Necromancer Dreams of Mechs Chapter 74: Chapter 80

Read chapter 74 of Necromancer Dreams of Mechs by Magic on NovelPedia.

Chapter 74: The Hard Way I smiled, a cold, empty expression that felt alien on my face. "The hard way is learning to not die. You will each face one rabbit, alone. If you manage to kill it, you gain a few levels and the associated stat boost. If you get hurt, I heal you. If you get too close to death, I freeze the fight. But you will not stop fighting until that rabbit is dead, or you’ve lost the will to live." I nodded to the Elite Archer. The undead soldier reached into a cage and, with a thwip of sound, tossed a single, furious Tracer Rabbit onto the ground. The creature hit the dirt, instantly exploding into a hyper-kinetic blur. It didn't run away; it locked onto the nearest source of large, soft meat: Nathan. "Nathan, you’re up," I commanded. "No sword. Just the shield and your fists. Get your butt in there and show me that high-speed DPS." Nathan swallowed hard, his eyes wide. He fumbled with the rough, iron-banded shield one of the Squires had handed him, hoisting it awkwardly. "Wait, Allen, I don’t have a weapon, and you want me to punch a rabid… bunny?" "You are a Knight, Nathan," I barked. "A Knight doesn’t always have a weapon. You need to get through this. Now move!" The rabbit zipped toward Nathan, its movements a stuttering blur. Nathan yelled, dropping his shield as he stumbled backward. The rabbit darted past his feet, its movement so fast it left a faint white streak in the air. A thin red line instantly appeared across the top of Nathan’s foot, followed by a spray of blood. "It cut me!" Nathan screamed, hopping on one foot. "It will do more than cut you if you don’t stand still and get your shield up!" I shouted, a low, buzzing hum of necrotic energy building in my chest. "Focus, Nathan! It’s all about timing! You’re a fighter, act like one! This world is your arena of choice, and you didn’t get picked for this just because your dad made part of it!" The rabbit circled back, but this time, Serhii reacted. The Russian boy grabbed a piece of granite from the dirt, threw it at the rabbit, and forced the rabbit to jump out of the way. "That was interference, Serhii. You can all work on team work after. None of you have guardians like mine to help you out of a pinch, and you need to learn how to focus under it!" I said, glaring at him. "But a good tactical decision. That’s a seven-second reprieve. Nathan, get the shield up! Now!" Nathan, his face pale with fear, scooped up the shield. He pressed himself against the bone table, trying to make himself smaller. The rabbit struck again, a dizzying, low-to-the-ground charge. Nathan swung the shield out of pure desperation, hitting the Tracer Rabbit with a loud, ringing CLANG . The Level 6 mob went sailing into the air, stunned, before hitting the dirt with a painful-sounding thud . "Now, Nathan! Finish it!" I roared. A cold, killer instinct seemed to flicker in Nathan’s eyes, overpowering the panic. He dropped the shield and launched himself at the stunned creature, bringing his boot down with a vicious, grinding force. A sickening crunch echoed across the glade. Nathan stood over the twitching remains of the rabbit, panting, his expression a mixture of revulsion and triumph. He looked down at his foot, where the cut was already closing up, then back at me. "Did… did I just kill a bunny?" he whispered. "You killed a monster, Nathan," I corrected him. "And you earned your first few levels. Now, get back in line and wait till everyone goes. There is a lot to go over, so just keep your questions till after. If you get hurt, all is healed when you level, it seems. Serhii, you’re up." Serhii didn’t flinch. He gave a sharp, single nod, adjusted his linen tunic, and walked toward the center of the clearing. He looked at the Elite Archer, who was already holding the next cage. "I will not need the rock, My Lord," Serhii said, his voice flat. "But if I may request a weapon? A simple blade. I am a Hunter; I need to close the distance quickly. No long-range engagements." I shook