XVIII

Chapter 18: Beginning Hand To Hand Combat Training

Team B, Marcus and Juliet's team ended up wining the second round and took the victory. I left after their match and started heading west. I couldn't find an opponent that is in my tier so I couldn't participate. The rules state that in 1v1s, none of the competitors should be more than 2 levels higher than their opponent. As for teams, the average level of the teams must have a difference no greater than 1 and the difference between the highest levels on each team should be no greater than 2. Which means, even if I found a teammate with a low enough level to get the team average level to be lower than 21 and equal to our opponents', their team must have someone that's up to level 19.

Speaking of which. I am currently fighting a level 19 beast in hand-to-hand combat. I usually just levelled up by staying at a distance with my scythe and the singularity skill but few fist fights.

It's a red monkey-like beast with a black horn on its forehead. With its flexibility and agility, I've actually struggled a little to keep up. We have been exchanging blows while jumping through the trees. Well, it swung with its tail but that's beside the point.

"Damn. I actually suck in hand to hand in this game. I'm two levels higher but I feel like we are equals. Pathetic." As I say that, he breaks the branch I'm standing on with its tail and jumps off to the next.

I nearly fall but I react in time, managing to rotate my body mid air to place my feet on the tree's bark and use it as a base jump off to another tree.

I soon hear some squeaking in the distance. It seems it's leading me there. How could I just realize this now? Was it out of communication range with the rest of its troop until recently?

"Since that's the case, I should try to at least finish this one off first."

I use the SOTD skill which I avoided using throughout this fight, to appear directly in front of it with my knee bashing its face as soon as I appear.

It groans in pain and tries to charge at me with its horn. I can't dodge as I am already mid air and have no base to propel myself. I get hit and lose some health points before falling down to the ground back-first.

"Ugh!" I groan in pain as I landed on a big rock. "It's good that it's my back. If it was my head…"

By the time I manage to move again, I am surrounded by eight monkeys. With my first included, it totals nine.

I keep on fighting and fighting them till my health points drop to a point I consider unsafe; I withdraw with my SOTD skill to recover. I never go too far away, and I am sometimes rediscovered by the monsters.

*** *** ***

"Huh? Didn't you say there was someone here just now?" I hear a male voice during one of my recovery breaks.

"Eh? I'm sure there was a person fighting them just a moment ago." Another male voice replies.

"Tch. If there was, maybe it was a trap! Are you sure your sensed it correctly? Was there only one person fighting multiple high-level monsters?" I think he hit his companion's head or something.

"Ouch. Garret, please watch where your hand goes when you're throwing a tantrum."

"Who is throwing a tantrum?! Does that even make sense? We may not know their exact level, but we can sense their aura. Their levels aren't low. How can one person fight that and survive unscathed?"

"Alright. You should calm down first Garret. Let's observe the situation first." A female voice interjects.

"Hmph! That's if his skill isn't malfunctioning." Garret says.

"It's working fine, thank you." The other male replies.

"What's the situation?" The female asks.

"Hmm…Nine. They look like human-sized monkeys. Oh. They have horns on their foreheads too."

"We've never fought something like this before. It won't be wise to just rush in head-first. We should either divide and conquer or go back for the rest of the team. What do you guys think?" The female suggests.

"I vote for calling the rest of the team."

"P***y! How can we retreat now? When we get back, who says we will be able to find them? What if some other team hunts them down first?" Garret says.

"You! Since you're being greedy for exp, go seek death alone. I will go back with Mira to get the others."

"Tch!" Garett clicks his tongue. He turns to the direction of the monkey troop.

"I vote you stay away from those beasts. They're my prey." A voice says from no more than two metres behind the three.

"Who?!" All three dace back in unison in a fighting stance.

"Calm down. Calm down. I'm not your enemy?" I say with my hands up above my head.

"Who the hell are you? And since when did you get here?" The blue-haired guy in basic silver armour addressed as Garett asks.

"I was training with those monkeys before you showed up." I reply. "Thanks for considering helping me but as you can see, I'm fine."

"T-training?" The brown-haired guy with crimson eyes asks.

"Yes. I was sparring with them to improve my hand-to-hand combat. I can't always depend on my weapons, yeah? So please just leave."

"Hmph! Like we'd believe such cock and bull. You just want us to leave this exp for your own team." Garett snaps.

"Huh? No. No. No. I think there's been some misunderstanding here."

"What?" Garett asks sill maintaining his fighting stance.

"I'm a solo player." I say.

"What?!" They all exclaim in unison.

"I am indeed solo."

"Hahaha!" Garret breaks out in laughter. "I was taking you seriously at first, but you turned out to be a jokester."

"?" What's funny?

"How can one man be surrounded by many high-level monsters and escape unscathed? Even our boss probably won't." He says before stretching out his hand. "How about you join the Soaring Lion Guild. You survived out here all by yourself which means you have potential. The boss would be happy to have you."

"Soaring Lion Guild?" I mutter.

"Haven't you heard of us? We are one of the two most powerful guilds in Cangue right now. Our boss is the Scarlet Sword Swan. I'm sure you've at least heard of her."

"Hehe" What a nickname." Nope. Not interested. You guys should leave. You're disrupting my training." I turn around to walk towards the beasts.

"You! How dare you?!" An attack is aimed at me from behind.