Side Quest: Searching For My Favourite NPC!

Chapter 7 - Insufficient Skill Points

Katarina tossed the crossbow aside and advanced, wielding her sword towards Darka who, still stunned by the blow, fell back into the bushes. He immediately tried to remove the arrow embedded in the right side of his abdomen, but the pain was unbearable and moving the projectile only made it worse.

— You won't run away again! — Katarina shouted angrily, as she looked around in the woods, trying to focus on her opponent. — Face your destiny here and now!

— Auntie, stop it!

— Daena! Get out of here, quickly! He is injured and at a disadvantage!

While listening to the two's conversation, still hidden by the bushes, Darka had the idea of ​​heating the metal tip and cauterizing the wound to remove the arrow without running the risk of bleeding to death. In fact, he had no idea what would happen if he really died, and he wasn't at all willing to find out if it would be like the game.

With a groan he pulled out the burning arrow, catching Katarina's attention. He got up and started running back into the forest, trying to increase the distance between them so he could plan what to do next. Running away was not an option, it would just waste energy and soon it would be in the hands of the chatty paladin, so all that was left was to fight. Even with the injury he knew he had the advantage against her, but the pain was going to be a huge hindrance. Lauren vaguely remembered something about her character healing faster than usual, but this required his magic to be focused on the recovery process and at the moment the fight would have to be the focus. The two reached a clearing in the woods, followed by Miko and Daena.

— Katarina, you're already with Daena, stop being greedy! — Darka shouted, still holding the arrow. — Can't we resolve it another way?

— You touched my niece, you filthy one! Don't you get tired of contaminating everything with your evil presence? This time I will not fail to exterminate you!

"What an insufferable woman, she doesn't listen to anything and just talks shit!", Darka thought.

Katarina advanced confidently, knowing that the previous blow had weakened him and victory would be easy. Darka took a deep breath and also moved forward, feeling the marks on his body tingle with the magic flowing. She attacked with a vertical slash, which was clumsily blocked by Darka with the very arrow she had shot at him. A grimace of pain was visible on his face, and this made Katarina even more determined to defeat him.

With a kick, the paladin pushed him and attacked again, aiming at the injured side and leaving almost no gaps for him to act. As annoying as it was, she really was a great swordsman and had a reputation for beating her opponents making them tired. Darka knew that he needed an opening soon, otherwise he would no longer have the strength to even defend himself.

— Did Mr. Darka die? — Miko asked Daena nervously, with her eyes covered with her hands since the beginning of the fight. — I don't want him to die...

— He won't, I won't let him. Aunt Katarina will be unbearable if she kills him.

Daena grabbed her newly recovered shotgun and aimed it in the direction of the two. She knew that one shot wouldn't be enough to end it, but maybe it would distract her aunt enough to balance the fight. The first shot passed just a few centimeters from Katarina's face and hit a tree, enough to break her concentration.

— Daena, your aim is terrible! — Katarina scolded. — Shoot him!

Darka took advantage of the moment and summoned the chains to hold her, wrapping them around her arms and legs trying to immobilize the woman. Katarina looked surprised for a few seconds, before muttering something followed by a flash that made the links come undone. With a quick movement, she once again went with blood in her eyes towards Darka, who only managed to continue defending himself. Trying to balance the fight, he invoked the chains again, this time wrapping it around his own arms to block the paladin's attacks. With each blocked blow, sparks fell to the ground and if it weren't for the moisture from the morning dew covering the grass, they would already be surrounded by fire again.