Chapter – 118…
Berserk Mode….
The power etched into Sigmund’s bloodline.
The power passed down from ancient times was the driving force that allowed Sigmund to be called a force of unimaginable strength.
And the aura that Carlile exuded when activating his berserk mode was completely different from anything he had shown before.
The intensity of his presence was almost painful to the skin, and the overwhelming energy he radiated was unlike the Carlile who had merely been dodging Asnatal’s attacks until now.
“This aura… you… are really Sigmund…?”
Asnatal spoke, recalling an old nightmare.
He remembered the young Grand Duke Guntram who had single-handedly annihilated the Predator Tribe.
Though not quite the same, the murderous aura and atmosphere Carlile gave off were eerily reminiscent of that time.
“I told you already. I am Sigmund.”
“But… to be Sigmund…”
“If all Sigmunds were that strong, your kind would’ve gone extinct a long time ago. Right?”
“Th-That’s…”
“There are Sigmunds like me who are worthless. And even a worthless Sigmund can kill someone.”
“You dare claim that a half-baked Sigmund could kill me? Right now?”
“Sorry, but someone like you is more than enough for a half-baked Sigmund.”
Carlile sneered.
In reality, even though Asnatal was a five-star barbarian, he was by no means a formidable opponent.
No doubt, if Freira were here, she would have turned Asnatal into a corpse in under a minute.
‘Even if I can’t kill him, I can at least restrain him. I have to grit my teeth and fight.’
Thinking this, Carlile gripped Grimungand and approached Asnatal.
“You, a half-baked Sigmund, are truly the son of that devil….”
Asnatal could hardly believe that Carlile was the son of Grand Duke Guntram.
“I don’t know how a half-baked Sigmund like you came from him. Was your mother’s bloodline that weak…?”
“If you uttered such words in front of the Grand Duke, you wouldn’t even leave behind a corpse.”
Carlile’s words were no exaggeration.
Grand Duke Guntram had loved only his wife, Adelia, all his life.
As the head of one of the thirteen noble families supporting the United Kingdom, he had the right to take any woman he wished.
Yet, he never allowed anyone near him, whether during Adelia’s life or after her death.
To speak of Adelia’s bloodline in front of him would be suicidal.
Even the crown prince might not be an exception.
“Killing the devil’s son is important, but unfortunately, now is not the time. What are you all waiting for! Subdue him!”
“Yes, Chief!”
Even with Sigmund standing before him, Asnatal wisely decided to hold back.
If he got entangled with Carlile, he wouldn’t be able to lead the tribe properly, and the Decaron Army’s massive attack would crush them.
As the leader of a tribe, he made a fitting strategic choice.
However, Carlile had no intention of letting Asnatal go.
Whoosh—!
Black blades shot up, surrounding Carlile and Asnatal.
The power of the Dark King Gracim.
By unleashing [Blade Hell], he blocked the approach of the warriors.
“I told you. You can’t go.”
“Ino-om…!”
“You’ll just watch your tribe die without doing anything. And eventually, you’ll die too.”
“What did you say?”
“I’ll make sure it happens.”
At the same time, Carlile closed the distance with Asnatal.
Unlike before, when he had only defended, now he actively engaged his opponent.
Contrary to everyone’s expectations, it wasn’t the Decaron Army that attacked the Predator Tribe’s camp.
It was the Schwebern Army, the forces of the Loren family.
They had been dispatched to the blood-soaked land of Kuberin under royal command.
“Kill them all!”
“Crush them!”
Nearly a thousand soldiers of the Loren family stormed the Predator Tribe’s camp.
And leading this Schwebern Army was none other than Alicia, the second daughter of the Loren family.
The day before, she had received a note from Carlile.
The content was simple.
He asked her to help him attack the Predator Tribe’s camp so that she could gain an advantage in the Loren family succession.
‘Why would a delinquent like him help anyone?’
Alicia was dumbfounded.
But Carlile’s words at the previous commemoration event had been meaningful, so she decided to help him—thinking it might be a trap.
Being at a disadvantage in the succession struggle, she had no other choice.
“When will the Decaron Army arrive?”
She looked around, but the promised forces were nowhere to be seen.
‘Did that flashy-faced man trick me?’
Alicia suspected Carlile might have set a trap.
If so, dying here would be deserved. Being deceived by a delinquent of the Sigmund family… what was the point of surviving?
At that moment, a report arrived.
“Just in, Commander. The Decaron Army is confirmed to be in battle.”
“In battle? What does that mean?”
“It seems the timing was unfortunate. They apparently encountered enemy forces making a large-scale attack.”
“Oh… I see now.”
Alicia breathed a sigh of relief.
It wasn’t a trick, so that was good.
“What will you do?”
“What do you mean? Keep attacking.”
“But our troops will suffer…”
“They’re holding their own.”
Alicia pointed to the ongoing battle at the front lines.
“Do you think they’re fighting at full strength?”
“Huh…?”
“They’re stationed at a camp with 1,500 barbarians. Attacking such a place normally requires at least 5,000 soldiers, right?”
Her observation was correct.
A force at least three times larger is needed to take a fortified camp in siege warfare.
Yet, the Loren Army of just over a thousand soldiers was doing remarkably well.
Even considering the unfavorable terrain, it made no sense.
“They’re on the brink of collapse. Everyone is suffering from high fevers and stomach pains.”
“R-Really?”
“Yes.”
Alicia nodded.
“Their combat effectiveness is only about a third of normal. That’s why we can fight so well with this small force.”
“Truly amazing!”
Her subordinate assumed Alicia had engineered the enemy’s weakened state and admired her.
“I didn’t.”
Alicia shook her head.
“Haha? Then who?”
“That delinquent. Carlile, the half-Sigmund. It’s his doing.”
“Wha…?”
“I have no reason to explain in detail. Just focus on your duty.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“No retreat. Keep fighting until the Decaron Army arrives. Understand?”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Following Alicia’s orders, the Loren Army continued their assault on the Predator Tribe camp despite being outnumbered.
The Doomsayer Tribe warriors, weakened by fever, stomach pains, and dehydration from their unique physiology, couldn’t fight effectively.
The duel between Carlile and Asnatal was intense.
So tense it seemed like a rope stretched tight—any small touch could snap it.
Clang, Kachang!
Grimungand and Asnatal’s iron club collided, sparks flying.
Bang!
Every clash sent powerful shockwaves around them.
The berserk Carlile and five-star barbarian Asnatal were displaying immense strength.
‘Persistent.’
Carlile inwardly praised Asnatal’s resilience.
Asnatal’s durability was extraordinary.
Despite being repeatedly slashed by Grimungand, he had not suffered a single fatal wound.
Moreover, he was unusually skilled in defense, effortlessly blocking or evading Carlile’s attacks.
Years of battlefield experience made him a formidable opponent, impossible for the inexperienced Carlile to easily overcome.
‘This won’t be easy. One mistake and I could lose—or die.’
Carlile had no choice but to acknowledge Asnatal’s superiority—because Asnatal was distracted.
“Ugh!”
“Defend!”
“VAAHALAAA!”
The Predator Tribe’s defenses were collapsing.
Asnatal, the chief, was entangled with Carlile, and most of the officers were assassinated.
With key commanders gone, the tribe had become disorganized.
Asnatal’s urgency forced him to prioritize retreat over fighting Carlile.
And that was his fatal mistake.
While Asnatal was caught, the defenses fell, and enemy forces poured into the camp.
Had he possessed the [Thunder Leap] tattoo, he could have evaded Carlile, but unfortunately, he had not mastered it.
[Thunder Leap] and [Gigantism] were incompatible; only seven-star “very powerful” barbarians could wield both.
“Kill them all!”
“Leave no one alive!”
Loren soldiers swept through the camp.
And that wasn’t all.
“Rescue our troops first!”
“Save our people first!”
The Decaron Army finally joined, tipping the battle completely.
“Ser… Sir Helen!”
Bergman shouted as Helen and the 3rd Battalion soldiers arrived.
Helen had kept her promise.
Though she hadn’t arrived on time due to other battles, she came eventually, fulfilling her vow to rescue them.
“I told you. You’d just watch your troops die. And so it happened.”
“Ghh… Ghhhhhh…!!!”
Asnatal ground his teeth in fury.
He bit so hard that his teeth shattered, and blood streamed from his mouth.
“You… I will… never… forgive… you… never!!!”
Asnatal, the chief who had lost his entire tribe in one morning due to being caught by Carlile, was overwhelmed by grief, rage, and guilt beyond imagination.
