A Hundred Times: Ascending With The Strongest System
Chapter 54 - 53: Whatever Makes Me Stronger

Chapter 54: Chapter 53: Whatever Makes Me Stronger

Zoey dodged another blow from the Lord as she leaned her head to the side, studying the Lord intently as she came to the conclusion, that the Lord had probably sacrificed their defense, for a powerful increase in attack power and agility.

’If that’s what the Skill does, and I do manage to acquire it, should I use it?’ Zoey asked herself, sure the Skill’s power increase was nothing short of incredible, she should also consider it’s disadvantages as well.

Vitality was an important stat of a Hunter, as it not only increased how much damage a Hunter can withstand, but also how fast they can recover from their wounds, leading to some exceptionally powerful Hunters, being able to survive life threatening attacks.

But to sacrifice it for strength and movement speed was a hefty gamble, even if the gains were huge. Zoey took out the [Stone Carved Shield] to momentarily an attack from the Lord, a massive crack forming in the shield as it was about break from all the damage it had protected her against.

’Whatever makes me stronger, I’ll take it.’ Zoey thought, before delivering a kick to the Lord’s chest, sending the Lord flying back, crashing into a pillar of the Golem Sanctuary, coming to a halt.

The Lord’s crimson eyes glowed further as it’s aura intensified, it raised it’s hand forward and a few of the rocks around it began to move, coming infront of it’s hand as the runes around them glowed bright.

’!!! Zoey narrowed her eyes, watching as more and more of the rocks around the Lord began to accumulate around it’s outstretched hand.

The rocks then flew forward, cutting through the air at impressive speeds as the honed in on Zoey like missiles. The runes on the rocks glowed brighter than ever, as if it were about to explode.

’Another ranged attack skill? Just how many attacks does this Lord have?’ Zoey thought as she braced herself to dodge the rocks coming at her, but as just as they were about to reach her, Zoey immediately sensed somethin wrong with the rocks, leaping back as she tried to avoid the attacks.

BOOM!!

The rocks ignited in a fiery explosion, flames flew, the ground trembled, dust rose, obscuring the vision of the Lord. The Lord had it’s arm raised still, more rocks coming to rotate around it’s hand, the runes around them glowing as the Lord prepared itself to fire another barrage of rock attacks.

The silence stretched on, the Golem Sanctuary was silent as the dust cloud slowly died down. When it finally did, Zoey was standing there, with the [Stone Carved Shield] raised high, and the tip of her sword, [Volt Requiem], pointed at the Lord.

"My turn." She muttered with a cold voice as she fired a powerful thunderbolt with [Volt Requiem] at the Lord, a flash of light that bended like a snake shot out, and before the Lord could react, the thunderbolt immediately collided with it’s chest.

A powerful shock-explosion boomed out, tremendous amounts of electricity shocking the figure of the Lord as it was flinched back. Even though the Lord was made of stone and was highly resistant to shock, it’s defenses were reduced immensely with the [Equivalent Exchange] Skill it used, to the point where even elemental attacks could have a powerful effect on it.

’I managed to react on time once again, this reminds me of thr Golem Shaman I faced during my first dungeon raid.’ Zoey thought as she breathed out slowly, her clothes suffered burns, they were tattered, with a few holes forming on er hoodie, peaks of her white shirt underneath coming into view.

Her jeans were in a slightly worse condition, as they also suffered some burns, but thankfully the flames didn’t burn any areas that could be....’Problematic’.

Zoey watched the figure of the Lord rising up slowly, it’s crimson eyes staring into her with extreme bloodlust as the aura around it intensified.

"You almost burned my clothes! Now I’m in a bad mood." Zoey said with a voice that had extreme bloodlust, her crimson eyes glowing as the effects of [Hardened Will] and [King’s Fury] intensified, her figure taking slow steps toward the Lord, her [Volt Requiem] sword hung low to the ground, humming with power.

She took out her [Knight’s Oath] blade as well, discarding the [Stone Carved Shield] by throwing it to the side with a loud clank, it was about to break since it’s durability was pretty low from all the attacks it endured to this point.

The Lord in response also started to walk towards her, the rocks around it spinning fiercely as it moved, the air charged with tension of battle.

Swoosh!!

Clang!!!

The two fighters dashed at one another, blade meeting stone as they struck their attacks against one another, a loud clank sounding in the air as the fierce clash was initiated.

Their figures moved as they engaged in a furious clash, their bodies a fierce blur of movements as both fighters used everything their bodies could do to overwhelm each others, neither side faltering as they appeared to be on equal footing.

’The Lord is slowly crumbling, if I can keep this up, it will fall to my strength!’ Zoey thought with a determined expression, her swords flashing as she swung them and moved on the battlefield.

Her movements were clunky and awkward, but the power of two blades was quickly wearing the Lord down as it was very vulnerable to attacks in this state, but it didn’t mean that it was easy.

’Urgh!!’ Zoey grit her teeth as she blocked a strong blow from the Lord, using her two blades as she blocked the punch by aligning the blades with her chest, being send back by the massive force.

Her figure flew as she skid on the floor, but the Lord wasn’t going to let her go so easy as it immediately followed up with another set of rocks that shot at Zoey, closing in on her quickly as they rotated through the air, their forms glowing, ready to ignite another furious explosion.

’Not this time!’ Zoey thought as she quickly twisted her body in the air, before landing on her feet and using [Grace Of The Wind], blasting her figure away to the side as she avoided the attack, watching them explode in a terrifying explosion.

The Lord dashed once more, appearing by her side as it raised it’s fist to attack, but Zoey countered with her own swords, striking the Lord’s fist away with a strong parry, before sending it flying with a roundhouse kick.

’I’m not going to give you any chance to attack either.’ Zoey thought as she quickly broke a sprint, the ground beneath her feet cracking as she dashed towards the Lord, jumping high in the air as she raised both her blades high in the air, before crashing them down on the Lord’s shoulders, driving the blade through it’s brittle body.

A roar of pain of pain leaving it’s mouth as Zoey’s blades drove down further. The Lord threw it’s head back as it slammed it’s forehead into Zoey’s with a hard headbutt, trying to slow her down as she fought hard to sever the arms of the Lord with her blade.

Zoey’s arms throbbed as they buldged with muscle, she didn’t flinch as the Lord slammed it’s head against hers, a sickening ring sounding in her head. But she refused to falter, letting out a determined yell as she drove the blades through it’s arms with a final push, severing the arms of the Lord as the blades cut through the stone.

The Lord screamed in pain, it’s voice reverbrating off the walls of the Golem Sanctuary. Zoey’s determined eyes bore into it’s own, sending a chill down it’s spine as it realized that it couldn’t defend against her attacks anymore.

’Damn it..,you bastard.’ Zoey cursed the Lord inwardly as a throbbing pain lingered on her forehead, blood trickling down her face from the blow as she lost a bit of health from that, even with her defensive skills.

The Lord had one final attack up it’s sleeve, if it couldn’t defeat the red haired Hunter, then it was going to take her down with it. The rocks around the Lord began to glow brighter as they prepared to self-destruct, preparing to go down in a fiery explosion as the air crackled with power.

But Zoey wasn’t going to let that happen.

’It’s time to end this.’ Zoey thought as she raised her swords high in the air, behind her back and over her shoulders, before delivering a clean strike to it’s rocky neck, severing the head cleanly off it’s shoulders as the blades drove through.

The head of the Lord flew in the air for a moment, time seemed to slow down around it. The sound of a drop of blood meeting the floor echoed out through the Golem Sanctuary, the glow in the rocks dying down, the runes around them dissapearing.

The crimson glow in the eyes of the Lord dying out. As the C-Rank Dungeon was cleared.