“Scan,” a familiar blue window appeared.

Trumbo Wanderfoot(Named)

An outcast from his own halfling community. He was shunned due to his lineage. The mixed foul blood made him prone to burst into a maddening state. Talented in the art of the arcane due to his mixed blood, he dabbled in the art as he diverged further away from the lighted path.

Species: Hafling

Level : 25

S. Ability : Lightning Creeper, Mournsmoth Barrier, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???

Jason’s eyes went wide. From the description, he knew what this creature was, a halfling or in a better mainstream term, a halfling. But this one was no mere halfling. A named monster. Jason couldn’t believe such an existence existed.

A named monster? Wait, can it or he really be considered a monster? It has a name and even the description is referring to it as a he.

He couldn’t help but be surprised. One after another came within the time period in Thunder Bay City. At first, he thought it would be a leisure spending the time here considering how low level the monsters were but now after seeing these two creatures, his guess was rather wrong, or to be more precise, it seemed he met the big boss of this whole city.

Fuck, why should I even care if this thing is an it or a he. They’re the invaders and I’m going to kill them.

Jason turned his attention to Dan who was dodging for his life. He sneaked within his invisibility coming closer to Dan. His hand reached out to Dan and as a glowing green light was about to enveloped Dan, his gut was telling him to duck.

A streak of bluish electricity went passed above his head. A loud explosion coming from the side as he saw a wall broken into pieces. He glanced back at the source and saw the floating halfling staring right at him with one of its eyes glowing in a purplish flare.

Fucking shit.

Jason knew his cover had been blown. Dan who also witnessed the streaking bluish electric noticed the appearance of Jason unraveling from nothingness.

“Jason?” Dan said.

Jason didn’t speak a word as he grabbed on to Dan and threw him far away from the club-smashing goblin giant. But before his hand left the cloth of Dan, a green glow managed to envelop Dan’s entire body.

Dan dropped on the floor, rolling until he smacked onto a wall. His head was spinning but he smacked himself out from the dizziness. Dan’s looked back at Jason and his eyes went wide. Another blinding flash of bluish light struck Jason by the body. The man defended himself crossing his arms together blocking the second streaking electric. Jason was knocked back a few feet away before another streaking electric smashed him head-on. His cross arm guard broken as the blue electric struck him right at the chest.

Jason felt the strong pressure over his chest as he saw his energy guard dwindling in number at a rapid rate. But a greenish light counteracted against the reduction as he healed, yet it wasn’t the end.

The halfling's long wrinkly index finger pointed at Jason, a small light blue sphere appeared, and then something flew away making its way to Jason. It was fast but this time Jason leaped in the air dodging it by a hairbreadth.

His arm swung while leaping releasing a barrage of crescent projectiles. The Wind Cutters tore through the air heading for Trumbo. Yet an inch before reaching him, a barrier blocked those projectiles. Trumbo smirked seeing Jason’s attempt. His lips mumbled something.

“Rawwh!” the goblin giant shouted as if hearing something from the floating halfling.

The club was swung heading towards Jason. He rolled on the ground as the marble floor was smashed right beside him. Jason glared at the goblin giant. He got up and punch with every strength he had right at the goblin giant’s abdomen.

The goblin giant’s back curved as it definitely felt that punch. Jason connected another right at the side of its face, but this time another barrier manifested right before impact. His punch was blocked.

Damn barrier!

“Rawh!” The goblin giant swung its big arm crashing onto Jason. He was lifted off his feet, flung across the office. But another bluish electric struck him in mid-air. The trajectory of his fall changed as he was flung far back of the office. Jason dropped but he gained his balance steadying his two feet.

“Major Heal,” he said. His eyes glaring right at the sight of these two tag-team. A vanguard and a nuker.

Damn giant, if it isn’t for that barrier I would have killed it easily.

“Jason,” Dan’s voice reached out to him.

He glanced and saw Dan standing behind a marble statue close to him.

“Pixie,” Dan said pointed at somewhere.

Jason saw Pixie leaning behind a pillar. She was a bit injured but it wasn’t critical. She was still fine.

“How can I help?” Dan asked.

“Stay there and don’t move,” Jason said. These two were way out of Dan’s league. In their current state, they would only be a hindrance rather than helping.

He got up staring at Trumbo, the halfling, He was resting his head on his hand while smirking at Jason. He was saying something out loud enough for the three of them heard him, but the language Trumbo spoke was unknown to them.

Jason’s eyes narrowed, even if he didn’t understand the language of this halfling, he still understood what that smirk meant.

He’s looking down on me. Shitty midget.

“I’m going to kill you,” Jason said.

As if he understood what Jason said, Trumbo laughed out loud while patting its protruding belly.

Both Jason’s arms covered light green glow and he swung it immediately releasing two dozens Wind Cutters. As expected none of it hit as the barrier blocked their path. But Jason was expecting as such, he emerged from behind the cover of the projectiles as he swung his fist at the floating halfling.

BAM!

The barrier stopped his fist but Jason gritted his teeth as he released a barrage of punches. Yet it was futile, not a single punch went through.

“Rawh!” the goblin giant swung its club at Jason. He dodged it as the marble floor beneath him smashed into pieces but his eyes didn’t leave the sight of this lax halfling. Again, both of his arms glowed in light green.

Wind Cutters went shooting at point-blank range and this time he didn’t fail. The barrier blocked those projectiles and Trumbo laughed once more as his legs flailed around in mid-air.

“Ugh!” yet a voice caught him off guard. Trumbo glanced and saw the goblin giant riddled with wind cutters on its skin. The goblin giant went down on its knees as the barrier didn’t make it in time.

Jason was smiling seeing his plan made it. He didn’t know whether it would work as he didn’t understand the nature of Trumbo’s barrier but luck was by his side. His bet played off well and he wasn’t going to let this opportunity gone by. He stood in front of the goblin giant with a smile on his face.

“I ain’t going to let a level 18 goblin pull me down,” Jason proclaimed. His fist was clench tight ready to punch the living daylight out of this goblin giant.

“Ugh!” but a powerful force struck him by the side. Again he was flung away like a rag doll and the feeling wasn’t pleasant. He twisted his body in mid-air as he landed on his own two feet.

He saw a chunk of his energy guard depleted as this time it was much stronger than the blue electric, Trumbo’s lightning-based attack called Lightning Creeper.

The hell was that?

Jason glanced at Trumbo and his eyes narrowed down. A huge eccentric-looking hammer was floating in the air and Trumbo was glaring at Jason. Trumbo didn’t like how close Jason was to killing its subordinate the goblin giant.

Jason remembered the question marks on Trumbo’s description. Jason scanned Trumbo one more time and one of the questions marks revealed itself.

Hundred-Pyon Hammer? The heck does it even mean? Nonetheless, this halfling still got a lot of abilities, befitting of a mage.

Then he noticed the blue window at the corner of his eyes.

Wind Cutter level up to level 10

Wind Cutter has reached the maximum level

You may unlock one out of these two abilities.

- Aero Blade

- Wind Clad

Right on time, thought Jason. He had been waiting for this sole elemental skill to level up but it was finally time. But rather than evolving to a stronger skill, a new kind of progression had appeared.

He waited for the description between these two skills but none appear in front of his eyes.

Only through the name huh? I guess beggars can’t be choosy.

Jason tried to inferred of which one was better from the other. But the flying hammer was heading straight for him. There was no time to think and Jason made his choice.

A foot away before reaching Jason. He stood up as he mumbled those two words.

“Wind Clad,” a slight breeze swirled around his body and as the hammer flew closer, Jason vanished.

The hammer went by smashing another wall at the far end of the office. This time, the panic room was bare in the open. The hammer disappeared after wrecking a path of destruction, but Trumbo wasn’t satisfied. It knew that the man slipped away from its grasp.

“Will you look at that,” a voice caught Trumbo’s attention.

He glanced near the window and saw a man leaning on it. The purplish flare returned on Trumbo’s right eye as he saw what covered Jason’s entire body.

“Speed enhancement, it’s pretty nice if you ask me,” Jason said as he looked both of his arm covered by a slight pale greenish breeze that was barely visible to the naked eye.

“and that’s not all,” Jason smirked at Trumbo as he clenched his right fist. A visible wind was rotating around his right fist.

It was a turbulent strong wind as even his hair was fluttering by the wind.

“This time, I’m going to bust a hole on that barrier.”