Chapter 52 52 Clash of blades (2)
[OP: ]
Standing in the open arena with their weapons ready, two warriors faced each other with determination in their eyes.
On one side, our Lucy, ready with his red wooden sword sharper than even the diamonds.
His opponent, a creature that had achieved a phenomenal feat of connecting with the Worldline system, meaning it had gained enough mental and physical strength, as well as achievements to get noticed by the Worldline, stood there with a halberd made of very special wood and rocks.
Considering he was an awakened being that was usually categorized as a creature, or monster, or a creature with so low intelligence that they are mostly only driven by their senses and instincts, he was a unique creature.
And setting aside El's casual reaction towards him, he really was a rare creature..
In the Worldline where the beings who are categorized as creatures or monsters and are only recognized by their Race, it means a lot to the creature, its families, and the ones under him when they become an important part of the Worldline.
One can simply understand it as a mere monster gaining status above the king of a small nation that isn't connected to the worldline system, and many other normal creatures, humans, and other races.
And, the creatures in the worldline, any of them that do not have their own ID, can obtain [Skills] very easily and increase their level to a certain degree just as easily too.
They don't have to create skills in the workspace or distribute skill points to their skills, it's an automated process that randomly happens for all of them.
And, when these same creatures gain their own ID, a name, and actual place in the worldline, though they lose this unique ability, they gain new powers in return.. and it is still very easy for them to gain new skills.
That's why they were all important creatures, and having a few of them as their underlings was in no way a minor thing.
They were like a crop planted in highly fertile soil, and if cultivated properly, a plant of eggplant can even grow to become a fine, tall plant of bananas.
So, Lucy wanted him, and he wanted this specific one so badly that he even sacrificed a wish for it.
El wasn't an obstacle anymore so.. he wasn't worried about losing this talented one anymore.
He stood his ground, the sword loosely hanging around his strong hands.
His blue eyes, glowing, observing his opponent. And his opponent, worried but determined to come out victorious against the devil that had killed all his brothers and uncles.
He knew this small human was strong, so strong he hadn't seen another one like him, but he had faith he could win. If his opponent was only him, he believed in his strength that he could.. perhaps, win this fight.
The future of his remaining family was on the line, the future of all the future brothers and children of the tribe was on the line.
And yes they announced they would spare their lives regardless of the outcome, however.. it was unknown if they would use them as slaves for the rest of their lives, or take them away from their home.
He wasn't even sure what words to believe since they were coming from the same devils that had killed his family.
And, he did not know until a moment ago, but he had just found out there weren't only two of them.
There was a third one too. And, the ornament he had just seen in her hand, was something that belonged to his eldest uncle, the undefeated worrier and previous champion of their tribe.
He had weakened and lived in solitude but there was no one among them that knew how to fight better than him.
He himself had learned from him and still considered himself lacking in many ways, but.. he was dead now.
His only cherished trophy, the ornament that he gained after killing the strongest human he had come across, that now rested in the hands of his killer, signified that much.
Most of his family was dead, but not all.. and the future of whatever was left, was in his hand.
-Tap. Tap. Thump!
Lucy tapped his sword on the ground twice and smacked it on the ground, surprising his opponent and earning a similar instinctive response from him.
-Tak. Tak! Dhum!
[ "My warrior wishes you good luck, troll warrior!" ]
It was still strange for him how they all were hearing her voice in their heads but, it was even more surprising to see how these small humans knew their kind's pre-duel ritual.
They were strange people, but he knew what he had to do.
[ "Get ready!" ]
El created a little air pocket above her finger, and the warriors got into position.
One wanted the creature as his own, the other wanted to save his family. But the fire to win this battle was the same in both of their eyes.
-Boooooom!
-Swish..!
He was prepared to give his own life if it meant he could save the others. So, as soon as they received the signal, he erased everything from his mind and only focused on his opponent, that, the very moment the signal was received, had vanished from their sight.
-Clank!
But he didn't need sight when he had his sharp senses and battle instincts honed through lifelong experience and practice.
-Clank! Clank!
And Lucy was the same, no, he was better than him in this regard.
He had a battle experience of not one, but two lives.
-Clank!
But, the troll hero had a stat advantage.
His stats were higher and if he was an ordinary troll hero, he would definitely have been a top <B> ranked creature. But, he was an awakened creature, so he was better.
-Clank! Clank! Clank!
Both parties had their own advantages and disadvantages. But their goal was the same—victory.
-Boooooooom!
Both of them were strong warriors that knew how to wield their weapons and bodies perfectly to their advantage.
The troll warrior relied on his innate high perception, while Lucy's main innate sword skill that he had created just recently, the [Aspect of sword], a growth-type skill that passively increased his overall physical abilities, made the learning of new weapon-related skills and the utilization of Aura easier.
And yes there was an active form of this skill, but it was an ultimate move that he wouldn't need against an enemy of only this level.
-Clank! n(0)vel(b)(j)(n) was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B(j)n.
The passive effect of the skill was enough, and he was done testing his opponent.
-Swish..!
Using [Light Walk], he backed off, his eyes fixed on his opponent that didn't have any surprised reaction even after Lucy had practically parried the heavy attacks from his weapon with only a light touch of his sword.
He knew his opponent knew how even the slightest movements made on the precise timing could cause great effects and this one was one of those instances.
And Lucy was impressed by his judgment.
His insight and perception were better than Lucy had thought so it checked out. Thus, it was now time to check his toughness.
"Huuu.."
Lucy got into an attack stance, and by this moment, the troll hero had already launched forward to attack the opponent.
His weapon, the fine halberd in his hand, had a sharp edge crafted through traditional craftsmanship of old times, and its tip was made from the finest wood of this great forest.
From a general perspective, this weapon was far better than the usual weapons made from normal metals but, before Lucy's red sword, it was no more than a piece of wood and pebble.
And, the sword wasn't the only weapon he could rely on.
-Clung!
He had magic, but he didn't need it here either.
He had his six walls, but they were also too much for just a simple attack like that.
"Good"
What Lucy used was the same thing El had been using to cut the troll women, and, it was more than enough for defending against an attack of only this level...