Cranberry was sitting underneath the tree near the shed and the baby griffin was laying beside her with her head on her lap.
"Skwee..."
The baby griffin let out a pleased screeched as Cranberry was stroking her neck.
The atmosphere wasn't quite as relaxed just a few steps away.
Over there, at the open space between the shed and the rose garden, Zombie was facing Mary and her wolf Arion.
All three of them were incredibly tense.
"Graorgh...! (You idiots! Why did you made my master so mad?! Fools...!) Graough! (You better impress her or else!)"
The furious blue boy growled threateningly and took a battle stance.
Mary trembled and clenched her shining purple whip a bit stronger.
Arion shivered and whimpered.
Even though they couldn't really understand his groans, the overwhelming pressure was weighing down on them as if Zombie was already using some sort of skill.
"I... never thought I will be scared of a ten-year-old looking boy with blue skin wearing boots with high hills..."
Mary forced a smile and glanced at Cranberry.
"...you think that making fun of my Zombie will make the situation any better...?"
Cranberry's hand stopped exactly on the baby griffin's head and her body started glowing.
"...!"
Marry flinched and clenched her fists.
"Graough! (Stop making everything worse!)"
Zombie growled furiously and stomped his foot.
*BOOM*
The force of that simple action caused the creation of a small crater.
And Zombie hadn't even used all of his skill that could enhance his strength.
"Those high heels that you pointed out, are his weapons, you know? And he actually likes them quite a lot."
Cranberry leaned against the tree and explained in an indifferent voice.
"His hidden affinity raises the strength of his legs as well as strengthens all damage he deals with his legs. Better be careful or this fight will end without you making a single move."
She shrugged her shoulders and relaxed.
"Zombie, do whatever you want as long as you don't kill them."
She sighed and continued patting the baby griffin.
"Garough. (That means she wants me to beat you up.) Graough. (For your own good, you better show your worth.)"
Zombie growled and launched at the trembling pair.
"Ah!"
Mary gasped and tried to attack him with the whip.
Keyword: Tried.
Because before she could even properly raise her hand, Zombie was already on her other side and kicked her.
*crunch*
When his leg connected with Mary's arm, it made an unpleasant noise and the girl was sent flying like a ragdoll.
"Graough...? (That's it...?)"
Zombie gasped in shock seeing Mary roll on the ground with her left hand bent in a weird way.
Thankfully, that wasn't all she had in store.
While Zombie was expressing his discontent with Mary's poor performance, Arion silently got behind and jumped at him with his jaws and claws shining from skills, and managed to bite at Zombie's necks while furiously clawing at his back.
"Graough! (That's more like it!)"
Zombie laughed and did a backflip.
Or at least a partial one, because he stopped the rotation right when the wolf on his back was exactly beneath him, and then he let the gravity do its thing.
"Rarf...!"
Arion yelped in pain and let go of Zombie's neck.
"Graough. (That was a nice sneak attack.) Graough. (If you didn't slack off with your training, that could have even left a mark.)"
Zombie pulled on the collar of his shirt, showing off the unharmed blue skin.
Similarly, only his clothes were damaged by Arion's claws.
"Graough! (Come! Attack me again!)"
Zombie growled, spreading his arms open as an invitation.
"Y-you broke my arm...!"
Mary tried to stand up.
She held on to her left arm and was gritting her teeth trying to endure the pain.
"..."
Zombie didn't even glance her way, still facing Arion.
"...! You...! Aaaah...!"
Mary's face twisted in pain as she failed to stand up and ended up falling on her broken arm.
"Raor!"
Arion barked and tried to run towards her but Zombie stood in his way with a grim smile.
"Graough. (No. She's useless anyway, but you have the potential.) Graough! (You're the only hope for that baby griffin, so attack me!)"
Zombie growled and his eyes shone.
"!!!"
In an instant, Arion's fur bristled and he bared his fangs at the blue boy.
"Graough! (Yes! Like that! Show off to my master!) Graough! (Prove that both of you are worthy to have our griffin as a companion!)"
Zombie hit his chest with his hand and grinned.
This time Arion's whole body started shining and he rushed at Zombie in a mad charge.
"Graough...? (That's it...?)"
Zombie growled angrily and dodged him.
But Arion instantly changed the direction of his attack without losing any speed and attacked Zombie's neck.
"Gaough! (Good! But you still need to be better!)"
Zombie growled while bending his body in a perfect dodge.
Yet even then Arion wasn't done, he changed his direction again in mid-air and bit at Zombie's exposed throat.
"Arf...?!"
But in the next second, it was the wolf monster that was pinned to the ground by the neck.
"Graough. (You have the spirit, but your attacks show stiffness and lack the proper ferociousness.) Graough?! (Don't tell me... Did she trained you on practice targets and not in combat?!)"
Zombie growled in shock and turned towards the suffering Mary.
"Graough! (You useless idiot!) Graough?! (Did you two reached level fifteen through completing the quests without actually killing any monsters?!)"
He roared at the girl and his furious voice made everyone except Cranberry flinch.
"Graough?! (How come anyone could be this stupid?) Graough! (The two of you would get torn into shreds by level ten frenzy wolf!) Graough! (Both of you are useless!)"
"...arf...!"
Arion yelped weakly, but he couldn't find a way to free himself.
Cranberry smirked and started scratching the baby griffin around the beak making her spread her wings from happiness.
"...shut up..."
"Graough...? (Haa...?)"
A silent trembling voice caused Zombie to raise his brow and glare at Mary.
"...useless, useless... Is that the only thing you can say?!"
Mary got back on her feet, supporting her shaking legs with her healthy arm.
"Graough... (Oh, it seems that you can understand me...)"
Zombie tilted his head.
"Graough... (It doesn't change the fact that your best option is to surrender and beg my master to spare the baby griffin, but still...)"
He smirked.
"I told you to shut up!"
Mary shouted baring her teeth just like her wolf.
"Mend!"
She suddenly shouted and her left arm shone with a bright light and her muscles and bones were forcibly put into place making Mary grimace in pain.
"Do you think that I will tolerate such disgrace?! Who do you think I am?! I'm from the Hope family! None of us even knows what surrender means!"
She clenched her fists and her body started glowing.
"Now... LET GO OF MY WOLF!"
She roared and charged at the blue boy.
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