by Zhuang Bifan
This warrior was quite suitable. If Lin Li was not mistaken, he should be the strongest of the three; he had most likely broke through to level-10.
As for the weakest of the three, it turned out to be the most arrogant archer. This fellow was at most level-eight in strength. Lin Li couldn't understand why he could be so arrogant. Did he really think they were persimmons that could be pinched randomly?
"Oh." Sean nodded heavily; there was a faint gleam of excitement in his eyes as he looked toward the warrior.
He was equally curious about his current strength. When he was in Alanna, there was indeed a master who had guided him. However, the master's strength was so strong that no matter how rapidly Sean had progressed, the result did not change at all. The other party could easily defeat himself with a simple blow. The feeling was as easy as picking up a knife and fork while eating.
"You're going to fight us with just the two of you? How reckless…" The bold archer pursed his lips and sneered. He had no regard for these two guys from the start. That big guy had a decent strength, but so what? Sandro was a level-10 warrior. Even if the big guy was impressive, he couldn't be more impressive than Sandro, right?
As for the bullsh*t-ridden fellow, there was nothing to say about him. The crossbow he was carrying looked the part, but one could see clearly that the fellow was at most level-five or six in strength. Even he could easily shoot that fellow to death.
The bold archer was so confident that he hardly gave it a second thought, and fired his arrow directly. In his mind, the low-level warrior would at least be crippled even if he did not die by his arrow.
However, the arrow was just fired when he suddenly heard a gust of wind by his ear.
Although this fellow was arrogant, he was a real archer after all. He probably knew a lot better than others what this gust of wind meant. However, it was too late for him to dodge in haste. In an instant, there was only a crisp sound…
"Shoo!"
The bold archer felt a chill in his ear at first, followed by an excruciating pain. He touched it with his hand, and there was nothing else but blood…
… Where was the ear?
"Ah—" A scream rang out among the trees—so forlorn that even the withered leaves seemed to be shivering.
Almost at the same time, Sean raised his huge sword with both hands, and with a powerful chop, he greeted Sandro, who was also a level-10 warrior. The confrontation between level-10 warriors was much better to watch than that on the other side. In a moment, the two weapons fired brilliant sparks upon contact.
Chapter 180 - Sean's Improvement
There were no changes to Sean's battling style. But it was that barbaric fighting method that gave off such a terrifying impact under the influence of the green-colored combat energy. In a single exchange, Sean struck Sandro heavily with strength like that of a magical beast.
Sandro was experienced as well. Once he noticed that he could not win against his opponent with strength, he started to tussle with Sean. To him, his opponent would not be as agile as himself. Furthermore, that great sword of his would put Sean at a disadvantage as it was better at attacking, and not defending.
If he could secure one opportunity, Sandro had confidence to defeat his opponent.
To be honest, that was indeed a valid strategy.
If it had been a month ago, Sandro would have had an advantage over Sean. That was when Sean was also strong, but extremely poor in his battling techniques. Not to mention a level-10 warrior, even if it was Sean's previous opponent, the leader of the bandits, Sean would be facing dire consequences because of the battle if not for Lin Li's two bottles of potion…
But Sean was not the rookie that only had a shocking strength anymore.
The one month in Alanna transformed Sean entirely. It was as though he was a brand-new man.
Green-colored combat energy circled, and the speed Sean displayed was not slower than Sandro's. The heavy double-edged sword in his hands became very quick and agile, and there was zero delay in its movements. No matter what Sandro did, he could gain no advantage in the duel.
While the two level-10 warriors were caught in a deadlock, the level-five warrior on the other side ended his battle almost instantly.
That fella was rather boring…
As a level-13 Magic Shooter, no energy was needed in getting rid of two low-level archers. However, he did not feel like doing so. Instead, he took the crossbow and moved backwards while he fought them, leading them to the vein of the Abyss Fiendish Iron…
"Goodbye, you two."
It could only be said that the two fellas were really unlucky.
"POM!"
Before they could understand the situation, they were shocked by a loud sound ringing in their ears like an explosion. What followed right after that was soil particles that rose from the ground.
Among the dark-red soil particles in the air, there were numerous ore fragments of different sizes. The big ones were of the size of a human head, while the small ones were the size of a fist. They exploded in mid-air like cannonballs.
This was the ore of the Abyss Fiendish Iron—the heaviest magical metal. At the moment it flew off, even warriors above level-10 would be bombed into fools on the spot, not to mention the two low-level archers.
Fortunately, Lin Li did not intend to kill them. He merely triggered one Air Bomb scroll.
Yet, even if there was only a single scroll, it was enough to create a large destruction for the duo. The feeling when the ore hit them mirrored that of big cannons's barrage. After a few "POM!"s, the duo could be seen unconscious on the ground.
"Do you know it now? This is called Abyss Fiendish Iron, and it's very heavy…" Lin Li said as he rubbed his tired elbows. He found a place nearby to sit down and observe the battle of the two other people.
At this time, Sean had already gained the upper hand.
The heavy double-edged sword in Sean's hands moved like a pinwheel, and the force of its chops seemed to get larger and larger. Although Sandro was also a level-10 warrior, he was nothing compared to Sean in terms of strength. As the battle progressed, Sean seemed more and more confident, while Sandro tired and breathless.
Is this guy a human? The fight was becoming more intimidating for Sandro as he fought. Although Sean had human skin, his strength was scarier than a beast's. Every time Sandro used his weapon to defend himself from the great sword, he could hear a groan of pain coming from his weapon.
His decent single-handed sword that was made of refined iron almost became a scrap of metal in one battle. The torn blade could already be used as a saw, while the sword was so badly distorted that it looked like a crawling earthworm.
"F*ck, I'm too unlucky…" Sandro could not help but curse quietly. The results of the battle did not matter anymore. His exorbitantly expensive weapon's loss was enough to cause him to grieve for a few days.
The advantageous position Sean had was enough to let him emerge as the victor in the next minute.
It appeared that the hard work Sean put into training in that half a month paid off. His ability was at the peak of level-10, and he definitely had a lot of room for improvement. At the start of the fight, he was still in a deadlock with that warrior, yet as time passed, the disadvantage of the warrior became more obvious.
It was not that the skills of the warrior deteriorated, but that those of Sean improved.
Battles were indeed the best way to improve one's skills. It only took one battle for Sean to reap tremendous benefits.
Lin Li could clearly sense that as the time Sean spent in battles grew, his combat skills became increasingly sophisticated. Sean was not as barbaric with his movements as before. He became more aware of how to best allocate his strength to defeat the warrior during the battle.
"This boy's improving really quickly…" Lin Li commented sincerely under his breath.
Indeed, Sean was only at level-five when he left Jarrosus. Then, he developed his personal combat energy in less than two months.
This improvement was faster than the speed of a rocket…
Yet there was one thing Lin Li had forgotten.
The rate of his own improvement… was much faster than Sean's.
When he'd just entered this world, he could not even unleash a single low-level Illuminating Spell. If not for Andoine, he would have been eaten up by a low-level magical beast. Yet, only a few months had passed by, and he was already at level-13. He was also able to surpass the ability of archmages in the blink of an eye. Such a crazy improvement speed was absolutely freakier than Sean's…
As Lin Li gasped in bewilderment, the battle also came to an end.
With the Abyss Fiendish Iron integrated into Sean's great sword, it was moving gracefully like a pinwheel in his hand. The green-colored combat energy circling on the surface of its blade carried a rough sound. Sandro became a minor character under the fierce attack. How could a single-handed sword be able to fend off Sean who had unleashed his entire might?
At that point of time, Sandro was already on the brink of death. Every attack that he managed to dodge was avoided only with the help of his experience and his luck.
Lin Li was certain that the level-10 warrior would fall under Sean's sword in less than a minute.
"What a waste…" Lin Li sighed, and shook his head. He moved his gaze away from the two men, and focused it on the ore on the ground.
Because of the outsiders, Lin Li did not dare to use the Ring of Endless Storm. He could only gather those fragments together, and wait for Sean to get rid of Sandro.
However, he suddenly heard the sound of footsteps.
This time, they were no small fries, but a bunch of people.
Lin Li could not help but feel nervous for a second. When he wanted to get his mana ready, he realized that he knew their leader.
That person was Aragon. It was him who launched the surprise attack on Rode at Blackhills Town the day before.
"Mr. Felic, why are you here?" Aragon was dumbfounded when he stepped out of the forest.
Wasn't the man rubbing his elbow on that pile of rocks his savior two days ago? Yes, and his beast-like partner…
Aragon looked at Sean while he drew in a cold breath.
Although he was not aware of Sean's ability, he knew the man Sean was fighting. He was Sandro, a true level-10 warrior. Judging from his capacity, he would not be able to defeat Sandro. However, seeing how the beast-like youth forced that level-10 warrior onto the brink of death, Aragon was glad that he was there. If he were to be late, Sandro was really going to die under his opponent's sword.
Aragon was shocked by what he saw. It was rare to see level-10 warriors, especially youths who had a natural advantage over others. Their future success would be unlimited.
Frankly speaking, Aragon did not put the two men in his eyes at the start. Although they saved his and Serena's life, apart from being grateful, they were also filled with admiration. The only thing that could cause adventurers to have respect for someone was true ability.
Intelligent people could tell that the scariest thing that happened in Blackhills Town was that crossbow. Aragon dared to bet with his life that there was huge Divine Power within that weapon. Otherwise, it would not have passed through the Skeletal Wall and killed Thuzadin instantaneously.
Apart from his outfit, it would be hard for Aragon to admire a level-5 warrior.
However, it appeared that the two people did not simply only own a set of efficient equipment and good luck…
"Oh, it's Aragon. Why are you here?" Seeing that it was someone familiar, Lin Li secretly dispersed the mana he'd gathered previously, and put on a smile on his face.
Witnessing the battle between Sean and Sandro, Aragon's tone became extremely respectful towards Lin Li. He replied, "Leader Serena ordered us to run some errands. Then, we heard the sounds of fighting from the forest, and decided to take a look. Who knew it was you two…"
"Hehe, we met some trouble. But it's alright, we're settling it very soon."
"Erm, Mr. Felic, could you let them stop their battle for a while?" Aragon seemed unsettled as he glanced at the fight in the distance.
"What, you know that fella?" Lin Li asked as he observed Aragon's expression. He could guess what was in Aragon's mind.
Chapter 181 - High-rank Miner
"Yes, they're all from the Bloody Horns."
"The Bloody Horns? Are they one of the mercenary corps on this mission?" Lin Li asked as he recalled how Hank had told him of the six mercenary corps that were on the mission to visit the Fire Plume Ridge—one of them was called Bloody Horns.
"Yes…"
Aragon hesitated. Honestly, he should be supporting Lin Li. Since he'd saved him in Blackhills Town, it was only natural to express gratitude to him over and over again. Furthermore, apart from meeting their leader a few times, his relationship with the Bloody Horns was not close.
The problem was…
This matter concerned the cooperation between the six mercenary corps. It was alright to get rid of a few fellas here and there, but if the matter were to leak out, and people knew that it was Silver Hand's guests who took their lives, the relationship between the two mercenary corps would be affected. Previously, it would not have any implications, for with the Silver Hand's ability, they would not need to be threatened by the Bloody Horns.
However, it was not the case now. If they were to kill him, the Silver Hand's situation would be very awkward. Although the six mercenary corps agreed to embark on this mission together, they did not have any commendable relationship with each other at all. Under the temptation of benefits, their problem of self-interest was more prominent than before.
"Alright," replied Lin Li.
How would he not understand the importance? Lin Li nodded at Aragon, and shouted to Sean in the distance, "Sean, don't be too harsh!"
"Alright, Mr. Felic." Sean was indeed a monster. While he was striking and slashing with his great sword, he could still find time to reply to Lin Li.
"Let me help Captain Serena thank you." Aragon could finally feel relieved. Everything would be good as long as no lives were taken. As for how harshly Sean dealt with the man, Aragon would not be able to interfere with it.
In reality, even if Sean did not wish to kill, Aragon had the intention to teach Sandro a lesson the hard way. How could that fella dare to offend the noble guests of the Silver Hand? Did they think that the Silver Hand was afraid of them?
While Aragon was thinking of how to explain it to the leader of Bloody Horns, he shifted his gaze from Sandro to the ore on the ground…
Then, he froze.
That pile of ore seemed extremely ordinary. There was nothing special about it apart from the dark-red elements. Any normal person would have thought them to be the usual rocks out there.
Aragon, however, was different. His father was an old miner who had mined for decades. Furthermore, before he joined the Silver Hand, he had experience mining too. It was all the same for low-level adventurers; apart from hunting magical beasts, they would take up part-time jobs. Sean, who used to harvest herbs to earn enough money to upgrade his equipment, was a good example.
Yet Aragon was not in the mining industry long enough, as he got hired by the Silver Hand after half a year. With his little knowledge on minerals, he could not tell what type of ore it was.
But there was one thing Aragon was certain about: the ore strewn over the ground was definitely a type of magical metal!
"Oh my God…" Aragon's face turned pale. His gaze towards Lin Li was filled with bewilderment.
People who could harvest magical metals were rare. They not only needed to be learned regarding minerals, but also be proficient in their knowledge of magic.
Magical metals were immensely fragile. It would only take a trivial mistake to damage the entire mineral vein. Hence, only people who already reached the higher tier of mastery would have such a skill…
Aragon had never expected that that man who appeared to be a level-5 warrior would be a
n Expert Miner!
"Mr. Felic, did you harvest this ore?" Aragon inquired, feeling that his throat became a little dry.
Lin Li smiled. He knew what Aragon wanted to know, but there was no need to hide such matters. He nodded honestly, and said, "Yes…"
Aragon was completely stunned…
He glanced at Lin Li, then at Sean, and planned to inform Captain Serena of it when he returned…
He was a rare Expert Miner, after all!
At the same time, the battle ended on the other side.
Sean knocked Sandro's weapon away out of his grip in a single strike, pointing his double-edged sword at Sandro's neck. He did so because Lin Li reminded him not to be too harsh on that enemy or else a little more strength was all he needed to cut off Sandro's head.
"Aragon, I'm handing this man to you," said Lin Li with a smile. He also pointed to the two unconscious archers on the ground. "You should bring those two fellas away too."
"Thank you, Mr. Felic." The series of surprises made Aragon more cautious of Lin Li, and much respectful as well. After thanking him politely, he ordered his men, "Tie them up and send them back to our camp first. Then, request for the leader of the Bloody Horns to come personally for them."
"Yes!" A few archers took out ropes from their backpack, and started to tie the three men up.
"Mr. Felic, I'll be returning to the camp now. I swear that these fellas would be heavily dealt with!" Seeing that everything was ready, Aragon bid goodbye to Lin Li.
"Goodbye. As for these people, a little punishment will do since I wasn't really affected by them."
"Goodbye."
Although Sandro was a level-10 warrior, he was tied up like a rice dumpling. No matter how he struggled, he could not break free from the ropes which were the thickness of a thumb. While they walked, Aragon became gloomier and gloomier as he thought of what'd just happened. He slapped Sandro's head, and scolded, "You're really tired of life, eh? How could you offend the guests of the Silver Hand? I'm going to make your captain punish you further when you get back…"