Chapter 24: Five Seconds

"Thud!"

Heavy, blood-stained leather boots slammed into the soft, damp meadow, sending splatters of mud flying.

"Damn it... how could there be a professional here!"

The fierce-looking man with a crew cut gasped for air, his arms swinging back and forth like pendulums as the dense bushes on either side vanished behind him in a blur.

"I shouldn't have listened to that old man. This job nearly cost me my life!"

"Boss, what do we do now?"

Running alongside the fierce man was a sturdy-looking individual with a dull, vacant expression. Right now, however, his face was twisted with profound terror.

"What do we do? Are you blind to what we're doing right now? We run!"

"That kid’s background isn't simple. Valley Town... no, I doubt we can stay in any of the towns near Neum anymore."

*Hum—*

A high-speed arrow tore through the air, instantly burying itself in the mud beside the man’s foot. From the shadows of the woods not far behind, the terrifying sound of something moving at high speed echoed.

Both men jolted, their already frantic pace turning chaotic, as if they were being chased by some man-eating monster.

*Crunch!*

Grass and fallen leaves danced in the air. The fierce man felt the resistance of the annoying, omnipresent bushes vanish in an instant, and the sunlight, previously blocked by the canopy above, suddenly turned blindingly intense.

The view opened up.

A clearing!?

"Boss, it's an ambush!" the dull-witted man cried out in panic.

The fierce man looked ahead and saw a sharp-featured young man with black hair. Though he felt a vague sense of familiarity, he couldn't afford to dwell on it. Adrenaline surged, his vision blurred with golden sparks, and the intense emotion of teetering between life and death forced a split-second decision.

"Damn it, it's just one! Take him down! I'll drag someone to hell with me if I die!"

...

Xia Nan heard two sets of hurried footsteps approaching from the woods nearby. He stood up and turned around. Two disheveled men, covered in leaf fragments and grass, burst out instantly.

Time seemed to press the pause button. The pungent, fishy scent of fire-garlic vines filled his nostrils, and the "swish-swish" of swaying branches echoed in his ears.

His brain raced.

[0.1 seconds]

Upon seeing the two men, his first reaction was: *Run.*

The clearing that appeared out of nowhere in the dense forest, the deliberate and conspicuous placement of expensive plants, the lack of any abnormal findings during his search, and even the timing of his just-completed harvest—all told him these two had been lying in wait.

But he immediately realized that if he wanted to run, he would have to abandon his heavy backpack, filled with fire-garlic vines worth over thirty gold coins.

"Profit" and "Risk" acted like an invisible scale, adding weight to both sides of his mind.

[0.2 seconds]

*Is there a possibility of avoiding combat?*

*Verbal persuasion, or offering a portion of the profit?*

No, that wouldn't work. He was alone, and they were two. He had no leverage to negotiate until he demonstrated his strength. Besides, given their desperate demeanor, they were in no state to talk.

Therefore...

[0.3 seconds]

He felt the stiff resistance of his blade leaving its scabbard. The backpack he had cherished so much, worth dozens of gold, was discarded without a second thought.

A dark surge of battle intent took hold. Xia Nan had made his choice.

[0.5 seconds]

Xia Nan stood his ground as the two men quickly split to either side. *Planning a pincer attack?*

Reality is not a game. A sword slash doesn't just chip away at a health bar. Losing a limb means a lifetime of disability; being stabbed in the throat means death. Even with healing potions, they couldn't regrow limbs or raise the dead.

Xia Nan didn't know exactly what he was facing. He was simply letting his survival instincts drive him, his mind working at high speed to analyze the situation for the coming fight.

*Two fists cannot defeat four hands.* Since ancient times, those who could defend against and counter multiple attackers were masters of combat technique.

Even in the "supernatural" martial arts movies of his past life, the protagonist usually had to split the battlefield and take them out one by one.

In a flash, a battle plan formed. He would turn this 1v2 into two 1v1s.

[0.7 seconds]

His sharp gaze swept across them. The fierce-looking man on the left held an iron sword with focused intensity and swift movements—clearly a veteran. The man on the right, though sturdier, was half a beat slower, his face flushed and dull, dragging a heavy two-handed hammer.

*Target locked.*

[1 second]

He lifted the tip of his sword, the cold, smooth sensation of the hilt against his palm. Xia Nan took his first step.

Fighting two people, both armed with lethal weapons capable of killing him in one blow—he had to eliminate the first one as quickly as possible.

Three more steps. The distance to the dull-witted man closed instantly. The iron-gray blade flashed in his peripheral vision.

*Within range.*

He slammed his right foot into the mud.

"Whirlwind Slash!"

Power surged from the earth through his feet, gathering the strength of his entire body like a tidal wave, finally transferring to the hilt at his fingertips.

*Hum—*

The iron-gray, razor-sharp light carved a crescent arc through the air.

With the "Cleaver Expert" bonus (+5% slashing damage), the "Decapitator Longsword" bonus (+5% decapitation damage), and his strength stat boosted to "6", Xia Nan unleashed the fastest strike since he had transmigrated to this world.

*Squelch!*

The heavy iron hammer was only halfway raised when the dull man’s head spun off his shoulders.

[3.5 seconds]

Blinding blood sprayed from the empty neck like a fountain, splashing onto Xia Nan’s face. He felt no disgust, only the biting wind from behind.

No time to retract the sword!

Using the momentum of the "Whirlwind Slash," Xia Nan spun half a circle, bringing his blade back to block.

*Clang!*

Sparks flew! A silver-white blade slammed into his iron-gray longsword.

Two seconds were enough for the other enemy to close the distance.

*Thud.*

Behind him came the dull sound of a corpse hitting the ground. The four-foot sword he had painstakingly polished hours ago was now held horizontally across his chest, blocking the enemy's attack.

At this moment, he could clearly see the fierce man’s pupils trembling, his jaw clenched so tightly that his facial muscles were strained, and even tiny droplets of saliva at the corners of his mouth.

[4 seconds]

The force collided. Xia Nan was in a moment of rigidity, his previous strength spent. The opponent was clearly struggling as well, his arms numb from the clash.

The battle hit a momentary stalemate.

In this situation, the +1 Agility from the maxed-out "Whirlwind Slash" paid off. Xia Nan regained his balance first.

He delivered a fierce kick!

The man doubled over in pain, his grip on the sword weakening. Xia Nan retreated two steps, putting half a body's distance between them.

Then...

[Whirlwind Slash]

The iron-gray arc of light vanished in the air.

Mixed with red and white viscous fluid, a severed head with a smooth cross-section spun and fell.

Green leaves drifted lazily to the ground.

From the moment they appeared until the end of the fight: 5.25 seconds.

...

"Hoo... hoo..."

Xia Nan gasped, his undergarments soaked with sweat beneath his leather armor. Five seconds—barely the time for a deep breath—was enough for a skirmish to begin and end.

His heart pounded, his head swimming. The intense focus of the battle faded back into reality. He felt the high pressure of this fight was no less than his encounter with the hobgoblin. A slight deviation in judgment or movement would have meant disability or a fatal wound.

He was grateful for his predecessor's relentless training, which allowed him to max out [Whirlwind Slash] immediately after transmigrating, gaining rewards that elevated his strength to this level.

The thick smell of blood filled his chest. Standing there, looking at the two corpses, he felt a strange sensation. Who would have thought that ten days ago, he was just a miserable office worker who hadn't even killed a chicken? Now, he was a "hardened killer" capable of taking down two adventurers in a single breath.

Perhaps he really did have some "combat talent"?

*Drip.*

Warm, sticky blood dripped from the sword tip, staining the grass.

Xia Nan suddenly remembered something. He quickly raised his Decapitator Longsword, pulled a rag from his pocket to wipe off the blood, and inspected the blade—especially the spot that had blocked the enemy's strike.

He let out a sigh of relief. The 50% durability bonus from his stat panel was no joke. Even after sparking from the impact, there was only a barely perceptible scratch, which could be removed with a proper cleaning back in town.

"Phew, that's good."

Though he felt a pang of heartache, he accepted the result and began to loot the battlefield with a mix of disgust and delight.

"Hmm... these second-hand leathers only sell for half-price, and they're heavy, not high-quality. Carrying them would slow me down. Forget it."

"The iron sword is decent, well-maintained. With this hammer, maybe 15 gold?"

"Don't need food, I have enough. The compass doesn't take up space, I'll take it. Why are there two shovels here..."

"Huh?"

As he searched the bodies with a mix of revulsion and joy, Xia Nan’s brow twitched. He fished a bulging coin purse from the fierce man's waist.

He opened it and took a look.

"Tsk, tsk."

A golden glow.

"Heavier than the purse I got for the bounty at the guild. Probably at least 50 gold," Xia Nan muttered, weighing the pouch.

"Strange. Did these two carry their entire fortune on them?"

Of course, the corpses couldn't answer. Xia Nan didn't care about the details. After a thorough search to ensure nothing was missed, he hoisted his backpack full of fire-garlic vines and prepared to leave. He had learned from the "Smelly Fish and Rotten Shrimp" squad that the smell of blood attracted danger.

"One gathering mission, a small profit of 80 gold."

"At this rate, if I keep saving, I should be able to buy a decent set of medium armor soon. Leather is nice, but the defense is lacking."

Just as he was about to leave, rapid footsteps echoed from the direction the two men had come from.

Xia Nan’s heart skipped a beat.

"Are you kidding? More of them?"

He quickly made a decision. Having just fought a life-or-death battle, despite being uninjured, his arms were aching from using [Whirlwind Slash] twice. His combat effectiveness had dipped.

In this situation, he wasn't greedy enough to risk his life. If the situation looked bad, he would drop the backpack and the weapons and run. He already had the fifty gold coins from the corpses; even if he lost the fire-garlic, he wouldn't be at a loss.

At the same time, the figures approaching through the bushes appeared before him.

*Bang!*

Branches flew. A portly figure stumbled out of the brush. He noticed the clearing, ducked his head, and comically assumed a combat stance.

Following him were "Haian," a half-elf with a longbow looking vigilant, and a blonde girl whose face was pale with panic. Oh, and the "suspected professional" Wood, who always guarded the half-elf like a shadow.

Silvery-white hair fluttered in the wind. Haian gripped his bow, his other hand reaching back to his quiver, ready to fire at any moment. His silver-gray eyes narrowed against the glaring sun, sweeping across the clearing.

The next second, he saw the two cooling corpses.

His pupils dilated. He couldn't help but look at the only person left standing: Xia Nan, who was on high alert.

"You..."