“Husband!” Marjorie, who has caught up with the three of us, shouts suddenly. Then that must be Broderick. She launches her frame with so much power that I have to blink a few times to ascertain that this take-off really just happened.
The fattest woman I’ve ever seen in my life just jumped into the midst of the battle, which was only possible with her leaping over a distance of 100 meters (109 yards) in a single motion.
“Stop gawking, Quinlan. She must have a lot of Strength.” Ayame wakes me up from my delirium.
Yeah, that’s right. It makes no sense otherwise how she can even walk without her legs giving up, much less how good of a jumper she is in reality.
I quickly gather my thoughts. “Alright, ladies. As far as her request is concerned we’ve completed our job.” Before Ayame can speak up I raise a hand to silence her, “however, this is an amazing opportunity for us to farm XP, material gains, and favor with a strong team. That being said, we have to be careful here. The orcs that have been evolved a few times are looking incredibly oppressive.
Blossom and I don’t even have armor, so we have to adjust our strategy.”
I feel the intense gazes of both my women as they listen to me intently. “As far as we are concerned, those two are forces of nature, best left alone. A single shockwave from that giant sword could cut me or Blossom in half, so we will steer clear of them.
Instead, we will attack the orcs from another direction after we create our first team formation, which will be Ayame in the middle, “I turn my head towards her, “your job will be to always fight against the strongest of the orcs.
Gather as much attention as you can and stall them.” I then glance at Blossom, “in the meantime you and I will both act as stealthy assassins, darting through the battlefield and using the chaos Ayame creates with her flashy moves. Once we get the chance, we will all bolt away and move to safety, then attack from another direction.
We simply can’t let ourselves be surrounded by these green murder machines, or it’s all over.”
Both of them nod. This is a simple formation, but the best I can offer considering the circumstances. I really regret having to participate in this fight before I unlock my Wizard and Primordial Villain class, but it is what it is.
Speaking of Primordial Villain, the main reason I’m doing what I’m doing is to level up both Assassin and Slave Master. After those two reach level 10, only Thief will be left before I can unlock that absolutely broken class.
“Remember, girls, we are here to farm, not play heroes. Those two can protect themselves, and if they die, they die. Focus on our party.” I stare into Ayame’s eyes, knowing that Blossom won’t cause me headaches, but I’m uncertain about my noble samurai.
“Who do you think I am? Stop doubting me!”
Alright, she seems to have gotten the memo.
The forest comes alive with the clash of metal and the roars of battle. I tighten my grip on my spear and nod to Ayame and Blossom, signaling it’s time to move.
“Ayame, you’re up,” I whisper, when we find a smaller group of orcs, far from the fray created by the weirdo duo.
“Good luck, you two.” She states with a rather serene, calm expression considering the circumstances.
Then, with a graceful leap, Ayame dives into the fray, her acrobatic movements more like a dancer’s than a warrior’s. Her sword flashes in the dim light as she spins and twirls through the orc ranks. The blade cuts through the air with precision while parrying incoming attacks effortlessly.
Her movements are fluid, almost hypnotic, drawing the attention of the orcs as she weaves through their numbers, slashing through them with her extremely agile and flexible body.
As the orcs turn to face her, they unwittingly expose their flanks, giving us our cue.
“Let us get started as well.” I whisper to Blossom, activating my [Lesser Evasion] skill to heighten my reflexes. The forest around us is dense, providing plenty of cover for our approach.
“Yes, Master!” Blossom whispers back, her eyes gleaming with determination.
We move.
Blossom is a shadow, slipping behind distracted orcs with swift, silent steps. Her dagger glints briefly before plunging into the back of an unsuspecting orc, her attack quick and lethal. Before her target can even react, she vanishes, using the chaos of the battlefield to her advantage, then moves onto her next victim.
I follow her lead and target isolated orcs at the fringes of the battle, my spear’s tip slicing through the air with precision. I thrust it forward, skewering an orc through the chest with a [Power Strike], then pull back quickly before running away in search of future victims.
I turn my attention towards Ayame, worried how she might fare. She really is in the maw of death with my battle plan. A single wrong move can lead to her demise, but I know that she wouldn’t have it any other way. She is a battle junkie at her core, after all.
Ayame’s blade dances with her, striking swiftly as she flips and somersaults, always one step ahead of her foes. The bulky orcs struggle to keep up, their attention diverted as she leads them in a deadly dance, her every move designed to distract, disorient and destroy.
Amidst the skirmish an Orc Berserker emerges from the crowd. Berserker is one of the many evolution paths available for orcs as they grow stronger, this one seeming much more formidable than the rest of its little battalion of greenskins, though they are below the Orc Lord evolution, the subspecies is naturally not present in the group we deliberately targeted.
Broderick and Marjorie can have the privilege of dealing with them.
The Berserker’s tusks gleam as he charges, swinging his massive war axe in a wide, deadly arc.
“Ayame, on your left!” I hear Blossom call out to our frontliner, who might’ve not been aware of the new arrival due to all the perpetual chaos that surrounds her.