This Is Bad

Maji seemed to have lost the ability to resist.

It was not because he had lost all heart and merely wished for a quick death.

Though he was indeed despairing, he had been an adventurer for so many years. His mental fortitude was not so weak.

The Hunter was currently locked in a rigid state, unable to move his body.

[Precise Strike] was an exclusive skill of the Ranger profession. Not only could it help its user precisely lock onto an enemy's weak points amid the complexities of battle, it could also slightly increase an arrow's damage.

As a combat skill, it naturally consumed no mana, but it still required a certain level of physical fitness to support it.

Under normal circumstances, with a profession user's physical qualities, such stamina consumption was extremely manageable and could not be considered a burden at all.

But for an ordinary person like Maji, who had yet to obtain a Profession Level and lacked the bonuses of a profession, the side effects of using [Precise Strike] were somewhat too severe—

After every use of the combat skill, he had to endure nearly fifteen seconds of extreme weakness.

In that state, let alone fighting, Maji needed someone to support him even to walk.

Therefore, in most situations, [Precise Strike] was his final trump card, one he could only reveal at the last possible moment.

Now, faced with a monster like a Bear Goblin, far beyond what their party could handle, the Hunter had chosen to coordinate with his companions from the very beginning and unleash his strongest move in order to seize the initiative.

There was nothing wrong with that.

But now, the arrow had missed under the influence of some unknown force. The plan had failed, he had lost his best opportunity, and the scales of victory naturally tipped toward the enemy.

Huff—

The Bear Goblin, Heng Ke, exhaled a puff of white vapor through its flared nostrils.

"You ruined Heng Ke's lucky day." It muttered, its muddy yellow-brown eyes reflecting the motionless, vulnerable body of the human before it. "Little bug, compensate Heng Ke."

A few months ago, its henchmen had raided a woman from somewhere.

Heng Ke had been hungry, and it particularly liked this food called "humans"—their flesh was tender and delicate, far tastier than the wild boars and spotted rabbits in the forest.

But having only recently separated from the tribe, it still remembered the teachings of the Priest in its clan, who was said to have lived for two hundred years.

"Keep the females to bear young. Eat them only after they bear young."

So it had kept watch in its nest all this time, drooling who knew how much.

Until today, when the woman had finally given birth.

Yet before it could even take a bite, it had encountered these little bugs.

"You must be punished. Heng Ke will..."

The Blood Scent filling the air rushed into its nostrils. The wonderful smell made it lick its dry lips.

As if it had realized something, a flash of delight suddenly appeared on Heng Ke's previously irritated face.

With that thought in mind, the Bear Goblin Heng Ke had already raised the Morningstar in its hand high overhead.

The muscles in its arms, as thick as an ordinary man's thighs, bulged. The spikes covering the hammerhead gave off a cold, ghostly gleam in the firelight.

It swung the Iron Hammer down at the little bug before it.

And at that very moment,

Buzz—

A sharp silver-white streak suddenly flashed through the dimly lit Cave.

[Whirlwind Slash]

The biting gale stung its skin, and Heng Ke felt an icy chill at the side of its neck.

Acting on instinct, it subconsciously twisted its body aside.

Its hand paused, and the Morningstar that had been aimed at Maji's vital spot shifted with it, striking his right calf instead.

"Ah!!!"

The fragile bones of a human leg were instantly shattered by the metal hammerhead. Together with his knee, his entire right leg twisted and deformed grotesquely.

Maji howled in agony, his pale face drenched in cold sweat.

But at this moment, no one on the field paid any attention to him anymore.

Xia Nan stared fixedly at the burly figure ahead, feeling a faint sense of regret.

As an ordinary person who had not even killed a chicken before yesterday, he felt that he had already done his utmost.

Within half a second of witnessing Ga Gu's head being smashed apart by the Bear Goblin, a series of thoughts had flashed through his mind:

He had realized that the opponent was too powerful to confront head-on. At the same time, after seeing its explosive strength, he understood that running was unrealistic and decided to launch a sneak attack before the enemy noticed his side.

Xia Nan had even patiently and precisely seized the brief instant when the Bear Goblin swung its hammer with force.

He simply had not expected that a monster from this fantasy world could exert force a second time.

It could evade his attack while swinging its Iron Hammer.

"This is bad..."

Xia Nan muttered.

The good news was that he had wounded it after all. He now knew that this inhuman existence was still flesh and blood—it had a health bar!

Moreover, his previous slash had not triggered the energy shield the Bear Goblin had displayed earlier. That meant it had likely entered some kind of cooldown, or perhaps melee attacks simply did not trigger it.

As for the bad news...

First, after unleashing a third [Whirlwind Slash] in such a short time, his body had reached its limit.

Even just gripping the Sword Hilt, he could feel the muscles in his forearm trembling, as though they would cramp up with the slightest exertion.

Second, although his previous slash had struck a vital point, the Bear Goblin's dodge had greatly reduced the severity of its injury.

Not only had he failed to effectively weaken the Bear Goblin's combat strength, he had also exposed himself to its sight and drawn its hatred.

Roar—

A bear's roar, filled with fury, suddenly erupted. Low and savage, it seemed to set off an invisible sound wave through the air.

Ambushed by a "little bug" and left with a bloody gash across its neck, Heng Ke instantly fell into a rage.

Watching the massive figure charge toward him like a tank of flesh and blood,

Xia Nan had no time to formulate any tactic.

Driven only by his survival instinct, he threw himself to the side, then rolled away in a miserable tumble.

Bang!!!

The black Morningstar slammed down viciously, grazing past his head. Spiderweb-like cracks spread across the ground.

The fierce wind carried splashing dirt that stung his cheeks.

Perhaps because he had already died once in his Previous Life, or perhaps because the surge of adrenaline in his body had made him ignore those negative emotions.

At that moment, Xia Nan felt not the slightest Terror in the face of the invincible opponent before him.

He sprang to his feet.

The Longsword in his hand swung toward the other's neck once more.