Absolute Craft-Chapter 59: Evolution (3)

Chapter 59: Evolution (3)

Joel faced off against another DPS, much like himself.

His opponent wielded a longsword and wore armor of far higher quality than Joel’s. His weapon probably boasted better stats too, yet Joel had never felt so confident. He had Blake by his side.

From the distant commotion, Joel could tell Blake was handling the bullies.

He had to earn his place next to Blake! To achieve this goal, he focused more than he ever had before—no fancy movements, just the raw basics.

’I can’t disappoint Blake!’ Joel thought. ’Thrust, cut, slash, thrust, cut, slash, thrust, cut, slash...’

Those were the principles Blake had drilled into him the other day. Joel had been practicing proper spearmanship as much as he could. He had learned the basics with a mop, refined them in the game with a real spear, and now he finally had a chance to put his training into practice.

In a battle between a spear and a longsword, the spear’s advantage was its reach. Once the enemy closed the gap, that advantage would turn into a disadvantage only masters could handle. Was Joel such a master? Of course not.

Still, Joel had a hidden trait in his personality—one he wasn’t even aware of yet.

In short, he was unwaveringly loyal.

"I need to wrap this up quickly and help the others. I might get a bonus," Joel’s enemy said with a smirk, licking his lips.

He glanced to the side and activated his skill—a simple dash that brought him into Joel’s range. Once he closed the distance, though, Joel had already backed away, and his spear struck the man’s leather armor, slicing off a chunk of health and armor durability. Shock spread across the man’s face—he hadn’t expected Joel to be that good.

In truth, Joel kept repeating Blake’s advice so obsessively that he whispered it like a mantra: thrust, cut, slash. This single-minded routine left his opponent no chance to find an opening. Without any unnecessary leaps or fancy footwork, Joel deftly slipped back and thrust his spear forward.

His enemy thought the initial thrust was a fluke and attacked again, swinging at Joel’s chest armor. Joel countered with a slash, halting the strike, then smoothly switched to a precise cut aimed at the already-weakened spot on the man’s armor.

Annoyed, the man searched for another approach. But Joel noticed those precious seconds of hesitation. Since his enemy wasn’t moving, Joel took the initiative—closing in and thrusting his spear again. In a near-trance, fueled by newfound prowess, he struck three times in the same spot, carving a hole in the man’s armor!

It felt so exhilarating that Joel paused his mantra for a moment before diving back in with renewed focus.

"Thrust, cut, slash, thrust, slash, cut... Thrust, slash, cut..."

"You freaking lunatic!" the man screamed, letting his battle frenzy overwhelm him. That left him defenseless, and Joel took full advantage. With precise cuts, Joel defeated his foe and even looted the man’s gloves!

"I did it! I did it, bro!" Joel shouted.

A short distance away, Blake and Sol were having their own fun. Though the pair proved hard to approach—or even see clearly—bystanders could easily note how strategically Blake moved on the battlefield. It even looked fun.

"Can I join you?!" Joel asked, eyes gleaming.

Blake nodded. "Only I can hold Sol, though."

"Dis no problem! I want to thrust, cut, and slash more! Heh!" Joel said, rushing to join Blake and Sol with a broad smile—even though they were on a battlefield teeming with blood, curses, and screams.

"Next time, I’ll finish all of you myself. In less than a minute," Blake said, staring at the haughty man’s mortified face.

It was a crushing defeat. They had numbers and decent equipment, yet they lost to two players and a pet. Somehow, Blake’s cocky words didn’t seem like a mere bluff meant to scare them off.

Though Blake might have sounded arrogant, he was simply telling the truth. He could have beaten those guys on his own in under a minute, but he wanted to see Joel’s potential and give Sol real battle experience. He couldn’t let his adorable little elemental fight alone, of course.

Fortunately, Blake was so inspired that he came up with a new tactic: holding Sol and using him like a flamethrower. The idea thrilled Sol, who eagerly cooperated with Blake for an epic combo. The little one perched on Blake’s knightly helmet, gripping it with all four limbs, like a dragon guarding a dark tower—a sight that melted the hearts of nearby female players.

"Ah, he yawned with flames!"

"I’m dying from diabetes!"

"Come to your mommy!"

They had no idea this adorable dragon wanted nothing more than to fight and help his friend. Their squeals meant nothing to him.

"Sure, you bastard," the haughty man snapped.

Blake nodded and finished him off. Killing more than five people incurred a penalty.

<Wanted (I)>

He was now wanted, meaning any player could kill him without incurring a penalty themselves. The number next to the floating status indicated Blake would automatically drop one piece of equipment he was wearing. The higher the number, the more items dropped.

That was the gist of the player-killing system. In reality, there wasn’t much else to it. However, some cities and territories—particularly on the mainland—had their own rules regarding player-killing. Depending on those laws, a player could be barred from certain regions or earn a significant reputation boost that yielded rewards from local authorities. Privileges only increased over time, again depending on the territory.

Blake didn’t dwell on the status hovering over him. It would vanish in ten minutes as long as he didn’t kill anyone else. He could easily keep toying with people until it disappeared.

"It seems we’ll find our spot in the Abandoned Village. Do you think we can kick our teammates from the party and explore the Abandoned Village on our own?" Blake asked, still clueless about how matchmaking worked.