==
Sir Lancelynx Lv.7 (Guardian)
HP: 420 / 420
==
'Sigh, sad to say you might have never been able to beat this foe, Brother Bob, but don't worry, I'll defeat him for you,' Daru vowed as he locked eyes with the rather well-dressed lynx across from him, who stood at almost the same height.
To his surprise, it spoke:
"Do yourself a favor and leave, intruder."
Daru froze for a moment.
"You…can speak?"
"Why, of course I can. I'm a proud member of the Nyaights of the Flipped Cardboard Box. If I can't even do such a simple thing, I might as well take my own life so as not to embarrass my king."
"Your king? Where's your king?"
"You're not qualified to know, human. Enough talking, En Garde!"
In the next moment, Sir Lancelynx dashed forward, far faster than Bolo Bob ever could.
But Daru was now level five, approaching level six.
He was far from being outleveled this time.
In fact, his eyes could follow the nimble nyaight's movements just fine.
The feline swordspawn soon arrived within striking distance, skidding to a halt and thrusting at Daru swiftly and compactly.
The attack wasn't too difficult for him to dodge.
Daru tilted his head a bit before counterattacking with a slash, but unfortunately, the compact motion of the opener allowed Sir Lancelynx to easily transition into defense, a stoic look on the feline's face as he skillfully parried the incoming blow.
Lancelynx then stabbed at his face, executing a vicious yet graceful riposte.
Daru had already predicted this would be the case, though, right from the moment his attack was parried.
He easily evaded the nasty thrust by following through with the tachi's diagonally downward motion and pushing Sir Lancelynx off with a dashing shoulder tackle before slashing his rusty blade horizontally in an attempt to cut the feline nyaight in half.
Unfortunately, Lancelynx was also quite skilled and was able to barely push himself off the ground before the tachi arrived, utilizing the backward momentum of the push to backflip and land perfectly a distance away.
But the nyaight wasn't able to escape unscathed. His left leg suffered a minor wound and was now bleeding in red cubic particles.
[-17]
"Hmph, you're quite skilled for a novice, human." Lancelynx snorted, clearly impressed.
"You're one to talk, Nyaight. That backflip was quite awesome." Daru praised right back.
"Hahaha! Indeed it was, but unfortunately, flattery won't work on me, the wise Lancelynx. Save your saliva for your woman. En garde!"
After the short verbal exchange, the nyaight once again stepped within striking distance, but this time, he didn't dare charge recklessly, showing depth by respecting his opponent's skills.
Daru felt a bit pleased and excited at the sudden change in style.
He had the range advantage. However, it seemed like the feline swordspawn had a plan.
Daru still struck first without hesitation, stabbing at Lancelynx.
The attack was dodged quite easily, but this was within his expectations.
Sir Lancelynx then stepped forward to close the gap, striking back with a fierce thrust and failing to realize that the attack was a mere feint.
Daru didn't push through with it and pulled back early.
The feline nyaight's eyes widened as Daru transitioned into a diagonal, downward slash, realizing his rapier wouldn't reach, and he would be slashed in half if he didn't do something.
Unfortunately, Lancelynx's options were limited, and he could only angle his rapier to block the attack.
This wasn't an ideal move, given the structure of his light and thin weapon.
And so, the feline nyaight was sent flying to the side, lightly spraining his ankle as he rolled once before recovering his footing with the help of his clawed paws.
Due to a certain number of factors, such as the tachi's effective range, the full momentum of the attack, and the limited effectiveness of blocking with a rapier, the tip of Daru's weapon reached Sir Lancelynx's right eye, cutting it lightly and making the feline bleed red cubic particles.
"Nyargh!"
Another red value floated above Lancelynx's head:
[-69]
To Daru's surprise, the feline spawn didn't even glance at him. It violently shook its head and suddenly made a mad dash for the well.
Sir Lancelynx then unhesitatingly jumped and landed on the bucket suspended at the center, untying the rope with one quick, practiced pull.
The nyaight began descending to the depths, leaving the words:
"You win this time, human. Come follow me to my kingdom, if you dare."
Daru frowned.
"You're running?"
He gave desperate chase, grabbing onto the rope and pulling the worn bucket up with all his strength.
Unfortunately, Sir Lancelynx had already mysteriously disappeared.
Daru clicked his tongue, muttering in frustration:
"What a dishonorable nyaight you are…"
But his spoiled mood didn't last for long, as, in the next moment, a stream of notifications suddenly appeared in front of him:
[You've completed the quest: Eye for an Eye]
[The quest rewards of (50) Novice Swordheart Cores, (200) Swordcoins, Title (Bob's Sworn Brother), 5,000 Experience Points (Penalty-immune), and Bob's Eyepatch (E), have been deposited into your inventory.]
[Congratulations! You've leveled up to 6!]
[You've discovered a hidden novice dungeon: Catmelot Kingdom (Solo)]
[You've defeated the Dungeon Entrance's Guardian and gained access to a dungeon key: (Old Wooden Bucket)]
Unfortunately, what followed them was the warping of the world to a complete white void, and the moment his vision cleared, he found himself staring at the ceiling of their classroom.
He would have to check the rewards tomorrow.