Chapter 42 - 41: The Real Enemy Attack

Chapter 42: Chapter 41: The Real Enemy Attack

"What you’re doing will only get us all killed."

"Shut up! You selfish woman!"

Furen spun around, his face flushed red as he roared, "I don’t know if we’re going to die, but I know Lu Wei is in danger right now! He could die!"

"He won’t."

Mirana’s tone remained calm. "He can use Stealth. He can escape at any time."

"Any time?? Anything can happen in a fight!!"

Seeing her act so unconcerned, Furen grew even more furious. "If it’s really so safe, why don’t you go!"

"Because I can’t use Stealth."

Mirana looked him straight in the eye. "Otherwise, I would go."

"Heh, who knows about that! All I see is that you’re not willing to do anything!"

Done wasting his breath on her, Furen turned and started walking again.

Just then, Bai Ya ran after him, holding up her torch with red-rimmed eyes.

"I’ll go with you!"

"No, you can’t go." Furen stopped and turned to Bai Ya, his tone firm.

"B-but..."

Her voice trembled as she looked desperate to say something, but before she could get the words out, Mirana interrupted.

"Let me repeat myself. Neither of you can go."

"I’ve already said it. Other than him, any of us fighting in the woods would be suicide."

"And if you two die, everything he’s doing right now will be for nothing."

"Is that really the outcome you want?"

"..."

HSSSS—

The scene fell into silence. A drop of pine resin from the torch splattered onto a patch of moss, making a sizzling sound.

Furen clenched his jaw and lowered his head. After a long moment, he finally walked back in silence.

Staring daggers at Mirana, the simple son of a landlord—a young man who had always been polite and kind to everyone—spoke with a heavy, threatening tone for the first time in his life.

"You’d better pray my brother makes it back alive..."

...

...

"Holy shit!!"

「Meanwhile, in the forest.」

Just as a furious Furen was rejoining the group, Lu Wei encountered an unexpected situation.

He had just successfully killed two Kobolds using the tactic of hiding when the enemy advanced and pursuing when they retreated.

However, as he tried the same trick on the third one, something unexpected happened.

Perhaps the sudden death of its two companions put it on alert, or perhaps it was just sheer luck, but just as Lu Wei attempted the same one-hit kill, the Kobold incredibly twisted its head and dodged!

This caused Lu Wei’s lunge to miss, and he slammed right into the creature’s body.

’Damn it, I’ll risk it all!’

After a half-second daze, and despite his lack of combat Experience, the reflexes from his high Agility allowed Lu Wei to react with incredible speed—

Before the Kobold could open its mouth to bite him, he used his momentum to tackle it to the ground and plunged his Dagger straight into its chest!

However, he must have missed the heart, because the Kobold beneath him didn’t die instantly.

It let out a gurgling, wheezing "GKH... GKH..." from its throat. Its death throes were violent and frenzied, its claws flailing wildly through the air.

Then, with a RIIIP, its sharp claws tore through the sleeve and flesh of Lu Wei’s left forearm, leaving three searing, bloody gashes!

Intense pain shot through his brain, but Lu Wei had no time to deal with it. He immediately raised his Dagger again, gritted his teeth, and stabbed wildly at the creature five or six more times. Once the Kobold’s corpse finally stopped twitching, he scrambled to his feet, ignoring the pain as he quickly scanned his surroundings.

His heart immediately sank to his stomach.

Seven or eight pairs of gleaming green eyes were bobbing wildly in the darkness, rapidly closing in to surround him!

"Son of a bitch!"

Adrenaline surging, Lu Wei ignored the searing wound on his arm and dove behind the nearest large tree. He pressed his body tightly against the trunk, trying to disappear into the shadows.

’But honestly,’ he thought, ’I’m just kidding myself.’

Stealth was powerful, but it wasn’t a perfect defense against keen hearing or smell.

And now he was injured, bleeding, and getting closer and closer to the other Kobolds...

His heart hammered in his chest. After about two seconds, Lu Wei made a snap decision.

’I have to get moving again!’

’Only these seven or eight Kobolds are after me now; the rest have gone toward the Dome Pillar!’

’With less than ten of them, their encirclement is bound to have gaps!’

’Break out first, then deal with them slowly!’

"HAAAH!"

Taking a deep breath of the cold, blood-tinged air, Lu Wei remained perfectly still, even as the nearest Kobold closed to within ten meters of his hiding spot. Instead, he calmly observed the entire encirclement.

Then, just as two Kobolds began searching a large tree to his front-left, he finally seized upon a brief opening—

’Now!’

Like an arrow loosed from a bow, Lu Wei shot out from behind the tree. He paid no mind to the noise he was making—all that mattered was speed as he charged straight for the gap between the two Kobolds.

...

...

"HYAAAH!!"

"DIE!!!"

"BANG! BANG! BANG!!!"

Flames surged, and the shadows on the ground flickered like a chaotic shadow play.

Just as Lu Wei was attempting to break out of the encirclement, the battle in the forest clearing had finally erupted.

Although they didn’t know why there were only ten Kobolds, facing fewer enemies than expected was undoubtedly a good thing.