Xavier used Judgment on the enemies barging out of the thicket, licking his lower lip.
His eyes narrowed as numerous green and yellow hues entered his view.
“This has to be a joke,” He grumbled in self-ridicule.
There were dozens of War Kobolds, close to 70 Kobold Warriors, 50 Kobold Archers, six Kobold Shamans, a bunch of Kobold Giants, Kobolds Champions, Kobold Riders riding on bulky wolf-like monsters, and Kobold Mutants.
Xavier had to face a small army of more than 250 Kobolds.
His expression turned dead serious. There was no time for self-ridicule or doubts. It was now or never.
Haste has been cast upon you. Your Agility increases by 20% for the next 300 seconds.
Brute Strength has been cast upon you. Your Strength increases by 25% for the next 250 seconds.
Super Support has been cast upon you. Your natural regeneration(including Stamina and Energy) increased by 100% for 600 seconds.
“Jeremy. I love you!” Xavier exclaimed loud enough for Jeremy Heckler to hear.
He used Meditation to replenish a few more bits of energy. Unfortunately, the Kobold Shamans and Archers didn’t like that he stood his ground and stared at them defiantly. They released energy blasts and arrows toward him, bombarding Xavier.
Forced to move, Xavier used Dash. He maintained Meditation while evading the downpour of arrows. A Kobold Swordmaster appeared before Xavier, blocking his path as the first barrage of arrows ceased. Xavier leaned forward and unleashed Thunder Step with a thunderous crackling that reverberated through the vicinity to move even faster.
The Kobold Swordmaster didn’t expect Xavier to accelerate even further. He saw the Onyx Blade coming his way but didn’t notice the barrage of Air Bullets engulfed in blazing flames. The Air Bullets pierced his arm, weakening the iron-tight grip on his weapon, granting Xavier enough of an advantage to push the Kobold Swordmaster’s weapon aside and sever his arm.
The Kobold Swordmaster squealed in pain, but Xavier didn’t pay much attention. He used the boost in Agility and Strength to his advantage, flicked the Onyx Blade in his hand, and drove it deep into the Kobold Swordmaster’s neck.
1x Kobold Swordmaster has been slain. +7 Soul Essences, +3 Uncommon Card Shards
Xavier wasn’t granted enough time to celebrate. A second barrage of arrows and energy blasts reached him. He managed to escape the projectiles, but he was forced to inch closer to the horde of Kobold Warriors and Champions.
Dirty fuckers!
Xavier smiled grimly, but he remained calm. He charged forward into the horde of Kobold Warriors with both Dash and Thunder Step activated.
It would have been great if he could keep up using Meditation, but now was not the time to meditate, unfortunately. Xavier used his superior Agility and the boost in Strength to overwhelm the Kobold Warriors. They were not as perceptive as the War Kobolds, let alone as proficient at wielding weapons as them.
He overwhelmed and killed the Kobold Warriors one by one. A bunch of Kobold Champions also tried to jump into action, but Xavier released a few Air Bullets to keep them at bay.
At some point, he saw an opening and dashed underneath three sword strikes to inch closer to one of the Kobold Champions. Coat of Fire, Energy Blade, Pierce Armor, and Armor Break had been activated and applied to the Onyx Blade as he thrust the weapon deep into the Kobold Champion’s chest.
He twisted the blade in the monstrosity before kicking the dying body as his senses picked up two incoming attacks from behind. Two large energy blasts were about to strike him. Xavier barely managed to evade them by changing his position with a fierce kick. He used the Kobold Champion as a jumping pad, landed on the shoulders of a Kobold Archer, and kicked out with every bit of strength in his body to break the monster’s skull in one go.
Fortunately, the Kobold Archers and Kobold Warriors were not that powerful. Their Foundation was not high enough to concern Xavier at this point.
He conjured a few dozen Air Bullets and applied Pierce Armor and Armor Break to them. The Air Bullets whizzed through the air and pierced the Kobold Archers’ chests and weapons, seriously injuring a few and disarming the rest. Once disarmed, the Kobold Archers weren’t a threat anymore.
Stolen story; please report.
Xavier sensed that he was not at a huge disadvantage against the Kobolds. Still, he focused on the weaker enemies right now because he sensed that it was impossible to unleash the full potential of his Strength and Agility.
I guess it is about time to increase my Dexterity. It took me long enough!
Integrate 29 Soul Essences into the Star of Dexterity.
25/100 → 54/100
Xavier sensed a drastic difference when he integrated the Soul Essences he’d accumulated in the short battle against the Kobolds. He could clearly feel the energy pumping through his veins and the increased flexibility of his joints. It was weird to dash around while the Star of Dexterity was being enhanced, but he could sense the changes within his body at once. He was agile and faster than before, and he could use more tricks to surprise his enemies.
His attention traveled to the War Kobolds that were making their way to him, and he immediately focused on them. The Kobold Archers in his proximity were killed with a few nimble strikes. They didn’t suffer long because Xavier needed as much power as possible to deal with dozens of well-trained War Kobolds.
Their Foundation was much weaker than his at this point of time, but Xavier couldn’t take any risks. After all, the Kobold Shamans continued to attack him with energy blasts from a safe distance.
Xavier pushed forward and used Elemental Aegis to block the view of three War Kobolds. He released a few strengthened Air Bullets through the Elemental Aegis, taking the War Kobolds by surprise. However, that was not enough to kill them. Realizing that, he quickly coated the Onyx Blade with Energy Blade and Shadow Blade while hurling a few fireballs at them.
Xavier knew the strategy and strength of the War Kobolds well enough to know that his Agility surpassed theirs. He made use of that and their otherwise hard-to-predict attack pattern to evade three attacks and slice the throat of four of them. Xavier integrated more Soul Essences into his Foundation Stars following the kill notifications.
Integrate 10 Soul Essences into the Star of Strength.
40/100 → 50/100
As his Strength increased, Xavier was distracted for a moment. The distraction lasted long enough for a few War Kobolds to inch closer and strike him. Xavier managed to evade the worst attacks but was cut a few times nonetheless. The pain forced Xavier to up his game.
He moved faster, adjusting his stance ever so slightly, and pushed his body to the limit. Xavier went off and beyond his limit. Blood splattered in all directions, and more cuts appeared on his body, but he was not killed or slowed down. Xavier didn’t even sustain a heavy injury, all while the corpses around him continued to pile up.
Unfortunately, it was only a matter of time before Xavier missed an incoming attack. A huge mace wielded by a Kobold Giant struck him hard in the side. Several bones inside him cracked loudly. His bones were crushed, and he was hurled through the air. Xavier’s body smashed hard into a tree several meters away from his earlier location.
He coughed up blood and groaned in pain. Blood trickled down his head and face, shrouding his sight.
His senses picked up something, and his head flicked to the left, where he saw the hideous grimace of a nearby Kobold who was about to slice his throat. He ignored the wave of pain that swept through his entire body and rolled to the side.
[Proficiency of Minor Regeneration reached 100%. Level Up!]
[Proficiency of Minor Physical Resistance reached 100%. Level Up!]
[Proficiency of Minor Physical Resistance reached 100%. Level Up!]
[Proficiency of Lesser Danger Sense reached 100%. Level Up!]
Xavier clicked his tongue and pushed forward. He encountered a few War Kobolds who were more than ready to kill him while he was injured. However, Xavier wasn’t going to give up. He was bruised, battered, and struck more often in the next minutes, but he was not on the verge of death just yet.
The adrenaline coursing through his body suppressed the pain. It granted him just enough control over his body to sense that his movements were growing sharper and that his prediction game improved rapidly. He predicted the incoming attacks efficiently and countered them near-instantaneously, landing swift and deadly blows on his enemies before they could react.
Xavier had no idea how much time had passed or how many enemies were still alive, but he knew he’d killed a bunch of Kobolds. He invested all Soul Essences into the Star of Vitality, hoping the boost in Vitality would help him.
Integrate 19 Soul Essences into the Star of Vitality.
60/100 → 79/100
Warmth filled Xavier’s body. However, the warmth did not only come from integrating Soul Essences. At some point, Linsey appeared behind him. Big beads of sweat trickled down her temples as she used her Healing Card to tend to Xavier’s wounds.
“You’re crazy. You know that, right?” She asked in between two heavy breaths.
Xavier smiled lightly, thankful for her healing.
“I think I have heard that. Like once or twice.”
Linsey returned a wry smile.
“Idiot.”
“I’ve also heard that a few times in the last few weeks.”
Linsey rolled her eyes at that and continued to tend to his wounds as Pauline appeared next to Xavier.
“If you can talk back, you might as well return to fight.”
She glanced down at his blood-soaked body with an unreadable expression on her face.
Xavier groaned, but a smile blossomed on his lips.
“I was just getting started.”
Pauline merely nodded.
“Let’s go then.”