Chapter 50- Outnumbered, Not Outgunned
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Bastian knew that at times like these, it was best to strike whist the iron was hot. Without a moments delay, he picked out his targets let the swords fly. With a flick of his hands, the four swords left his hands and flew straight into the throats of four unsuspecting warriors. All of whom were not of the water attribute.
Bastian not only knew how to use a sword, but he knew very well how to defend against one and how to disarm someone of one. That was the knowledge he had used against the first four water attribute warriors he had killed.
Each swordsman has a particular style, and gain different insights into the Dao of the Sword. Kenshin was someone who focused on using multiple swords at once. His style often required him to throw swords away; so as to not waste a chance Kenshin was quite well versed in the art of throwing any blade, from daggers to long swords.
Throwing four swords simultaneously was as easy as stretching for Bastian. Such a feat, to warriors who didn't even know what the Dao was, would be inconceivable, thus no one was prepared for such an attack. Not to mention everyone was still trying to understand what Bastian had done before.
Just to be safe, Bastian had aimed at warriors without the water attribute, because they had a slower movement speed, and he wanted to face the water attribute warriors in direct combat because most, if not all, used swords.
His four swords had especially targeted two warriors with the earth attribute and two with the wood attribute. There were still 4 more middle to lower warriors with the earth attribute according to Bastian's e-vision, but the wood attribute warriors were tricky due to their self-healing attribute and had to be taken care of immediately.
They were also in a forest, an environment that favored wood attribute warriors, so Bastian wanted to get rid of them as soon as possible.
Without further delay, Bastian sprinted toward the nearest batch of water attribute warriors.
The more powerful warriors, particularly the six who were at the top of the Fighter stage, had stopped moving, in order to observe Bastian for a bit longer. After seeing his earlier performance, they were forced to reevaluate him.
Bastian was quite happy with this arrangement, and had no problems dispatching the weaklings first. As per his plan, he headed for the water attribute warriors nearest to him.
There was a group of 7 water attribute warriors near to him. After seeing his previous performance, they had gotten weary of Bastian, but the jingling noise made by the pebbles inside the pouch on Bastian's waist was like a war drum terrorizing their ears.
Within that short instant, they decided to do what they had been doing their entire careers as warriors; gamble with their lives, and quite the gamble it was. If they succeed, glory and fame awaited them, if they lost...
Gritting their teeth and steeling their resolve, the seven warriors ran toward Bastian shouting at the top of their lungs. The shout was more about reassuring them than it was about intimidating Bastian.
As far as Bastian was concerned, he remembered an old phrase he had once heard in his previous life.
Life is a choice, death is a decision.
Indeed, these men, due to their greed, had decided to end their lives. Bastian had no qualms with facilitating their demise. Their emotions had clouded their judgement even tactically. Instead of attacking in formation, they attacked haphazardly, going toward Bastian in an uneven single file.
Their collision with Bastian held no suspense. Each time a sword was taken from the hand of its owner, then it would be used to behead the owner, and afterwards in a flash it would be thrown, resulting in the death of the remaining four earth attribute warriors. Bastian used the swords from his fifth and sixth victims to kill some nearby water attribute warriors.
The last sword was used as a test. Bastian threw it to one of the fire attribute warriors who were observing him from a distance. She was one of the six who were potential threats to him.
The sword was stopped less than a centimeter from her face, but it was not by her. Instead it was by a hand covered in earth qi, which belonged to a serious looking man standing next to her.
Ruka realized that she was a hair's breadth away from death and staggered backward, something she had not done in a very long time. Mark broke the sword in his grip and kept looking at Bastian. Earlier on, his eyes had been filled with greed, for the pouch on Bastian's waist, but now, his eyes showed only bloodlust.
Bastian frowned when he saw what Mark had done and the look in his eyes.
As far was Bastian was concerned, the girl wasn't impressive. Although he had caught her off guard, Bastian quickly calculated in his mind that he would be able to take care of her if they were to fight.
Strapped to her waist was a rapier, which he had no doubt that he would be able to take care of. Her reaction speed was also subpar, so Bastian stopped caring about her existence.
Mark on the other hand was a different story. Mark was an earth attribute warrior. Their reaction speed was supposed to be one of their weaknesses. Yet he was able to stop the sword in time, a sword thrown by a person who has insights into the Dao of the Sword.
This pointed toward Mark being a very troublesome opponent, especially considering the fact that Bastian still had a few people to take care of.
Mark was the type who tried to avoid showing his emotions externally, but when he was angry, he always acted quickly.
Without a moments' hesitation, Mark condensed his qi. Bastian's face changed the moment this started happening, because his e-vision saw a change in the qi around Mark.
Mark had no weapon on him, so Bastian saw him as quite the headache. A warrior without a weapon at that level of skill usually meant one thing, a Martial Technique. Warriors at this level who specialized in hand to hand techniques barely got involved in death matches, and if they did, they would learn how to use a weapon, fast.
A bow made of flames suddenly appeared in Mark's hand. The bow itself was plain and simple, but its presence was still imposing. The entire area within ten meters of Mark was becoming hot.
Even Ruka, who was traditionally a fire attribute warrior, had to step away from Mark. Almost very warrior on that scene could not help but show a look of surprise when the saw the bow.
An earth attribute warrior using a bow made of flames would no doubt surprise most warriors. Bastian included. The only person who didn't do anything was Kenshin. His face only had a slight frown with one thought entering his mind once he saw the bow.
This will be troublesome.
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AN: Chapter 50!!!! Yeah yeah!!!
I made it! And it was much quicker and easier than I thought! Although thinking of the amount of writing to be done in the future makes me a bit dizzy, because I'm not planning on stopping at a few hundred...sigh
Anyway thank you to those who have kept reading to this point. I hope you have enjoyed the story so far. I understand the beginning may have given what most may think is a wrong impression of what the book is about, but I can guarantee that the main themes of this book are cultivation and war.
If you stick with me you will see plenty of both!
May the onion be with you and may the next fifty be even more awesome :)
Onion Out!
yĶOWJ