Chapter 29: Courage and Strategy
Chapter 29: Courage and Strategy
"As soon as we arrived at the Hidden Frontier, we encountered Ice Boars!"
"It's rare to have an opportunity to learn from an Awakened, but we keep running into these things."
"What kind of cursed fate is this?"
On the frozen river, Linsey sprinted ahead.
He chose not to step on the log bridge, not only because it would save time but also because the smooth surface of the log would likely cause him to slip and fall.
In this situation, it was crucial to conserve energy and not rely on luck.
As he stepped onto the frozen river, Linsey's feet slid out from under him.
However, he was prepared for this life-or-death sprint. With a burst of speed, he stabilized his body, using the smooth ice to accelerate and slide forward, gaining some distance.
At that moment, three Ice Boars emerged from the forest.
The Ice Boar that Linsey had provoked with his arrow was the most aggressive, charging forward without paying attention to its surroundings, and it too leaped onto the ice, following the only target in sight.
As it did, it stepped right where Linsey had just compressed the snow, making the ice even more slippery.
Unprepared for this, the Ice Boar slipped and fell.
"Ow!"
Linsey, ahead, heard the commotion.
This was his chance!
Without waiting for his inertia to subside, he boldly extended his left hand, using his shortbow to tap the ground, creating three support points to stabilize his balance and turn his body.
The Ice Boar's figure was in his sight, but Linsey's attention was on his weapon.
"Phew, it's fine."
He breathed a sigh of relief.
The weapon Dan had given him appeared ordinary, but it was sturdy, and no mishap had occurred.
"Now..."
Recalling the shooting techniques he had learned the day before, he followed his own skills.
Linsey held the middle of the bow with his left hand, his fingers and thumb gripping the bow's circumference, while his arm was fully extended.
Then, with his right hand, he drew the arrow perpendicular to the bow.
The tail of the arrow was positioned at the center of the bowstring, and he pulled the string back to his lips.
At this point, his eyes, the arrow, and the tail formed a straight line.
Aiming at the Ice Boar lying on the ground, Linsey released the arrow!
Thwack!
As expected, his beginner-level archery missed the mark again.
But Linsey remained unfazed, maintaining his breathing rhythm as best he could, and he drew another arrow from his quiver.
In the silence, he could almost hear his heartbeat.
As he inhaled, he drew the string, and as he exhaled, he released.
Twang!
The bowstring vibrated, and the arrow flew.
With the adjustment from the previous shot, Linsey's second arrow hit its target.
The Ice Boar, which had just struggled to its feet, was now impaled by the arrow in its stomach, writhing on the ice as blood stained the surrounding snow and ice red.
"Ow! Ow! Ow!"
Almost simultaneously, Linsey jumped backward.
In that instant of his leap, the other two Ice Boars shot Ice Spikes at his chest.
The opportunity to strike back was fleeting.
The Ice Spikes missed vital areas but still left two frozen bloodstains on Linsey's chest.
"Ouch!"
Intense pain surged through him, but Linsey dared not waste a second.
Using his hands and feet, he scrambled to his feet on the ice and then slid forward in a rushed escape.
It seemed like a successful strike.
But Linsey's mind was in chaos, and he even felt like time had slowed down.
Pain radiated from the wound on his chest.
He could sense a trace of freezing essence invading his body, but it was immediately blocked by his own life essence.
"Fifteen seconds."
"Two more left."
Linsey repeated the experience of his first encounter with the Ice Boars in the forest, counting the remaining two.
Then, his mind began to clear.
In this situation, the most important thing was to stay calm! Having dealt with one in a three-on-one situation, his chances of defeating the remaining two in a two-on-one fight were much higher.
Moreover, although these beasts were magical creatures capable of casting spells, they were essentially wild animals that had gained essence only this year and were unlikely to become smarter in a short time.
Injured and exhausted, he couldn't sustain a prolonged escape.
Linsey's gaze became determined.
After calming down, a plan formed in his mind.
Crossing the frozen river, Linsey sprinted north with purpose.
The two Ice Boars pursued him relentlessly.
"Linsi's stamina bar was also gradually depleting.
However, he didn't conserve his stamina, sprinting at an incredibly fast pace, he repeated his previous experience of being chased, his figure constantly darting between the trees, using the dense foliage as cover.
The two Ice Boars behind him, upon seeing this, became increasingly agitated and pursued him with greater urgency.
After a few minutes, Linsey suddenly came to a stop.
"This is the spot."
He checked his nearly depleted stamina bar, took a deep breath, drew the last two arrows from his quiver, nocked them, and fired.
Two 'whooshes' cut through the air, but his attacks missed again.
The Ice Boars, enraged, increased their speed further, and in response to Linsey's attack, two Ice Spikes shot out at this moment.
Linsey jumped forward just in time.
The next second—
"Ow!"
One of the Ice Boars let out a painful cry.
It had been caught by a snare trap set up here, the noose tightening around its neck, lifting it into mid-air, its four legs kicking frantically.
Between these two birch trees was where Linsey had bet everything.
It was also where Dan had set up the trap!
Hunters often reset traps after confirming their conditions.
And this snare, Linsey had watched as the female hunter set it up.
Between the two trees was a game trail, an area where animals were easily lured, naturally becoming the best spot for hunters to set up traps.
And under Linsey's deliberate provocation, the two Ice Boars, without a second thought, continued their relentless pursuit.
So, the one in front—
It was immediately caught by the snare, hanging in mid-air, struggling in pain.
"Now it's one-on-one!"
With one Ice Boar down, Linsey didn't hesitate. He turned around and charged at his last enemy.
At this moment, courage was the most important thing!
Moreover, these two Ice Boars had just attacked him with Ice Spikes, and their cooldown period was far from over. Right now, they were just beasts with some stamina left, and it would be hard to find such an opportunity again.
The outcome of this battle would be decided here!
Linsey threw his shortbow to the left with one hand while drawing his dagger with the other.
As the Ice Boar charged towards him, he mustered all his strength to grab the beast, and with his right hand, he stabbed it with the dagger.
The clash between the dagger and the Ice Boar lasted only an instant.
Linsey saw the Ice Boar pouncing towards him, its soft underbelly exposed, and his dagger's sharp tip extending forward.
And so, he swung the dagger upwards.
He stabbed the most vulnerable spot, piercing the beast's flesh and destroying its vital organs.
Pfft—
The dagger struck a critical point, and the Ice Boar didn't even struggle for a few moments before it lost its strength in Linsey's embrace.
Linsey's hand and dagger were both stained with fresh blood.
He quickly got up and delivered a few more stabs to the Ice Boar's head.
Then, he turned around and slashed the Ice Boar on the snare, cutting its throat.
As he watched the Ice Boar die before him, Linsey sat down on the snowy ground, finally relieved.
"Ah..."
At this moment, Linsey felt a sense of accomplishment that was hard to describe.
In the beginning, when he came to the Hidden Frontier, he was chased by an Ice Boar and could only flee in disarray. It was only with some luck that he found a chance to kill the beast.
But now, after just three days of training, combining various skills and information, he was able to defeat three enemies by himself.
This sense of accomplishment was indescribable.
Linsey panted heavily, then suddenly realized something and checked his attributes.
Danger brought unexpected gains.
After this life-and-death battle, his Basic Archery experience maxed out, upgrading from 'Beginner' to 'Mastered'. Even his Dagger Skills, used only once at the end, increased by a third.
In his basic attributes, Agility and Strength, though not as noticeable as skills, also increased by a quarter.
Battling between life and death indeed yielded more experience than simple practice.
Linsey couldn't help but think:
"It's quite a significant gain."
"But compared to facing such danger, I'd rather take it slow."
As he recovered his stamina, Linsey picked up his shortbow and arrows, enduring the pain in his chest, and staggered back to his original position.
Ju, who had suddenly encountered danger, was probably also quite shaken.
He couldn't afford to be late in returning.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
