Starting with the goblin extermination

"Playing tricks!"

The scarred orc roared, his muscles swelling as if inflated, and Logan could vaguely see a layer of gray-black metallic luster on the surface of his muscles.

Combat techniques, yet another combat technique.

The broadsword tore through the air once more, charging forward with even greater ferocity.

But the trajectory of the knife became clearly visible to Logan.

clang!clang!clang!

The deafening clang of metal clashing echoed through the forest, sparks flying everywhere.

This time, Logan seemed to be handling it with ease.

The dual enhancement of strength and agility allowed him to withstand the pressure and hold his own in this physical confrontation that he initially had no chance of winning.

As he moved around, the longsword in his hand transformed into a dense net.

Logan still avoided a direct confrontation with the scarred orc.

But he no longer passively dodged; instead, every time his longsword grazed the blade, he could counter-stab at a more cunning angle, forcing the orc to awkwardly draw his sword to defend.

The roles of prey and hunter are quietly being reversed in this continuous confrontation.

Logan is waiting for an opportunity.

[Thrust]

A sharp white light flashed by.

Finally, the longsword pierced through the broadsword's defenses with precision and entered the body.

The upgraded [Thrust] skill exhibits extremely terrifying penetrating power.

Even the scarred orc's combat technique, which hardens muscles like iron, only lasted less than half a second against the longsword before being instantly torn apart.

puff!

The sword pierced through that thick right leg, the cold steel chisel striking the hard leg bone with a teeth-grinding scraping sound, scraping away a layer of periosteum.

"Aaaaaahh ...

The scarred orc let out a shrill scream, his massive body staggered, and he fell to one knee, splattering blood everywhere.

This is not a game. Losing a leg in the wilderness is tantamount to a death sentence for an adventurer.

The outcome is decided.

The orc's bloodshot eyes were fixed on Logan. He couldn't understand why a seemingly certain massacre had turned into a desperate situation for him in just a few minutes.

Even this blond kid's combat skills...

Could it be an advanced-level combat technique?! How is that possible?!

Logan swiftly flicked his wrist, drawing his longsword in the process.

He cannot unleash two combat techniques consecutively.

But he was certain that even with the scarred orc's combat skills, or even with pure muscle strength alone, this sword strike would be enough to pierce the orc's throat.

The sword was thrust out suddenly.

However, in that split second...

A mocking smile suddenly flashed across the scarred orc's pained face. On the index finger of his thick left hand, a ring inlaid with a murky emerald suddenly emitted a blinding green light without warning.

"Die, you son of a bitch!!!"

Logan was startled, but the distance was too close, and he didn't have time to back away.

Four or five arm-thick, purplish-black thorns instantly burst forth from the gemstone in the ring!

They reeked of decay and clung tightly to Logan's body.

"grass!!"

Logan let out a muffled groan of pain.

These black thorns were covered with razor-sharp barbs. The moment they entangled him, the barbs pierced through the gaps in his leather armor and dug deep into his flesh.

Logan could feel them sucking his blood, and what was worse, they were slowly tightening.

Click...click click...

Logan heard the sound of bones grinding against each other in his chest. He couldn't break free; his longsword had fallen to the ground, and his ribs were slowly caved in by the immense force of the thorns. Every breath became a luxury.

He underestimated his enemy. How could a scoundrel who has survived this long not have some trump card to save his life?

"Cough cough... Hahahaha!"

The scarred orc dragged his bleeding right leg as he stood up from the mud.

He didn't look well either, and even seemed weaker; clearly, using this magical item came at a price.

But the thrill of this dramatic comeback made him laugh wildly.

"You bastard...you really think...after all these years, this is all I've got?!"

He limped over to Logan, who was hanging in mid-air, and raised his large hand to slap Logan hard across the face.

"It will slowly break all your bones, drain your blood, and turn you into a dried-up corpse," the scarred orc panted. "But I can't wait."

The scarred orc laboriously raised his greatsword, aiming it at Logan's neck.

"Now, die in peace!"

Logan's vision was beginning to blur, but he kept his eyes fixed on the falling knife.

has it ended?

He felt a moment of confusion, but subconsciously, he felt as if he had forgotten something.

No, it's that both of them have forgotten something.

A ghostly gray afterimage appeared without warning from behind the orc.

Logan couldn't hear the wind, nor the sound of crunching leaves. The space seemed shrouded in absolute silence.

The scarred orc couldn't hear anything either.

Because a blue-glowing dagger had already slid smoothly down the orc's neck and twisted it forcefully.

The broadsword slammed into the mud with a loud clang.

The orc's cloudy eyes widened in disbelief. He opened his mouth wide to try to breathe, but only a meaningless gurgling sound came out of his throat.

Behind him, Elsa still held the dagger in a reverse grip.

Beneath the tattered gray cloak, the horrific knife wound on her chest and abdomen had miraculously scabbed over with a flesh-colored membrane, and the bleeding had stopped.

The basic healing potion pulled her back from the brink of death.

But her face remained deathly pale, and her body trembled slightly. It seemed that the deadly blow, hidden in the shadows, had completely exhausted all her strength.

Logan won his bet.

Upon regaining consciousness after being given the potion, Elsa did not choose to flee alone, nor did she blindly join the battle. She knew the orcs' trump card and her own condition, which only allowed her to make one move.

So she remained hidden, waiting for her prey to make a mistake when they thought they had the upper hand and were about to strike.

puff.

Elsa drew her dagger without expression.

The orc's corpse collapsed with a crash, falling completely silent.

As the caster died, the green light on the ring dimmed instantly. The purplish-black thorns that had tightly bound Logan quickly dissolved into a pool of black liquid in mid-air and peeled off Logan's body.

Fresh air rushed back into his lungs, and Logan collapsed to his knees, coughing violently and spitting out mouthfuls of saliva.

In her blurred vision, Elsa, who had just completed the assassination, seemed to have exhausted her last bit of strength.

The dagger slipped from her hand, and her body slumped forward.

Having learned from his previous experience, Logan stepped forward and caught the girl again.

The woods were once again deathly silent, save for the two men's heavy breathing.