100\% DROP RATE : Why is My Inventory Always so Full? Chapter 853 - 863 - Fight
Previously on 100\% DROP RATE : Why is My Inventory Always so Full?...
The leader of the Iron Jackals stared at Lucien, then at Seran, before glancing toward the village behind them.
The fighting near the gate had weakened considerably. He could no longer hear the confident shouts of his men. What remained were scattered clashes, frightened cries, and the occasional snap of a crossbow string from somewhere beyond the wall.
A strange smile appeared on his face.
"Just the two of you?" he asked as he lifted his sword slightly. "Do you really think two children can stop me?"
Lucien chuckled.
Seran laughed outright. "Very frightening."
The leader’s jaw tightened, and his attention settled on Seran. "You filthy con artist. This must have been your work."
Seran raised both hands innocently. "I would love to take credit, but most of this was arranged by the strange fellow beside me."
Lucien elbowed him.
"Enough talking," Lucien said. "Help me finish him quickly. Consider it a small side quest before we start preparing to kill dragons."
Seran grinned. "That sounds reasonable."
The leader’s face darkened further.
Being surrounded by villagers had already angered him, but being mocked by two teenagers seemed to offend him even more. He raised the broad sword in both hands and stared at them with open hatred.
"You brats have no idea what you have done. The Iron Jackals are protected by people you cannot even imagine reaching." His smile returned. "I already sent word before we came here. My patrons know about this village."
Lucien’s expression changed.
Seran’s smile weakened at the same moment.
The leader noticed both reactions and recovered some of his confidence.
"Now you understand."
Lucien said nothing.
If the message had already gone out, then the village had less time than he had hoped.
Whatever happened tonight would no longer remain a private conflict between villagers and gang members. Someone above the Iron Jackals already knew where they were.
The leader moved before Lucien could think further.
He crossed the distance with surprising speed for someone wearing armor and brought the broad sword down toward Lucien’s shoulder.
Lucien stepped aside.
The blade struck the road hard enough to throw dust into the air.
Seran was already moving.
He came from the leader’s blind side with a knife aimed toward the gap beneath the arm. The leader twisted and swept his sword horizontally, forcing Seran to duck beneath the edge.
Lucien stepped forward and kicked the back of the man’s knee.
The leader stumbled half a step, recovered immediately, and drove the pommel of his sword toward Lucien’s face.
Lucien leaned away just in time.
The metal passed close enough for him to feel the air move.
The man was strong, fast, and experienced. He had earned his position.
Lucien retreated two steps and changed his stance while Seran circled toward the opposite side.
The leader looked between them.
"You think surrounding me will help?"
Lucien smiled. "It already has."
The leader charged Seran.
The choice made sense. Seran carried the shorter weapon, while Lucien appeared younger and physically less threatening. Between the two, Seran looked like the more immediate danger.
The leader swung.
Seran jumped backward.
The broad sword followed.
Seran slipped aside and kicked a loose stone toward the man’s face.
The leader turned away instinctively.
Lucien stepped in and struck the man’s elbow with his palm.
The sword shifted just enough for Seran to slash across the exposed forearm.
The cut was shallow.
The leader roared and swung his armored gauntlet toward Seran’s head.
Seran ducked beneath it.
Lucien caught the man’s wrist.
The difference in strength became obvious immediately.
The leader pulled, and Lucien was dragged forward.
Lucien did not resist the momentum. He stepped closer, drove his shoulder into the man’s chest, and hooked one foot behind the leader’s ankle.
The man staggered.
Seran appeared behind him and shoved.
For one ridiculous moment, the strongest Iron Jackal in the raid was being pushed from both directions by two teenagers.
The leader bellowed and forced them away.
Seran stumbled several steps.
Lucien nearly fell.
The leader swung again, though this time the attack was measured and controlled. He had stopped trying to crush them through strength alone.
Lucien noticed immediately.
The man had adjusted.
That made him more dangerous.
The sword moved toward Lucien.
Lucien retreated.
The leader stopped midway and changed direction.
The blade suddenly went toward Seran.
Seran barely blocked with his knife, and the impact sent him rolling across the road.
Lucien rushed forward.
The leader kicked him in the stomach.
Lucien folded around the strike and hit the ground hard enough for pain to spread through his entire body.
His current body complained immediately.
The leader stepped toward him.
Seran threw another stone.
The man raised his arm and blocked it with his gauntlet.
He laughed. "You think that trick will work twice?"
Seran smiled.
Lucien saw the smile and understood immediately.
The stone had never been the real attack.
The leader’s raised arm blocked his own vision.
Lucien rolled aside.
Seran rushed in low and hooked one foot behind the man’s ankle.
The leader lost balance for a fraction of a second.
Lucien swept the other leg.
The leader fell onto one knee.
Seran drove his shoulder into him.
Lucien struck the side of the man’s helmet with both palms.
The leader toppled.
Before either of them could capitalize, he rolled, grabbed Seran’s ankle, and yanked.
Seran hit the road.
Lucien stepped forward.
The leader swung from the ground.
Lucien jumped back.
The blade passed beneath him.
The leader rose again, though his breathing had grown heavier.
Lucien’s breathing was not much better.
Seran pushed himself upright and dusted his clothes.
"I liked him better when he was angry."
Lucien glanced over. "Keep making him angry."
Seran’s grin returned. "Gladly."
The leader heard them.
"You think this is amusing?"
Seran tilted his head. "A little."
The man charged.
Seran moved first.
He threw his knife.
The leader turned his sword and deflected it.
The weapon flew into the grass.
Seran immediately ran away.
The leader stared at him for a moment before following.
Lucien nearly laughed.
Seran had deliberately made himself look vulnerable.
The leader chased him toward the uneven edge of the road, where shallow ruts from old wagons crossed the earth.
Seran knew exactly where he was going.
The leader realized too late.
His armored boot landed awkwardly.
His balance shifted.
Seran turned and threw a handful of dirt directly into the man’s face.
The leader roared.
Lucien reached him from behind and struck the damaged knee.
The joint buckled again.
Seran kicked the sword hand.
The weapon fell.
The leader swung his fist blindly.
It caught Lucien across the shoulder.
Lucien stumbled.
Seran moved in.
The leader caught him around the throat.
Seran’s eyes widened.
The man lifted him.
Lucien rushed forward.
The leader turned enough to keep Seran between them.
He was still thinking clearly.
Lucien stopped.
The leader smiled through blood and dust.
"Come closer."
Seran coughed. "Lucien."
"I know."
"Good."
The leader’s expression changed.
Seran suddenly grabbed the man’s thumb with both hands and bent it backward.
The leader cursed.
His grip loosened.
Seran dropped, kicked backward into the man’s shin, and rolled away.
Lucien moved at the same instant.
His fist struck the leader’s throat.
The man gagged.
Lucien followed with an elbow to the jaw.
Seran came from the side and kicked the damaged knee once more.
The leader fell.
He reached for his sword.
Seran stepped on his hand.
The man punched Seran’s leg with his free fist.
Seran stumbled away.
The leader grabbed the sword.
Lucien kicked the blade before he could raise it.
It slid across the dirt.
The leader tackled Lucien.
They hit the ground hard.
Lucien felt the breath leave his lungs.
The man’s hands closed around his neck.
Lucien struck the inside of one elbow.
The grip held.
He struck again.
The leader lowered his weight.
Lucien’s vision tightened.
Then Seran appeared behind the man and wrapped an arm across his face.
The leader released Lucien and tried to throw Seran.
Seran clung on.
"You people really love grabbing throats."
The leader roared and reached backward.
Seran ducked away.
Lucien coughed, regained his footing, and looked at Seran.
"Attack however you want. I’ll adjust."
For a brief moment, Seran said nothing.
Then he smiled.
"That is a dangerous thing to tell me."
They moved together.
From that point onward, Seran stopped trying to coordinate through obvious signals. He simply attacked however instinct and opportunity told him to, and Lucien adjusted around him.
Seran threw stones, kicked dirt, pretended to retreat, grabbed clothing, attacked from awkward angles, and used anything within reach.
Lucien read each improvisation and turned it into pressure. When Seran forced the leader to raise his guard, Lucien attacked low. When Lucien drove him toward the edge of the road, Seran cut off the retreat. When the leader changed his stance to counter Lucien’s footwork, Seran struck from behind.
The leader adapted as well.
He began ignoring obvious bait. He stopped chasing Seran recklessly. He kept both of them within his vision and used wider swings to deny them easy entry.
For several exchanges, neither Lucien nor Seran reached him cleanly.
The man was learning.
Seran smiled more.
"He’s finally thinking."
The leader’s face twitched.
Lucien understood what Seran was doing.
Every word was another weapon.
The leader remained disciplined for a while.
Then Seran began using the Iron Jackals’ own habits against him.
He feigned injury and pretended his ankle had twisted.
The leader rushed him.
Seran stepped aside at the last moment.
Lucien drove a knee into the man’s ribs.
Seran threw dirt again.
This time, the leader expected it and turned away.
Lucien kicked the back of his knee.
The man cursed.
Seran laughed.
"You people taught me that one."
The leader charged him.
Seran retreated toward a loose branch lying beside the road and kicked it upward.
The leader instinctively looked down.
Seran punched him.
The blow barely hurt through the armor and helmet.
That seemed to be the point.
The leader became furious.
"Stop playing with me!"
Seran grinned. "I am treating you exactly the way your people treat everyone else."
The words landed harder than the punch.
The leader lunged.
His discipline finally broke.
Lucien saw it.
He stepped inside the swing.
The blade passed behind him.
Lucien caught the man’s sword arm with both hands and twisted his entire body.
Seran struck the elbow from the opposite direction.
Something cracked.
The sword fell.
The leader roared and punched Lucien across the face.
Lucien staggered.
Seran drove his knee into the man’s stomach.
The leader folded slightly.
Lucien recovered and kicked the damaged knee.
The man dropped.
Seran retrieved his knife.
The leader looked up at them.
His breathing came in ragged bursts. Blood ran from his mouth. His right arm hung badly.
For the first time that night, he looked afraid.
Seran stared down at him.
"You know what the funny part is?"
The leader said nothing.
Seran smiled faintly.
"I used almost everything your people taught me. The dirt, the fake retreat, the cheap attacks, and the intimidation all worked surprisingly well on you too."
The leader spat blood.
"You think you won?"
Lucien looked toward the village.
The fighting there had ended.
The night had become quiet again.
The leader followed his gaze.
His expression collapsed.
His men were gone.
He looked back at Lucien and Seran.
"You are worse than us."
Seran laughed. "I’ll take that as a compliment."
The leader’s expression twisted.
"You will all die. My patron already knows about this village. You think killing me changes anything? They will come. Your houses will burn. Your families will..."
Lucien moved.
The leader never finished.
The knife entered cleanly beneath the jaw.
His body stiffened before collapsing.
Seran stared at Lucien.
The silence lasted several seconds.
"You scare me sometimes."
Lucien wiped the blade before handing it back.
"Keep letting him talk and perhaps his saliva will eventually pierce your skin."
Seran blinked.
Then he laughed.
Lucien turned toward the village.
"Come on."
Seran followed.
Behind them, the leader of the Iron Jackals remained where he had fallen.
The gang had entered the village believing they were hunters.
By the time the night ended, none of them remained standing.