Free Web NovelChapter 50: Chapter 50: First Blood
Drake charged forward with one Middle Level Swordsman, while the other immediately fell back to defend, attacking Hill who had penetrated their ranks.
Marcus raised his Shield, but he was completely unable to withstand Drake’s Charge.
The impact from a body enhanced by Fighting Qi was far more than a Junior Warrior could ever hope to block.
THUD!
With a heavy thud, Marcus felt as if he were wrestling with a rhinoceros. He and his Shield were sent flying, his head spinning in a daze.
Gak, meanwhile, met the other Middle Level Swordsman head-on.
Roaring, he brought his Broad Axe down in a vertical chop. Combined with his towering two-point-two-meter frame and his innate, superhuman strength, the blow was filled with terrifying power!
But his opponent didn’t even try to dodge, instead meeting the downward chop with an upward slash of his own.
Gak’s heart lurched in shock. The handle of his Broad Axe had been sliced apart by the man’s Longsword!
The pale green Fighting Qi coiling around the blade had utterly destroyed the thick wooden handle.
The iron axe head clattered to the ground. Gak’s attack had failed, leaving him holding nothing but a splintered wooden shaft.
With another twist of his wrist, the Swordsman turned his upward parry into a downward diagonal slash!
If it landed true, the blow would sever Gak’s entire right arm at the shoulder!
In the nick of time, Gak relied on his sharp combat instincts and jerked backward.
The Longsword still left a gruesome gash on his body, stretching from his right shoulder to his chest, the flesh peeled back.
Blood sprayed out, drenching his Chest Armor and clothes.
Gak collapsed backward.
"Get back!!"
Gray roared, charging in from the side. He lunged forward with a desperate Thrust, his do-or-die attack barely forcing back the Swordsman who had been about to press his advantage.
The Swordsman took a few steps back, a disdainful sneer on his face. Fighting Qi once again coiled around his blade as he prepared to attack again.
"Tch. The two of you think you can..."
Before he could finish, a bolt of violent lightning tore through the air.
KRA-KOOM!!!
Valles’s Thunder Arrow arrived just in time, striking its target with perfect accuracy!
The terrifying destructive force blasted a huge hole straight through the Swordsman’s chest, obliterating his lungs and heart.
The Middle Level Swordsman died instantly!
On the other side of the clearing, after sending Marcus flying, Drake gave him no time to recover. He brought his Battle Saber down again and again, trying to cleave Marcus in two.
Marcus had no chance to get to his feet. He could only roll desperately across the ground to dodge Drake’s swings, barely staying alive.
But soon, a brilliant blue light shot in from the side at incredible speed!
Drake instinctively raised his Shield to block, but the Magic Power contained within the light was immense. It blew his left arm, Shield and all, to smithereens!
BOOM!!!
The violent explosion engulfed the left side of Drake’s body. He collapsed to the ground, clutching the mangled stump of his arm and screaming in agony. freēwēbnovel.com
"AARRRGH!!!"
’What was that?! How could it have such terrifying destructive power?!’
Panicked, Drake twisted his head around and saw that it was Magic cast by Zelir!
A moment ago, two Arrows from the Rangers had grazed Zelir—one on the arm, the other on the calf.
Fortunately, neither had hit a vital area, so Zelir was still able to continue Casting and join the fight.
Now, Zelir’s gaze was glacial. Magic began to gather once more at the tip of his white wax wood staff.
"Drake, die...!"
Before a plea for mercy could even leave his lips, an invisible Wind Blade flashed past.
Drake’s head spun several times in the air before thudding to the ground.
The last remaining battle was between Hill and the other Middle Level Swordsman.
An Assassin had a natural advantage in a surprise attack, but in a direct, head-on confrontation, they were undoubtedly inferior to the Warrior class.
A Swordsman’s Power consistently overwhelmed an Assassin’s. His opponent’s attacks were ferocious, a relentless storm of blows.
Hill could only rely on her agility to constantly evade, unable to find an opening to strike back.
But suddenly, a wave of Magic Power burst down from above!
The external interference caused the Swordsman’s movements to slow.
The delay was brief, but for an Assassin of Hill’s Level, it was more than enough to determine life and death.
She darted forward, evading the sweep of his Longsword, and thrust her dagger toward his neck.
SQUELCH...!
Enhanced by Hill’s Fighting Qi, the Thrust had incredible penetrating power. In an instant, it pierced straight through the man’s throat!
Blood sprayed forth. The Middle Level Swordsman’s eyes went wide as he collapsed, lifeless, to the ground.
From start to finish, the entire battle had lasted less than a minute. Six new corpses now lay in the forest clearing.
Zelir lowered his white wax wood staff, panting heavily.
Casting that Heavy Pressure Technique had drained the last of his Magic Power, and a profound weakness washed over him, seeming to emanate from the very depths of his soul.
Zelir looked down at his hands.
’They’re steady. Not shaking.’
’I don’t feel sick or want to throw up, either.’
’Not bad... for my first time killing someone.’
But a moment later, the sharp pain in his calf flared to life.
He hadn’t felt much during the adrenaline of battle.
Now, the stabbing pain assaulted his nerves in waves, forcing a sharp hiss of breath through his teeth.
"Are you insane? Why did you attack them?!"
Valles had finally snapped out of his combat haze. His own actions had been purely instinctual. ƒrēewebnovel.com
He glared at Hill and snapped, "What is that, an occupational hazard? Your knife is at someone’s throat and you just can’t resist slitting it?"
"They were the ones who wanted to kill us first. Were we supposed to just let them walk away?"
Hill nonchalantly kicked one of the corpses. "Can you guarantee they wouldn’t have circled back to ambush us? Of course, we had to strike first while we had the advantage."
"Enough!"
Marcus struggled to his feet and cut off the argument. "Let’s tend to everyone’s wounds first!"
Gak was the most grievously wounded. The gash ran from his chest all the way to his right shoulder, and he was losing a lot of blood. He needed immediate medical attention.
Then there was Zelir. One Arrow had grazed his left arm, and another had torn into his calf.
The wound on his calf was clearly more severe; it was several centimeters deep and still oozing blood.
"Lie still. Don’t move."
Hill pressed a hand to Zelir’s chest, then cut open the trouser leg around his injury.
The arrowhead’s barb had torn the skin, leaving a frightening-looking wound of peeled-back flesh.
Hill examined it carefully.
The blood was bright red, not an abnormal purplish-green.
She raised an eyebrow.
"You’re lucky. It wasn’t a direct hit, and the arrowhead wasn’t poisoned."
"My luck is always good," Zelir said, forcing a smile.
There was no special treatment for this kind of flesh wound. All they could do was disinfect it, stop the bleeding, and wrap it with a clean cloth.
Hill was very practiced at this.
Now Zelir finally understood how Gray had felt when they poured Firethroat Wine on his wound.
As the cool liquid was poured over the wound, Zelir felt nothing for the first half-second.
But then, an intense pain, as if his leg were being pierced by steel needles, shot through him.
The burning sensation from the alcohol made his body twitch uncontrollably. A strangled sound escaped Zelir’s throat as he clenched his fists, desperately trying not to scream.
The disinfection only lasted a few seconds, but to Zelir, it felt like an eternity. Only when the searing pain began to subside could he finally get his breathing under control.
Zelir gasped for breath, the back of his shirt completely soaked and clinging to his skin.
