Rhode bypassed the Skeleton Warrior, intent on taking out the two Skeleton Soldiers.
Suppressing the pain in his back, Rhode rushed to the Skeleton Soldier behind him and raised his sword in a heavy slash, cutting its head clean off.
The other Skeleton Soldier beside it tried to attack, but Rhode knocked its weapon aside with a swing of his sword. Then, with a reverse swing, he delivered another heavy slash and beheaded it.
Rhode was nearly exhausted. He had held nothing back against these four Skeleton Soldiers. To ensure he could kill each one with a single blow, he had used the skill [Heavy Slash] with every attack. Fortunately, the skill had not let him down. A strike to the weak point at the cervical vertebrae dealt enough damage to kill a Skeleton Soldier instantly.
Though the Skeleton Warrior was closing in from behind, Rhode still wanted to let out a triumphant roar. He knew that in this battle, he had seized the opportunity to win, because...
"40 experience points consumed. Remaining experience points: 0. Class Level increased to Militiaman Level 5..."
"1 Free Attribute Point gained. 1 Skill Point gained..."
Rhode quickly assigned his Free Attribute Point to Constitution to heal his back and restore his stamina. Then he used his Skill Point to learn Novice Eagle Eye.
(Novice Eagle Eye: Through extensive training, your dynamic vision has been enhanced. You can easily see every movement your opponent makes, the path of an arrow as it flies through the air, and the trail of a falling snowflake. You can even see your opponent's movements and gestures as they cast spells, and watch their lips move. There is a certain chance of learning a spell your opponent casts, and a small chance of learning a skill.)
Since learning an advanced skill from an intermediate one required two Skill Points, Rhode couldn't learn Advanced Swordsmanship directly. He had to settle for Novice Eagle Eye.
Eagle Eye greatly enhanced dynamic vision. Given how far his attributes lagged behind the Skeleton Warrior's, Rhode could only make up the difference with swordsmanship. The enhanced dynamic vision Eagle Eye provided was especially important, which was why he had learned Eagle Eye instead of Offense Technique.
Rhode turned and raised his weapon toward the Skeleton Warrior charging at him. In his eyes, the Skeleton Warrior's movements seemed to have slowed. Even though its overall speed hadn't changed, Rhode was confident he could dodge its attacks.
As he watched his opponent, he felt the tingling sensation of the wound on his back rapidly healing. For the first time since awakening in the tomb, Rhode felt his strength returning.
The Skeleton Warrior rushed up to him and swung its sword down with its right hand, the blade cutting through the air with a heavy whoosh. Its left hand held its shield firmly in front of its chest, leaving Rhode no chance to counterattack.
Rhode raised his sword to meet the Skeleton Warrior's slash. Their blades crossed with two dull clangs, and the two passed each other, ending up where the other had stood.
In that exchange, Rhode had first read the trajectory of the Skeleton Warrior's weapon and parried its slash at a clever angle. Though the tremendous force had left his arm numb, Rhode followed the parry with a heavy reverse slash at the Skeleton Warrior.
Unfortunately, the Skeleton Warrior's Iron Shield easily blocked Rhode's counterattack. His strike had failed to achieve the result he'd hoped for and had instead left several cracks in his sword.
I'm too passive... Rhode thought.
Compared to a Skeleton Soldier, the Skeleton Warrior had not only improved basic attributes but also carried an Iron Shield and wore Iron Armor. Attacks against anything but its vital points could hardly deal any meaningful damage.
The Skeleton Warrior turned and slashed at Rhode again. A cold glint flashed in Rhode's eyes. He waited for the right moment, dodged sideways, and darted toward the side where the Skeleton Warrior held its shield...
The Skeleton Warrior's sword cut through empty air. As it struggled to recover from the all-out swing, unable to attack again right away, Rhode struck from beside it, using [Burst] and [Heavy Slash] at the same time.
His target wasn't the Skeleton Warrior's cervical vertebrae. That was one of its few weak points, but its Iron Shield kept it firmly covered, and it would surely block any strike aimed there. Instead, Rhode aimed for the arm holding its sword as it recovered from its missed slash!
Rhode brought down a full-power blow, severing the Skeleton Warrior's sword arm. The bones clattered to the ground. The Soul Fire in its eye sockets flared wildly, proof of the damage Rhode had dealt.
At the same time, the Skeleton Warrior swung its shield arm at Rhode. With the Iron Shield hurtling toward him, Rhode had no time to dodge. He could only curl his arm inward as much as possible to protect his vital points and keep the impact from injuring his internal organs.
With a bang, Rhode flew backward. The Skeleton Warrior's strength was nearly twice his own, and he had no way to withstand that Shield Bash.
Rhode hit the ground and coughed up a mouthful of blood. He hurried to his feet to guard against a follow-up attack. Half his body felt numb, and his insides were in turmoil. He hadn't checked his status panel, but he knew the Skeleton Warrior had probably left him gravely injured.
After knocking Rhode away, the Skeleton Warrior dropped its shield with its remaining hand. Then it bent down and picked up its sword from the severed hand. This gave Rhode a moment to catch his breath and recover.
Fortunately, the Skeleton Warrior fought only on instinct as an Undead Creature, relying on its high attributes. If it had immediately chased Rhode with its shield and slammed him a few more times while he was down, the battle would probably have been over.
Once it had picked up its sword, the Skeleton Warrior continued attacking Rhode. Without its shield, it was much weaker. Though it still wore Iron Armor, it could no longer protect itself from Rhode's beheading strike.
Rhode spotted an opening in the Skeleton Warrior's attack. He dodged its powerful slash and struck its cervical vertebrae, successfully beheading it!
After killing the Skeleton Warrior, Rhode sat down on the spot. A battle where the slightest mistake could get him killed took a real toll, especially after that single blow from the Skeleton Warrior had nearly reduced him to a sliver of health. He finally understood how this differed from playing a game. In a game, he would have enjoyed a battle on the brink of death. This was no fun at all. If he had the choice, he would much rather use his high attributes to stomp monsters with low attributes.
As he thought this over, Rhode checked the system log, quickly skimming past the combat calculations to see what he had gained.
"You learned Novice Eagle Eye."
"..."
"Glorious victory! You gained 30 experience points!"
"Through intense combat, you learned the combat skill [Charge]."
"[Charge Lv. 1]: Costs 15 Stamina. Charge at full speed toward an enemy. Depending on your speed at the end of the charge, your damage increases by up to 20%."
"Eagle Eye feedback: By observing the Skeleton Warrior's fighting style and drawing on your own insights, you have learned how to use [Shield Bash]. You can spend 40 experience points to learn it."
"You obtained the Speed Achievement [Warrior's Heart]."
"[Warrior's Heart]: Kill 5 enemies with a combined attribute total higher than yours in a single battle without using magic. Base reward: Strength +1. When equipped, additional rewards: Strength +1, Speed +1, Constitution +1."
Rhode hadn't thought much of the system log at first. It was only when he reached the achievement rewards that excitement took hold. Now he felt the risk of being killed had been worth it.
When he noticed the words "Speed Achievement" before the achievement's name, a bright glint flashed in Rhode's eyes. He could no longer hold back his delight.
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