The Elementalist: Dark Rebound

Dagger V

But the force exerted by the enraged ogre was far greater than she expected. As a result she was roughly flown off to the ground.

"Ugh, bastard!"

Her arms were so badly bruised that they were trembling in pain. The iron paddings were the only thing keeping her from breaking a bone or causing any internal bleeding.

Biting back the pain, she first glanced at the ogre before getting up. The creature had staggered down, the heat stroke finally taking its toll and causing the ogre to breathe its last.

Adelle lay on the ground and applied her Vis of Sano to her bruised arms. Although her current Vis Level could only speed up the recovery slightly, it was still helpful in easing the pain. However, she knew it was far from being able to heal her completely in mere seconds.

As Adelle tended to her injuries, a figure lurking in the shadows of the forest watched her intently, unbeknownst to her. A sly grin spread across their face.

The figure lurking in the forest pulled out a bow, drew back the string, and took aim at Adelle. With a quick release, the arrow whistled through the air towards its target.

Adelle let out a scream of pain as a grim sensation fired up in her brain. She looked down and saw an arrow sticking out of her leather boot, piercing her foot.

Adelle took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. She knew that making a rushed decision could cost her dearly. She was in a vulnerable position, injured, and alone in the forest. With a focused mind, she channeled her Sano Vis to her foot to ease the pain of the arrow wound.

The bowman walked towards her with a menacing gait. Adelle quickly noticed the unknown man's step, but she was still unable to fully fight back.

"You surely lived up to the reputation as Lefazio's pupil, girl. I even doubt myself that I could kill that ogre alone."

She just focused with her Vis and gave the man a vengeful look.

"Well, not in the mood to talk, eh?"

"You coward!" She finally could not contain it anymore.

"Hahaha. You should be grateful. I'll have some mercy for you." He walked to the ogre corpse.

"I had no idea how this ogre could reach this place. Since I couldn't tackle it alone, I was looking for a team in the town. Until I heard the ogre's roar. Well, can't miss that opportunity, haha."

He glanced at the charred face of the ogre. The eyes seem to be damaged, but it would still sell at a considerate price. With a handy knife, the man took the ogre's eyes into a jar of water.

"Whoa!"

The man dashed and successfully dodged the incoming fire ball.

"You pushed your luck, girl. I was easy on you because I was keeping my distance with Lefazio."

"Are you done?" Standing with one foot that holds her weight, she won't let the man go as freely without a fight.

"You should've behaved." Startled, the man reached an arrow from his quiver.

Adelle assessed her situation and realized that she was at a disadvantage. However, she knew she had a chance if she could combine fire attacks with wind enhancement.

By playing dirty, he admits that he couldn't confront her head on.

He aimed his bow at her and released the arrow. Adelle readied herself for this moment and knew what to do.

But then, something unexpected happen.

Both the man and the arrow were suddenly enveloped in a purple Vis, causing the arrow to stop mid-flight and float in the air.