Confrontation

Some things, you don't know the success rate until you try. But once you act, even if it's just a little effort, you can usually tell how it will end.

Like shooting a basketball.

Even though the ball has just been released and the hand is still in the shooting motion, the shooter has a definite answer in their mind about whether the ball will go in or not.

And after Du Pont jumped with all his might, he knew the result of his action while still in mid-air.

He definitely wouldn't make it over.

Six feet is about 1.8 meters, which is definitely not enough for an adult man to hurdle, but it's not too difficult to climb over.

If the platform is wide enough, you can easily flip over by just putting your upper body on it and using your arms, it just won't look very graceful.

However, the Barbarian's idea of jumping over was obviously not like that. He just jumped and flew over, so dashing.

Even if he had lower expectations for himself, he should have been able to just put his hand on it and use his arms to support himself, not jump halfway and scrape his balls as he said.

Du Pont also stretched his body before jumping. He wasn't sure how much explosive power his 14 points of Strength would give him, but he tried it before jumping. With the blessing of magic, jumping 1.5 or 1.6 meters from the spot was definitely not a problem. Plus, with a running start, jumping over would definitely not be difficult, and flipping over with leverage would be easy.

But imagining is one thing, doing is another. Whether in his past life or this one, Du Pont can basically be considered someone who doesn't use his limbs much. As Boulderstone would say, his tendons haven't been stretched.

This makes his physical coordination very... humorous.

The result was that his body didn't keep up with his brain, and he jumped too early.

He would definitely hang on the fence. Now he could only hope that the fence wasn't too sharp, or that Boulderstone knew some family medicine, so he wouldn't end up disabled from jumping over a fence.

Fortunately, the worst didn't happen. Just as Du Pont was about to make intimate contact with the fence with his stomach, he felt his collar tighten, and the next second he was lifted into the yard.

The collar was released, and Du Pont wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: "Did I pass or not?"

"I can only say that you Mages' physical fitness is very humorous. Your physical quality is actually quite good." The Butcher looked like he knew it all along: "Alright, it's basically impossible for someone like you who hasn't exercised to jump over. I just wanted to see if you had the guts. If you're a coward, then it's a waste of time to teach you, and it's better to leave early to save your mood. I'll count this level as passed."

Du Pont secretly breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this, but after thinking about it, he felt strange: "But knowing that you can't win, isn't it just courting death to have the courage to go up?"

"You're right, but sometimes you can't just not fight if you don't want to. This is a world where the strong eat the weak. Even the civilized Haluar or Elven Isle are like this. If you don't have strength, you can only be bullied and exploited. And courage and strength are the foundation for you to face these things. In my opinion, courage is even above strength."

"As long as the strength gap between the two sides is not particularly large, then as long as you have courage, you have a chance to turn the tables." Boulderstone said, taking out an eight-foot-long spear: "When you killed that pig, if it still had the courage to fight back, would you have had to use a lot of strength to kill it?"

Du Pont nodded, understanding what he meant: "You mean, as long as I don't chicken out, then many things will be easier to face?"

"That's right. Actually, you didn't have many good options at the time. If that big pig wasn't afraid of you, it would actually be afraid of it too. But as soon as it was afraid, it revealed a flaw, giving you a chance to give it a fatal blow."

Boulderstone picked up the spear and nailed it to the tree in the courtyard: "Whether it's fighting or killing, sometimes it's about who has the bigger guts, and in a protracted war, it's about who can endure pain better. As long as you persevere, the one who collapses will be the opponent. The more natural your expression, the more panicked your opponent will be. And as long as they panic, they will reveal flaws, leading to failure or even death."

"So the first lesson I teach you is that no matter what kind of opponent you encounter, as long as you have a breath left, you should never let your opponent perceive your timidity. Of course, when facing some fools, you can pretend to be stupid to deceive the opponent into revealing flaws, so that the opponent abandons their defenses and gives you a fatal blow."

"But this trick only works on fools. There is great wit between life and death. If you treat your enemy as a fool, then you are likely to be the foolish one. Don't pretend to be stupid unless you have to. Using strength and composure to face all enemies is the most appropriate choice, and then mercilessly end your opponent, don't give the enemy a chance to turn the tables."

"Do you know what I admire most about you? Besides the fact that your body is a good seed for a combat Classed individual, the key is that you are one of the very few people who are born with the ability to use their brains to fight." Boulderstone said, pointing to the warehouse next to the wooden house, signaling Du Pont to follow him.

"Whether it's a spellcaster or a combat Classed individual, many people are trained in academies and guilds, but when they actually go out to adventure, they forget everything they learned when they encounter danger. Especially some women, when they are afraid, they do nothing but scream. If you are determined to adventure, don't team up with women before you become a formal Classed individual. Don't join teams with women, because there may be a lot of trouble."

"Of course, female adventurers you encounter after level 6 are much more normal. Some women can even be more ferocious than men. You must always be vigilant when dealing with these people and don't let a face confuse your mind."

"I'm getting off topic. Your second test." Boulderstone said, walking towards a simple room that looked like a warehouse: "You can think calmly when facing a pig, but how long can you last when facing a truly threatening enemy? Can you still keep a clear head?"

Boulderstone said, opening the door. In the darkness, a pair of reflective eyes lit up, and a threatening growl was heard when it saw the two of them.

"There's a gray wolf in here. A few days ago, they went down the mountain to steal sheep from the farmers and I killed some of them, leaving the most beautiful and largest one. I originally wanted to try to train it to see if it could be a dog to accompany me up the mountain to hunt, but after being locked up for 3 days, it's still a fool that bares its teeth at me. Your training at noon is to kill it without using attack spells. As long as you can do that, then this level will be considered passed, and then I'll teach you some really cool stuff."

After hearing this, Du Pont looked at the gray wolf inside. This was a beast that was six feet long and nearly four feet tall. It was baring its huge canines at the two of them, but it was cautiously not launching an attack.

Gray Wolf

Attributes: Strength 14, Dexterity 16, Constitution 15, Intelligence 2, Perception 12, Charisma 6

Attack: Bite (1D6+1)

Traits: Dim Vision, Keen Smell

Saves: Fortitude 4, Reflex 5, Will 2

Challenge Rating: 1/2

Status: Hungry, Alert

Description: Wolves are pack animals known for their patience and cunning. They understand division of labor and work together to care for their young. When facing them, you must always be careful and not expose your back to this cruel creature.

"I'm here, so it probably won't dare to bite you, but I'm going to prepare a more interesting prey for you. Of course, if you can't do it, then you don't have to do the evening course."

"." Du Pont's heart beat faster: "Is your Barbarian training so rough?"

"What did you think? Barbarians don't take care of those with disabilities. The barren resources of the Northlands wilderness can only be distributed in the most reasonable way through survival of the fittest. Those Barbarians who can't even beat beasts are not true Barbarians."

Boulderstone smiled after speaking: "Your talent is already much better than many Barbarian children of the same age. They don't use their brains like you and don't have magical spells. Your biggest problem is that you read too many books and lack wildness and ruthlessness. You don't know how to use your body's greatest advantages, and you don't know how to stimulate the berserk nature in your soul."

"There are no magical items in my yard, only some things commonly used by hunters and butchers. There are some medicines for treating wounds in the house. If you really can't beat it, you can hide in the house and protect yourself with Mage Armor. It's definitely not a threat when I come back, but if you can't kill it, then I can only say that I may have misjudged you."

"Alright, why are you so long-winded, like a woman." Du Pont spat on the ground and quickly retreated: "It's okay, just go. Oh, and remember to close the door, so it doesn't run out."

Boulderstone was stunned after hearing this, thinking about where the door had been opened, but after thinking about it, he couldn't help but laugh.

This guy is quite nervous, he even forgot about this.

"I'm leaving."

The Butcher left as soon as he said he would. Feeling the Barbarian's aura disappear, Du Pont licked his lips and walked backwards towards the simple gazebo in the yard.

He only had a Mage's Staff for self-defense, and without any offensive magic, trying to kill a beast with a constitution as high as 15 with it would be difficult.

But there were Hunting Traps and Snare Nets available in the pavilion, and the weapons included Short Spears, Javelins, and a Skinning Knife. They all looked sharp enough, and if used well, killing the beast would definitely not be a problem.

Just like those commoner hunters, with enough preparation, they could use their experience and wisdom to defeat their enemies.

The gray wolf in the warehouse watched Du Pont retreat slowly, not relaxing its vigilance, but instead emitting wary whimpers.

Originally, it was just wandering and hunting in the mountains, living a feast-or-famine existence, wandering around driven by hunger, but it unexpectedly found a group of very easy prey at the foot of the mountain.

Sheep.

These sheep were plump, stupid, and penned up with nowhere to run.

The old wolf in the pack refused to go down the mountain, warning that it might be a trap, just like how the terrifying two-legged beasts in the forest would occasionally leave bait to lure prey. If they couldn't resist the temptation, they would at best end up lame, and at worst lose their lives.

But hunger still robbed these young gray wolves of their reason. Such plump and clumsy prey was hard to find in the forest. Eating this meal would mean not having to worry for the next few days.

The young gray wolves successfully launched a hunt, but just as they were about to enjoy the delicious prey, the real hunter appeared.

That terrifying two-legged beast was even more powerful than a tiger. No gray wolf could withstand a single blow from him. Knowing it couldn't win, the gray wolf wanted to escape, but its speed, which it relied on for survival, was completely useless. In the end, there was a sharp pain, and when it woke up, it was already imprisoned here.

The two-legged beast's aura made the gray wolf dare not resist, but how could a hunter of the forest be willing to die here?

But today, that two-legged beast seemed to have finally relaxed its vigilance. His cave finally had a gap wide enough for it to escape, and his aura had completely disappeared.

The gray wolf didn't know if that terrifying monster had gone out hunting. It just wanted to escape this terrifying place and return to the mountains.

But even though that two-legged beast had left, another two-legged beast it had never seen before came.

His aura was much weaker than the previous one, but his eyes were malicious, unlike the tall two-legged beast who only looked at it with contempt and amusement.

Fear of its previous encounter made the gray wolf choose to be vigilant, but when the two-legged beast in front of it took the initiative to retreat, its courage rose.

A tiger wouldn't show any fear when facing a pack of wolves, only when facing a brown bear would it show apprehension.

His retreat meant that it was stronger.

The gray wolf began to advance, its black nose twitching, wary of its surroundings even though its stomach was empty. After confirming that the tall two-legged beast had really left, its bristled fur finally fell.

The surroundings were no longer dangerous, and hunger began to erode the gray wolf's reason again. The only thing that could resist it was the fear from the bottom of its heart that made it want to escape this terrifying cage first, but after circling around, it couldn't find a place to leave easily.

That annoying wooden fence blocked its view, and its vigilance towards the unknown made it dare not try to jump over it rashly.

If it accidentally broke its leg, it would be unable to hunt. Even if it returned to the pack, it could only eat the leftovers that other gray wolves had eaten. Death and expulsion were almost the only fate of a sick wolf.

Just then, a Javelin was thrown, and the sudden sound of the wind made the gray wolf lie down to avoid the Javelin.

Then it turned its head and looked at the source of the sound.

It was that delicious and weak two-legged beast, and beside him was a bone product that looked very delicious.

The gray wolf's eyes turned red.

Seeing the gray wolf eagerly turning towards him, Du Pont breathed a sigh of relief.

After getting through the most tense confrontation, Du Pont immediately cast Mage Armor on himself, then pinched a handful of bone powder from his spellcasting material pouch, summoned a Skeleton Warrior holding a rusty sword and covered in gray, and had it block the entrance of the pavilion. After that, he placed a Hunting Trap behind the skeleton, and held a Short Spear in his hand, ready for battle.

1st Circle Necromantic Spell: Animate Skeleton Servant

Skeleton Warrior: Strength 13, Dexterity 13, Constitution -, Intelligence -, Wisdom 10, Charisma 1

The combat ability of the Skeleton Warrior summoned by a 1st Circle spell is very poor, but its decent strength and tireless, fearless nature make this low-level undead very suitable for odd jobs during construction, doing dangerous, dirty, and tiring work to avoid personnel casualties and waste compensation.

But really relying on this Skeleton Warrior to kill enemies is unreliable. Although this thing has no constitution, its body is light and floaty, and its movement speed is average. In a real fight, it might not even be able to beat two Goblins in a row. It's completely not worth a precious 1st Circle spell slot, and can be completely described as a complete failure.

However, in some more awkward situations, such as when the team doesn't have a Rogue/Ranger to identify traps, you can summon a Skeleton Warrior to scout the way and step on pits, and act as a temporary meat shield for the Mage. It's a fearless little helper that can perfectly execute rearguard missions.

But what Du Pont didn't expect was that after this gray wolf came out, it actually ignored him, and instead walked around the wooden fence, without even looking at him.

This guy actually isn't falling for it, damn it.

The gray wolf's strength was about the same as his, but the beast's reliance on its own fangs made its lethality quite terrifying. Without the protection of Mage Armor, a bite would definitely take a big chunk of flesh.

If he attacked rashly without the advantage of terrain, the opponent would have the advantage of agility, and he might not be able to keep up whether it fought or fled. He would definitely be at a disadvantage then.

If he wanted to win easily, waiting for the enemy to tire would definitely be the most suitable method. If the opponent could rush over and fight his Skeleton Warrior and step on a trap, then he could basically just poke it a few times and collect the corpse.

But plans can't keep up with changes. After being attacked by him, this beast didn't directly attack, but instead repeatedly roamed around the pavilion, never exposing its back, giving him a perfect opportunity to attack.

Du Pont was a little stumped now.

Besides the Javelin, there were no ranged weapons here. Of course, even if there were, he had absolutely no shooting experience, and the hit rate would definitely be terribly low. He didn't even have a cantrip attack spell. How could he force the opponent to attack him?

Forget it, let's try to attract the opponent's attention first.

He threw the Javelin, and as expected, it was dodged. Fortunately, the gray wolf finally began to confront him.

But this guy seemed to know that he had prepared a trap, and refused to take the initiative to launch an attack.

This cunning beast...

Du Pont cursed in his heart, then turned around, exposing his back to the opponent while swaying his body, imitating a certain celebrity as if he was having an epileptic seizure, frantically twisting his upper body.

I don't believe it, you can still hold back now?