Ex rank talent Awakening: 100\% Dodge rate-Chapter 222: SUPERIOR FORCES

Gob, wielding two daggers, deftly dealt with a knight before moving on to the next. He had become a brutal killing machine, cutting down imperial soldiers with ruthless efficiency. One by one, they began avoiding him like a plague, giving the feral goblin a wide berth despite their orders.

Zenith, on the other hand, simply squashed soldiers beneath his feet, relishing the sensation. He had been brooding after his humiliating defeat at Greg's hands, but now he was given a satisfying outlet for his frustration — the opportunity to crush countless bugs without consequence. Like the other titans, he was more than living up to his fearsome title.

Tempest, true to his name, tore through enemy lines like a violent wind. His claws ripped into mages and knights alike, his movements wild and unpredictable. Blocking his strikes was next to impossible, and anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path was ripped apart before they could react.

The imperial knights had the numbers, but they slowly began to realize a grim truth — even with overwhelming numerical advantage, they were being outclassed. Greg's army fought like monsters, and that was no coincidence.

After all, it was a given. Greg's forces were far superior in quality. Most of his followers had enhanced stats well beyond the norms of their races and top-tier bloodlines to match. While Greg had been busy on the surface, his divine clones had been working in the demon realm — leveling up, plundering rare bloodlines, and bestowing those blessings on the faithful.

Black Nemesis, one of Greg's most powerful avatars, had also been allowed to summon Heaven's Defier when Greg himself didn't need it. In recent days, he had plundered countless stats and distributed them to followers, laboring relentlessly to increase their collective strength. The result was an army of monsters in human form, each one capable of slaughtering ten or twenty trained knights with ease.

Above it all, Emperor Augustus watched the chaos unfold with no discernible expression. Despite his army's growing disadvantage, his face remained calm — coldly calculating. If anyone had taken the time to study him closely, they would have noticed it: the Emperor was simply buying time. Why, remained a mystery.

"You bastard!!" a furious voice rang out, breaking the air like a whip. It was Commander Harold. His fury was directed at Greg — the mastermind behind this disaster. The slaughter of imperial soldiers was cutting deep into him, not just as a commander but as a patriot. With other kingdoms already at odds with the empire, their current losses would weaken their ability to deter outside aggression.

Harold could take no more. Ignoring the battle raging around him, he set his sights on Greg — the man behind everything. Weaving through the battlefield like a serpent, he slipped past duels and clashing weapons, steadily closing the distance.

But his path was suddenly blocked.

A figure stepped in front of him — a creature emanating silent menace. Gob. The goblin stood motionless, his daggers dripping with blood.

"Move," Harold snapped. "I don't have time to waste with you."

But Gob didn't budge. His stance remained firm, unwavering.

"I, Gob, will not let you pass," he declared in a calm, deep tone. "I will defeat you in place of my lord."

Harold's brow furrowed. "Then I'll cut you down and be on my way," he growled, dashing forward with his sword held high. He had no time for games. He intended to end the goblin with a single overpowering strike — after all, goblins were among the weakest races in the apocalypse. A demonized one, sure, but still just a goblin.

He swung his blade with killing intent — only for Gob to block it cleanly.

"What?" Harold muttered in disbelief. The goblin had stopped his attack without effort. No strain, no recoil — just a calm expression on his green face.

Unwilling to believe it, Harold launched another strike. Once again, Gob parried. But this time, he countered, forcing Harold onto the defensive. Sparks flew as their blades clashed, and Harold felt a strange numbness crawl up his skull.

Nemesis... That damned foreigner. Who the hell was he? How could he empower a goblin to this extent?

Harold gritted his teeth and braced against Gob's barrage, his mind briefly drifting back to the past — back to when he had first stood before a still-weak Greg. He should've killed him back then, empire's reputation be damned. If he had, they wouldn't be suffering this humiliation now.

Not far off, Greg watched the duel with a satisfied smile. Gob was holding his own — more than that, he had the upper hand. Greg couldn't help but feel pleased. He decided to personally reward Harold for his past arrogance.

With calm, deliberate steps, Greg walked toward the battle.

"Well done, Gob. Seems you didn't slack off in your training — praiseworthy indeed," Greg said as he arrived, his tone filled with genuine approval. "Leave him to me. I have a personal debt to collect."

Gob's face lit up with a cherry smile at the praise. He gave a respectful bow. "As you wish, my lord."

"Good. Support the others," Greg nodded in acknowledgment.

With that, Gob vanished into the battlefield once more, diving into the chaos to aid his comrades, leaving only Harold and Greg behind.

"You," Harold said, but there was hesitation in his voice now. The arrogance he once carried was gone. Being overpowered by a goblin had shattered his confidence — a sobering reminder of the strength Greg's army truly possessed.

"What's this?" Greg said with a chuckle. "Where's that arrogance you had last time? I recall the emperor hadn't even finished talking before you started barking at me with that smug tone of yours."

Harold scowled but said nothing. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

"Stop this meaningless battle and let's settle this another way," Harold offered, trying the diplomatic route.

Greg tilted his head. "Meaningless?" His voice darkened. "It might seem meaningless to you, but to me, it's far from that. That day, we both agreed on the terms — either I bow to the emperor and become his loyal dog, or I overthrow the empire. And you see... I hate when people try to possess me. It reminds me of things I'd rather keep buried."

His gaze sharpened.

"Now then..." he smiled coldly. "Shall we begin?"