Chapter 43 This Is How A Champ Fights [Pt 2]

>VWUUUSHHH<

Asa raced, as quick as the wind, causing her blond hair to sway softly behind her.

Her first move was to release the three daggers left in her possession, sending them flying in the direction of the nearest adversaries that blocked her path.

"GWUUUUOOOHHHH!!!" The big Goblins let out guttural roars, howling in pain, staggering as the hits dealt serious blows to them.

Unfortunately for the ranger, her attacks were not fatal.

'I was in a hurry, and since I launched three, toward different directions at the same time, the force was dispersed!' Asa reasoned frantically, but there was no merit in dwelling on her blunder.

Her goal hadn't changed, after all.

>WHOOOSHHH<

The lady's [Sprint] Skill gave her an edge in evading the spears that were hurled at her by the unrelenting adversaries, and thanks to her expert maneuvering, Asa was able to retrieve the two weapons that were her initial targets.

'My bow and an arrow!' She smiled, grasping both items with determination.

Asa had dropped the bow earlier in order to lessen the weight she had to handle—this was all because her arrows ran out.

However, now that both the daggers and arrows were used up, Asa found herself at square one.

Having no choice but to retrieve the ones she had used already, the Ranger was forced to choose between utilizing Arrows or Daggers.

'Daggers are more portable, and they will be less bothersome to wield…'

But if she was being honest, Asa knew going for the arrows was a much better option.

For one, she was more skilled in using the latter than the former. Besides, if she added the effects of her Marksmanship with the efficiency she achieved with the bow, it would make her abilities skyrocket.

'Arrows it is!' With that in mind, Asa took her aim and fired the first shot in the direction of the closest opponent that charged with unfettered ferocity.

>WHOOOSHHH!!!<

The spinning projectile traveled even faster than before, thanks to [Marksmanship], and successfully drilled a hole into the head of her adversary.

"G-Guiiikk…" The Goblin collapsed—armor and all, causing Asa to lose her footing for a slight moment.

The other Goblins didn't waste this chance and lunged at her—whether to have revenge for their fallen comrade, or simply because they couldn't resist the allure of fresh meat.

',

All that appeared in their eyes was a malevolent glint foretelling destruction.

'Not a chance!' Asa thought, as she made to escape their collective strike.

However—

"W-wha—?!"

Her legs accidentally slipped on the gooey Goblin blood that coated the stage's floors, causing an unexpected hitch in the Ranger's retreat.

'N-no! No way!'

Yet, as she fell to the ground, the Goblins advanced even further.

She found herself collapsing in a puddle of slimy green Goblin blood.

It was so repulsive that Asa found herself yelping in shock, causing her body's coordination to go out of sync.

Before she regained her bearing, it was too late.

>WHOOOOOSSSSHHHH!!!<

The first attack came crashing on her stomach.

"Guark!" Asa spat out blood for the first time, feeling the impact of the Goblin's blunt club knock the wind out of her body.

Her helpless body flew to the metal cage that surrounded the stage, causing her to give yet another yelp of pain.

The recoil of hitting her back on the metal barrier caused Asa to unwittingly drop her bow.

The sudden pain that shot through her was excruciating enough to deactivate her active Skills, further driving the young lady into an even more pathetic state.

"GURRRUUUIIIIKKK…" The Goblins slowly converged around her—some wounded from her dagger strikes.

They had suffered one casualty, but anyone could see that the Goblins had turned the tides of battle in their favor.

"N-no…" Asa's blurred vision took in the sight of the eleven Goblins that closed in on her.

Since her body was helplessly lying on the floor, the monsters appeared much larger than usual.

'I can't… I can't lose now…' Asa gritted her teeth.

She was quite frail, and her defenses were very low. That was why a single strike was enough to push her to this state.

It was the very reason Asa could only rely on her skills as a Ranger. Once she got hit with a strong attack, it was game over.

'',

Still—

'… Just one more… if I kill one more…'

—It felt so pathetic to be knocked down so badly after receiving a single hit to the stomach.

'Damn it…' Even as she tried to will herself to stand, Asa no longer had the strength to do so.

It truly was the end.

"TIME UP!"

Asa's eyes widened as Gerund's voice sharply cut through the air.

Instantly, he approached the stage, emanating a very oppressive aura that scared the Goblins back to the entrance they crawled out from.

In a flash, Asa was saved.

"Haa… it's over already…?" She muttered, looking around her to see the corpses of Goblins strewn all over the stage.

Her blurry vision then trailed in a particular direction—to the person whom she was most afraid of disappointing.

'He… he's—?!' Asa's eyes nearly brought forth tears as she watched him give a very genuine, comforting smile.

While he spoke no words, his expression could easily be translated to "You did well."

At least, according to the woozy lady's interpretation.

"Let's get you off the stage."

The bars were lifted, and Asa was given a low-grade medicinal herb to help her recover quickly.

Even though it would have been more beneficial to find a better place to rest, she returned to where she previously sat, huffing in exhaustion as she ingested more of the bitter herb she was fed with.

There was only one reason for that action.

"Next, Sam!"

As she gently took her seat, the man of the hour rose to his feet, donning nothing but a confident smile.

Asa simply couldn't fathom the kind of power he would display when his turn came.

As her aching body was slowly revived by the medicinal properties the herb, the young Ranger watched with starry eyes as a future Legendary Adventurer was about to make his debut.

'I'll be watching every moment of it, Sam!'