Chapter 180: Chapter 179: Blessing of the Ancestors

From behind, Ale raised her hand. The three golden rays from her [Scorching Ray] precisely struck the skeleton’s skull, spiderwebbing the yellowed bone with cracks.

Colin watched the giant monster roaring not far away.

After quickly casting [Blade Ward] on himself, he gripped his Giant Sword and charged.

The moment he engaged.

Colin could clearly see the Giant Skeleton raise the Axe in its hand high, but at that moment, his Giant Sword couldn’t even reach the opponent’s shin.

’The difference in reach is despair-inducing, just like when I faced the Giant Dragon.’

Colin felt it the instant the Axe swung down.

Although most movies and shows like to slow down the movements of giant creatures, the attack speed of the Frost Giant before him was far beyond his expectations.

Colin immediately made a hand gesture, and with a thought.

As usual, a silver light flashed inside his Helmet, and [Silver Light Sharp Words] activated!

The Giant Axe tore through the air, letting out a deafening WHOOSH as it came crashing down.

Colin quickly leaped aside. The axe blade scraped the bottom of his boot as it smashed into the snow. The flying ice shards pattered against him like rain, and the soles of his feet, even inside his boots, went numb from the shock!

’This isn’t a battle!’

’This is a life-or-death struggle against a living mountain!’

After landing, Colin quickly stepped forward.

At the same time, empowered by his Casting Skills and fourteen points of Intelligence, he effortlessly cast the new Cantrip he had learned.

In an instant, a brilliant golden light bloomed on the blade of his Elf Giant Sword.

He bent his knees, pushed off the ground, and thrust.

The shining sword point accurately pierced the Skeleton’s knee joint.

Colin could feel his consciousness seeping into the opponent’s body through the blade, but a powerful Repulsive Force quickly interrupted the process.

’It’s a bit counterintuitive, but a skeleton’s Constitution Attribute doesn’t change much from when it was alive, even though all its flesh has rotted away.’

’And a Frost Giant’s Constitution is certainly leagues above any normal creature’s. Even though the radiant Damage from [Radiant Sword] is effective against Undead Creatures, its special effect is hard to trigger.’

A blue light appeared beside him.

Colin looked up and saw a blue glimmer flash once more in the Frost Giant’s eye sockets as it stared him down.

’[Winter Wolf Necklace]!’

The opponent’s gaze could knock down a sled dog with Winter Wolf blood, but to the current Colin, he could only feel a faint breeze brush past his cheek.

Just then, a fierce wind suddenly gusted from above him again.

Colin moved, quickly leaping aside once more.

’Its attacks are too fast; I have no confidence I can dodge this.’

Making a gesture, he cast [Silver Light Sharp Words] again.

The magical aura on his Armor flared, and the Frost Giant’s palm slammed down beside his feet, almost striking him.

Magical support from the two at the rear arrived again.

[Scorching Ray] followed by [Sacred Flame] struck the Giant Skeleton one after another, adding several more cracks to the behemoth’s massive head.

’It’s working!’

Colin’s spirits lifted. He swung his sword in a backhand motion, smashing another [Radiant Sword] into the Skeleton’s forearm and activating his Specialty to infuse the Cantrip’s energy into the blade.

This time, however, the Giant Skeleton turned its gaze to Orelia.

"The necklace, Orelia!" Colin shouted.

The Priest reacted quickly, and the Giant Skeleton’s gaze failed again.

However, it lifted the arm propped on the ground and unexpectedly plucked a head-sized chunk of ice from beneath the snow, hurling it at Orelia.

Although the Tiefling immediately raised her Shield, she was still knocked staggering.

The layer of golden light on Colin’s body then slowly dissipated. Orelia no longer had the energy to maintain [Devout Shield]!

The Giant Skeleton turned its head again, focusing its gaze on Ale.

’That Dragon Vein Mage doesn’t have a [Winter Wolf Necklace].’

Colin swung his Giant Sword, landing several more blows on the Giant’s arm, which was once again braced against the ground.

But the effect of these few slashes was merely to add a few notches to one of its forearm bones—a bone thicker than a normal person’s entire arm.

A sense of powerlessness spread through his heart. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

’What kind of attack would it even take to bring down a monster like this?’ Colin thought. ’The real problem is that its legs are so much longer than ours. We can’t even run away. Dammit!’

At that moment, the Giant Skeleton in front of Colin stood up again.

Just like before, it once again raised its massive giant Battle Axe high, aiming at its opponent.

Colin hurriedly dodged to the side.

However, the massive Battle Axe had already anticipated his movement, and it came slashing down at a terrifying speed.

’I have to block... but how can I possibly block it?!’

On reflex, Colin raised his Giant Sword. As he quickly retreated, he cast [Shield], and a Magic Shield shimmering with spiritual light instantly appeared by his side.

In the next instant, the snow before him exploded again.

A fierce wind carrying chunks of snow slammed into him, the immense impact throwing Colin down into the snow.

When his vision cleared, he found himself lying in the snow, staring up at the sky.

’So, this is it?’

’I can’t save Kase? Or was the Half-Orc dead from the start?’

’Of course, I can’t blame Kase for going back to his death.’

’If anyone’s to blame, it’s that damned Evil Deity!’

’The Frost Giant Skeleton had a way to deal with the sled dogs. Each one would have been hit by that frost-gaze attack. It was only a matter of time before it caught up to us. A fight with this Frost Giant Skeleton was inevitable.’

’Kase really did buy us a chance to live with his own life—’ Colin screamed in his heart, ’but who could ever accept something like that?!’

The ground by his feet trembled, and Orelia’s shout reached his ears.

The Frost Giant’s Battle Axe appeared in his field of vision. Colin knew his opponent was about to execute him with the Axe, but his head was splitting, and he couldn’t cast a single Tier One Magic spell.

Now, he was doomed...

Just as the Axe was about to fall, a blue figure flashed past the corner of his vision.

The Giant Axe swung down.

At the same time, Colin clearly heard the sharp CRACK of breaking bone.

And just as the axe blade was about to land on him.

A tall, phantom-blue figure appeared in front of Colin. It swung a Two-Handed Giant Axe, striking the weapon in the Giant Skeleton’s hands from the side and knocking the axe blade off course.

After swinging that Axe, the phantom-blue figure vanished in an instant.

The broad Giant Axe CRASHED onto the ground again.

While Colin was still confused, a familiar Orc hand reached out from the cold mist in front of him, grabbed him by the collar, and yanked him out of the white, snowy fog that felt like despair made manifest.

The snowy mist slowly dissipated.

"Kase?!" Colin stared in astonishment at the Half-Orc before him.

Just like back in the Endless Wilderness, his eyes were blood-red and his muscles were bulging, looking exactly like a Barbarian Warrior in a state of [Frenzy].

He was wearing a new set of thick Armor with a fur collar. The Armor itself was Leather Armor, with a thick bone plate from some unknown animal on the chest and a bear’s skull sewn onto the shoulder.

The fur collar and edges of this Armor flickered as if on fire, constantly shedding tiny blue fragments into the air, making it seem highly unstable. It looked almost like an illusion.

"How did you..."

A warmth flooded Colin’s eyes, but he managed to keep his expression in check.

"I’ll explain later, brother." Kase gripped the Battle Axe in his hand, his illusory blue Cloak fluttering in the wind.

He turned to face the Giant Skeleton beside them, showing his companion only his tall back.

"I made a promise. No one’s gonna kill you on my watch! No one!"