Swamp Invasion [Solo]

[Icyferno]

Status: Healthy / Rested

~

Icyferno didn't want to be in the swamp; the mud under his foot was soft and squishy, the air stunk and all there was to see was dead trees and the occasional creature. He swore as his foot got caught in a root hidden by the mud for the umpteenth time. Fortunately, he hadn't lost his balance yet. If he had, he would have most certainly gotten mud all over his face, which he would have to spend extra time cleaning off before he went off to bed. His boots and pants were already caked with mud despite his best effort to avoid the deeper pools of muddy water; it was just impossible to avoid them completely.

It all started when he was visiting one of the pharmaceutical shops run by the People of the Land. He had stopped by to examine their wares and hopefully learn of the existence of new herbs which might aid him in his work as a 『Pharmacist』. As there were several different shops throughout London, he had to visit all of them as some of them were unwilling to share information with each other as they felt that the other party was attempting to drive them out of business. It was an unreasonable accusation without grounds, yet entirely logical at the same time, so Icyferno refrained from talking to the shop owners about it and just browsed their wares like an ordinary consumer would to prevent them from thinking that he was sent by their competition and drive him out of their establishment.

It was at one of these establishments did Icyferno hear of some trouble that the proprietor of said shop was having. Apparently, she owned a small area somewhere in the Northern Marshlands of Thames, which was fenced off to prevent monsters from breaking in. The proprietor grew certain species of herbs which were only cultivatable in swamps there in order to ensure that she had a consistent supply of valuable herbs as there were few who would venture into the swamps everyday. That said, the farmhands lived in the swamp and consistently conducted maintenance on the fence. Usually, a few of them would transport matured herbs to her shop once a week, but it has already been almost a fortnight since she last heard from them.

Back then, Icyferno volunteered to go and look for them. Recently, he was beginning to get used to the fact that the People of the Land were more than just NPCs. They had their worries and joys as well, feeling emotion as well as all of those trapped by the Catastrophe. Hence, he thought that this was just some elaborate way for the proprietor to give him a quest, since he noticed that it had showed up on his quest log as he left the establishment.

Thus, he found himself traversing through the marshlands for the first time in his life. He had never liked mud in the first place, and now he believed that he hated it even more now. However, he couldn't just call it quits anymore, not after he'd told the shop keeper that he would look into the matter. It would not reflect well on Adventurers, he told himself. What kind of Adventurer would quit a quest they had started of their own free will? Besides, it was the first quest he had ever received since coming to this world, there was no way he was going to turn it down.

~

Word count: 580
Total word count (Swashbuckler): 580
Notes: Making a new solo to catch up to the others, once I'm done with this solo I'll start preparing to enter the dungeon.

[Icyferno]

Status: Healthy / Rested

~

Glancing up, Icyferno suddenly realized that he could already see the farm, which was partially blocked from his view by a large ominous dead tree. Only a single brown leaf rested upon the gnarled and twisted branches. A tall wooden fence about two and a half meters high was shaped in a square and surrounded the compound with no gaps in between the stakes driven deep into the mud. A sturdy wooden gate stood undamaged in the middle of the fences, although he could see no actual road leading up to it. How were the herbs even transported?

From his current position, he could see the roof of one of the buildings behind the fence, which he assumed was probably the sleeping area of the farmhands. He picked up his pace, if only to get the job done and over with as soon as possible. He noted that the mud felt more solid to him as he neared the gate, as his legs were no longer engulfed by the mud. Perhaps the herbs were transported through some hidden route he hadn't known of.

As he neared the gate, however, something seemed amiss. The proprietor of the herb shop had told him that the farmhands constantly maintained the fence to prevent monsters from coming in. However, the fence to one side of the gate appeared to be damaged, with broken splinters of wood scattered on the mud. Despite his unwillingness to plunge into the muddy pools again, he lurched forward to examine the fence. As he rounded the corner, he was horrified to discover that there was a hole in the fence. The hole was large enough for him to guess that he could possibly squeeze in through the hole to enter the compound. The question was, who made the hole? And what happened to the farmhands who were supposed to maintain the fence?

It was a distinct possibility that some of the monsters nearby could have broken into the compound under the cover of night. He quickly recalled as many monsters as he could that he had heard others mentioning before, which spawned in the marshlands. It would most likely not be an «Ember Newt» since there were no signs of the wood being burned. Could it have been a «Swamp Crocodile»? That would be a problem, since he felt that he was in no way ready to face one of those yet as he had no party and poor gear.

He was brought back to reality by a constant ramming sound. Confused, he tilted his head. It seemed like it was coming from the compound. It had been going on for quite some time, although it was only now that he had finally noticed it. At that same moment, he heard someone shout, "Someone save us!"

~

Word count: 467
Total word count (Swashbuckler): 580 + 467 = 1047
Notes: N/A

[Icyferno]

Status: Healthy / Rested

~

It was coming from inside the farm! Without giving it a second thought, Icyferno tried to push his way through the hole. It was smaller than it seemed, however, as the splintered wood cut at him through his poorly made beginner equipment. I really need to get better gear, he thought, wincing as he finally squeezed through the hole and unfortunately landing in the mud. Great, now I'm going to look like a mud monster.

He let his gaze slide over the scene before him. Even at first glance, he could tell that something was amiss. Right in front of him was an area dedicated to growing herbs, or used to, anyway. He crouched in the mud and examined the herbs closely. Most of the herbs appeared to have been trampled upon. Disturbed mud dotting the 'field' suggested that some of the herbs were pulled out recently, although he didn't know if it was the farmhands who did it.

Standing up, he took in the sight of the buildings before him. Apart from the tall building whose roof he saw earlier, there were a few squat wooden buildings dotting the fenced area, which were most likely either storage sheds or used for growing herbs in the dark. All of the buildings appeared to have seen use, although a few new boards here and there suggested constant maintenance. However, that was not what had caught his attention.

Five goblins stood in front of the door to the main building. Two of them were holding up a relative large piece of rock and repeatedly slammed the rock into the door, which explained both the constant sound as well as how they had managed to break through the fence in the first place. The other three were shouting in some goblin language at the house and were too preoccupied to notice him. He almost breathed a sigh of relief since it was something he could handle, but he knew that he didn't have much time. He didn't know how long it would take for the goblins to break down the door, nor did he know whether or not there were reinforcements lurking in one of the buildings. Since he hadn't been spotted by the goblins at the door yet, he could either launch a surprise attack or scout the area for additional forces. No, there's not enough time to scout the area. I have to stop them now!

~

Word count: 409
Total word count (Swashbuckler): 580 + 467 + 409 = 1456
Notes: N/A

[Icyferno]

Status: Healthy / Rested

~

His mind made up, he crept towards the goblins by using the buildings as cover. As he passed each building, he stole a quick glance at the interior of every building he passed. The areas used for growing herbs in the dark were in the same state as the herb field he had encountered as he entered the farm, but the storage crates were cracked open, their contents spilled across the mud. They might have been searching for food, he thought. After all, their food supplies may have ran out during the winter.

It was still strange that he would think of goblins as something more than just monster mobs meant to be killed by Adventurers, but if he thought about it realistically, it made sense. Now that they were no longer just data in a virtual world, they would have needs to fulfill just like any other living creature. If he were to think of it like that, it almost made him look like the bad guy, save for the fact that the goblins had chosen to pillage this farm for food, although he doubted it had a lot of food stored. This was a farm which produced herbs with medicinal value to be used for medical purposes. Food would have to be transported here from London.

That would mean that the goblins probably have not gotten what they came for. The farmhands might have guessed that the monsters in the surrounding area would want to steal their food, so it was a possibility that they had kept all the food somewhere in the main building. If the goblins had already gotten what they wanted, they would not remain here.

~

Word count: 283
Total word count (Swashbuckler): 580 + 467 + 409 + 283 = 1739
Notes: N/A

[Icyferno]

Status: Healthy / Rested

~

As he took cover behind the final wooden building that remained between him and the goblins, the two goblins slamming the rock into the door suddenly dropped the rock with a tired sigh. He hung back, hoping that an opportunity would be made for him. The goblins communicated with each other for a while in some goblin language, after which two of the remaining three struggled to pick up the rock and began slamming it against the door just as the other two had done earlier. As the slamming resumed, the exhausted goblins moved to one side and leaned against the wall of the building they were trying to force their way into.

At first glance, this was a great opportunity. In fact, he was on the verge of charging forward in an all-out attack as the odds were greatly in his favor now. However, he had quite some distance of open ground to cover before he reached the goblins. What if they had ranged weapons? He had some experience in fighting armored opponents, but he had never faced off against an opponent with a ranged weapon before. He was too far away to see whether any of the goblins carried a bow. Since they were goblin scouts, he didn't know what kind of weapons they had as he didn't know much about warfare. Should he risk it?

From what little he knew of medieval warfare, scouts were usually lightly armored and equipped. That should still hold through in this game. At best, they would likely have a short sword and a light buckler, although he believed they carried bows as well. He couldn't yet confirm whether or not the goblins had a short bow between them, so he decided he should hang back for a while more and try to gather more information.

~

Word count: 304
Total word count (Swashbuckler): 580 + 467 + 409 + 283 + 304 = 2043
Notes: N/A

[Icyferno]

Status: Healthy / Rested

~

Just then, he heard the same shrill cry for help coming from inside the house again as another large chunk of the door broke off. The idea of trying to gather more data on his opponents was tempting, but he didn't think the door would last. Splinters of wood fell to the ground with each swing of the rock, each strike bringing the goblins closer and closer to their goal. He didn't have a choice. He had to charge at them and hope that there weren't any reinforcements.

In one fluid motion, he drew his swords and stepped out of cover. He knew he had to be careful as he made his way towards them. Since the area was inhabited by People of the Land, they may or may not have made sure that the mud he stood on was solid enough for sprinting across. As he darted forward, he quickly discovered that the mud was hardly any better than that of the surrounding area. Which sort of made sense, since they didn't have any reason to run around so they had no reason to make the mud harder, not that he knew of any method to do so himself.

He managed to cover about three meters before the goblin next to those working on the wooden door, possibly tired of staring at it all day, turned and swept its eyes across the area behind them, perhaps wondering whether they had missed anything. The goblin locked on to him and shouted a warning to its comrades as it pointed frantically towards him. The exhausted goblins scrambled to their feet shakily, pulling rusty short swords out of their scabbards. The goblins working on the door continued attacking the door at a faster pace, fear adding to their strength.

It couldn't be helped, really. There was no way he wasn't going to be spotted before he reached them unless he was extremely lucky. If he had throwing weapons on him, he could probably take them out at this range, except he hadn't bothered to purchase new gear yet despite probably having enough money for it. He made a mental note to get some kind of throwing weapon and practice with it before he took on another quest, if he could find one, that is.

~

Word count: 382
Total word count (Swashbuckler): 580 + 467 + 409 + 283 + 304 + 382 = 2425
Notes: N/A

[Icyferno]

Status: Healthy / Rested

~

Thankfully, it turns out that the goblins didn't carry any ranged weapon among them. The three that stood guard at the porch only carried rusty short swords, although one of them carried a small wooden buckler as well. All of the goblins wore brown leather armor, which probably stank badly since they lived in the marshlands.

They remained where they were, obviously unwilling to fight while having their movement hindered by the mud. It's a good plan on their part, he thought, since the mud will make it harder for me to move about while they have the higher ground as well as good footing.

The goblins gathered at the base of the stairs leading up to a small porch area. The stairs was about a meter and a half wide, with worn wooden railings at each side. The building itself was raised above the mud by thick stilts which sunk deep into the mud, making him wonder briefly how deep one of those stilts go.

As he neared the goblins, they began to back off, as if they were afraid of him. It would be nice if they would back off like this, thought he suspected that they wanted to make him lower his guard as he climbed the stairs. He was right. As he neared the base of the stairs, the goblins suddenly surged forward, goblin battle cries on their tongues. He expected as much; it wasn't likely that they would let him get to solid ground since they should know that they were definitely outmatched.

~

Word count: 258
Total word count (Swashbuckler): 580 + 467 + 409 + 283 + 304 + 382 + 258 = 2683
Notes: N/A

[Icyferno]

Status: Healthy / Rested

~

Icyferno knew that the goblin with the buckler was most likely the strongest among the three, so he focused his attacks on the goblin to its left, starting out with a «Dart-Tack Target». As it had weak armor and he out-leveled it by a lot, he managed to take out a huge chunk of its HP despite his poor gear. The goblin screeched in pain as it was struck. Its shrill voice as it screamed startled him and he nearly dropped his weapon in surprise, though he managed to keep a grip on his weapon, fortunately. Most of his gear had already been in the mud, he didn't want any on his weapons, at least.

He remembered the new skill he had learned recently, «Shuffle Windmill». Could it be used effectively in this situation? He had to remember that he was still standing in in the mud, though. He didn't even need to think hard to know that it wasn't a good idea to spin while knee-deep in mud. The mud would slow him too much, which would reduce his attack potential while leaving an opening for his opponents to strike at.

Parrying the sword swings of the other two goblins, he focused on the one on the left. In situations like these, he knew that it was important to get rid of the weaker mobs first, in order to reduce the overall attack power of his opponents. This was especially important as he had no healer to back him, nor any health potions to help him recover his health. Sure, he had spent some time raising the level of his 『Pharmacist』 skill, but he had yet to make any potions for his own personal use. He made a mental note to do so as soon as possible. Who knew when he'd need them?

~

Word count: 304
Total word count (Swashbuckler): 580 + 467 + 409 + 283 + 304 + 382 + 258 + 304 = 2987
Notes: N/A

[Icyferno]

Status: Healthy / Rested

~

There was one other skill Icyferno had which could help him reduce the goblins' attack power, if only for a few moments. Turning his body slightly, he pulled his left arm back and suddenly changed target, activating «Blind Bet» as he thrust his other arm forward, the tip cutting through the soft padded areas in the goblin's armor. He immediately followed up by pushing his other sword forward, managing to scratch its head as it stumbled backwards, its vision no doubt clouded due to the accuracy debuff.

He knew it would only last ten seconds, but ten seconds should be more than sufficient for him to take out the goblin he had already weakened. Shrugging off the blows raining down on him from the goblin with the buckler, he battered down on the weakened goblin's defenses. He had to make this quick.

His HP had increased along with his level, but since he was still wearing the armor given to beginners, the damage dealt to him was wearing it down quickly. Swashbucklers were damage dealers, not tanks. They could function as off-tanks, but only if they had suitable gear, which he didn't have.

Fortunately for him, he was able to dispatch the first goblin just as the blinded goblin fully recovered from the accuracy debuff and returned to the fray. He stole a quick glance at his HP. It was a little over 85%. There shouldn't be any problem taking out these two goblins, then move on from there to take out the goblins working on the door. After that, he could scour the area to make sure that there weren't any stragglers behind.

~

Word count: 271
Total word count (Swashbuckler): 580 + 467 + 409 + 283 + 304 + 382 + 258 + 304 + 271 = 3258
Notes: N/A

[Icyferno]

Status: Healthy / Rested

~

Within a minute of recovering from the accuracy debuff, the other goblin without a shield was killed, leaving only one goblin left to guard those trying to break down the door. The goblin shivered in fear, taking an involuntary step back as Icyferno took a step forward. He had lost roughly 10% within the span of time required for him to take out the other goblin, which wasn't too bad considering the level of the gear he was using.

He kept battering the goblin's shield in an attempt to break through using brute force. This last goblin, however, wasn't like the other two. It darted in quick counterattacks here and there, causing him to sustain damage while not being able to make use of the small opening made for that brief moment. It used the fact that he had no shield to its advantage, dishing out thrust after thrust, which he either had to ignore as the tip bit into him painfully or attempt to parry it.

Unfortunately for the goblin, he won the war of attrition in the end due to his superior HP capacity. It stumbled on the steps and fell backwards as it attempted to back away, only a sliver of health remaining. He stepped forward onto the stairs, finally dragging his feet out of the mud as it stood over the goblin and gave it a cold stare. "If you didn't attack others, it wouldn't have to come down to this," he said aloud. With that, he thrust both swords down into the goblin. It squealed as its HP hit zero.

~

Word count: 265
Total word count (Swashbuckler): 580 + 467 + 409 + 283 + 304 + 382 + 258 + 304 + 271 + 265 = 3523
Notes: N/A

[Icyferno]

Status: Healthy / Rested

~

Looking up, Icyferno saw that the remaining two goblins had stopped working and were both glancing at him. Seeing him look up, they immediately scurried for their weapons. They were trembling so hard, he could see it even from where he stood. For a brief moment, he almost felt guilty killing them off just like this, except the gazes of the goblins hardened and they stopped shaking. They stepped forward, snarling at him, their expression completely changed.

He was astonished. Was this shift in expression part of the way this world works to fit in with the game, or their natural instincts? Well, he would probably never find out. Having finally made it to solid ground, he wasted no time in charging towards them and they did likewise.

He shifted his left arm backwards and got into position. As the goblins were almost upon him, he activated «Shuffle Windmill», spinning horizontally as fast as he could. Fortunately, he had bent his knees as he waited for them to fall into range, for they were quite short and could have ducked under the attack should he have aimed higher.

One of the goblins had realized that he was waiting for them and paused for a heartbeat, hesitating. That saved its life, as it was able to twist away from his attack. The other goblin, however, took the full brunt of his blows. Its single sword was unable to do anything to stop his twin blades and it went down as all eight strikes struck it across its chest.

~

Word count: 257
Total word count (Swashbuckler): 580 + 467 + 409 + 283 + 304 + 382 + 258 + 304 + 271 + 265 + 257 = 3780
Notes: N/A

[Icyferno]

Status: Healthy / Rested

~

That leaves only one goblin left, this should be easy, Icyferno thought as he swung his twin swords into a guarded position. The goblin took a few steps back and almost looked shocked for a moment, but it quickly regained its composure and snarled at him, taking a confident step forward.

For a brief moment, he thought that this would be an easy victory. However, at that exact moment, his attention was drawn by a squeaking noise. Behind the goblin, the battered wooden door creaked open and a curious head poked out. The goblin noticed it too and immediately rushed for the opening without skipping a beat. The goblin knew how to make use of an opportunity, he had to give it that.

As the farmhand, who appeared no older than thirty, saw the goblin charge at him the moment he poked his head out of the door, he paled and attempted to shut the door. Unfortunately for him, the goblin wedged its sword into the gap, almost impaling him at the same time. Frightened, the farmhand whimpered and continued trying to pull the door shut to no avail. As he shouted, "Help me!", Icyferno heard the sound of boots on wood coming from the farmhouse. It was probably the other farmhands coming to the aid of their fellow Person of the Land.

The farmhands' misfortune was his fortune. With the goblin's sword trapped by the door, the goblin was left defenseless. As Icyferno advanced upon it, it seemed to realize this fact and struggled to pull its sword out. However, it was too late as Icyferno ruthlessly impaled the goblin with his left sword, the point of his sword embedding itself into the wood of the building.

The goblin looked wordlessly at the sword which ran through its body and then back at Icyferno, its blank eyes showing its confusion as its body slackened. With a grunt, he pulled his blade free and watched as the goblin fell to the floor, dead. That was the last one, hopefully.

~

Word count: 339
Total word count (Swashbuckler): 580 + 467 + 409 + 283 + 304 + 382 + 258 + 304 + 271 + 265 + 257 + 339 = 4119
Notes: N/A

[Icyferno]

Status: Healthy / Rested

~

A frightened voice came from inside the house. "Is it over? Are all of them dead?" The door creaked open and one farmhand put his eye to the door, looking around to see only Icyferno standing around a few dead goblins. Breathing a sigh of relief, he opened the door wider and said, "Thank god you came! We thought we were going to die!" As he opened the door wider, several other farmhands came out to examine the goblins that had laid siege to them only moments ago, before Icyferno slew them.

"How could you let the goblins get in? Don't you know how important your produce is to the survival of your employer's shop?" he began accusingly. He had to cross the muddy marshlands in order to get to them, all because they had been negligent in maintaining their fence and got into trouble.

Before he could continue to berate them for their idiocy, one of them butted in. "The goblins only came in after a large crocodile broke through, their tactics could never break through our fence." The significance of what he said reverberated through Icyferno's mind. "Crocodile? What crocodile?" He repeated, fear settling over him like a blanket. "I didn't see any crocodiles on my way here."

The moment those words left his mouth, a loud roar erupted behind him. Cursing himself for his negligence, he swung around, swords at the ready. At the far end of the farm, a Swamp Crocodile burst out of the mud, snapping its jaws angrily as it caught the scent of prey. He shouted to them, "Run back to the building!"

~

Word count: 270
Total word count (Swashbuckler): 580 + 467 + 409 + 283 + 304 + 382 + 258 + 304 + 271 + 265 + 257 + 339 + 270 = 4389
Notes: N/A

[Icyferno]

Status: Healthy / Rested

~

Icyferno focused his gaze upon the «Swamp Crocodile» as it snaked effortlessly across the mud towards him. Fortunately for him, it was only level eleven, which was the lowest level any «Swamp Crocodile» was ever seen at. Unfortunately, that also meant that it was a lot stronger than the goblins as it was much closer to his level than the goblins were.

He knew his only chance of winning was to keep to the high ground. Against an opponent well versed in traversing through mud, it would be suicide to blindly rush down to engage it in combat. Instead, he waited at the top of the stairs for it to come out to attack him. He had no idea how long one of them would be, although he guessed that the lower end of its body would probably still remain in the mud.

The crocodile burst out of the mud to attack him with its gaping jaws as he swung his swords to intercept it. His swords penetrated the soft flesh of its mouth, causing it to recoil and thrash wildly as it fell back into the mud as quickly as it had launched its attack. As it ascended the steps warily, he realized that part of its tail was still in the mud as it reached him, to which he responded with a few wild swings to drive it back. Not good, it can probably hurl mud at me with its tail. If I get blinded, its all over.

~

Word count: 250
Total word count (Swashbuckler): 580 + 467 + 409 + 283 + 304 + 382 + 258 + 304 + 271 + 265 + 257 + 339 + 270 + 250 = 4639
Notes: N/A

[Icyferno]

Status: Healthy / Rested

~

Icyferno's previous blow to the crocodile had almost dealt 10% of the crocodile's health. Looking at the crocodile's scaled body, he doubted that he would get as much damage off from attacking it head on, even though the 『Swashbuckler』 class was a weapon class which meant that he boasted a decent attack power.

Tilting his blades to compensate for the crocodile's lack of height, he threw himself into another «Shuffle Windmill», attempting to break through the crocodile's thick skin through sheer force. He landed the attack, his swords grazing the crocodile as they passed. His moment of triumph was short-lived, however, as the crocodile took the opportunity to clamp down on his leg. His leather legging did little to protect his flesh from the grinding teeth of the crocodile as pain seared through his leg.

He thrust both of his swords into a gap in the crocodile's mouth, pulling in both directions in an attempt to force the crocodile to open its jaw for long enough to free his leg. However, the crocodile hung on for dear life, refusing to let go in spite of the blades digging into its mouth. A quick glance told him that his current HP was lower than that of the crocodile's. Based on his weapon's level, the crocodile should be dealing more damage to him than he was to the crocodile. If he let it come down to a battle of attrition, it would be a battle in which defeat was certain. He couldn't let that happen.

~

Word count: 253
Total word count (Swashbuckler): 580 + 467 + 409 + 283 + 304 + 382 + 258 + 304 + 271 + 265 + 257 + 339 + 270 + 250 + 253 = 4892
Notes: N/A

[Icyferno]

Status: Fine / Rested

~

Icyferno's HP dropped further and further as he struggled to open the jaws of the «Swamp Crocodile». He wasn't having any luck. The crocodile refused to let go, almost as if it realized that it might be killed if it did let go. He would have probably stood a chance if he had went on this quest with a party, but it was too late to regret that now.

The wooden door behind Icyferno creaked open, revealing one of the farmers clutching a sickle. Screaming a battle cry, he charged at the crocodile and began hacking at it in a frenzy. The other farmers charged out after him wielding an assortment of equipment; Icyferno recognized a hoe, a hammer, a kitchen knife and even a cooking pot as the farmers rushed past him and began attacking the crocodile.

The crocodile grunted in pain from the new attacks, but still clung fast to Icyferno's leg. He took another quick glance at the crocodile's health. It might have been going down a little faster than before, but the strength of an average Person of the Land, when compared to Adventurers, would probably not go past level ten. If he took into account their makeshift weapons, it was natural that they wouldn't do much damage to the crocodile, which would probably be several levels higher than them.

Still, the additional manpower might be just what he needed to take out the «Swamp Crocodile». An idea began to form in his mind. If he could just get the farmers to help him out with the jaws for a moment, it might be possible to him to attack, since he had the necessary skills at his disposal to deal the most damage out of all of them.

~

Word count: 292
Total word count (Swashbuckler): 580 + 467 + 409 + 283 + 304 + 382 + 258 + 304 + 271 + 265 + 257 + 339 + 270 + 250 + 253 + 292 = 5184
Notes: N/A

[Icyferno]

Status: Fine / Rested

~

Icyferno paused momentarily to take in a deep breath and spoke to the farmers. "Guys, we can't beat this beast alone, we need to work together." The farmers looked at him, dumbfounded by what the Adventurer had just said. He knew what they were thinking. The powerful, immortal Adventurer couldn't beat the crocodile? They wouldn't stand a chance!

However, that was exactly what he needed to convince them to do. He braced himself mentally and continued speaking. "Listen, I need you guys to hold this crocodile's mouth open for a short while. I can't attack if I have to keep the pressure off my leg." He gestured as best he could to his trapped leg while keeping both hands on his swords, which were still wedged in the crocodile's mouth to cut into its jaw as well as keep some pressure off his leg.

Still shocked that an Adventurer needed the help of the People of the Land to fight, the dazed farmers did what he asked them to, fortunately. They pried the crocodile's jaws apart as wide as they could, carefully avoiding its jagged teeth as they pulled as hard as they could.

With the farmers keeping the worst of the crocodile's jaw strength at bay, he stopped digging his blades into the crocodile's mouth and pulled both of his swords free. He felt the pressure on his leg tighten as the farmers strained to do their best. His leg throbbed harder with a fresh wave of pain and he nearly dropped his swords from just that alone. Just another reminder that this was his life now, as if he needed any more reminders.

~

Word count: 275
Total word count (Swashbuckler): 580 + 467 + 409 + 283 + 304 + 382 + 258 + 304 + 271 + 265 + 257 + 339 + 270 + 250 + 253 + 292 + 275 = 5459
Notes: This has gotten quite long. Hopefully I can wrap things up within another three posts and call it a job well done.

[Icyferno]

Status: Hurt / Rested

~

Icyferno began his assault with «Dart-Tack Target», thrusting his sword into the crocodile's hide several times, making minuscule incisions on the upper half of its body. Since he couldn't use «Shuffle Windmill» with his leg trapped, he focused on widening the cuts he had just made on its hide, using his swords' points to dig into the unprotected flesh of the «Swamp Crocodile».

The «Swamp Crocodile» thrashed about as its HP decreased further, but otherwise didn't let go. He didn't know what to make of its actions. Was his leg really that tasty? Or had the «Swamp Crocodile» not eaten in a long time? Either way, he knew he had to kill this «Swamp Crocodile».

A rash idea came to mind. He had to cause enough pain to make the crocodile let go, and there was only one weak point which came to mind. If he executed it successfully, he would be able to free his leg. If he failed... he didn't want to think about what would happen to his leg. It would probably be ripped off his body from the momentum of it.

He took a deep breath to steel himself, then struck with «Blind Bet» at the crocodile's left eye. It struck home, easily piercing the eye without much resistance. The «Swamp Crocodile» let out an unearthly cry and for a brief moment, its grip loosened as its vision was blurred from the accuracy debuff in one eye and blinded in the other.

He lowered his body backwards, his good foot planted firmly on the worn wooden planks which stunk badly of the stench of the marshlands, and pushed back, activating «Fold Step» as he did so.

~

Word count: 280
Total word count (Swashbuckler): 580 + 467 + 409 + 283 + 304 + 382 + 258 + 304 + 271 + 265 + 257 + 339 + 270 + 250 + 253 + 292 + 275 + 280 = 5739
Notes: N/A

[Icyferno]

Status: Hurt / Tired

~

Without both legs to steady himself, Icyferno was unable to stop his sudden motion and he tried to roll to stop himself but ended up slamming into the wall of the building before he could actually perform said action. As he got up, he accidentally put pressure on his injured leg, sending a fresh spike of pain through it and causing to him drop to one knee.

The farmers saw he had escaped the crocodile's grasp and quickly retreated behind him for fear of being the subject of the crocodile's rage. He knew he had to get on his feet now; the crocodile was already recovering from its temporary blindness, its one good eye still trained on him. For a brief moment, he wondered if he could poke out the other eye as well, although he was certain the «Swamp Crocodile» would be waiting for him to do exactly that.

He wasn't in the best of situations: The «Swamp Crocodile» had about 20% of its HP left while he had about 35% of his, but from this angle he'd need several clean strikes in order to take it down, while it only needed to catch him once to finish him off. He could try taking a risk and using «Shuffle Windmill» once more, although the results of his first attempt proved the uselessness of the skill in this situation. If only he had learned «Ante Up» and had a spare sword in his inventory, the battle could have turned out so much more differently...

~

Word count: 254
Total word count (Swashbuckler): 580 + 467 + 409 + 283 + 304 + 382 + 258 + 304 + 271 + 265 + 257 + 339 + 270 + 250 + 253 + 292 + 275 + 280 + 254 = 5993
Notes: N/A

[Icyferno]

Status: Hurt / Tired

~

The «Swamp Crocodile» roared and lunged for Icyferno, breaking him out of his thoughts on how differently the battle could have gone if he had been better prepared.

Striking from the side would leave him open to its attacks, so he thrust both of his swords at the «Swamp Crocodile». It recoiled from his action, snapping its bloodied jaws shut and letting out a low growl at him. Unfortunately, the «Swamp Crocodile» didn't have the «Bleed» status effect; if it had it, he could've stalled it out.

As a 『Swashbuckler』, he should be able to finish it off with his current repertoire of skills. However, he had yet to die in this world. He knew they'd be revived back at the Abbey, but the experience of dying was one experience he didn't want. Besides, what would happen to the farmers if he lost?

He felt as though the weight of their lives were on his shoulders; this didn't feel like just another quest anymore to him. He genuinely felt that his actions were making a difference, unlike the multitude of games he had played before.

The «Swamp Crocodile» eyed him patiently, gauging his reactions and waiting for him to strike. Even a complete novice like him knew that the «Swamp Crocodile» was waiting to counter him. He couldn't move too far from his current spot for fear of the «Swamp Crocodile» getting to the farmers cowering by the doorway; they'd never get the door shut in time and there was no way he would use them as bait. He couldn't attack blindly either since a neat counter from the «Swamp Crocodile» would likely take him out. What should he do now?

~

Word count: 281
Total word count (Swashbuckler): 580 + 467 + 409 + 283 + 304 + 382 + 258 + 304 + 271 + 265 + 257 + 339 + 270 + 250 + 253 + 292 + 275 + 280 + 254 + 281 = 6274
Notes: Why am I extending this I need to end this soon, before I hit the cap. Actually I'm fairly certain the date the post was made on matters.