"Stay quiet for now."

With that, Salin faced the crevice opening and softly chanted a little tune.

Immediately, a remarkably natural-looking rock wall materialized out of thin air within the crevice, as if a large boulder had suddenly fallen from nowhere to block the entrance.

’Is this some kind of illusion Magic?’ Colin wondered, peering at it closely.

He could sense something unnatural about the rock wall, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was.

’This must be how the Half-Sheepman got through the earlier Skeleton attack unscathed.’

The group huddled in the crevice, not daring to make a sound, praying the people outside wouldn’t discover their hidden shelter.

TING!

A crisp sound came from above their heads. An Arrow then clattered to the ground, and Salin’s illusion dissipated. Light from outside the cave pierced through the false wall and streamed in.

"Brother Colin! Stop hiding! I’ve already seen through your Magic!" Finn’s voice called from outside.

Salin cursed under his breath. "Damn it, how did they know?"

"We’re just resting in here, Finn," Colin said, his tone as calm as he could manage despite knowing their intentions were hostile. "It’s a small space. There’s no room for anyone else to rest right now!"

"It’s pretty cold out here, Brother Colin. Be a sport and let us in to have a look!"

"I’m afraid I can’t grant your wish."

"Hey, Colin! You and your two mutt friends got quite a haul from hunting that Scorpion-tailed Lion, didn’t you?!" Finn’s tone suddenly turned hostile. "Now, just hand over all your money and gear, and you can all walk out of here in one piece!"

Another one of them shouted, "We’ve got people watching the rope bridge over there, so don’t even think about slipping away!"

"Now, I’ll give you thirty seconds. Get ready!"

After speaking, Finn actually began to count down.

The wind howled, making their shouts sound exceptionally grating.

"What do we do now?" asked Kase, his body half-wrapped in bandages.

"Twenty, nineteen... zero! All right, your time is up!"

As Finn’s voice faded, a series of clangs and clatters sounded from outside.

Peeking through the gap between the Shield and the rock wall, they could clearly see a burly man charging toward them.

This guy was more than a head taller than Colin. He wore thick Long Chain Armor, a Chain Armor Headband on his head, and clutched a gleaming Long Sword in his hand.

"In a moment, I’ll charge out. You guys provide suppressing fire on the others. It’s best if we can create a one-on-one duel between me and that guy. Our only chance is to take them down one by one!" Colin said quickly.

The others nodded.

Just as the burly man was about to reach the crevice opening, Kase swiftly moved his Shield aside.

Colin lunged with a thrust, but the burly man, as if expecting it, leaned his head back to dodge and hopped back several steps.

Colin saw several of the man’s teammates behind him draw their bows, their Arrows aimed at him.

Without a second thought, he raised his hand and started Casting. The Shield spell manifested instantly.

Several Arrows struck the Magic Shield, only to be deflected by an invisible Repulsive Force, sinking into the ground at Colin’s feet.

Kase and Salin immediately leaned out.

Their aim was much faster than their opponents’. In the blink of an eye, two Arrows struck two separate enemies in the chest. The two unlucky targets stumbled backward and took cover.

A faint blue light flickered from behind their cover. ’That’s probably their Priest healing the wounded,’ Colin thought.

Kase and Salin, following Colin’s instructions, ducked back behind the Insect Shell Shield to focus on suppressing the enemy’s ranged attacks.

For a moment, the situation became a stalemate, with only the two men outside the cover facing each other down.

Colin stood firm, sword in hand, silently observing his opponent.

"Is that a Magic Weapon in your hand?" The burly man whistled. "Looks like my lucky day. It’s just my type."

"Shall we begin then?"

Colin’s lips moved slightly, and he instantly entered the Sword Dance state.

In that instant, all the moves the Elf had used against him in the Illusion Realm flooded his mind. The proper names for various stances and Sword Strikes were suddenly etched into his brain.

The wind whistled past his ears.

Colin spread his legs and stood sideways, lowering his blade so the hilt was near his abdomen.

In Swordsmanship, this was known as a Starting Position. The specific one he chose was called the Iron Gate Stance—the same one the Elf had used when first trying to cut his fingers. It was a classic defensive stance.

He recalled the appearance of the other opponents.

One of them carried a Shield and a Nail Head Hammer, looking like a Priest. Finn and another man wore Leather Armor and carried Short Bows. It didn’t seem like there was a Caster among them.

"Are you getting ready to ask me for a dance?" the burly man cursed, holding his sword with both hands.

Colin focused his attention on his opponent.

’I hate to admit it,’ he thought, ’but I see my old self in him—the one who knew nothing about Swordsmanship just a few days ago.’

To his current self, the opponent’s openings were almost unbelievably numerous.

’It’s a good thing I was allowed to bring my own gear into the Illusion Realm. If the equipment had been balanced, I’d probably be one of the corpses by that statue right now.’

WHOOSH!

The sound of displaced air came from in front of him as the big man came right at him, delivering a powerful chop toward Colin’s head.

His body moved before he could even think.

Colin made the same choice the Elf had when facing him.

He leaped to the side, raising his Great Sword with both hands to catch the incoming Long Sword at the junction of the blade’s base and the guard. Compared to the tip of the blade, this spot was obviously better for exerting force, which was how the Elf had been able to repeatedly block his Great Sword’s swings.

While catching the opponent’s attack, Colin kept his blade locked with his opponent’s and rotated it, swinging a Sword Strike at the man’s head from the side.

The burly man retreated two steps, narrowly avoiding the blow.

A moment later, a thin red line appeared on his forehead. Blood began to seep out, streaming down his face.

"Want some more?"

Colin rallied his spirits and asked provocatively.

Under the enhancement of his Sword Dance state and Agility Attribute, he had executed that sequence with precision and power, nearly indistinguishable from the movements of a true swordsmanship master. His old self would never have been able to perform such an action, even if he knew the technique.

That last move was what the Elves called a Cross Strike, a type of so-called "Master Strike." These techniques were said to be the fundamentals for an Elf Swordsmanship Master.

Of course, these fundamentals were all Colin had mastered for now. He would have to practice to slowly internalize other, more powerful techniques.

"Hmph..." The burly man didn’t reply.

He adjusted his stance, holding his Long Sword before him with the tip pointed at Colin’s chest.

Colin mirrored him, taking a stance to face him.

His companions behind him followed his instructions and did not shoot at the burly man. Instead, they remained vigilant, watching the enemies behind cover to prevent them from attacking Colin.

Just then.

A rousing song burst forth from behind the enemy’s cover.

As the final note of the song faded, Colin suddenly felt a wave of dizziness wash over his mind.

’Can I defeat this opponent? Can I dodge the next attack? What if I get shot...?’

Countless self-doubting questions involuntarily flooded his mind.

Cold sweat trickled down his cheeks, and his heart pounded under the constant barrage of his own thoughts.

’Since it was singing, this must be some kind of combat technique from a Wandering Poet. So which one of them is the Caster?’ Colin thought, pulling together what little focus he had. The questions swirling in his head made it hard to concentrate.

Finn’s voice came from behind the rock. "They’ve got an extra person for some reason! Get over here, you idiot!"

"Something’s coming!"

A shout suddenly came from the distant rope bridge, barely audible over the howling wind.

No sooner had the voice faded than a few loud clangs echoed from the direction of the bridge.

The words of their companion and the strange noises did not seem to faze Finn and his men.

They suddenly popped their heads out from behind cover at the same time. This time, however, they weren’t attacking Colin, but the others hiding in the crevice.

Kase and the others were not to be outdone, returning fire with everything they had.

The backlines of both sides struggled to suppress each other. With their numbers being equal, neither side could completely overwhelm the other.

Arrows flew back and forth around him, and Colin could see golden flashes near his feet.

From behind him came Kase’s muffled grunt and Orelia’s prayers.

’Calm down, calm down...’

While suppressing the thoughts in his mind, Colin changed his stance, pointing the tip of his sword at his opponent.

The burly man, who was also pointing his sword tip at his opponent, advanced slowly. The moment they drew close, he abruptly swung his sword, aiming for the blade of the Great Sword.

Already at a disadvantage in terms of Power, Colin’s blade was knocked aside.

In that instant, Finn leaped out from cover.

He brought a concertina to his lips and blew a sharp, piercing string of notes. The surrounding Magic Net was stirred by the sound, twisting and erupting in an instant.

’This guy is Casting!’

Cold sweat stung his eyes as it ran into them. Colin stared intently at his opponent, trying to figure out his next move.

At this critical moment.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

Just then, the sound of dozens of Arrows slicing through the air came from the rope bridge.

Finn and his men, standing on the platform, were struck down by the volley of Arrows.

Colin acted instantly.

He leaped diagonally backward, feigning an escape. Seeing this, the burly man fought the urge to look back and forced himself to give chase. His divided attention caused the Long Sword in his hands to stray from the centerline, a posture that made an effective Defense against an enemy impossible.

’Now’s my chance!’

Colin’s footwork shifted. The moment he landed, he recited a Spell and, with all his strength, thrust his sword forward.

Time seemed to freeze in that moment.

He could clearly feel himself subconsciously adjusting the position of his hands, constantly calibrating the angle and target of his thrust. Without a doubt, the Sword Dance state was at work.

His effort was not in vain.

The blade in Colin’s hands plunged accurately into his opponent’s throat with such force that even the thick blade of the Great Sword bent slightly.

The recklessly advancing burly man had not yet aimed the tip of his own sword at his opponent and was unable to counterattack—of course, in this situation, he couldn’t even think of counterattacking.

In an instant, a burst of fire erupted.

The enhanced Emerald Flame Sword instantly blasted the opponent’s throat into a bloody mess.