Chapter 295 Raise The Bars
Northern, of course, with Chaos Eyes and a dawning understanding of swordsmanship itself, could execute a sharper and swifter attack.
He parried a spear thrust, the weapon clanging against his blade, and countered with a quick, downward slash that severed his opponent's arm.
The White Walker screamed, a chilling sound that echoed through the hall, and Northern finished him with a swift strike to the neck.
[Congratulations, you have…]
Northern's eyes parted into two on each part and were lighted with a predatory glow as he moved through the darkness in the hall.
Each flicker of movement, every nuance in the White Walkers' stances, was laid bare before his eyes even when he seemed not to be watching.
He was taking his time to experiment with the lessons he had learned from the voice with the keywords:
"Hold your sword like a bird, firm enough that it won't escape but gentle enough not to crush it"
"Let it be an extension of your hand, not just an object that you wield"
While the first sentence was practical, the other statement was something he was still trying to figure out.
He hoped for every strike, every swing of his sword to guide him towards a better understanding of the statement.
But each felled his opponent, and his understanding of the practicality that those words meant didn't sink in.
While it is something that one could understand easily, it was a different feel from realizing it with actions.
Just like he could for the first statement.
Holding his sword "like a bird, firm enough that it won't escape but gentle enough not to crush it" was with a sense of realization.
The sword felt alive in his hands and sometimes, in conjunction with the vision scope of his Chaos Eyes, it was as if the sword itself was guiding him through the best route of attack.
Northern loved it. He didn't even know when his eyes were filled with gore while spilling the blood of these monsters.
He very much resembled the monster this time around.
Northern relaxed his composure as he felled another one and looked at the last White Walker with a predatory menace.
The White Walker grimaced and launched at him with a spear, the weapon slicing through the air with a fierce whistle.
Northern sidestepped, his body fluid and reactive, and parried the spear.
In the same motion, he brought his sword down in a swift, ruthless arc, severing the creature's arm.
The White Walker howled, the sound a bone-chilling wail that echoed through the cavernous hall.
Northern slowly walked towards the monster while it crawled away quickly.
He stabbed his sword into its leg before it could crawl any further, pinning it to the ground.
Then bent down and glared into the White Walker's eyes, his wafting with horror mixed with menace, alighting his eyes with an ethereal blue glow.
Just at the time Raven also reached in front of him, she looked at him and said:
"I think you should focus on securing Ulzred, I'll take it from here."
Northern raised his eyes at her. He could understand what she meant; he plunged out his sword, causing the White Walker to cry out once more.
Then he disappeared into the darkness of the hall; seconds later, the hall was filled with the gruesome cries of the White Walker.
Northern blizzarded through the channels of halls and finally got to a large double door.
But in front of that door was a familiar enemy.
Krullgath, who was standing at the door alone with his eyes closed, opened his eyes and looked up at Northern.
Northern's hasty stop came to a slow fade, and he cautiously moved towards the Commander General of the White Walkers.
Aware of his cautiousness, Krullgath stayed patient and just stood there motionless, staring at Northern.
Northern finally arrived barely five meters away from him and came to a halt.
The two stood face to face for a couple of pressuring seconds. Then Northern made an absurd statement.
"Will you be willing to let me kidnap Ulzred without a fight?" he said.
Immediately, a deep fiery frown fell on the creature's face. He threw his hand down and grabbed his bone ax quickly, shooting towards Northern with mad speed.
He brought the sword heavily upon Northern.
In that split second that Krullgath lunged, Northern's pulse quickened, the air vibrating with the very force of the White Walker's mad charge.
The bone ax sang a deathly soft song as it descended in a brutal arc.
But Northern's instincts kicked in; his Chaos Eyes dilated, perceiving each minute detail in perfect and slowed clarity.
He slid to the side, narrowly evading the ax's deadly edge.
The impact of Krullgath's swing reverberated through the ground as it smashed into the stone floor, sending shards of rock flying.
Northern didn't waste a moment. Using the momentum of his sidestep, he brought his sword up in a fluid motion, aiming for Krullgath's exposed side.
But of course, the Commander was quicker than he seemed.
Krullgath's free hand shot out, deflecting Northern's blade, a portion of his fist hardened with ice.
The clash, although like the sound of metal on metal, rang out like a death knell.
Northern's sword vibrated in his grip, but he tightened his hold, the grip like a bird — firm but not crushing.
Krullgath growled, a sound that was more beast than man, reminding Northern in that blinking moment that in the end, these lots were monsters.
And that reminder flickered in Northern's eyes as they became dead cold as Krullgath swung his ax in a backhanded sweep.
Northern ducked, feeling the rush of air as the ax narrowly missed his head. He rolled forward, springing to his feet behind Krullgath and delivered a quick, precise slash across the creature's back.
A line of darkish-violet blood welled up from the cut, but Krullgath hardly seemed to notice.
He spun around, his ax a blur of motion, and Northern had to leap backward to avoid being cleaved in two.
The force of Krullgath's swing was immense; even as Northern dodged, he could feel the pressure wave from the ax's swing.
Northern circled his opponent, his eyes flickering, taking in every detail. Krullgath was a formidable opponent; he had seen that much from the Commander's fight with Raven.
His movements were powerful and controlled, his strikes deadly and deliberate.
If Northern would win this fight, he needed to find a weakness and…
He paused right there.
While that seemed like a smart thing, Northern felt wronged somewhat.
'I have been in a much worse rift and survived; I am powerful, I should be able to do this by sheer overwhelming strength and not exploiting his weakness.'
For some reason, right now, Northern was grinning with so much excitement.