Multiversal Livestreaming System : I Can Copy My Viewers Skills-Chapter 17: Avoidance

The tavern was alive with laughter and the clatter of dice against wooden tables.

A haze of smoke hung in the air, mixing with the scent of cheap ale and roasted meat.

It was the kind of place where men came to gamble away their earnings, drown their troubles, or scheme in the dimly lit corners...

At a secluded table near the back, two men sat facing each other.

One wore armor, its metal scratched and worn from use.

While the other was dressed in a fine yet modest outfit blending in with the wealthier patrons of the establishment.

The armored man, Levi, shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

It was Adam and his team's supposed guide.

His fingers tapped against the wooden table, the rhythmic sound barely audible over the rowdy crowd.

Across from him, the well-dressed man leaned forward, voice low but firm.

"You've been assigned as a guide to a new team, is that correct, Levi?"

Levi tensed....

Despite his usual confidence, his voice stuttered slightly as he answered

"A-ah, yes, sir. I told them I'd guide them to their first battle tomorrow in the morning..."

The man nodded, swirling the drink in his cup before taking a slow sip.

"Good. Take them to the orc area. My men will be waiting there. Make sure no one follows you."

Levi swallowed, his throat dry.

"Understood."

The man's expression darkened.

He set his cup down with a soft clink and leaned in even closer.

"If even one screw-up is made, that woman is going to kill us. You do understand that, don't you?"

Levi forced out a chuckle, though it lacked his usual bravado.

"Don't worry, sir. Newbies are easy to trick. They wouldn't doubt a guide who helped show them around town just a while ago."

The man studied him for a moment before nodding in satisfaction.

"You better not let anyone else find out. As long as we can deliver more empty vessels to the upper floors through that woman's magic... she'll reward us handsomely."

Levi nodded quickly, eager to end the conversation.

The man leaned back, his sharp eyes never leaving him.

"Good. Now go. Make sure everything goes smoothly."

Levi stood, straightening his armor.

His heart pounded, but he forced a smile onto his face as he walked away.

'It's not like I haven't done this before... but for some reason I can't help but feel a bit nervous...'

Levi thought to himself.

Tomorrow morning, Adam and his team would walk straight into a trap.

...

Adam and his team stood on an elevated ridge, overlooking a clearing below where a group of lesser orcs roamed.

The creatures moved in loose numbers.

Some were sharpening crude weapons against rocks, while others scavenged through the trees.

"There's around fifteen of them, Captain..."

Nathaniel murmured, completely accepting at the fact that he had just called Adam "captain"

His eyes glowed faintly as he was activating [Keen Sight].

"I don't think we can handle this much lesser orcs."

Rei adjusted his grip on his weapon, frowning.

"I think we should find a smaller group... I think it'd be better to hunt them..."

Adam considered their words but shook his head.

"No, this will do."

He scanned the terrain, his mind already breaking it down into key tactical points.

The scattered boulders and uneven ground would make movement tricky, but with the right positioning, they could use it to their advantage.

Thanks to the Scent-Masking Powder, they wouldn't be detected as long as they remained careful.

'With my current team, we could probably take them on, however...'

Adam thought.

'Fifteen enemies... there's no way to avoid injuries, maybe even casualties. I need something that lets me move more efficiently.'

A thought crossed his mind, and he pulled up the system interface, checking the live chat from his stream viewers.

[TheIsekaiKing has donated 5 coins]

[TheIsekaiKing] : That's a lot of orcs... Why do they all look male? How do they even reproduce? Do they just not care about appearances and breed regardless?

[Experienced Old Knight] : Why is your mind filled with such strange questions...

[NLE_immortal has donated 15 coins]

[NLE_immortal is also curious about the question.]

[Bird Hunter]: Such stupid questions...

[Prankster of Kingdoms is amused by the other viewers.]

Adam sighed, ignoring the absurd discussion.

'Let's see... who could possibly have a movement skill I can copy?'

He scrolled past the usernames, making quick judgments.

'I'll cross out the ones with strange names. Something tells me that copying a skill from them would be a mistake...'

His eyes landed on a familiar name.

[5th Style Sword Master is telling you that it's not too late to retreat.]

'A sword master...'

He narrowed his eyes.

He didn't know what the "5th Style" meant, but he did know about a similar username.

Original Style Sword Master.

He's familiar with it, not because they were universally known...

But because they were the main sponsor of his older sister, Miya...

In his memories, his older sister was the best at physical combat, to a point that she could even challenge top Stream Hunters that existed on Earth.

Her moves were always unpredictable, and even in a space where there was only vacuum, she could still adapt to it and be able to incorporate her fighting style.

If this person followed a similar path, their skills would be useful...

Adam took a deep breath and made his decision.

He chose the 5th Style Sword Master!

[Temporary Copy has been activated...]

A moment later, another notification popped up.

[Due to low level and low rank, skill picking will be randomized...]

The system beeped again.

[Temporary Copy is successful!]

[Temporarily Copied: 5th Style Absolute Untouchable!]

[Reducing 5th Style Absolute Untouchable to its F-tier version...]

[5th Style Absolute Untouchable has been reduced to Quick Avoidance.]

[Temporary Copy] : Quick Avoidance (30 Second Duration)

'Quick Avoidance?'

Adam thought to himself as he expanded to skill to obtain the description.

[Quick Avoidance] : Allows the user to heighten their senses and automatically perform the basic steps of the 5th Style Sword Arts to avoid incoming attacks.

'A movement skill... but not exactly what I was hoping for.'

He thought.

Still, it was better than nothing.

With a skill that could help him dodge effectively, he could handle more aggressive maneuvers. He dismissed his interface and turned to his team.

"Alright, listen up."

Adam said, keeping his voice low.

"We're going in."

Elara, their scout, nodded as she asked.

"Where should we position ourselves??"

"Nathaniel, stay up here. You'll cover us from above with [Wind Arrow] and call out any movement. Make sure none of them break away."

Nathaniel nodded without complaints.

Although a bit doubtful at the question if this would be their tomb or not...

"Rei, you're with me on the front. Use [Stone Fist] to target their legs. We'll focus on breaking their formation."

"Elara, you'll move in and out of the fight. Use [Shadow Step] to disorient them, pick off any stragglers. Keep an eye on the surroundings in case there are more of them hidden."

Elara gave a firm nod.

"Understood."

Adam scanned his team one last time, making sure they were all in position.

The orcs below remained unaware of their presence...

The scent-masking powder was working perfectly.

"We move out when I sound the flute."

Adam said.

Nathaniel furrowed his brows.

"The what?"

Before he could ask further, Adam reached into his pouch and pulled out a small, crude-looking instrument.

The War Goblin Flute.

The moment he pressed it to his lips and blew, a sharp, grating sound filled the air.

It wasn't music...

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

It was pure, ear-piercing agony.

The reaction was instant.

The orcs below howled in pain, clutching their heads as if their skulls were about to split open.

Some fell to their knees, writhing in agony, while others staggered around in confusion.

The stronger ones, overcome with desperation, lashed out blindly, swinging their weapons at anything within reach.

The chaos spread like wildfire.

One orc, unable to endure the unbearable noise, drove its rusted axe into the back of another.

A second later, a third orc tackled the first, biting and clawing at its face.

In mere moments, the entire horde had turned against itself, driven mad by the unnatural sound.

Adam smiled to himself.

This was the real purpose of the War Goblin Flute.