Chương 41: Weak Leader

The day begins with another big stretch and a yawn. Then, the pain hits me. Dozens of burn wounds pulse weakly over my entire body.

"Kevin, don't feel pain." The agony evaporates, leaving me with a feeling of ruined blissfulness of a good morning. But it's not all bad. My wonderful new mattress has prevented the aches and pains of sleeping on the lumpy ground. After trying and failing to give my back a good crack, I take note of my resources. [Health: 710(512)] [Mana: 550] [Stamina: 515(478)] Sweet. My health actually went up fifteen points by itself. The increased regeneration from a metric ton of vitality is paying off.

With little else to think about, I close my eyes and start swirling my mana into the drain of my healing skill. The session takes far longer this time because of the sheer amount of mana I now move. The increase of wisdom and intelligence become clear when looking inside myself. It seems like my mana is clearer, almost like impurities were removed. Not too much, but enough to notice. Along with that, the flow of mana has become fuller, filling every crevice and vein of my mana circuit.

Right before my mana runs out, the drain becomes a little wider, evidence that the skill has gone up a level. A smile graces my face as I exit the meditative state. Wait, now that I have One Mind/Two Bodies, wouldn't I be able to heal myself while walking? I'll have to try that next time instead of resting on my incredibly comfy mattress. The hunger hits as usual, making me rush over to devour several bags of jerky. My stomach is filled to bursting with the delicious water of the fountain as well.

Once I get my morning routine over with, I sling the mace over my shoulder and push the door open. My lungs fill as the sunlight warms my face. Alrighty then, where to this time? Other than the archer camp, the only unexplored places I've seen are the larger wood walls seated in various places. I make my way towards the second smallest settlement I can see in the distance. The archer camp is a possibility, but I'm not sure how high my fortitude needs to be to resist arrows.

Probably not that much, I've seen the condition of the bows that the goblins use. The thought becomes more promising when I think of the weak physical stats that goblins usually have. [Health: 710(639)] Only one more session of healing, given that I don't take any more damage in the next fight. Which isn't very likely. I face-palm. Dang it, I forgot to leave mana to figure out what the earring does. It was a good seventy percent of my rewards from the first part of the dungeon, so it has to be quite good.

Additionally, all of the rewards I've gotten so far have been personalized to me, which means it's guaranteed to be useful. Oh well, I'll just have to remember next time. Mace on my shoulder, I make my way back through the grand cavern. Every time I step out, the castle always paints an imposing figure. Does the system really think I'm capable of assaulting something like that in twenty-five days? Seems like a tall order. [5. 24 cycles until next phase] Yeah, not too likely. That's only like… Thirteen days.

The thought churns in my head. Actually… Depending on how hard the difficulty increases, it might be doable. My level doesn't increase much because I have both my class and species eating experience. But that also means that I'm always fighting enemies above my level, even though I have a butt-ton more stats than they do. After a bit more walking, I spot an enclosure that's only a bit larger than the one I just cleared. The diameter is maybe seventy feet?

I take a quick walk around the edge of the wall, confirming my estimation. Shouldn't be too much harder than the last one. With a quick look up, I steel myself.

"Kevin, focus on the fight, move perfectly, avoid all attacks, hit as hard as you can without losing health, and move as hard as you need to, even if it means taking damage." One Mind/Two Bodies Instantly, the world sharpens and slows. The depth of control deepens to an incredibly precise level. I take several steps back before sprinting and jumping. Muscles in my legs slam and expand, sending me springing into the air. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road.

Please report it. The pressure flattens my hair to my head. I easily clear the top of the wall, getting eyes on the inside. The inside is structured similarly to the first, but with more huts. The eight huts inside the enclosure are made of wooden planks, instead of sticks. At the back of the settlement sits the same log cabin, but with a stone brick foundation supporting it. Around a bonfire in the direct center of the camp, sit nine orcs.

They are equipped similarly to the last camp, except they all wield one-handed axes instead of maces. As I touch the ground, the muscles in my legs contract without error, only making me stumble slightly. One orc roars, standing and pointing at me. The rest glance at it, before turning and seeing me. I crack my neck, or try to. No sound comes out. First my knuckles, now my neck? I'm going to lose all of my intimidation factor. My mace comes off my shoulder into both of my hands, held sideways like a bat.

Identify [Orc lv. 14] [Highest stat: Strength] [Lowest stat: Wisdom] [Orc lv. 14] [Highest stat: Strength] [Lowest stat: Wisdom] I stop reading at the second message. It's the same thing nine times in a row. The orcs spring to their feet, pulling out weapons and rushing at me. I do the same, springing forward and flying across the ground. The orc in front stumbles to a stop, eyes wide. I pull the mace back and swing as hard as my muscles will let me without exploding.

Bones snap as the orc's arm comes up to defend against the mace. It does nothing. The weapon's momentum continues and crushes the side of its face. It falls to the ground, already unmoving. Chime I curve the mace into a second swing, springing towards a different orc. It takes a step backwards, but it's not nearly fast enough to leave the range of my swing. The head of the mace connects with the side of its head, caving it in and sending it to the ground. Chime A slight smile edges its way onto my face.

Again, the momentum of the swing is preserved into another. My knees bend, and I fall forward. My legs slam open as I propel myself across the ground to the next target. It tries to strike down at me, but my mace hits too soon, and I'm too good at dodging. Chime The other orcs don't bother approaching anymore. They step back, forming a defensive formation while a few roar loudly. Wow, having a weapon really makes a difference. I like the feel of this thing a little too much.

More orcs make their way out of the smaller huts. A larger orc steps free of the main cabin with a two-handed axe positioned over its shoulder. It wears a thin set of low-quality leather armor. Come on, where's the creativity? It bellows deeply, and the large group of smaller orcs stow their weapons before walking without a care in the world. Several pass near me, but I know the drill.

I debate continuing as normal and killing a couple, but having an evolved orc rush me along with the rest of its orclings is a risk I don't need to take. The smaller orcs move into a wide circle, enclosing the larger orc and me. [(II) Powerful Orc lv. 13] [Highest stat: Strength] [Identify Living Being(lv. 8) > (lv. 9)] It huffs, pulling the massive axe off its back. I stretch and swing my own weapon in a circle as it watches.

"Trying to look good for the underlings, huh?" It doesn't react to my words as it picks up into a sprint. I shrug and pull the mace back.

"Have it your way." It comes closer, but I don't move. Its eyes narrow as it grips the axe with both hands. I don't move. The axe in its hand pulls back. My body positions itself for a quick movement. A line of danger tingles across my chest. In the blink of an eye, the command yanks multiple muscles. My legs, hips, and waist move in tandem, snapping my torso backward. Wind brushes across my chest as the axe turns into a blur, speeding over my stomach.

When it passes, I flick upright and carry the momentum of the mace with me. The head of the mace moves inevitably while the orc completes its swing. Metal contacts the orc's knee with a vicious snap, sending the orc falling forward. I pull the mace back and let it dangle behind my back with both arms folded over my head. The orc roars in pain as it hits the ground, holding the axe with one hand and pushing up with the other.

My mace makes a full arc overhead and smashes down onto the back of the orc's skull with full force. With a crunch and explosion of gore, the large orc falls limp. Chime A couple of light breaths later, I turn to the rest of the orcs. They stand, staring blankly at me. I twist my head around, but every single one of them is doing the same. One eyebrow raised, I glance left and right.

"What, not gonna rush me?" A few of them glance at each other nervously, with one moving slowly toward the gate. My brows furrow. You wanted to fight first. You're not allowed to leave. My knees bend, and I fall forward, catapulting myself toward the gate. The orcs avoid me as I land, stepping out of my range.

"Really?" I take a deep breath and launch at the closest orc. Crunch Chime Crunch Chime Crunch Chime, chime, chime, chime, chime, chime, chime, chime Ten minutes later, and several times bloodier, I walk away from the final corpse with a blue screen in front of me. [You have slain Orc lv. 14 x16] [You have slain (II) Powerful Orc lv. 13] [Partial experience granted x34] [Companionship Pact Leader(lv. 16) > (lv. 17)] [(II) High Human(lv. 1) > (lv. 2)] Not even a skill level up?

The lightning mage threw me for a loop, but I think I've outclassed this area. Even when I wasn't evolved with crazy new skills and stats, I beat the troll, which was level eighteen. I walk, panting lightly. The chests in the hut and cabin are pretty much the same as the last settlement. They might be a little larger, but I don't think it matters too much. Sadly, the mattress was of the same quality as the one I own, so I don't grab it. As I exit the cabin, I think about the chase I just had.

I leveled up pretty early in the fight this time, so the next one might be able to net me two. Maybe I'll go deeper into the cavern next time I travel out. I build up a sprint and leap back over the wall. My lips pull up into a giddy smile. The simple act of leaping twice my height just fills me with so much joy. I spend a few minutes jumping in place. Each leap takes me several feet high. Even the heavy mace doesn't weigh me down too much.

[Health: 710(639)] [Stamina: 515(389)] Yeah, I think I can manage one more settlement before I go home.