The shift in Ragnhildr's form was startling. Her muscles bulged and her frame expanded. Her intricately carved hammer also followed suit and became larger.
"Surprised, little morsel?" Her voiced boomed, the sound echoing off the ruined walls of the courtyard.
Andrew gripped his dagger tightly. The size difference was immense. At his current attacking skills, direct confrontation will prove futile and suicidal. He needed to rely on his stupidly brilliant ideas again.
His mind raced, analyzing the situation.
The 'Body Development and Enhancement' skill was definitely potent. He needed to avoid getting hit by that hammer at all costs.
'No matter the size.. I'll still win' he muttered, his voice barely audible.
He began to circle, keeping his distance, his eyes darting across Ragnhildr's enlarged form, searching for an opening. The jagged hill rubble behind him offered some potential, but also limited his escape routes.
"Run all you want.. little insect" Ragnhildr said, her eyes showing amusement to Andrew's antics. "Eventually I'll squash you!"
She took a heavy step forward, the ground trembling beneath her weight.
Andrew needed a plan and fast before he gets turned into mashed bloody potatoes. The courtyard that once served as an advantage, is now a cage with a monstrous, large, predating orc.
Andrew feinted to the left, then darted to the right, maintaining his distance. Ragnhildr lumbered after him, her footsteps creating loud rumbling sounds. Andrew reached the top of the jagged hill gaining a temporary height advantage.
"C'mon slowpoke" Andrew taunted.
Ragnhildr roared in frustration and swung her hammer. The blow was devastating, shattering a large chunk of rock where Andrew has been standing moments before.
The force of the impact sent tremors, making Andrew lose his footing. He slid down, narrowly avoiding another blow from the hammer.
"Tchh" he hissed as he landed awkwardly near a cluster of sharp, broken stones. An idea sparked in his mind, desperate and risky.
As Ragnhildr advanced aiming for another swing of her hammer, Andrew lunged forward, sliding across the ground.
Instead of attacking her directly, he aimed for her feet. His dagger flashed, not in a piercing thrust, but a desperate slash across her enlarged ankle. The thick, green skin was surprisingly tough but the dagger still managed to cut deep.
Ragnhildr roared in pain and stumbled. Her massive weight shifted and for a heart-stopping moment, she lost her balance. The jagged hill of rubble beneath her immense size, gave away.
She toppled sideways with a deafening crash, her hammer falling beside her with a ground shaking thud.
Andrew scrambled back, putting distance between himself and the fallen giant orc. He watched, trying to catch his breath, as Ragnhildr tried to regain her footing on the loose debris. Her injured ankle clearly hampered her movements.
Andrew didn't hesitate. He sprinted towards the fallen hammer. It was enormous, far too heavy for him to wield but that wasn't his plan.
"Ahhhhhh" With all his remaining strength, he heaved against the intricately carved head of the hammer, trying to push it further into the unstable rubble beneath Ragnhildr. The stone groaned and shifted.
Ragnhildr, managing to push herself partially upright, roared in anger as she saw Andrew's intent.
"You little..." She tried to lunge at him, but her injured ankle buckled.
Just then with a final, grindind sound, the rubble beneath Ragnhildr shifted dramatically.
A large section of the collapsed building, dislodged by the weight and the awkward angle of her fall, slid downwards.
"Aahhhhhh" Ragnhildr roared in despair.
Ragnhildr, caught off balance and unable to move quickly, was dragged down with it, disappearing into a newly formed chasm of dust and debris.
Silence descended once more, heavier this time. Andrew stood panting, his body aching, staring at the spot where the monstrous orc has vanished.
He had survived by a hair's breadth and desperate gamble.
[Congratulations you've eliminated Ragnhildr, The StoneHeart]
[Level Three mission accomplished]
[+10 Orc Monarch Points]
[+40 Orc Monarch Points achievement for level three]
[Orc Monarch successfully unlocked_+960 Points remaining]
[Create Personal Monarch Unlocked]
[+4000 Coins]
[Balance: 8950 Coins]
[Two more levels to pass Qualifying SurgeBorn Stage]
[+10 Guardian Spirit Points]
"Surge born? What's that?"
"Most importantly! I can create my own monarch?!" He yelled in happiness,. immediately displacing his previous thoughts on SurgeBorn.
[Error: Can't create, zero additions]
"Huh?"
Immediately, the prompt displayed his status.
---------------------------------------------------
[Status]
[Coins: 8950]
[Level: 4]
[Stage: SurgeBorn Qualification Stage (LVL 1 to LVL 5)]
[Titles: 0]
[Badges: 0]
[Monarchs: 0]
[Monarch Points (Overall): 95]
[Skills & Abilities: 0]
[Guardian Spirit Points: 40]
[Weapons: Nyxian Dagger]
[Spins: 3]
------------------------------------------------------
"All these seem like trash to me..like I even understand a thing" he scoffed.
[Commence Level Four]
"Commence"
The surroundings pixelated as usual, that is the only thing Andrew has gotten used to.
He found himself in an abandoned castle, with a very bad stench.
[Welcome to Castle Of Doom_ dwelling place of trolls and Ogres]
[Ogres: Mountain-sized brutes with clubs and dim cunning]
[Trolls: Forest stalkers, wily and strong with mossy hides]
[Ranks: E1 to E2]
[Mission: Kill every last opponent]
[Opponent count: 15 Ogres_15 Trolls]
[Reward: +10 Guardian Spirit Points_+30 Mabeasts Monarch Points_+4500 Coins_One free Spin]
Before Andrew could even utter a word, the castle was filled with annoying, loud roars and growls. Meaning bangs, war cries, murderous sounds filled the area.
Trolls and ogres emerged from different angles of the castle, each wielding a different weapon. They snarled at Andrew and glared at him with ferocity and menace.
Andrew was slightly terrified. He let out a deep breath and grinned at the monsters, exhilaration and dark thrills written all over his face.
He assumed a fighting stance and got ready to brutally kill any of the monsters that lunged at him.
Somehow, this level might have seem to awaken some kind of thrill in him. His eyes became murderous as he glanced at each of the monsters with cold eyes.
It was him and his faithful dagger against 30 smelling, predating, monsters.
"Hmmm..Let's dance"