“No way… How is this possible?” The holy knight groaned, struggling to grasp what had just unfolded before his eyes.0

The dark mage was powerful—extremely powerful. For days, their battle had dragged on endlessly without either gaining a clear upper hand. Yet now, this mysterious barbarian had effortlessly overwhelmed the enemy, displaying strength that seemed utterly impossible.0

“Is he dead?” Ketal casually peered into the crater punched deep into the earth. 0

Suddenly, darkness erupted violently. Shadows surged upward, swallowing Ketal entirely. 0

The holy knight panicked instantly. “Ketal!”0

“Hm?” Ketal calmly waved his hand, brushing away the shadows with remarkable ease. Despite being engulfed by darkness, he appeared perfectly unharmed. “Ah, I guess he’s still alive.”0

“You… absolute lunatic!” the dark mage cursed, staggering backward to create distance.0

Surprisingly, there wasn’t even a scratch on the mage’s body. Ketal raised an eyebrow, genuinely impressed.0

“I struck quite seriously this time, yet you remain unhurt.” Ketal tilted his head curiously. Is this mage sturdier than even a demon?0

Ketal’s innocent wonder had missed the real reason entirely. Meanwhile, the dark mage was silently reeling in shock and horror.0

Most of my sacrifices… have been depleted! the dark mage thought.0

The mage had been employing powerful dark magic, transferring any damage he sustained onto his sacrificial offerings. He had stored enough sacrifices to endure several direct hits from a ballista—yet, this single strike from Ketal’s fist had drained nearly all of them.0

This meant that the strength...0