บท 20: Strange Occurrence
Almond selected Grimblade.
[Quest to determine the options for your Prefix]
—> Objective: Kill 50 Monsters.
It looked simple, but Almond knew he would be analyzed thoroughly on how he would kill those fifty monsters as the options would generate based on that.
…
Skipping two hives, the trio stopped at the seemingly last hive as they were almost out of the Nest of Willowbee area.
During this battle, Almond didn't take much action. He stood at one spot, right below the hive, and held his sword in a leisurely yet masterful grip.
Natalia focused on killing instead of baiting the Willowbees.
Lily also did the same, often switching her weapon between bow and daggers.
As for Almond, he stood like a sword god.
If any Willowbee Worker attacked him with their sharp, pointy hands, he would deflect them and hit them with the back of his blade, throwing them towards Natalia.
Having reached level 10, he would get zero EXP from killing those level 7 Willowbee Workers, so it wasn't worth it.
He also didn't want to fill up his new quest progress with kills of such weak monsters.
Incoming Willowbee Workers were deflected like he was swatting flies. Soon, Willowbee Guards arrived and started shooting their venomous stings.
But with precise slashes and nimble motions of his hand, Almond also deflected those with his sword before swatting them toward Natalia and Lily.
His strength after using Physical Enchantment allowed him to overpower the Willowbees. And with his sword being Rare-grade, it took no damage or loss of durability against these Bronze-rank monsters' attacks.
Soon, the Willowbee Queen arrived and targeted Almond right off the bat as vines sprung from the ground around him and snared him.
Almond chuckled. He wasn't going to run away anyway. In fact, he hadn't moved a single step from his spot since the start of the battle.
Willowbee Queen was big and level 10, but it still wasn't strong enough to make him move.
Almond split the incoming stinger from the precise center. The Willowbee Queen buzzed towards Almond immediately after its stinger attack, intending to impale him with its venomous hands and bite him with its fangs.
However, Almond waved his hand, a cold sheen of the blade sweeping across him as all four of the Willowbee Queen's legs were cut finely before he bent, spun, and kicked it, shooting the monster straight toward Natalia.
"Thanksies!" Natalia grinned, her eyes dancing with excitement. Only she was left since Lily had just reached level 10 after killing some Willowbee Guards.
Pointing her ward at the incoming monster, Natalia conjured a cloud of purple sparks that transformed into an ethereal blade as if it were a slash attack.
*Srees!*
The incoming Willowbee Queen found itself split in half from the middle, its eyes losing light a second later.
"That was…" Almond blinked as he paused and confirmed what he saw before he continued a second later, "That was my attack."
"Bingo," Natalia showed a victory sign with her fingers with a grin. "Action Mirage, my class skill. It copies a phenomenon I have seen at its original effects, but with 20% reduces potency."
Lily killed the last Willowbee Guard with her dagger, stabbing straight into its head. Turning to Almond, she said, "Her class is quite useful in a group, especially in a powerful group."
Picking up her dagger from the Bee's corpse, she added, "Your attacks are strongest among us even though it's just you swinging your sword. Despite a 20% reduction in them, they are enough for Natalia."
"Eggzactly," Natali laughed. "Gosh, Almond is so powerful, I bet he could become one of the super rookies that's been famous these days."
"Spare me that attention. I am a scaredy cat outside, and I intend to remain that way," Almond wryly smiled.
"That might not be a safe option anymore, Almond."
Lily, Almond, and Natalia began walking again as they continued to converse.
"What do you mean not a safe option anymore?" Almond blinked. "I am not powerful enough to defend myself against the ugly minds who have more power and backing. Getting attention without protection will land me trouble."
Lily calmly shook her head. "You have a great deal of knowledge about Labyrinth and other information that's on the surface, but I know the insides of how this society works and news that never gets to the public."
"Just know that being weak will also attract nasty fellows that prey on the weak now that you are a bonafide Adventurer, both here and outside," Lily's hand grabbed Almond's, her fingers intertwining with his.
"You have to get a backing. In this world, having a strong backing in your profile for all the world to see is the best deterrence and protection you can get," Lily's hand grip tightened. "And entering a Dungeon without a backing is hard because Association and Guilds get priority."
"That's right," Natalia quipped, "for example, becoming a member of the top 10 Guilds. I bet if you participate in those examinations and tournaments they hold, you can get fame and backing."
"That…is not wrong," Almond's face turned contemplative. What Lily said made sense.
Although he hadn't heard the news, he had heard rumors of nasty things happening around the big-shot families, guilds, and other forces, and not all rumors were groundless.
As he accepted the grim reality, the hairs on his body stood, and a sudden wave of goosebumps and harrowing cringe filled him up.
Sweatbead formed on his forehead, and everything turned black for a second.
"Almond? What happened?"
Seeing Almond slowing down and swaying, Lily and Natalia stopped, both looking confused and concerned.
He recovered swiftly, but his breathing turned uneven, his eyes confused, "I-I don't know. This was strange..."
"That felt…familiar," Natalia said, her eyes slightly trembling. "Almond…did you have some kind of trauma or any memories of anything happening when you were a kid?"
"Has this ever happened before?" Lily asked, her brows creased up in worry.
"No. It's my first time experiencing this. Moreover, I don't remember anything trauma-inducing. My parents…I was eight years old when they entered the Labyrinth in the first wave of humans and never returned."
Almond shook his head, "This was strange."
He looked fine now. It was as if what he had just experienced didn't happen at all.
"But that happened for a reason," Natalia said, her tone firm. "Almond, what you experienced happened for a reason. It triggered for a reason. What were you thinking right before that happened?"
Lily nodded and said, "We were talking about the society, undercover news, and top 10 guilds…"
"I was thinking about how shitty the world is," Almond dryly chuckled. "But I am thinking about that topic right now, and it's not happening."
"Anyway, let's forget about this. If that happens again, we can talk and explore," Almond added. "You two also reached level 10, so it's time to leave this area and complete our Rank Advancement quests."
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