Calm down… calm down!

I slapped my cheeks, analyzed the situation carefully, then closed my eyes and forced myself to relax.

Think hard, Rogied. What would anyone trapped like this normally do?

Lv.6 bandits versus an Lv.4 Hero.

Fourteen against one…

This was absolute doom, wasn’t it?

Time to flip the perspective.

Try thinking like Copernicus…

If I *could* beat these bandits, what advantages would I have?

The Hero’s strongest class identity, an omniscient hint system, and that Lv.14 knight girl behind me—about to hit Lv.15?

Yeah. That should be reassuring…

…

Ahhh!

Reassuring my ass!!

The Hero class was trash! The hint system couldn’t fight! And Anjelit? She’d never lift a finger. Never!

I glanced back.

Anjelit crouched in the bushes, flashing me a "yeah" sign.

Yeah my ass!

That girl was utterly unreliable!

I turned back to the bandits. They began moving again.

“…Enemy: Bandits. Initiating seduction…”

They writhed their bodies, winking at me nonstop.

I froze like stone…

…Right. This bizarre world couldn’t be reasoned with normally.

So if I used *abnormal* logic… could I actually win?

No time to hesitate. I drew a newbie shortsword +0—dropped recently by a Slime, no class restrictions—and charged with a battle cry!

Instantly, the bandits pinned me down.

“Ugh. Useless.”

Anjelit sighed from the bushes, then drew her Knight Sword. In a flash, she activated her dash skill: *Three rapid thrusts within five seconds*.

First thrust: She slashed the bandit before me. He collapsed, blood spraying my face.

Second thrust: A spinning slash felled three more. Blood soaked my clothes again.

Third—

“If you *deliberately* splash blood on me, I’ll get mad!”

“Sorry, sorry! Wasn’t intentional~”

It was totally intentional! She even stuck out her tongue!

Third thrust: Anjelit wiped out the remaining patrol bandits.

Lv.14 versus Lv.6. The tables turned instantly.

The level gap was too vast. Numbers meant nothing.

“Must you be this mad? Throwing me like that…” (I meant the bad-breath comment earlier.)

Anjelit gave me a sweet smile.

“Alright, alright, I get it…” I stood up straight, then bowed deeply at ninety degrees. “I’m sorry! I’ll never dare do it again!”

“Mm. Accepted~” She nodded, satisfied.

“So… can you stop using Intimidation on me?”

We entered the camp.

Surprisingly, it was empty except for one bandit leader ahead, gripping twin axes.

“…Updating monster data…”

——————

**Monster Name**: Bandit Leader

**Level**: Lv.12

**Habitat**: Pack-dweller

**Skills**:

*Heavy Strike*: Attacks with crushing force, dealing massive damage and stunning.

*Frenzy*: Boosts agility but reduces strength after use.

*Command [Passive]*: Essential for any leader, isn’t it?

…

Lv.12?

I was stunned.

Adventurers in the Village of Egramote were all low-level. Few surpassed Lv.10.

Anjelit, at Lv.14, was one of the “top-tier powerhouses” in this newbie village.

Her words—*“Not only can’t you control me, no one here can”*—were absolutely true.

Yet this bandit leader was Lv.12?

With two terrifying active skills?!

No wonder this quest hung on the bulletin board untouched. Adventurers who took it probably never returned…

Huh?

I blinked.

Why no *Abnormal Orientation [Passive]* skill? Wasn’t that standard for bandits? Could this leader… be straight?

“Careful. He looks tough.”

Anjelit gripped her Knight Sword, face grim.

She was tense. Physically, the leader was triple her size—Anjelit really was tiny.

We’d already lost the intimidation contest.

“Stick to the plan,” Anjelit continued. “You draw his aggro. Lure him to a tight space. I’ll ambush him… See that stone grain warehouse behind him?”

I nodded and stepped forward, resigned.

This “plan” wasn’t new. For tough quests lately, we always did this:

I, utterly useless, would enrage monsters. They’d chase me relentlessly while I ran without fighting back.

Once I lured them to Anjelit’s ambush spot, my job was done. She’d handle the rest with her superior level and attack power.

Anjelit called it the “Glorious Plan.”

(Though I really wanted to ask why she obsessed over the word “glorious.”)

Facing the mountain-like leader, his egg-sized eyes locked onto me. My confidence wavered.

*Calm.*

I touched my chest, clearing my mind.

Then I flipped him off and shouted with righteous fury:

“Grandkid!”

“ROOOAR!”

The leader lunged, axes raised!

I sprinted backward—full speed, heart pounding!

“Idiot! Wrong direction!” Anjelit cupped her hands like a megaphone. “The warehouse is *behind* you!”

“I know! But—yikes!!”

A cold rush swept my scalp. I ducked just as his axe whistled overhead.

“This leader’s speed is insane!”

I dodged another swing, weaving nimbly. His next few strikes missed.

*Phew. My agility must be high—*

Then he activated a skill. His body shrank slightly, but his speed skyrocketed!

In a blink, he was before me. His axe filled my vision, growing larger—

I froze, mind blank with terror!

“Dumbass! You wanna die?!”

Anjelit’s shout snapped me back. Her small frame clashed against the giant’s axe, Knight Sword locked in a stalemate.

She strained, face pale.

“Get out from behind me! You’re blocking me!”

“But… we’re not at the warehouse yet…”

“You’ll be dead by then! MOVE!”

I scrambled away. Anjelit rolled backward, breaking the stalemate.

Her blonde bun was messy, her armor caked in mud.

First time I’d seen her this disheveled.

“I’m serious now!”

Anjelit raised her sword, tip aimed at the leader’s heart.

“I swear as a knight! Activate *Valor Declaration*!”

A chant I’d never heard before.

Then she became a blur, charging straight at him!

The leader swung his axe downward!

Anjelit pivoted sharply, her body gliding up along the axe blade!

Fast. Blindingly fast!

*CRACK!* A sonic boom!

Her speed surged again!

She vanished from sight—

Only to reappear above the leader!

“Die.”

Her silver boot planted on his massive arm. She thrust her gleaming Knight Sword downward—

*Thud…*

The sound of piercing flesh. Blood rained down.

Anjelit stood on his arm, unmoved as crimson soaked her armor.

When he collapsed, she backflipped, yanked out her sword, and landed gracefully.

Holy crap… so cool…

“…Bandit Leader slain. Gained 1,000 EXP. Level up requirement met. Current level: Lv.5… Obtained 200 copper coins. Auto-converted to 2 silver coins…”

“…Obtained weapon: Temple Knight Sword [Light] x1…”

“…Obtained title: Pretty Boy Who Only Wins by Lying Down…”

…

I ignored the title. The rest was decent.

The EXP was huge. Combined with the bandits Anjelit killed, I’d jumped from Lv.4 to Lv.5.

The leader’s corpse vanished, leaving a single-handed longsword.

Anjelit snatched it up, eyes sparkling.

“Rog! Rog! Look at this weapon!”

She was so excited she forgot to call me “Rogied.”

“A Temple Knight Sword! A Temple Knight Sword!” She repeated it twice, stroking the blade eagerly. “This sword—”

Before I could speak, a new system alert flashed in my mind:

“…Character reached Lv.5. Appraisal skill upgraded. Functions unlocked: View HP (Health Points, universal), MP (Mana Points, mage energy), EP (Energy Points, warrior stamina) of others. Precise damage feedback unlocked…”

A smirk tugged my lips.

Just as I guessed. Appraisal could level up. Now it showed richer details.

Like Anjelit’s stats. Below her basic info, two new lines appeared:

**HP: 4,200/5,000**

**EP: 20/100**

Current status versus peak condition.

“Rog! Rog!” Anjelit hugged the sword, bouncing over. She thrust it toward me, grinning. “Know what this means? Know what?! My dream is to become a Temple Knight! This sword appearing—it means I’ll definitely succeed at the class change~~~~ Hahaha~~~~”