CHAPTER 271: I AM NOT ALONE [PART 1]

A fearless smile hung on the Barbarian King’s lips, enjoying his duel against the Champion of the Dwarves.

While both were Rank 7, anyone who watched the battle could tell from a glance that the Barbarian King was stronger.

Kara and Runa had rallied the Dwarven Chosens and the Dwarven Warriors to run after the ones who snatched their Princess, but they were blocked by the Barbarians and the Minotaurs.

No matter how hard they tried to break past their defenses, all their efforts were put in vain each time.

"Nghh!" Runa staggered after she got bashed by a shield by one of the Barbarians in front of her.

Her specialty lay in swift, precise attacks, but they were unfortunately useless against her opponents, who strategically coordinated with each other instead of fighting individually.

The knocked-down Kara gritted her teeth in frustration and anger as she exerted effort to stand up. Out of anxiety for the princess’ safety, she failed to focus on the fight in front of her, leading to her getting hit and thus suffering a moderate injury.

If it weren’t for Runa’s timely push, she might have already died from getting stabbed in the chest with a sword.

It was then that she noticed Runa stagger, quickly followed up by a Barbarian raising his war axe, ready to hack it down at the lady.

"NO! Runa!" Kara shouted in desperation as the axe descended at her sister.

Runa had no time to evade and could only close her eyes, accepting the inevitable end of fate about to come.

The sound of two weapons clashing against each other reached the young lady’s ears before she fell on the ground, thinking she had been hit.

However, the pain she anticipated didn’t come, which made her wonder if she had died a quick death.

If not for the fact that the sound of battle still rang in her ears, she would have really thought that she had crossed over to the afterlife.

Upon opening her eyes, she saw Kael standing in front of her, blocking the attacks of multiple Barbarians who were trying to end his life.

"Stand up, Runa!" Kael shouted, breaking the young lady out of her daze.

The shield bash she received earlier stunned her a bit, but didn’t injure her too much.

Knowing that she was still alive, she hurriedly stood up and assisted Alex and fending off their attackers.

"When you swing the hammer, don’t swing it like a fool who just wants to hurt others."

A voice sounded inside Alex’s head.

"In the hands of a blacksmith, a hammer is not only a tool to forge weapons and armor. It is a symbol of creation and destruction. Every strike must carry purpose. Every swing must carry intent."

The voice echoed like a memory from the past, one that had been etched into Alex’s soul long before this battlefield.

Alex felt someone temporarily take over his body, but instead of resisting, he yielded control, allowing Kael to teach him the way of using the hammer in battle.

A Barbarian lunged at him with a battle axe raised high.

But this time, the young man didn’t simply swing in retaliation.

He stepped into the strike, pivoted his foot, and drove the hammer into the Barbarian’s gut. As simple as it might look for the third person, in Alex’s eyes, it looked like a smith delivering a decisive stroke upon molten steel.

"Hammer of all Seasons, Seventh Form..." Kael said as if in a daze, raising his hammer above his head before swinging it down, not onto his opponent but onto the ground before him.

"Thunderclap Reverberation!"

The sound of a thunderclap spread in the surroundings, followed by a shockwave that expanded in front of him. All the Barbarians were sent flying, as if swatted away by a broomstick.

Their defensive formations fell, allowing the Dwarves to gain a moment of reprieve.

"Warriors of Ul-Khazir!" Kael shouted, his voice booming across the battlefield like a war drum.

"Do you feel that beneath your feet?! That is the mountain answering our call! Do you hear the thunder in your hearts?! That is the beat of our ancestors who forged these lands with their bare hands!"

He lifted his hammer high, its head crackling with the lingering echoes of his last strike.

"They think they can take away our Princess! They think they can shatter our pride! If that is so, let them come! Let them throw their steel, their beasts, and their might against us! For every stone they turn, they will find a Dwarf standing tall—unbroken and unbent!"

The Dwarves behind him, battered and bloodied, began to rise to their feet, gripping their weapons tighter as a new fire burned within their chests.

Even Kara and Runa suddenly found the strength to continue fighting as a green aura spread around Alex.

"We are not warriors because we seek war. We are warriors because we have something to protect! And today, we show these monsters that they cannot look down upon the Dwarves!"

Alex pointed his hammer forward, blazing in golden flames.

"Fight for honor, and glory!" Alex roared as he charged forward. "FOR THE CLAN!"

"""FOR THE CLAN!"""

The Dwarves roared as one, their voices merging into a united battle cry that shook the hearts of friend and foe alike.

With renewed vigor, they surged forward, the weight of their despair replaced by the indomitable will of their Dwarven Legacy!

"It’s all in your hands now, Oathkeeper."

Alex felt himself regaining control of his body, but the flames of determination still burned in his heart.

The young man didn’t wait for the echo of their war cry to fade. He gripped his hammer firmly, leading the charge against the Barbarians, more than ready to fight.

The Dwarves surged forward like a living avalanche.

Short they might be, but their hearts and courage rivaled that of dragons!

Kara and Runa charged alongside Alex, their weapons greedy for the blood of their enemies.

Their previous hesitations and wounds seemed to vanish, replaced by the sheer momentum of Alex’s will.

And just like a mighty wave that crashed against the shore, they devoured everything in their path, dyeing the ground with the blood of those who trampled upon their peaceful lives!

Alex, still moving in rhythm with Kael’s flow, struck like a forge master with every swing, each impact knocking aside enemies as if sculpting the path forward.

Runa darted alongside him, weaving through the chaos with her daggers, striking weak points and toppling larger foes by slicing through their joints.

Kara followed with brutal precision, her axe cleaving through gaps Runa had opened, exacting vengeance for every wound they had suffered earlier.

The Barbarian warbands, which had seemed so immovable moments ago, began to falter as their formation collapsed under the relentless Dwarven assault.

"Forward!" Kael bellowed. "Kill!"

""Kill!""

A Minotaur holding an Axe roared as it charged in Alex’s direction, but the young man didn’t back down.

Instead, the hammer in his hand hummed, answering his Master’s call.

"Hammer for all Seasons, Eight Form!" Alex raised his hammer, poised to strike.

"Avalanche Crush!"

With a speed far surpassing any act that he had shown before, the young man unleashed a series of rapid and heavy hammer strikes that gained momentum, overwhelming the Minotaur stronger and taller than he was. His precise strikes consecutively landed, ending with a 20-hit Combo!

The last hit was an uppercut using the hammer, blasting the Minotaur back and making it crash over the barbarians behind it.

"Dim Dim!"

A shout came from behind, making Alex turn around.

The Dim Sum God was perched on the head of a Mountain War Goat, covered in mithril armor.

Alex didn’t hesitate and jumped on its back, leaving the little bun to make a path for their charge.

"Kukuku!" Dim Dim chuckled evilly before throwing countless alchemy bombs in front of their path. As it exploded, the shockwaves blew their enemies away.

Clearly, Dim Dim was also very angry because Latifa had been kidnapped by a minotaur.

It still hadn’t had its fill of poking the young lady’s nose! How could it not be furious at the people who played a part in her abduction?

The War Goat was like a hot knife that cut through butter, passing through the Barbarian Ranks while Dim Dim cleared the way.

A few minutes later, they finally saw Latifa, who was still being carried away by a Minotaur.

"Dim Dim!" Alex shouted.

"Dim!"

The little bun understood what its partner wanted, so it jumped, synchronizing with Alex’s hammer strike.

Dim Dim landed on the blunt side of the hammer, and a moment later, Alex swung it at full strength, which sent Dim Dim flying at full speed toward the Minotaur.

The little bun then started rolling, its body blazing like a green comet.

"I’m Rolling!"

A second later, the Dim Sum God collided with the Minotaur’s head, making the latter cry out in pain before crashing toward the ground.

The little bun spun a little more before landing perfectly on the Minotaur’s back, not forgetting to do a dab as if it were a superhero that had perfected its landing.

"Have no fear!" Dim Dim said proudly. "Dim Dim is here!"

Alex couldn’t help but smile as his dependable partner continued to protect Latifa from the Barbarians, while the young man was charging in her direction.