Behold my children! Behold the glorious me bestowing upon you yet again the gift of mine!
... Love me? a lil more than last time plox?
Oh, and love Ken-kun a little too... (JUST A LITTLE! In the end... you know... priorities and such...)
Edited by: KenChi死
I was massaging my shoulder while rethinking strategy. Those kobolds were… weak. And slow. And were wielding unbalanced weapons. So why the hell did I struggled that much? If didn’t use magic and shapeshifting… is this11 the limit of my current abilities?
No, it is the limit of a human on this level. Soliders that are training daily in barracks are level 10-15. Adventurers that are risking their lives fighting unimaginable creatures are level 15-25. Level 30 is reserved for real monsters among humans. 40 are grand masters, like a few dozen in the whole world per generation… you know, the kind of hermits that were studying arcane of magic in swamps while dueling with insane creatures.
And level 50. I am pretty sure the ol’ man Jericho is one of those. Or, as I suspect, he crossed that line. Did he evolved? If yes, then his race is either heavily connected with humans (…well, that was his base race) or has insane camouflage skills.
Making conclusion. I am not that weak. I am lacking experience in actual fighting. Yes, I still do. But I am not going to stop on level 20. Nor 30. And not 50. Will it take long? But Sebastian told me, that I will reach the level of the most powerful human in 2-3 years. If I will treat is seriously, it is. If the most powerful human is somewhere around level 50… damn I am a cheat in the end. To reach in 3-4 years something that other creatures devoted there whole lives to.
Tsh, as I will get back I will have to start looking for more difficult quests. And train with ol’ man… and maybe… nah, don’t push my luck to much… but he would be overjoyed… no, no, no and no! I will die… but unlimited power! But for what cost!? Ok, let leave asking Sebastian for help for some really dark times…
As I was lost in thought, I didn’t noticed someone approaching me. And, oh boy, it was quite a feat to not notice HER.
* “You. Your stance is far too defensive.”
I shivered as I heard the voice way to close to me.
The one standing behind me was Oni.
* “Pardon me?”
* “You got cornered, since you kept running away. They kept pushing you back, and you kept giving away your ground. As the result you get cornered. Kobolds are not intelligent but are also not completely mindless. Use it to your advantage. As one of them jumps at you, avoid him and try getting in his place, doing so you will force yourself a place for movements. Also, you made far too many unnecessary movements. Those exhausted you. And keep using your legs more instead of upper body. As you were sweeping at the sides to shake the Kobolds off your heels you used far too much stamina. Instead of shaking only your upper body, try to rotate from below your belt.”
* “T…Thank you… I guess? Why are you telling me all those things? Isn’t in your business making me fail?”
* “He? Why do you think so? It’s quite the opposite. The better you will fight, the more spectators may come, and we get most of our payment by selling tickets and taking bets. Your rewards are not estimated to be equal to 10% of our income. Atop of that… you have a talent. Raw instinct. When you pierced those beasts hearts… you did it for the first time, didn’t you?”
* “I guess so.”
* “In many schools of spear usage, moves like those have many names. Tempest of Ran Vu, Triple Snake’s Bite, Three Stings of Malikh… There were geniuses that spend their lives mastering spear, and after years of practicing they created a few moves, just like that one. And you simply thought, that it would be nice to use something similar during the battle. You have insane potential. By giving you those pieces of advice, even if just small ones, I am contributing to the progress of someone, that one day may become a wonderful warrior. And there is no such thing, that my kin value more than truly devoted warriors. Do not betray the hopes that I lay in you. Show me something spectacular.”
She turned around and ones again started marching toward the reference section. As she was walking, she turned her head one more time and yelled to me.
* “Get your ass up, white-boy. The next match will start in couple seconds.”
So I raised up, played with spear in my hands a few more times balancing it, and I stepped into the arena yet again.
Again 10 monsters. 5 workers, we already know those gentlemen. So, the other 5?
Kobold BrawlerLevel 6Hp[106/110]Sp[82/100]SkillsNigh Vision [passive] [Level 6]
Cooperation [passive] [Level 1]
Club usage mastery [passive] [novice] [Level 4]
- Manifestations [Powerful blow] [Slam] [Charge]
Brawler's skill: [Taunt]
Trained body [passive] [Level 1]
Poison resistance [passive] [low] [Level 6]
Kobold Brawler was a Kobold Worker, that was promoted thanks to his extraordinary strength (compared to workers).
Stronger and more durable than their lower casted kin, yet their strategy may be far simpler.
Because of their beliefs in their own strength they do not work together... unless an even higher cast would come along and force submission on them
Kobold ScoutLevel 6Hp[62/70]Sp[55/60]SkillsNigh Vision [passive] [Level 6]
Dagger [passive] [novice] [Level 4]
- Manifestations [Backstab] [Rapid thrust] [Lunge]
Scout skills: [Tracking] [Presence hide]
Nimble body [passive] [Level 1]
Poison resistance [passive] [low] [Level 6]
Unlike Brawlers, Scouts were far to small and "fragile" to be even considered as workers. Most of such kobolds die of starvation, as none of their kin even think about helping them.
Only if they shown their ability of tracking and hiding their presence they were taken into training to became assassins. The lowest cast of the way to that position is scout. Those poor bastards are sent into the deepest corridors of the Mountains to look for possible threats from creatures living deeply under earth.
Unlike common Kobolds they are lacking skill of cooperation, as they were taught to travel and live on their own, coming back to villages in the mountains once per few months, just to report
The rest of company was made out of 3 scouts and 2 brawlers. As they were walking toward the middle of the arena, brawlers were simply pushing workers out of their way. Classic bullies.
They looked at me, at made some kind of sound, that probably was supposed to sound like a mighty roar. Well, it sounded pretty much like a turkey being stuffed… alive.
The brawlers, which showed a specific kind of… “enthusiasm” jumped right on me. Remembering the words of Oni I did the same.
The spear was dancing, blood was flowing, the music of scream was ringing high. Maybe it was because of this music, or maybe because of gossip that was spoken outside the arena, the audience was slowly filling up.
….
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* “Ladies and gentlemen! Monsters and freaks! The challenger has reached the 5th wave! Lets reward him with applause, because right here, right now, things are about to get…. SPICY!”
I was bit battered. Nothing serious – a few grazes, as I reacted to slowly or to aggressively on strike performed by brawler; and some cuts that proofed the ability of scouts which somehow managed to sneak behind my back and perform a thrust.
I was panting a little, my cheeks were a bit red from the heath. A small streamlet of blood was lazily dripping down my lip.
I looked upon the small squad that standing in front of me. Apparently things will be a little bit more troublesome from now onward.
Kobold Knight [Chapmion]Level13Hp[159/160]Sp[134/200]SkillsNight Vision [passive] [Level 10]
Sword Usage Mastery [passive] [Apprentice] [Level 2]
Manifestations [Storm of Slashes] [Rapid Thrust] [Defensive Stance] [Aimed Thrust]
Trained Body [passive] [Level 3]
[Coordination [passive] [Level 4]
Regeneration [passive] [low] [Level 2]
Knight’s skills: [Taunt] [Wall of Shields] [Cruel Riposte] [Trading Blows]
When the Kobold Warrior besides strength and skill shown also intellect and ability to coordinate the movements of a squad, he is rewarded with the title of Knight.
Health and Stamina highly above average makes him a foe no less frightening than a regular human Knight.
Passionate on the battlefield, he knows only two ends of fight - when either he or his opponent would fall lifeless
This fucker was taller, maybe about ha alf-head smaller than me, wearing a bit of rusty armor, that within their savage community must be a luxury, wielding a steel sword and buckler that he was tied to his whole forearm covering half of his body . And he was accompanied by two warriors and six brawlers.
He hissed rising his sword above his head. Warriors lined up with him rising their primitive shields, or planks nailed to each other, creating even imposing formation, in same time brawlers jumped in front of them with their clubs in hands.
So this is how you want to do it? Sacrifice brawlers to exhausted me and see the way I am fighting? Fine by me. Taking care of those won’t take me long.
Now, shall we?
Another hiss made brawlers rush at me with madness in there eyes.
The strategy of not giving ground back is far more effective than I wanted to admit. In the end, thanks to my range advantage, I was the one forcing foes back.
I moved one of my feet forward, and twisted my whole body to the side while thrusting the spear. The head of the spear penetrated the body of the Kobold.
Another beast though that since my weapon was stuck in the body of his comrade I was defenseless so he jumped at me trying to swing his club.
But instead of releasing the spear, I get closer to the impaled brawler that was desperately fighting to stop his bleeding, I grabbed him with my free hand and moved him in the direction of approaching beast, using him as shield.
The assaulting brawler bumped into the bleeding bastard losing his momentum and bringing even more suffering to the already dying monster.
I grabbed the spear as close to the body of Kobold as it was only possible to reduce the possibility of my spear breaking, and used my leg to release the weapon out of body with a kick. The body once again was pushed at the other kobold making both of them stumble and fall.
In that moment I rotated my body twice pushing aside other beats that wasted no time and kept attacking me, as I regained some place after the second or third, I stabbed the 2nd kobold that was trying to get up to my throat.
Another few moves, some sweeps, a few stabs, and after 20 or so seconds another two corpses were lying on the ground and I was standing on the other side of ghd arena, with all the ground and time that one could require to keep the battle at the same pace.
Another time the beast was pushed aside, I ducked under the high sweep and stabbed attacker in the leg near the ankle, as the kobold hissed in pain losing balance as he was focusing his attention on his leg that got penetrated through, I hit three times the last brawler three times with blunt end of spear in the stomach, making him take a few steps back, and as he was far enough, I shifted the way I handled the spear and stabbed him in same place for the 4th time, this time with the blade.
I finished the kobold with the penetrated leg with one thrust in the corpus, as I turned in the direction of the “Elite” group.
The eyes of Knight were shining with… something… not intelligence, but… understanding? Curiosity? Desire to obtain knowledge?
I could tell that he was lacking the purest ability of intelligent – of prediction of outcome before the action.
Intelligent creatures after observing the fire for some time could easily understood, that putting a hand in the fire would be painful. But not him. He would push his bloody hand in that fire to be sure. Here he is doing the same. Observation and then he will try to get the experience by himself. In some twisted way this knowledge made me shiver. Almost intelligent. I would prefer not to know what they would do with the knowledge, if they would get full access to intelligence.
I can only be grateful, that those creatures are more animals than humans.
The remaining three characters stared marching. The warriors went first, with knight was following two steps behind.
Now, what are you up to?
Now I noticed, one of the creatures was wielding the sword in his left hand, making their formation quiet unique – the warriors that were marching in front of knight had his sword outside of the formation.
Now that will be problematic, if they would coordinate their movements, I may be attacked in the same time by swings from left and right, while the knight could perform a lunge from the front still being pretty much covered by the shields of his warriors.
How many battles had you won to gather that kinds of experiences?
Their formation shifted a little more, now one of warriors was a step forward from his colleague.
And then he rushed, he swung blade from the side. I parried it as quickly as I could. He rotated his body performing a weird turn. That move was full of holes in his defense, but I couldn’t use it, for in that moment his mate from the opposite site did the same move, I blocked this one too, and barely dodged the thrust of the knight.
And in that moment I saw the reason behind those weird turns.
They moved them around me. Now I was perfectly inside of triangle between them, having barely time to parry each swing, thrust and cut.
They were moving like most wonderful clock. 1-2-3; 1-2-3; 1-2-3.
Very predictable, but to use this predictability against them I need time and space. That I was lacking.
For each movement they performed I needed 3. I will be exhausted in no time.
1-2-3, series after series. I managed to find most optimal range of moves that made me lose stamina a bit slower.
1-2-3; 1-2-3.
I could use magic… no, no yet… get the ground…
1-2-3; 1-2-3… make something risky. Unpredictable. Something that will break their harmony…
1-2-3… I GOT IT!. Just wait for the moment…
1-2-…
I moved. I knew exactly where each blow will land. As Knight was supposed to perform a thrust, I once again I faced him with my body turned to the side, and made a quick steep in his direction.
His thrust scratched me a little making me lose a few drops of blood. In very next second I felt the flow of the air on my neck, and another blade missed me by centimeter or so.
Now as I was walking past the Knight, I grabbed his arm and shifted the trajectory of his thrust. His blade met a body. Not mine, but that was the idea. I pushed my whole body mass on side of the beast to force him drop on his subordinate, while I change the way I handled the spear, and used Heart seeker.
This skill was meant to be used with either both hands or while standing face-to-face with your enemy. Maybe this is why my accuracy dropped that much? One of stabs completely missed its target as the blade of my spear was pushed next to the enemy head. Another one got his arm pierced, and the very last one burrowed the head of the spear somewhere in his chest, luckily in the place where his armor had an opening.
I made a few rapid jumps backs to get some space and gather my breath.
The Knight took the blade out of his subordinates’ body. As it was dying it managed to rise its hand in the direction of his commander. Pretty beautiful act, if someone would ask me…
The Last kobold standing looked at him for couple of seconds more and then he turned back at me slowly.
First there was a sick passion in his eyes as we were battling. Now it was replaced by something colder. Determination? Maybe.
We were looking at each other for few seconds as we moved in a circle. My hand was shaking. I needed a break. If he would fight for time, getting closer and back. Making an attack… I would lose… it if I wouldn’t use magic… but I was not going to use it. Firstly I told myself that I wouldn’t use it before the 10th wave. I already know, that I will find myself in need of using it sooner. But not just yet. Maybe from 6th. But. Not. Now.
We rushed at each other. He swing from the side. I ducked under the blade and thrust from a kneeling like position. But he already saw that move before. He turned his body. It looked just as if he decided to take a walk in a different direction. Twisted his body then to perform yet another slash. And another, and another. He was taking a step after step as he was waving his sword with insane speed. That was probably his manifestation of [Storm of Slashes].
5th slash, 6th slash, 7th slash, 8th…9th…10th…
He stopped
So a series of 10 slashes?
I held my spear horizontally in front of me, using it like a pole, twisting my body performing fast strikes from side to side, as only I hit from the right, I used the momentum of impact created as he was blocking to strike in a second from the left.
He took a step back, and another, and another. Ashe get in the distance where his blade got the advantage, he wasted no time. He retrieved the blade from behind his body to perform a lunge, but at that time I raised my leg and kicked him in the gut.
I stabbed in the direction of his body as he was kneeling.
But he raised. And not dodged. He dropped his shield away, for now it was only getting in his way, and grabbed my spear with his palm.
The blade of my weapon easily got through his palm. I wanted to retrieve the weapon but in that moment his scaly fingers clasped on the spear making it impossible to get it back.
He raised his blade and slashed. But the strike was not aimed at me, but at my weapon.
Sword easily divided the spear into two useless sticks.
For a second I tried to comprehend what he wanted to achieve with that move.
Ah, to take away my weapon. He sacrificed his palm, up to the moment that even if he would win, he would probably could never used this hand, just to take away my weapon and make me defenseless.
If I wouldn’t have had magic and D’iabel… it would have bin an excellent move. Such determination. Sucha spirit. Wonderful fortitude.
The fire in his eyes faded as he noticed my sad admiration. He knew that the sadness in my eyes was created not because I was afraid of my life, but for I found the act of his useless.
* “Sword… D’iabel”
Funny. Usually I say those words with passion, not with sorrow. Even if he is almost completely a beast, that only human-like part inside him was the ability to create deadly tools. For a moment I was admiring his resolution of acts.
* “I live… to serve…” the ring answered
And then we started dancing again. The difference was obvious.
I could, from time to time” grasp the sword with both hands performing a much more powerful blow.
He was giving back more and more ground. Occasional my slashes made him drop bloody tears from his veins exhausting him even more. As for me, the knowledge that I once again had advantage renewed my desire to fight.
I rammed my body into his, making him take even more steps back. It was the final episode of this battle, and we both knew about it.
For the very last time he slashed from behind his head.
I ducked. Yet again. This time he had no time nor power to react.
I spun my body twice. First as I was knelling – it got me to the side of his body and allowed me cut his leg.
Then I made yet another spin as I was raising. In the moment I was getting up, he was falling down on his knee.
Then using momentum of the 2nd spin, I cut his head off. There was a scream. A scream of released frustration. The scream of anger, excitement, and the joy of victory.
Wait, as I am thinking about it… it could be my scream.
I was standing in the position of executioner with my blade low as his head was spinning in the air getting higher and higher, just to drop after a couple of seconds and roll through the ground with a
You have finished the 5th waveKobolds Brawler killed x6 - 81expKobold Warrior Killed x2 - 48 expKobold Knight [Champion] killed x1 - 210 exp
After another few seconds of silence, the audience burnt out in applause whistles and cheers. That was something they were waiting for.
And I felt all fired up. That feeling was.. incomprehensible. It made my blood boil. Could you hear them? Screaming my name? even if it’s temporary… only for now or a few more fights… I feel… good… so full of … life? Yes, now I was living. My blood buzzed in my ears. I raised the blade one more time and screamed. The audience once again rewarded me with enthusiastic applause.
* “AAAAND THE 5TH WAVE WAS CLREAD! TELL US, OH CHALLANGER? DO YOU WISH TO TAKE YOUR REWARD AND STOP FIGHTING, OR WOULD YOU TAKE A HALF HOUR LONG BREAK AND ONCE AGAIN STEP INTO THE ARENA?”
The people turned quiet for few moments
* “I wish to keep fighting!”
Another insane burst of applause… Ohh, more! Scream it more!
* “WONDERFULL! PEOPLE OF WHATEVER NATION, THAT GATHERED HERE! BEHOLD! THE CHALLANGER WILL AMUSE US WITH MORE FIGHTS! WITH MORE SKILLS! WITH MORE CUORAGE! WITH BLOOD! AND GLOOOORY!”
I started walking toward benches to treat my wounds and regain my stamina.
Oh irony… who could guess, that one will never feel more alive, but when he takes away a life as the people around him cheer. One could feel like a god. I just hoped, that as I would leave the arena, for good, I would lose my desire of taking lives so easily away.