NOVEL WEB Chapter 16: Finally… I Won.
Vandelion stepped forward, he brushed the slight dust off his cloak while he rotated his shoulders. He rested one of his hands on his hip and let out a casual when like he had just woken up from a nap.
"Well? Come on, kid." He taunted Ethan, voice echoing through the entire courtyard. "I'll not even raise my sword at you at first. Give me your best, try to land a strike on me."
The gathered knights burst out into chuckles. One of them whispered among themselves. "Hell snap the brat in half, lol."
Ethan gulped, and sweat started to drip through his forehead.
'Alright. Just one strike… it's just one strike, I definitely can pull this off. I just have to tag him once… somehow.' Ethan thought while his face started to get covered with his sweat.
He opened his system window, fingered trembling.
[Name: Ethan Graves] [Race: Human]
[Class: Overlord (SSS-Class)] [Level: 5]
[Health: 100/100] [Mana: 120/120]
[Strength: C+] [Agility: C-]
[Endurance: C+] [Intellect: B-]
[Charisma: B] [Luck: B-]
[Dominion Points: 0] [Potential Rating: SSS]
[Harem Slots: 0/10] [Stat Points: 15]
His eyes were locked on the stat points.
'Fuck it all… all of them into agility.'
He dumped all 15 of them into agility stat.
[Agility upgraded: C- → B]
He clenched the wooden sword so tight that his knuckles and palm started to go white. 'Alright. Let's try this, I can do this now. At least I have few hope.'
Ethan dashed forward, legs started pumping with energy, sword in the air— aimed towards Vandelion's ribs.
But Vandelion only leaned a bit to the side, it was graceful just like a drifting leaf in the air.
"You're too slow, brat." Vandelion side with a wide grin on his face.
A massive palm hit across Ethan's cheek, sending him flying into the dirt. His blood came out of his mouth, it was the first time when he tasted his blood. Started to see stars, falling unconscious.
"Fucking hell, I messed up real bad," Ethan whispered under his breath.
He muttered all of his strength and got up, vain still blurry.
"I told you." Vandelion mocked Ethan while being calm as the ocean. "You're not ready to be a knight yet, boy."
Ethan spat to the side, saliva filled with blood came out of his mouth and covered the small portion of the ground with his blood.
Cleaned blood off of his lips. 'Like hell, I am gonna give this up, I'll be winning this and complete my quest.'
He gripped his sword again and dashed forward towards the Vandelion.
Vandelion dodged— and this time slammed a hand to The gut of Ethan. Aur started to explode from his lungs as soon as the hand hit his gut.
He still dodged over a bit, wheezing.
[Dominion Warlord Trait Active – Battle Focus]
+20% Speed and Perception for 10 seconds.
Time seemed to slow down. The mumbling and chucked of the knights turned into echoes. Ethan's eyes started to widen as he saw every micro/movement in crystal clarity: the flex of Vandelion's thigh muscle, the subtle twist in his wrist, the faint shifting of his weight onto his left foot to change the momentum
'I can see everything… His left foot always moves before he swings…' Ethan thought while noticing and analyzing the movements of Vandelion.
He tightened his grip. 'Feint left. Go right for the hit and then boom.'
He lunged towards the left, blade low— then twisted violently right, cutting upwards.
CRACK.
Wood slammed into Vandelion's chest with a thudding sound. The entire courtyard seemed like it froze.
Gasps started to emerge between the knights. Vandelion blinked, then he tilted his head.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
[Knight's Trial Complete.]
[Class Obtained: Knight.]
[Hybrid Path: Dominion Warlord Unlocked.]
Ethan staffed a little bit to the forward, heart beating at the speed of a train, and his grin started to widen.
He falls onto his knees. "I fucking did it…"
The knights around him broke into stunned whispers. Vandelion stood straight, eyes narrowing a bit— but there was a flicker of hope in his eyes that he never got from any other mage in ages now.
"Good strike, boy." He raised his voice. "You had me there. Welcome to the Empire's ranks… Ethan graves."
Ethan got up, barely managing to stand still. His arms were trembling, blood flowing down from his knuckles. But his grin. His grin was shining like a sun.
'Finally, I have knight class now… part one of—check. Now… it's time to get Dark Mage class.' Ethan thought while looking at his system window.