mind received a burst of information, instantly understanding the transformation that had occurred.
The God-Slaying Weapon had answered his wish, evolving in the form of Crimson Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet, which had now fused its divine traits.
[Pain Storage]: When Adrian uses healing magic, he will no longer experience severe pain. Instead, the agony will be stored in the gauntlet, which can later be released as a form of damage to enemies.
[Auto-Heal]: Even if Adrian's magic is exhausted, the gauntlet will automatically release healing magic when needed.
[Range Expansion]: The gauntlet can now expand the range of his skills and spells, with a current radius of one meter.
All of these abilities could now work in tandem with the gauntlet's pre-existing power.
"Now, the Crimson Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet has evolved into something beyond a God-Slaying Weapon!"
Adrian clenched his fist, the gem on the gauntlet glowing a vibrant green.
"Boosted!"
"Increase the range, double it for me!"
With successive boosts, the radius, which was initially limited to a meter, now expanded to cover an entire kilometer.
"Corruption!"
Adrian pointed a finger at the battlefield.
Without any prior warning, every soldier present felt a sharp pain, clutching their chests as they gasped for breath.
[Corruption] was a skill granted by his healing magic, now corrupted to deal damage.
It could directly alter the physical state of the body, bypassing any resistance.
Previously, this skill required direct contact. But with the enhancement of the Crimson Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet, it had become an area-of-effect ability.
The remaining soldiers—more than a hundred—dropped dead on the spot from heart failure, with even those hiding in the shadows falling victim.
Shana, having already slaughtered dozens with her bare hands, paused and stared at the scene, panting for breath.
She looked at Adrian with awe and admiration.
[Affection Level: 95 → 100]
"Lord Adrian~~" Shana wagged her tail eagerly, darting toward him like an obedient dog.
Adrian chuckled and reached down to pet her head.
"You're safe now, because of me—and because of Shana!"
His voice echoed in the ears of the Ice Wolf Tribe, and every member turned toward him, their gazes filled with respect.
Later, when Shana met her parents again, she made an announcement.
"Father, mother, I've found my true master. From now on, I will follow him."
Seeing how much stronger and more mature Shana had become, her parents nodded in approval. Without a doubt, following Adrian was the best choice for her.
Wandering around the Ice Wolf Tribe's territory, Adrian soon saw Shana return.
Seeing her back, he grinned and said, "My little dog has come back?"
"Mm, Lord Adrian, Shana is back."
Shana beamed, wagging her tail as she blushed slightly.
A fragrant scent wafted from her body, making Adrian stir with desire. He knew exactly what this fragrance signified.
"It seems I'll need to satisfy you properly, Shana."
"Shana wants more from her master, more~ more~"