Chapter 11: Hit & Run
Althea raised an eyebrow at Noah as he adjusted his stance, preparing to lift her. “This is hardly an improvement to my hit-and-run strategy,” she said, her voice laced with a touch of skepticism. She had expected a quick, calculated attack, not what Noah was suggesting now.
Noah flashed her a confident smirk. “Don’t be too sure…” he replied, before bending slightly and sweeping her off her feet in one smooth motion, throwing her onto his back in a piggyback.
Althea blinked, taken aback by his sudden action. “I am not heavy, aren’t I?” she asked, half-chuckling, half-questioning.
Noah just shrugged casually, as if carrying her was no effort at all. “I can take it… I have a 16 in the [Body] stat,” he said plainly.
“Well, looks like you’re strong enough for the both of us then,” Althea remarked, adjusting her position on his back. “Just don’t drop me… treasure me like you mean it.”
Noah chuckled. “Oh gosh, you are such a flirt.”
With Althea now safely on his back, Noah started moving with steady, deliberate steps. His muscles flexed with each movement. He couldn’t help but wonder what had prompted her to let him carry her—whether it was trust or just a lack of better options. Either way, the urgency of the situation and the shared focus on surviving was enough to push any oddities aside for now.
They were ready for the next move.
Noah’s thoughts drifted to the peculiar way the system operated. He couldn’t help but feel that the increase in stats was more of a fixed, incremental value rather than something multiplicative.
‘For example, my [Body] stat is now 16. That’s like eight times higher than what it was at the start. But do I feel eight times stronger?’
Noah felt the weight of Althea on his back, yet despite the considerable increase in his physical strength, he didn’t feel dramatically different. Sure, his muscles were more defined now, and his stamina had improved, but his strength didn’t feel exponentially greater.
‘I started with a 3 in [Body]. Now I’ve got 16. Eight times higher, but it doesn’t feel that way…’ Noah mulled over the idea. It was almost like the increments were meant to give a steady boost without overwhelming the system. A small improvement that stacked over time, but not in a way that would suddenly give him a superhuman boost, at least not immediately.
He turned his attention back to their strategy, mentally reviewing their fairly simple plan. It wasn’t much, but it had to work.
Althea, with her skillset, was responsible for the hitting—her [Pyrokinesis], [Fire Bolt], and probably [Purge] would take care of the offense, while Noah was tasked with the running, keeping her safe and drawing attention away from her when needed. The running part felt almost too fitting for him, especially with his [Fly] skill, but it wasn’t exactly the kind of running that involved quick evasion. This was more about movement, getting in and out of danger, and positioning.
Noah had always been good at running… in a video-game-equivalent at least. But in a dungeon, where every corner could hide a threat, it felt more like a game of cat and mouse. The bones of undead skeletons would be their enemies, but their real enemy was time—their time to react, to strike, and to escape before things got out of hand.
He took a deep breath and refocused on the task at hand. ‘We just need to make this work. It’s a simple enough strategy... Althea hits, I run. We can do this.’
The cave remained eerily silent, the only sound being the distant echoes of their breathing. Noah and Althea crouched by the corner, hidden from the view of the undead skeletons just ahead. They had to be careful. One wrong move, and they could be overwhelmed.
Noah whispered, his voice barely audible above the quiet, "Can you lure one of them? Maybe we can deal with them one at a time."
Althea, resting on his back, nodded, her focus sharp despite the weight on him. "I'll try."
She steadied herself, raising her hand while staying as low as possible on Noah's back, readying the smallest firebolt she could conjure. The air shimmered with the heat of the spell as she muttered under her breath, "Fire Bolt."
The spell flew out from her hand and landed with a soft hiss. The resulting glow illuminated the skeletons for a moment, but their attention was immediately captured.
One by one, the hollow eye sockets of the undead snapped toward them. The one in the front, a hulking figure wielding a massive mace, screeched loudly, signaling to the others. With a swift, synchronized motion, the skeletons began to move, charging toward the pair.
However, it wasn’t the shielded skeleton or the archer that reacted the quickest. The most terrifying sight was the dual-wielding skeleton, which exploded forward in an unnatural burst of speed, its blades slicing through the air as it charged directly at them.
Noah, feeling the weight of Althea on his back, didn’t hesitate. He immediately took off, pushing himself as hard as he could. The skeletons’ rattling footsteps grew louder as they chased after them, but Noah was already moving with the [Fly] skill. His feet barely touched the ground as he lifted off, carrying Althea with him, her arms wrapped around his shoulders for stability.
"Stay close!" Noah shouted, his voice strained as the dual-wielding skeleton closed in. Althea’s grip tightened, but Noah’s focus remained sharp. He couldn’t afford to let the undead gain on them.
The skeletons’ pursuit was relentless, but Noah’s ability to fly gave him a slight edge. He soared just above the charging enemies, his heart pounding in his chest. Althea was light on his back, and as long as he kept his speed up, they might just escape the initial wave. But the dual-wielding skeleton wasn’t far behind, closing the distance with terrifying speed.
Noah could hear the heavy footsteps of the mace-wielding skeleton lagging behind, but the archer and the dual-wielding skeleton were fast catching up.
Althea, gripping Noah tightly, spoke through clenched teeth, "For me to use [Purge], I need to get closer—"
Before she could finish, an arrow whistled through the air, aiming directly for them. Without thinking, Noah leaped into the air, pumping more energy into his [Fly] skill just in time. The arrow whizzed past them, missing by mere inches. He landed awkwardly, almost stumbling, but quickly regained his footing and began running again.
Noah’s mind raced. He was pushing his [Fly] skill to its limit, but it wasn’t enough. The undead were closing in, and he wasn’t fast enough to outrun them with the limited stamina of his [Fly] skill. As he ran, he began toggling his [Fly] skill on and off, using the brief bursts of lift to propel him further each time. The force of gravity would send him down, but each jump or turn became easier with the momentum he built.
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Althea's voice rang out, laced with urgency, "On second thought, we should wait until that skeleton swordsman is alone… and that damn archer can't reach us with its arrows…"
Noah nodded, even though she couldn't see him. The plan was simple: keep running, keep dodging, and wait for the perfect moment to strike.
He glanced over his shoulder, spotting the archer skeleton nocking another arrow, its eyes gleaming as it adjusted its aim. But before the arrow could fly, Althea’s voice rang out with conviction, "FIRE BOLT!"
The fiery projectile streaked through the air, lighting up the cavern in a burst of red and gold. It hit the archer square in the chest, causing the skeleton to stagger back. However, the damage didn’t seem enough to destroy it outright. The skeleton archer stood firm, drawing its next arrow.
Noah's eyes darted back and forth. The mace-wielding skeleton was still far behind, its heavy armor weighing it down. But the dual-wielding swordsman and the archer were closing the gap fast. The more he ran, the more dangerous the situation became.
"We need to make our move now," Noah thought, a wave of urgency coursing through him. "If we wait too long, we'll be surrounded."
Althea’s voice was sharp with confusion. “How are they going to surround us when we’re ahead of them?”
Noah’s reply came quickly, his voice steady but tinged with urgency. “Do the math... if the archer or the swordsman manage to pin us long enough, that mace and shield skelly will be on us. Then the archer will reposition, and we’ll be dead.”
Noah didn’t even need to think about it. It was just the kind of thing he understood instinctively, as if his body and mind had already been trained to process situations like this. But how was he so sure? It wasn’t like he’d received special training from his dad. He wasn’t some war tactician, or a soldier raised on battlefields.
It was the experience, perhaps. Games had taught him about timing, positioning, and tactical awareness. The bullying he’d endured in elementary school had made him quick on his feet—both literally and figuratively. He wasn’t the fittest kid by any means, but he was fast, and he’d learned to read the flow of a situation before it unraveled. So when he saw the way the skeletons were closing in, Noah knew exactly how the situation would play out.
Althea was silent for a moment as if processing the logic. Her voice finally broke through the tension. “Any ideas?”
Noah didn’t hesitate. The answer came to him as he continued running, his mind working fast. “I have an idea, but I don’t know if you’re game. I want you to lure the swordsman while I deal with the archer. While I do that, continue running back to the paths we’ve traversed. I need you to buy me time.” His tone was confident, but there was no denying the risk. “I swear to come for you after I deal with the archer. You in?”
Althea’s answer came without hesitation, though Noah could hear a hint of doubt. “I’m not confident I can buy you enough time, but this is better than anything else we’ve got. I’m game.”
Noah didn’t have time to analyze her words. They had to move. The small skeletal horde wasn’t far behind them now, and their time was running out. They were a bit lucky, Noah mused, that only three out of the four skeletons were chasing after them. The mace-wielding skeleton was still far behind, but it was only a matter of time before it caught up.
With Althea on board with the plan, Noah quickly adjusted his pace, his heart racing.
It was now or never. They needed to outsmart these undead before their luck ran out.
Althea quickly dropped the items weighing down her bag—Monsterpedia, the journal, and a collection of miscellaneous books. As the bag lightened, she muttered to herself, frustration evident in her voice. "We should have discarded these before we engaged these guys..."
Noah didn’t respond immediately. He skidded to a halt with Althea still on his back, Finally, he set her down with a soft thud. Without wasting a second, Althea unleashed a precise [Fire Bolt], aiming at the skeleton swordsman behind them. The bolt zoomed through the air, finding its mark with a burst of flame.
Noah’s heart raced, adrenaline pumping through him. His body thrummed with the effort of maintaining control of his [Fly] skill. He could feel the weight of his decision as his thoughts focused on one thing: moving faster. With every ounce of willpower, Noah forced his [Fly] skill to its limits, pushing forward into the fight.
"No more running."
He shot toward the skeleton swordsman, coming face-to-face with the undead warrior. It swung its twin swords, but Noah was ready. He parried the first strike, the force of the blow vibrating up his arms, but the second strike came too quickly. He barely managed to dodge, but a sharp, red cut appeared on his cheek, stinging as it split his skin.
Reacting instinctively, Noah manipulated his [Fly] skill, diving downward just in time to avoid a deadly slash. He was practically skimming the ground, his feet just inches above the floor as he twisted in midair. In one fluid motion, he reversed course, using the pommel of his sword to strike the back of the skeleton’s knee. The impact was satisfying, though it did little to stop the skeletal warrior’s rage.
The skeleton’s hollow eyes flared with fury as it brought both of its swords up, ready to strike again. But Althea was already there, her speed matching the intensity of the battle. A series of [Fire Bolts] shot toward the swordsman, slamming into the undead’s armor and causing it to stagger back.
Noah seized the opportunity. He pushed himself away from the swordsman with another burst of [Fly], shifting his attention to the skeleton archer in the distance. Arrows flew at him from all angles, and though Noah managed to deflect a few with swift parries, several arrows slipped past his guard. One embedded itself in his arm, another grazed his side, and a third landed across his thigh, sending a jolt of pain through him.
But Noah didn't stop.
The arrows hadn’t pierced deeply, but they still stung. Noah winced as he pulled them out one by one, tossing them aside. His mind was laser-focused on the battle at hand, but the pain from the cuts reminded him that he couldn’t afford to slip up. Hovering in the air, he dodged another volley of arrows, his eyes scanning for any movement. His hand reached down casually to the ID tied to his belt, pulling out a small potion bottle—one of Althea’s suggestions after they’d first discovered the potions. He cracked it open, swallowing the contents hungrily as he continued his evasive maneuvers.
The potion worked fast, the dull ache in his limbs lessening as the rejuvenating effects kicked in, though the cuts still stung with every movement. He kept flying, his attention divided between the skeleton archer and the fight that was unfolding around him. Soon, the skeleton swordsman was out of sight—most likely lured away by Althea’s [Fire Bolts]. Noah’s focus snapped back to the archer, whose steady stream of arrows continued to find their mark.
"You’re going down~!" Noah muttered under his breath, determination burning in his chest.
He zoomed toward the archer with his shortsword raised. But just as he was about to strike, the archer vanished in a blur, reappearing a few paces away.
Noah’s heart skipped a beat. The skeleton had a skill!
His caution flared. It wasn’t just an archer—this was a thinking, functioning enemy. The kind of foe who adapted and fought with more than just instinct. Noah hastily parried a flurry of arrows, his focus sharp. The threat of this fight had just escalated. He couldn’t rely on reflexes alone now.
This was bad. Really bad.
If the skeleton archer had a skill, there was a good chance the skeleton after Althea was similarly equipped. Noah felt a ripple of unease course through him. He couldn’t afford to make a mistake.
The archer vanished again, slipping from view like a shadow, before reappearing at a distance. Noah’s mind raced, analyzing. He wasn’t going to let himself get caught off-guard again.
With a calm breath, Noah reset his focus. He had to dodge, predict, and survive.
Counting the intervals in his head, Noah realized there was no fixed pattern. It wasn’t like the game-like sequences he was used to; this skeleton’s movement wasn’t random, but neither was it entirely predictable. It was more like a thinking, conscious decision made by the undead. He barely managed to dodge another arrow that whizzed past his cheek, leaving a new cut in its wake.
The archer vanished once more, but this time Noah was ready. He studied the faintest shifts in the air, the subtle signs before the archer reappeared, and as the skeleton phased back into visibility, Noah was already moving. He slipped to the side just as the next arrow passed, narrowly missing him.
“There’s a delay…” Noah muttered to himself, piecing it together.
The skeleton wasn’t teleporting. It was using invisibility. His dad had told him about the skill back when he was a kid. Invisibility was notorious for its ability to confuse and disorient, making it a frustrating skill to deal with—almost as bad as facing shapeshifters.
Noah smiled grimly to himself. He’d faced enough of those kinds of enemies before… well, in a video game though. Still, he could win. He knew he could win. Time to outsmart it.