LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 6: Tutorial.3
Interrupting my thoughts, the other Fatal Shot, Wyatt, intervened:"I vote for the hunt. From the distant roars, it seems there are much more dangerous things out there, and they could even be our dinner source tonight. They seem to be low-level beasts," he said, receiving a nod from Lucas. Hearing the word "level," I mentally slapped myself again today, wondering why I hadn't tried using Identify yet. That's what the damn skill is for, I thought grumpily.
Focusing on the beasts one by one while wrapping up the conversation around me, I got what I expected, a bit:
[??? - level 3]
[??? - level 4]
[??? - level 3]
[??? - level 3]
"… I'm just saying, maybe they're closer to ferrets than badgers!"
"I'm not saying they're not a bit like ferrets, I'm saying you're confusing ferrets with weasels!"
Finally, I returned to the conversation, hearing Bruno, the light warrior of our small group, and Gabriela, one of the spellcasters, discussing something nonsensical. It wasn't exactly surprising. They were cousins and had an ongoing, never-ending riddle of pointless arguments, some lasting days or even weeks before they finally decided to "agree to disagree."
I had to admit I couldn't see the resemblance to any of the creatures... but, on the other hand, I didn't know the difference between the two anyway. But one thing I was sure of: ferret or weasel, an arrow to the heart or head would be lethal either way.
Interrupting the insane argument between the two cousins, the other medium warrior besides Lucas, Evan, seemed to have had the same idea I did. "Guys, I just tried using Identify on one of them, and it was level 3. But I couldn't see the name."
"Oh, great initiative! Why didn't I think of that before!" Lucas cheered and gave Evan a pat on the back. Turning to me, he asked, "Hey, Alexander, any idea what to do?"
"No, but I also tried identifying them. Three of them are level 3, and one is level 4," I added. I'd never been great in big groups like this, especially when all nine others turned to me. Seriously, I just hoped the pointless conversation would stop and the fight would begin.
We were ten against four. We had the jump. Every advantage was ours, so this posture seemed... pointless.
"Okay then, looks like fighting them is the decision. Now, for our tactical approach..."
Several minutes passed, strategizing and deciding exactly how to face the beasts. After the previous discussion, we retreated behind the hill again to avoid being spotted. Occasionally peeking over the hill, the badger-like beasts, maybe weasels, maybe ferrets, didn't seem in any rush with their meal.
The plan was simple: fire ranged attacks, trying to damage or perhaps kill one or two, with Xavier leading the charge with his shield to draw the beasts' attention, while Lucas and Evan flanked him to cover his sides. The plan was based on the assumption that the beasts were stupid and aggressive when attacked.
Planning so much might have been a bit much for full-grown badgers, but no one seemed willing to take risks. A feeling I understood, but disagreed with. Wouldn't a no-risk fight be... boring?
The only problem with the plan was that, apparently, the spellcasters only had about 10 meters of range with their darts. Beyond that, they would disappear, according to what Henrry, the last of the group's spellcasters, had heard during the introduction.
This left Wyatt and me, easily dismissing Bruno with his throwing daggers, doubtful of our accuracy at 30 meters, or even 10 meters, if he could throw them that far. As for Wyatt... the first time he held a bow was earlier that same day when he chose it by opting for the Fatal Shot class.
"So, Alexander. Are you confident you can hit one from here?" Lucas asked, apparently not having much faith in the plan we'd spent the last 10 minutes making. That the planning had been a waste, I agreed. The beasts would already be dead if it had been up to me.
"Sure," I replied, a little less awkward than before with everyone looking at me. My frustration, well-hidden with the passive group, overtaking my social anxiety.
I took an arrow from the quiver on my back and inspected it. Wooden shaft, steel tip, with fletching made from a type of feather I didn't immediately recognize. The weight was good and balanced, the tip sharp, and overall, it seemed to be of good quality.
"Okay, ready when you are," Lucas said, preparing along with everyone else. Judging by the looks on their faces, the lack of confidence was everywhere. They weren't fighters. The only one who seemed to have any proper training was Xavier.
I climbed the small hill, followed by everyone else right behind me.
I looked at the beasts and nocked the arrow. I raised the bow while focusing. My vision instantly sharpened, knowing instinctively that the Fatal Shot Eye had been activated. Time seemed to slow a bit as I drew the string.
For the first time today, something felt right. The morning routine, the work, the introduction, and everything else had just felt... off. But in that moment, while holding the bow, everything seemed to be as it should be. I smiled, aimed, and shot the arrow. Before even seeing the result, I had already drawn another arrow, preparing to shoot again in one fluid motion.
The arrow was aimed at the neck of the strongest beast, the level 4. I briefly considered the heart or head, but I had limited knowledge of its physiology. The heart couldn't be placed where I assumed, and the hardness of the skull was too unpredictable. The arrow flew straight, with more speed, power, and precision than I had ever shot before.
The arrow hit the beast directly in the throat as it lifted its head from the carcass of its prey, just a moment before the attack arrived.
It fell backward, and before the other badgers could register what had happened, the second arrow arrived, striking the badger on the far left in its chest, penetrating deeply. The two remaining badgers looked toward the hill and immediately attacked, showing no regard for their lives.
Before they had even moved 5 meters, another arrow flew. This time, however, they were ready and dodged the frontal strike, leaving only a superficial scratch on the arrow as it veered away. I managed to fire two more arrows before they reached the group, both causing only light injuries to one of them.
Before the beasts could sink their teeth into me, a massive figure moved in front of me, carrying a huge shield and a short sword, followed by Evan and Lucas on either side of him. I flanked around, still hidden behind the three men in front of me, trying to see if I could take another shot.
The first badger to reach them was the uninjured one, crashing into Xavier's shield and predictably being thrown back by the impact. Right behind it was the wounded one, a little more cautious, as Lucas tried to keep it at bay by pointing his sword at it and making threatening movements.
As I took my time aligning a shot, the beast that had collided with the shield was stabbed by Evan, who somehow managed to strike it in the hind legs. With the creature incapacitated, the two warriors quickly finished it off.
Lucas was still trying to deal with the wounded badger, swinging his sword back and forth, with the beast leaping around, trying to attack him without getting hit. Lucas already had several scratches on his arms, and the badger seemed to have taken a few blows as well.
I aimed my bow, and as the badger jumped away from the sword strike, I released the arrow, hitting it in the side. Before the creature could recover, Lucas's sword fell, slicing its head off and immediately ending its life.
Xavier and Evan also managed to finish off the last badger around the same time. I looked at the first two I had hit, and both were also dead. The first one I shot in the throat died instantly, while the other managed to run a few meters toward us before succumbing to the wound. Judging by the blood, I had hit something important, probably even the heart.
"Shit, we did it!" Evan shouted, swinging his bloodied sword. Behind them, Beatrice was running toward Lucas. She began murmuring a few words, and a white light appeared around her hands as I watched the cuts and bruises on Lucas's arms slowly heal. Lucas thanked her and looked at me with a strange expression in his eyes.
I wasn't in the mood for any unnecessary social interaction, and as the adrenaline wore off, I looked at the system messages I had missed during the fight.
"You killed [Badger – lvl 4] – Bonus experience gained for killing an enemy above your level. 8 PC gained."
"'DING!' Class: [Fatal Shot] reached level 1 – Status points allocated, +1 free point."
"You killed [Badger – lvl 3] – Bonus experience gained for killing an enemy above your level. 4 PC gained."
"You killed [Badger – lvl 3] – Bonus experience gained for killing an enemy above your level. 2 PC gained."
"'DING!' Class: [Fatal Shot] reached level 2 – Status points allocated, +1 free point."
"'DING!' Race: [Human (0)] reached level 1 – Status points allocated, +1 free point."
"You killed [Badger – lvl 3] – Bonus experience gained for killing an enemy above your level. 2 PC gained."
Well, I thought. That was a bit more than expected. I felt good. Right. The warm glow of increased stats definitely helped, but it was more than that.
I had won. It was an easy battle, but still, it felt great. The sensation of hitting each of the badgers was still clear in my mind, the satisfaction that came with each kill. I wanted to hunt more.
...
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