After a few moments, Nim and Mirra watched as a group of five people stopped a few meters away from them.
There were four men and one woman. One of the men wore heavy armor and carried a shield on his back. The other men wore light armor—two were swordsmen, and one was an archer.
Additionally, one of the swordsmen wore a high-quality breastplate. The last and only woman held a staff in her hands—it was easy to deduce she was a mage.
A full group of adventurers had appeared before Nim and Mirra.
The two groups stared at each other for a few seconds. After a moment, the group of five whispered something, and one of the swordsmen stepped out and approached Nim and Mirra.
"Hello, fellow adventurers. My name is Carl," said the swordsman with a smile.
Nim and Mirra didn't respond. As if the swordsman hadn't noticed their attitudes, he continued.
"I'd like to ask if you'd want to come with us to look for the exit of this floor. After all, this floor is dangerous for a group of two."
"No, we're fine," replied Nim.
"Don't turn me down so quickly. I know you trust your abilities, but why don't you think it over again?" insisted the swordsman.
"I already told you we don't need your help," said Nim, in a more serious tone.
The swordsman stopped smiling after hearing Nim's words.
"Eh… You must be pretty confident in your skills. Why don't you let me experience that firsthand?"
The next moment, the swordsman drew his sword.
Nim wasn't surprised by the sudden change in the swordsman's attitude. From the moment he saw him approaching, he knew he was looking for trouble.
"Let's see if you can withstand my attacks."
The swordsman moved and tried to slash at Nim. At that moment, Nim also moved and appeared in front of the swordsman.
Amid the swordsman's surprise, Nim punched him in the face. The swordsman was sent flying a few meters, his teeth broken.
The other members of the swordsman's group were startled to see their comrade defeated in a single blow. At that moment, they showed hostile expressions.
The shieldbearer approached the companion that Nim had struck, only to find that he had been knocked out by the blow.
(That kid isn't simple)
Thought the shieldbearer. It took great strength to achieve that feat. After that, he carried his unconscious companion to the side.
While the shieldbearer was moving his fallen companion, the rest of the group had already approached Nim and Mirra.
"You've got guts, brat, attacking people from my group," said the other swordsman, who also appeared to be the leader of the group.
Nim didn't respond. At this point, a battle was inevitable. He wasn't too worried about his own safety, but Mirra was behind him. He had to act carefully if he wanted to protect her.
The swordsman gripped his weapon; the archer and the mage did the same.
"Mirra, fall back," said Nim.
"I can help you, Nim," Mirra replied. Normally, Nim was always the one who protected her. But after she acquired a class, she wasn't as weak as before.
Nim didn't argue—it was true that Mirra now had a class.
The swordsman and his group heard their short exchange and laughed.
"You think you can protect someone? Maybe you're strong, but you're just one person."
The next moment, the swordsman was the first to attack and launched a skill—[Sword Wave]. Nim also moved at that moment.
A wave of energy headed toward Nim. The attack was fast, but Nim managed to dodge it.
Nim quickly closed in on the swordsman and slashed with his sword. The swordsman was surprised by Nim's speed but still managed to react.
Cling
The swords clashed, and the swordsman staggered back several steps. Nim hadn't moved from his spot.
(What)
The swordsman was surprised by the sheer force of the attack. Just moments ago, he had nearly let go of his sword.
Although he had seen his comrade defeated in one blow, he had assumed it was just a lapse on his companion's part.
Nim didn't stop and went to pursue the swordsman when an arrow flew toward his chest. Nim quickly sidestepped and dodged it.
At that moment, a magic orb followed the arrow. Nim moved again, and the attack grazed his body.
A small injury appeared where the magic orb had grazed him.
The swordsman nearby wanted to attack Nim again when he saw a magic orb flying toward him. Startled, he dodged quickly—the orb missed.
"You're not the only one with help," said Mirra, who had launched the attack at the swordsman.
The swordsman looked angrily at Mirra. At that moment, Nim struck again, but this time toward the archer and the mage. He had to get rid of them first.
The archer didn't stay idle and fired several arrows at Nim while keeping his distance. Nim quickly dodged the arrows.
Just after dodging, he was interrupted by a shield attack coming from the side. The shield glowed faintly.
Using his fists, Nim turned and clashed with the shield.
Thump
The shieldbearer was pushed back several meters, his arms numb from the impact.
(This kid)
The shieldbearer was also surprised by Nim's strength. He had blocked his skill [Shield Attack] using only physical power.
He had also seen Nim face off against three members of their group without falling behind.
They were an experienced group at levels 13 to 15. Their swordsman leader was level 15; along with the mage and archer, they were level 14. Only the swordsman who had fainted was level 13.
Their entire group was being pressured by a teenager who looked about 15.
In the middle of his thoughts, Nim charged at him again. The shieldbearer raised his shield against the incoming attack. Nim's strike landed, and the force of it caused the shieldbearer to lose his grip.
The shield went flying.
Facing the disarmed shieldbearer, Nim was about to continue his attack but was interrupted by several arrows. Nim jumped to the side and dodged them.
Just as he landed, he was met by a magic orb. Nim jumped again and barely avoided the attack.
"Tch, slippery brat," said the mage after her attacks were dodged twice.
"Don't get distracted," said the archer.
"I know, you don't need to say it again," replied the mage as she began channeling another spell.
Nim looked seriously at the mage. If one of her magic attacks hit him, it would hurt.
At that moment, a crash echoed. Nim turned and saw the swordsman attacking Mirra. The swordsman's attack had struck a barrier protecting Mirra.
"Mirra!" Nim shouted in alarm. He turned and rushed to help her.
The archer wouldn't give him the chance and launched several arrows using the [Acceleration] skill. The arrows whistled through the air and reached Nim in an instant.
Nim moved quickly, but one arrow managed to pierce his shoulder.
"Getting distracted during a battle," said the archer. Though he said that, he was surprised the arrow hadn't gone through Nim's body. With [Acceleration], it should've punched a hole through him.
Nim grabbed the arrow and pulled it out forcefully. Blood began to pour from his wound.
At that moment, Nim took a deep breath and made a decision. He turned his gaze toward the disarmed shieldbearer and charged again.
The shieldbearer noticed Nim and used his vitality to protect himself; a faint layer of light covered his body.
The next moment, he raised his arms to defend against Nim's strike.
Nim used all his strength and delivered a powerful blow to the shieldbearer. His armor couldn't absorb the impact, and the bones in his arms shattered. The shieldbearer was pushed back by the blow.
Nim didn't stop and chased after him. At that moment, the whistling of arrows returned. Nim didn't back down, and the arrows struck his body.
The next moment, Nim's fist landed on the shieldbearer's chest.
Thump
The powerful impact sent the shieldbearer flying several meters. Nim didn't pursue and stepped back. The arrows landed where he had been a moment ago.
In sync, the magic attack followed. Nim had already predicted it and dodged the attack.
"Let's see how long you can last," said the mage with a slight smile. Though Nim had injured the shieldbearer, he had paid a price.
Ignoring the wounds on his body, Nim ran toward the mage and archer.
The mage's smile froze, and she screamed.
"Stop him!"
The archer did all he could and used his [Acceleration] skill again. After firing, he retreated with the mage.
To the archer's surprise, Nim didn't dodge any of his attacks again. In the middle of his shock, Nim appeared before him.
The archer tried to shoot arrows, but Nim grabbed one of his arms.
Crack
The archer's arm bent at an unnatural angle.
"Aaah!"
The archer screamed in pain. Nim grabbed the archer's neck and slammed him hard to the ground. The archer's scream was silenced, and his internal organs were severely damaged.
Without stopping, Nim struck the archer's head. The tremendous force caused the archer's skull to explode, blood splattering the surroundings.
The mage beside him witnessed the brutal death of the archer. Nim turned and looked coldly at the mage. The arrows in his body and the blood on his clothes made him look like a demon.
The mage turned and fled in fear. After a few steps, she suddenly stopped, her body falling to the ground without its head.
Nim had decapitated her.
After killing the mage, Nim removed the arrows from his body. He could have dodged them, but that would have delayed him and allowed the mage to complete her spell.
Besides, he still had something to do. After removing the arrows, Nim turned and headed for his next battle.