【Name: Matthew
Age: 15
Strength: 9.3 (+2.5), Agility: 5.6 (+2.5), Constitution: 9.3 (+2.5), Perception: 6 (+1.0), Spirit: 6
Equipment Slots: Finely Forged One-Handed Sword (Green), Old Wooden Shortbow (White), Filthy Bone Chain (White)
Skills: 【Basic Swordsmanship: Basic (Proficiency: 181/200)】 (+7)
【Basic Archery: Basic (Proficiency: 110/200)】 (+9)
【Vine Trap: Practiced (Proficiency: 51/300)】
【White Snake Breathing Technique: Novice (2/500)】 (+1)
Matthew stared at the attribute panel floating before him, a storm of shock raging in his heart.
“Reaching the Novice level in the 【White Snake Breathing Technique】 actually increased my Strength, Agility, and Constitution by 2.5 points each! And my Perception even went up by 1.0!”
He marveled inwardly.
“This boost... is practically equivalent to gaining more than half of a full-grown, robust man's entire physical constitution out of thin air!”
No wonder he had been able to handle those two fierce, young adult kobolds with such ease.
The stability of his arm when parrying the stone axe, his swiftness in dodging the wooden spear, and the sheer power and fluidity of his sword slashes were all far beyond his previous level.
This was not just a matter of technical proficiency; it was a comprehensive leap in his body's basic capabilities.
Reaching the Novice level of a breathing technique brought a subtle elevation in one's life state and a qualitative leap in combat effectiveness.
The increase in Perception also made him slightly safer in the forest.
His gaze then fell upon the skill section.
The proficiency of his 【Basic Swordsmanship】 had reached 181/200, only 19 points away from breaking through to the "Practiced" level. The battle where he had just slain two kobolds had clearly yielded a bountiful harvest of proficiency.
‘At this rate, maybe after one or two more real battles, my Basic Swordsmanship will break through,’ Matthew thought, anticipation swelling within him.
When that happened, his swordsmanship's power and control would undoubtedly reach a whole new level. Working in perfect harmony with his newly mastered breathing technique, his close-combat capabilities would become even more formidable.
While Matthew's heart was racing from the incredible growth on his panel, a shrill, tragic cry pierced through his thoughts like an icicle.
“Rayson—!”
It was Hal's tearful, panicked scream.
Matthew was instantly snapped out of his immersion in the attribute panel. Looking toward the source of the sound, his heart sank at the sight.
In just a brief moment, the battlefield had shifted unpredictably.
The situation, which had been barely holding at a stalemate just moments ago, suddenly took a sharp turn for the worse.
Aside from himself, Brody, and Instructor Calm—who was holding the line like an immovable pillar against the majority of the enemies—everyone else's situation was extremely grim.
Only two of the three mercenaries remained. They stood back-to-back, their bodies already covered in several wounds. Remy's thigh had been sliced open by a stone spear, blood staining his trouser leg. They were barely holding on, their lives hanging by a thread.
Sierra had swapped her longbow for a dagger and was locked in a struggle with a kobold. Though her movements were still agile, she was panting heavily, clearly exhausted.
But the most brutal sight was where Rayson and Hal were.
Rayson, who had been barely holding his ground earlier, was now lying flat on his back in the mud. A crude wooden spear was impaled deep into his chest, the tip buried completely in his body, leaving only the blood-stained shaft quivering in the air.
His eyes were wide open, his face frozen in shock and agony. The dark red pool of blood beneath him was expanding rapidly, mixing with the muddy water.
The wooden shield in his hand, which had already cracked, had rolled away to the side.
Hal was not doing any better, fending off two kobolds all by himself!
The edge of his hand axe was chipped, and his left arm had been sliced open by a stone axe, leaving a deep, bone-deep gash that dripped with blood.
With Rayson dead, Hal was clearly unable to hold out against the remaining three kobolds!
Stumbling, he could only desperately parry and dodge, letting out desperate and angry roars. He was on the verge of following in Rayson's footsteps.
Matthew did not have any deep feelings for Rayson, but they were companions from the same village after all. Seeing him die such a tragic death, he could not help but feel a tinge of sorrow and chill in his heart.
At the same time!
A wave of dark fury and anger quietly wound its way into Matthew's heart, and the spearhead of this hatred was pointed clearly and unmistakably at Brody!
Although everyone desired spells, in the face of life and death, that desire should have yielded to reason and the safety of the team.
‘If only Brody and Flynn had discussed it with everyone before taking action, things wouldn't have come to this...’
This hatred burned fiercely, burying itself deep within Matthew's heart.
But now was not the time to overthink!
Hal was in mortal danger!
Without a moment's hesitation, he instantly drew an arrow from his quiver, nocked it, drew his bow, and released!
Twang!
The bowstring vibrated sharply as the arrow flew, cutting through the air with a faint whistle and piercing with absolute precision into the side of a kobold's neck!
Pfft!
The arrowhead pierced clean through its neck. The kobold's motion of raising its stone axe froze instantly. Gurgling sounds came from its throat as its massive body swayed before crashing heavily to the ground.
With his enhanced physical attributes, an unprepared kobold was nothing but a sitting duck—one shot, one kill!
The pressure on Hal lessened instantly. Seizing the opportunity, he swung his hand axe violently, forcing another kobold back half a step and earning himself a brief moment to breathe.
He turned his head toward Matthew, his eyes filled with the gratitude and shock of a survivor.
Matthew nodded in response, his expression solemn.
He quickly scanned the battlefield.
There were nine kobolds left!
Originally there were twenty-one. Four had been shot dead before they could even close the distance. He had slain two, Instructor Calm had slain three, and Brody had killed one.
Hal and Rayson had jointly killed one, and the mercenaries had killed one.
It wasn't that the group was weak, but the kobolds were simply too numerous! Moreover, every single one of them was utterly fearless of death, thick-skinned, and possessed incredible strength!
In terms of physical constitution alone, each kobold could rival a human who had stepped into the extraordinary realm!
Not to mention, almost everyone had to fend off twice their number of kobolds at the same time!
Having casualties was only natural!
The thoughts flashed by in an instant.
“Instructor Calm!” Matthew shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice ringing clearly through the bloody mist. “We need to tighten the defensive line! We can't stay scattered anymore!”
“There aren't many kobolds left. If we consolidate, we can handle them!”
Hearing this, Instructor Calm immediately forced back the kobold in front of him with a sword strike, using the split-second retreat to quickly scan the battlefield.
Indeed, the group had been scattered too far. Hal and the wounded were almost completely exposed outside the perimeter, while the kobolds still held the numerical advantage. If they continued to fight individually like this, they would only be picked off one by one.
“Regroup on me!” Calm bellowed!
Remy, Hal, and the others had long been unable to hold out, desperate to break free.
Naturally, they couldn't wait!
Hearing the order, Hal was about to pull away, but the other kobold he was fighting let out a furious roar and swung its stone axe violently, cutting off his retreat!
The stone axe came crashing down with a heavy whistle. Hal could only grit his teeth and raise his chipped hand axe to parry once more.
Clang!
Sparks flew. Already injured and exhausted, Hal's arm went numb from the shock. He stumbled backward as his wounds tore open further, spilling even more blood.
The tiny sliver of hope that had just risen in his heart was instantly crushed by despair—this kobold was clinging to him relentlessly, giving him absolutely no chance to escape!
Right at this critical juncture—
Twang!
Once again, a bowstring vibrated!
An arrow, like a life-claiming viper, tore through the mist and pierced with absolute precision into the kobold's exposed ribs, which had been left vulnerable by its full-force axe swing!
The arrowhead buried itself deeply. The kobold froze, letting out a howl of agony.
Matthew slowly lowered his bow. Looking at the small text floating before his eyes, a sense of deep satisfaction filled his heart.
‘A battle without risk is the only kind of battle I desire.’
Rate on N.U.
