Chapter 171: Oathguard Judgment!

Nolan shook a finger. He was no longer the man who had once needed to gamble his life for even the slightest chance against Yuri. “The archduke wants me dead? He’s not my father. Just because he wants something doesn’t mean I have to obey.”

He raised Mountain’s Resonance, golden runes shimmering faintly across the heavy blade as he settled into a standard military sword stance of the Elfin Kingdom.

“The only one dying here will be you. And don’t worry, it won’t be long before that old bastard Demont goes down to join you.”

Fenrir’s expression darkened further. He had seen arrogant people before, but never anyone this arrogant. “I thought that old soldier was your leader. Didn’t expect it to really be some brat like you.” His gaze lingered on Nolan’s absurdly young face, the killing intent in his eyes growing colder. “You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that. Too bad courage alone won’t save your life.”

Nolan merely shrugged and said nothing more. There was nothing worth discussing with an enemy.

Fenrir took two steps back into the murky river, muddy water splashing around his boots. “Your greatest mistake was choosing to fight me near water.”

Before the last word had even faded, he drove the ice-blue sword viciously into the river beneath his feet.

“Frostbite Domain!”

A deep hum echoed outward as endless, bone-piercing cold erupted from his body and spread wildly in every direction.

Crack! Crack! Craaack!

The flowing surface of the Somme River froze at an unbelievable speed. Thick ice spread outward in all directions, covering nearly a hundred meters in the blink of an eye.

The allied soldiers still struggling in the river suddenly discovered their legs frozen solid in place. Frost rapidly crawled up their bodies, and their screams lasted less than a second before cutting off abruptly. Terror and despair remained permanently etched on their faces as they became lifelike ice sculptures.

Within mere seconds, most of the river had transformed into a silent frozen hell.

What an overbearing area attack.

Though Nolan had mocked him verbally, he had remained on guard the entire time. The instant Fenrir moved, Nolan immediately retreated, trying to distance himself from the rapidly freezing waters.

But he was still one step too slow.

The frozen river suddenly seemed to come alive as water reared upward and transformed into countless icy tendrils that instantly wrapped around Nolan’s feet.

“!”

Nolan felt his footing tighten as an icy chill pierced through the gaps in the leg armor of Immovable Bulwark. He immediately exerted force, trying to yank himself free.

Crack!

The ice binding his legs shattered apart, shards flying everywhere. But the freedom lasted only a moment.

Though his boots tore free from the frozen surface, more river water surged upward to form new icy claws. The ice retained strange fluid-like properties despite its solidity, instantly coiling around him again.

The frozen talons clamped tightly onto his ankles and continued creeping upward until both calves were firmly locked in place. Intense numbness spread through his legs as the heat in his body drained away at terrifying speed.

Standing atop the frozen river, Fenrir watched the ice climb all the way to Nolan’s waist and trap him immobile. He looked thoroughly satisfied with the effect of the technique.

“You sure talk big, but from what I can see, you’re not even as capable as that old soldier from before.”

Pulling his sword free, he began walking across the frozen river toward Nolan, each step crunching against solid ice.

“Don’t worry. Once you’re dead, they’ll all follow you soon enough. Once my Frostbite Domain catches you, you still think you can—”

He stopped mid-sentence.

As a warrior who had clawed his way to Gold rank through countless battles, Fenrir’s instincts suddenly screamed at him. A sharp killing intent had appeared behind him without warning, so intense that every hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

Someone was behind him!

Fenrir reacted instantly. Without even thinking, he gripped his sword with both hands, twisted at the waist, and slashed backward in one motion.

His blade struck nothing.

But the moment he turned around, he saw it.

The black-armored commander who should have been trapped in place by Frostbite Domain was now standing three steps behind him, both hands gripping that ancient-looking greatsword raised high overhead.

It was Nolan.

How had he gotten behind him? What the hell was going on?!

Out of the corner of his eye, Fenrir saw the “Nolan” still frozen in place by the ice claws suddenly waver like a reflection in water before gradually fading away completely. All that remained was a hollow shell of ice frozen chest-high, uselessly imprisoning empty air and proving that someone had once stood there.

Fenrir had no time to understand the mechanism behind it, because the real Nolan was not the kind of person who gave enemies opportunities.

Regicide Assault, activated!

After marking a target, Regicide Assault created a phantom clone behind the enemy that lasted for 0.75 seconds. During that time, Nolan could swap positions with it an unlimited number of times, and his next attack would deal additional damage.

This was Nolan’s first time using the skill in actual combat. The duration was so short he only had time to switch positions once.

But once was enough.

“My turn.”

Nolan gripped Mountain’s Resonance with both hands as the golden runes blazing across the sword erupted with light.

“Oath: Extermination!”

The moment the words fell, Fenrir’s entire body became shrouded in crimson light within Nolan’s vision. At the same time, three red marks appeared on Fenrir’s left shoulder, the center of his back, and his right knee.

Weak points exposed.

This was the ultimate skill Nolan obtained after maxing out his Level 25 Glory Guardian class: Oathguard Judgment.

As the Glory Guardian’s ultimate skill, it could be used for both offense and defense.

When used on an enemy, the target would suffer a 20% increase in damage taken for three minutes. During that time, all of Nolan’s attacks would gain additional damage equal to 80% of his defense stat while also revealing the target’s weak points directly.

To activate the effect, Nolan had to speak the words “Oath: Extermination!” aloud, and the target had to hear it.

When used on an ally instead, Oathguard Judgment transformed into Oath: Protection. For five minutes, it granted a defensive shield equal to 120% of Nolan’s attack power, and during that period, the target’s head and heart would no longer count as fatal weak points.

Nolan did not hesitate. Mountain’s Resonance had already accumulated enough power long ago as he brought the sword crashing down.

Divine Infusion!

Brilliant golden holy flames instantly engulfed the blade, and the searing heat warped even the frigid air created by Frostbite Domain.

Even a mid-Gold powerhouse like Fenrir lost his composure in the face of Nolan’s earth-shattering strike.

Just moments ago, he had believed victory was already decided. Yet somehow, a mere Silver-rank brat had appeared behind him in an instant using such a bizarre method.

Wasn’t he supposed to be a warrior? Why were his abilities even stranger and more unpredictable than those slippery mages?

As Nolan spoke, Fenrir felt an invisible force locking onto him completely.

It was too late to retreat. In that split-second moment, he chose not to defend. Instead, he roared and slashed back at Nolan’s neck in an attempt to force a mutual injury and drive him away.

“Frostfall Slash!”

His viciousness surged to the forefront. In a narrow clash, the fiercer fighter prevailed!

Fenrir was confident that even in a trade of injuries, his physical strength far surpassed Nolan’s. Nolan would inevitably come out worse.

But what Nolan possessed was genuine Sword Saint-level mastery and experience in the military swordsmanship of the Elfin Kingdom. How could he possibly waste such a perfect opportunity?

The blades scraped together with a shower of sparks and a shrill metallic screech.

As Nolan brought his sword down, his wrist twisted subtly, sending a hidden force through the blade that knocked Fenrir’s sword off course and caused it to slide away harmlessly along the side.

Dragged aside by the unexpected force, Fenrir lost his aim. The Frost Wolf Sword, originally meant for Nolan’s neck, slammed heavily into his thick shoulder armor instead with a loud clang.

Fenrir immediately realized disaster was coming. He tried to change forms midway, but it was already too late. He could only desperately twist his body aside to avoid a fatal hit.

Nolan’s strike carried the power amplification of Divine Infusion, the bonus damage from Regicide Assault, and the vulnerability plus weak-point guidance from Oathguard Judgment.

The three skills layered together with his auras increased the power of the attack to more than five times its normal output.

Then the sword struck heavily onto the glowing weak point on Fenrir’s left shoulder.

Slash! A horrifying sound of armor, flesh, and bone being severed rang out as an arm flew high into the air. Blood erupted violently from Fenrir’s now-empty shoulder socket.

“UGHHHAAAAAA—!!!” Fenrir roared in agony and used the momentum of the blow to retreat rapidly, sliding more than ten meters across the ice while glaring hatefully at Nolan.

Nolan did not pursue recklessly after gaining the advantage. He landed steadily on the ice and flicked the blood from his blade.

Hooks extended from the metal boots of Immovable Bulwark and locked firmly into the frozen surface as he once more assumed an attacking stance.

“Don’t make things up. I’m an honest man. I never talk big. I still have far too many things left to do. If you want my life, then I’ll have to trouble you to die first.”