READ NOVEL ONLINE Volume 1 Chapter 82: Stronger Than Skadi
This was a Nightzmora Knight!
Even though its blood and bones were long separated, even though it had been dead for millennia, and even though there was no visible trace of the Nightzmora left on its body, Garde was sure: the mechanical centaur before him had once been a Nightzmora Knight.
Being a machine, it was no longer bound by the limitations of a mortal body.
However, apart from its centaur form, the mechanical knight still had two arms and wielded two lances, as if mimicking the habits of its past life.
The tattered armor flapped in the strong winds, the mechanical body stood firm in the storm, and its crimson mechanical eyes looked down on Garde without the slightest hint of emotion.
A monotone, mechanical voice came from its mouth:
“…Extraordinary entity detected, unexpected… eliminate!”
Garde wasn’t surprised.
The moment the mechanical centaur appeared, he knew that this wouldn’t end peacefully.
But…
“Eliminate me?”
The crocodile man lowered his body, and in the next second, he shot toward the centaur knight like an arrow.
“I’ll dismantle you first!”
Clang!
The clash of metal sent sparks flying in the storm.
Garde’s mighty axe collided with the knight’s lance.
The power Garde felt from the other end of the clash made his pupils contract.
‘What immense strength!’
The knight had blocked his attack with just one arm, using only the tip of the lance.
It’s far more stronger than even Skadi!
Perhaps this was to be expected of a machine.
In that case…
A bloodthirsty grin spread across Garde’s face.
Let’s see who’s tougher!
Bang!
The muscles in Garde’s right arm swelled as he swung his axe with nearly superhuman force, forcibly knocking aside the centaur knight’s lance.
All living beings with flesh have natural limiters in their bodies—mechanisms that both limit and protect them.
Going beyond these limits causes injury, making prolonged combat nearly impossible.
However, Garde’s powerful physical endurance allowed him to ignore such rules for short periods.
The knight raised the other lance for a downward strike, but Garde threw a punch instead of dodging.
Slash!
The lance scraped against Garde’s arm, sparks flying as it sliced through the scales, nearly taking his head off.
But Garde’s fist connected with the knight’s body.
Boom!
The impact sounded like a resounding bell, denting the knight’s body where Garde’s fist had landed.
Before Garde could throw another punch, the centaur knight lifted its leg and stomped down hard on Garde’s chest.
Boom!
The immense force made Garde’s chest tighten, and the ground cracked under the pressure, burying half of Garde’s body into the earth.
At the same time, Garde’s fist, initially aimed for another strike, switched into a claw and grabbed the centaur knight’s leg.
Then, with a powerful pull, he dragged the knight off balance.
Garde, now clinging to the centaur knight, opened his jaws and bit into the knight’s thigh.
Rip!
A piece of metal was torn off, but to the centaur knight, this was nothing more than a surface wound.
Clang!
The lance clashed again with Garde’s axe.
The intense exchange sent sparks flying, even causing the surrounding storm winds to tremble.
The over 100-degree heat seared Garde’s lungs with every breath, making his face flush.
This battle environment was extremely disadvantageous for Garde.
The centaur knight was unaffected by the harsh conditions, while Garde was. And in this battle of attrition…
Boom!
Before his body gave out, Garde needed to dismantle this centaur knight and turn it into scrap metal!
Clang!
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
A rapid series of clashes between the axe and lance filled the air.
The centaur knight maintained a consistent speed, but Garde’s swings became faster and faster.
Bang!
Blood sprayed from Garde’s body, as overexertion took its toll on his muscles.
However, a moment later, his breathing steadied, and his muscles tensed again.
Slash!
The centaur knight’s lance finally snapped after countless strikes, and Garde’s axe carved a deep wound into its chest.
“…Calculation error… extraordinary entity… unexpected…”
Boom!
Garde knocked the centaur knight to the ground and, not giving it a chance to recover, prepared to bring his axe down on the knight’s chest.
At that moment, something began to glow in the knight’s chest.
Metal?
Bones?
A massive surge of psychic energy crashed into Garde’s mind, momentarily paralyzing his body.
In that instant, Garde found himself in a grand palace, standing before a figure seated on a throne.
“Adakrys, why do you not kneel before me?”
Boom!
It took Garde less than half a second to break free of the illusion.
Did they think they could use mental manipulation on him? Keep dreaming!
The knight’s lance stopped just one centimeter from Garde’s chest, caught in his grip.
With a forceful tug, Garde swung the centaur knight around and threw him far away.
The three-meter-tall figure tumbled several times across the sand before rising.
The blistering winds had left Garde’s skin cracked, and blood began to seep through from the combination of intense battle and harsh conditions.
He now looked like a crocodile man made of cracking porcelain.
But this level of battle was far from enough to defeat him.
Step by step, Garde approached the centaur knight again.
Without hesitation, he brought his axe down, severing the knight’s torso from its lower body.
Then, he cut off the knight’s arms, leaving it helpless.
Finally, Garde ripped off its armor and thrust his hand into its chest.
“Just as I thought!”
Inside the centaur knight’s mechanical body, Garde found human bones—and more than just one piece.
The ancient civilization had pieced together the remains of Nightzmora Knights, building mechanical bodies around their bones.
The bones of these Nightzmoras had become the energy source for the machines.
How many Nightzmora Knights had perished in the searing winds of this desert?
If every mechanical knight built from their remains was as powerful as this one…
Then Terra was doomed.