"Roar!"
Bone Tree's furious roar shook the surrounding air. He gripped his axe tightly and charged towards Kurzadh.
His two-point-three-meter-tall body carried an overwhelming aura. Each step in the mud splashed half a meter high, and the axe arced heavily through the air, heading straight for Kurzadh's head—if this axe connected, it would likely split Kurzadh's head in two.
Kurzadh's pupils constricted, and the magic effect of "Leopard Speed" within him instantly reached its peak.
He suddenly lunged to the left, his body sweeping across the muddy ground like a gust of wind. The axe slammed into the spot where he had just stood with a "Boom," splashing mud and gravel and leaving a shallow pit in the ground.
Before Bone Tree could retract his axe, Kurzadh had already rolled to his feet, gripping his iron axe with both hands, and savagely swung it at Bone Tree's waist.
"Clang!"
Bone Tree reacted incredibly fast, hastily blocking with his axe.
The two axes collided, producing a deafening clang and sending Mars flying.
Kurzadh felt a tingling in his hand and a sharp pain in his arm—Bone Tree's strength far exceeded his expectations. If not for the "Bear Strength" enhancement, his iron axe might have been knocked out of his hand.
Bone Tree was also jolted back two steps. He looked at Kurzadh in surprise: "I didn't expect you, little hobgoblin, to be so strong!" Before he finished speaking, he swung his axe again and charged, the axe whistling through the air with formidable power, each strike accompanied by a rushing sound, forcing Kurzadh to retreat repeatedly.
The surrounding greenskins had already spontaneously formed a circle. The hobgoblins stood on their tiptoes, nervously watching the battlefield, shouting, "Go, Boss Kurzadh!"; the orcs, meanwhile, waved their weapons, roaring, "Bone Tree, take him down!" The sounds of killing and cheering mixed together, making this duel even more exhilarating.
Scarface stood at the very front, clutching his stone chisel tightly, his palms slick with cold sweat—he knew better than anyone that the outcome of this duel determined the future of the entire Blackrock Clan.
Kurzadh dodged Bone Tree's attacks while looking for an opportunity to counterattack.
Bone Tree's advantage lay in his strength and size; his axe had a huge sweeping range, but precisely because of this, his movements were relatively slow.
Kurzadh, however, relied on the agility of "Leopard Speed" to always avoid attacks at the last possible second, while also using his smaller stature to get behind Bone Tree.
Finally, as Bone Tree swung his axe towards Kurzadh's chest again, Kurzadh seized the opening.
He didn't dodge; instead, he suddenly ducked low, letting the axe graze over his head, while simultaneously gripping his iron axe with both hands and savagely chopping at Bone Tree's knee.
With a "thud," the iron axe struck an old wound on the outside of Bone Tree's knee. Although it didn't break the bone, it made Bone Tree cry out in pain, his right leg buckling, almost causing him to fall to his knees.
"Now!" A fierce glint flashed in Kurzadh's eyes. He rose and leaped, kicking Bone Tree hard in the chest.
He put all his strength into this kick; the "Bear Strength" enhancement boosted his power. Bone Tree was sent stumbling backward, crashing into the watching orcs and knocking several of them to the ground.
"Blast it!"
Bone Tree regained his footing, clutching his bleeding knee, his eyes growing even more ferocious.
He threw away the axe in his hand and lunged at Kurzadh with outstretched arms: "If weapons are useless, then let's settle it with fists!"
greenskins most revered close-quarters combat; in their eyes, bare-handed fighting was the truest way to demonstrate strength.
Kurzadh also threw away his iron axe, flexed his wrists, and a cold smile played on his lips: "Just what I wanted!"
The two instantly collided, their fists raining down on each other.
Bone Tree's fists were larger than Kurzadh's head, each punch whistling through the air and landing on Kurzadh with a dull thud.
Kurzadh was hit in the chest by a punch, immediately feeling his blood and qi churn, a sweet, metallic taste rising in his throat. But he gritted his teeth and endured, delivering a backhand punch to Bone Tree's jaw, making Bone Tree's head snap sideways and blood trickle from the corner of his mouth.
"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"
The sound of fists striking flesh echoed through the camp. Both men fought like mad, only caring about throwing punches, completely ignoring their opponent's attacks.
Kurzadh's face was swollen, his left eye was a black eye, and his mouth was split, bleeding profusely; Bone Tree's forehead had a large bump, his nose was bleeding, and his chest was covered in fist marks.
But no one stopped; they both had reasons not to lose—Bone Tree for the dignity of an orc chieftain, to avoid being ordered around by a mere hobgoblin; Kurzadh for the future of the tribe, to not let down the hobgoblin brothers who had died in battle. If he paid such a high price and still couldn't subdue these orcs, he would truly go insane.
The sky gradually brightened, and the first ray of morning light pierced through the forest, illuminating the blood and mud-stained battlefield.
Kurzadh and Bone Tree were still fighting each other. Both had run out of strength, their punches becoming slower and lighter, yet they still didn't stop.
Kurzadh's arms could no longer lift, so he could only use his forehead to ram Bone Tree's chest; Bone Tree's legs were trembling, but he still held Kurzadh tightly, using his knees to strike his opponent's stomach.
"Thud!"
Both fell into the mud simultaneously, splashing a cloud of murky water.
They lay on the ground, gasping for breath, their chests heaving violently, without even the strength to lift a hand.
Kurzadh's face was bruised and swollen, his left eye almost unable to open, his animal skin armor torn to shreds, revealing his bruised skin underneath; Bone Tree's condition was even worse, the wound on his knee was still bleeding, his jaw was swollen high, making even speaking difficult.
The surrounding greenskins instantly fell silent. Everyone held their breath, staring intently at the two on the ground.
The hobgoblins nervously clenched their fists, afraid that Kurzadh wouldn't be able to get up; the orcs, meanwhile, frowned, looking at Bone Tree with complex expressions—if Bone Tree lost, they would have to obey greenskin rules and follow Kurzadh.
Time seemed to stand still at this moment. Only the morning light slowly moved, illuminating the bloodstains and mud on the ground.
Suddenly, Kurzadh's fingers twitched.
He laboriously lifted his arm, propped himself in the mud, and slowly began to climb up.
With every movement, the wounds on his body sent tearing pain through him. Cold sweat streamed down his cheeks, mixing with blood and mud, making him look exceptionally disheveled.
But he didn't give up. Gritting his teeth, he moved inch by inch, and finally, he stumbled to his feet. Although his body was still trembling, he managed to straighten his spine.
Bone Tree lay on the ground, watching Kurzadh stand up. A hint of unwillingness flashed in his eyes, but he ultimately closed them weakly—he had lost.
Kurzadh panted, his bruised and swollen face slowly turning towards the surrounding greenskins .
His gaze was still fierce. As it swept over the orcs, those who had still harbored defiance lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes; as it swept over the hobgoblins, the hobgoblins instantly erupted in cheers. Scarface was the first to rush forward, shouting excitedly: "Boss won! boss Kurzadh won!"
Congratulations, host, on completing the hidden mission: Defeat a greenskin larger than yourself!
"Very violent! Mork likes you very much! He likes brutal boys! You are very waaaahg!"
"Gained attribute: [Brawler], melee attack +5!"
"He won! boss won!"
The hobgoblins cheered, some hugging each other, some waving their weapons, and a few young hobgoblins even jumped up excitedly.
The orcs were silent for a moment. Suddenly, an orc threw down his weapon, knelt on one knee, and shouted to Kurzadh: "I'm convinced! From now on, I'll follow you!"
Where there was one, there were more. More and more orcs knelt on one knee, roaring: "We're convinced! Boss Kurzadh!" Bone Tree also got up from the ground, still disheveled, but bowed his head to Kurzadh: "I lost. From now on, you're in charge!"
Kurzadh looked at the orcs kneeling on one knee before him, then at the cheering hobgoblins, and a grim but brilliant smile spread across his face.
His wounds still hurt, but his heart was filled with a sense of accomplishment—this bloody battle was not in vain. Nearly two hundred orcs had finally become members of the Blackrock Clan.
The morning light grew brighter, illuminating the entire camp, and also illuminating Kurzadh's upright figure.