Chapter 4: Whirlwind Slash  

Maji remembered clearly that afternoon a few days ago.

When he, Erki, and the others arrived at the Adventurer’s Guild, searching the notice board in the hall for a suitable mission.

That timid farm boy, who had been led over by the receptionist.

Although the kid claimed to have mastered a professional combat skill, Maji had not really taken it to heart.

Greenhorns like Xia Nan were a dime a dozen, whether in the mountain ranges of the kingdom’s borders or in Riverwood Town today.

They would immerse themselves in the heroic epics chanted by bards, learn a few moves from the village militia, and think they possessed the qualifications to go out and adventure.

Then, harboring unrealistic illusions, they would plunge headfirst into the major forests and dungeons of the continent.

Only to end up as nutrients to nourish the plants in the soil.

A combat skill was one of the essential prerequisites to becoming a professional class holder!

Even an old-timer like himself who had traveled outside for many years had only learned a move or two. How could a brat who could not even till a field properly practice and master it just by spending some time on a few scrap pieces of paper?

One had to know that even those noble-born children from the city.

Their families spent large sums of money to hire professionals who had already fully mastered combat skills to train them from childhood, even supplementing it with expensive medicinal ingredients and equipment.

Only then could they barely obtain a class level.

Although Maji thought this way at the time, supported by his rich experience, it did not show on his face.

On the contrary, he very enthusiastically welcomed Xia Nan into the team as a temporary member, and even spent a huge sum to treat him to a plate of stir-fried rat meat rice at the neighboring White Titmouse Tavern.

After all, given the intensity of the missions their squad usually accepted, the combat strength of the three of them was already sufficient, but they still needed a member who could do some dirty and exhausting chores.

Furthermore, if they encountered certain unexpected situations, a newcomer unfamiliar with the forest terrain could also buy some time for their escape to a certain extent.

He just never expected…

“Swoosh!”

Maji released his hand abruptly, and the wooden arrow instantly vanished from the bowstring.

Accompanied by a brief numbness and tremor traveling from his fingertips, a sharp cry of pain rang out on the ground beneath the canopy.

His mind replayed that flash of silver light that had vanished in the blink of an eye in the forest earlier.

That level of precision was absolutely a combat skill!

Could it be… that this kid had actually struck some sort of beginner’s luck and managed to practice it into reality?

Regardless, Xia Nan had genuinely mastered a combat skill.

Then, perhaps his positioning within the squad should also be changed?

Draw the bow, release the arrow.

Maji’s hand movements did not stop, but his mind had already begun to ponder.

“Erki is dead, so the squad happens to lack a ready combatant.”

“Once this mission ends, I will pull this kid into the team permanently.”

…

…

His chest heaved.

Xia Nan slowly exhaled a long breath.

His shoulders and arms trembled slightly due to excessive exertion, and the firm texture of the sword hilt traveled into his palm.

He recalled the sensation of subconsciously unleashing Whirlwind Slash just now.

It was hard to describe.

Through countless practices during these past years, this move had seemingly already become his instinct.

Store power, aim, swing the sword.

Not until the sharp wails of the goblins reached his ears did he realize that what lay beneath the blade this time was not straw, but a real body of flesh and blood.

The pool of blood gradually spread over the grass, and fragmented limbs lay scattered on the ground.

Xia Nan felt a slight urge to vomit, but after all, the wretched state before him belonged to goblins. Even if they also belonged to sentient beings, the difference in height and build was still too large.

There was not that strong of a sense of familiarity, so the discomfort in his stomach was barely manageable.

Roar—

The sounds of fighting traveled from behind, snapping him back to reality from his reflection.

The battle was not over yet.

Although Xia Nan was a newcomer, he had no intention of backing down.

Perhaps that sword strike just now had dispelled the fear in his heart caused by Erki’s death.

Without thinking further, he tightened his grip on the hilt and quickly moved toward Gagu’s direction to support him.

Roars, sharp wails, arrows piercing the air, sharp blades entering bodies…

The battle came suddenly and ended just as hurriedly.

Adding it all up from beginning to end, it did not even take ten minutes before the forest returned to a dead silence once more.

Leaving only an extremely dense scent of blood in the air.

The goblin ambush could be said to be highly effective.

In the very first moment after the battle started, they successfully reduced the bottom-of-the-barrel party’s numbers, making them lose a primary combatant.

But following that, they displayed their true colors as bottom-tier monsters.

Facing the resistance of the rest of the squad, they gradually fell into a disadvantage.

Especially after Xia Nan cleaved two goblins into two halves with one strike, the situation collapsed instantly, tilting toward the squad’s side.

Without the courage added by a gang assault, even though the goblins still held weapons in their hands, their combat strength plummeted suddenly.

Gagu held the front line, wielding a two-handed axe that whistled like a tiger; Xia Nan hovered around the flanks of the battlefield, delivering finishing blows and supporting his teammates; from time to time, wooden arrows shot out from the dense canopy overhead, and though they did not hit the mark every single time, every arrow served its purpose.

A total of sixteen goblins.

Xia Nan dealt with five of them, while Maji shot and killed six using only his bow and arrows.

Gagu was covered in blood, looking incredibly fierce like a battlefield titan.

Yet when all was said and done, he had only chopped down five goblins, exactly the same as Xia Nan who had just joined the team.

Cleaning up the battlefield.

Imitating the movements of the hunter Maji, Xia Nan stepped on a goblin’s head with his foot and used his one-handed sword to cut off its left ear.

This was his trophy.

Although the process made him feel somewhat uncomfortable, the moment he thought about how the bounty for just a single goblin was as high as nearly four silver coins—almost two days’ pay for a laborer in the city.

Xia Nan’s movements unconsciously became lighter and more energetic.

“Here, take it!”

A blood-stained goblin ear was handed over.

Xia Nan looked at Gagu before him, feeling a bit surprised in his heart.

If he remembered correctly, although this goblin was ultimately finished off by his own strike, it had actually already been struck in the forehead by Gagu’s two-handed axe before he moved, and was nearly half-dead.

He originally thought this should count as the other party’s kill, so he had ignored it, not expecting this half-orc to actively help him cut off the ear and bring it over.

“You’ve got some skills, kid. I’ll buy you a drink when we get back!”

Gagu patted Xia Nan’s shoulder with his large, bloody hand and said in a rough voice.

In reality, before this battle, the two had not shared any conversation.

Xia Nan appearing dazed because he had to digest the memories in his mind was one aspect.

On the other hand, it was also because Gagu actually looked down on this newcomer slightly.

Possessing orc bloodline, the concept of survival of the fittest ran through all of his understanding.

Without considering things as deeply as Maji, he merely felt that Xia Nan had joined the team just to hold them back, without the slightest value.

Not until just now, when Gagu witnessed the other party’s performance in battle with his own eyes, did he truly become convinced.

Viewing him as a true member of the team.

(End of Chapter)