NOVEL NEXT Chapter 568: Beating The Squad
With a heavy sigh, Alex than make his move.
'Tovik has three lives. The Elementalist has two. The others… just one left.'
He dropped from the trees like a phantom.
CRASH!
His mace came down like a falling star, but the Velna's reflexes kicked in just in time. She twisted at the last second, Alex's blow missed her spine and slammed into her shoulder instead, sending her crashing to the side with a grunt.
[180 Damage]
[Lancer – HP: 240/420]
Another soldier rolled and came up fast, spear in hand, eyes wide with adrenaline and panic.
"Enemy!" he shouted hoarsely, leveling his weapon at Alex.
Alex didn't answer. He was already moving.
Velna thrust her spear forward. Alex twisted aside, the spear grazing his armor with a screech of metal.
He retaliated with a heavy horizontal swing, Cleave, but the Lancer ducked low, spear sweeping for Alex's legs.
He jumped back, just barely avoiding the sweep, then surged forward again.
CLANG!
Their weapons met mid-air, spearhead against mace shaft.
Velna was skilled, more than Alex expected for someone this injured, but in his eyes she was predictable.
Alex feinted left, baited the thrust, then move inside the Lancer's guard and brought his mace down from above.
CRACK!
The head of the mace crashed into her ribs. Velna let out a strangled gasp as she dropped to one knee.
[260 Damage]
[Lancer – HP: 0/420]
[Velna the Lancer Defeated]
The squad spun in panic.
"What the… ?!"
Before they could react, Alex already make his next move.
BOOM!
He activated Cleave, his mace cut trough the air. It slammed into both the Ranger and the Elementalist mid-step.
The Elementalist was thrown backwards, tumbling across the forest floor in a spray of loose dirt and crushed leaves. The Ranger stumbled, barely keeping her footing, blood already streaking down her side.
[200 Damage]
[Critical Hit! 420 Damage]
[EXP +190]
[You get: Fractured Spell Focus x1, Bloodied Satchel x1]
"Ambush! We're under attack!" Tovik bellowed, already raising his shield as Alex came barreling into him.
Crushing Blow!
CLANG!
The mace struck like a hammer, denting the steel shield inward and sending shockwaves up Tovik's arm.
[320 Damage]
Tovik staggered back, blood seeping from a split lip. "Who the hell are you?!"
"You don't need to know," Alex muttered, while dodging a desperate blast of wind magic fired from the recovering Elementalist.
BAM!!
The spell cracked into a nearby tree, splitting it in half.
The Elementalist raised his staff again, arcane glyphs circling his hand. "Chain Flare!"
Alex moved fast. He tossed a flashbomb, one of the salvaged tools from his earlier fights, straight into the mage's casting ring.
FLASH!
The spell exploded in his hand instead, the magic backfiring in a pop of distorted light and fire.
[120 Damage – Self-inflicted]
[Elementalist – Stunned for 3 seconds]
Alex leapt forward, covering the distance in one move, and drove his mace into the Elementalist's chest before he could scream.
CRACK!
[380 Damage]
[Elementalist Defeated]
The Ranger, trying to escape into the trees, called out desperately, "Camouflage!", and flickered out of sight.
But Alex wasn't fooled. The dirt gave her away. She was, bleeding, leaving prints behind with every step.
He activated Seismic Blast.
BOOM!
The earth shook violently, knocking loose every hidden footprint, and the Ranger's flickering form reappeared mid-step, disrupted.
"No, !"
BANG!
Alex's mace slammed into her back.
[280 Damage]
[Ranger Defeated]
The Medic froze, eyes wide. "Wait, I surrender! I've only got one life, please!"
Alex didn't speak. Tovik charged with anger, sword raised high, shield locked in place like a battering ram. "You bastard!" he roared. "You'll pay for this!"
Alex planted his feet and prepared to counter, but this time Tovik wasn't holding back. The moment Alex moved to feint right, Tovik anticipated it, shifting his weight and slamming his shield forward with surprising speed.
BAM!
The impact hit Alex full in the chest.
[You take 220 Damage]
[HP: 930 / 1150]
He stumbled back, nearly losing his grip on the mace. Tovik didn't stop, he activated a skill mid-charge.
Shield Burst!
CLANG!
A shockwave erupted from the shield as it slammed into Alex's side, knocking him off-balance.
[You take 180 Damage]
[HP: 750 / 1150]
[Status: Staggered – 1.2s]
Alex hit the ground hard, rolling across the dirt as Tovik raised his sword to finish him.
"How dare you kill my comrade?!" the man snarled.
Alex growled under his breath, pushing himself up fast just as the blade came down.
CLANG!
He raised his mace to block at the last second, absorbing most of the blow but still feeling it in his bones.
[You take 130 Damage]
[HP: 620 / 1150]
As Tovik reared back to swing again, Alex's eyes narrowed.
'He's different from the rest… As expected from the one that fight wyvern.'
Tovik lifted his shield again.
Alex watched him closely, tracking his breathing, counting in second, finding out the skill cooldown.
There.
Shield Charge. A high-speed rush to knock the target back and break guard.
Alex knew it now. Saw the wind-up. Just like the log he skimmed earlier from his class skill list. He sidestepped just as Tovik dashed forward.
WHOOSH!
The shield sailed past his ribs, grazing but not connecting. Alex twisted mid-motion and smashed his mace into Tovik's exposed back.
BAM!
[320 Damage]
Tovik let out a grunt, spinning with a retaliatory swing, Alex ducked it clean and moved behind him again.
'Now.'
He could tell his attack pattern
Tovik tried to raise his sword, but Alex slammed his foot into the back of his knee, forcing him down. Then, he brought his mace up, straight into the man's jaw.
CRACK!
The helmet flew, blood spraying from Tovik's mouth.
[360 Damage]
[Tovik – HP: 220 / 1000]
Tovik, staggered, blood dripping down his chin, one eye nearly swollen shut. His shield was cracked, his sword trembling in his grip, but he still stood.
"Not bad," Tovik coughed, spitting blood, still trying to stand. "But it's gonna take more than,…"
Alex didn't let him finish.
But before Alex could even launch his attack.
Swosh!
Something hissed through the air.
CLANG!
A dagger ricocheted off his shoulder guard, nearly digging into his collarbone.