Chapter 3 - Swift Arsenal Lambert
Lambert rode deeper toward the mountain's foot.
The forest thinned. Smoke lingered in the air.
Scattered orcs appeared between trees — lone scouts, idle pairs.
He ignored the small ones.
No need to waste time.
The halberd rested in his right hand.
Balanced.
Lightened.
He cut down any camp that stood directly in his path.
One sweep — torsos opened.
One thrust — skulls punctured.
He did not slow.
He simply thinned the herd.
As the mountain rose ahead, the camps grew denser.
Then he saw it.
Not a camp.
A settlement.
Wood reinforced with stone. Watch posts. Organized spacing.
Lambert rode straight through the outer ring.
The halberd cleaved across one orc’s shoulder, splitting bone and tearing through lung.
He reversed the shaft and crushed another’s jaw, teeth scattering across the dirt.
Blood coated the saddle.
He didn’t look back.
“Ah… what a waste.”
He glanced briefly at the bodies.
“It’s been a while. Forgot to store them.”
He rode deeper.
The orcs grew larger. Thicker armor. Broader shoulders.
Still—
Steel parted flesh the same way.
Then he entered the plaza.
Goblin bones littered the ground.
Wolves were crammed into crude wooden cages, snapping at the bars.
Gnolls were chained with twig-bound restraints, muzzled and beaten.
This wasn’t migration.
It was occupation.
Three armored orcs stepped forward.
Lambert did not hesitate.
The halberd left his hand in one clean motion.
It spun once—
And drove through the first commander’s skull.
The body dropped before the echo faded.
“Orc commanders… at the mountain foot?”
His gaze sharpened.
“That’s concerning.”
He pulled the spear from his back.
“Lightening.”
A faint shift.
He threw.
The spear pierced through the second commander’s eye and buried itself deep into the brain.
The body fell heavy.
Then—
A horn roared through the settlement.
Thirty armored orcs emerged from between structures.
Shield line.
Disciplined spacing.
Weapons raised.
“Orc Warriors, huh…”
Lambert exhaled once.
“Good enough for rehab.”
Both halberd and spear were out of reach.
He reached behind him and slid seven throwing knives between his fingers.
One smooth motion.
He flicked his wrist.
Three knives drove cleanly through skulls.
Four struck helmets and bounced off with sharp metallic pings.
“Ah…”
A faint smirk.
“I’ve lost my touch.”
He drew the longsword from his left belt.
The blade slid free with a cold whisper.
Lambert dismounted.
The horse bolted immediately, trained to escape danger without command.
Lambert didn’t watch it go.
His eyes were already scanning the plaza.
A square clearing.
Four roads feeding into it.
He stood on the western side.
The fallen commanders lay near the center.
His halberd and spear still lodged in their skulls.
The orcs moved quickly.
Ten from each road.
Four shield bearers in front.
Three heavy warriors behind.
The rest spreading wide.
Lambert’s eyes flicked across the battlefield.
Thirty.
Formation decent.
But they’re trying to surround me.
“I’ll get surrounded.”
His gaze shifted.
Left group.
Closer.
Right group.
Still approaching.
The rear line slower.
“…Left first.”
Lambert moved.
Fast.
He charged the left formation.
The orcs slammed their shields together.
Lambert dropped low.
Sliding across the dirt.
“Lightening.”
The sword flashed beneath the shield line.
Three legs separated instantly.
The spell faded.
The orcs collapsed screaming.
Lambert planted his foot.
“Lightening.”
His body launched upward.
He jumped clean over the collapsing front line.
Landing behind them.
Too close for axes.
Too close for shields.
His hand moved to the long blade across his back.
The five-foot sword slid free.
One motion.
One spin.
The long blade carved across the backs of the scattered warriors.
Steel tore through flesh and armor alike.
Blood sprayed across the plaza.
Lambert stood calmly as the wounded orcs behind him staggered.
They weren’t dead yet.
But they would be soon.
Lambert flicked the blood from his blade.
Then he moved.
Straight toward the center.
The other groups had already reached the plaza.
Right where he expected.
His halberd waited there.
Still lodged in the commander’s skull.
Lambert dashed forward.
His hand grabbed the shaft.
One pull.
The weapon tore free.
Blood followed.
“Emburden.”
The halberd suddenly grew heavy.
Violently heavy.
Lambert planted it into the ground like a pole.
His body swung around it.
A full rotation.
Like an acrobat on a fixed bar.
The long sword followed the motion.
Low.
Precise.
Steel carved through ankles and knees.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four orcs collapsed instantly.
Another swing.
More legs severed.
The front wave dropped screaming.
Half the formation fell.
But the remaining orcs adapted quickly.
The northern and eastern groups merged.
Fifteen orcs now formed a tighter line.
They had lost shield bearers.
But the formation held.
Lambert lifted both weapons.
Halberd.
Long sword.
“Lightening.”
The halberd became weightless again.
Now he wielded both weapons freely.
He dashed forward.
Just before the shield wall—
He slid left.
Low.
The halberd swept beneath the shields.
The long sword followed.
Two weapons.
Two arcs.
Steel crossed through armor and flesh.
Lambert spun through the gap.
“Lightening.”
His movement accelerated.
A step.
A pivot.
A cut across the throat.
Another slash through exposed ribs.
The formation collapsed inward.
Lambert turned again.
“Emburden.”
For a split second the weapons became heavy.
The strikes crashed through armor with crushing force.
Bones shattered.
Then—
“Lightening.”
The weight vanished again.
Lambert moved through the opening.
A spinning slash.
A downward cut.
A thrust through the eye socket.
Within seconds the last formation collapsed.
The plaza fell silent.
Thirty-three orcs lay across the ground.
Lambert stood still.
He checked the surroundings once more.
No movement.
He whistled softly.
“That’s enough for today.”
He walked across the battlefield.
One by one.
Finishing any orcs still breathing.
Efficient.
Professional.
No hesitation.
When it was done, he held the dragon pendant.
The emblem glowed faintly.
The bodies dissolved into light.
Thirty-three streams of pale glow flowed into the pendant.
A storage artifact.
Lambert clipped it back onto his chest.
Moments later his horse returned from the forest edge.
He mounted calmly.
But he did not return the same way.
Instead he rode through a different route along the forest.
If any orcs followed the trail of the battle…
They would never find the village.
---
Lambert arrived at the town gates at sundown.
Unlike his usual relaxed self, something seemed to weigh on his mind.
“Well… this isn’t exactly much,” he muttered quietly.
“But we live on the outskirts. If this keeps going, how are we supposed to deal with it?”
He stepped down from his horse at the stables.
As he did, he checked his equipment. It had been a while since he had used those weapons seriously.
Luckily, nothing was badly damaged.
His armor and shield were still intact.
The halberd looked decent. The spear was fine as well.
Both of his long swords, however, needed some oiling.
“I’ll leave this to Beardy for a while.”
Lambert slapped his cheeks lightly.
“Alright… focus.”
Instead of heading home, he walked straight toward the Adventurer’s Guild.
The hall was noisy as usual, but Lambert ignored the crowd and went directly to the guild master’s room.
The door creaked open.
A familiar voice greeted him.
“Ohhhh… did the Swift Arsenal finally awaken?”
Lambert leaned against the doorway.
“Well, I found three commanders at the mountain’s foot today.”
The guild master’s expression stiffened slightly.
“If they’re already at the foot of the mountain, something must be pushing them out.”
Lambert nodded.
“Goblins have settlements near the forest edge now. You can even see hobgoblins there.”
The dwarf scratched his beard.
“…This might get messy.”
Lambert placed his weapons on the desk.
“Here. These haven’t been given any love for a long time.”
The dwarf grunted.
“Well, that gives me an excuse to meddle with the forge again.”
“I’ll take care of them slowly.”
He reached behind him and picked up a sheathed sword.
“Here. This one’s yours.”
Lambert pulled the blade a quarter out of the sheath.
The steel gleamed brightly, polished so well that he could see his own reflection.
Lambert smirked.
“Did your skill drop this much?”
The dwarf immediately snapped back.
“Shut up!”
“I haven’t touched a hammer for years!”
Lambert slid the blade back into the sheath.
“Anyways,” he continued, “I’m thinking of bringing some of the guards and low-rank adventurers to the forest edge from time to time.”
“At least teach them the basics.”
“But we can talk about that later.”
Lambert finally smiled.
He grabbed his dragon pendant and slipped it back on.
Just like that, his usual relaxed self returned.
“We’re going to have a feast tonight.”
The dwarf raised an eyebrow.
“Oh? How many?”
“Thirty-three,” Lambert replied.
“Fresh.”
The dwarf blinked.
“…Call Lisa.”
A moment later, Lisa walked into the room.
“Yes, guild master?”
“Emergency. How many barrels do we have?”
Lisa tilted her head.
“Drinking again? We only have four.”
“That’s not enough.”
The dwarf casually handed her a gold coin.
“Go buy more.”
Then he stood up and shouted toward the guild hall.
“We’re having a barbecue tonight!”
“Call all the villagers!”
“Bring the butcher!”
“We’re not sleeping tonight!”
---
A few hours later, the small plaza in the middle of town had turned into a festival.
Around ten skewered orcs were lined over large grills, roasting slowly over open flames.
Nearly twenty cauldrons bubbled with thick stew.
Thirty barrels of wine and twenty barrels of beer had been rolled into the square.
A couple of drummers kept a steady rhythm while a few harps tried their best to follow along.
Several bards sang loudly, though their voices were only borderline decent.
No one seemed to care.
Everyone was having fun.
---
At the corner of the square, a group of kids stood lined up.
Each of them had a twig hanging from their hips like a sword.
They were doing strange stances and shouting strange phrases.
“Imber!!”
“Imbbeerrrr!!”
The group had grown.
Earlier there had only been nine of them.
Now there were sixteen.
Even a few girls had joined.
Leon stood proudly at the front, swinging his twig like a commander leading a small army.
He was slowly building a battalion of his own.
“Again!!”
“Imbeerrrr!!”
“Imbbbeerr!!!”
“Ohhhhh! That one looked nice!”
“Really?”
A few low-rank adventurers nearby were laughing as they watched. Some of them even started teaching the kids strange poses.
Now when the kids shouted Imber, one hand pointed about twenty-five degrees upward while the other rested proudly on their hips.
One foot stepped slightly forward.
They looked less like warriors—
and more like idols performing on stage.
But the kids shouted even louder.
“IMBER!!!”
---
Lambert heard the shouting.
A little drunk, but still fully aware.
“Those kids…”
He covered his face with one hand.
Then he slowly walked through the crowd toward them.
“How many times do I have to tell you?”
“It’s Ember, not Imber.”
“Ember?” one of the kids asked.
The group quickly reset their stance.
Leon raised his twig proudly.
“One! Two!”
“Ember!”
Suddenly—
a wave of heat spread through the crowd.
Seven of the children released tiny flames from the tips of their fingers.
Three others produced small sparks.
But they were clearly too young.
The sparks flickered briefly—
and the children immediately collapsed from exhaustion.
The nearby adventurers froze.
Then panic followed.
“Hey!”
“Are they okay?!”
Leon stood at the front.
For a brief moment, a small flame burned on the tip of his finger.
Even though he was only seven years old, he managed to hold it for several seconds—
before collapsing like the others.
The adventurers rushed forward in alarm.
But Lambert didn’t panic.
Instead—
he smiled.
For the first time that night,
he saw something besides danger.
He saw hope.
Far beyond the village lights,
the mountains remained dark and silent.
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UNIQUE SPELL
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User: Lambert
Name: Lightening
Tier: I
Type: Gravity Manipulation
Classification: Body / Weapon Enhancement
Description:
A localized gravity spell that reduces the effective weight of an object or body part touched by Lambert. By weakening gravitational force around the target, the spell allows faster movement and quicker weapon swings.
Effects:
• Reduces weight of a weapon or limb
• Increases swing speed and mobility
• Allows rapid bursts of movement
Limitations:
• Only affects objects or body parts in direct contact with Lambert
• Effect lasts for a very short duration
• Requires precise timing during combat
Unique Combat Applications:
Feather Step
Lambert reduces the weight of his legs, allowing quick dashes, sudden directional changes, and longer jumps.
Swift Strike
Lambert lightens his weapon during the wind-up of an attack, allowing faster slashes before impact.
Light Body
Lambert briefly reduces the weight of his body to evade attacks or reposition during combat.
Common Uses:
• Increasing attack speed
• Quick repositioning
• Mobility during melee combat
Note:
Lighten is frequently used as a setup technique before Lambert follows with a heavier impact attack.
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UNIQUE SPELL
══════════════════════════════
User: Lambert
Name: Emburden
Tier: I
Type: Gravity Manipulation
Classification: Body / Weapon Enhancement
Description:
A localized gravity spell that increases the effective weight of an object or body part touched by Lambert. The spell briefly amplifies gravitational force on the target, dramatically increasing the force of physical strikes.
Effects:
• Increases the weight of a weapon or limb
• Amplifies impact force during attacks
• Can stabilize powerful strikes
Limitations:
• Only affects objects or body parts in direct contact with Lambert
• Duration is extremely short
• Repeated use rapidly drains mana
Unique Combat Applications:
Burden Strike
Lambert increases the weight of his weapon just before impact, turning a normal slash into a crushing blow.
Heavy Step
Lambert increases the weight of his leg or foot during a stomp or landing, creating a powerful downward impact.
Iron Arm
Lambert increases the weight of his arm during punches or grapples, making strikes significantly harder to resist.
Common Uses:
• Enhancing melee attacks
• Increasing smash damage
• Stabilizing powerful swings
Note:
Emburden is often used together with Lighten, allowing Lambert to move quickly before delivering a heavy finishing strike.
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