"[Heaven Smitting Smash]"
At that very second, air was instantly compressed violently and then slammed outwards, creating a destructive shockwave so great that cracks appeared all around the village in an instant, and when it struck, even the clouds for miles was split apart.
BOOM... the upper half of the demon practically disappeared, its body smashed into bits of gore that rained down.
One move, all Tollivan needed to end this battle was one move.
Huff... Huff...the knight huffed, steam coming out of his body from the intense fight.
"Back then and even now, I am still as inefficient as ever," He laughed at himself. There was a reason why the altar gave him the class of [Hammer of Resolve]. It was because as a knight, he was wholly lacking.
Not only was he bad with all other weapons other than the hammer, he was slow. His stats unbalanced, and his talent... well, it was practically at the bottom. Nevertheless, there was one thing he was good at, and that was perseverance.
Even after being called a failure, ridiculed, or when seeing his colleagues and juniors surpass him one by one, he continued to persevere.
Even when he lost his family and his loved ones one after another, he continued to persevere. He put all of his frustration, sadness, guilt, anger,and hatred into his hammer and smashed.
Every time he persevered and every time he smashed, his hammer became heavier. By the time he realised it, his hammer became so heavy that not even higher ranking knights or his Commander could lift it.
After several years, when he leveled up and changed his class, Tollivar finally realised why that was the case. The hammer, as it turned out, had become a part of his skill and his class. Only those who with the resolve to resist against the onslaught of fate and whose determination can never be shaken, can lift the hammer.
The hammer became a relic on the level of a holy sword or spear.
Puff... Suddenly, blood flowed out from Tollivar’s mouth and all of his seven orifices. His veins slowly turning black, and so was his skin, a sign of the curse claiming his life. He knew this was going to happen the moment he stepped to confront the demon.
The curse of Oroboros was extremely lethal and profound; not even a high ranking saint could heal that. Well, he was about to die anyway, rather than on the bed, Tollivar preferred dying in the field valiantly. It was how it was and how it should be.
"At least the villagers, the children, the future is safe."
That was all he wanted. However, as if fate was hellbent on making him suffer one last time, the giant ethereal Oroboros’ mark in the sky did not disappear. Instead, it glowed intensely and scattered into hundreds of smaller snakes that shot through the sky and towards the distant hill where the villagers were.
"No!!" Tollivar shouted. However, his body refused to budge; the borrowed time was over, and so was his life. Even until the very end, he could not accomplish anything.
Or so he thought, but at the last second, a brilliant light, as if marking the dawn of a new day, shone from the hilltop, disintegrating the hundreds of Oroboros that headed towards the villagers.
By the time the light dimmed down, the oroboros was gone, and so was the curse. Peace returned to the village, and the future was secured. The next second, he saw the young knight jump from the hill and land beside him with a bang.
"Haha, brat, you have improved," Tollivar laughed. At this final moment, he realised that there was never a reason for him to be worried. The knight in front of him had become much stronger than the last time he met him.
"Say brat, you know my whole story. Was I able to accomplish anything in my life?"
Did he leave a mark no matter how insignificant in the world? Was there even any meaning to the life he led?
"You’ve carved your name into the pages of history," Reinahrdt answered. There was not a single lie in his words.
"I see," The knight grinned. It is said that when at the death’s door, a man goes through numerous thoughts. As it turned out, it was indeed true.
Tollivar, at this moment, even saw his beloved family that he had missed dearly all these years in front of him. They slowly beckoned to him to return back home, for he had fought enough.
It was time he joined them in that warm house filled with happiness and laughter. Tollivar’s body shook, and the Hammer of Resolve finally dropped from the knight’s hand for the first time since he picked it up as a weapon of his choice.
That’s right, the man had never in his entire life dropped the hammer from his hand during combat. From this, one could imagine what kind of resolve it took to pick up that hammer.
Whoosh... a wind blew by, and Sir Tollivar Stout was gone. He had ascended.
Reinahrdt slowly closed his eyes and muttered, "You’ve bled for kings, fought for fools, and stood for honor until your final breath. The world will whisper your name. I will shout it. And the gods will hear it. Now go, son of battles, may you find the paradise..."
At that moment, the conditions fulfilled, the Divine Paladin’s title activated.
[Guide of the Last Light]Description: knights, warriors, or any soul who fought with unyielding honor until their last breath. By his authority, their spirits are released from lingering regret and guided toward Paradise, where they are received by the light of the gods.
Prevents the fallen from being twisted into undead, wraiths, or demonic thralls. Additionally, Reinhardt can call upon echoes of their valor in times of great crisis — manifesting phantom knights that fight briefly at his side.
With the title activated, it was almost but guaranteed that Sir Tollivar Stout would find the paradise.