Their journey had been interrupted several times by monster attacks. Fortunately, the average level of these monsters was below 200, giving Maylock the opportunity to let the Knights take charge.
Karl wielded his sword with practiced skill, each movement precise and deliberate. He moved with a combination of power and grace, his blade flashing like lightning as it cut through the monsters’ defenses effortlessly.
“How would you rate Karl’s fighting style?” Broken asked Livelywood. “He’s got a rate-A Sword Mastery talent.”
Livelywood nodded quickly. “Yes, his swordplay is truly impressive. I feel like I could learn a thing or two from him. Your Knight is quite remarkable, Broken. I’m sure Karl has trained very hard to reach this level, and I have no doubt he’ll become an extraordinary knight in the future. I’m excited to see how far he can go.”
“What about Igor? He uses a sword too.”
“Uhm…” Livelywood hesitated for a moment. “I’ve seen Igor use a sword a few times. In my opinion, they’re both very skilled, but there’s something unique about Karl-like his strikes, they’re just more precise.”
Broken nodded. “Actually, Karl also has a rate-S talent called Precision Strikes. It allows him to target enemy weak points for critical hits and penetrate armor.”
“Oh… hahaha, I guess that’s what makes him stand out,” Livelywood responded with a laugh. “Meanwhile, I think Igor is better suited to his role as Commander.”
“Yes.” Broken nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, Yann, the archer, held his position at the back of the battle. He took careful aim and released an arrow, which soared through the air and struck its target with pinpoint accuracy. His movements were swift and fluid, allowing him to quickly reposition for a better vantage point as the fight progressed.
Maylock glanced at Broken and gave him a thumbs-up. “He is so good. Perfect!”
“Yann is talented as well, Broken,” Livelywood added.
Maylock slowed his pace to join in on the conversation with Broken. “Yann is incredibly
focused. I’m sure he’ll become an amazing archer in the future.”
Broken nodded. “The highlight of Yann’s abilities is his talent, rate-S Escape Artist. It gives him a higher chance of breaking free from enemy restraints or captivity.”
“Combined with his pathfinding skills, he could become an excellent scout. You’ve got Knights with some fantastic talent combinations,” Maylock said, adjusting his sunglasses as he spoke.
Next was Anna, her enthusiasm driving her forward as she darted through the swarm of monsters with incredible agility and speed. She gripped her powerful greatsword firmly in both hands. With a determined shout, she lifted it high before bringing it down with tremendous force, sending the monsters flying from the sheer impact.
Livelywood went on. “And Anna… She’s so determined, never one to give up. I truly believe that soon enough, they’ll become powerful Knights, capable of competing even against players at the same level as them.”
The battle raged on, with Pawpaw constantly lurking around, finishing off weakened monsters and devouring them. He seemed to relish each moment a monster attacked, always being the first to give a warning to the others.
From time to time, the little kitten would spit out a monster core onto the ground, and Polly would promptly pick it up and bring it over to Broken.
“Thanks, Polly,” Broken said, patting the little fox on the head.
“Ck! You’re acting like a baby fox, Polly!” Pawpaw complained.
Broken then walked over to Pawpaw and did the same, gently patting his head.
“Stop it! Don’t do this to me!” Pawpaw protested, though his eyes slowly closed, and his head bowed, clearly enjoying the attention despite his words.
“Don’t treat the Hell Lord like this!” he grumbled.
As night descended, the group chose a tree of reasonable height within the forest to rest in. They quickly climbed up to the branches, each finding a spot to settle for the night.
“Okay, I’m logging out first,” Livelywood declared before disconnecting.
Their logout and login schedule had been meticulously arranged by Maylock. He was strict about sticking to the plan, emphasizing that discipline was key to the success of their expedition.
When Toberry tried to negotiate for a bit more time before logging out, Maylock immediately shot him a glare. “Go ahead, but we’ll leave you behind!”
“Whoa, haha, Maylock, take it easy, I was just joking. Hehe,” Toberry said nervously.
Toberry then followed the schedule, logging out when his turn came. A few hours later, Maylock also logged out of the game.
Broken perched himself on a sturdy branch of the tree, his legs swinging slowly in rhythm with Ivana, who sat beside him.
“I want to visit Deadbay again after this expedition,” she said.
“Do you already miss Deadbay, Ivana?”
Ivana glanced at him with a gentle smile and nodded. “Yes, I miss Deadbay… and Mr. Fokil too.”
“We’ll go visit him after we’re done with this expedition.”
“Yes, but you don’t need to worry about me. I can go on my own; you’re busy with so many things, aren’t you?”
“Not really,” he said. “There are still a lot of things I need to learn from Mr. Fokil about blacksmithing. So maybe we could spend about one or two weeks in Deadbay later.”
Ivana nodded softly and then leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder, enjoying the quiet night illuminated only by the moonlight.
Maylock had established a strict timetable for when each person should log in and log out, ensuring there was always someone online to accompany the NPCs. This setup was also meant to prevent any unexpected attacks that could occur if they were all offline at the same time.
With at least one person keeping watch, they could alert the others to log in quickly and assist if anything happened.
Starfall, who was also a well-known figure, was even willing to dedicate most of her time to the mission. She made sure that her shooting schedule in real life was relatively free during this expedition. It was evident that she prioritized the game over her remarkable career
outside of it.
That night, it was Broken’s turn to stay awake with the others, keeping watch until everyone else came back online.
He chatted casually with Ivana for a few hours while keeping an eye on Pawpaw, who seemed tireless as he roamed the forest.
Broken used his Shared Senses skill to monitor Pawpaw, making sure he didn’t get into any trouble. Broken had specifically asked Pawpaw to hunt further away from their resting spot, hoping to avoid drawing monsters closer to their location.
The Knights began to drift off to sleep, and soon enough, Ivana dozed off as well, her head resting on his shoulder. Gently, he supported her and leaned her back against the tree, carefully brushing away the strands of hair that had fallen across her face.
“Pawpaw, those monsters are too strong,” Broken muttered as he noticed Pawpaw charging into a group of monsters that were clearly higher-level than him. But Pawpaw seemed not to hear, continuing his reckless attack.
Broken could only sigh as he watched, shaking his head at the little creature’s stubbornness.
When morning arrived, Livelywood was the first to appear. “Good morning, Broken. It’s your
turn to log out now.”
Broken turned to Ivana. “I’m going to have to leave for a bit, so please look after everyone.” Ivana nodded. “Yes, don’t worry. I’ll protect them with my life,” she said confidently.
***
Author’s Note:
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