Chapter 21: Elyris’s Battle

The two figures had decent talent. While having talent itself wasn't that rare, having a decent one was.

"Here, stand up." Since the two individuals were young and seemed harmless, Lan Sol extended his hands to help them.

"He… Hel… p…" The girl's voice trailed off as she collapsed. Her consciousness faded.

The boy appeared to be struggling even to stand. He didn't speak and tried to wave his hands, but he struggled even to lift them.

From his status window, Lan Sol saw that he was mute. He was probably trying to signal something, but due to weakness, he couldn't even move his fingers properly.

"Elyris. Snaya." Lan Sol called the two women.

"Deal with them." He carried the girl and the boy in his arms and moved toward the tree.

From the same bush where the two appeared, five men dressed in black jumped out.

When they saw the group, the five men let out a chuckle.

"It's our best day. We found so many good rats." One man examined the villagers and snickered. "There seem to be some fine ladies here too." The leader leered at Elyris.

While the village women weren't all young, three of them had decent appearances and figures.

"..." Elyris and Snaya glared at the group of five and charged, not wasting a breath.

Clang!

Elyris's mace was blocked by a sword.

"Now now, ladies as beautiful as you shouldn't be so violent. I wouldn't want to damage your delicate skin. I'll take care of you all tonight." 

"Like hell you will!" Elyris, irritated by his words, kicked his stomach.

"Ah." He let out a soft groan as he was pushed a few meters back. "I didn't expect you to be this strong." Still, there was no change in his expression. "I like it."

The man charged ahead.

Suddenly, Elyris's body glowed.

Unnatural Rage boosted her stats significantly.

Snaya also gained a boost as she charged toward the four men.

Though the four men outnumbered Snaya, they weren't particularly powerful. While they were all Tier 2, they were still ordinary creatures.

Snaya, though only Tier 2 herself, had talent. The four didn't possess any decent talent, and their skills seemed quite useless.

Still, the four of them ganging up on her would be troublesome, but with Lan Sol's support, his buffs and long-range attacks would make a difference.

Lan Sol healed the boy's and girl's wounds. Their paleness faded as color gradually returned to their dull faces.

The boy was surprised but bowed his head in gratitude.

There was a mix of shock and exclamation in the air. All the villagers watched the battle with both worry and excitement.

The children, however, weren't worried. They were excited and cheered.

"Big sister, kick their asses!"

"Big sister! Big sister!"

The children didn't understand how dangerous the fight was. They just enjoyed the spectacle.

Gam and Gok didn't join the battle, staying behind to protect the villagers.

Clang! Clang!

Elyris and the man clashed fiercely. Her mace swung in wide arcs, creating feints, but the man was a veteran and easily intercepted her attacks.

Elyris was faster and stronger, but her technique fell short. Despite being a bit weaker, the man handled her attacks easily due to his superior experience and technique.

"Damn, this is frustrating," Elyris muttered, cracking her neck.

She stopped and took a deep breath.

The man did the same. "Seems like I really have to go all out." His body suddenly emitted a red aura.

Suddenly, his sword began to glow eerily. As he slashed his sword, a wave of sword energy shot out.

Elyris dodged, and the energy shot straight into a nearby tree. The tree was cleanly cut in half, falling to the ground behind them.

Fortunately, it was far from where the villagers were, or it could have been dangerous.

But as Elyris dodged, the man appeared before her in an instant.

Clang!

She barely managed to block his sword, but that was a feint. A sharp kick sent her flying back.

"Gah! Don't you have any shame, kicking a weak woman?" Elyris stood, a little shaken.

While the kick was strong, it didn't do much damage. And since she was in the forest, her talent bloomed.

[+10.5 HP]

She healed 10.5 HP every ten seconds. As long as she didn't take severe damage, she could easily recover from minor injuries.

"Here I go!" Elyris grinned, a bloodthirsty smile spreading across her face as she charged at the man.

"Now we're talking!" The man's delight was evident as his muscles swelled.

His speed and power increased.

Elyris's body glowed with a mix of red and green hues.

Her 100% movement speed was in full effect, along with a temporary increase in her stats.

A shield formed around her as she used her skills.

The ground shook with their clashes, shockwaves blowing leaves all around them. Strong winds gusted from their battle.

While the man attacked with great intensity, he was also cautious.

Slice!

Suddenly, his blade sliced through Elyris's shoulder.

At that moment, he dropped his guard slightly. Vines shot out of the ground and wrapped around his body.

"What?" Startled, he found himself bound by the vines.

Before he could gather strength to escape, Elyris grabbed his hands and attacked them.

With all her might, she struck the arms holding the sword.

"Aaarg! Wa-Wait!" The man cried in pain as his bones cracked. His arms limped, and the sudden pain caused him to forget about breaking free from the vines.

Elyris took the sword.

It was sharp and heavy. She gripped it with both hands.

"Wait! Wait! Wait! Don't, I'll do anything! Don't swing that at me! Let's talk! I surrender!" The man begged, panic evident in his voice.

But Elyris, her eyes bloodthirsty, swung the sword at his neck.

Clang!

Something collided with the sword, but she didn't care.

Clang! Clang! Crack!

After three strikes, the golden shield around the man's neck shattered.

"Nooo!"

Slice!

The sword cut into the man's neck, though it didn't behead him.

[-500 HP!]

[-500 HP!]

[-500 HP!]

Despite the man's tough defense, his skin didn't cut easily, but Elyris's strength and speed dealt critical damage with each strike. His 3000 HP quickly depleted.

"Haaa!" The man broke through the vines and tried to escape.

Elyris chased after him.

His skills must have been disabled, as he was slow and unable to fight back. Without weapons and with his limbs severely injured, he didn't stand a chance. Desperately, he tried to flee.

But Elyris was relentless. She caught up to him and stabbed his own sword into his stomach.

"Gah!" The sword didn't penetrate deeply, but it still caused damage.

[-200 HP]

[800/3000]

With only 800 HP remaining, the man tried to escape for his life, but it was hopeless. Elyris finished him off, beheading him.

She took his head and returned.

"Hah!" Elyris collapsed to the ground, exhaustion taking over.

[Your territory member: Elyris killed Adin (LV. 10 Tier 2 Elite) and gained 10,000 EXP!]

[Combatant Lan Sol received 5000 EXP.]