Chương 415: Chapter 388. Running Out Of Ideas

John Ericsson's Point Of View pain... Dammit! I thought we had him with that illusion!" We haven't had time to practice is all! It was a good idea! More than the illusion, we've learned something equally as valuable, his reflexes are sharp. You need to be more careful! You've already had to heal yourself 3 times fighting him."" I know... I know, Harry. But the issue isn't just his reflexes. His style of fighting is perfectly suited to this terrain, not just that, but the way he moves and the choices he makes...

This place is his home and he's intimately familiar with it. I thought the element of surprise with your ability would even the playing field, but he was smart enough to meet my Spell with his own. I'm still feeling ghost pains from when he landed that Spell on me earlier.

"Nature's Force", I think he said..."

"HACK!" / splat! /" I'm still coughing up blood even with healing myself... This is ridiculous. What the hell exactly am I fighting right now?"" He's just an Elf. He's strong though, he must be somewhere near the upper echelon of their military... Killing him might serve us during the war. What do you want to do?"" Escape. I've been lucky so far, in that I've stayed conscious every time I've been hit, if he can get me knocked out, I'm either dead or captured... Or even worse...

Our fight might take too long if I try to drag it out and kill him, and I'm sure in that time, he'll have reinforcements arrive. That's why I'm running Southwest again. We're already around halfway through this forest after all. If I keep pushing, I should make it out and escape, it's the better option."" So, I'll need to be on standby?"" Of course, Hank. And don't worry, I'll keep enough mana to make Barriers after you're Summoned."

While keeping my eyes and ears open as best as I can, I've been running towards Diablos for the past 5 minutes. This fight with this guy isn't going as I was hoping, my goal isn't to kill anyone tonight, I just want to escape the Elves. I don't need to win any battles to do that, I just need to survive." Good to see you've come around to my perspective."" I've been doing that! It's just that I've been getting targeted! There hasn't been much I can do with those arrows raining down on me!

I mean, I'm sure Hank doesn't want to get shot at before we can fly out of range, right?"" Regardless of that, we need to find a way out of here for you. What should we do?"" I don't know, all I know is that I'm going to be running for the hills... Then Hank will be flying for them. So far, so good... I mean, it looks like I've stopped coughing! That's a good sign! Right?"" Our silver linings are getting quite thin, John." Lily and I had a back and forth as I kept running.

At the very least, it looks like we're all in agreement... So, there's that... But what if he comes back? I mean, hopefully, that explosion knocked him out, but just in case, I still have Julia's Armor on, even though it's a little damaged. That and I'm running with Scarlet unsheathed in my hand. I was caught unawares twice tonight. I'm done not being able to strike back... But how will I be able to do it?

The guy was able to stop me when I tried using Harry's Illusions to make an opening and he still was able to defend himself and attack me at the same time. I need something else, so, I can defeat him... Or run away... But what could it be? I mean, he seemed to attack me with extreme dislike the last 2 exchanges, but all the Elves have looked at me with more or less disgust than the other... Except for Princess Eve, her eyes are just full of anger towards me...

And all because I stopped her from killing Emily's group of Merchants. Honestly, that seems a bit psychotic to me." Forget the girl, focus on running for now! All of these trees are slowing you down!"" Why do you make it sound like I'm thinking about her like I can't get her out of my head!? I'm just stating she's weird!"" Either or! Just keep speeding u-" / SHING! /" NO!" Swing! Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. / CLANG! CREAK! /" Dammit!"" DIE!"

Speaking of being caught unaware, the guy's back... But with a sword? Do I even want to know?" I won't let you escape! I'll put you down like the animal you are!" / CREAK! CREAK! / Our swords are sliding against each other as we put pressure on different parts of each other's weapons. Even with me not resisting Angel's Swordsmanship, this guy is still keeping up? Is it fatigue? My body's too tired from lack of rest and all of the fights I've had before this guy? What can I do now? Lift! Swing! / CLANG! CLANG!

CLANG! / What the hell is his sword made of? It's so heavy? His arms aren't particularly muscley either. Maybe it's a Spell? He's an Elf, it would make sense. Either way, this needs to end. I start to channel my mana and simultaneously activate my Holy Mana Blade and Holy Mana Body. If he's done trying to use arrows and wants to get into a sword duel with me, then I'm going into this prepared. Speaking of swords, what the hell is going on with his? It doesn't look like metal...

It looks like a weird fusion of tree bark, dirt and rocks... But somehow, it can match Scarlet's blade, even though it looks like a single strike from her should break the weird amalgam of materials that this guy is treating like a sword. Not just that, but the look he's giving me as we fight for the advantage in this scuffle... I don't like it... He's too confident for someone who's been trying to pick me off at range until now. I need separation. / CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! / He's keeping up with me?

How is an Archer keeping up with me? I'm the Swordsman here. This doesn't make much sense to me, no matter how strong he is... Wait! It's not him! It's the sword... I can feel it... It's taking my mana from Scarlet's blade! He's been shouting about nature and the trees... It must absorb mana the same way a plant absorbs water, sunlight or nutrients in the ground or something similar. Either way, I need to do something quick, otherwise he's going to weaken me without even lifting a finger. I can't allow that!

/ CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! / I got to move back, but I can't give ground, all of his attacks are aimed at my vitals. This isn't going to be easy." Die, you fool!"" Not happening!" / CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! / He's gaining confidence in our exchanges. Each attack, he's being more aggressive, looking to create openings by knocking me off-balance. I need to do something quick. / CREAK! /" YES!"" FUCK!" He's gaining an advantage!? How!? I need to disengage! I got to jump away!

There're only a few seconds to spare as he winds up to swing again!" No you don't!" Grip! My leg!? How!? I quickly look down to see that my leg was caught by a vine. It's like with Anna... I can't move, I need to do something! FUCK IT!" ANGEL'S SPEAR!" / THOOM! /" AH!"" AH!" PAIN! burn... / WOOSH! BANG! SNAP! BANG! CRACK! BANG! CRACK! /" HUACK!" / SPLAT! /" JOHN!"" Holy Heal!" It's okay... I'm okay..." Haah... Haah... Haah..." It all happened so fast... The Spear...

I made it land directly in front of us, the impact and shockwave it creates... It blasted us both back... No... Before that, it burned us... So, this is why the God Of The Blackwoods kept me on the back foot? That burning sensation and pain from the impact... There's no way it can't harm a God... Far from that, it can harm Mortals... It even harmed me and it's my Spell... If not for Holy Heal, I'd have passed out from the pain. Everyone called for me as well.

I don't even want to know what it was they saw through their Connection with me. But I need to answer them." I'm okay... I'm okay... Holy Heal did it's job. Though it can't get the taste of my blood out of my mouth..."" You idiot!"" I didn't have much of a choice, Lily, it was either that or he cut me down. And that sword was going to cut me from shoulder to hip. My torso would've been in 2 pieces. I had to gamble I'd survive Angel's Spear. Speaking of surviving." pain...

I finally looked up after explaining why I did it... My neck hurts. I slammed into a tree... No... Multiple trees. I just couldn't feel it from all of my pain coming from being burned alive. I think it broke some of my bones. I felt the back of my head as I took in the sight of the damage caused from my spear. My hand's wet... I was bleeding from the back of my head... That's how hard I hit the trees. But that's still nothing compared to the shock my eyes are seeing right now." How?"

A giant wooden statue stood where my Spear landed. It's where he was. Fuck... It's some kind of defensive Spell like what he used before. This isn't go- / SHING! / SLASH! Cold! Pain!" AH!" /SPLAT! / My right arm... He cut it. Dammit!" You roach... You're sentient trash! How dare you do this to OUR ANCESTORS! I WON'T ALLOW YOU TO LEAVE! FORGET THE REWARD! I NEED TO KILL YOU TO SET THIS RIGHT!" He's pissed... Wait... his skin... His body... Some of his skin, it's blistering...

The heat must've still gotten to him even with the protection from his Spell. Wait... Ancestors? What the hell is he talking about? Wait... He's acted like this before... The trees? Is he talking about the trees? Are they somehow connected to funeral rites here in Alfheim or something? If that's the case?... Yes, I can make this work. / SHING! /" WOAH!" / CLANG! /" DIE, TRASH!" /CLANK! THUMP! /" Holy Heal!" Well... If I want it to work, I need to do it quickly. This guy... He's getting too aggressive...

Too unpredictable... But he's no longer using his bow? I'm also running out of mana, however. If I want to get out of here, I need to save some to Summon Hank. But if I want to get out of here, I know it's going to cost mana. I need to keep it to a minimum. I need a plan... This guy's anger is the only thing I can use... But it makes it riskier... It's caused by the trees though... If that's the case, he cares about these trees to the point where it's driving him into a homicidal rage... I can definitely use that.

Yes... It can work... And when it does, I can get close to my Spear and absorb my mana from it. It'll be just enough to Summon Hank at the end of this. All I need to do is grip Scarlet tight and not fuck this up. After I picked myself up from rolling away from his attack, I healed. And I guess he could see a change in my demeanor... I mean, he should, since now I have an actual plan to end this.