Chapter 324: Battle Hunger (1/2)

Who-who are you?” began Mason as he witnessed Old Thane utterly manhandle the giants.

”Shut your mouth, little lad, and raise your shield for your brother,” said Old Thane. He trudged forwards, and this time, the giants stopped, having seen how easily they were man handled.

”This…this is demonic magic,” said Asala. ”I must hold down a great urge to withdraw mine tablet. Were there no danger to divert mine attention, I shouldst be writing – it is a rare sight indeed to witness demonic magic, especially of this caliber.”

”Demon?” Vilga cocked her head as she peered at Old Thane. ”Not like a normal demon. There is no rage. No hunger.”

”Not all demons are creatures of base desire, baring hatred and foul negativity,” explained Asala. ”Some are far more refined. Such as that one.” She pointed her staff to Old Thane. ”And well hidden. No trace of such magical energy didst I sense even once before this time from that one.”

”Demon or no demon, does this mean we get to survive?” said Mercer with bated breath.

”Or do we trust the demon, knowing how their kind is?” began Mason, and Sheela nodded along with him.

”Lad, if ye don't trust me, then go ahead without me. See how long ye live,” said Old Thane. ”That goes for the little kitten with ye too.”

With that, Old Thane charged forwards as a blur. With his physical stats restored, no, further enhanced, he could access the many stat gated skills and powers of his subclasses. He leaped up in the air, both fists high up, and then slammed them down into a hammering strike on the head of a fire giant.

An earth splitting shock shot out from the blow, and when the giant's head slammed into the ground, it split the ground with deep cracks as if a meteorite had crashed into it.

”Looks like my [Hammer of Wrath] is still in top performance,” said Old Thane. He turned to the party and shouted at them, his teeth bared in sharp fangs. ”Get a move on! Forwards! Forwards! To the lad!”

While he was distracted, a fire giant stabbed into Old Thane's back, and the flaming sword of the monster seared through Old Thane's flesh and split through to the other side.

Old Thane looked down at the enormous blade jutting out from his gut. Blood trickled from his lips.

”Gods! They've taken him down!” said Mercer as Mason stood in front of his younger brother, shield upraised in desperate last defense.

Old Thane just laughed. A mighty, hearty laugh.

The fire giant behind Old Thane cocked his head in confusion and tried to pull his blade out, but found that it was stuck, as if embedded into the trunk of a mighty oak.

”Glad to have abs again,” said Old Thane as he looked down at his rock hard abdominal muscles where before there had been a gut from retirement. The muscles clenched, holding the flame sword in his gut tight.

With a smirk, Old Thane brought his fist down on the flame sword and snapped it in half. The bladed half of the sword fell down to his foot, and he kicked it up in the air before moving forwards, taking the rest of the blade embedded in him out.