AWB Chapter 23 Blame
Chapter 23 Blame
However, just then, as I was watching her fight, I suddenly sensed movement around me.
'rustling'
"Hmm?" I immediately sensed something was wrong, so I grabbed the dagger.
'call out'
There, my eyes spotted a silver-furred wolf approaching me at an incredible speed.
'Clang'
I immediately raised my dagger to block the wolf's claws. Although, judging from the standoff just now, the wolf was clearly stronger than me.
The wolf charged at me again at incredible speed. But my eyes still caught a clear view of its movements.
First, a claw reached for my chest. I raised another dagger, forming a cross shape, to block the attack.
'Click click click'
However, this was not the end; the wolf continued to attack me at an extremely fast speed.
"The instructor must be watching," I thought, and therefore chose not to use the Shadow property.
The wolf pounced again, targeting my exposed flank. I reacted quickly, dodging to the side and narrowly avoiding its sharp claws. But the beast wasn't about to give up so easily; it turned and pounced again, this time trying to catch me off guard.
'banging'
I parried the attack with one dagger while counterattacking with the other, but my strikes failed to pierce its defenses. The impact sent a sharp pain through my arm, but I gritted my teeth and focused on my opponent.
"I know I'm weak, but thinking that I can't even hurt a level two beast..." This was expected, but the reality still made me feel somewhat frustrated.
'Click click click'
The wolf kept attacking me, and I kept using my dagger to block its claws.
In any case, this is not the time to be discouraged, because I see that others are also nearing their end.
I infused the dagger with magic, ready. This time, unlike before, it glowed blue instead of red.
"But this isn't the time to think about that," I thought, raising my dagger.
[Speed]
Feeling the power enter my body, I activated the skill.
Keen Eyes
Then I used another skill; my eyes immediately focused on the wolf in front of me, showing me its weaknesses.
After careful consideration, I feigned a weakness to lure the wolf into attacking.
'call out'
The wolf took the bait; it lunged forward, attempting to attack my right shoulder.
However, I was faster than it, and I leaned my body to one side to dodge the wolf's pounce.
Anyone who has fought in close combat knows the importance of footwork. If a person jumps forward, his entire body becomes a vulnerable point.
I seized the opportunity and lunged at the wolf, the dagger aimed at its vulnerable spot between its ribs. The dagger sank in, eliciting an angry howl from the wolf.
'roar'
When the wolf staggered backward after I struck it, I wasted no time and immediately switched to the "Thorns" move, a deadly technique from the "Basic Dagger" style that I had honed through countless training sessions.
In this posture, my dagger moves like thorns, striking with precision and speed, leaving the wolf no chance to retaliate. This attack specifically targets the enemy's weak points, making it reliant on information the user needs to obtain beforehand.
'咻咻咻'
I moved in and out swiftly, utilizing the weaknesses revealed by my "Keen Eyes" skill. Each attack targeted its vulnerable spots, delivering rapid and planned blows to gradually weaken its defenses.
My mana is still okay, but my physical stamina is getting weaker and weaker.
The wolf was now on the defensive, struggling to keep up with my relentless attacks. My dagger struck its vitals again and again, staining its silver fur crimson with blood. Despite its strength, it was no match for "Thorns'" precision and speed.
Moreover, engulfed in pain, it became desperate. In a mere three seconds, the tide of the battle turned.
So I quickly feigned an attack, luring the wolf to open an opening, and then slipped behind it with lightning speed. I plunged two daggers into its exposed flank, hitting a vital spot, and the wolf howled in pain.
My relentless attack made it pay the price. The wolf's movements slowed, and its howls weakened.
As the wolf tried to turn to face me, I anticipated its every move. My footwork was precise and light, allowing me to easily circle around it. My movements became blurred, and the wolf found itself surrounded by a whirlwind of attacks.
'Jingle bells'
As my dagger continued its deadly assault, the sound of metal clashing against flesh echoed around me. My movements were perfectly synchronized with my dagger; each strike was imbued with all my strength. My heartbeat seemed to pulsate in sync with the rhythm of my attacks.
The wolf's movements grew increasingly sluggish, its eyes filled with despair. It knew it was no match for the wolf, yet it refused to surrender. I showed no mercy either; this was a life-or-death battle, where only the strong would survive.
Finally, I struck decisively, plunging both daggers deep into the wolf's heart.
'Awoo'
It let out a mournful gasp.
'boom'
Then he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
"Ha ha......"
I stood there, panting, covered in sweat and wolf blood. Although I looked like I could easily defeat the wolf, my body was too weak to fight it directly.
I took a breath and glanced at Irina, who was playing with the other wolves; she was almost done with her task too.
The others did the same; they each killed the remaining ten wolf cubs.
This alone shows how weak Morse's body was originally. Even with my improved physical abilities, I still struggled to deal with one wolf, while the other two fought ten wolves without becoming as exhausted as I was.
"Yes, it's okay."
With this thought in mind, I stood up, and at that moment, a message came through my smartwatch.
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
[Team 13]
Completion time: 34 minutes 12 seconds — 20/600
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
The moment the notification came, I saw Irina's expression freeze.
"She must be regretting playing with that wolf now," I thought. After all, students' grades are recorded over time and ranked.
Although time doesn't significantly affect grades, aside from the instructors' assessments in the dungeon, it doesn't mean it's unimportant.
In fact, students will compete based on this.
"20th place, the same as in the game," I thought to myself. Although I knew very little about Morse, I knew that Irina's ranking in the game was 20th, and that her ranking wouldn't change much except for the top 10.
I have a feeling that even if Morse and Irina were on the same team before, the result would be the same.
Just as I was thinking this, I felt another sharp gaze. Turning around, I saw Irina staring at me with wide eyes.
"This is your own doing. Don't act like a princess and do whatever you want."
I ignored her gaze and slowly walked out of the dungeon. Since it was a man-made dungeon, the people inside wouldn't be thrown out during the cleanup.
And there's no need for me to have any further contact with those people. After all, I've already gotten what I wanted.
The real-world experience of fighting monsters, and the great opportunity to observe how high-ranking students fight—that alone is enough to make me happy.
As I stepped out of the dungeon, I could feel Irina's gaze fixed on me. I knew she was very unhappy with her performance and angry. But she was looking for someone to blame, to hide her mistakes, and to try to maintain her pride.
As I reached the exit, Irina approached me, her fiery red hair still glistening with the adrenaline of battle. "What's wrong with you?" she asked, her tone accusatory. "You did absolutely nothing in there! We were fighting the wolves, and you just stood there watching! What kind of man are you?!"
Under her gaze, I felt no fear, only a blank expression. Frankly, I didn't want to get involved with the game's protagonist unless absolutely necessary. I had my own reasons for being here, and I didn't care what they were doing.
"Don't talk to me," I replied coldly. Her condescending attitude slightly annoyed me.
"What?" she asked in surprise, not expecting such an answer.
"I told you, don't talk to me."
“You bastard! It’s all because of you that we’re so slow!” Irina shouted angrily, her hair stiffening.
"This person has a terrible personality," I thought to myself. In the game, players often encounter trouble for this very reason.
“Um…you two stop arguing, Irina. We shouldn’t be causing trouble here.” Nora interrupted me, giving me a stiff, unfriendly look. Clearly, she didn’t like me either, but I didn’t care about her.
"If it's my fault, it will show up in our grades. If you have a problem, report it to the teacher. Don't bother me."
After saying my last words, I turned and left, leaving the three of them dumbfounded. None of them expected me to do this, because making an enemy of one of the strongest students in the school would not benefit anyone.
What I said is true. If it were because of me, the results would already be reflected in our achievements, so arguing now is pointless.
"you!"
I heard Irina yelling behind me, but I ignored her.
And so, I left, walking alone on the road. After all, I still needed to train until the weekend...