The forest seemed to go dead silent for a fraction of a second. Robin stared at him, her eyes widening in sheer horror.
"Are you insane? Yes, my arrows sometimes fly wide, but what if this time they don’t? A single stray shot from my bow will tear right through you!"
"Trust me," Logan said, his voice flat, completely devoid of panic.
Robin gritted her teeth. "You’re betting your life on a stranger you’ve just met?"
Logan shook his head. "I’m betting my life on probability... and currently, you’re the best bet we have to get everyone out of here."
Robin was going to deny his ridiculous request, but the sheer, unyielding confidence in his eyes forced her to move. She leaped and disappeared into the treeline.
Logan turned back toward the path, drawing his short blade. He turned his gaze toward his profile.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
[PLAYER PROFILE]
Name: Logan Winters
Race: Human (Faction: Evergarden)
Class: Commander
Title: ???
Level: 1 (EXP: 50/100)
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
STATS
HP: 100 / 100
MP: 50 / 50
STR [Strength]: 10
AGI [Agility]: 10
VIT [Vitality]: 10
INT [Intelligence]: 12
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
PERKS & SKILLS
Perk 1: [LOCKED]
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
In the game, ten points was the baseline; it was considered the average of an ordinary adult. Against goblins, who naturally possessed superior speed and agility, it was barely enough to stay ahead.
I’ll lose this chase the moment I slow down.
Turning his head slightly over his shoulder, Logan cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted toward the approaching goblins.
"Oiii! You ugly sons of orgies, I’m right here! Come and get me!" he yelled, his hands waving in the air as he taunted them.
Dozens of crimson eyes immediately locked onto him. The goblins hesitated for a brief moment before their faces twisted into pure rage.
"GRAAAAH!"
Every single goblin abandoned their search of the forest and charged directly toward him.
"Good." Logan turned and sprinted.
Branches whipped across his face as he dashed between the trees. His lungs burned after only a minute of running. Logan wasn’t a hero. He wasn’t a warrior. But he knew how to keep moving when panic told him to stop. Experience had taught him that fear only got you killed.
Behind him were the pounding footsteps of dozens of goblins eager to tear him apart. He could hear their low growls slowly getting louder and louder behind him.
A crude spear flew past his shoulder and embedded itself into a nearby tree; if it had been only a few centimeters to the left, it would have ended his story right then and there.
Suddenly, a goblin appeared from the treeline and lunged forward. The moment its small, disgusting hand grabbed ahold of Logan’s shirt, an arrow punched clean through its skull, sending it flying.
Thwip!
Another arrow followed; it flew nowhere near Logan. Instead, it pierced straight through two goblins standing side by side before disappearing into the woods.
Logan continued running, completely placing his trust in the flawed marksman. Soon, his lack of stamina caught up with him; his body started to slow down, giving a goblin the opportunity to strike.
One goblin finally caught up. Its rusty blade slashed across Logan’s back.
"Urgh!" he groaned in agonizing pain.
Warm blood soaked through his shirt almost immediately. Logan stumbled and almost fell over, but he gritted his teeth and picked up the pace.
Another arrow flew overhead; all Logan could hear was the sound of goblins dropping dead onto the forest floor. Despite Robin’s passive causing nearly every arrow to "miss" its intended target, every shot somehow found another unfortunate victim.
A shrill chanting sound echoed through the forest. Logan immediately recognized it: the Goblin Shaman.
A sickly green ray shot through from between the treeline. Although Logan was able to see it, he wasn’t able to react in time. The sickly green light wrapped around his body like a snake choking its prey.
[Enfeeblement.]
This spell was a tier higher than the previous "Slowness" spell. Not only did it slow down the target, but it also reduced their strength, greatly diminishing the effectiveness of their attacks.
"Damn..." Logan let out a sigh.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, three goblins closed the distance almost instantly.
A club smashed into his side.
A spear grazed his thigh.
Another blade cut across his arm.
Despite the barrage of attacks, Logan still managed to stand tall on his feet. His eyes burning with rage, he turned his gaze toward the direction of the green beam of light. Logan caught sight of a crooked wooden staff glowing with green mana.
"There you are..." He let out a creepy smile as he charged directly at the target; the sudden change in direction caught the other goblins off guard.
The shaman widened its eyes in panic. It had not expected its prey to run directly toward it.
[Resisting "Enfeeblement"]
[Result: Fail]
Despite the burning pain in his lungs and the wounds covering his entire body, Logan still charged forward like nothing else mattered.
[Player’s "???" parameter is sufficient to resist "Enfeeblement."]
[Resisting "Enfeeblement"]
[Result: Success!]
Logan didn’t see the notifications, but he could feel his body getting lighter, as if the chains bounding his feet were no longer there. He leaped forward and quickly closed the distance.
High above the treeline, Robin held her breath. Logan was sprinting directly toward the shaman; if the shot landed where it was intended, everything would be over.
Robin released the bowstring. The instant the arrow left the bow, she could feel something ’different’ about this shot.
It didn’t curve.
It didn’t veer away.
It flew perfectly straight.
Directly toward the back of Logan’s head.
"No...!"
Logan sensed it. His instincts screamed at him: Death.
I guess this is it, huh? Just my rotten luck.
Then, his foot caught on a protruding rock.
"What...?"
His entire body tilted forward. The arrow flashed through the space where his head had been a fraction of a second earlier.
The goblin shaman, who stood directly in the line of fire, barely had enough time to lift its head before the arrow pierced straight through its skull.
BOOM! Logan didn’t see any of this as his forehead slammed face-first into the ground and exhaustion finally caught up to him. His vision blurred, but just before darkness claimed him, a familiar blue window appeared before his eyes.
[Quest Cleared!]
[Reward: 5,000 Gold / 10 Gems]
[Guardian of "???" Robin Wood has joined your Bastion.]
[Hidden Quest Cleared]
[Reward: Title]
The final notification lingered on the edge of his fading vision.
"...A title...?"