Free Web NovelChapter 19: Ascending (4)
Misha and Gerbaut had been taking turns keeping watch, hiding from one place to another while keeping track of the chieftain.
She woke to the sound of a horn echoing through the forest. Her eyes flew open and for a moment, she forgot where she was. Then the smell of damp earth and the sight of endless trees brought everything rushing back.
She pushed herself upright and glanced around the small hiding spot beneath a rocky overhang.
"What’s happening?" She asked, her voice still rough from sleep.
Beside her, Gerbaut remained crouched near the entrance. He kept his eyes fixed on the distant forest. "The goblins are preparing to leave."
Misha immediately stood. "They’re moving?"
The chief goblin had separated from the main pack earlier. They had spent hours tracking it through the forest, waiting for an opportunity. And aparently, that opportunity had finally arrived.
Gerbaut rose to his feet and took out his spear, adjusting his grip on the weapon. "You engage first."
Misha nearly tripped over her own feet. "W-what?"
"You need experience."
She pointed toward the distant. "Can’t I gain experience by watching you?"
"No." His answer arrived without hesitation. Gerbaut lifted a hand and pointed toward the chieftain. "Fight."
Misha wanted to complain. Actually, she wanted to complain a lot. The goblin chieftain looked enormous even from a distance. Up close, it would probably look even bigger.
"I’ll protect you if things get too dangerous for you."
She immediately latched onto those words. "Then promise it!"
Gerbaut met her gaze, staring seriously into her eyes. "I keep my promises."
The simple answer eased some of her anxiety but not all of it. She still felt afraid since the goblin chieftain was nothing like the starving goblins she had fought before.
Misha swallowed nervously and clenched her fists tightly before she took a deep breath.
「 Trait in Effect: Calm Under Pressure 」
「 Fear and panic suppressed. 」
She eyed Gerbaut one last time, to which he nodded before she slipped between the trees.
The forest felt eerily quiet. Every rustling of leaves seemed loud, and every step felt louder than it should have. Her heartbeat thumped heavily against her chest. Thankfully, the nearby waterfall drowned out much of the noise.
As she crept closer, the chieftain came into view. The massive goblin knelt beside the riverbank while its wolf drank from the water. Its axe rested across one shoulder. The wolf loomed almost as dangerous as its owner.
Misha tightened her grip around her rapier.
「 Elevated stress and fear levels detected. Emotional interference reduced. 」
The fear inside her chest finally dulled as her thoughts began to slow down, becoming clearer.
What should she do? Should she kill the chief or kill the wolf first? How should she separate them?
As her eyes landed on a loose stone, an idea formed in her mind.
Misha bent down and grabbed it. Then she threw it as hard as she could. The stone disappeared into the trees.
Crack!
The sound echoed through the forest.
The wolf’s ear immediately twitched, its head snapped toward the noise. At the same time, the chieftain stood and turned in the same direction.
Misha lunged from cover, and the moment she burst from the bushes, the goblin immediately turned his head to her and locked onto her.
"SKREE!!" The creature roared.
「 Passive Skill in Effect: Weapon Mastery 」
She drove her rapier straight toward the wolf. The blade pierced its shoulder, making the animal yelp and stumble sideways.
At the same time, the chieftain swung its axe. The massive weapon cut through the air from behind her. It was way too fast for Misha to react and block it. Before the blow could reach her–
Clang!
Gerbaut appeared, his weapon intercepted the axe with perfect timing.
"Focus on the work." He shoved the chieftain back. "I’ll handle this."
Misha nodded once and didn’t argue.
The wolf recovered quickly and lunged at her, its jaw snapped toward her throat, but she managed to jump backward. Sharp teeth closed inches from her face.
That was way too close...
The wolf circled her, waiting and watching as if it were looking for an opening.
Misha’s palms grew sweaty. She tightened her grip around her rapier as her heart hammered against her ribs.
「 Stress resistance slightly increased. Fear and panic are suppressed. 」
「 Mental focus sharpened. 」
Its movement slowed inside her mind. It was not physically, but mentally. She noticed the shift in its shoulders and the tension in its hind legs.
Left... it was coming from the left.
Misha sidestepped just in time, the wolf’s claws missed her by inches. She thrust, the rapier piercing its side.
The wolf howled as blood splattered across the grass. The beast growled before it spun around and struck her with its paw.
Pain exploded across her shoulder, making Misha stagger backward.
The wolf pounced again, not wasting a second for her to recover. But she managed to slip a dagger into her hand.
「 Trait in Effect: Steady Hands 」
「 Hand stability enhanced. Accuracy retention increased under stressful conditions. 」
She lowered her stance, avoiding the wolf’s attack and waited for the right second to thrust upward. Both the dagger and the rapier sank deep into the wolf’s chest.
The beast crashed into her, and the impact knocked her onto the ground.
Misha rolled desperately before she immediately drove her dagger into its neck while her rapier acted as an anchor, pinning the wolf in place for a split second. The blade sank deep, and she stabbed three times before the beast finally collapsed.
「 You have killed a Warg!
EXP +15 」
Panting heavily, Misha stumbled backward. She barely won.
A loud crash suddenly echoed behind her.
When Misha turned, she saw Gerbaut and the chieftain continued exchanging blows.
The goblin roared furiously. Its axe smashed through a nearby trunk, and wood splintered everywhere. Gerbaut managed to avoid the attack before he struck back.
For the first time, Misha noticed something about him now that she was watching the fight from the sidelines. He controlled the entire battle.
She had always known he was strong, but seeing it firsthand felt different. The goblin chieftain looked fierce and intimidating, yet it never seemed to gain any momentum. Whenever it tried to advance, Gerbaut stopped it. Whenever it tried to retreat, he cut off the escape route. Misha suddenly understood why the others trusted him so much.
Then–
A sudden chill crawled down her spine.
「 Killing intent detected! 」
Something was behind her. Misha spun around, but it was too slow.
A goblin emerged from the trees, its sword already thrusting towards her.
Misha’s eyes widened.
Move... Move!
Her mind screamed at her to move but her body refused to obey.
As the blade continued to fall, something changed in the air. Everything seemed to slow down. The goblin’s sword descended inch by inch. The rustling leaves grew silent, and even the roar of the nearby waterfall faded into the background. Everything slowed unnaturally.
Misha could see every detail. The goblin’s twisted grin, and the chipped edge of its sword. It was just like back then at the Basement Floor when the goblin’s dagger almost had her throat.
Then, a figure stepped between them and it was none other than Gerbaut. His cloak fluttered behind him, his expression remained calm as ever. For a brief second, he glanced back and their eyes met.
The next instant, time snapped back to normal.
Clang! freewebnσvel.cøm
The goblin’s sword crashed against Gerbaut’s own weapon instead of her. The force shook the air.
Before the goblin could recover, Gerbaut twisted his spear and drove the shaft into its chest.
Thud!
The creature stumbled backward, its frog-like eyes widened.
Crunch.
The spearhead flashed forward and pierced its throat. The goblin froze, and blood spilled from its mouth. A second later, the body collapsed into the dirt.
Misha stared in shock, her pulse hammering against her ears. The image refused to leave her mind. If Gerbaut had been one second slower... No. She didn’t want to think about it.
As her gaze slowly traveled down, she noticed red droplets striking the ground.
Drip.
Drip.
Her eyes followed the trail upward and there she saw it... A deep slash ran along Gerbaut’s side.
