"I'm—I'm sorry!"
The last remaining attendant's hands trembled as they gripped their sword, unable to hold on any longer.
Dropping their crossbow, they fled toward the entrance without looking back.
"Come back! Get back here!"
Croton, now alone, roared in anger, but he could not call back the attendant who had been scared out of their wits.
Boom!
With a deafening crash, the powerful Exiled Sentry raised its greatsword once more, charging out of the toxic mist and slamming down toward Croton.
Croton wanted to run.
However, locked in combat with the Exiled Sentry, he had no opportunity to flee like his subordinate.
The moment he relaxed, he would undoubtedly die.
He had no strength left to escape, no way to break free from the monster's relentless sequence of attacks.
The broadsword clashed with the greatsword.
The monster's unbelievable strength traveled up his arms, instantly numbing his hands with the massive impact.
"Despicable thief!"
Accompanied by the monster's raspy voice, the greatsword took the opportunity to deliver another heavy cleave.
Watching the blade grow larger in his field of vision, Croton's pupils constricted to pinpricks.
At this rate, he would die.
He was going to die!
Was he really going to die here?
No, absolutely not!
He could not allow himself to die in a place like this!
With a low growl, the corners of Croton's eyes strained until they nearly split.
He shouldered the broadsword, his sheer power shattering the armor around his wrists.
On his exposed skin, veins bulged like thick cords.
The greatsword slammed down heavily, metal clashing against metal!
Massive force transferred from the broadsword throughout Croton's body, kicking up a fine spray of water beneath his feet.
The webs between his thumbs and index fingers tore open, and blood seeped from his clenched gums.
He had blocked it!
"Die!"
Croton let out a violent roar as an unprecedented power erupted from his body, allowing him to actually withstand the Exiled Sentry's attack and forcibly parry the greatsword away with his broadsword.
The explosive force was so great that even the Exiled Sentry's massive body staggered back a step.
Around Croton's body, immense mana continuously erupted from his flesh.
[lv10]→[lv11]
[Swordsmanship lv3]→[Swordsmanship lv4]
[Haste lv2]→[Haste lv3]
[Skills learned: Desperate Burst lv1, Physical Strengthening lv1, Great Strength lv1, Sword Qi lv1, All-Attribute Resistance lv1]
Under the crisis of death, Croton had actually broken through the final shackle.
He had transcended to become extraordinary, becoming a first-rank swordsman!
At this moment, he had completely shattered the limits of humanity; his strength and body had entirely surpassed those of a mortal.
Blood flowed from Croton's eyes as he gripped his broadsword, feeling the vast power surging from the depths of his being.
"Extraordinary... extraordinary!"
"I have finally broken the human limit. As expected, only death can drive a man to grow!"
Croton looked at the powerful Exiled Sentry before him.
That overwhelming pressure no longer seemed so terrifying.
He tightened his grip on the broadsword and, treading through the water, lunged toward the Exiled Sentry.
The heavy sword cleaved from top to bottom, a silver Sword Qi slicing through the air.
And Sword Qi was precisely the proof of becoming a first-rank swordsman.
The proof of being truly extraordinary!
The Exiled Sentry raised its thick wood shield to block; amidst flying wood chips, Croton had already rushed in close, leaping into the air and gripping his sword with both hands.
"Die!"
Accompanied by an excited roar, the broadsword tore through the air, turning into a streak of silver light that slashed straight down at the sentry's head.
The Exiled Sentry quickly swung its greatsword upward, striking against the incoming blade light.
Wood chips flew once again.
The red copper edge of the greatsword was cleaved directly open, and the broadsword bit deep into the center of the blade.
Croton was currently beyond ecstatic.
"The Well of Eternal Imprisonment—this is the place of transformation where the Goddess of Light has guided me!"
The Exiled Sentry felt no fear.
Its duty and purpose were singular: to expel all intruders of the Well of Eternal Imprisonment.
To ensure these despicable thieves who coveted its Master's treasure never returned.
The Exiled Sentry dropped the shield in its left hand; the wood of its entire left arm grew rapidly, transforming into sharp Wood Spikes that lunged straight toward Croton.
Croton pulled out his broadsword, kicked off the Exiled Sentry's greatsword, and performed a mid-air flip to dodge the thrust.
The moment he landed and splashed into the water, his body turned into a blur as he charged again.
The Exiled Sentry roared in fury, alternating between slamming down with its Wood Spikes and its greatsword.
Croton's pupils constricted rapidly.
His swift movements seemed to predict the Exiled Sentry's every action.
Then, finding a gap in the attacks, he lunged straight for the Exiled Sentry's chest.
The edges of the broadsword were wrapped in a layer of silver Sword Qi, which quickly tore through the wooden armor and pierced through the Exiled Sentry's chest.
"Heresy. Purge," Croton spoke through gritted teeth.
However, in the next second, the wooden armor on the Exiled Sentry's chest exploded without warning.
Under the powerful force of the impact, sharp Wood Spikes shot directly toward the front of Croton's body.
Even as one who was now extraordinary, Croton could not possibly block such a massive amount of shrapnel-like attacks at once.
He rapidly swung his broadsword to create a curtain of Sword Qi, blocking most of the Wood Spikes.
But some still managed to sink deep into his body.
Ignoring his injuries, he rolled backward by instinct, narrowly avoiding the Exiled Sentry's greatsword.
At this time, the wooden armor on the Exiled Sentry's chest was completely shattered and was struggling to grow and heal.
Yet this did not hinder the Exiled Sentry's movements in the slightest.
By now, the Wood Spikes on the Exiled Sentry's left hand had also grown into a greatsword.
Holding a greatsword in each hand, it slammed them down toward Croton without mercy.
Green toxic mist also surged out from its chest.
Croton had become extraordinary and gained strong poison resistance.
However, before his breakthrough, his body had already sustained significant injuries under extreme strain, and his strength was nearly exhausted.
The recent attack had created large open wounds on his body.
Now, the toxic mist entered his body directly through those wounds.
Even with his extraordinary body, he could not completely ignore toxins introduced in such a direct manner.
A sense of paralysis began to spread from his wounds.
He wanted to leave the range of the toxic mist, but the Exiled Sentry would never give him that chance.
Having completely abandoned defense, the Exiled Sentry now held a greatsword in each hand, its attacks wide and heavy, pinning Croton firmly within the toxic mist.
The paralysis became more and more apparent.
The fatigue accumulated by his body also began to resurface.
If—if only he could have a moment to rest, it would never be like this.
Croton couldn't help but think this.
But in this dangerous and eerie dungeon, there were no "ifs."
He would die; he really was going to die!
As the paralysis continued to spread, Croton grew more and more terrified.
He was already extraordinary, a first-rank swordsman; how could he possibly die here?
He was no longer an ordinary person; he was going to become a noble, receive a title, and become a great figure like a lord.
Croton's will to fight plummeted.
As long as he escaped, he could come back later and deal with this heretical monster then.
That's right, flee. What he needed to do now was flee.
Croton violently parried the Exiled Sentry's greatsword, turned around, and ran.
But the other greatsword slammed heavily onto his back.
Flesh was torn apart, and cracks even appeared in his spine.
Ignoring the pain, Croton desperately sprinted toward the entrance of this hidden boss room.
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