My SSS-Rank Gluttony Talent: I Can Evolve Limitlessly

Riley’s eyes narrowed as the notification burned across his vision.

A duel.

That meant no interference. Not from the knights, not from the crowd. Just him and the king.

He exhaled slowly, taking another glance at the huge orc king.

"Kraghur..." Riley whispered, rolling the name around in his mouth like ash. "So that’s your name."

He flicked his daggers in reverse grip and stepped forward, shoulders squaring as the crowd of lesser orcs began to chant in their guttural tongue.

The Red Orc King raised his club and slammed it into the dirt beside him.

BOOM!

The earth cracked beneath the weight, forming a shallow crater where it landed. A taunt. A declaration.

"Fine, let’s duel then." Riley said, the edges of his lips curling up in a taunting smirk.

GRGLLH!

A deep growl suddenly tumbled through the clearing, and Riley’s smirk faltered in embarrassment.

Now of all times, his stomach decided to rumble in front of the crowd of orcs.

Even the smaller orcs among the crowd heard it, and they all casted strange expression at him.

Riley’s hand instinctively moved to his abdomen, expression twitching in brief irritation.

Across the clearing, Kraghur’s red eyes blinked once in confusion.

The orc king tilted his head, massive tusks twitching. Then his expression soured, a scowl tugging at the corners of his thick, brutish face.

"...HUURR?" the orc king grunted, his guttural voice laced with a rising growl. His gaze narrowed, and that flicker of confusion turned to anger.

To the beast, it was clear now—this human... dared to face him in a duel... on an empty stomach?!

Was this... some kind of insult? A mockery?

The veins across Kraghur’s massive arms bulged as he grit his teeth, his grip tightening on the enormous iron club.

The thought of being underestimated—disrespected—by such a puny creature burned in his chest like molten fury.

"GRAAAAAAHHH!!!"

With an enraged roar, Kraghur slammed his club against the earth with such force that the clearing quaked.

A deeper crater formed under the weight of the blow, dust and stones flung into the air like shrapnel.

Riley blinked at the sudden aggression, lips parting slightly. "...The hell’s your problem now?"

He rolled his shoulders, brushing the dust off his shirt, his face calm—almost lazy with disinterest.

Not that he particularly cared. If anything, this outburst made things more fun.

The orc king didn’t wait for another word.

He lunged forward with shocking speed, closing the distance between them in seconds.

WHOOSH!

The colossal club tore through the air in a sideways arc, the wind around it screaming as it was displaced.

But Riley was already in motion.

His body twisted with unnatural fluidity, and the instant the club came near, he sidestepped, slipping mere inches away from the swing.

BOOM!

The club smashed into the earth beside him with earth-shattering force.

Chunks of dirt and cracked stone burst outward in all directions as a shockwave rippled through the ground.

Several nearby huts shook violently, their walls cracking as if caught in a quake. frёewebnoѵēl.com

Even the orcs standing meters away weren’t unaffected, as the small stones from the shockwave injured their bodies.

However, they all ignored their wounds, focusing instead on the fight happening before them.

This was a fight involving their king, one they had never seen in many years... there was no way they would let anything distract them.

The only ones who were completely unaffected by the shockwave were the orc knights, who stood proudly meters away from the fight, their eyes glued on their king.

As for Riley, he didn’t stop moving.

Before the dust could even settle, he surged forward, his body a blur.

With both daggers in hand, he angled himself low, and aimed for the exposed throat of the towering monster.

In that split second, Kraghur’s arm was still outstretched from his swing, leaving him open for a counter attack.

With a grunt, Riley lunged upward like a viper, the tip of his right dagger flashing with deadly precision.

SHNK!

The blade shot toward the orc king’s neck, but just before it pierced through the soft flesh, Kraghur jerked back on instinct.

Instead of plunging deep, the dagger’s edge merely grazed the side of his thick throat.

A thin, dark line opened across the gray flesh, and droplets of dark red blood trickled down like ink.

The orc king froze.

His massive hand rose slowly to his neck. His fingers brushed the wound. He pulled them back... and stared at the blood.

For a heartbeat, there was silence.

Then his eyes widened.

Not in pain... but fear.

If he hadn’t stepped back that instant, that attack would have killed him!

Riley tilted his head slightly, a wicked grin stretching across his face as he stared into the orc king’s fearful eyes.

"Well?" he said, his voice taunting. "Why aren’t you attacking anymore? Don’t tell me... the great orc king is scared?"

The crowd of smaller orcs gasped. Some growled. Others chattered in low whispers, their eyes darting between their king and the smiling, skinny human who dared provoke him.

Kraghur’s expression twisted into a snarl.

With a roar of rage, he charged once more, this time with reckless fury.

His club rose high above his head as he reached Riley, and then—he brought it crashing down with every ounce of strength in his titanic frame.

CRUUUUUNNNCHHH!!!

The ground exploded beneath the strike.

A crater easily ten feet wide formed where the club landed, deep enough to swallow Riley whole.

Fwoosh!

Dust shot up like a geyser, blinding everyone in a thick cloud of brown.

Kraghur’s chest heaved as he looked down into the impact zone, expecting to see mangled flesh... shattered bones...

But there was nothing.

Only dirt.

His brows furrowed.

A flicker of confusion danced through his mind, and before he could register what was wrong—

A voice whispered from behind him.

"Oops," it said.

Kraghur’s eyes widened in horror.

"Guess you tripped."

And then—

His feet gave out.

His knees buckled, balance vanished. The mighty orc king fell forward like a toppled statue, his massive frame slamming into the earth face-first with a thunderous crash.

The crowd gasped, feeling that the scene playing out before them was nothing more than a joke.

Standing behind him, perfectly balanced and grinning ear to ear, was Riley—his daggers still drawn.

He spun one blade lazily on his finger and gave a mock bow to the stunned crowd.

"Well," he said, placing a foot onto the orc king’s back like it was a stage. "Was that it?"