Chapter 4
Huff, huff.
I hadn't noticed while we were running, but as soon as we stopped, the arm drawing the bowstring began to tremble.
Or was it from fear?
Oh, right. I still had some stat points left over from leveling up, didn't I?
I hurriedly opened my status window to spend my remaining bonus stat points.
Katrina (Elf) Female Lv. 8
Class: None
Stats
Strength[20]
Agility[25]
Magic[7]
Stamina[21]
Bonus Points: 70
Skills
[ Alien Language Expert max ]
Titles
None
Possessions ??
??????
To my surprise, I was already level 8, perhaps because I'd just killed someone.
You can level up by killing people?
But I'd only reached level 3 from the experience I got for killing two goblins. How had I reached level 8 just now?
Judging by that, the archer I'd just killed must've been at least level 20.
That's high, but if I spend these 70 points, my stats will be comparable to someone around level 34.
Phew...
I slowly caught my breath and put 15 points into Strength, 35 into Agility, and 30 into Stamina.
I wanted to put more into Strength, but I was exhausted, so I put more points into Stamina, which would improve my endurance and help my body recover.
Once I assigned the points, the trembling eased a little, and my chest, which had been heaving with difficulty, felt a bit better.
"Chris, I'll explain later. You have a kukri and a dagger, right? Lend them to me."
"What? Then you want me to shoot the bow? Even in the military, the platoon leader wouldn't let me fire my gun because he said the ammo was too precious."
"I might be able to handle them on my own."
The leader scoffed when he heard me.
"Ha! You got cocky after running away and killing one of the Diel bastards by surprise? With those big tits and pretty face, you looked like a premium catch, so I was going to take you alive and sell you. Fine, I'll have my way with each of you before I sell you."
At his cliché villain line, Chris looked at me with a grave expression.
"He says that. Are you sure you can win?"
"It's better than just letting them catch us, isn't it?"
Chris quickly pulled a dagger from his inventory and handed it over with the kukri.
I threw away my bow, gripped the kukri in my right hand, and held the dagger in reverse in my left.
I closed my eyes and exhaled once.
I can do this.
I muttered to myself that I could do it.
I opened my eyes wide and glared at them.
Two of them had bastard swords, one had a round shield and a longsword, and the leader was holding a dagger.
Chris trusted me and had handed over all the weapons, so I couldn't let him get caught up in this.
I have to charge at them.
Thump!
I sprinted forward.
The man with the round shield saw me coming and held it out to block my path. His longsword hand was drawn back, as if he planned to block my attack with the shield and then stab me.
He would've been a tough opponent before I assigned my stats, but my Agility was 60 now.
As I neared the shield, the big man tried to shove me over with it.
I leapt to the right to avoid it and threw my dagger at him.
The big man hadn't expected me to throw the dagger. While he panicked at the blade flying toward his face, I jumped toward Lackey #1, who was standing behind him with a bastard sword, and brought my kukri down diagonally.
"Ugh!"
My Strength was only 35, but Lackey #1 groaned as he struggled to block my attack, which had my whole body behind it.
With his stance off balance, I crouched low and thrust my kukri into his abdomen.
Clang!
But Lackey #1 knocked it aside at once, as if he wouldn't go down so easily, then grinned and stabbed at my thigh.
I dodged the attack aimed at my thigh, lowering my stance.
From there, I kicked off and slipped into Lackey #1's reach, then slashed across his unprotected belly with my kukri once more.
Slash!
Hot blood splattered.
"Aaaagh!"
That was easier than I expected. I'd taken one of them out already.
A good start.
The wound was deep, and it looked like his insides were about to spill out. He probably wouldn't last much longer.
Just then, the big man behind me attacked, aiming for my legs.
I twisted away, drove my elbow into Lackey #1's face, stowed the kukri in my inventory, and stole the bastard sword he was holding.
I saw Lackey #2 charge from behind Lackey #1 as the leader threw a dagger at me.
I jumped in a hurry, planted a dropkick in Lackey #1's chest, and used the recoil to launch myself backward.
Thud!
I spun.
After a backward somersault, I looked up and saw the two lackeys falling with their bodies tangled together, while the leader's dagger, having lost its target, flew toward the big man.
The big man was startled by the dagger suddenly flying at him and hurriedly raised his shield.
I immediately threw the bastard sword toward Chris, then gripped the kukri in reverse in my left hand again and ran at the big man.
The dagger flew straight toward the big man's shield and stuck in it.
Thunk!
I saw nearly half the dagger's blade buried in the shield.
The boss must be pretty strong.
After blocking the dagger, the big man saw me charging and hurriedly thrust his longsword at my shoulder, but I had no intention of getting hit by such a slow attack.
I slipped aside and slashed at his arm with the kukri in my reverse grip.
Slash!
"Ugh! Damn it!"
The momentum of his thrust made my slash longer than I'd expected. He didn't drop his sword, but he didn't look like he could swing it with that arm.
"Karin! Watch your back!"
At Chris's shout, I glanced behind me.
The leader had circled around behind me. I saw him throw three daggers.
I immediately jumped, stepped on the dagger embedded in the shield, and leapt over the big man's head.
The daggers coming toward me flew toward the big man again.
"Fuck! Not me again!"
Krak-ka-kak!
I heard something hit the shield, and as I fell behind the big man, I gripped the kukri in both hands and drove it deep into his right shoulder, putting my weight behind it.
"Kyaaaah!"
I kicked the big man's right hand, making him drop his longsword, snatched it up, and hurled myself backward.
Tap!
My feet tangled as I landed, and I nearly fell, but Chris, standing behind me, caught me.
I'd put bonus points into Stamina, but it seemed that hadn't restored the stamina I'd already lost. I was exhausted.
I wasn't tired enough to collapse, but, as I'd said, taking on everyone was too much for me.
I was stupid to think I might be able to handle them on my own.
Lackey #2 was pressing both hands against Lackey #1's belly to stop the bleeding, while the big man screamed, unable to pull the kukri from his shoulder.
The boss hadn't made a move. For some reason, he was still calmly watching what I did.
He occasionally threw a dagger, but I was glad he wasn't joining the fight.
"Huff, huff... Chris, finish off the one with the shield, then assign your stat points and take on the boss. I'm exhausted."
Chris was more skilled than me, so taking on the boss shouldn't be a problem for him.
Before I could hear Chris's answer, I charged at Lackey #2, who was distracted by Lackey #1.
"You fucking bitch!"
I wished he'd stayed distracted, but as soon as I charged, Lackey #2 reacted at once.
The man who'd been holding Lackey #1's belly looked at me viciously and raised his sword.
Clang!
I brought it down with the momentum of my charge, but my Strength was still too low, and I was exhausted. Lackey #2 easily blocked my attack.
Damn, I just have to hold out until Chris finishes over there.
I thought to myself as I glanced over to see what the boss was doing.
The boss was pulling a dagger from his clothes, apparently planning to throw another one.
'Why isn't he charging in with the others? Well, thanks to that, I should be able to keep this guy occupied until I run out of stamina.'
"You bitch! Where do you get off looking away?!"
Krrrnk!
Maybe he thought my glance had been a sign of complacency. Angrily, Lackey #2 put his strength behind the same guard he'd used to block my attack and shoved my sword aside.
My arm went up into the air along with my sword, and Lackey #2 brought his blade down from the raised position.
"Karin!"
Chris, who had just finished off the big man, shouted when he saw me.
I was weaker, but fortunately, I had the advantage in speed and balance.
I used the force of Lackey #2's shove to leap far backward.
Or I tried to.
I looked down when I felt something grab my ankle.
I saw Lackey #1 gripping it with one hand. He must not have been dead yet.
Until now, in the game, I'd known whether a monster was alive or dead from system notifications. Because of that, I hadn't thought Lackey #1 was still alive.
Damn it!
Because of him, I fell instead of leaping backward, and I saw Lackey #2's sword come down, aimed at my thigh.
'Shit!'
The sword's motion changed from a slash to a downward stab, and it pierced my thigh.
Kkwaak!
"Kyaaaah!"
At the same time, I fell and slammed my back into the ground, the impact knocking the breath from me.
"Kikik, you fucking bitch..."
With those words, Lackey #1 died, and the pressure of his hand around my ankle disappeared.
"Don't kill her. One leg's already crippled, so just restrain her."
"But three of us got taken down by this one bitch!"
Lackey #2's sword, full of rage, tore into my thigh.
"Aaaaaaagh!!"
"Fuck! That's why I said not to cause any more losses! Let's make her despair slowly."
I couldn't think straight from the pain of him tearing into my thigh. Lackey #2 kicked the weapon out of my hand while I was dazed.
"Aaaagh..."
The pain was driving me mad.
"Whether one leg's crippled or both, what's the difference?"
Thwack!
"Kyaaaah!"
"That bitch is merchandise, I told you! Just try killing her."
Maybe Lackey #2 was furious. He raised his sword and brought it down on my uninjured thigh, too.
Chris saw me and tried to charge over with his sword raised, but Lackey #2 blocked him.
"Stop, if you don't want to see this bitch suffer."
Growling, Lackey #2 tore into my thigh with his sword again.
The pain was so intense I couldn't even scream. My mouth fell open, my eyes widened, and tears streamed down my face.
"Stop!"
"If you want me to stop, throw your weapons far away."
Clang.
"Good. Now kneel and put both hands on your head."
Crack!
Maybe Chris's attitude, glaring at the boss with clenched teeth, displeased Lackey #2.
He tore my thigh to shreds again.
"Aaaagh! Ah..."
The pain made my vision go black.
Thud.
As Karin's eyes rolled back and she passed out, Chris immediately dropped to his knees and put a hand on the back of Karin's head.
The man who seemed to be the leader approached me, tied my hands behind my back with a rope, and hauled me to my feet.
"Get up and walk toward your lover."
The boss dragged me over to where Karin was, ordered Lackey #2 to step back, and drew his sword.
Karin's thighs were in full view, torn up so badly they were little more than rags. Her face was as white as a sheet from all the blood she'd lost.
Just then, the boss took advantage of Lackey #2's distraction and cut his throat.
"You turned her into a wreck, you bastard."
He took a red potion from his clothes and fed it to the unconscious Karin, then took out another bottle and poured it over her thighs.
"Damn, wasting this expensive stuff on her. Well, whatever—there are two elves, after all."
The boss sneered at the unconscious Katrina with a nasty grin.
"I was wondering what to do if they were weak, since I couldn't sense any mana from them. But it looks like they can at least kill these guys. Saved me the trouble of getting my hands dirty."
Maybe they weren't close enough to feel any real camaraderie—or perhaps he hadn't planned to share in the first place.
"We've gotten past the crisis for now, but if you don't hurry, your girlfriend's going to die. That's not what I want either, so cooperate, got it? Heh heh heh."
Did I really have to be dragged off like this...?
Damn it...