Chapter 162
Rick said in a trembling voice,
"N-naive?"
Zeke, still pointing his sword at Rick's neck, said,
"Everything about you is naive. Honestly, I don't know how you're still alive. It's probably thanks to your comrades."
Rick's face hardened as if his pride was hurt by Zeke's words.
But Zeke didn't stop.
"The swordsmanship you showed me earlier was impressive. But that's all there is to it. When and how are you going to use it? Your enemies won't wait for you to properly execute your swordsmanship."
Rick's face flushed red at Zeke's words.
"I just showed you that to demonstrate my current skills...!"
"Rick, how fast you can swing your sword isn't that important in actual combat."
Zeke slowly lowered his sword.
Drip!
A drop of blood that had formed on Rick's neck dripped down.
It was then.
Whoosh!
Zeke suddenly swung his sword again.
Clang!
Rick hurriedly raised his sword and blocked Zeke's sword.
Then, Zeke threw the dirt he was holding in one hand at Rick.
"Ugh!"
The startled Rick stepped back.
Zeke tripped Rick's leg, making him fall, and then held his sword to his neck.
"You're dead again, Rick."
Rick breathed heavily.
"Th-this is..."
"Are you going to say it's a foul because I threw dirt?"
Rick trembled and lowered his head at Zeke's words.
He also knew what Zeke was talking about.
'A half-baked knight.'
That's how Rick evaluated himself.
He was neither an adventurer nor a knight.
Then, Zeke's voice struck Rick's ears.
"If you think you're a half-baked knight, Rick, you'd better get rid of that thought right now."
Rick was startled and looked up at Zeke.
Zeke sheathed his sword and looked down at Rick, saying,
"Honestly, Rick, I can see right through you. The reason you became an adventurer after receiving high-level knight training must be because you thought you could break through your stagnation by experiencing actual combat."
Rick was speechless because Zeke's point was so accurate.
Zeke said to Rick,
"You'd better get rid of the idea that knights wield their swords nobly and fight duels under fair rules. Of course, there are times like that. When you're having a comfortable spar. But when you're fighting for your life, both knights and mercenaries have to roll around in the mud and fight dirty. Wielding swordsmanship elegantly on the battlefield? That's all bullshit."
Zeke sat down and continued,
"On the battlefield, those who put on airs and strike poses because they're knights are the easiest prey. They act all high and mighty because they can use aura, and then they die from a few poisoned arrows."
Rick completely cowered at Zeke's rapid-fire words.
He felt as if he was stripped naked in front of Zeke.
Rick slowly raised his head and said to Zeke with frustration,
"Sir Zeke, your words are all correct. I've always been naive. Honestly, I don't know what I should do to change."
Zeke inwardly clicked his tongue as he looked at Rick.
In fact, this was a common case among knights from prestigious clans in the central continent.
It was commendable that Rick was at least trying to overcome it by becoming an adventurer.
Zeke looked at Rick and said,
"Don't try to refine your skills, but first, strengthen your mind. If your mind wavers, your sword will waver too."
Although it sounded abstract, Zeke spoke sincerely, believing it was the advice Rick needed the most.
Rick remained silent for a long time, his head lowered, after hearing Zeke's words.
Then, as if he had organized his thoughts, he nodded and said,
"Thank you, Sir Zeke. That helped me a lot."
He didn't know if it really helped, but Rick's expression seemed more relieved than before.
The moment you showed your limits to the very bottom and broke them, you could make a new start.
Zeke thought that if Rick didn't stop here, he could overcome the Purple Knight level and perhaps even reach the Blue Knight level quickly.
'Those who are too talented often struggle later on. The more Rick worries now, the faster he can grow as a Blue Knight.'
Zeke could empathize with Rick's feelings because he had also experienced it himself.
It was then.
The Dragon Tooth Soldiers outside sent an alert signal.
Zeke drew his sword and said to Rick,
"Rick, wake the others up. Something is approaching."
Rick, surprised, hurriedly went deeper into the cave.
Zeke deployed Dragon Tooth Soldiers around the area and shared their vision to assess the situation.
Something was approaching from the depths of the forest with fog.
'What's that?'
Growl! Growl!
A moment later, a pack of wolves was spotted surrounding the cave and trying to enter.
The other party members in the cave hurriedly grabbed their equipment and approached Zeke.
Zeke, from behind the cover he had set up in front of the cave, said to the party,
"We're surrounded by wolves. And something is approaching from the forest."
Zeke placed Claire, the archer, behind the cover, and behind her, he placed Jason and Arin, the mages. Then, he quickly relayed a rough plan.
Zeke and Rick drew their swords and waited for the enemy at the front of the cave.
Growl!
The sound of wolves howling could be heard from outside the cave.
Zeke raised his hand and signaled them to wait.
Woof! Woof!
Soon, the wolves rushed into the cave.
Zeke gave a signal, and Claire shot an arrow.
Thud!
The wolf hit by Claire's arrow yelped and fell to the ground.
But then, a dozen other wolves quickly rushed in.
Zeke signaled Jason.
Jason used earth magic.
"Stone Edge!"
As the 2nd Circle magic Stone Edge activated, pillars rose from the ground.
The wolves that were rushing in crashed into the pillars and fell.
Arin shot fireballs at the fallen wolves, and Claire also shot arrows in rapid succession.
Zeke and Rick, holding their swords, charged and swept away the faltering wolves.
Crash!
Rick swung his shield, striking a wolf's head, and then cut its neck with his sword.
Zeke also swung Bahamut and stabbed the charging wolves to death.
Yelp!
The wolves, unable to withstand the attacks of Zeke and his party, who were perfectly coordinated, retreated and didn't enter the cave any further.
It was then.
Fog started seeping in from outside the cave.
[Detected the fog of the corrupted forest.]
[The constitution All Poisons Immunity neutralizes the effects of the fog.]
Zeke, checking the message, shouted to the party,
"Don't breathe in the fog! It's poisonous! Arin! Cast Firewall in front of the cover!"
At Zeke's words, Arin cast Firewall.
Whoosh!
As a giant wall of fire appeared, the fog couldn't spread further and began to gather at the front of the cave.
As the fog thickened to the point where they couldn't see ahead, something started to enter the cave.
Giggle!
A bizarre sound, like the laughter of a child or the scream of a mad old woman, echoed through the cave.
As the sound grew louder, Rick and the others clutched their heads and staggered.
"Ugh."
Zeke noticed that there was some kind of magical effect in the sound.
Suddenly, Claire behind him covered her ears and collapsed.
"Ugh! Please stop! Stop!"
Not only Claire, but everyone in Rick's party was suffering from the strange laughter.
Zeke, realizing that it was the Steadfast Mental Defense skill protecting him, quickly used it as an Area of Effect Buff.
Woooong!
As Steadfast Mental Defense was applied, Rick and his party, who had been suffering, gradually regained their senses.
Jason pressed his temples and got up.
"Ugh, what was that? I suddenly feel better."
While Rick and his party were recovering, Zeke used Dragon Eye to examine the fog closely.
And he identified what brought this fog.
'A tree?'
What was in the fog was none other than a giant tree.
It was then.
Crash!
Suddenly, tree branches sprang from the ground, trying to entangle Zeke and his party.
"W-what?!"
Thanks to Zeke's buff, Rick and his party, who had regained their senses, were able to barely dodge the tree branches that sprang from the ground.
Zeke cut the branches that were trying to entangle him with Bahamut.
Crack!
Red sap, like blood, gushed out from the cut branches.
Jason used earth magic to dig up the ground where the branches sprouted.
Rumble!
Dozens of tree branches were wriggling, moving through the ground.
Arin immediately shot fireballs at the ground.
Whoosh!
The burning branches twisted and screamed.
Screech!
It was clear that it was trying to shake their minds with the fog and sound, and then stealthily entangle them with branches to drain their life force.
Zeke shouted to the party,
"It seems like the warlock summoned an evil tree spirit!"
Rick and his party's faces hardened at the mention of a tree spirit.
In the mountains, tree spirits were one of the most difficult monsters to deal with.
Furthermore, since it was summoned by a warlock, it was highly likely to be an ancient spirit that had grown in power by consuming humans for a long time.
Rick stepped forward with his sword and shield.
"While I block the spirit, everyone else escapes outside!"
He meant to create an opening by using himself as bait.
Zeke, seeing Rick readily offering his life, lightly struck his shield with his sword.
Thump!
Rick looked at Zeke with a surprised expression.
Zeke said to Rick with a sharp look,
"Playing hero is fine, but as a party leader, you need to learn to make more objective decisions."
The plan of using himself as bait was the worst plan and a last resort that should only be chosen in unavoidable situations.
At first glance, it might seem like a noble sacrifice, but in a different light, it was giving up and running away.
As if realizing something from Zeke's words, Rick nodded.
"You're right, Sir Zeke. I was foolish."
"Even if it's a spirit, its main body is still a tree. It'll be weak to fire, so we can handle it with Arin's magic. Claire, build a fire here and prepare fire arrows. Let's be prepared in case Arin's magic power runs out."
Zeke continued giving instructions to Jason.
"Jason, if we can't block the tree spirit, use magic to collapse the front of the cave. The spirit has to return to where it belongs when the sun rises, so we just have to hold out until then."
Rick and his party gained confidence that they could survive with Zeke's clear instructions.
Rumble!
Just then, the Firewall that Arin had cast lost its effect, and the fog gradually seeped in.
"Arin! Maintain the Firewall to prevent the fog from entering!"
Arin corrected her posture and cast Firewall again.
Whoosh!
The key was to adjust the intensity so that the fog wouldn't enter and maintain it for a long time.
'An evil tree spirit. With a spirit like that, the warlock must be nearby.'
Of course, if Zeke used his full power, he could easily eliminate such a spirit.
But Zeke's aim was to barely hold back the spirit and make the hiding warlock come out on their own.
Zeke, preparing for the spirit's attack with Rick and his party, continued to observe the surroundings using the Dragon Tooth Soldiers outside.
He completely erased their presence with a minimal number of soldiers, worried that the warlock might notice the Dragon Tooth Soldiers and escape.
Giggle!
The tree spirit started laughing eerily again.
But this time, a much stronger curse filled the cave.
If it weren't for the Steadfast Mental Defense buff, Rick and his party would have already collapsed and died, their life force sucked out by the tree spirit.
Just as Arin's Firewall was weakening,
Whoosh!
Wooden fragments flew from beyond the fog like arrows.
Thud!
Zeke and Rick deflected the wooden fragments with their swords.
It was then.
'Foolish mortals. You shall meet your deaths here today.'