The Gods’ Gacha Game: Return of the God-King

Chapter 62: Fighting Eikthyrnir Part I

Lightning cracked above us as Eikthyrnir’s hooves slammed into the earth, sending a tremor across the battlefield. Although it was only five meters long and three and a half meters tall, the beast felt like a giant. It truly was a divine creature… or at least what remained of one.

“Spread out!” I shouted, bolting to the right flank.

Before my voice left my throat, Boris and Michelle had already scattered.

“SKRRRAAAUUUNNGH!!” The divine stag let out a distorted bellow, its antlers crackling with lightning. Suddenly, a bolt of energy lanced from the sky and struck the ground near Boris, erupting in a violent explosion.

Boom!

Boris was thrown back several meters but managed to roll to his feet while gritting his teeth. “It’s able to wield lightning? This one looks like it’s going to be fun.”

Michelle had already taken position atop a nearby boulder and was firing rapidly. Normal arrows, even if she drew her bow to the limit, probably would’ve bounced off, but with the buff I granted, even standard shots managed to pierce the outer hide. Unfortunately, the damage was minimal. All it did was irritate the beast, provoking its fury.

The stag roared again and lowered its massive antlers that was coiled with heavy iron chains before charging directly toward Boris—its closest target.

“{Spinning Mana Arrow}!” I chanted. The glowing spiral bolt shot from my palm and struck Eikthyrnir in the flank, leaving quite a deep wound that tore open, causing it to spurt blood. But it wasn’t enough to stop the charge.

Boris braced himself with Iron Body already active. As the stag charged closer, he sank low into a wide stance—one fist raised before his chest, the other drawn low near his hip like a grounded anchor. It was clearly a martial guard of a traditional combat style. A stance meant to stop bulls, or in this case, a divine creature.

“Come on, then!” Boris roared.

They collided, and the impact landed like a meteor. The force sent a shockwave through the ground, causing dust and pebbles to scatter. Boris grunted and was pushed back several meters, his boots carving trenches in the dirt. But still, he didn’t break his guard or lose hold of the beast’s momentum.

“Tch… It hits like a whole damn mountain,” Boris muttered before shouting at us, “Go for the legs! It’ll weaken if we cripple them!”

“I’m on it!” I cast another {Spinning Mana Arrow} and struck the stag’s hind leg. It penetrated deep this time, drawing black blood and eliciting a distorted cry from the beast. At the same moment, Michelle fired a frost arrow. It burst on impact near its front hoof, freezing the ground and causing the divine stag to lose footing for just a second, allowing Boris to regain momentum and push back.

Not wasting that chance, I activated Wind Rush and launched myself toward its rear, driving my sword low and aiming just beneath the joint of its back leg.

“Heavy Slash!” I shouted.

Thanks to my improved strength and the boost from my new passive skill, my weapon was able to bite through its thick hide and carve into the joint. Blackened blood sprayed from the wound, and the stag let out a sharp cry. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to make it buckle down. Its defense was absolutely insane.

Just then, the divine stag bellowed, and lightning crackled across its chained antlers. The arcs snapped outward like tendrils and danced across the battlefield.

“Aaargh!” I cried out as electricity coursed through my body. Pain lanced through every limb as my muscles locked up, forcing me to my knees. I barely managed to keep my sword from slipping out of my hand, and I was sure that if I didn’t have the Pain Tolerance skill, I would have fainted.

Since Boris was the closest, he took the brunt of it, especially since his skin was now practically metal. He gritted his teeth and endured the pain, even as sparks appeared across his shoulders and back.

“Grrr… You think this ticklish electricity is enough to take me down? You’re dead wrong!” Boris snarled, charging the stag again with renewed force.

Michelle fired another arrow—this one marked with an orange stripe. It struck the wounded leg and detonated in a fiery burst. Eikthyrnir shrieked and thrashed wildly. One of its front legs kicked out violently, catching Boris and sending him flying. He crashed against the ground a moment later, landing hard on his back with a grunt.

I clenched my teeth and forced myself upright. My limbs still tingled from the lightning, but I couldn’t stop now. Quickly, I cast {Spinning Mana Arrow} twice in rapid succession, and both projectiles struck true, injuring its legs even further. But then, its glowing eyes turned toward me. Uh-oh.

Eikthyrnir lowered its head, lightning surging again across its chained antlers, and charged at me like a bullet train.

Alarmed and unable to dodge, I quickly raised my buckler just in time and braced myself, hoping to absorb the impact. But the moment its head collided with my shield, I came to realize just how enormous its force was; the impact lifted me clean off the ground. My arms screamed in pain as the shock traveled through my bones.

“Gahh!”

Before I could react, one of the antlers discharged another bolt of lightning at point-blank range.

“Ugh—!”

Electricity exploded through my body, and the next moment, I was soaring through the air, vision flashing white as my body flipped through the air like a ragdoll. Then, I crashed hard into the earth, feeling my breath knocked clean out of my lungs. My body hurt all over, and my ears were ringing from the dual shock of lightning and impact.

“Maxim!” Michelle’s voice was sharp with panic.

“Lad!” Boris bellowed.

I groaned, coughing as I rolled onto my side, smoke rising from parts of my scorched armor. I wasn’t dead… but damn, it felt close.

Despite my Pain Tolerance skill dulling the worst of it, I could barely move. My limbs were heavy, my nerves still twitching from the lightning. It felt like an eternity passed before I managed to crack open my eyes and fumble for a healing potion. With a trembling hand, I uncorked it and drank like a drunkard downing beer.

Warmth spread through my chest. Slowly, some sensation returned to my arms and legs.

Finally, I was able to push myself to my knees, barely strong enough to grip my sword’s hilt. Ahead of me, Boris and Michelle were doing their best to hold the divine stag at bay, but I could tell they wouldn’t last much longer.

But I wasn’t done yet. I wasn’t going to fall here!

[Desperate Willpower Lv.5] has activated.

Your overall combat power has been temporarily increased by 18%, and your resistance to pain and mind-affecting status effects has been increased.

Pain Tolerance has leveled up.

A surge of strength returned to my body, and my grip tightened, feeling my breath becoming steadier.

“Fabled Vessel!” I shouted through gritted teeth, rising shakily to my feet.

You have activated Fabled Vessel.

Please select a divine hero or demigod that you want to possess.

[The Crimson Sovereign – Tyrant of the End]

[Voldrath the Eternal – The Lich-King of a Million Souls]

[Alric the Sword Saint – Hero of the Eternal Blade]

[Veyra the Thousand-Arrows – Huntress of the Stars]

[Selene the Moonlit Blade – Phantom of the Night]

…

“Uldrek the Blood Berserker,” I chose without even glancing at the full list of legendary figures that flashed before my eyes.

You have possessed [Uldrek the Blood Berserker].

Warning: Your current stats are too low to receive his full power!

Only 0.5% of Uldrek’s power is transferred to you.

Your stats have temporarily increased significantly.

Your close-combat-related skills have temporarily improved drastically.

You have temporarily acquired a skill: [Blood-Fueled Frenzy Lv.8].

You have temporarily acquired a skill: [Berserker’s Instinct Lv.7].

You have temporarily acquired a skill: [Brutal Smash Lv.6].

You have temporarily acquired a skill: [Iron Fervor Lv.4].

You have temporarily acquired a skill: [Bloodthirst Aura Lv.2].

A searing heat erupted within my chest, turning into an insatiable thirst for carnage. My thoughts sharpened, yet felt untamed, like the instincts of a wild beast. A violent hunger for blood surged through my veins, as though I had become something… monstrous.

What was more, I could feel an overwhelming power coursing through me, growing stronger the more injured I was. It was unlike anything I had ever felt before—dark, euphoric, and intoxicating. It whispered that killing… was the greatest sensation imaginable.

“Kill… Yes, I want to kill!” I muttered subconsciously.

Within a second, I took out my spear from my inventory and spun it once in my hand before hurling it with all my might at the stag. “RAAAAGH!” The weapon tore through the air with bone-rattling force, leaving a whistling trail behind it.

In less than a second, it struck Eikthyrnir directly in the side with a sickening crunch. The spear buried itself deep, far deeper than anything I had managed before. The divine stag let out a furious, pained bellow, its hooves stamping the ground as lightning crackled violently across its antlers in response.

“Maxim, are you okay?” Michelle asked, her voice tinged with worry.

“Ha! That chap won’t go down that easily!” Boris laughed heartily.

“Boris! Michelle! Get to the forest!” I shouted, ignoring their questions.

Fighting here, in this open clearing, gave Eikthyrnir too much of an advantage. But if we could lure it into the forest, the terrain could turn the tide in our favor. Furthermore, as it was completely furious now, it would chase after us without a second thought. Part of our plan had been to injure and enrage it enough that it would abandon reason and charge blindly after us.

This all had been part of the plan.

The stag snapped its whole attention toward me and charged at full speed. Its massive hooves tore across the ground, sending debris flying with each thunderous step. Lightning crackled wildly around its antlers, wrapping the beast in a deadly aura.

I didn’t stay still and also charged toward it. My heart thumped, not from fear, but from sheer exhilaration. A wide, almost feral grin crept onto my face as I tightened my grip on my sword.

“Come on!”

As the distance between us vanished in seconds, I leapt to the side just before impact, slashing across its shoulder with Heavy Slash as I passed. Blood burst from the wound, and the stag bellowed in fury, skidding to a halt before wheeling around to face me again.

At this point, Boris had already neared the treeline, with Michelle slightly ahead of him, leaping across the uneven ground and weaving between rocks.

I dashed in once more, slashing across the stag’s leg to keep its fury locked on me. Blood splattered across my arm as I backed off quickly before it could retaliate. It roared again and charged. I sidestepped and struck it across the snout with my buckler.

“Hey, I’m right here!” I shouted, taunting it.

The stag twisted with rage and lunged after me. Just before I made my escape, I decided to deliver one final blow, feeling my blood boiling from the excitement and adrenaline.

“Brutal Smash!”

I leapt into the air and brought my sword down with both hands, aiming for its head. The blade met its antler with a violent clash, sending a spray of sparks into the air. The sheer force behind the skill actually knocked the stag back a step.

But just as I thought that victory was mine—

Solid Steel Sword is out of durability.

Solid Steel Sword is destroyed.