Isekai For Hire Chapter 3: Will of the Colossus Activated

Read chapter 3 of Isekai For Hire by wk_rust on NovelPedia.

Will of the Colossus Activated Asher wasn’t sure what was worse: the certainty of dying, or the humiliation of dying to a fucking Mage. The Frozen Chains bit into his legs and torso, ice gnawing through his scorched armor until his breath came out in ragged plumes. Across the shattered plane, Bale kept his distance, palms raised, threads of crimson fire coiling around his fingers. Three… Frost cracked along Asher’s shoulders as he struggled against the chains. Two… His heart hammered against his ribs, a war drum under his skin. One. Rage boiled up like molten iron. Will of the Colossus activated Muscles twitched as his Critical Strike Chance spiked. The world shuddered. Chains shattered in a burst of shards as Asher exploded forward, boots gouging deep marks in the frozen dirt. Bale had two seconds left on his cast. He’s so strong, Ren breathed. But he can’t defeat Bale. No one can. Pay attention, Ren. Watch what happens. Asher leapt into the air, axe overhead. It came down in a thundering crash that split the ground, but Bale had already moved, teleporting thirty yards away. Asher watched in horror as the cast finished. Bright light, immense heat. A flaming spear cut the night sky as it arced toward him. He fumbled in his inventory and threw a Haunted Coin. Shadows came to life all around Bale, biting and screaming. He ignored them as they whittled away his Mana shield, already starting his next cast. Asher held steady as the sulfuric smell of his burning hair intruded his nostrils. His skin blistered. He stared down the spear, vision consumed by flames until the last moment. Spell Reflect Activated The spear slammed into an invisible barrier, inches from Asher’s face, then bounded back toward Bale. It crashed in a torrent of flames, transforming the landscape around him into a hellfire. Asher didn’t wait for Bale to recover, capitalizing on the chaos. Bale was at 50% health to Asher’s 30%. For the first time, a sliver of hope blossomed. He targeted one of the apparitions swarming Bale and used Courageous Sacrifice, invisible forces pulling him toward the apparition in exchange for some minor damage. He landed in front of the flame covered Bale and swung his axe. It tore through cloth and flesh until it met bone. Bale screamed; Asher didn’t stop. He followed it up with a shock inducing haymaker to Bale’s jaw. The System called it Pummel; Asher just called it five borrowed seconds. Asher activated Overwhelming Rage and his vision narrowed as unfiltered blood lust and power ripped through him. He stacked this with his Trinket of the Fallen, he was going to make this count. He grunted as his axe sank deep into Bale’s spine and he felt a fraction of the damage dealt seep back into himself as health. He let the blood lust overtake him, his axe a blur of fury and pain. His heart pounded in his ears as the System announced Execute Range Achieved Asher roared as he performed Execute, all his power and rage dumped into one powerful swing, slicing deep into Bale’s chest. Manic laughter bubbled up as he saw Bale’s health plummet to 17%. Can he—? Ren gasped in her mind. Can he actually kill Bale? No. Lorena already knew what came next. Asher kicked Bale in the chest as he ripped out his axe, leaving behind a gaping hole. He stood there, towering over the Mage as he enjoyed this moment. It was rare that he had a fight as challenging as this one, and he wanted to honor the Mage for providing it. He raised his axe one final time and activated War Machine for increased Execute damage. But then the world went cold and dark. His vision tunneled to a mere pinprick as he felt a grinding against his ribs, like nails on a chalkboard but felt deep inside his soul. His eyes fell on the bloody sword that protruded from his chest. Alert: Health below 5%. Exit Everwind immediately Asher fell to one knee, his mind heavy with fear. Where had that sword come from? He watched as a Rogue helped Bale to his feet. Asher had faced death many times before this