abnabooks Chapter 13 One Against Eight
Chapter 13 One Against Eight
The wedge of the mind, a magic trick.
This is a 0-level spell that combines control and damage.
It also has a nickname: the killer of the mentally challenged.
It can be surprisingly effective against enemies with low intelligence, such as wild beasts or mindless monsters.
Kane stroked the ring, several scenarios of using it flashing through his mind, but he suppressed them one by one.
Finally, he simply closed his eyes to rest and stopped thinking about it.
Silent all night.
The next day, at the first light of dawn.
Kane looked down at Shar, who was still lying on the ground.
Her forehead was burning hot, which made him frown.
Shar was in a daze, muttering incoherently.
"What should we do...?"
Kane thought quickly.
His "potion making" skill is only level 2, and he has no prescriptions for the right ailment.
He looked out into the forest, then back at the weak-breathing Shar, and whispered:
"Try anything, even if it's a last resort. Hopefully, the god you believe in will protect you."
After making the decision, he first covered the cave entrance with dead leaves, then turned and rushed into the forest.
In his previous life, he had heard that boiling willow bark in water could reduce fever and relieve pain.
But where are the willow trees in this dark forest?
Everywhere there were unfamiliar trees whose names I didn't know.
Fortunately, he had a system panel and the ability to be immortal.
He peeled off the bark of seven or eight different trees nearby, brought them back outside the cave, and boiled them in batches.
Then, he became his own first test subject.
After drinking the first one, a message appeared before my eyes: [Mild poisoning: nerve paralysis].
He immediately activated his immortality, and the discomfort quickly subsided.
The second type is when redness appears on the skin, indicating an allergic reaction: rash. Purification is needed.
The third symptom is dizziness and vertigo, which indicates hallucinogenic toxins: sensory confusion. Further purification is needed.
……
He tried again and again, expressionless, clearing the abnormal state each time.
The fire flickered, illuminating his silent profile.
Finally, with almost no hope, he crushed a tough weed and threw it into boiling water, producing a dark green liquid.
Upon first sip, there is a faint cool sensation that slides down the throat.
The system notification finally appeared:
[Test results: You have ingested a substandard stone root remedy.]
Minor ailments in the body (such as colds or mild toxins) will be temporarily suppressed, lasting for 4 hours.
Become!
Kane's tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and a long-lost joy appeared on his face.
He immediately extinguished the fire, carefully poured the dark green potion into a container, and returned to Shar's side.
He propped her head up.
He gently pried open her chin with one hand and slowly fed her the medicine little by little.
The waiting time felt exceptionally long.
An hour later, he reached out again to test the waters.
The terrifying heat finally began to subside.
Kane breathed a sigh of relief, rebuilt the campfire, and started cooking meat porridge.
After a long while, Shar's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.
She struggled to sit up, but her body was too weak, and she could only stagger towards the rock wall.
Kane approached with the meat porridge and asked softly:
"How are you feeling now?"
Shar opened her mouth, her voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible:
"You...leave me behind, I can't be a burden to you."
Kane shook his head inwardly.
After finally stabilizing the injury, are we going to give up now?
Moreover, without her testimony as the "Lamp Bearer," Nord would likely also be suspected of being associated with the demon cult.
But he simply handed her the warm porridge, looked into her eyes, and said:
"Shar, where's your courage to infiltrate the cult's lair? Is it going to be defeated by a fever?"
Shar froze, her pale lips twitching slightly.
In the end, he didn't say anything more, but just silently sipped his porridge.
Another day has passed.
Shar's health improved at a visible rate.
She can now walk slowly in the cave, but strenuous exercise is clearly not an option yet.
Kane gazed at the dense forest outside the cave, his brow furrowed slightly.
Shar suddenly lowered her head, her cheeks slightly flushed, and said nothing more.
Night fell once more, and all was silent.
The campfire flickered in the center of the cave, casting the shadows of the two figures that appeared to grow larger and smaller.
Shar and Kane sat back to back on the haystack, listening to the chirping of insects outside the cave.
"Kane".
Shar suddenly spoke up, "What are your plans after you arrive in Nord?"
"It's simple," Kane said calmly, "Go learn magic."
"The rules of the Nord mage organization are very strict."
Shar thought about it carefully and said:
"You could consider joining us, the Lantern Bearers. What do you say?"
Kane glanced at her and said casually:
"We'll see."
His tone was flat.
He respected the lantern bearers' convictions, but kept his distance from their near-martyrdom of "justice."
He craved power only to firmly grasp his own destiny, not to sacrifice it to some illusory mission that required the sacrifice of others.
In contrast, the Nord's official organization, the Night Watch, places greater emphasis on the principle of equal rights and responsibilities.
Seeing his dejected expression, a hint of disappointment flashed across Shar's face, but she still said softly:
"It's okay, I'll write you a letter of recommendation."
"Thank you very much."
Kane breathed a sigh of relief.
With the endorsement of the lantern bearer, the subsequent plans will proceed much more smoothly.
Just then, Kane suddenly frowned.
Outside the cave, it seemed too quiet.
"What's wrong?" Shar noticed his unusual behavior and asked in a low voice.
"They're here," Kane said in a deep voice.
Without offering much explanation, he shoved the cocked crossbow into Shar's hand.
"Here you go. Remember, if anything breaks in, shoot it directly unless you hear my pre-arranged signal."
"I see."
Shar gripped the crossbow tightly and nodded. "Be careful."
"rest assured."
Kane took a deep breath and stared intently at the cave entrance.
He pushed aside the obscuring branches and leaves, and with a swift movement, rolled out of the cave.
Almost the instant he appeared, a cold light pierced through the air!
Kane reacted extremely quickly, rolling on the spot, and a short crossbow bolt "whooshed" into the spot where he had been standing.
Before I could get up, the sound of wind cutting through the air came from the right again.
Kane parried with his dagger.
"Ding!"
The arrow was deflected, but another arrow followed closely behind, grazing his arm.
He felt a tingling, itchy sensation in the wound, and in the dim light, he could see that the edges of the bloodstains were faintly dark.
In the darkness of night, three figures slowly emerged.
The one-eyed man was the leader, followed by two companions, who formed a triangle around him.
Kane's heart sank.
"Lord Kane, are you alone? Executor Shar... is your injury too severe to move?"
The one-eyed man grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, and winked at a young assassin behind him.
The young man understood and began to walk towards the cave.
Just as he reached out to push aside the covering—
"Whoosh!"
A crossbow bolt shot precisely from between the leaves, heading straight for his face!
The young man leaned back and retreated sharply, the arrow grazing his nose before embedding itself in the tree trunk behind him, its tail feathers trembling violently.
One-Eyed's face darkened.
Without further hesitation, the three began to slowly move around Kane as the center, their poisoned daggers gleaming with a ghostly blue light.
Like a predatory beast, it stared intently at him.
"Put down your weapons, tie your own hands, and come back with us obediently."
The one-eyed man said ominously:
"If you cooperate, I can pretend I didn't see the person in the cave."
Upon hearing this, Kane suddenly smiled:
"Do you even believe that yourself?"
The one-eyed man's patience vanished instantly, and his expression suddenly turned ferocious:
"Then I'll break your arms and legs and take you back! Then I'll torture and kill that bitch in front of you."
Kane's smile remained unchanged, but his mind was racing.
He suddenly spoke, his voice clearly reaching the ears of the three:
"I'm curious, if I die, how will our mentor punish you?"
Before the words were even finished, the expressions of the three people, including One-Eyed, changed simultaneously.
Kane understood; it seemed that he held considerable weight in his mentor's eyes.
This means they dare not use lethal force.
It's now!
Kane suddenly exerted force with his feet, his body shooting straight at the young assassin on the left like an arrow!
"Stop him!" the one-eyed man shouted.
Seeing this, the young assassin advanced instead of retreating, his dagger flashing coldly as he thrust it straight at Kane's shoulder.
The tall, silent assassin on his right also swung his knife at his back, forcing him to turn back and defend.
Kane's choice caused their pupils to shrink sharply.
The moment he parried the youth's attack with his right-hand dagger, he forcefully turned his body to the left.
He actually managed to block the tall, silent killer's slash with his left arm!
"Pfft!"
The blade cut deep into the arm bone, and blood spurted out!
The excruciating pain caused Kane's vision to go black, but he used the momentum to rush forward, passing by the tall Silent Killer and instantly closing the distance between himself and the young man.
The young man was both surprised and disdainful:
My left arm is useless. Let's see how long you can hold on!
The thought had barely formed in his mind when he saw a cold smile curl up at the corner of Kane's lips, and a whisper reached his ear:
"goodbye."
not good!
Alarm bells rang in the young man's heart, but it was too late.
In his blind spot, a short crossbow bolt was pulled by the mage's hand and suddenly sprang up.
The arrow pierced his neck precisely from bottom to top, the bloody tip of the arrow protruding from the back of his neck!
"Heh...heh..."
The young man clutched his throat, blood gushing from between his fingers. His eyes widened as he collapsed to the ground, twitching a few times before falling still.
"Damn it!!"
The tall, silent killer, his eyes bloodshot, roared and swung his blade wildly.
Kane, his strength exhausted, managed to turn sideways, but a deep, bone-revealing gash was still cut open on his back, and he staggered several steps backward.
He knelt on one knee, leaning on the ground with a dagger, panting heavily.
His left arm hung limply, and his clothes were soaked with blood from his back.
But when he looked up and stood up, his eyes shone with a terrifying light, like a wild beast on the verge of death.
"Kane...!"
The one-eyed man's voice trembled with rage, and a murderous intent surged within his remaining single eye.
"He's been poisoned and is badly injured; he won't last much longer! Capture him alive!"
The tall, silent killer suppressed his rage, shifting his blade stance into a steady defensive counterattack.
The two men positioned themselves on the left and right, no longer in a hurry to launch a strong attack.
He simply kept adding new wounds to Kane's body with daggers and blades, draining his strength and blood.
Kane's mind raced with calculations.
He parried the one-eyed man's cunning thrust, using the momentum to retreat two steps and create distance between himself and the two men.
As he gasped for breath, his gaze swept between the tall, silent killer and the one-eyed man.
After being provoked, the tall, silent killer became noticeably agitated, and his demeanor revealed a lack of intelligence.
It's him!
Kane raised his still-functioning right hand, his bloodied fingertips tracing lines in the air.
His gaze was fixed on the tall, silent killer, and he uttered four words clearly and slowly:
"The Wedge of the Soul"
The two panicked and instinctively rolled away to dodge.
The expected magical impact did not occur, and all around was silent.
"He's playing us!"
The tall, silent killer reacted, roaring with a ferocious expression, and swung his knife down again.
But this time, Kane laughed again:
"A killer for the mentally challenged"
The next second, an invisible yet sharp wedge quietly condensed in the void.
With lightning speed, it pierced the head of the tall, silent killer!
"Ugh—!"
The excruciating pain instantly overwhelmed his consciousness.
The tall, silent killer's vision went black, and before he could even finish his scream, he felt a cold touch on his chest.
Kane seized the moment when Kane was distracted and pounced on him, his dagger piercing precisely through the heart!
Blood splattered all over Kane's face.
He slowly drew his dagger and turned to look at the one-eyed man.
His one eye stared at his fallen companion, his pupils constricted.
The ferocity on his face was replaced by shock and fear.
But what terrified him even more was...
It was Kane standing before me.
His wounds began to sprout granulation tissue, heal, and regenerate.
In the blink of an eye, the wounds were completely healed.
Apart from the tattered robe, he appeared completely unharmed.
Kane looked at One-Eye, revealing his gleaming white teeth.
"Come on, let's take our time and have some fun."