Strongest Radioactive System

Volk noticed that the aura wasn't just enhancing his strikes; it was amplifying his entire body.

Geisler's reflexes were faster than a human's should be, his strength enough to hold back the monstrous force of Volk's blows.

Even his footwork was unnaturally precise, allowing him to evade attacks that should have been unavoidable.

Volk growled, his frustration mounting. "What's this trickery, Baron? You can't match me without some strange crutch, huh?"

Geisler smirked, his shield rising to block another incoming strike.

"You wouldn't understand, beast. This is discipline. Training. Something your savage kind could never comprehend."

The taunt only fueled Volk's fury.

He slammed his gauntlet into the ground, the impact sending a shockwave rippling through the earth. Ñ

KABOOM!

The ground split beneath Geisler's feet, but the Baron leapt back, landing gracefully on solid ground.

Volk charged again, his gauntlet swinging like a battering ram.

Geisler sidestepped, his sword flashing in a counterattack.

SWISH!

The blade nicked Volk's arm, drawing a thin line of blood.

The Orc's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected the human to land a hit.

Volk's movements became more calculated. He started testing Geisler's defenses, throwing feints and probing strikes.

Each time, the aura flared faintly around the Baron's sword, shield, or feet, guiding his movements and enhancing his power.

The realization hit Volk like a bolt of lightning. "So that's it," he muttered. "You're channeling some sort of energy into your body."

Geisler didn't respond, his focus entirely on the fight.

Volk grinned. "Let's see how long that trick of yours lasts."

The fight intensified. Volk's blows became heavier, faster, more relentless.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

BOOM! CRASH! THUD!

The ground trembled beneath their feet, each clash of gauntlet and sword echoing like thunder.

Geisler held his ground, his shield absorbing the brunt of Volk's attacks.

His sword lashed out whenever there was an opening, each strike precise and deadly.

SLASH! CLANG!

Volk began to notice a pattern.

The aura only appeared when Geisler was attacking or defending.

It wasn't constant. It flared briefly, then faded, only to reappear when needed.

Suddenly, Volk had an idea.

He pressed the attack, forcing Geisler to channel his magic repeatedly. Each time the Baron's sword clashed with his gauntlet, the aura flared brighter.

Volk grinned. "Let's see how much more you've got."

The glowing screen reappeared in the corner of his vision. "Absorb?"

Volk hesitated for a moment, then made his decision.

He triggered the ability.

The moment Volk activated the absorb function, he felt a strange pull, as if the air around him was shifting.

Geisler swung his sword again, the blade glowing faintly with the aura. But this time, as the aura flared, it was drawn away, siphoned into Volk's gauntlet.

Geisler's eyes widened in shock. "What—?"

The Baron tried to channel his magic again, but nothing happened. The aura was gone.

Volk didn't give him a chance to recover. He surged forward, his gauntlet smashing into Geisler's chest with devastating force.

KABAM!

Geisler was thrown backward, his body crashing into the ground with a sickening THUD!

Volk stood over him, breathing heavily, his gauntlet humming with newfound energy. "So that's what you were hiding," he said, his voice low and menacing.

Geisler coughed, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He looked up at Volk, his expression a mixture of anger and disbelief.

The Orc grinned. "Your tricks won't save you now, human."

Volk stared down at the broken man before him, his gauntlet still crackling faintly with residual energy.

The Baron lay sprawled on the ground, clutching his chest, blood seeping through his dented armor. Despite the obvious agony, Baron Geisler began to laugh.

It was a hoarse, wheezing sound at first, but it grew louder, more menacing, filling the desolate battlefield with an air of grim finality.

"You... you beast," Geisler rasped, his voice laced with venom.

"You might've won this fight, but don't think for a second it changes anything. Do you know where you are, you filthy creature? This land isn't yours.

"The Grand Canyon, the Valley of Orcs—they're leagues away from here! You're far from your tribe, far from your savage kin. You're alone."

Volk remained silent, his glowing yellow eyes narrowing slightly. The gauntlet on his arm tightened with a faint hum, but he made no move to interrupt.

Geisler coughed violently, spitting blood onto the dirt. He gritted his teeth and continued, his voice growing steadier.

"Do you think you'll get away with this? Killing me? Killing my knights? Hah! You've only sealed your fate." His lips curled into a cruel smile, exposing bloodstained teeth.

---

"You see, you oversized brute, I've already sent the signal." His words came out slow and deliberate, his eyes boring into Volk's.

"The surrounding barons... oh, they know. They know what you are. A monster. An abomination. Do you think they'll let you roam free? No, no, they'll hunt you down like the dog you are."

Volk's expression darkened, but he remained rooted in place, his massive frame towering over the Baron like an executioner waiting for the condemned to finish his plea.

Geisler let out a dry chuckle.

"Oh, you might think you're strong now. But strength alone won't save you from the fury of the nobles. They'll send their armies, their mages, their mercenaries. And when they find you, they won't just kill you. No... no, that would be too kind."

The Baron's voice dropped to a near whisper, his tone dripping with malice.

"Do you know what they'll do to a rare warrior Orc like you? A freak who killed a baron's heir and his entire cavalry?" His lips twisted into a smirk.

"They'll take your head. Mount it on a pike for all to see. Your arms? Your legs? Hah! Sold to the highest bidder. The nobles love their trophies, you see. A warrior Orc's skull makes for quite the conversation piece."

Volk's jaw tightened, his tusks baring slightly. His gauntlet began to glow brighter, but still, he didn't speak.

"And your heart," Geisler sneered.

"Ah, yes, your heart. They say a warrior Orc's heart, when boiled, makes a fine elixir. Increases stamina, they claim. The nobles will pay a fortune for it.

"Perhaps they'll even feast on your liver at their banquets, laughing about how easily you fell. I am just a Baron, imagine I alone could hurt, what more if there's a thousand of them!?"

Geisler shifted slightly, groaning in pain but refusing to stop.

"You think you're a predator, don't you? But out here, you're the prey. Do you think the other tribes will come for you? Hah! They won't even know you're gone until it's too late. You're nothing but a lost beast, wandering into a trap you'll never escape."

Volk's fists clenched, the earth beneath him cracking slightly under the pressure.

"And let's not forget the bounty," Geisler continued, his tone almost giddy now.

"Oh, the bounty they'll place on your head. Every mercenary from here to the capital will be after you. You'll be hunted day and night. There'll be no rest for you, no hiding place. They'll track you to the ends of the earth, and when they find you... hah!"

He coughed again, his body wracked with pain, but he forced himself to sit up slightly, propping himself on one arm.

"You think killing me will end this?" he spat, blood dripping from his lips.

"No, beast. Killing me is just the beginning. My death will light a fire—a fire that will burn through your kind until there's nothing left but ash.

"They'll use my death as an excuse to wipe out every warrior Orc, every savage tribe they can find. Your people will pay the price for your arrogance."

Volk's eyes flickered with a mix of anger and something else—contemplation, perhaps, or the faintest hint of unease.

Geisler noticed and seized the moment.

"Do you hear me, you wretched creature? Your actions here will doom your kind. The tribes will suffer. The valleys will burn. And you'll be the cause. You'll be their downfall."

The Baron's laughter returned, weaker now but no less deranged.

"And do you know the best part? Even if you escape—if you somehow survive the hunters and the armies—you'll never escape the guilt. The knowledge that you brought ruin to your people. That your lust for blood and destruction condemned them all."

He collapsed back onto the ground, breathing heavily. His chest rose and fell in ragged motions, each breath a struggle. Yet his lips still curled into that smug, defiant smile.

"Go ahead," he whispered, his voice barely audible now. "Do it. Kill me. But remember my words, beast. Remember them when you're running, hiding, watching your kind die. You'll carry my death with you forever."

Volk stood still, his massive frame casting a long shadow over the dying man.

His glowing gauntlet pulsed faintly, the hum of its power almost drowned out by the wind.

For a moment, he said nothing, his expression unreadable.

Geisler's eyes fluttered shut, his body slackening as exhaustion overtook him.

The last remnants of his defiance lingered on his face, a final act of defiance even in the face of death.

And then, silence ensues.