Remy had witnessed with his own eyes how Matthew, using terrifying methods, killed two kobolds all by himself!
That was absolutely not the combat proficiency of an ordinary novice.
Now that Matthew was charging toward him, he had only one thought in his mind!
“Run!”
This thought exploded in Remy's mind, leaving no room for hesitation.
He completely abandoned his lackey, who was still locked in combat with Sierra. Without even daring to look back at Matthew's approaching figure, he spun on his heel and fled.
The lackey, who was doing his best to deal with Sierra, panicked when he saw his boss suddenly turn and flee. He subconsciously cried out, “Boss Remy? You—”
Before the words could fully leave his mouth, Matthew slipped into the fray like a ghost.
He didn't give the lackey any chance to speak. With his Finely Forged One-Handed Sword executing 【Basic Swordsmanship: Practiced】 with lethal precision, he delivered a swift upward slash. With a crisp clang, he accurately deflected the dagger from the lackey's hand.
Immediately after, the sword light spun with the momentum. Reflected in the lackey's terrified, wide-open eyes, a cold gleam swept across his throat.
“Ugh...” Clutching his spurting neck, the lackey stumbled and collapsed to the ground.
Without even glancing at the fallen enemy, Matthew didn't stop for a second, immediately giving chase in the direction Remy had fled.
He was incredibly fast. Under the full activation of his breathing technique, he closed the distance in just a few breaths.
Remy felt a bone-chilling cold at his back. Glancing back in panic, his eyes met Matthew's icy gaze.
He immediately fell to his knees, begging for mercy. “Spare me! Spare my life! I was wrong! I'll give you everything I have, just please let me go!”
Tears and snot streamed down Remy's face, his voice trembling and shrill with absolute terror.
As he begged, he scrambled frantically to untie the coin pouch at his waist, trying to buy a chance at survival with his wealth.
Matthew raised an eyebrow slightly, but without saying a word, he slit his throat with a single slash.
Not far away, Sierra watched Matthew clean up Remy so effortlessly, and the wheat-skinned girl's tense body finally relaxed completely.
Sierra looked at Matthew, her voice carrying a complex tone. “Matthew... you saved me again.”
Her gaze swept over the corpse of Remy's lackey on the ground and Remy's body not far away. Her admiration for Matthew deepened, and she could sense that his strength had made another leap forward.
Matthew scanned their surroundings. Noticing traces of freshly turned soil nearby, he asked, “What happened with Remy?”
Sierra took a deep breath to calm her emotions, pointing toward the newly dug pits and the scattered tools nearby. “Hal, Remy, Alec, and I were preparing to bury Rayson and Schefer's bodies.”
“While digging, Remy somehow found your venom sac. Greed took over, and he ambushed Hal...”
Matthew nodded helplessly. An unintentional action of his had almost gotten Sierra and Hal killed.
As for Rayson's body, burying it on the spot was indeed the most suitable choice.
The living had their own paths to walk.
Sierra let out a sigh of relief, but then suddenly remembered something. Looking around, she lowered her voice and asked, “Matthew... where is Brody? And Flynn? Didn't they return with you?”
Matthew's expression remained calm, as he had already prepared for this.
Following the consensus he had tacitly reached with Instructor Calm beforehand, he replied with his pre-prepared explanation: “Young Master Brody has already investigated the situation and confirmed there are no further threats. He said the mission is complete and took Flynn back to the county seat ahead of us. After all, he's a young noble master; he wouldn't stay in a place like this for long.”
Hearing this, a trace of anger appeared on Sierra's face. “And he calls himself a young master! He left without even settling the final payment!”
Matthew smiled awkwardly.
Although Sierra was somewhat dissatisfied with Brody's unannounced departure, now was clearly not the time to dwell on it.
She looked at the injured Hal and the corpses on the ground, asking somewhat helplessly, “What do we do now?”
Matthew didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked behind Sierra, where Instructor Calm was walking out of the woods with a backpack on his shoulders. His complexion looked slightly better than before, but he still carried a look of exhaustion.
“Instructor.”
Calm nodded. Sweeping his gaze across the scene and seeing the corpses of Remy and his lackey, along with the injured Hal, he understood what had happened.
He said in a deep voice, “We can't stay here long. Hal's injuries need to be treated, and we must leave the Shadow Forest as soon as possible.”
He walked over to Hal's side and squatted down to check the wound. “Fortunately, it's not fatal, but we need to stop the bleeding and bandage it quickly. Sierra, help me.”
Thus, everyone helped bandage Hal's wounds and buried Rayson.
After completing all of this, Calm carried the weak Hal on his back, while Matthew and Sierra gathered all their belongings, including any loot they could scavenge from Remy and his lackey, such as their coin pouches.
Without lingering any longer, they quickly made their way toward the edge of the Shadow Forest, heading in the direction of the village.
Their figures quickly vanished into the dense trees, leaving behind only a few mounds of freshly turned earth and a battlefield slowly being reclaimed by the dead silence of the forest.
...
...
Walking at the very front of the group, Matthew gripped his Finely Forged One-Handed Sword tightly, his eyes alertly scanning the shadows between the trees while his own steady heartbeat and breathing echoed in his ears.
His thoughts, however, had already drifted to the heavy harvest resting in his breast pocket and pack.
The harvest this time... is simply unbelievable.
A powerful, almost surreal sense of fulfillment welled up in his heart.
Compared to his financial straits and anxiety when they had first set out, his wealth and strength had now undergone an earth-shattering transformation.
With a thought, a transparent panel appeared before his eyes.
【Name: Matthew
Age: 15
Strength: 12.3 (+3.0), Agility: 8.6 (+3.0), Constitution: 12.3 (+3.0), Perception: 6, Spirit: 6
Equipment: Finely Forged One-Handed Sword (Green), Old Wooden Shortbow (White), Filthy Bone Chain (White)
Skills: 【Basic Swordsmanship: Practiced (1/500)】, 【Basic Archery: Basic (111/200)】, 【Vine Trap: Practiced (51/300)】, 【White Snake Breathing Technique: Novice (5/500)】 (+3)】
The values on the panel were extremely straightforward.
Matthew could clearly feel that his current self could easily take on at least two of his "former selves" from before his breakthrough!
This was by no means an exaggeration.
In this, while his physical fitness was certainly important, the decisive factor was still 【Basic Swordsmanship: Practiced】. The feeling of seizing the initiative and having his sword feel like an extension of his own arm in battle was something the numbers on the panel could not describe at all.
This was a qualitative leap in combat experience and technical mastery.
For instance, back on the hill, without the precise anticipation and highly efficient force-deflecting techniques provided by his "Practiced" swordsmanship, Matthew could never have "easily" blocked Flynn's furious strike as a half-step Silver Rank.
Feeling Flynn's terrifying power, Matthew couldn't help but develop a strong yearning to become a Class holder!
Once we get back to the village and settle everything, I must find an opportunity to ask Instructor Calm how to become a Class holder.
After all, strictly speaking, his current combat strength was entirely bestowed by the panel. Once he officially became a Class holder, perhaps his physical attributes would be enhanced even further.
Rate on N.U.
