Chapter 52 Lesson
Yet another set of three arrows flew to me. It was easy to evade— "Followed by… Head Shot!" In the air, as I couldn't move around, I held my dagger in front of me. A sparkle flew with a Clang. The bowmen's eyes widened to their fullest and inadvertently took a step back. And now shaking my head, back on the earth, I let out a long sigh.
"For heaven's sake, you people…" It seriously annoyed me now.
How the hell would their attacks even reach me if they yelled the names of their skills like this each time? What was more, that last <Head Shot> skill of archery's name gave out not only the presence of the spell caster but also where they would target the enemy! That was a dumb bowman we had with us.
As I yelled all of this about their skills and how to use them effectively, rapping out all the words in less than ten seconds, the battle was seemingly brought to a pause. They were all so panting anyway. Needless to say, people were taken aback by my rant about them not fighting me properly.
"What's more, you worthless bowman," I scolded her, "you're all shocked and awe-stricken when I block that strong arrow you sent my way! You can't be so… tsk. Haaah… Listen. You have to stop yelling the names of the skills you throw at me. All right?" I desperately shook my head at the girl. "Surely, if you didn't shout it like the worthless bowman that you are… that's only a speculation but, who knows, maybe I'd have died."
I was far from being invincible, and I knew it. If the strongest master dropped down his guard just one instant, there was no telling when he'd be brought down, just like the weak people.
Even after giving them a lesson about how not to use her skills, I found the exasperation I felt wouldn't be let off my chest. Shouting her a fierce glare, the bowman squeaked and shrunk back. "Head Shot this, Triple Arrow that… The names are just too obvious, you guys. Haaah, and what's with my front fighters now? Even panting, you guys at the front shouldn't stop attacking me, y'know."
To my surprise, the bowman I had just scolded then performed a crisp salute. "Y-Yes, sir!" Like a soldier in front of her commander, she provided me with an explanation. "I can't just— At my level, I can't unfortunately just omit a spell's name and incantation to cast it with full power, sir!" All her comrades were now turning their faces to her, with raised brows and slight frowns on their faces. They silently called her out.
She had time to chat with the enemy? So formally at that? That made me laugh. Comically squeaking again, she bowed her head to her friends and pulled herself together. Today, I learned that the skills' names were actually incantations of sorts. And that, for the newbies, these incantations were necessarily yelled in battle for it would give more attack power to their spells.
"Sorry then," I bowed my head to her and scratched my head awkwardly. "I got frustrated for no reason, I'm afraid. By all means, please do yell some more of your skills at me—"
"We're still here, you see!" The leader attacked me with a heinous grin.
"I know."
"Don't you dare belittle us!"
"You're little."
By the rear, there was also a priest and a magician. I still didn't pin their abilities down fully. Well, or that's what I think anyway. Maybe I shouldn't need to be so cautious. The priest healed the big guy I had wounded not so long ago… but the magician with the big stereotypical hat, aside from mumbling some words of nonsense and holding her staff out before taking it down with an anxious face, biting her lip—she seemed to be pulling some sneaky attacks on me. I could only guess it later, but she tried her best. My level was simply too high for any of her curses—or Negative Status Effects, as the System would have it—to work on me.
The leader and his spear came back at me. Now tired of our little game, I shrugged, evaded it barely, closed in on the lancer, seized his weapon with a hand, yanked it up, and kicked the guy on the chest. Falling back, he stumbled to his ass. Staring down at him - I knew he had gotten more than upset after I so easily hurt his pride - I mouthed the words "You're little" again.
His spear was mine, now. And planting both feet in the ground, I got ready for a spear throw. The man was still on his butt as I looked down at him. Unable to move quickly enough, a spear pierced right through his chest, and… he died. That was yet another one of my experiments in combat.
Like I had expected, I was only what was close to a genius with a sword and daggers because of a passive skill. Reinred School — Sword Style +7. Remember it? Well, that skill didn't work with a spear. I lacked skill so my blow lacked strength. Still, the leader had now passed away. A voice excitedly called out to a priest. Unfortunately, it was too late. Stepping to the dead man, I snatched two of the short swords hanging at his belt.
The other front liners were so shocked their leader died so easily that I could even leisurely take a break for a second then. In the distance, there was still the mage I was wary of. Throwing a sword at her, she fell down too. The other sword I gripped didn't know who to slay. As I turned around to find another target, the same idea flashed through everyone's minds—people scrambled away from my sight. The little rats.
With a long sigh, I wiped my sweaty forehead and allowed them off of my sight. I mean, they even tossed their weapons down, swords and bows, before they left. I took it like they submitted themselves and were no longer enemies.
The only person who stayed was the big chubby warrior who fought me bravely. He had taken a wound, and so far, he was being healed by the priestess of their unit. Since the wound had been apparently poisoned, it took that long of a time to heal him thoroughly. Yet, with his leg unscathed, he stayed in his place.
When everyone chose to run, he was no different than people. Except, when he timidly backed away from me, he stumbled to the ground, and then stayed put, trembling and sniffling. Why did he stay put like this? Because he was hiding something behind his huge bulk.
Seeing one of the people who tried so fiercely to cut me down a minute ago so weak and defenseless, I decided to play with him.