"Whoosh!"
Richard released another arrow.
The remaining shield user reacted immediately and raised his shield.
"Thud!"
The arrow buried itself deep into the wood.
"Fuck! Keep that thing up!" one of the thugs shouted from behind him.
The shield user didn't answer.
Sweat was already running down his forehead despite the cold weather.
He knew exactly what would happen if he made a mistake.
One arrow.
That was all it took.
The corpse of the long-haired swordsman was still lying only a few meters away with an arrow sticking out of his eye.
—
Not far away, Garrick exchanged another blow with Klinger.
"Clang!"
The axe and spear collided again.
Neither man gave ground.
Klinger was stronger than Garrick expected.
Not more skilled.
Not faster.
Just stronger.
The gang leader fought like a street thug who had survived countless brawls through sheer toughness.
Unfortunately, that still made him dangerous.
At the same time, the two men supporting Klinger continued circling nearby, looking for an opportunity to strike.
Garrick couldn't fully commit to an attack while worrying about them.
'Annoying.'
A younger Garrick would've already killed all three.
Now he was forced to fight carefully.
—
William also felt the pressure.
The shield user remained in front while the three remaining thugs slowly spread out behind him.
None of them wanted to rush forward first.
Not while Richard was watching.
"Stay behind me," William told Dustin quietly.
"Y-yes."
Dustin tightened his grip on his sword.
He hated how much his hands were shaking.
The dead Wolves.
The dead Feral Dogs.
The dead men.
Blood covered the snow in every direction.
This was nothing like fighting a single Feral Dog.
One mistake here meant death.
William adjusted his footing and raised his shield slightly higher.
Unlike Dustin, he wasn't afraid.
But he was beginning to understand something.
Without Osric nearby, he was no longer just following someone else's lead.
People were standing behind him now.
—
A shout from one of the thugs finally gave Garrick the opening he had been waiting for.
"Boss! The archer—"
The man looked away for a fraction of a second.
A fatal mistake.
Garrick's spear instantly shot forward.
"Shtk!"
The spearhead pierced through the thug's throat.
Blood sprayed across the snow.
Before the body even hit the ground, Garrick ripped the spear free and spun.
The second thug froze.
Only for a moment.
But Garrick had spent decades killing men and monsters.
A moment was enough.
His spear swept across in a brutal horizontal arc.
"Thk!"
The iron shaft struck first.
The thug's guard opened.
The spearhead followed immediately after and buried itself in the side of his neck.
The man collapsed without even managing a scream.
Just like that, the numbers advantage disappeared.
Klinger's eyes widened.
"What the fuck?"
For the first time since the fight began, Garrick smiled.
Now it was only the two of them.
"Your mistake," Garrick said while lowering his stance slightly, "was thinking those idiots were helping you."
Klinger roared and charged.
His axe came down with enough force to split a skull.
"Clang!"
Garrick redirected the strike instead of blocking it directly.
The axe slammed into the frozen ground.
Before Klinger could recover—
The spear struck.
"Shtk!"
A deep wound opened across his forearm.
"Argh!"
Klinger stumbled backwards.
Then the spear came again.
And again.
Each attack forced him further back.
Each attack landed closer than the last.
The difference in skill became impossible to ignore.
Klinger wasn't fighting Garrick anymore.
He was surviving him.
—
The other gang members noticed it too.
Their strongest fighter was losing.
Fast.
"Fuck this!"
One of the thugs suddenly broke formation and rushed forward.
"Kill the archer!"
The other two immediately followed.
If Klinger lost, they were dead anyway.
Riko raised his shield and charged with them.
"Now!" William shouted.
Richard didn't need to be told twice.
"Twang!"
"Whoosh!"
"Thk!"
The first thug dropped instantly.
The arrow punched through his throat and sent him crashing into the bloodstained snow.
"Shit!"
The remaining thug accelerated.
Riko pushed forward with his shield raised.
Richard was already drawing another arrow.
But they were too close.
Dustin saw it too.
His body moved before his fear could stop him.
"Argh!"
"Clang!"
His sword intercepted the thug's attack.
The impact rattled his arms and nearly knocked the weapon from his hands.
But he held.
The thug grinned.
"Move, brat!"
"Twang!"
"Whoosh!"
"Thk!"
The grin disappeared.
Richard's arrow buried itself deep into his chest.
The thug staggered backwards before collapsing beside the others.
Dustin stared for a moment.
Then quickly looked away.
—
At almost the same moment, William crashed into Riko.
"Bang!"
The two shields collided.
Riko immediately lost ground.
His shield might have been larger, but William was stronger.
"Get out of my way!"
William shoved forward again.
Riko stumbled.
His shield dropped slightly.
That was all William needed.
"Schtk!"
His axe buried itself deep into the side of the man's neck.
Blood erupted across the snow.
Riko collapsed instantly.
William didn't even stop moving.
The final thug had already slipped around them and was running toward Dustin.
"Dustin!"
The young adventurer turned.
Too late.
The thug's sword was already descending.
"Crack!"
William's axe struck first.
The blade smashed into the side of the man's skull and dropped him where he stood.
Silence briefly settled over their side of the battlefield.
Every gang member except Klinger was dead.
—
"Argh!"
Klinger desperately swung his axe again.
"Clang!"
Garrick knocked it aside.
His spear immediately followed.
"Shtk!"
Another wound opened across Klinger's shoulder.
The gang leader stumbled.
His breathing had become ragged.
Blood covered his arms.
His movements were slowing.
Garrick wasn't.
The spear moved again.
Fast.
Precise.
Merciless.
Klinger tried to block.
Too slow.
"Shtk!"
The spearhead slashed across his wrist.
Pain exploded through his arm.
His fingers opened involuntarily.
The axe slipped free.
"Thud."
Klinger stared at the weapon lying in the snow.
His face turned pale.
For the first time since the fight began, genuine fear appeared in his eyes.
Garrick stepped forward.
"Now," he said calmly.
"Let's talk."