Chapter 4: Spinning Slash

Maji clearly remembered that afternoon a few days ago.

When he and Erji and the others came to the Adventurer Association and were looking for suitable missions on the bulletin board in the lobby.

That shy farm boy who was led over by the guide.

Although the other party said he had mastered a professional "Combat Technique," Maji didn't really take it to heart.

He had seen too many greenhorns like Xia Nan, whether in the mountains on the border of the kingdom or in the current River Valley Town.

Substituting themselves into the heroic epics sung by bards, learning a few moves from the village militia, they thought they were qualified to go out on adventures.

Then, harboring unrealistic fantasies, they plunged headlong into the major forests and dungeons on the continent.

Finally becoming nutrients in the soil to nourish plants.

"Combat Technique"—that was one of the necessary conditions for becoming a professional!

Even for an "old guy" like himself who had been wandering outside for many years, he had only learned one or two moves; how could it be something that this hairy kid, who couldn't even plow the fields properly, could practice out by spending some time on a few pieces of waste paper?

You have to know, even those noble-born children from the city.

They all had their families spend a lot of money to hire professionals who had already mastered combat techniques to train them from childhood, and even supplemented them with expensive medicinal materials and equipment.

Only then did they barely achieve a professional level.

Although Maji thought this way in his heart at the time, supported by his rich experience, he didn't show it on his face.

On the contrary, he very enthusiastically welcomed Xia Nan, who joined the team as a temporary member, and even spent "huge sums" to treat him to a portion of stir-fried grey rat meat at the White Tit Tavern next door.

After all, given the intensity of the missions their squad usually took, the combat power of the three of them was already enough, but they still needed a member who could do some dirty work.

And if they encountered some emergencies, a newbie who was unfamiliar with the forest terrain could also, to some extent, buy some time for their escape.

Just didn't expect...

"Whoosh!"

Maji released his hand fiercely, and the wooden arrow disappeared from the bowstring instantly.

Accompanied by the brief numbness from his fingertips, a sharp cry sounded on the ground under the canopy.

He recalled the silver brightness that had flashed past in the forest just now.

That level was definitely a combat technique!

Could it be... did this kid really step on some dog shit luck and practice it out?

Regardless, Xia Nan had truly mastered a "Combat Technique."

Then, perhaps his positioning in his squad should also be changed?

Pulling the bow, releasing the arrow.

Maji's hands didn't stop, but he had already started to ponder in his heart.

"Erji is dead; the squad is just missing such a combatant."

"After this mission is over, I'll pull this kid into the team."

……

……

His chest heaved.

Xia Nan slowly exhaled a long breath.

His arms trembled slightly due to excessive exertion, and his palms felt the solid touch of the sword handle.

He recalled the feeling of using 【Spinning Slash】 just now.

It was hard to describe.

Countless practices over these years had made this move seem to have become his instinct.

Storing power, aiming, swinging the sword.

It wasn't until the shrill wail of the Goblin reached his ears that he realized that what was under his blade this time wasn't straw, but a real flesh-and-blood body.

Pools of blood gradually spread on the meadow, and fragmented limbs were scattered on the ground.

Xia Nan felt a little nauseous, but after all, the tragedy before him came from a Goblin; even though they belonged to intelligent creatures, the gap in height and body size was still too large.

There was no such strong sense of déjà vu, so the discomfort in his stomach was barely tolerable.

Roar—

The sound of fighting came from behind, waking him from his aftertaste back to reality.

The battle was not over yet.

Although Xia Nan was a newbie, he had no intention of retreating.

Perhaps it was that sword just now that dispersed the fear in his heart caused by Erji's death.

Without thinking too much, he tightened his grip on the sword handle and walked quickly to support the direction where Gagu was.

Roars, screams, arrows breaking through the air, blades entering bodies...

The battle came suddenly, and it ended in a hurry.

Adding up, it was less than ten minutes, and the forest returned to silence again.

Leaving only an extremely strong smell of blood in the air.

The Goblin raid could be said to be quite effective.

In the first moment after the battle started, they successfully caused the "Scum" squad to lose a member and lose a main combat force.

But then, they showed their true colors as low-level monsters.

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

Especially after Xia Nan split two Goblins in half with one sword, the situation collapsed instantly and tilted towards the squad's side.

Without the courage bonus of "group crime," even if the Goblins still held weapons in their hands, their combat power plummeted.

Gagu stood at the very front, dancing his two-handed axe with great vigor; Xia Nan wandered on the side of the battlefield, supplementing attacks and sweeping for his teammates; from time to time, wooden arrows shot out from the dense canopy above his head, although not to the point of hitting every time, every arrow had its effect.

A total of sixteen Goblins.

Xia Nan solved five of them, and Maji shot six of them with just his bow and arrow.

Gagu was covered in blood, looking extremely tragic, like a fierce warrior on the battlefield.

As a result, he only chopped five Goblins, the same as Xia Nan, who had just joined the team.

Cleaning up the battlefield.

Learning from Hunter Maji's movements, Xia Nan stepped on the Goblin's head with his foot and cut off its left ear with his one-handed sword.

This was his trophy.

Although the process made him feel somewhat uncomfortable, thinking that the bounty for just one Goblin was as high as nearly four silver coins, almost the reward for a hard laborer in the city for two days.

Xia Nan's movements became lighter and more powerful unconsciously.

"Here, take it!"

A blood-stained Goblin ear was handed over.

Xia Nan looked at Gagu in front of him, feeling a little surprised in his heart.

If he remembered correctly, although this Goblin was finally finished off by himself, in fact, before he took action, it had already been chopped in the forehead by Gagu's two-handed axe, almost half-dead.

He originally thought this should count as the other party's kill, so he didn't bother, but he didn't expect this Orc to take the initiative to help him cut off the ear and send it over.

"Kid has some skills; I'll treat you to a drink later!"

Gagu patted Xia Nan on the shoulder with his blood-stained big hand and said in a rough voice.

In fact, before this battle, the two had no communication.

Xia Nan's muddled state because he had to digest the memories in his brain was one aspect.

On the other hand, it was also because Gagu actually looked down on this newbie a little.

Possessing Orc blood, the concept of "the strong are respected" almost ran through all his cognition.

Without thinking deeply like Maji, he only felt that Xia Nan joining the team was just to drag them down, without any value.

Until just now, when Gagu saw the other party's performance in the battle with his own eyes, he was truly convinced.

He regarded him as a member of the team.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 5 =====