Chương 94: One-Man Army

"Puchi!" The goblin in midair didn't even have time to understand what had happened before the flash of the sword split it cleanly in half at the waist. The two twitching halves of its body crashed onto the grass. Warm blood dripped down like rain. The remaining three goblins attacked at the same time. They swung their clubs and stone axes toward Zeliel's body with savage force. However— Every single attack was stopped by the Mist Veil. Not one of them could harm Zeliel in the slightest.

The goblins felt like their understanding of the world had been completely overturned. How could something like this happen? While they were still desperately trying to comprehend the situation, Zeliel's counterattack had already arrived. He stepped forward and drove his foot into the chest of the goblin directly in front of him. The impact sent it crashing onto its back. Before it could recover, Zeliel's rapier flashed forward. The blade pierced straight through its chest and into its heart.

Another goblin wielding a stone axe charged at him with a shrill screech. Zeliel didn't even bother dodging. When the axe strike was blocked by the Mist Veil, he smoothly twisted his wrist and unleashed an upward slash. The goblin's head flew into the air. A human's height, strength, and reach were all far superior to those of an ordinary goblin. In a direct one-on-one melee fight, even without Mist Veil, Zeliel would never have lost.

"Gah...?!" The final surviving goblin was completely terrified by the scene before it. It turned around and fled in panic. But it only managed to take a few steps. A Wind Blade caught up to it. The invisible blade sliced cleanly through its neck. The goblin's head spun through the air before landing in the bushes. The forest clearing fell silent once again. Only the rustling of leaves in the breeze remained. [Level 9 (92/300) → Level 9 (237/300)] Zeliel flicked the blood from his sword.

Then he pulled out a white cloth, wiped away the remaining stains on the blade, and sheathed the rapier. A small goblin camp had been wiped out by him alone. This mission had been a test Zeliel had set for himself. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. He was extremely satisfied with Mist Veil's performance in actual combat. With this layer of force field protecting him, he was basically immune to any purely physical attacks.

Combined with the increased casting speed and mana strength he gained after becoming a Junior Mage... Zeliel could now, to a certain extent, fight like a one-man army. Of course, Zeliel understood his own limits. He could only dominate like this when facing low-level monsters. If he encountered creatures capable of using magic, or monsters that could infuse their physical attacks with mana, he would still need to avoid their attacks.

However, even those magical attacks would be weakened to some degree when breaking through the Mist Veil barrier. It was still a valuable layer of protection. After the battle ended, Zeliel began cleaning up the battlefield alone. He drew his rapier and cut off the goblins' ears one by one as proof of completion. After experiencing so many missions, Zeliel had already become accustomed to scenes of blood and death. But this kind of dirty work was still troublesome.

By the time he finished, his clothes were noticeably stained.

"Sigh... If I had come with Marcus and the others, this would've been much easier..." Zeliel couldn't help muttering. Tasks like cleaning up the battlefield were usually handled by them. After collecting all the proof and packing up the spoils, Zeliel returned to Blackstone Town. He went straight to the Adventurer Association to submit the quest. The receptionist at the front desk was still Ella. After counting the proof items, she handed Zeliel the quest reward of seven gold and ninety silver coins.

This mission was a One-Star Junior Rank quest. It was only because of his luck that Zeliel had managed to accept it. Simple goblin extermination requests like this were usually claimed almost immediately after being posted.

"Mr. Zeliel, are you going to take missions alone from now on?" Ella asked curiously.

"Not exactly... I just wanted to train myself this time." Zeliel put away the coin pouch and answered casually.

"Taking missions alone carries a lot of risks. Please be careful." Ella reminded him.

"I know. Thank you."

"Ah, right..." Ella suddenly seemed to remember something.

"Mr. Zeliel, did you know? Marcus seems to have been injured."

"Huh?" Zeliel froze halfway through leaving. He turned around with a frown.

"Marcus was injured?"

"Yes. On my way to the Adventurer Association this morning, I saw Marcus coming out of the clinic. He even had bandages wrapped around him." Ella spoke seriously. Zeliel became even more confused. Marcus... How could Marcus get injured? Could he have taken some dangerous mission without telling him?... Early morning. The sun had not fully risen yet. The air was cool, and a thin layer of mist covered a secluded forest area outside Blackstone Town.

Within this peaceful silence, a powerful figure continuously repeated basic training movements. Marcus stood bare-chested, revealing his heavily built physique. Years of adventuring had carved countless marks into his body. Blade wounds. Scars. They covered his thick back like medals earned through blood and battle. Sweat slid along the lines of his muscles before dripping onto the grass. Marcus held his battle axe and shield, repeating the same drills again and again. Block! Marcus lowered his body.

His center of gravity sank. The shield settled firmly before his chest, making him look like an immovable mountain. Slash! The battle axe in his hand cut through the air in a simple yet powerful arc. Every strike carried overwhelming force. Charge! Marcus raised his shield and charged forward. A terrifying burst of power erupted from his body as he crashed ahead. Every movement was precise. Every posture was flawless. There was almost nothing to criticize. Yet Marcus's expression remained deeply dissatisfied.

Even anxious.

"No!" Marcus roared. He threw the shield onto the ground. Not enough. Not enough. Still not enough! Marcus's mood was terrible. No matter how much he focused during training, no matter how hard he tried to circulate his Aura and strengthen his body... Nothing worked. The Aura Core within his body had been tempered through countless years of effort. It was already incredibly mature. Yet he still couldn't take that final step. Marcus was thirty-one years old this year.

He had spent more than a decade walking the path of an adventurer soaked in blood and sweat. Marcus knew his talent was nothing extraordinary. But he had never given up. Every single day, he repeated boring training. Every battle, he refined his techniques. Finally, during these recent days, after countless high-intensity missions, Marcus had begun to clearly feel it. He was closer than ever to becoming a Mid-Tier Warrior. The threshold was practically within reach. Yet no matter how hard he tried afterward...

He still couldn't break through that final barrier. The realm of a Mid-Tier Warrior was right before his eyes. But all he could do was stare at it helplessly.

"What am I still missing..."

"What am I still missing?!" Marcus angrily drove his battle axe into the soil. He grabbed at his short hair in frustration. As a vanguard-style warrior, Marcus's Aura was naturally thick and powerful. He specialized in drawing enemy attacks toward himself, strengthening his own body, and maximizing his defensive capabilities.