Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World

Chapter 90  Doll

The chamber was as vast as two football fields, an impressive feat that seemed impossible to replicate in contemporary Earth, especially within such a desolate and freezing mountain. Apart from the entrance Henry had used, there were two other access tunnels, each marked with inscriptions on the rocky walls above. Although partially hidden beneath a thin layer of ice, Henry could still make out the words: 'Library,' 'King's Path,' and 'Frozen Forest,' with the last one being the direction he had come from.

Henry slightly surveyed the chamber and said – "Let's go" - taking cautious steps forward to avoid triggering any potential traps. Leier followed right behind, mirroring his every move to avoid mishaps. She didn't want to put the king in danger.

Henry walked toward the huge statue of the warrior fighting against the dragon of hundreds of heads, his steps finally easing a bit as he saw that there was nothing dangerous around. As he approached the statue, he couldn't help but be captivated by the lifelike craftsmanship, it was an artwork that seemed able to breath and move. It reminded him of a story, maybe a myth, about Michelangelo, a famous Renaissance artist. They said that when Michelangelo finished sculpting the statue of Moses, he was so impressed by his own work that he struck the statue's knee with a hammer and exclaimed - "Why don't you speak?".

The statue in front of him gave Henry the same sensation. He wanted to take his sword and threaten it to move. Driven by curiosity and awe, Henry gently ran his fingers over the statue's surface. Yet, the moment his touch made contact, the entire chamber quaked, and the massive doors sealing the entrance to the 'King's Path' tunnel swung open, revealing a figure that closely resembled the individual depicted in the statue. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Suddenly, the man's eyes snapped open. They had a light grey hue, similar to Henry's, but there was no emotion in them, making him almost like a soulless machine. The man's gaze was fixed on the king, apathetically analyzing him. Then, in an almost robotic tone, the man declared out of nowhere – "Identified Stahl bloodline. Adjusting challenge to match the challenger's strength."

The figure had long, black hair with a touch of red at the tips and held an expressionless face, like a machine doll. He was effortlessly wielding a rusty two-handed greatsword with a single hand, not finding an obstacle with the huge and heavy weapon. He was wearing a black knee-length tunic with long sleeved; a golden key was tied around his neck. On his shoulders were silver plates with a fiery design that looked like an owl's eye. Henry recognized this symbol right away; it was the emblem of Stahl's Royal Family. The Owl's burning eyes represented both the courage and the intelligence of Stahl's bloodline.

Suddenly, the man's eyes snapped open. They had a light grey hue, similar to Henry's, but there was no emotion in them, making him almost like a soulless machine. The man's gaze was fixed on the king, apathetically analyzing him. Then, in an almost robotic tone, the man declared out of nowhere – "Identified Stahl bloodline. Adjusting challenge to match the challenger's strength."

The word "challenger" made Henry realize what was happening. This seemed like some kind of test, perhaps a trial to inherit something, a practice he had heard was common in other parts of the world. Those in the Central Pain often utilized it to choose their great warriors.

"Duel mode." – The man declared – "Begin!" - He didn't wait for Henry to prepare himself and kicked the ground, charging at Henry while wielding that massive sword. In a matter of a few seconds, he was already in front of Henry, swinging his sword with full intention of killing.

"Move!" - Henry shouted as he pushed his loyal soldier out of harm's way. She tumbled across the chamber before colliding against the wall.

Simultaneously and without hesitation, Henry swiftly drew his half-broken sword and intercepted the man's attack with a resounding clash. The weight and the strength behind the strike was tremendous, causing the solid rock beneath Henry's feet to sink and creating small cracks all over his sword's blade.

Henry clenched his teeth as flames gradually covered his entire sword blade, trying to fight back against the overwhelming force pressing against him. Without another way out, he took a step forward, causing the enemy's sword to slide along his own. Henry swiftly disentangled their weapons and aimed a diagonal strike at his shoulders, but it was easily parried. Henry pressed on with a rapid series of attack, creating a dazzling shower of sparks. Despite activating the Fire Sword, a enchantment skill from the Sun God Battle Manual that greatly enhanced his attack power, the enemy's sword remained intact.

Their swords clashed again and again. Henry's muscles strained and sweat dripped from his forehead, finding hard to keep up with the doll-like man. The opponent exploited every gap to deliver a precise counterattack, making Henry feel like a small fish swimming against a strong current. Although the Sun God Technique offered great control over Mana and body, it wasn't able to keep up with the spending rate and his already tired body. Meanwhile, the enemy seemed tireless, maintaining the same relentless pace of attack and defense.

With a sudden burst of energy, Henry leaped backward to create some distance between them. He needed a second to breath and slightly replenish his Mana. However, the doll-like man wouldn't let him rest. He closed the distance in an instant, swinging his sword with both hands aiming a powerful attack at Henry's throat. The king swiftly ducked down, narrowly avoiding the enemy's sword, which cut a few strands of his black hair. This moment offered Henry a great opportunity.

"Now!" -  Henry thought, channeling all his strength into his arms as he spun his body, swinging his sword upward towards the man's chin. He shouted - "Solfire Cleave!" - this was one of the basic attacks from the Sun God Battle Manual, a complement to the Sun God Technique, which was responsible from absorbing Mana from nature, converting it into Fire Mana within the heart, and directing it through the Mana Circuits to strengthen the body.

The flames on Henry's sword flared up and exploded, creating a small arc in the air, intensifying the lethality of the attack. He aimed to cleave the enemy's head in two. However, as soon as the attack connected, Henry met with an immovable obstacle, as if his sword had hit a mountain. Instead of cleaving the man in half, the impact was only enough to send him flying towards the door from where he came from.

"What was that?"- Henry wondered as he raised his sword – "It cracked" – He noticed a long fissure running across his sword's blade, an heirloom of the previous king. At least he managed to kill the strange man, Henry though, thinking it was impossible for someone to survive such a hit.

Suddenly, that same emotionless voice echoed throughout the chamber once more - "Enemy is more powerful than the previous diagnosis" - Henry turned his gaze back to the source of the voice, the man who was now standing and once again focusing his attention on him. "Activating Mana Circuits" – It announced, voice coming out of its broken jaw, which seemed to be made of wood.

At that moment, the Mana in the air seemed to grow denser as the enemy's rusty sword got covered by fire, akin to Henry's one. However, it burned much more intensely and efficiently, emitting no superfluous sparks from the blade. It felt lethal.

"Fire Sword?" Henry asked himself in astonishment, observing the man display the same skill as his, the one described in the Sun God Battle Manual – "What are you? Who are you?"