Gods Swordplay 2

I lunged myself at the nearest golem, raising my testing sword in one fluid swipe. I knew that Wren wanted to mimic the environment of war, so I acted as if the golems were actual humans. I slashed at the golem’s jugular, and as expected, the golem fell on the floor, spewing a red liquid from its wound.

Another golem—this one wielding a large halberd—charged at me from behind. As it lowered its stance to thrust its weapon at me, I pivoted with my sword in position to parry the head of the halberd. However, even with a body strengthened with Sylvia’s will on top of mana, I was thrown off balance at the force of the stab. I spun to alleviate some of the momentum caused by the blow, but I had no time to breath as another golem shoved me with his iron shield.

Annoyed, I lashed out with a punch, my fist clad in lightning. The metal shield crumbled and the golem was shocked to the ground. Just then, the golem wielding the halberd swung his weapon at my head.

However, another golem, one of a different color, blocked my attacker with his shield.

“You’ll have allies in battle, Arthur. As one of the main players in the battle, it’ll be up to you whether you choose to be on the offensive—plowing through the lines of enemies—or staying near your team, keeping them alive.” I saw Wren overhead, floating in the sky as he sat on an earthen throne along with Windsom.

The battle resumed as the pile of golem corpses stacked on top of one another on the battlefield. I imagined the anthropomorphic summons made of stone as humans instead. The scene back in the dungeon, Widow’s Crypt, flashed to mind, leaving me a little nauseous.

As the hours drove on, the mock war that Wren had me endure began taking its toll. I understood more and more why gaining this experience was so crucial.

I had experienced wars only from the backline, strategizing for different scenarios on a macro level. Now, being in the middle of the battlefield, there were so many factors that differed from the usual duels that I had grown accustomed to since my previous life: the corpses and severed limbs that one could trip over, the blood that accumulated on the ground to form puddles that one could slip on. Even with the bright colors indicating the different sides the golems were on, it was easy to accidentally swing at an ally in the heat of a battle, creating a mental toll on reckless attacks that could potentially put allies in harm’s way.

As much as I hated giving credit to the eccentric asura, Wren did well creating an optimal learning environment. I wasn’t sure what sort of magic he had used, but the red liquid that the golems bled were very similar to that of blood. Soon, as the corpses of both enemy golems and ally golems increased and the blood-like liquid dyed the ground, a foul smell exuded the battlefield.

I realized how precious my mana reserves were as the hours of continuous battle dragged on. Even with my mana core at the mid-silver stage and my use of Mana Rotation, I had to know how to conserve my usage of magic. Flashy, long-range spells were better left to the conjurers in the back line as I spent my mana protecting myself and only in cases of emergency.

Throughout the battle, Wren shouted out pointers, advising me to avoid being herded into a corner as I continued to mow down enemy golems. Every now and then, golems that were stronger than usual would pop up, throwing me off guard as they massacred the golems on my side. I didn’t want to admit it, but I was positive that Wren could easily conjure a golem capable of killing me if he wanted to.

The day ended when I was able to take down all of the major golems that Wren had been so kind to distinguish with golden crowns on top of their heads.

“That was brutal,” I sighed, laying flat on the ground. I was in an almost constant state of battle from the moment I was rudely awakened, with no chance to eat, drink, or even pee.