Chapter 4: Whirlwind Slash

Maji clearly remembered that afternoon a few days ago.

When he and Erji and the others went to the Adventurer’s Guild, looking for suitable missions on the bulletin board in the hall, a shy farm boy was brought over by the guide.

Although the boy claimed to have mastered a professional “combat technique,” Maji didn’t take it too seriously.

He’d seen too many greenhorns like Xia Nan, whether in the mountain ranges on the kingdom’s border or here in River Valley Town.

Fancying themselves as heroes from the epic tales sung by bards, they’d learn a few moves from the village militia and think they were qualified to go adventuring.

Then, chasing unrealistic dreams, they’d dive headfirst into the continent’s forests and dungeons.

Only to end up as fertilizer nourishing the plants in the soil.

“Combat technique”—that was one of the essential requirements for becoming a professional!

Even for an “old hand” like himself, who’d been wandering the world for years, he’d only managed to learn a move or two. How could a kid who couldn’t even plow a field properly master one just by spending some time with a few scraps of paper?

Even the noble children born in the city, whose families spent fortunes hiring professionals who’d already mastered combat techniques to train them from childhood, supplemented with expensive herbs and equipment, only barely managed to achieve a professional rank.

Though Maji thought this way, his wealth of experience kept it from showing on his face.

On the contrary, he warmly welcomed Xia Nan, who joined the team as a temporary member, and even splurged to treat him to a plate of gray rat meat fried rice at the White Sparrow Tavern next door.

After all, for the level of missions their team usually took, the three of them were already strong enough, but they still needed someone to handle the dirty, exhausting work.

And in case of emergencies, a rookie unfamiliar with forest terrain could, to some extent, buy them time to escape.

But he never expected…

“Swish!”

Maji released his grip, and the wooden arrow vanished from the bowstring in an instant.

With a brief numbness in his fingertips, a shrill scream rang out from the ground below the canopy.

His mind replayed that fleeting silver flash in the forest.

That level of skill was definitely a combat technique!

Could it be… this kid really got lucky and managed to train one?

Regardless, Xia Nan had genuinely mastered a “combat technique.”

Perhaps it was time to reconsider his role in the team?

Draw the bow, release the arrow.

Maji’s hands never stopped moving, but his mind was already scheming.

“With Erji dead, the team’s short one immediate combatant.”

“After this mission’s over, I’ll bring this kid into the team.”

…

…

My chest heaved.

I slowly exhaled a long breath.

My arm trembled slightly from overexertion, the hilt’s solid texture grounding my palm.

I recalled the instinctive use of [Whirlwind Slash] just moments ago.

It was hard to describe.

Countless practice sessions over the years had made this move second nature.

Gather strength, aim, swing the sword.

It wasn’t until the goblins’ shrill wails reached my ears that I realized this time, the blade had cut not straw but real flesh and blood.

Blood pooled, spreading across the meadow, scattered limbs littering the ground.

I felt a slight urge to vomit, but since the gruesome scene came from goblins—sentient beings, yes, but far too different in height and build—

the sense of familiarity wasn’t strong, so the discomfort in my stomach was bearable.

Roar—

The sounds of combat from behind snapped me back to reality.

The battle wasn’t over yet.

Though I was a newbie, I had no intention of backing down.

Perhaps that single slash had dispelled the fear caused by Erji’s death.

Without overthinking, I tightened my grip on the sword hilt and hurried to support Gagu.

Roars, shrieks, arrows slicing through the air, blades piercing flesh…

The battle came suddenly and ended just as quickly.

In less than ten minutes, the forest returned to silence.

Only the heavy stench of blood lingered in the air.

The goblins’ ambush had been remarkably effective.

In the very first moment of the fight, they successfully reduced the Rotten Fish and Shrimp team, taking out a key combatant.

But afterward, they revealed their true nature as bottom-tier creatures.

Facing resistance from the rest of the team, they gradually fell into a disadvantage.

Especially after I cleaved two goblins in half with a single strike, the tide turned decisively in our favor.

Without the courage bolstered by “group action,” the goblins, though still armed, saw their combat strength plummet.

Gagu held the front line, his double-handed axe swinging with fierce momentum; I roamed the battlefield’s flanks, finishing off enemies for my teammates; arrows occasionally shot from the dense canopy above—not always perfectly accurate, but each one served a purpose.

Sixteen goblins in total.

I took down five of them, while Maji killed six with just his bow.

Gagu, drenched in blood, looked utterly ferocious, like a battlefield titan.

But in the end, he’d only killed five goblins, the same as me, the team’s newest member.

Cleaning up the battlefield.

Following the hunter Maji’s example, I stepped on a goblin’s head and used my one-handed sword to cut off its left ear.

This was my trophy.

Though the process made me uneasy, the thought that a single goblin’s bounty was nearly four silver coins—almost two days’ wages for a city laborer—

made my movements unconsciously quicker and more forceful.

“Here, take it!”

A bloodstained goblin ear was handed to me.

Looking at Gagu before me, I felt a bit surprised.

If I remembered correctly, though I landed the killing blow on this goblin, it had already been nearly dead, struck in the forehead by Gagu’s double-handed axe.

I’d thought it should count as his kill and left it alone, but this half-beastman had actually cut off the ear and brought it to me.

“Not bad, kid. I’ll treat you to a drink later!”

Gagu clapped my shoulder with his bloodied hand, his voice gruff.

In truth, before this battle, we hadn’t interacted much.

Part of it was because I was dazed, processing my memories.

The other part was that Gagu looked down on me, the newbie.

With his beastman blood, the concept of “might makes right” dominated his worldview.

Unlike Maji, who thought things through, Gagu saw me as a burden with no value to the team.

It wasn’t until he witnessed my performance in this battle that he finally accepted me.

He now saw me as a true member of the team.

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