"Clang!"
A snapping sound echoed through the quiet woods.
Durin caught a glimpse of a cold glint flying rapidly towards his back out of the corner of his eye. He immediately rolled on the ground, and the sharp, three-edged arrowhead of a crossbow bolt tore through his silk Mage Apprentice robe, leaving a noticeable rip.
The crossbow bolt, having been dodged, struck the wooden pillar of the gazebo squarely with a crunch, the arrowhead deeply embedded, sending a shower of wood splinters flying.
Crossbow bolt?!
Durin narrowly dodged the ambush, his face still pale with fright, while Daisy, on the other side, had lost all traces of her smile. She drew a sharp, ox-ear shaped dagger from her jeans waistband and lunged at Durin like a spring.
Under the moonlight, Durin clearly saw the dagger's appearance: its hilt was a bronze lion's head, and the blade had a blood groove in the middle. It was 12 centimeters long and slightly curved.
The sharp tip of the blade allowed it to be used for both stabbing and thrusting, and usually, a single thrust to the stomach could disembowel someone, making it extremely vicious.
But Daisy held the dagger in a reverse grip, only aiming at Durin's arm.
Hmm? Not attacking my vital points?
Durin immediately realized that Daisy wanted to capture him alive.
But Durin was no longer who he used to be. Supported by 80 points in one-handed proficiency and 55 points in Running proficiency, his vision was far sharper than an ordinary person's. He instantly formulated a counter-plan, skillfully twisting his body to retreat while attempting to unstrap the worn round shield from his back.
Swish! Swish!
As Durin dodged, Daisy's dagger missed twice in a row.
This made her expression change slightly. Her third attack was no longer aimed at Durin's arms, but directly at his abdomen!
However, due to the Shieldbearer specialty reducing the shield's weight impact on Durin's movement, Durin had already unstrapped the shield from his back in that lightning-fast moment, holding it in front of him.
Thud!
The slightly curved dagger struck the round shield heavily, emitting a dull thud and sending a shower of splintered wood flying.
Swish! Swish!
Daisy's movements were incredibly swift, slashing rapidly like a sudden downpour, but all were blocked one by one by the shield in Durin's hand.
"Damn it!"
Daisy couldn't help but curse, then executed a 180° spinning side kick, her leg exploding with power like an iron whip, striking the shield fiercely.
Thud!
The monstrous strength unleashed by her leg muscles and thigh tendons would have sent an ordinary person flying with one kick. Fortunately, Durin's physical quality was much stronger than that of a normal person. His arm holding the shield felt a surge of soreness, and he couldn't help but retreat several large steps.
But just as he created distance from Daisy, Durin suddenly turned and charged towards the direction from which the crossbow bolt had been fired earlier.
This action greatly surprised Daisy, and even the crossbowman hiding in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity, was completely unprepared for this situation.
As Durin rushed into the thicket, he saw the burly man, built like a black bear, holding a delicate hand crossbow, frantically trying to leave.
Upon realizing Durin's approach, the man hastily discarded the hand crossbow, drew a short knife from his waist, and hurriedly prepared for battle.
"Bang!"
The cold, gleaming bludgeon, empowered by Durin's [Firm Grip], [Swift Strike], and [Madness] specialties, heavily collided with the black-skinned brute's short knife.
Durin immediately and keenly perceived that this seemingly burly black-skinned brute was actually all show and no substance. Compared to Durin's strength, his was as weak as a chick, not even matching Daisy's.
"Daisy! Daisy! Didn't you say he was just a Mage Apprentice?!"
The black-skinned brute retreated frantically, blocking the incredibly heavy bludgeon while shouting loudly, "How can this guy fight so well? Get him away! Quick… Ah!!!"
According to the character card system's proficiency assessment, Durin estimated that this black-skinned brute's one-handed proficiency was at most around 30 points. Facing Durin's fierce assault, he exposed a weakness in just a couple of moves.
Durin, having already experienced several life-or-death struggles, and with 80 points in one-handed weapon proficiency and 55 points in Running proficiency, immediately seized this opportunity. His body shot out like a cannonball, transforming into an eager lunge, locking his arm, changing his stance, and smashing down hard!
Bang!
Crack!
Durin performed this series of actions in one fluid motion. The incredibly heavy hammerhead, combined with its sharp iron spikes, smashed heavily onto the black-skinned brute's left shoulder.
"Ah!!"
In an instant, crimson blood splattered everywhere, and the black-skinned brute's left shoulder was instantly smashed into a bloody mess by the bludgeon.
The black-skinned brute involuntarily tilted to the left, falling to the ground in a pathetic heap, the short knife he held rolling directly to the side.
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