Chapter 4: Whirling Slash

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Maji clearly remembered that afternoon a few days ago.

When he and Elki, along with others, arrived at the Adventurers’ Guild and searched the bulletin board in the hall for suitable quests.

There was that shy farm boy who had been led there by a guide.

Although the boy claimed to have mastered a "combat skill" of a profession, Maji hadn’t really taken it seriously.

He had seen too many reckless youths like Shan’an, whether in the mountain ranges along the kingdom’s borders or in the current River Valley town.

They immersed themselves in the heroic epics sung by bards, picked up a few moves from the village militia, and fancied themselves qualified to venture out as adventurers.

Then, harboring impractical fantasies, they recklessly plunged into the vast forests and dungeons across the continent.

Only to end up as nourishment for the plants in the soil.

“Combat skills” are one of the essential prerequisites for becoming a professional adventurer!

Even for an old hand like himself, who had roamed outside for years, he had only mastered a few moves at best. How could this greenhorn, who didn’t even understand how to plow a field properly, have gained such a skill just by spending some time on a few scraps of paper?

It must be known that even noble offspring born in the city had their families spend vast sums hiring professionals who had already mastered combat skills, training them from a young age, often supplemented with expensive medicines and equipment.

Only then could they barely achieve a professional rank.

Though Maji thought this in his heart at the time, his rich experience kept his expression neutral.

On the contrary, he warmly welcomed Shan’an to join their team as a temporary member, even splurging on a meal of gray squirrel fried rice at the neighboring White Sparrow Tavern.

After all, with the usual difficulty of their missions, the combat power of the three of them was already sufficient, but they needed someone capable of handling the dirty and exhausting tasks.

Besides, in case of sudden emergencies, even a novice unfamiliar with forest terrain could buy them some time to escape.

He just never expected…

“Whoosh!”

Maji suddenly released the bowstring; the wooden arrow vanished in an instant.

Along with the brief tingling sensation in his fingertips, a sharp, piercing scream echoed from the ground beneath the canopy.

In his mind, he replayed the fleeting glimpse of silver brightness just now in the forest.

That level of skill was undoubtedly a combat skill!

Could it be... that the boy had somehow stumbled upon incredible luck and actually managed to learn it?

Whatever the case, Shan’an had indeed mastered a combat skill.

Perhaps his role in the team should be reconsidered?

Drawing the bow, releasing the arrow.

Though his hands kept moving, Maji’s mind was already deep in thought.

“Elki is dead, and the team just happens to be short one capable fighter.”

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“Once this mission is over, I’ll bring this kid into the team.”

...

Breathing deeply,

Shan’an slowly exhaled.

His arm trembled slightly from exertion, the solid feel of the sword hilt pressing into his palm.

He recalled the sensation of instinctively unleashing the [Spinning Slash] just now.

It was hard to put into words.

After countless hours of practice over the years, this move had almost become second nature to him.

Charge, aim, swing.

Only when the piercing wails of goblins reached his ears did he realize that beneath his blade was not mere straw but living flesh.

Blood pooled and spread across the meadow, scattered limbs lay strewn about.

Shan’an felt a slight nausea, but since the gruesome scene was of goblins—though intelligent creatures, the vast difference in size and stature made it less visceral—he could barely tolerate the discomfort.

A roar—

The sounds of battle came from behind him, snapping him back from his reverie.

The fight was not over.

Though a newcomer, Shan’an showed no sign of retreat.

Perhaps that single sword stroke had dispersed the fear born from Elki’s death.

Without hesitation, he tightened his grip on the sword hilt and hurried to support Gakko’s position.

Roars, shrieks, arrows whistling through the air, blades piercing flesh...

The battle came suddenly and ended just as abruptly.

From start to finish, it lasted less than ten minutes before the forest returned to silence.

Only a thick metallic scent of blood lingered in the air.

The goblin ambush had been effective.

At the very outset of the fight, the “Rotten Fish and Shrimp” team had already lost a key fighter.

But then the goblins revealed their nature as low-tier monsters.

Facing the resistance of the remaining team members, they gradually fell into disarray.

Especially after Shan’an cleaved two goblins in half with a single strike, the tide collapsed and swung in favor of the team.

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Without the courage borne of group strength, the goblins, though still armed, saw their combat effectiveness plummet.

Gakko stood at the forefront, wielding a two-handed axe with fierce vigor; Shan’an moved along the battlefield’s flank, finishing off enemies and providing cover.

Occasionally, wooden arrows flew from the dense canopy overhead, though not perfectly accurate, each shot still served its purpose.

There were sixteen goblins in total.

Shan’an had taken down five, while Maji had slain six with his bow.

Gakko, covered in blood and looking fierce as a battlefield veteran, had cut down five goblins—the same number as Shan’an, who had just joined the team.

Cleaning the battlefield.

Following the example of the hunter Maji, Shan’an stepped on a goblin’s head and severed its left ear with his one-handed sword.

This was his trophy.

Though the act unsettled him somewhat, he reminded himself that the bounty for a single goblin ear was nearly four silver coins—almost the wage of a city laborer for two days.

His movements became unconsciously brisker and more forceful.

“Here, take itI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.