The ogre saw the two "little bugs" attempting to "escape" and immediately let out a furious roar, charging after them with heavy strides.
Before long, Punk and Kane had lured the creature about two hundred meters away from the donkey cart. The ogre, consumed by its hunger for human flesh, never even considered giving up the chase in favor of the donkey.
As the massive creature bore down on them, gripping a bloodstained wooden club, its scarred face twisted into a hideous grin. Thick saliva dribbled from its yellowed fangs.
"Damn, that idiotic expression is... disgusting!" Kane cursed.
With a swift rotation of his wrist, his battle aura ignited the lance, and then, moving at a speed like a racing chariot, he began circling the ogre clockwise—dodging its heavy swings while closing in step by step. His battle aura surged in torrents, gathering at the tip of his weapon, making the lance glow with a golden radiance, as though it were cast from pure gold.
As a warrior, Kane could only unleash his full power at close range.
Meanwhile, Punk, under the effects of Lesser Swiftness, mirrored Kane's motion but counterclockwise—keeping his distance while preparing his spells. As a mage, long-range combat was his best assurance of survival.
The ogre, caught between two opponents moving in opposite directions, found itself in a dilemma. Should it swat the "cheese dumpling" darting up close, or chase after the "maple syrup cake" weaving away in the distance? Its dim-witted mind hesitated, and for a brief moment, it simply stood there, confused.
"Heh!" Kane seized the opening.
He channeled his battle aura into his legs and, with a loud shout, activated his combat technique—Charge. A sonic boom split the air. Kane's figure shot forward like a golden bullet, leaving behind a ring of shockwaves that flattened the grass in a two-meter radius.
The ground beneath his feet cracked, forming a crater as soil and debris blasted into the air. His pupils burned with golden light, his lance infused with battle aura condensed into a piercing cone of energy—driving straight for the ogre's heart.
The ogre never expected its prey to strike back. The attack was so swift that it barely had time to react. But at the last moment, driven by the primal instinct to survive, it twisted its bulky frame sideways.
Instead of piercing its heart, the lance tore open a deep gash along its abdomen. Blood gushed from the wound, painting Kane's armor crimson.
The ogre howled in fury, swiping at Kane with a clawed hand. But Kane, realizing the beast had survived the strike, reacted instantly—he kicked off the ogre's tough hide, wrenched his lance free, and retreated at high speed.
The ogre's claws raked the air just inches from his chest plate, leaving only a faint scratch on the silver armor.
Far from being cowed, the ogre grew even more frenzied. Its bloodlust soared. With another earsplitting roar, it swung its club at Kane with lethal force. Though its wound was severe enough to expose its writhing organs, the torn arteries had already sealed. The surrounding muscles clenched shut, locking the blood vessels in place.
Excessive bleeding? That concept did not exist in an ogre's vocabulary!
Just as the ogre lifted its club, Punk's spell struck.
Apprentice-level Curse Magic—Lesser Stun!
As a curse spell, its effect was instant—ignoring distance entirely. The only way to dodge it was to predict the caster's intent, but such advanced tactics were far beyond the comprehension of a dim-witted ogre.
Etheric energy twisted into chaotic psychic force, slamming into the ogre's mind. The beast, completely unprepared for a mental attack, stumbled dizzily. Its club, meant to crush Kane, swung wildly off course.
"Good opportunity!" Kane's eyes gleamed.
Once again, he activated Charge, this time pouring even more battle aura into the technique—determined to land a killing blow.
"ROOOOAR—!"
The ogre, still dazed, had no chance to dodge. Kane's lance plunged into its chest, obliterating its heart. A violent spray of flesh and blood erupted from its back, soaking the grass behind it in a crimson flood.
But the ogre was not done yet.
With a final, despairing roar, its entire body swelled with unnatural energy. Muscles bulged, veins pulsed like writhing earthworms beneath its flushed skin, and bloodshot eyes flared with mindless rage. In an instant, the dizziness was gone—replaced by a terrifying, berserk madness.
Without a word, it exhaled hot breath and swung its club at Kane. Its attack speed had tripled.
"Shit—! The damn thing's going berserk!?" Kane shouted, instantly raising his shield. He infused it with battle aura, making its golden radiance as blinding as the sun Mira above. There was no time to dodge—blocking was his only choice.
The ogre's club, now moving at near afterimage speed, slammed into the shield with earth-shaking force.
A deafening BOOM echoed across the plain, like a siege ram smashing into granite. Punk, standing at a distance, saw Kane's body get launched into the air—hurtling nearly a hundred meters before crashing down. He bounced off the ground three times before skidding to a stop in a newly formed crater.
But the ogre had no intention of finishing Kane.
It turned its eyes toward Punk.
Fueled by its suicidal fury, the beast began a full-speed charge—each step shaking the ground, waves of heat rolling off its body.
Punk, however, was unfazed. His spell was already prepared.
This was the most lethal spell he currently possessed.
Apprentice-level Curse Magic—Lesser Damage!
A sphere of swirling gray mist floated in his palm. Inside, countless razor-sharp energy blades formed and collapsed in an endless cycle, radiating an aura of pure destruction. Just gazing at the energy gave an illusion of having one's eyes sliced apart.
Punk calmly watched as the ogre closed the distance.
Then, with an indifferent flick of his wrist, the gray sphere vanished—
—delivered directly to its target.