-------------
If you enjoy please support me on my patreon Future 80+ chapters at patreon.com/Darkphoenix11
-----
A cold wind blew.
Accompanied by the words: "But I am the weakest among the ten of us!"
At this moment, Motoyasu was completely disoriented, and his entire body felt out of sorts.
"The weakest, yet he still forces me to retreat again and again. As the Hero of the Spear, I don't want to lose face!" Motoyasu raged internally, his expression showing his deep embarrassment.
"Well… well, what kind of skill did you just use that could even compete with my Lightning Spear?"
Motoyasu quickly shifted the topic, trying to lessen his embarrassment.
"I didn't use any skills. It was just a simple jump and slash," Wordsworth said slowly, scratching his head. Although he wore a grimace mask, his voice and mannerisms revealed his honesty.
But the word "jumping" kept echoing in Motoyasu's mind, and he couldn't help but want to shout at him.
"Uh… you are indeed very strong. To have such strength with just a jump and slash—if you use actual skills, the power must be even greater. I admit you are qualified to be my opponent."
Still, Motoyasu held his ground. He couldn't afford to lose face; if he did, he would be ashamed to face others.
"Don't worry. I don't know how to use skills yet because our Shield… our boss said that with my current strength, it's better to lay a strong foundation first by defeating Balloon Monsters."
Wordsworth's voice sounded again.
Hearing this, Motoyasu was petrified on the spot. He couldn't hold it in any longer and roared, "What's going on with your boss? Does he misunderstand your strength? With your power, how could it be difficult to defeat Balloon Monsters? If that's the case, then does that make me, a hero, no stronger than a Balloon Monster? Is that not an insult?"
No wonder Motoyasu was so agitated; after all, the Balloon Monster was one of the weakest creatures in this world. Wordsworth's words felt like an insult to him.
"I'm not lying. The boss really said that, and my strength really is weak," Wordsworth replied sincerely, seeming not to grasp Motoyasu's anger.
Suddenly, Motoyasu came to a realization. The man in front of him wasn't an honest fool—he was a cunning manipulator. He must be the strongest among the ten of them and was only claiming to be the weakest to break Motoyasu's fighting spirit and demoralize him.
Understanding this, Motoyasu's eyes sharpened, and he shouted, "Enough talking! Come again! Meteor Spear!"
Motoyasu thrust his holy spear forward, releasing five bursts of energy that shot towards Wordsworth like meteors.
Though the skill was the same, Motoyasu's proficiency in using [Meteor Spear] had grown with experience.
The five "shooting stars" split into three directions—upper, middle, and lower—locking onto Wordsworth with no room to dodge.
But Wordsworth didn't retreat or evade. He swung his giant sword, which seemed to become ten shields at that moment.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The [Meteor Spear] explosions reverberated off the massive blade.
Even Wordsworth was forced back a few steps, his arms going numb. Despite everything, Motoyasu's ultimate move still packed quite a punch.
Seeing Wordsworth being pushed back, Motoyasu felt a moment of pride, but it was short-lived as he saw a figure swiftly approaching from the corner of his eye.
"Don't forget about us!"
It was Jack, wearing a grimace mask. He jumped and slashed downward with his two short swords, another simple jump and slash.
Motoyasu reacted in time, raising his holy spear to block the dual swords. Feeling the force behind the strike, he couldn't help but feel smug.
"Another jump and slash, but it's not nearly as strong as that guy's. As expected, he must be the strongest of the ten, trying to fool me!"
Motoyasu's thoughts solidified: Wordsworth was indeed the strongest.
However, combat strength and pure power weren't necessarily the same.
Noticing his blocked swords, Jack's lips curled under his mask. Using the swords as leverage, he abruptly twisted his waist and kicked out.
Motoyasu didn't anticipate that someone could change their attack in mid-air.
Before he could react, Jack's kick landed squarely on Motoyasu's face.
Motoyasu was sent flying several meters, blood spraying from his nose as he crashed to the ground, the shoe print clear on his face.
Dazed, he lay there, reliving scenes from his life.
But Jack didn't stop. The moment his feet hit the ground, he sprinted towards Motoyasu.
"Master Motoyasu is in danger! Let's act quickly!"
Seeing that the situation was dire, Myne led the two female adventurers, raising their hands together and beginning to chant.
Rip~~~
Suddenly, there was a sound like something being cut open.
Turning her head, Myne saw that the two female adventurers had been struck down by a blonde woman wielding a long sword and wearing a grimace mask.
This woman was Irene, and naturally, she wasn't going to let Myne and her group interfere with Jack.
After dispatching two more adventurers, Irene didn't pause or even glance at them. She charged straight at Myne, swinging her sword.
"Damn it!"
Cursing inwardly, Myne drew her own sword.
Despite her progress in strength over this period, she was still no match for Irene's offensive. Though completely embarrassed, Myne barely managed to block Irene's strike.
"Is this the strength of the king's first princess? Too weak!" Irene taunted while closing the distance and swinging her sword again.
Clang!
Myne, gripping her sword tightly with both hands, blocked it but kept getting pushed back.
"Damn it, die already!" she roared.
Spurred by desperation, Myne stopped defending and aimed to strike back.
"Huh?"
Irene blinked in mock surprise and then unleashed her third strike.
Before Myne could even retaliate, she saw a cold gleam flash before her eyes. Suddenly, she felt something being slashed open on her body.
Lowering her head, Myne saw a deep wound on her chest, from which blood was gushing.
"Why… so fast?" she stammered.
With blood pouring out, Myne's face turned deathly pale, and her body began to tremble.
Irene's third slash had come so quickly that Myne hadn't been able to react. Compared to this, the first two strikes had seemed almost leisurely.
This was one of Irene's techniques: starting with slower strikes and then abruptly unleashing a swift, fatal blow. This created a misperception in the opponent's mind, making the fast strike appear even quicker in the enemy's eyes.
In essence, the initial strikes were feints to make others believe Irene's sword was slow, only for the real attack to catch them completely off guard.
Originally, Irene had planned a sequence of over ten feints to set up her fast strike. However, Myne turned out to be weaker than expected, so the third blow turned into a swift and lethal strike, instantly overwhelming her.
"So, this is the end. Do you have any last words?" Irene said, slowly raising her long sword and pointing it at Myne's throat. With just a small movement forward, the blade would pierce her neck.
"Who… who are you?" Myne stuttered, her body growing weaker by the moment. The chill from the sword tip and the looming shadow of death filled her with dread.
"The dead… don't need to know. Farewell," Irene responded coldly.
She began to apply pressure on the sword, preparing to finish Myne off. At that moment, something unexpected occurred.
If Jason were here, he would surely complain, "Isn't this the classic scene where the villain talks too much?"
-------------
If you enjoy please support me on my patreon Future 80+ chapters at patreon.com/Darkphoenix11
-----