CHAPTER 166: SKILL OF THE ORB!

The light twisted, stretched, and solidified until a colossal figure took form behind her.

It was a giant warrior—an ethereal being nearly the size of a mountain. Its body was forged of golden and crimson energy, a seamless weave of fire and starlight that shimmered like molten steel.

The giant was not monstrous, but majestic. Her form was that of a warrior goddess—tall, elegant, and terrifying to behold.

Flowing strands of energy fell from her shoulders like hair, rippling with a radiant glow. Her eyes

burned like twin suns, unblinking, filled with judgment and warlike might.

Clutched in her hand was a sword—massive, radiant, and impossibly sharp.

Every detail of the sword was mirrored, yet magnified a hundredfold, glowing as though it could cleave through heaven and earth alike.

The giant’s presence weighed heavily upon the battlefield, pressing down on the feral beast until its knees bent and its growl turned into a whimper of primal fear.

Elysia’s hair whipped wildly in the roaring energy storm, her body trembling under the sheer pressure of the summoned power.

Yet she stood firm, her hands tightening on the Oathblade’s hilt. Though her own sword was small compared to the giant’s, they were connected—her movements would guide the towering warrior behind her.

The air thickened, humming with divine power.

The villagers watching from afar felt their knees buckle, unable to stand beneath the oppressive aura.

The giant figure raised its colossal sword, and when it swung.

The arc of the slash was so wide and powerful. All of Elysia’s strength poured into the blow—mixed with the raw magic of the orb and the echoes of countless battles locked within the Oathblade.

The moment the strike landed and the ground shook. A thunderous shockwave burst out in every direction, tearing through the clearing like a storm.

Small trees were ripped from the earth, their roots snapping in midair, while jagged rocks scattered like pebbles in a flood.

The ground split with deep cracks as dust and leaves spun wildly into the air.

The beast let out a furious roar as the force hurled it backward. Its massive body smashed into the soil, skidding across the earth before slamming to a stop.

The sheer scale of the attack left it stunned, its muscles trembling as it tried to rise.

Elysia’s sword vibrated in her hands, resonating with the giant figure that loomed protectively behind her.

The runes etched along the blade burned brighter, their glow wrapping around her arms in streams of golden-red light.

Her breath steadied, her stance firm.

With the orb’s power still coursing through her veins, she tightened her grip on the Oathblade, readying herself for the next strike.

Elysia steadied her breathing as the orb pulsed with blinding energy.

The runes raced across her arms, flowing into the Oathblade until its edge burned a fierce crimson, brighter than fire and heavier than steel.

She bent her knees and burst forward, her speed so sudden that the ground cracked under her feet.

With a mighty leap, she soared into the sky, higher than the treetops, her blade trailing long arcs of molten-red light.

For a heartbeat, she hung suspended against the night sky, her figure framed by the glowing giant warrior behind her.

"JUDGE OF TITAN"

Her voice rang like thunder. The giant warrior mirrored her movement, both blades—hers and its colossal counterpart—descending in perfect unison.

From above, it was as though a blazing star had been ripped from the heavens and hurled down upon the earth.

The swing landed.

The force was apocalyptic. A wave of energy exploded outward, tearing through the forest.

The beast could only watch as she struck with the powerful skill.

Ancient trees bowed, their trunks splintering like brittle wood; boulders cracked and were flung aside.

The ground itself gave way, a massive glowing scar ripped into the soil, scorching and blackened as if fire and lightning had fused.

The Feral Rank Beast didn’t even have time to scream. Its body was cleaved in two, its massive frame crashing down with a thunderous roar that shook the clearing.

Blood and shadowy essence evaporated under the burning glow of the strike.

Elysia landed gracefully, her blade humming with residual energy. The towering giant figure faded slowly behind her, dissolving into sparks of light.

For a moment, all that remained was the faint crimson glow of the scarred earth, proof of her overwhelming strike.

The beast lay broken. And the name of the attack, Judge of Titan, echoed in the air.

Her mana and strength were almost exhausted as the skill drained stamina.

But the victory did not last long.

From the thick shadows of the forest, shapes began to move. One pair of glowing eyes appeared, then another, then many more—until fifteen Feral Rank Beasts stepped into the clearing.

Their claws scraped against the ground. They did not rush in blindly.

Instead, they moved with grim purpose, circling around the corpse of their fallen kin.

It was as if they were both mourning its death and swearing revenge in the same breath.

The ground seemed to tremble under their combined presence, their growls layering into a terrifying chorus that echoed through the forest and the nearest southern village.

Elysia’s chest rose and fell sharply.

The clash had drained more mana than she had expected. Her legs wavered for a moment, and she had to steady herself with her sword.

Behind her, the towering silhouette of the giant female figure flickered, almost shimmering into reality again.

Its enormous frame loomed, ready to descend once more if she willed it.

But she couldn’t summon it again. The strain had nearly broken her body the first time.

Even now, her arms tingled with numbness, and her veins burned with the residue of the orb’s power.

Her knuckles tightened around the hilt of her blade. Surrounded, weakened, yet unwilling to retreat—Elysia stood her ground as the beasts closed in, their glowing eyes narrowing, ready to strike.

"There are... more of them," she whispered. Her eyes darted from one shadowy figure to the next, counting, calculating.

"I won’t be able to face them alone."

Her knees wavered, the backlash of her last strike draining what little mana remained.

"I need another way"... she told herself. "If I charge head-on, I’ll fall before I even cut down half of them. I can’t summon her again... the orb’s power won’t hold. Then... what do I do?"

Her eyes swept the battlefield—the broken trees, the scarred earth, the glowing fissure from her last strike.

Sparks of an idea began to flicker in her mind.

"No... I can’t give in."