World’s Cutest Alchemist

Along being a regular awakener’s league match, today was also a grudge match between the two guilds. The Steel Gators and Principality of Clockwork had a long history of competing with each other on the rankings.

Just last year, the Principality of Clockwork—shortened to PoC—knocked the SG—Steel Gators—out of the league.

So, it was natural that the two captains had a bit of beef.

Hayley, the team captain of SG, had a burning desire for vengeance. The black-haired bob-cat girl turned to her team and spoke.

“Last year we got utterly destroyed by those PoC scumbags.” Her voice was low, she looked each and every one of her team members in the eyes. They all looked back with an equal desire for revenge.

“For the past year, we’ve trained with the best of the best, we’ve fought monsters and players every day. We practiced til our hands bled and our bodies collapsed!” As Hayley spoke, her voice grew louder and louder, filled with conviction, “We trained tirelessly! We pushed ourselves to our limits and then some!”

She riled up the team, feeling a burning heat in her chest,

“After we lost a year ago, I felt pathetic—like a weakling entering the tower for the first time. That day when we were exiting the arena, I bit my lips and drew blood.” She said with seriousness, “At that time, a strong desire started to fester within me…The desire to win, the desire to regain our pride!”

“We, for too long have fought those PoC bastards back-and-forth. We’ve spent too many nights analyzing…Too many nights comprehending…Too many nights lost in thought and thinking what we could’ve done better.”

“So!”

“Today! Today! Let us break this cycle of battle! Let us cleanse our grudges once and for all and finally move past! Today! We fight til our blood runs dry! Yes! Let’s win and forever settle this grudge! Let us push to new horizons! We will become champions! Today’s win shall mark the first step of OUR year—OUR journey!” Hayley exclaimed, practically yelling her words.

“Let’s win this!” Another team member, Johnathan shouted raising his fist.

“We’ll destroy those bastards!” The support, Gary, followed.

Soon, the entire locker room was burning with fervor. Each of their words hyped one another up and Hayley looked at her team with pride.

There was also another reason why she was super intense for this match. This would be her final year in the league. She wasn’t retiring, but she didn’t plan on re-signing with a team after her contract expired.

It wasn’t that her spirit or heart died, but the constant upsets and losses have taken a toll. Eventually, she might come back, but at the current time she wasn’t thinking of it.

In any case, she wanted to go for an unprecedented streak—she wanted to win. To end things with a bang.

So, when she saw the fervor in her team, she couldn’t help but smile.

“Let’s win this!” Hayley joined in.

Their coach, Jinhee, watched the team with a grin.

Just then, Jinhee received a notification and she clapped her hands, silencing the fervent people.

“Alright, get out there and kick some ass.” She simply said, pointing to the door.

…

Hayley led the team to the arena. On the opposite side, she could see the PoC team. Instead of passion, she saw smugness and arrogance in their demeanor.

She didn’t let that get to her and motioned for her team to not react. They’d pay the price for their arrogance later.

Her team, understanding the meaning, simply nodded and followed in silence.

The cheers of the crowd echoed throughout the arena.

Above them, a holographic screen introduced each team member.

SG

~~~

Hayley Parker - Royal Fencer

Johnathan Walker - Heavy Knight

Gary Steed - Pray Caster

Kim Yunlee - Elementalist

Freya Drayheven - Shadowstriker

Amira Tung - Explorer

Maven Hyro - Blacksmith

~~~

Soon, the teams stood in front of each other. The teams shook hands before separating.

“Let’s kill those bastards.” Gary said with a low tone.

No one responded, but each of them internally nodded.

They headed towards the simulation machines and stepped inside once given the go-ahead.

Hayley took a deep breath as her surroundings changed. From the packed arena to a waiting area with only her team members.

The map was an open map, plains stretching for miles surrounded them with boulders scattering the field. Surrounding the plains

was a vast forest that took up the rest of the map. Hayley recognized the map instantly—the 10th floor.

She clicked her tongue at this realization. They were already at a disadvantage. The PoC likely brought an archer, they’ll definitely

exploit the open area with long-distance attacks. The only counter SG had were their mage, the elementalist.

But, it wasn’t lost. They could still win this round—no, they must.

With conviction in her heart, Hayley quickly formulated a plan.

“Freya, Amira, you both explore the forest. Look for any pricey materials or useful ores for Maven.” She ordered.

““Yes!”” The two responded.

“Maven, set up shop in the abandoned village 2 miles westward of our spawn. Surely you can handle any mobs remaining?”

“Got it.” Maven responded with a gruff voice.

“Rest of you with me, we’ll tread forth through the plains and dispatch any unique monsters we stumble upon.”

““Yes!”” Her team responded.

Soon, the countdown started and when it hit 0, the team spawned in.

Immediately, everyone started to move. Maven headed westward; Freya and Amira headed to the forest; and the rest of them started running forward.

It didn’t take long for the main team to come across their first group of mobs—simple goblins.

Without a second thought, Hayley spoke,

“Keep moving, I’ll dispatch and catch up.”

She didn’t wait for a response and quickly moved forward, simply thrusting her rapier into the throat of each goblin once before moving onto the next. In less than 10 seconds the group of 20 goblins was dead.

They didn’t drop anything worth while so she didn’t bother to collect their scraps.

Continuing forth, Maven’s voice sounded through the radio.

“Arrived at the village, there’s a few stragglers but nothing I can’t handle.”

“Got it, take care of them and quickly set up your forge.” Hayley responded, “Amira, any loot for Maven?”

“We found a few treasure chests with tier 5 materials—so, just scraps. Will keep updated.”

“Got it. Deposit loot at Maven once you have tier 3 materials or equivalent.” Hayley said.

“Captain,” Yunlee said, “My bird found a small goblin settlement, estimated warlock chieftain. 3 miles eastbound.”

“Got it, let’s move.” Hayley nodded and the team started moving east.

Soon, they saw the small village in the distance. Goblins of various classes and looks were walking about.

“Gary, extra buffs, don’t save mana. We’ll quickly dispatch and bring the loot to Maven.”

“Got it.” Gary replied, casting several skills. [Blessing of Speed], [Blessing of Power], [Blessing of Tumknor], [Hidden Scent].

Each skill was quickly attached to his three team members.

“Push forward, Johnathan draw aggro when you reach the village, Yunlee snipe them from a distance. I’ll charge forward and start eliminating.”

She didn’t wait for a response, quickly activating her own skill, [Quick Step]. With several steps she teleported across the field and arrived at the village within seconds.

The goblins immediately noticed and a bell rang throughout the village.

The monsters immediately started charging towards the invader, each wielding a weapon befitting their class.

Hayley recognized that all the goblins charging forth could be considered ‘cannon-fodder’ the true threats stayed back and waited for their chieftain to appear. But, that didn’t matter for her.

Raising her rapier, Hayley activated several skills. [Duelist’s Stance], [Royal Pride], [One And Done], [Weakpoint Detection], [Quick Thrusts].

As the goblins got within range of her rapier, she thrust her weapon a single time for each monster. Every attack landed precisely on their throat and they flopped to the ground, motionless. She maneuvered the battlefield with her skill [Quick Step] allowing her to dispatch the goblins ever quicker.

An arrow flew through the air heading straight for her head. But she didn’t panic. Simply activating a skill, [Deflect], the arrow bounced off her rapier and struck a goblin’s throat.

In that short moment, she calculated the trajectory of the arrow, finding the archer’s position. With several [Quick Step]’s she appeared before the archer, a hole appearing in its throat soon after.

Just as she killed the archer, her team arrived. Johnathan stepped forward, raising his long shield and sword and slicing through the crowd of goblins. He stepped into a focal point of the village and tapped his sword on his shield, activating a skill.

[Three Bells of Wariness]

As his sword tapped the shield, every goblin in the village turned their attention to the armor-clad man. Their vigilance heightened to a max. On the third tap of the shield, none of them could wait any longer. Even the evolved goblins in the back charged forward, no longer waiting for their chieftain.

Danger. That was the only thing going through the monster’s minds. They had to kill the enemy quickly.

Johnathan raised his shield, bracing for an attack that would never come.

From behind him, an arrow of fire pierced through the air and blew straight through a hobgoblin’s head.

What followed was a merciless elimination that was over within minutes. Upward of 200 goblins, both evolved and regular were killed.

As the last goblin fell, the chieftain finally came out.

A goblin shaman, one of the higher tier kind of evolved goblin. It wore a skull necklace and a long, dirty robe. A staff made of bones tapped the ground every time it walked.

It looked at the carnage the damned humans inflicted and its fury grew larger.

Soon, its staff started to glow and it lifted the bone scepter high.

But, before anything could happen a hole appeared in both its throat and head.

An arrow of fire pierced its skull while a rapier pierced its throat.

“Battle over.” Hayley said, “Loot quickly, Yunlee call an elemental to bring all the loot to Maven.”

““Yes!”” The two nodded, quickly getting to work.

A little while later, Maven, in the village finished setting up a temporary forge. He called the merchant and checked what materials were available for this match and smiled.

“Perfect.” He muttered. Just then, a large bird made of fire approached him from the skies. The bird carried a bundle of loot for him to sell.

With a smile, he called over the radio,

“Loot received. Materials are looking good, I’ll prioritize making a rapier for the captain.”

“Understood.” Hayley’s voice came back through the radio.

…

The match proceeded on, after several more destroyed villages Maven had created a rapier using only the best materials available. He looked at the weapon with pride, he wouldn’t be able to create a weapon of this quality for his other team members, but it was worth it for this one.

[Rapier of Crying Breath]

Grade B+

Creator: Maven

A cold rapier that emits frost energy. When mana is injected into the rapier, the weapon grows colder and will freeze anything it touches.

“Captain, I have your rapier, you’ll like it.” Maven said through the radio.

“Got it, we’re on our way back now.” Hayley replied, “Freya, Amira, return to Maven when possible, we’re ending the match as quick as we can.”

“Understood.” Freya replied.

Soon, the team gathered in the village. Maven presented the rapier with a smile, drawing captivated ‘awes’ and ‘oos’ from the team.

“Wow, you did good work.” Hayley said with genuine surprise as she inspected the rapier.

“Got lucky with the materials available. I quickly made some weapons for the rest of you, they’re nowhere near as good as Captain’s, but they’re better than your starting stuff.” Maven replied, handing out the weapons.

They were only D+ grade, but they were better than the F grade starting equipment.

“Thank you for your hard work.” Hayley said with a nod.

“Just make sure you kick their asses.” Maven replied with a chuckle, “I’m all out though. I’ll wait here for good news.” His mana reserves were completely empty. He’d likely be swapped in the next round.

“We will.” Hayley replied before turning to her team, “Yunlee found their position, we’ll move immediately. The battle is approaching. Is everyone ready?”

“““YES!”””

A collective agreement.

Hayley smiled before they all left the village, their destination? The enemy.