Chapter 812 - 503 "Lucky" Blair_2
Chapter 812 -503 “Lucky” Blair_2
Strictly speaking, although the Gordon Kingdom was much more powerful compared to the Archibald Kingdom and the Paluo Federation, the restraint from the Kael Kingdom to the west meant that many of its armies were preoccupied with that front.
Even though Prince Gerard of the Gordon Kingdom personally led the troops here, more often than not, he could only adopt a defensive posture, unable to drive the allied forces of the Archibald Kingdom and the Paluo Federation out of the kingdom’s borders.
After such a lengthy stalemate, not only were many within the Gordon Kingdom restless, but those occupying the advantageous position from the Archibald Kingdom and the Paluo Federation were also growing impatient.
An advantage that couldn’t be turned into a victory was concerning, for if the Gordon Kingdom were to recover its strength, the ones to suffer would be them.
This was also why Blair had taken such a roundabout path. Apart from the tense center of the battlefield, both sides had similarly dispatched teams of Extraordinary Professionals in other directions, hoping to make a breakthrough elsewhere.
If the paths Blair could have taken were not more rugged and fraught with the danger of encountering more perilous Magic Beasts, he would surely have taken an even longer detour.
With the Ancient Copper Ring in possession, simply reaching the destination safely was a huge gain.
“Hmm?”
Blair, who was focused on his path, twitched his ears and immediately looked towards the hillside in front of him to the right.
The hillside was covered with low shrubs. Although it was already autumn, the greenery was lush with no sign of withering.
Even though the sound was momentary, he still noticed it.
Has it stopped?
Blair stared intently in that direction, the sharp Short Sword gripped in his hand as he slowly backed away.
If it was a wild beast or a Demon, there wouldn’t be just that little noise.
Clearly, the ones hiding there were people, it was just uncertain how many.
Bandits?
Probably not…
Blair had previously encountered these kinds of bandits, who, despite their common strength, posed quite the nuisance with their numerical advantage when moving in groups.
Most importantly, bandits generally wouldn’t bother to hide upon seeing him alone; instead, they would rush out yelling at the top of their lungs.
Tsk!
Couldn’t be so unlucky, right?
Blair inwardly groaned, moving step by step backwards.
Just when he thought it was all over, suddenly two figures emerged from the bushes on that hillside, one after the other, charging in Blair’s direction.
Seeing the standard leather armor they wore, Blair knew he was in trouble.
In such a remote place, to encounter a military squad of Professionals?
Was his luck really that bad?
Although he could not tell whether these two belonged to the Gordon Kingdom or the allied forces of the Archibald Kingdom and the Paluo Federation, either way, if caught by them, he would be in deep trouble.
No longer holding back, Blair burst forth at his fastest speed towards the direction he had come from, his peripheral vision constantly scanning the two pursuing figures.
The slow-moving tall figure was probably a warrior, while the small figure closely following behind seemed to be an assassin.
The moment he realized this, Blair’s heart sank.
With an assassin present, it was difficult for him as a Ranger to shake off the pursuit by speed alone, the only good news being that both individuals were likely Silver Rank Professionals, not much stronger than him.
He had to find a way to escape, injuring the assassin to have a chance of getting away.
With this thought in mind, Blair didn’t stop running.
Typically, a team of Extraordinary Professionals consisted of at least three members. Who knew if there were others lying in wait on that hillside?
First, increase the distance. The chances of a successful escape would be greater.
After rounding another hillside, Blair keenly sensed that one pursuit had dropped off behind him.
Sensing something was amiss, he immediately dove towards the front right, rolled to disperse the impact, and turned to look back.
He saw the slender assassin at the spot where Blair had just been, holding a Dagger that gleamed with a cold light in a reverse grip.
Blair took a deep breath, clutching the Short Sword in his hand, feeling the metallic chill tingling at his fingertips.
At this distance, there wasn’t room to use a bow and arrow; he could only begin responding to the enemy with his short sword.
Seeing his first strike miss, the short assassin didn’t enter Stealth State but charged straight at Blair.
There was no need to wait for an opportunity to assassinate now; he just had to hold out until his teammates arrived.
Blair’s combat experience was also quite rich; sensing that his opponent was not holding back at all, he discarded the idea of offering explanations or pleading for mercy.
Now was his best opportunity as well; if he could repel this assassin during this one-on-one moment, escaping the warrior afterward would be easy.
The assassin sought an opening from Blair’s left side, moving lightly and swiftly, his dagger aimed at Blair’s throat like a venomous snake.
Blair’s heart tightened, and he retreated quickly while simultaneously swinging his sword to block the incoming dagger.
But with a light flick of his wrist, the assassin drew an agile arc with his dagger towards Blair’s shoulder.
He was only wearing leather armor, which couldn’t completely fend off an attack from an assassin of the same level.
Blair ignored the assassin’s attack and instead kicked at his opponent’s abdomen.
Thud~
A muffled sound echoed, and the slender assassin stumbled back several steps, his face paling slightly.
Although Blair’s strength wasn’t great, the pain of being hit in the lower abdomen still caused the assassin’s movements to slow for a moment.
Blair didn’t hesitate and swiftly closed the gap to the assassin’s body.
The figure of the warrior companion had already appeared in his sight; there wasn’t much time left for him.
Blair swung his sword backhandedly towards the assassin’s body, his supple form stretching like a drawn longbow.
The assassin’s eyes did not betray any panic as he clenched his dagger to meet Blair.
Just intercept this blow, and his partner would have caught up.
At that moment, the assassin’s gaze sharpened; he saw Blair’s empty left hand reaching straight for his dagger.
What?
The assassin looked surprised; he hadn’t expected Blair to be so decisive, apparently trying to trade injury for life.
He could clearly see that Blair’s left hand wore only a normal leather glove, possessing no defensive ability.
Grabbing his dagger like that, even with some luck, would break a few fingers at best.
Damn!
The assassin reacted instantly; he didn’t want to die so miserably here.
Having no choice, he retracted his dagger and quickly retreated.
Even so, Blair’s short sword grazed past his chest, leaving a deep wound on his left shoulder.
Clutching his shoulder, the short assassin stepped back, his face grim as he glared at Blair.
Blair felt a bit regretful; his opponent was quite decisive.
If the other party had not dodged but chosen to face the blow, he would have been injured but the assassin would have lost the ability to pursue, and with a trump card, he would still have managed to escape safely.
Now, although the wound on the opponent’s shoulder wasn’t light, it hardly affected his speed.
In just a few moments of engagement, the warrior had also caught up.
He advanced with heavy steps, like a wild beast in a fury, swinging a huge axe at Blair. The blade of the axe cut through the air, emitting a sharp whistle.
Blair’s form flashed, nimbly dodging the lethal strike, choosing not to counterattack but to widen the distance as much as possible.
This was really troublesome!
Blair’s heart sank slightly as he began to fend off both adversaries.
The battle escalated; his movements grew faster, his sword flashing, turning into a silver whirlwind. However, the relentless attacks from his two adversaries were like a storm, putting increased pressure on Blair.
Time ticked by, and Blair’s stamina gradually drained. His breathing became labored, and sweat soaked his clothes. However, he did not give up, continuing to fight, wielding his sword against his enemies.
The battle ended, Blair gasping for air, his body swaying. He looked up at the sky to see the stars twinkling as if celebrating his victory. Although he could only barely resist the attacks from the two adversaries, he ultimately won the battle through his perseverance and outstanding skills.