Having slain fifteen goblins, Adam and Blake gained 30 points, bringing their previously accumulated score of 235 points to a total of 265 points—only seven points behind Elreth’s team.
As they ventured deeper into the forest, Adam, true to his racial trait, pulled out a whiskey flask and took a few hearty swigs.
Blake shot him a disgusted glare. It was far too early for drinking, he thought.
Adam ignored his friend’s judgment and continued to enjoy his whiskey. Suddenly, his expression changed, and he motioned for Blake to stop. They both stared ahead, vigilant.
From the shadows, two orcs emerged.
"Oink!?" The orcs were visibly shocked to discover two humans; they hadn’t even sensed their presence.
"Lucky me!" Adam exclaimed, stowing his flask away and gripping his hammer tightly.
"I’ll take the one on the right, and you take the one on the left," he said decisively.
"Okay," Blake nodded, readying himself.
Without wasting any time, Adam provoked the orc on the right.
"Come see daddy, Piggy!" he taunted.
Though the orc couldn’t understand human speech, the fury in its eyes was unmistakable. With a primal roar, the orc charged at Adam.
In response, Adam unleashed his gravity domain, causing earth spikes to erupt beneath his feet and sending him soaring into the air. He raised his hammer high, intent on crushing the monster, having slowed the orc’s movements with gravity. But the orc was formidable, blocking the blow with its massive stone club.
Boom!
The ground trembled as Adam’s feet sank slightly under the force of the impact, but the orc retaliated, swinging at Adam’s leg and forcing him to leap back.
"Interesting!" Adam said, a grin spreading across his face as he swirled his hammer. It was time to go all out.
Meanwhile, Blake shifted his focus to the second orc, stopping to observe the chaos of the fight unfolding. He quickly cast another spell, this time summoning just one skeleton. The skeleton stood at two meters tall, clad in full-body black armor, with ghostly eerie blue flames flickering in its eye sockets. Equipped with a bastard sword and shield, the special skeleton charged at the second orc, leading to a brutal confrontation.
The clash of metal echoed through the forest as the two warriors engaged. The orc swung its club, but the skeleton deftly parried the blow with its shield, countering with a swift strike of its sword. The orc growled in frustration, but the skeleton was relentless, using its agility to dodge and weave around the orc’s powerful swings.
Adam, meanwhile, was fully engaged with his own opponent. He could feel the adrenaline surging through him, the thrill of battle igniting his senses. As the orc lunged forward, Adam dodged to the side and swung his hammer in a wide arc, aiming for the creature’s head. The orc raised its club just in time to block the blow, but the force of Adam’s strike sent shockwaves through its arms.
With a roar of determination, Adam pressed the attack, using the Law of Earth to manipulate the terrain around him. He summoned jagged spikes from the ground, forcing the orc to maneuver carefully to avoid being impaled. Each time the orc attempted to charge, Adam would counter with a combination of gravity manipulation and powerful strikes, slowly wearing the beast down.
Blake’s skeleton continued to clash with the second orc, the two locked in a fierce struggle. The orc swung its club with brutal force, but the skeleton was agile, ducking and dodging, using its sword to find openings in the orc’s defense. With each successful hit, the eerie blue flames in its eye sockets seemed to burn brighter, fueled by the chaos of battle.
’’Fun! Fun! Fun!"
As Adam continued his relentless assault, he saw an opening.
With a swift motion, he summoned a surge of gravity to pin the orc momentarily to the ground, its movements slowed.
’’!"
Seizing the opportunity, he raised his hammer high once more and brought it crashing down with all his might.
The orc, caught off guard, tried to block the blow, but the force was too much.
Bam!
The hammer connected with a resounding crack, and the orc stumbled back, dazed.
Adam wasted no time, charging forward to finish what he had started. He swung again, this time aiming for the orc’s midsection,
Crack!
And the creature fell to its knees, gasping for breath.
Meanwhile, Blake’s skeleton had managed to gain the upper hand against the second orc. With a swift maneuver, it slashed at the orc’s arm, causing the club to fall from its grip.
’’!"
The orc, now weaponless, glared at the skeleton, desperation in its eyes.
With determination, the skeleton pressed the attack, lunging forward and delivering a powerful thrust that pierced the orc’s side.
’’Oink!"
The creature roared in pain, its body collapsing to the ground.
Bam! Crush!
As Adam dealt the final blow to his own orc, Blake’s skeleton stood over its fallen opponent, victorious. The two warriors exchanged glances, a silent acknowledgment of their teamwork and resilience.
"That was fun!" Adam exclaimed, wiping sweat from his brow as he surveyed the battlefield of fallen foes.
"Let’s keep moving," he added, his voice steady as he prepared to advance. "We still have more to do."
With a brief respite, the duo pressed deeper into the ancient forest, eager to continue their hunt. Having slain two orcs, they gained 10 points, bringing their total tally to 275 points and securing their position as the second team, surpassing Elreth’s group.
Meanwhile, Elreth’s team came to a halt as they felt their smart bracelets vibrating. The princess lowered her orange eyes, locking onto her device, and immediately frowned upon realizing they had fallen from second place.
"Tch! I can’t even rest for a moment. I’ll have to go all out," she huffed.
"Let’s keep moving. We must reclaim our second place and finally stand at the top. You’re with me, I guess?" Her orange eyes pierced into Lux’s, fierce and determined, leaving no room for refusal.
Lux merely chuckled before moving forward, ready to follow her lead.