Chapter 101: Immovable Object
The three elves stood frozen in place as they watched Leonard’s duel with the Minotaur.
Remembering the last time they had fought side by side, Arabella got ready to act. She drew her bow and aimed at the monster’s back, ready to end its life.
However, she hesitated.
Intervening in the duel would count as teaming up and lower Leonard’s final score. After exhaling deeply, she lowered her bow, observing silently.
Leonard’s attention was fixed on the Minotaur. If he were to underestimate the monster, he would lose.
Roar!
With a roar, the Minotaur swung in a wide arc, the head of his axe aiming for Leonard’s throat.
Thanks to his Draconic Eyes, Leonard was prepared ahead of time. He ducked under the blow before unleashing Lightning Strike.
"Get him, Master!" Callum cheered from the sidelines. The little Griffin’s mouth began to water, eager to taste the monster.
The Minotaur avoided the strike, his eyes narrowing as he realized that Leonard outclassed him in axe-wielding skill.
To tilt the battle in his favor, the Minotaur changed tactics. He aimed for Leonard’s weapon, the heads of their axes locked together.
Then the monster yanked his axe away, taking Leonard’s weapon with it.
With a snort, the Minotaur punched. His powerful physique made him certain that he would overwhelm the human before him with sheer might!
Of course, there was no way for him to know that, besides the Viking Class, Leonard also possessed the Brawler Class!
Becoming more nimble with Light Footwork, he avoided the Minotaur’s fist. Then he retaliated with a punch of his own, striking the monster right in the abdomen.
The effects of Hand Combat Mastery caught his opponent off guard, sending a shockwave through the Minotaur and stunning him momentarily.
Enraged, the monster’s eyes shone red as it lashed out, hitting Leonard in the chest.
"Ugh!"
The strike hurt, but Shock Absorption lessened the impact just enough to make it manageable.
Leonard’s eyes darkened, far from being done. He recalled Titanic Oath back into his grip.
"!!!"
The Minotaur tried to turn his body to the side and dodge, but all efforts proved futile. Leonard slit the monster’s throat a second later, causing it to topple to the ground.
[You have defeated a Level 16 Minotaur!]
[You have gained 400 Experience!]
Level: 14 [Experience: 400/3,200]
He panted slightly, out of breath. He had intentionally not used his ranged attacks or relied on his summons, wanting to see how he would fare against the threat.
Happy that he had been able to go toe-to-toe with a creature two levels higher than him, he glanced at Callum.
"Bon appétit."
Callum squeaked in delight and pounced on the remains, starting to devour them.
Although Leonard could have teleported the corpse or stored it in his Dimensional Storage, he judged that satiating his familiar’s hunger was a priority. Besides, it was sure to help with his growth.
Lifting his gaze toward the incoming monster wave, he expected to be met with the arrival of fearsome monsters, only to find three elves instead.
’They’re together?’
He pondered inwardly for a second. Though once he noticed Arabella, it all made sense. She was a princess, after all. It would have been very strange if there hadn’t been anyone from her kin to ensure her safety.
The first to move was Plamen. He briefly observed the slain Minotaur and the erected wall before his eyes finally landed on Leonard.
"Did you do this? Where is the rest of your party?"
He gestured toward the wall that split the forest in two. Even the elves, who were native to the forest and wilderness, would have trouble constructing something so massive out of trees in such a short time frame.
"Yes, I did it." Leonard shrugged nonchalantly. "Though I’m not in a party. I work alone."
"?!"
Plamen was taken aback. The wide trunks in this forest were no joke. He couldn’t imagine a single human cutting down so many of them.
"Plamen, leave him alone. The monster wave is still on our tail." Izabella reminded him. "We needed time to recover."
The male elf merely nodded.
Arabella glanced at Leonard.
"I’m sorry, but we might have brought more monsters toward you than normal." She apologized, regretful to indirectly leading greater danger toward him.
For a moment, she considered proposing that they team up to deal with the threat, but Leonard didn’t seem upset. On the contrary, his mood seemed to brighten.
"Perfect. That’s what I’ve been waiting for."
Izabella gently pulled Arabella along.
"Princess, please leave this weirdo human and follow us!"
Arabella frowned, not liking the way Izabella was talking about Leonard. She made a mental note to warn her teammates about how they addressed strangers later.
Leonard watched the three elves leave as abruptly as they had arrived, only to soon hear heavy footsteps in front of him.
ROOOAR!
A horde of seven Minotaurs charged toward him and the wall behind him, eager to stomp him onto the ground.
[Mana: 900/1,200]
"At this rate, they’re going to blast through the walls... At least I have enough mana to go all out." He mused.
Without hesitation, he summoned Valor and Joker by his side. He also made sure to recall Callum back into his soul. The little familiar was still too weak, and getting hit even once by these monsters could spell his doom.
Valor dropped into a battle stance.
Joker’s misty form condensed into a replica of his master.
As for Leonard himself, he arched his body into a graceful throwing arc, a silver javelin appearing in his grasp.
[Dragon Slayer activated!]
He hurled the projectile straight ahead. The charging Minotaurs were unable to dodge in time.
One had its head impaled by the javelin and died on the spot.
[You have gained 400 Experience!]
Level: 14 [Experience: 800/3,200]
Their numbers were reduced from seven to six. By the end of this battle, Leonard was about to hit the required experience for reaching the next level!
He gripped Titanic Oath in one hand, while in the other, he summoned his silver double-headed axe, eager to bring maximum devastation.
"Valor, Joker, charge! Leave no one alive!"