Unlucky, Unlucky, Unlucky

Xia Lin felt like the unluckiest man alive.

Ever since he'd crawled into that damned sewer and risked his life fighting a bunch of overfed rats for a few clinking copper coins, he'd felt as though some invisible hand had grabbed fate by the scruff of his neck and dragged him along, step by step, into an even deeper mire.

Once he caught his breath, he swore that if he ever found out which blind bastard was plotting against him... he'd chop that bastard into pieces, burn them to ash, and stuff them up a Kobold's ass.

But for now, there was no point thinking about any of that useless crap.

Seven bloodthirsty Orcs, along with the Orc chieftain who had just slaughtered Kyle as easily as chopping vegetables, were closing in on him.

That bastard Shamir had run faster than a rabbit, leaving him here alone to die.

Xia Lin had no doubt that if the green-skinned monsters charged him all at once, he wouldn't even feel himself being turned into mincemeat before he was kicked straight out of this fucked-up world.

Time to fight!

"Hey! Big green guy!" Xia Lin wiped the blood and sweat from his face and shouted at Gorgash in Common. "Don't Orcs care about honor? How about you and me... one-on-one?!"

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" At his words, the Orcs behind Gorgash paused for a moment, then burst into deafening, vulgar laughter, sounding like half a dozen horny donkeys braying in unison.

"This little bug... wants to challenge the boss?"

"Who does he think he is?"

Gorgash raised a massive hand, clad in a crude iron knuckle-duster. It was bigger than Xia Lin's head. He casually pressed it downward, silencing his subordinates' pointless jeering.

He looked at Xia Lin with interest, cruelty gleaming in his eyes.

"One-on-one? Fine," he said with a grin. "Call it... after-dinner entertainment."

To him, this was nothing more than a game of cat and mouse. The human before him had killed quite a few of their people, but that was mostly thanks to Sneak Attack and nimble footwork. As for a head-on fight? He didn't take Xia Lin seriously at all.

An old Orc stepped forward with a feral grin. He looked well past his prime, his face crisscrossed with old scars and one eye blind. In his hand, he carried a battle axe with a chipped blade.

He reeked of blood and sweat, and every step he took carried an oppressive weight.

"I'll do it! I'll tear you apart!" the old Orc roared incoherently, spittle dripping from his Fang. Without a moment's hesitation, he charged at Xia Lin like a cannonball, swinging his battle axe.

The instant the old Orc's axe came whistling down, Xia Lin's feet slid like a ghost's, and the Ring of Swift Wind glimmered.

Xia Lin abruptly twisted to the side.

He dodged the mighty blow by a hair's breadth. The axe blade came down almost against the tip of his nose and smashed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Then he shifted his weight forward, pushed off with his right foot, and twisted his hips, channeling all his strength through his arm and into the tip of his sword!

The longsword in his hand became a venomous snake poised to strike, cutting through the air with a faint hiss.

Thwack!

The sword point slid in without the slightest resistance, piercing beneath the old Orc's arm where it was exposed as he raised it to attack. The blade sank in all the way to the hilt!

"Urgh..." The feral grin froze on the old Orc's face. Disbelief filled his one good eye. He looked down at the sword tip protruding from his chest and opened his mouth, but all that came out was a spurt of green blood mixed with bits of his innards. He crashed to the ground.

Clean and decisive! One strike, one kill!

"Cheater!"

"He used magic! That ring!"

The remaining Orcs erupted in an uproar. They raised their weapons and looked to their chieftain.

Xia Lin flicked the blood from his sword and deliberately pointed its tip at the corpse. A taunting smile crossed his face. "That's it? Is that all you Orcs can do? Who's next to come and die?"

"Enough!" Gorgash growled, stopping his eager subordinates.

His expression finally changed. The amusement and disdain were gone, replaced by a flicker of anger.

"Interesting..." Gorgash rolled his shoulders, his bones cracking loudly. "Little bug, you've made me angry. I'll deal with you myself."

He stepped forward, the makeshift plate armor on his body grinding with a dull rasp.

A pressure far greater than that of the Kobold God-Chosen washed over Xia Lin.

He could hardly breathe.

This guy had not only monstrous strength, but was also a true Warrior, seasoned in battle and skilled in combat!

The aura around him was nothing like the Kobold's, which was merely a shell with brute strength.

But this was also... his only chance. His last chance.

Xia Lin drew a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

As he watched Gorgash approach, he suddenly did something none of the Orcs could have expected.

He sheathed his sword and bowed deeply and solemnly to Gorgash.

It was the gesture a human Knight made before beginning an honorable duel.

Gorgash's massive body stopped abruptly. He stared, dumbfounded.

He looked at Xia Lin's posture, his expression turning strange.

"Some human custom?" Gorgash seemed to find it amusing. He chuckled and imitated Xia Lin, bending at the waist with an awkward, mocking air.

At the very instant Gorgash bowed his head and looked away from Xia Lin,

Xia Lin reached for his waist with his left hand, drew his light crossbow, and pulled the trigger almost at the same time.

Whoosh!

The bolt flew from the crossbow!

Thwack!!!

At point-blank range, into an unguarded weak spot.

The short bolt was like the vilest curse, driving deep into Gorgash's right eye socket, fully exposed as he bowed his head.

Gorgash's world was swallowed in an instant by dazzling white light and tearing pain.

He felt something... something sharp and cold... burrow deep into his skull, crush his eyeball, and churn the thoughts he prided himself on as Gorgash the Bonecrusher!

Warm, viscous fluid gushed wildly from his eye socket, smearing half his face.

He could even smell the heavy iron tang of his own blood.

"ROOOAAARRR—!!!!!!!!!!!"

A roar burst uncontrollably from deep in his throat, filled with pain and fury so immense that even he barely recognized it!

The sound was so loud that his own eardrums rang, and the entire battlefield fell silent!

A bug... a despicable little bug he hadn't even bothered to take seriously... had grievously wounded him with such a low, dishonorable trick?!

Humiliation! Unforgivable humiliation!

Pain was fuel, instantly igniting the most primal, most savage rage within him! Reason? Tactics? What were those?! All he wanted now was to tear the little bug who had dared to hurt and humiliate him apart in the most brutal way possible! Grind him into mincemeat!

The instant Gorgash clutched his eye and let out that earth-shaking roar!

Xia Lin leaped up and brought his sword down hard on Gorgash's head, which had been thrown back by the pain!

But Gorgash's battle instincts far surpassed Xia Lin's expectations.

Even in agony and fury, his massive body still reacted.

He didn't even look at Xia Lin's attack. Relying only on a beast's instinct, he swung his great axe with sudden force.

He wasn't blocking. He wasn't dodging. He was counterattacking in a mad attempt to destroy everything in front of him.

Xia Lin had no time to change course. He could only raise his longsword in front of himself on instinct!

CLANG—!!!

The great axe crashed down. The sword gave a shrill, burdened squeal and bent instantly!

The tremendous force surged down the blade, numbing both his arms in an instant and splitting his palms open.

The violent blow sent him flying.

Xia Lin traced an arc through the air, tumbled five or six meters, then slammed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Cough... cough, cough!" Xia Lin hacked violently. More bloody froth spilled from the corner of his mouth. His whole body felt as if every bone had come apart. His ears rang, his vision darkened in waves, and the world spun around him.

But he didn't pass out. The fierce pain lashed his nerves like a whip, keeping him conscious.

Using his badly bent and warped longsword to brace himself against the ground, he struggled to raise his upper body, swaying unsteadily.

His eyes, bloodshot from losing too much blood, fixed on the Orc chieftain charging toward him like an out-of-control war machine, blood and brain matter streaming from his ruined eye.

"ROAR!! I'LL KILL YOU!! YOU COWARDLY BUG!!"

Gorgash had completely lost his reason. He yanked the bolt from his eye socket and let blood and fluid gush from the hole. Pure madness and Killing Intent burned in his only remaining eye as he charged toward Xia Lin, who was struggling to get up. His heavy footsteps made the ground tremble.

No one noticed the little glass bottle lying empty on the ground where Xia Lin had bowed to Gorgash.

At some point, he had quietly drained the bottle of cheap strength potion.