by Iliev, Neven
“Adagio Variation.”
Her body glowed with a soft, blue light that gradually faded away after a few seconds while Hilda took one of the blunted training swords from a nearby weapons stand.
“Right then, come at me,” the dwarf beckoned.
Jessie lunged forward with a vicious stab aimed directly at the dwarf’s unarmored face, but was avoided with a tilt of her head. The human clicked her tongue and stepped abruptly to the right while swinging her sword diagonally, but her blow was effortlessly deflected by the dwarf’s sword. She kept making sudden, deliberate movements as she tried to poke holes in Hilda’s guard. Despite her best effort, all of Jessie’s attacks were effortlessly dodged or parried. The dwarf struck back with speed that matched the human’s, which was surprising given her stature. Then again, Boxxy was sure the ‘old bat’ was holding back quite a bit. This wouldn’t be a very good demonstration if the one showing off was knocked out in one hit, after all.
However, Hilda’s attacks were still as sharp and deadly as Jessie’s. The Blade Dancer avoided them with minimal movements, either by stepping back or to the side. It seems she didn’t want to even try parrying or deflecting them with her weapon. This was probably a good idea since she’d likely be overpowered by her opponent’s brute strength. She also tried to use the gap between Hilda’s strikes to counter with a stab or slash, but those mostly just bounced harmlessly off of Hilda’s thick armor.
“C’mon, Jess, this can hardly be called a demonstration,” the dwarf called out in a bored tone. “Get a bit serious, will ye?”
No, she’s already serious, Boxxy noted internally. Seriously trying to kill you, that is.
Each and every one of the Blade Dancer’s attacks were aimed at vital areas such as the eyes, throat or the tiny gaps between Hilda’s armor plates. Unlike her opponent, she gave it her all and didn’t hold back in the slightest. Or at least, that’s how it appeared at first, but the Blade Dancer stopped her feet abruptly at those provocative words.
“Alright, you asked for it.”
It seems she was indeed holding herself back somewhat. Jessie lowered her stance into a far more relaxed one while drawing the second sword from her hip. It was a sabre, just like the first, only it seemed to be slightly shorter. She twisted her body around, positioning her left blade over her head and the right one parallel to her hip. She moved with such grace that it almost made her metal weapons seem like cloth ribbons.
“Presto Variation!”
Much like before, her body briefly glowed with a soft light. Only this time it was a green one. The exact effects of those Skills were unclear due to the weird words mixed in, but it was definitely a type of body strengthening technique.
“Dancing Swords!”
The next Skill she used caused transparent copies of her weapons to appear out of thin air. They floated around her unnaturally as if held by invisible strings, but were definitely guided by her will.
“Winterlich Waltz!”
At those two words, Jessie renewed her assault, but her movements were massively different from before. Rather than thrusts or short slashing motions, she made wide, grand swings as she twirled in and out of Hilda’s range. Her weapons left behind faint-blue trails as they swung through the air, and left a thin layer of frost whenever they collided with Hilda’s armor or training sword.
Her speed was noticeably higher, almost incomparable to before. It was at the level where Keira would normally see her as a blur that quite literally danced circles around her stationary opponent. Of course, the catgirl was anything but ‘normal’ and could easily track her movements, though she doubted whether she could move at those speeds. Even Hilda had trouble keeping up with them completely.
The Dancing Blades performed similar movements to their owner, forcing the dwarf to bring her large shield to bear in order to properly defend against the countless strikes coming at her from various angles. However, neither the floating blades nor the physical ones could get a clean hit on the veteran combatant. A few accurate swings of Hilda’s weapon quickly destroyed those flying annoyances, but it created a tiny opening for the Blade Dancer to launch her next attack.
“Blade Tornado!”
At Jesse’s words, both her blades abandoned their blue glow, and instead shone with the dull red light typical of most Martial Arts. The woman spun around on one leg like a human top, becoming a literal whirlwind of steel. Her attack let off a barrage of sparks and a chorus of screeches as her swords grinded against Hilda’s shield like a high-speed circular saw, though the dwarf didn’t seem to struggle in the slightest.
In fact, she found a gap and swung her sword down onto the spinning Jessie, who had to abandon her technique to dodge it by a hair’s breadth. The dwarf took a few more swings with her blade, but her opponent swayed gently like a blade of grass swaying against the wind. The unnatural movements seemed to ignore the way joints, momentum, and gravity normally worked and flowed into a sweeping strike at the sides of the dwarf’s knees. A nasty scraping noise rang out as her blade cut through the gap in Hilda’s armor, though it drew no blood.
“Flamenco de Fuego!”
Jessie switched strategy again, changing her movements’ rhythm and flow. She moved with rapid side-steps and made short, fast jabs and slashes at her opponent’s face and joints with blades coated with a thin layer of fire. She came at the dwarf from various angles, constantly shifting her position. She seemed to finally be pushing past the veteran’s iron-tight defenses.
“Rose Thorns!”
She overlapped whatever she was doing with another Martial Art. Her right hand launched a barrage of stabs, making it look like her blades had multiplied. A few of the thrusts successfully penetrated Hilda’s guard, scratching her cheek and singing her hair slightly. This did not sit well with the shorter fighter.
“Shield Bash!”
The dwarf surged forward while swinging her shield arm. The mass of metal slammed into the Blade Dancer, interrupting her performance by sending her flying several meters through the air. She landed on the hard-packed ground, rolled over twice and ceased movement altogether. Well, she was probably alive since her chest was moving up and down, but she wouldn’t be waking up anytime soon by the look of things.
“Phew,” Hilda exhaled before turning to face the blank-faced beastkin. “Well, there ye have it, kit- I mean, Keira. As ye can see, Blade Dancers are a melee-oriented Job that relies on swift movement and pinpoint strikes rather than brute force.”
The dwarf put away her training sword and patted down the singed and frosted parts of her gear before continuing.
“They also get some basic body reinforcement magic to use on themselves, and a number of other tricks to keep opponents on their toes. Those dances ye saw let them imbue their attack with various elemental effects. Well, they’re kinda weak since a Dancer’s INT is pretty low, but ye can still nail a monster’s Bane or damage someone through their armor.”
The dwarf glanced over to the still-unmoving Jessie and turned her attention back to Keira.
“Well, we got a bit of time before her Royal Twattiness wakes up, so I can answer any questions ye got fer me.”
“Are… Are you sure?” the redhead warily spoke up. “Shouldn’t we wait until she gets back up?”
“It’s fine,” the dwarf said dismissively. “I may not look it, but I know quite a bit about that prancing prat’s Job. She’s just here to give you the Job, I’ll be the one overseein’ yer actual training. Or at least as much as I can, what with the war business going on.”
“Oh. Then, uhm, what are Blade Dancers best at?”
“It depends on the individual, but generally speakin’ they’re at their strongest in one-on-one combat. They can deal with lots of small fries fairly easily, too. They can also use those stances—or ‘Variations’ as they’re called—to raise their speed even further, but their stamina and MP will disappear in a flash if they overdo it.”
“What about weaknesses?”
&nbs
p; Besides being grossly out-Leveled by a dwarf Ranker, of course.
“Being outnumbered by opponents of relatively equal strength is bad. I mean, that’s normally the case for everyone, but Blade Dancers have it extra-rough, and something they normally avoid at all costs. Fightin’ stuff with long-range attacks or heavy armor also puts ‘em at a significant disadvantage, but ye can probably handle all that with yer Ranger tricks.”
“So one Job covers the other’s weak points! I see, I see!”
Mobility and precision were a Ranger’s strong points, but it was a Job that was almost entirely focused on projectile-based weaponry. Bows, crossbows, slingshots, throwing knives—that sort of thing. By themselves, they were almost completely defenseless in close quarters combat. It went without saying they’d lose instantly if caught by a Warrior, Rogue, or any other melee specialist. Avoiding those types of Jobs was easier said than done, because they all had ways of closing the gap between them and their target. Lola, for example, could use a Skill that launched a harpoon-like projectile made with magic, which could be used to pull her and her target closer together if it hit.
In other words, ‘I will be fine if I don’t get hit’ was a foolish sentiment among adventurers and monsters alike. Therefore, having a melee-oriented Job that was highly compatible with a Ranger’s natural strengths made for a very attractive proposition. Blade Dancer was more or less perfect for Keira. In fact, it was actually better suited to her than Ranger given the shapeshifter’s experience with close-quarters combat. It might have even picked this Job for its alter ego in the first place if it had known about it at the time. Unfortunately, even Boxxy recognized the catgirl’s apparent build was ill-suited to being a Warrior, so it hadn’t even bothered to ask the Knights of Elena. There was no telling how long it would have remained ignorant to Blade Dancer’s existence if it hadn’t decided to ask Hilda for advice. As expected, the insight and knowledge of one who has lived a long time was a tasty resource to have.
There were still a few nagging thoughts regarding that Job, though.
“How come I’ve never seen a Blade Dancer around before?”
The monster was quite sure it would remember them if it came across them. Of course, trying to remember each and every person it killed was like counting the number of breaths it had taken, but it was sure a fighting style like Jessie’s would stand out in its memory.
“Dunno,” said Hilda with a shrug. “It’s not like it’s a weak Job or anythin’ like that, but it never really caught on ‘round these parts. Maybe it’s a culture thing or a race thing, but I just think that very few people around Azurvale have the natural aptitude fer it. Dwarves like me are right out. It’s pretty popular among yer kind to the far east, though. There’s a good chance yer compatibility with it is good.”
“Ah, so that’s how it was,” the redhead nodded.
“Anything else on yer mind?”
“Yeah. Was this spar really necessary?”
The dwarf obviously knew the ins and outs of the Job, and her words explained it much better than her actions. This entire demonstration was rather pointless in retrospect. It just seemed like harassment or bullying.
“Nah, not really,” the dwarf admitted. “It was mostly an excuse to smack that twat about a bit.”
“I… see…”
So, it was bullying after all. Boxxy quickly filed Hilda under its ‘Impressively Violent’ mental category and proceeded with its final decision.
“Then, I want to try being a Blade Dancer.”
“Good choice. Well, I think it’s a bit early fer yer second Job, but time isn’t a luxury we have right now, aye?”
“Well, technically it’s my third Job…”
“Huh?”
“Yeah, I got the Artificer Job like two weeks ago from a friend.”
“Ohhhh! So you’re that Merry Popper I’ve be hearin’ about!” Hilda joyfully exclaimed.
“Merry Popper?”
“Aye! The wee lass that blows shit up with a smile on her face! That’s you, ain’t it?!”
“…”
It would seem Keira had already gotten somewhat of a questionable reputation around the fort. It was an undeniable truth she spent a lot of her spare time making and testing various explosives with Fizzy’s help, but it was hardly worthy of such a nickname, was it?
“Actually, this is a good opportunity,” Hilda lowered her voice to a more conspiratorial tone. “Ye think ye and yer mate could hook me up with an exploding hammer?”
“I, err, what?”
“Ye know, just something that goes ‘boom’ when ye swing it just right, yeh?”
“Well, uh, that, I mean, it’s probably possible. But you’d get caught up in it too, you know?”
Even Boxxy was especially careful with bombs and grenades. Metal shrapnel had a habit of flying unpredictably far, not to mention it ricocheted off hard surfaces such as rocks and shields. It didn’t matter how high her Level was, not even Hilda would get away unscathed from a point-blank explosion like that.
“I know! That’s what makes it fun!”
For the briefest moment, Boxxy felt something that might be called a genuine pang of sympathy for Faehorn. Regardless of their species or motives, that elf still said some useful hints that Boxxy could genuinely learn from. It suddenly made sense why he never got along fully with this woman, despite being decades-long adventuring companions.
Well, none of that was really a reason to deny her. In fact, Keira had nothing to lose from getting on her good side.
“T-then, uhm, as long as you pay for the materials-”
“Nice one, lass!”
The dwarf cheered and heavily slapped the catgirl on the back.
[You have suffered minor blunt force trauma. HP -29.]
“Geh!”
“Oops, sorry ‘bout that! Got a bit too excited!”
‘A bit too excited’ she says, Boxxy internalized its discomfort. That strike was strong enough to turn most house pets and even some bottom-tier monsters into paste!
“Anyway, just send the list of stuff over to me later and I’ll take care of it!”
“S-sure thing, miss Hilda.”
“While we’re at it, think I can get a matching exploding helmet? You know, to give some real ‘Oomph!’ to my headbutts?”
It was at that moment that Boxxy escalated its internal classification of Hilda from ‘Impressively Violent’ to ‘Batshit Crazy.’
Part Four
A pack of gnolls were busy digging into a trio of deer carcasses, the result of a particularly successful hunt. The camp was shoddy at best. They had only cleared up enough space to lay their heads and make a firepit. They hadn’t put up any huts or tents, so the only thing separating their sleeping space from the rest of the forest was trampled-down grass and the faint scent of urine they used to mark their territory.
However, their lack of shelter was due to their relatively low intelligence. Although not quite on the level of enlightened races, gnolls were at the very least still smarter than goblins. Of course, they knew full well how to protect themselves from the elements. Otherwise their species would have long ago been wiped out by the harsh winters that plagued the lands of the elf-dominated Ishigar Republic. Although many monsters and animals hibernated during the frigid winter, gnolls remained active. They survived the numerous snowstorms and freezing temperatures by huddling up in small villages that consisted of burrows and wooden huts while subsiding on smoked meat and dried fruit.
Which was why anyone that knew enough about the beasts would wonder about this particular pack’s actions. Gnolls were not particularly big eaters, so the game they caught was more than enough to sate the hunger of the two-dozen individuals. Normally, they would eat only as much as necessary and then preserve the leftovers for the coming winter.
Yet, the canine humanoids gorged themselves frantically, showing no signs of stopping as meat, guts and bones were crunched and swallowed without any hesitation or thoughts as to their lo
ng-term survival. Although reading their snouted, hyena-like faces was impossible, one would still get the distinct impression that these things ate like there was no tomorrow. This hypothetical observer would be right, because in all likelihood, these individuals would not see another dawn.
An arrow flew silently out of the tree line, boring straight through one of the creatures’ skulls and pinning his corpse to his comrade’s shoulder. The injured gnoll let out a yelp in pain and shock as three more projectiles followed, reducing the total number of gnolls down to twenty in an instant. The biggest and burliest of them, who also had the best stolen gear of the lot, let out a howl and rallied the others. They all reached for their rusty spears, dulled swords, and crude clubs. Once armed, they huddled together in a tight circle while facing outward. They took long, deep breaths and patiently waited for Death to come and claim them, much like it had the rest of their tribe.
Originally, these gnolls had been part of a village. Theirs had been one of the bigger settlements in vicinity of Fort Yimin, although mostly because there was a good deal of distance between the two. The gnolls had long ago learned not to tread near the fortress, and instead expanded their territory in the opposite direction. As a result of their chief’s unnaturally wise decision, the tribe flourished, and their numbers doubled to about two hundred adults and thirty pups over the course of a few years.
That all changed two days ago, when that came. A sole female adventurer attacked their village head-on for seemingly no reason. Not that the creatures cared. Gnolls often attacked everything outside their own tribe on sight, and did not hesitate to mobilize against the intruder. They thought they would just crush the beastkin and turn her into jerky, but they had no idea as to the sheer terror that lie dormant in that small frame.
That killed over half of them within the first half hour. Fighters, farmers, children—it didn’t matter who or what, all were sliced up and devoured on the spot. Then, for some inexplicable reason, that disappeared into thin air as if it were a bad dream, right as that was skewering one of them on its sword. The surviving gnolls all gathered up and made a decision. They would abandon the settlement and move further north. That would definitely return to finish the job. Not one of the remaining gnolls believed otherwise. They took what food and weapons they could carry and ran off into the wilderness without a second thought.
