Chapter 51: Skilled Level Continuous Slash and 400 Points of Exploration Experience

Chapter 51: Chapter 51: Skilled Level Continuous Slash and 400 Points of Exploration Experience

Lorin dodged the juvenile Rock-dwelling Salamander’s bite with a sidestep. Stripped of its weight advantage, this monster—with its highly predictable attack patterns—was actually not difficult to deal with.

He pierced its waist with his Longsword again. Blood gushed continuously from the wound, splattering across the rocky pool and making the already slippery ground even more treacherous.

Compared to Hiv’s movements, which could almost be called a Sword Dance, Lorin’s Swordsmanship was far from flashy. Every swing he made was driven by instinct, but they excelled in being clean and decisive.

"Lorin, watch out for the Magic Missile!"

The warning came from behind. He glanced back from the corner of his eye and saw that the Red-haired Mage had already scrambled to her feet and was chanting a Spell.

"Impressive reflexes," he thought.

To avoid being caught in the crossfire of the missile, Lorin circled to the side, maneuvering the Juvenile Form to expose its flank to the Mage’s line of fire.

BOOM!

The Magic Missile detonated against the monster’s side in the blink of an eye. Hearing the explosion, the adult Rock-dwelling Salamander in the distance snapped its head around and let out an urgent, mournful cry. Disregarding the harassment from the two people beside it, the beast dragged its injured leg and lunged toward the Juvenile Form.

Seeing the Rock-dwelling Salamander rapidly closing in, Anya thrust her Triangle Shield high. Her gentle voice rose in a loud chant, "Radiant Brilliance!"

As the prayer concluded, the Holy Emblem on the shield suddenly burst with dazzling golden light, transforming into a scorching shockwave that swept toward the creature.

ROAR!

The adult Rock-dwelling Salamander let out an agonized howl. Searing, charred gashes appeared across its body, yet it didn’t slow down.

The blinding light forced Lorin to half-close his eyes, but he didn’t hesitate for a second. Gripping Rusted Throat tightly, he thrust at the Juvenile Form that had been blasted to the ground by the Magic Missile. The Longsword pierced through its gaping mouth; the sharp blade tore through its upper palate and plunged deep into its cranial cavity.

The juvenile Rock-dwelling Salamander’s body stiffened abruptly before going entirely limp, crashing onto the riverbank and kicking up a spray of gravel and dust.

[First time killing enemy — Rock-dwelling Salamander]

[Reward: 400 Exploration Experience Points]

[Current Balance: 452 Exploration Experience Points]

"Four hundred Exploration Experience Points!?" he thought. As expected of a monster that required an entire party of Official Professionals to contend with. The Explore Points it yielded were actually equal to the sum of a Dragon Shield Guard and a Scale Mage.

Lorin yanked his sword free and casually spun it in a flourish, sending a spray of red and white fluids flying off the blade.

ROOOAAR!

Before he even had a moment to catch his breath, a deafening screech tore through the air behind him. The adult charged recklessly toward its young. The Giant Sword that Rain had lodged in its leg during his Charge was dragged along with it, and it didn’t even flinch when Erin’s missile smashed into its body.

"Run! We can’t hold it back!" Anya shouted.

Seeing the charging Giant Beast, Lorin turned and bolted, tossing the Dragon Scale Round Shield to the ground as he fled. Given his clumsy blocking skills, a Shield was nothing but a hindrance against a behemoth like this.

The Rock-dwelling Salamander pivoted its massive body in his direction. It was moving so fast that it nearly flipped over as it cornered. Its thick, muscular tail swept across the ground, sending several large boulders flying through the air.

"Over here! Over here!" Anya yelled from the distance. She raised her Shield as she ran, the Holy Emblem on its surface lighting up once more.

Lorin heard the sound of crushing gravel closing in behind him. He could already feel the foul, metallic stench of its breath blasting against the back of his neck.

"I won’t make it in time," he thought. His mind became unnervingly calm in that split second. All fear and panic were suppressed to the deepest recesses of his consciousness, leaving only pure, instinctual judgment.

He caught sight of a waist-high boulder on the elevated ground to his left out of the corner of his eye. Immediately, he abruptly changed direction and sprinted toward it. The adult Rock-dwelling Salamander’s turning radius was simply too wide. Its head swiveled to follow Lorin, but its torso leaned outward from the momentum, exposing its smooth, grayish-white underbelly.

"Now," he thought. Lorin planted a foot on the side of the large boulder, using the leverage to launch himself backward, and rolled straight under the salamander’s belly. The colossal body flew over his head. Rather than taking the opportunity to strike with his sword, he immediately scrambled out from the other side.

The Rock-dwelling Salamander crashed headlong into the boulder. The sheer force of the impact nearly uprooted the rock from the earth, sending detached fragments rocketing far away. Its body then slammed heavily into the ground. Had Lorin not dodged just a second prior, he would have undoubtedly been crushed into pulp.

"Continuous Slash!"

Lorin flipped up from the dirt. Gripping his Longsword with both hands, he unleashed three consecutive strikes on its wounded forelimb in the blink of an eye. Days of relentless practice, coupled with his instinctual reflexes, made this Continuous Slash unimaginably fast. Almost before he could even register what he was doing, three bloody gashes had already been carved into the Giant Beast’s limb.

[Continuous Slash: Beginner → Skilled]

He had no time to pay attention to the system’s notification. Releasing Rusted Throat with his left hand, his palm instantaneously ignited with roaring Flames. He threw a fiery punch straight into the mangled flesh of its limb! Flames erupted from the wound, and the stench of charred meat mingled with the roaring of the Giant Beast. Unable to withstand the party’s relentless devastation any longer, its forelimb snapped like a dry tree trunk.

Anya had already closed the distance. The glowing Triangle Shield in her hands smashed directly into its face, causing golden Flames to erupt once more. The Giant Beast’s entire head was bathed in that searing brilliance. It thrashed its head in agony, but to no avail.

"Eat my Warhammer! You mangy, legged water bucket!"

Pip charged in from the flank. Having acquired a new weapon but possessing nowhere to vent his pent-up energy, he had finally found his opening. He swung the Warhammer in a full, vicious arc, slamming it dead-center onto the Rock-dwelling Salamander’s forehead.

BANG!

A deafening boom echoed out. A visible shockwave fractured outward from its skull, kicking up every speck of dust in the vicinity. The Rock-dwelling Salamander’s head was hammered so hard it practically caved into the large boulder beneath it. Its body convulsed a couple of times, and its tail twitched left and right before falling completely still.

The Shingle Beach fell into silence.

Lorin staggered forward and, as per usual, delivered a finishing blow. After confirming that it wouldn’t suddenly spring back to life, he plopped down onto the ground, panting heavily. Sweat mixed with blood dripped onto his hand. He raised his Longsword and used the blade as a mirror, only to realize that at some point, a gash had been cut across his temple, making him look far more menacing than usual.

"So much for slacking off..." he thought.

Even though his entire body ached, Lorin felt exceptionally cheerful. He had reaped a full four hundred Points of Exploration Experience this time, and his Continuous Slash had been elevated to the Skilled Level. He could finally head to Frost Valley City and register as a "Formal" Warrior!

It had been over half a year since he had crossed over into this world. From waking up with a high fever in the slums to now, he was finally about to take his first step on the Professional path. He had lost count of how many times he had been chased in a blind panic by the City Guard, or how many times he had danced on the razor’s edge between life and death. But in the end, he had survived.