Interlude

Teraq

Teraq knew he was nowhere near the strongest warriors of his generation. Ulfar, Astrid, Björn, and others were stronger than him. And while he did not like that, Teraq could accept it. However, as someone who followed the path of combat and bloodshed like every true Barbarian should, he couldn’t understand Hakon.

The Ancestors punished him with the Mind, an Ancient Power that should have made it impossible to keep up with the strongest of their generation, yet that was not the case. If anything, Hakon was stronger than ever. He won the Battle of Generation when his first opponent should have crushed him.

Did that mean the Ancestors were wrong? Or… that they did not punish him with his Ancient Power? That could not be. It made no sense. There was no way the Ancestors had acknowledged and accepted Hakon. Hakon was a failure who awakened the Mind. Thus, Teraq challenged the chieftain’s son to see for himself.

“I will crush you,” Teraq growled, lowering his body in impatience. He dug his feet deep into the ground and propelled himself forward without hesitation.

Teraq watched Hakon narrow his eyes at him, but there was no way he could escape [Herculean Sprint]. The Skill channeled his Ancient Power, Herculean Strength, into his lower body, allowing him to close the distance between them swiftly.

But while Teraq was fast and confident, his charge was filled with the intent of destruction, Hakon simply watched him. The chieftain’s son regarded him from head to toe, a flash of scheming intelligence glinting in his eyes, yet he didn’t move. Not until Teraq reached him, his fist shooting forward and aiming for the head.

Teraq had yet to acquire [Unarmed Weapon Mastery], but it was not like that mattered. He was confident in his strength and speed. A weakling with the Mind wouldn’t pose a threat to him.

Yet even as he was certain of his superiority, Hakon’s fight against Ulfar and the others flashed before his eyes. The chieftain’s son was not weak and deserved to be treated with the respect of every Barbarian. Even if his Ancient Power was lackluster, he still followed the path of the Barbarians. Letting out a growl, Teraq channeled his Ancient Power, Herculean Strength, into his arms. He empowered most of his body in an instant and struck out, only to watch Hakon twist out of the attack.

Teraq followed up with several more strikes, frustration building as he realized that none of his attacks hit the mark. Agitated, his punches ripped through the air with ever-increasing ferocity.

Stop escaping, weasel! He roared in his head, cursing Hakon but also himself for failing to hit his foe even once. One time. That was all he needed to win the battle. To crush Hakon and show everyone that he was stronger than most and that Hakon was not as powerful as everyone made him out to be.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

But no matter how strong Teraq was, Herculean Strength was useless if he couldn’t even hit his target. And that was exactly what was happening. Hakon wasn’t even that fast, yet hitting him seemed like an impossibility. Not even an ounce of power radiated from him. The corner of his lips curled up, his body was neither tense nor showing signs of exhaustion.

Hakon was playing around. He wasn’t even trying.