Chapter 11: Ambush
[Ding]
[Your agility has exceeded 20 points.]
[Due to your Nova Knight talent, you have obtained the skill: Shunpo (Epic).]
Surprised by the notification, Michael remembered that his Nova Knight talent granted new skills whenever his attributes surpassed specific thresholds. However, he hadn’t expected his first skill to be an Epic (purple) one. That rarity was almost unheard of—truly worthy of an S-rank talent.
A surge of warmth spread through his body, starting from his spine and coursing down his legs. It was overwhelming, painful, and paralyzing. Michael clenched his jaw, resisting the urge to scream. The rest of the group was nearby, and he didn’t want to draw any unnecessary attention.
After what felt like an eternity, the pain subsided, replaced by a cool, refreshing sensation that left him feeling light and energized.
[Shunpo (Epic)]
[Level 1]
[Passive: +100% movement speed, +100% reaction speed.]
[Active: Designate a target and travel to it at 500% movement speed. The Next strike will do 50% damage. 100% if the target never sees you]
[Cost: 50 Spirit. Cooldown: 7 seconds.]
Michael’s eyes widened as he read the skill description. It was absurdly powerful, far beyond anything he had ever seen.
The combination of mobility and reaction speed made it a game-changer. He couldn’t help but grin at the possibilities this opened for him.
“What’s with that smile?” Arin’s voice pulled him back to reality.
Michael froze, realizing he’d been grinning like an idiot. He quickly tried to compose himself, forcing a more neutral expression. “Nothing. I’m just happy I leveled up. My talent granted me a new skill related to speed.”
Arin blinked, processing his words. “Wait… you’re saying your talent gives you skills?”
Michael nodded. “Exactly. Every time I surpass a certain threshold in an attribute, I unlock a skill.”
Arin’s jaw tightened, her thoughts racing. She had only heard of a handful of talents capable of granting skills, and even then, they were usually tied to affinities or minor upgrades—not outright new abilities.
This revelation made one thing abundantly clear: Michael wasn’t just strong. He was a genius.
On one hand, having someone this talented in her party was exciting. On the other hand, the gap between them would only grow wider as time went on. A part of her wondered if he’d even stick around once he realized just how far ahead he was destined to be.
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Pushing those thoughts aside, Arin focused on the task at hand. “We’ll deal with that later,” she muttered under her breath. For now, they had a mission to complete.
The group continued toward the Abandoned City of Deashal. After days of grinding, they had finally reached the necessary levels—Arin and the others at level 8, and Michael now at level 6. Their first goal was complete. Next up: blowing up zombies.
Michael followed Arin and the others north-east toward Deashal, which didn’t appear on his map as he had neither visited nor purchased the map with its location. Regardless, all he needed to do was stick with the group.
Along the way, they continued hunting zombies, using their tried-and-true strategies to grind efficiently.
After half an hour, the silhouette of Deashal loomed in the distance. The city was a crumbling husk of its former self, its skyline marred by decay and overgrowth. But just as they broke free of the forest, disaster struck.
An arrow whizzed through the air, striking Joe, the priest, square in the neck.
“Ahhh!” Joe cried out, clutching his wound. Blood spurted from the injury as -30% HP flashed above his head. Worse still, the arrow’s tip glowed green. Poison.
[-2 HP per second.]
The group immediately sprang into action. Frank, the tank, shoved Joe behind him, pulling a massive shield from his inventory to cover them both. Kate and Arin crouched low, scanning the area.
“There!” Kate shouted, pointing to a rocky outcrop ahead.
Perched atop the rocks were several Goblins, all armed with crossbows and bows.
Their elevated position gave them a clear line of sight on the group, and their poisonous arrows ensured that even a single hit was lethal.
The goblins had the high ground, ranged weapons, and the element of surprise. Worse, they had stationed Goblin Shield Warriors at the base of the rocks to block any direct approach.
Michael’s mind raced. If they stayed where they were, they’d be picked apart. “We can’t sit here and wait!” he barked, springing to his feet.
Ducking under incoming arrows, Michael sprinted toward the rocks, his speed catching the goblins off guard. Two Shield Warriors lunged to intercept him, but he sidestepped their clumsy swings with ease.
Using his momentum, he vaulted over them and landed on the narrow path leading up to the archers.
At the top of the rock, he saw the source of their trouble. Three Goblin Archers were firing down on his teammates, while a Goblin Shaman looking like their leader stood behind them, finishing the chant for [Frost Breath]—a spell designed to slow and immobilize its targets.
Michael had no time to waste. Activating [Shunpo], he disappeared in a blur, reappearing in the midst of the goblins. Before they could react, he unleashed [Tornado Slash], his sword whirling in a deadly arc.
[Critical Hit!]
-50 HP.
-30 HP.
-29 HP.
One archer dropped instantly, its lifeless body crumpling to the ground. The other two staggered, their health bars reduced by two-thirds. Panicked, they dropped their bows and pulled daggers, screaming in their guttural language.
The Shaman, unfazed, pointed its staff at Michael and unleashed [Arcane Bolt], a violet projectile that struck him square in the chest.
-35 HP
Michael ignored the pain and closed the gap to the nearest archer. A swift slash ended its life, and with a quick [Dash], he pierced the second archer’s throat before it could counter.
Both collapsed, leaving only the Shaman.
The Goblin Shaman froze, its yellow eyes wide with terror. It muttered something under its breath, but its spellcasting was too slow. Michael appeared in front of it in an instant, his blade raised.
“Too late,” he growled.
With one final strike [Power Blow], the Shaman fell. The ambush was over.