However, this perfectly timed strike failed to take effect, blocked by a Rapier.
"This guy is tough to deal with. Let's double-team him!"
After a rushed exchange, the two shared a glance and attacked Bain simultaneously.
The guy wielding the Heavy Axe charged at the remaining three people.
He swung the massive axe in his hands, chopping down right at them.
Evan's eyes clearly showed panic. Although he had experienced nearly two years as an Adventurer, the opponents he faced in the past were nothing but Low Level Demons like Goblins. In terms of Combat Power, they weren't on the same level at all.
Even if he encountered a slightly stronger Goblin, he would hide behind his uncle, watching Uncle Bain finish off the enemy.
But now, he had to face a burly opponent who was obviously much stronger than himself.
Gritting his teeth, Evan gripped his Sword hilt with both hands and pushed forward with all his might, as if risking it all.
"CLANG!"
A tremendous force, far fiercer than he had imagined, crashed into him, making him almost lose his grip on the Sword. Trembling all over, he forcefully squeezed more power out of his aching arms, barely managing to maintain a brief stalemate.
The next moment, a strong gust of wind swept in from the side as a Short Knife thrust toward the burly man's neck.
The Giant Axe Warrior clearly sensed the attack from his flank. He had no choice but to pull back and dodge the strike.
The sudden relief in pressure caused Evan to drop to his knees instantly. He panted heavily, his entire body feeling as heavy as lead, making it difficult to move.
But the battlefield afforded him no time to rest. In the next moment, an Arrow that had been Gathering Strength for quite some time flew straight toward him.
"Watch out!"
Kent the Assassin had the sharpest eyes. Realizing the danger immediately, he kicked Evan.
As Evan fell sideways, the Arrow grazed his arm, leaving a bloody trail.
"HISS!"
The burning pain made Evan draw a sharp breath. At the same time, the Giant Axe that had just been forced back regrouped and attacked once again.
"Get up quickly, Evan!"
Kent urged anxiously. As an Assassin, it was impossible for him to clash head-on with a Warrior. They had to rely on Evan to pin the opponent down if they wanted any chance of winning.
Behind them, Millian wasn't just standing by and watching. Although she was a bit slower than the enemy, she released her Arrow at this moment, aiming straight at the burly man wielding the Giant Axe.
But the opponent was no rookie like Evan. His combat experience was visibly much richer. He quickly halted his momentum and sidestepped to dodge the Arrow.
The little time Millian bought finally allowed Evan to recover. Clenching his Sword tightly, he let out a roar and launched an offensive.
The burly man met the attack hastily. The Sword and axe collided, forcing both of them back two steps in a draw.
"You brat!"
The burly man instantly flew into a rage. He let out a loud roar and swung his Giant Axe down. This strike was heavy and powerful, clearly different from his rushed counterattack just a moment ago.
However, Evan wasn't an idiot. Knowing he couldn't match the enemy in Strength, he had anticipated the counterattack and retreated early to open up the distance. Then, taking advantage of the brief opening just after his opponent exerted force, he raised his Sword and lunged straight forward.
"CLINK!"
The tip of the Sword struck the face of the axe, producing a crisp sound.
While a Giant Axe did hold the advantage in a frontal Collision, it also had the obvious flaw of being much more cumbersome. Evan utilized this perfectly, forcing a brief stalemate on the battlefield.
"Millian!"
He shouted the next moment. The girl, who had been hesitating for a long time, finally seemed to make up her mind and released her bowstring. A sharp Arrow flew out, grazing Evan's scalp before sinking deeply into the burly man's right shoulder.
The intense pain caused the strength in his grip to falter. Seizing the opportunity, Evan swung his Sword in a full arc and chopped off the man's head.
After unleashing this strike, he was completely drained of energy. Unable to hold his Sword any longer, he collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.
At the same time, Kent had already circled around to the enemy's rear. From behind, a Short Knife thrust quickly and precisely toward the enemy Ranger.
As an Assassin, his role was to harass from the flanks and threaten the enemy's backline.
From this perspective, there was absolutely nothing wrong with Kent's line of thought.
But...
The Ranger, who was Gathering Strength to take aim, suddenly spun around. The white feathers on the Arrow's tail brushed against his fingertips. A fast, accurate Arrow instantly shot out and buried itself perfectly into Kent's heart.
Kent had no time to react. He just felt a sudden tightness in his chest before his entire body toppled backward, his vision gradually blurring...
"Kent!"
Noticing the situation, Bain yelled out. However, being currently besieged by two people, he had completely fallen into a disadvantage and couldn't spare an ounce of extra energy.
Although neither of these two was a match for him individually, two fists were ultimately no match for four hands. Before truly becoming a Professional, the advantage of numbers was hard to overcome.
If it weren't for the fact that Bain's class was one of the Knight Professions, which are adept at defense, he probably would have been taken down long ago.
Even though Evan and Millian had worked together to eliminate one enemy, their own side had suffered a casualty as well. Moreover, Evan was exhausted and clearly couldn't fight anymore. For the Adventurer Squad, the tide of battle was highly unfavorable.
Looking at the fallen Kent and Evan, Millian looked lost for a moment, her arms trembling uncontrollably.
In the distance, a mocking smile seemed to surface on the enemy Ranger's face. He drew his bow again, his target locked directly on Millian!
As if realizing what was happening, Millian reached into her Quiver with a trembling hand and drew an Arrow.
It was obvious that this would be a duel between Rangers. If Millian lost, their squad would be wiped out. Yet the enemy Ranger was far ahead of Millian in every aspect—experience, Strength, and even mentality.
He seemed to already envision the naive young girl across from him taking the Arrow, collapsing, and letting out cries of despair in agony.
However, just as he drew his bowstring to the limit and was about to fire, a sudden chill struck from behind, instantly making him feel as though he had been plunged into an Ice cellar.
He thought in shock, "There's someone else?!"
He quickly spun around and fired an Arrow in the exact same manner, only to see a flying Short Knife drop to the ground after a Collision with his Arrow.
The next moment, a blurry figure flashed past the corner of his eye. The world in his vision abruptly flipped upside down, and he saw his own collapsing body...
Lin Mo kicked away the head that rolled to his feet and spat, "Was it you who just sneak-attacked me?"
Having witnessed Kent's failed sneak attack with his own eyes, he naturally wouldn't fall for the same trick. Therefore, he purposefully threw his Short Knife to draw attention, then swiftly flanked around the side to deal this Ranger a fatal blow.
With the help of his "Stealth" Skill, his plan was executed quite smoothly.
[Slashing] Skill Level +1
[Stealth] Skill Level +1
Glancing at the prompts in the corner of his vision, he realized that it wasn't just Demons—killing humans could also increase the Skill Level of his Skills.
Lin Mo had already figured this out right after he killed that Assassin earlier.
"You—!"
Noticing that their Ranger had been slaughtered, the remaining two men panicked. They looked at Lin Mo, who had a Short Knife tucked into his chest strap, with sheer horror on their faces.
"Tai'en actually failed?"
Tai'en was the Assassin in their group.
Earlier, they had divided up their tasks, with Tai'en responsible for taking out Lin Mo. They had almost all assumed that the kid fleeing in a panic would soon become a corpse.
After all, Tai'en had never missed before. As an experienced Assassin, he had even once killed a Quasi-Professional Warrior via sneak attack!
But right now, Lin Mo standing before them was undeniable proof that Tai'en was dead.
"Retreat!"
Realizing that the situation had gone south, the man wielding the Rapier quickly pulled back to retreat.
The other Warrior, who wielded a Heavy Sword, also frantically pulled back his attack, trying to flee.
Right at that moment, however, a Feathered Arrow suddenly shot out, striking his calf with perfect precision.
It was Millian!
Bain reacted in time as well. He quickly adjusted his stance, switching from defense to pursuit.
"Trying to run?!"
Having been inexplicably ambushed, lost a team member, and been ganged up on and suppressed for ages, he had been holding in a belly full of rage. Finally, at this moment, it was completely unleashed.
"Shield Strike!"
The heavy Square Shield slammed out, heavily crashing into the opponent. The Warrior instantly spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying.
Bain followed up rapidly, bringing his Sword down—
This Sword strike didn't hit a vital spot. Instead, it pierced through his thigh, pinning him to the ground.
On the other side, Lin Mo wanted to chase down the man with the Rapier, but he was injured after all, which somewhat impaired his movement. Furthermore, the opponent was an Agile Warrior who heavily prioritized speed, making him very fast. After trying for a moment and seeing it would be a tough chase, Lin Mo could only give up.
With the battle coming to a close, Lin Mo's and Bain's gazes simultaneously landed on the Warrior who was currently screaming in agony.
Regarding this rather inexplicable battle, they both harbored many doubts in their hearts, waiting to be unraveled...