I Am A Table [LitRPG Isekai Progression Fantasy]

It didn't take long for the Dragonkins to overrun the panicked Gummy Bears.

After their king fell, the remaining sections of the walls simply disintegrated under the sheer, gelatinous weight, sending vast clouds of spicy-sweet dust and debris exploding across the landscape. Without their king, their fortress, or much of anything at all, the remaining Berserkers and archers offered little resistance. Soon, the battle was won.

The Candy Dragon Queen landed gracefully near the immense gummy puddle that was her defeated rival, and Anders climbed down. Rob, Lena, Marin, Griesa, and even Ducaz (who had silently materialized beside them, now with a rather large, unopened lollipop in hand) converged on the scene. Lena, clutching Blorbo, immediately made a beeline for the colossal gummy puddle.

"Wow! He's so big!" Lena exclaimed. She poked the unconscious King with her tiny wand.

I don't think it's a good idea to poke something 100 times your size, Lena…

[AGI check—Dodge the Attack]

Objective: Dodge the Attack in 3 seconds

Reward: 1 AGI

Oh no. What attack? WHAT ATTACK?

Without hesitation, Blorbo activated his Adjustable Angle skill. He leaned forward with all his might, pressing heavily against Lena's back with a deliberate, insistent weight.

Let's hope my upgraded angle is enough!

[STR too low; chance of noticing is minimal] — said the System.

Lena stopped poking and frowned. "Huh? What was that?" She must have felt a weird pressure, like someone had nudged her from behind. Possibly thinking somebody had poked her, she instinctively turned around, pulling Blorbo with her.

The moment she spun, a small, robed figure burst from inside the gelatinous puddle that was the Gummy Bear King. Master Sensei, covered in sticky, dark gummy residue, launched himself out with surprising force, his thin staff held like a dagger, aiming a lightning-fast strike directly at Lena's cheek. The Epic-level magic from his attack, though unidentifiable by Blorbo, crackled with lethal intent.

"Hah!" He bellowed. "Got you now!"

He didn't get her.

His attack met only empty air. Lena's sudden turn, prompted by Blorbo's desperate nudge, had caused her to narrowly avoid the blow. Master Sensei's staff whooshed past her face, missing by mere inches.

[AGI check—Dodge the Attack: Success!]

+1 AGI

Crisis averted! I'm so smart!

Master Sensei, dripping with gummy residue and thwarted, landed lightly on the marshmallow ground, his face contorted in a furious scowl. "Insolent child! You dare defy a Master?!" Said the self-proclaimed master.

Lena let out a startled yelp. Her face went pale, and she instinctively raised her tiny wand. Her lips moved frantically, trying to recall a spell, but panic had clearly seized her.

"Uh… um… Flitter-flutter-sparkle-boo!" she chanted, her voice high and shaky. Nothing happened. "No, wait! It's… it's Wobble-wobble-goo-zap!" She flailed her wand wildly. A faint, almost invisible wisp of sweet-smelling air puffed from the tip, completely harmless.

No, Lena, you idiot! Your chants aren't even in this language!

Master Sensei, seeing Lena's pathetic attempts, let out a disdainful scoff. He raised his staff, and a flicker of dark magic gathered at its tip.

Help! Rob! Help! I'm stuck on the back of uselessness! HELP!

But before he could unleash his magic, a calm, firm voice cut through the air. "Step aside."

Anders strode forward. Lena instinctively took a hurried step back, bumping into Rob, who pulled her further out of the way.

Anders stood between Lena and Master Sensei, his wand-sized wand now gleaming with a soft, steady light. "You old nut," Anders said, his voice loud and resonant, "this farce ends now."

Master Sensei sneered and lunged forward. His staff and wand blurred as he prepared a multi-pronged assault.

Anders simply sighed. His wand glowed brighter, and with a motion that seemed almost too casual, he performed a series of impossibly fast, precise movements.

[Couldn't process: PER & AGI too low]

How's that even possible? He's OLD! It's like the universe made him impossibly overpowered for no reason!

He weaved defensive wards, not around himself, but around the space between them, twisting the air, creating instantaneous pockets of whatever magic that looked decidedly fancy, and redirecting Sensei's own momentum.

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Master Sensei's first few strikes, despite their speed and power, simply missed, veering off course as if hitting invisible walls. His staff met thin air, his wand-blasts dissipated into harmless sparks. His eyes widened in disbelief.

Anders completed his sequence with a roll of his wrist. A ripple of pure, focused energy, almost like a silent, invisible slap, hit Master Sensei in the chest.

[Skill Identified: Force Push - Beginner-level Spell - Level ???]

Master Sensei gasped, his plain robes suddenly deflating as if all the air had been sucked out of them. His eyes rolled back into his head before he dropped to the ground.

WHAT?! Blorbo's internal processors sputtered. A Beginner-level Force Push?! That was it?! He just ended an archmage duel with a beginner spell?! How?!

Anders simply lowered his wand, a faint wisp of smoke curling from its tip. He looked utterly bored once more, as if he'd just finished a tedious chore. "Ridiculous," he muttered, shaking his head. "Always the drama."

It was only now that Ducaz dashed over to the unconscious Master Sensei. As per usual, he produced a coil of thin candy-cane rope from seemingly nowhere and began expertly tying up the inert Master Sensei. He even managed to get a knot perfectly around Master Sensei's wrists, despite the gummy residue. As he worked, he paused to wipe a bead of sweat from his brow, though Blorbo was sure he hadn't moved more than a few paces.

"Wow, Anders, you're so good!" Ducaz exclaimed, looking up with a wide, innocent grin. He patted a hand against his chest, which somehow, despite his previous inactivity, had a faint sheen of perspiration. "We've been supporting you from down here the whole time, you know! Channeling all my energy into moral support and calculating trajectories! Very hard work, this observing!" He even managed to look exhausted.

[QUEST RECEIVED: The Deepest Secret (1)]

Objective: Captures Master Sensei

Reward: The first clue about the Secret Artifact Stealing from Respectable Magi project

Note: Reward shall be given upon Master Sensei waking up.