Chapter 221 - Letting Off Steam 2

Beads of sweat fell from Oliver's face and into the ground.

The battle hasn't gone long for the number of unconscious people on the ground. Oliver was winning, sure, but the exerted effort wasn't anything small.

That said, though, Oliver had defeated a little over half of the entire army. It wasn't until he used up a lot of Mana from trying to defend himself did he feel tired. The exhaustion had caught up to him as his Mana reserved dwindled with each use.

'Maybe, I shouldn't have used the Black Whips.'

Thinking to himself, Oliver felt his movements become slightly sluggish. It was a subtle change, but Oliver knew his body more so than anyone else.

That said, Oliver wasn't about to give up just yet. And his opponents didn't falter either. Seeing the sweat form on Oliver's forehead was more than enough enticement to finish their challenge.

One after the other, the soldiers charged at Oliver no different than the others before them. They didn't seem to utilize any strategy that benefitted their numbers as Oliver took them down one at a time. With each swing, Oliver knocked a soldier out without discrimination.

'You know what,' Oliver psyched himself up, 'Let's just screw it.'

Oliver pulled [Dreadful Rending] and swapped out [Wolf's Fang] for [Devil's Laceration]. Then, he activated the Active Skill on the dagger Rynold had made for him, cloaking Oliver in a veil of darkness.

In doing so, Oliver suddenly felt a strange power well up inside of him, giving himself a second wind.

"Let's go."

Like the devil incarnate, Oliver dashed much faster than before. The passive buff to his Agility while being cloaked in darkness made him look terrifying and unstoppable. Oliver, naturally, took advantage of the sudden shock the soldiers felt.

In a strange feat of fury, Oliver proceeded to mow through the soldiers' numbers. There was no hesitation in his actions whatsoever as each strike was as swift and decisive as the last.

By the end, Oliver defeated the majority, leaving only a few of them left.

"Phew," Oliver wiped the sweat off his brow as the dark veil left his body. He had almost forgotten the exhilarating feeling of being so fast. "So, it's just you guys left, huh?"

Oliver couldn't remember their names, but he could remember their faces. One of which stood out among the rest. It was none other than the guy Oliver had humiliated the first day here.

"It's you again," Oliver pleasantly smiled, to which the soldier thought it to be hostile.

"Get ready," the soldier commanded the others with a few simple words. It was impressive how unified these soldiers were, even if Rynold had already beaten most of them.

"You know, I finally realized why I recognized you. I have to say it's a bit weird. Under any other circumstances, I wouldn't have remembered someone like you. But-"

Before Oliver could finish talking, a Fireball came his way. He dodged it without fail, of course, but Oliver didn't care for being interrupted like that.

"Can't you wait?"

Appearing behind the Caster who had fired the projectile at him, Oliver knocked the soldier out by hitting the back of his shortsword at the guy's head. It was crude, but it did the job regardless.

"As I was saying," Oliver played with the two shortswords in his hands as he spoke, giving off a threatening air around him. "Do you remember that day almost nine months ago now? When a bunch of strangers brought your significant other back to you?"

"What about it?"

"Nothing," Oliver dismissed as he couldn't tell if the guy figured it out or not. "Let's just get this over with, shall we?"

Instead of attacking first, Oliver waited for the group of remaining soldiers to formulate a plan first. The challenge was initially a training exercise, after all. And teamwork was also an aspect of it.

Standing in wait, Oliver looked to the side and saw Jack and the gnome talking. He couldn't really hear anything about what they were saying, but Oliver was somewhat glad that the two were getting along.

Bam!

In a split-second, when Oliver was distracted, one of the soldiers shot a low-tier Earth spell and managed to make contact with his chest. Oliver staggered as the projectile left a mark on his upper left chest. The attack was a good hit, he acknowledged, but Oliver didn't appreciate being caught off-guard like that.

Raising his head to match the eyes of his opponents, what Oliver saw surprised him.

"Interesting," Oliver smiled as he stood straight once more and nodded in acknowledgment of the soldiers' efforts. "So, an Earth-Attributed Caster paired with an Enchanter holding the spells in place, huh? That's impressive and all, but you used up all your Mana setting it up."

Suddenly, the soldier Oliver had talked to raised his hands and used a simple yet effective spell on Oliver. A ring of fire sprung from the ground in an instant and trapped Oliver within. Thus, leaving Oliver with no more room to move.

"I'm guessing you're the one who planned all of this?" Oliver said as he put his daggers back into his inventory and crossed his arms. "Gotta say, it's pretty smart of you to think of something like this. Who knew you actually had what it takes to be a lieutenant?"

"It's all thanks to you teaching us these past few days," the soldier responded with a tinge of mockery in his voice. "Although, for the record, I never really liked you."

"Don't worry, because I feel the same way about you," Oliver comfortably smiled as he waited, "Oh, yeah. Before I forget, whatever Elle means to you, make sure she knows it."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, really. A stranger's ramblings are all. Anyway, let's get this over with; we don't have all day."

As soon as Oliver said that, a black whip emerged from his arm. He then lashed the whip in a fury, destroying the ring of fire. Following this, Oliver casually walked to the side and watched.

"And boom."

Oliver watched as one rock after the other crashed down on where he once stood. It missed Oliver completely, that was certain, but he couldn't help but marvel at the sight of this clever combination of spells.

He didn't move on until the barrage of attacks stopped. Oliver then walked towards the only remaining soldier left standing, the one that had trapped Oliver not too long ago.

"That's good work," Oliver complimented the soldier as he walked past him. "After today, you'll be in charge. So. Good luck with that."

As much as Oliver wanted to tear the guy a new one, he knew it better not to. Instigating any conflict from here on out would've only caused him more trouble. He wanted to cut ties and disappear from these people's lives. Pissing them off would only do the opposite.

So, with that, Oliver made his way towards the wooden stage where Jack and the gnome were.

"I thought they got you."

"You're rooting for them?" Oliver asked, doubtful of Jack's strange remark.

"I mean, why wouldn't I root for them?" Jack smile, obviously teasing Oliver, "They're the underdogs. If people bet on the match, the payout would've been massive if they won."

"Yeah, yeah," Oliver dismissed Jack's mockery, "Anyway, let's get going. It's about time for us to leave this place and head to the city."

"You sure? You don't want to - I don't know - punch a baby in the face first before we go?"

"Dude," Oliver exhaled in disappointment, "I know you're trying to be funny, but now really isn't the time. We need to get going."

"I can't tell if you're serious or not," Jack stood up from his chair and walked off the stage.

"I am," Oliver's expression showed signs of his unwavering resolve, "We need to get to the city. The earlier, the better."

"Hey, it wasn't my idea to spend some time beating the crap out of these soldiers."

"You do know that I only did that to make sure this place is in good hands, right? The city can't afford any other attacks at this point. Better to make sure that they'd be proper soldiers than risk losing innocent lives."

Jack quickly looked around after Oliver spoke. He surveyed the open training grounds and narrowed his eyes in doubt. He watched as the soldiers recovered from their unconsciousness and soon looked back to Oliver.

"Really?" Jack doubted, "You seriously think these people are strong enough to fight off against any threats?"

"I- I mean," Oliver hesitated, "They're not on our level, that's for sure. But, at least, they're going to put up a better fight from now on. Whether they'd win or not, well, that's not really up to us now, is it?"

"Right," Jack unconvincingly added, "Well, whatever it is, it's not really our problem anymore. Good luck to them. They're going to need it."

That said, Oliver took the first step towards their would-be destination, only to stop and look back not two steps after.

"What are you waiting for?" Oliver asked.

"Me?" Jack cluelessly asked for confirmation.

"What? No. Although, I have no idea why you're just standing there. I'm asking the guy behind you."

"Oh," Jack turned his head back and faced the gnome, who seemed confused as to what was happening. "Let's get going, my gnome friend."

"I- Of course!"

With that settled, the three of them left to find the open road that led to the city. It didn't take long for them to look for it as there was an area in the camp filled with vehicles.

From there, Oliver found a logistical staff and explained the situation. It didn't take him very long to convince the staff member for a vehicle. Once Oliver told the guy to ask the general, the whole thing fell into place.

Oliver then threw the keys at Jack and told him to drive the vehicle. It was a military jeep, after all, fitting for an ex-soldier to drive. He then boarded the vehicle and called Strider to sit at the back with the gnome. And, with that, they were off.

The journey to the city was quiet and uneventful. Nothing interesting happened on the way, and there wasn't anything going on around them as they drove past different buildings. One thing was for sure, though, there were no signs of anybody there.

It's nothing strange, Oliver noted, as he knew something like this was bound to happen. The New World was brutal, after all. Oliver and the others had lucked out and gotten off with barely a scratch. The other people, however, weren't so lucky. Oliver understood that people died, making survival all the more difficult.

"So," Jack broke the silence, "You mind telling me what the guy said about our situation?"

"Hm?" Oliver looked away from the depressing environment and answered, "I don't really know what to tell you, man. There's nothing good about what the guy said."

"Oh. That bad, huh?" Jack acknowledged Oliver's response as he shifted gears. "I find it hard to believe, though. That Rynold would be in such a bad situation with no way out."

"That's the case if he knew what he was getting into, but this is different. Rynold would case out the possible scenarios in his head and establish the conditions for his survival. Going in blind to something unknown, though, wouldn't end well for him."

"Please," Jack scoffed as he disagreed, "I know the guy pretty well, too. Sure, he's a bit calculating at times. But you can't deny his instincts in every situation he's encountered. That's what made him survive this long. And I'm sure as hell that he's fine, you know, wherever he is."

"I guess you're right," Oliver reluctantly agreed and chuckled.

Staring out the window once more, Oliver saw the suburban buildings one after the other. His mind wandered as the car engine rumbled.

And, soon enough, they arrived.