The Devilish Angel

Chapter 7

Sir Midnight, Alice and the soldiers was at the entrance of Steel Kuu, a three hours trip on horseback from the Citadel. In front of the lair, a soldier who would look after the horses was waiting for them. The punitive force led by Sir Midnight left their horses to the soldier, and entered the lair. Alice was finally relieved of the colt.

"Ready for battle!"

"Set in battle formation!"

The punitive force shielded themselves with steel bucklers and armed themselves with spears and swords. Compared to them, Alice's equipment was pathetic. An iron bow and nothing else.

Sir Midnight in chain mail approached.

"Is that all you have, Little girl?"

"Yes, sir."

"You are poorly armed to fight on the front line. Stay behind and support the troops."

"Yes, sir."

The troops held the bucklers forward and marched on the lair. Alice followed them from behind. Headway, they spotted five kobolds that were camping around a bonfire, cooking something. Surprised by the sudden appearance of the troops, the kobolds sprang to their feet.

"Grakht!"

"Enemy! Human attack!"

The kobolds are Level 20 midget-like monsters, below four feet in height, armed with coarse wooden shields and bronze swords.

"Hehehe, a good chance for me to level up" Smiled Alice who level was only 14 after hunted the wolf crazily.

"Kill! Kill!"

"Drive evil human away! They wreck shelter! Rise!"

When the kobolds rushed out, the soldiers got tense. New recruits, fresh out of boot camps, had not engaged in a battle before.

"Isn't a knight supposed to care if his soldiers die or not? Perhaps he wants them to have firsthand combat experience on their own" Alice thought.

The soldiers quickly formed a linear formation and charged against the wave of kobolds. A couple of kobolds flung stones with slingshots, but the projectiles barely troubled the troops. Outnumbering the enemy and better equipped, the soldiers gained supremacy over the kobolds with few casualties. 

"John, Bec, gather the spoils." The two soldiers whose names were called out by Sir Midnight began to gather the metal pieces.

One of the reasons why the kingdom operated such a punitive force, other than to train new recruits and restore security to the outskirts was to collect war booty, a creative injection to the budget.

"Is my turn now..." Alice said to herself.

On the next battle, she took out the iron bow and aimed at a kobold's neck.

'Hold your breath, steady your hands and aim at the target.'

*Swish*

Alice's high agility and handicraft skill guided her arrows precisely to the targeted kobolds.

*Ting*

____________________

You have leveled up!

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When Alice slew three kobolds, a level-up message window popped up. Those kobolds at a level higher than twenty gave enormous EXPs to Alice who was only at level fourteen. Every kobold shot by her arrow immediately fell because as she picked those who were nearly drained of life.