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nSeveral guards were fighting a large group of bandits on a narrow plateau.

nThey weren't surrounded, but they were pinned against a cliff edge with a drop at least a kilometer to the bottom.

nThe only reason they were still standing was the need to protect the injured comrades behind them. Similarly, said comrades, unable to fight in melee but to a one with eyes containing glowing bright fighting spirit, supporting with ranged spells and ranged weapons, others with rocks and debris.

nThe vargvir at Krow's side crashed into the fray.

nKrow picked off the ranged fighters first. Given that there were only two, that still left nearly two dozen bandits against six guards still upright, the vargvir, and Krow.

nUneven odds still.

nHe doublejumped for a higher vantage point. The scrum was chaotic enough that he might plug a darkspear into an ally. He started thinning the bandit group from above, keeping them off those fighting for the caravan.

nSeeing as the caravan was behind him, he didn't expect it.

nA force slammed into his shoulder from the back, and he tumbled off his perch. 5% HP gone, even with his pauldrons. Shkav.

nPulling the arrow out, he inhaled sharply at the sting and ache. Even with a reduced sense of pain, that hurt.

nHe downed two Low Heals before searching the high ground nearby, sending periodical darkspears into the fray when he could.

nHis HP was 330, currently. 5%, with his defensive rating because of the Rare armor and the B Unique that was his Starseeker Travelcoat, was not a small sum.

nHe frowned at the arrow. Green Velvet ArrowB Uncommon

nHe heard a rustle behind him, rolled forward unhesitating, into the melee.

nHe shot two dead before he could turn to face—

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"I challenge you!

"

nYou've been challenged to battle!Arvidane Lvl 10

nWhat, now?!

nAn arrow plunged into his gut.

nHe ripped it out, glaring.

nThis was a guard, he remembered. One of the guards of the caravan.

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"Betrayal!

" roared the vargvir when she too, noticed.

nSeveral bandits laughed and pressed their attacks harder. The caravan defenders took a step back.

nBut the guard – the player was not on the side of the bandits.

nKrow dodged a third arrow, jumped away from a bandit sword.

nHe stepped into the shadow of a bush and triggered Shadowbind. The challenger froze. Krow dodged another bandit weapon – a spear, snapped off several darkspear bullets at the bandits.

nThen the revolver clicked empty.

nHe swapped with another darkspear cylinder, aimed at the player guard.

nToo late.

nHis Shadowbind wasn't that strong.

nTwo darkspears of the six he shot hit the player, Arvidane, who grunted and dodged but otherwise was fine.

nOne darkspear had downed a Lvl 9 bandit. This Lvl 10 player – what Class Skill did he take at Lvl 10? A Defense Skill? His equipment was also not common.

nHis next two bullets missed, to his frustrated snarl.

nHe tried to disengage. Two arrows striking into his path sent him back near the melee.

nArvidane laughed.

"Rich boy, your armor's mine. Don't even try to run.

"

nWhat.

nKrow's lip curled.

nHe understood.

nThis was one of those who hunted other players for their equipment. One of similar type to those he avoided at Orddet's.

nHe was trying to divide Krow's attention between him and the bandits.

nKrow refused.

nHe triggered Shadowbind again, expending all his MP. The player's eyes widened. Krow sent three darkspears at him while jumping away from the scrum. They all hit.

nHe snapped off the rest of his bullets into the bandits, giving him space to swap cylinders again.

nFour guards now and the vargvir against the remaining seven bandits.

nBetter odds.

nThe player Arvidane furiously shot three arrows at Krow as he got free.

nKrow dodged, and shot. Hit.

nHe was answered by an arrow digging into his thigh. The pain had him drop to a knee, cursing.

nSix darkspears and the opponent was still standing.

nKrow tore the arrow out of his thigh, dodging as he did. He glanced at his status, grimaced.

n25% HP gone and ticking lower from the Bleeding effect of two arrows.

nHe dodged, dodged again.

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"Stay still!

" The player Arvidane growled.

nWhy? His acrobatic dexterity was his main advantage against the challenger's arrows. Three more arrows and his HP would fall under 50%, diminishing his stats by 10%.

nThe other had taken six darkspears from a grade A- Unique weapon and was still standing strong.

nKrow couldn't win this, not head to head.

nQuickly thinking as he dodged, he blinked.

nIt was a challenge.

nThere were three ways to end a challenge: first, you won; second, you lost; third, you ran away.

nThere were penalties to the third, though less than the second. Either way, the opponent in the challenge would benefit.

nThe third also depended on leaving fast enough that the challenger could not pursue.

nThere was a plan there.

nNo way was he giving that bastard any benefit from his challenge.

nHe flung himself behind a rock pillar, swapped the darkspear cylinder with the single one he'd loaded with shieldburst bullets.

nPeer out the pillar. Dodge again.

nHe shot a bullet at Arvidane's foot. The shield, blooming from the bullet, knocked the player off his feet. Negligible damage.

nAnother shieldburst between them stopped an arrow.

nKrow exhaled relief.

nHe shot another shieldburst at the other's feet, glanced at his status.

nWeeping graves, his MP recovery was so slow.

nHe just needed 110MP.

nTo get that, he needed to stall.

nShieldburst, dodge, and stall.

nThe other was enraged enough that Krow braced himself for a charge, when his MP ticked past the 110 mark.

nFinally.

nHe shot a shieldburst at Arvidane again.

nWaited a second, then shot at the foot of one of the bandits. The shield threw the Bloodcrow into two others.

nKrow dodged an arrow, edging backward.

nCome on, come on…

nAn arrow struck him almost at the same site as the first wound, only this time from the front.

nHe winced.

n65% HP remaining, and another Bleeding debuff added.

nHe pretended to flail.

nAnother arrow struck below the first, into the upper portion of his heart.

nCritical Hit!

nShkav! That wasn't in the plan.

nThe force of the strike tipped him backward, off the edge of the cliff.

nHe fell.

nKrow's left arm felt paralyzed. He flicked his revolver into the Inventory, not having the coordination to holster it in midair. Then ripped the arrows out.

n48% HP.

nIt was fine, he reminded himself. This was still the plan.

nWait for it…

nYou have left the challenge area.

nYes!

nHe twisted to slam a foot into the cliff face, enough to get some air, triggered Doublejump and aimed himself downward.

nHe was lucky the cliff was steep and not sloping.

nOr he'd hit the slope and tumble all the way down to the bottom.

nHe probably wouldn't survive that.

nThe Doublejump Spell was only enough for a single change of direction in air added to a brief burst of momentum. Seeing as he was going downward, he didn't think that momentum would bleed off as quickly as the instances when he jumped against gravity.

nBig problem. The cliff was high, but not high enough for his MP recovery to allow him another Doublejump. And he was going slightly faster than freefall.

nKrow pulled himself into a ball, took out a grapplehook, tried to angle himself into a gentle slant. He crashed boot-first into the treetops.

nHe pulled his limbs and head in.

nHe was lucky the ground sloped.

nThe twiggy thin branches at the tops of the trees slowed him down without too much injury apart from countless lashings and the grapplehook caught and took even more of the force of the fall.

nHe was stopped, hanging from the rope, before he went splat into a tree trunk or a large branch that was less squishy than he was.

n39% HP.

nHe groaned. The realism of Redlands had him spit bubbly pink blood. That was a nicked lung.

nHe laughed a little, despite himself. That was too realistic, right?

n95% realism.

nGreat.

nHe probably should've waited until he had enough MP for two Doublejumps, Krow thought faintly.

nHe slowly swung until he could deposit himself onto a large enough branch. His stats were diminished; he needed to be a little more careful.

nHe tugged on the rope. The hook didn't come loose. With a frustrated sound, he tossed the rope away to hang from the canopy like a knobbly vine.

nHe climbed down to a branch much more comfortable in supporting his weight, and slumped against the tree trunk. His body was full of aches.

nHe glanced at his status.

nMajor Bleeding. Minor Poison. Major Exhaustion.

nWhen did he get the poison?

nKrow started quaffing vials of Low Heal until the Bleeding stopped and his HP recovered. Then he did the same to Low Revitalit potions, letting the empty vials drop uncaringly to the forest floor, still far below him.

nThese weren't grandshield trees, but they were large and tall.

nMinor Poison.

nAh, damn. He'd forgotten to buy Antidote.

nNo wait, the Starseeker Extended Traveler Kits should have some. He took a Kit out of his Inventory, opened it to the potion compartment. Three vials of Smallpoison Antidote. Three vials of Bonebreak Ease. Three vials of Burncure. Three vials of Low Heal. Three vials of Revitalit. Three vials of Parasite Purge.

nHe chugged an Antidote. The debuff disappeared.

nThen ten seconds later, he blinked.

nMinor Poison.

nIt had returned to his status.

nWhat.

nHe thought he'd been scratched by a bandit's poisoned blade or something similar.

nHe looked around.

nWeeping skies, the trees were poisonous?!

nThen on a large arrow-shaped leaf, Krow saw a sight that sent a slow chill down his spine.

nIt was a caterpillar, fully black from head to claws, with two large golden frond-like antennae.

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