Owen engaged in fierce combat with the goblin warrior, their swords and broadswords clashing in the air, sparks flying as both sides tensely sought an opening in the other's defense. Owen's sword had already inflicted numerous large and small wounds on the goblin warrior's body. Through Kevin's Dead Eye, the goblin warrior's HP had been reduced to about half, but Owen's condition was not much better. He had lost around a quarter of his HP, and his leather armor had multiple tears with a small amount of blood seeping out.
Kevin carefully assessed his own condition, and glanced at Alex and Melissa beside him. Alex had been withstanding the onslaught of three goblins just moments ago, while Melissa had cast numerous spells, her mana consumption causing her to suffer from dizziness. Considering they still had to travel back through the ruins to Gail Town, it was best for them to avoid further combat for safety reasons.
As for Kevin himself, he hadn't used many skills, only casting a single Heal and a single Blood Activation. And after acquiring the profession of Netherworlder, although he couldn't clearly quantify the changes within him, he could still feel a significant increase in his mana. At this point, he had only consumed about a sixth of his mana, and thanks to Alex's efforts, Kevin had mostly focused on disrupting enemies and supporting Alex from the side, leaving him with a fair amount of energy. Kevin decided to support Owen on his own.
Kevin quickly crossed the battlefield to the spot where Owen was fighting the goblin warrior, positioning himself at a location where he could observe the battle well. Although Kevin's body had been trained, it was still one thing to deal with ordinary goblins, but quite another to face off against a goblin warrior. With Kevin's current strength, it would be difficult for him to intervene directly, as he couldn't withstand the powerful blows of the goblin warrior. So he had to find other ways to provide support.
First, he aimed his palm at Owen and shouted, "Blood Activation!" As his voice rang out, a faint green light surged from Kevin's palm, quickly enveloping Owen. Through Dead Eye, Kevin could see that Owen's HP had stopped dropping and was even slowly recovering.
With a loud "bang," Owen's sword collided fiercely with the goblin warrior's broadsword before quickly separating. Owen and the goblin warrior put some distance between them, shifting their footing and engaging in a tense dance, their eyes filled with determination. Owen's grip on his sword loosened and tightened, the pain from their previous clash completely gone, leaving his body feeling excellent. A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he roared and charged towards the goblin warrior again.
Kevin was confident that Owen could defeat the goblin warrior on his own, but their primary goal for this outing was to train their own strength. If possible, he also wanted to participate in the battle against the goblin warrior.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Kevin carefully observed the movements of the goblin warrior and Owen. As his mind became completely still, he suddenly felt a strange sensation in his body. It seemed as though his strength had increased slightly, and his mana had risen as well.
Focusing his attention, he saw his character panel. The "1st Rank" in parentheses after his name had changed to "2nd Rank," and a new skill had been added to the Priest's skill bar: Activation.
Kevin delved into the skill's description in his mind, gaining a rough understanding of its effects.
"Increase physical attributes, including strength, speed, and endurance, for a short period." Kevin muttered to himself. Excited, he observed the battle even more intently, preparing to use this new skill at a critical moment.
Since the newly acquired skill had such an effect, perhaps he could manage it. Kevin envisioned and sketched out the scene of his upcoming battle with the goblin warrior in his mind.
His hands flexed nervously, trying to adjust his body to its optimal state.
He still had plenty of mana for multiple healing spells, so even if he was injured in the attempt, he could heal himself. Even if he received a fatal blow, as long as it didn't result in limb loss, he could still exist in spirit form, control his body to cast healing spells to repair the wounds, and then revive himself. Having thought through his backup plan in case of failure, Kevin made up his mind and took a determined step forward.
He slowly approached, making sure the goblin warrior had just used a powerful strike that Owen had blocked. Then, he cast Activation on himself. Feeling the increased strength, Kevin shouted to Owen, "Owen, let me handle this now."
Owen was surprised and unsure of what Kevin intended to do, so he didn't immediately step aside. Kevin said, "Trust me." This reassured Owen, who nodded silently.
After Owen inflicted a wound on the goblin warrior, he moved aside to create some space. Kevin approached, focusing intently on the goblin warrior's broadsword. The goblin, annoyed that its opponent had stepped aside to make room for a seemingly frail human, swung its sword downwards with a powerful strike, attempting to send Kevin flying.
Kevin raised his own sword, and as it came into contact with the goblin warrior's broadsword, he tightened his grip, tensed his legs, and slightly lifted his heels. Instead of trying to block the goblin's sword, he used the force from the goblin's strike to spin in place, dissipating the impact on himself. Then, he used the momentum of the spin and the centrifugal force to strike the goblin's wrist.
This attack combined Kevin's enhanced strength from Activation, the centrifugal force from spinning, and the goblin warrior's own strength. With these three forces combined, Kevin's sword broke through the goblin's defense, creating a deep wound on its wrist.
"Well done, Kevin," praised Alex, who had been watching intently.
Melissa was also astonished and full of admiration. Owen hadn't expected Kevin, a cleric, to pull off such a feat. After praising Kevin, he raised his sword and said, "You haven't seen my signature move yet. Let me show you."
Owen roared, "Chain Slash," and his sword struck the goblin warrior multiple times at lightning speed, each time near the same spot. Unable to react, the goblin received a final blow to its chest. The goblin warrior let out an unwilling but powerless roar, attempting to strike Owen one more time, but the wound Kevin had inflicted made it difficult to grip its sword. Kevin attacked its right hand again, causing it to drop its weapon. The goblin warrior fell to the ground, lifeless, after Owen withdrew his sword.
"Ha, I am 'Wild Wind' Owen. How about that, big guy? But you can't answer me now, can you?" Owen shrugged.
After confirming with Dead Eye that the goblin warrior's HP had reached zero, Kevin finally let out a sigh of relief. A sense of pride swelled within him. The duration of Activation had passed, and he cast Vitality on himself to alleviate the fatigue and muscle pain, restoring his condition.
The battle over, Owen wiped the blood from his sword and sheathed it. He smiled at the trio and said, "You kids did great today. Alex, you took on the responsibility of protecting your companions as a knight should; Melissa, you were attentive to your teammates and worked well with them. Kevin, a cleric like you would be welcomed in any team. You will make a fantastic team."
"You mean 'we,' don't you?" Kevin asked, puzzled.
"No, I'm actually part of Frank's team. I couldn't participate in their recent demon wolf hunt due to personal matters. They had a big harvest, and I missed out. So, Frank asked me to team up with his nephew, Alex, to train him and keep him safe from major dangers. But now that you've joined, and I can see you're very reliable, I'll return to Frank's team after a few more adventures with you. After all, I can't protect you forever."
Owen explained his reason for joining them temporarily and then said,
"Alright, that's enough for today. Let's head back. You can relax a bit with me around on the way, but don't let your guard down. Stay alert. You all did great today, so once we're back, you can take a break and enjoy yourselves. You deserve it."
They gathered their spoils from the battle and set off on their way back. On the journey, they remained vigilant and cautious. They encountered a few weak monsters along the way, but considering Kevin and the others were already exhausted, Owen handled them himself. They eventually returned safely to Gael Town.