With Thorian's lead, the group of kobloids inched toward the entrance of the cave. Thorian looked at Nox and signaled for him to go in first. The night kobloid followed the instructions and entered the cave. His black fur was perfect for the job, as only his eyes could be seen in the darkness.
After a few minutes, Nox walked back out and gestured for everyone to enter. Thorian followed Nox inside, and the rest of the kobloids did so as well. Their footsteps were light and careful, ensuring they wouldn't wake any goblins before their surprise attack.
As they ventured deeper into the cave, they found more and more small green monsters lying on the ground. Suddenly, Thorian raised his hand, and the kobloids behind him all stopped. In front of him was a sleeping hobgoblin.
A fireball materialized above Thorian's raised hand, signaling the start of the battle. He launched it at the hobgoblin's face, putting the weary monster to eternal rest.
"Squii! Shrii!" The goblins shrieked and cried as they woke from the sound of the blast. However, the squeals were easily overwhelmed by the kobloids' powerful war cries.
The burning face of the hobgoblin dimly lit the cave, revealing the three kobloid magi as they conjured their spells. A rock bullet flew with incredible speed toward one of the goblins, piercing through its head. The water magus hurled his spell at a group of green monsters, and the Waterball exploded, leaving the goblins injured and stunned.
Just as the last magus prepared his spell, Thorian sprang into action. He conjured a fireball and timed his throw with the wind gust. The fireball followed the wind spell, growing into raging flames that burned the goblins' skin off.
Huh, it's like a small fire wave. Good thing I'm still proficient with these low-level spell combinations.
The other kobloids were not standing still either. The warriors charged into battle, their axes at the ready, and activated their skills. Two of the kobloids rushed with incredible speed at their enemies, slashing them through the waist with their weapons. The other two were slower, but their axes shone with blue light, empowering their next attack. Skulls were cracked open, and guts dripped onto the ground.
Nox and the three assassins blended with the shadows, killing any stray or confused goblins. Nox's backstab was especially effective, his axe plunging through enemies' backs and protruding from their bellies.
"Shrii!" Thorian's attention shifted to the aggressive shrieking, only to find six hobgoblins charging toward them from the depths of the cave.
Seizing the opportunity, the kobold rushed into battle with a maniacal grin on his face. With a bloody axe in hand, he leaped at the hobgoblins who didn't even have time to grab their spears. His axe shone with blue light, and a hobgoblin's head rolled on the floor with one swing.
I know you're excited, but I won't be letting you get all the experience on your own.
Thorian conjured a fireball and launched it at the hobgoblins surrounding the kobold. One explosion knocked down a monster, and the white kobold wasted no time: he plunged straight through the injured monster's chest before spinning and hacking at the next.
Level up!
Level up!
Thorian ignored the notifications and conjured another spell as soon as his mana calmed down. He unleashed fireballs at the four hobgoblins until they were nothing but charred, mangled corpses.
Seeing that his mana reserves were half full, Thorian switched his axe from his left hand to his main one. He scanned the area around him and spotted a group of goblins fighting his kobloid warriors to a stalemate. He immediately charged in with his superior speed and cracked a goblin's skull open.
With Thorian amongst them, the kobloids' fervor grew to unimaginable heights, and they hacked and slashed without regard for their safety. The battle was not a painting of blood or a dance of death; it was a pure, unadulterated massacre. Green heads rolled on the ground before the kobloids stomped on them and crushed their skulls. Goblins that fell were immediately trampled to death by the frenzied white monsters.
Truly savage.
However, Thorian did not reprimand his subordinates. This level of savagery was what they needed to survive in this world.
After killing the last goblin in his group with an axe slash, notifications appeared in front of Thorian once again.
Level up!
Level up!
Good, just a bit more, and I will evolve.
Thorian turned around to scan the battlefield, only to be surprised to see both the kobold and Nox fighting against one opponent. It was a hobgoblin, with a spear in its hand and a ferocious look on its face. Its muscles ripped through its ragged clothes, and its frame was much bigger than that of its dead kin.
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Thorian conjured a fireball while thinking, A high-level hobgoblin? It should have some spear skills.
The hobgoblin's spear flashed with a red light as it charged with incredible speed at the kobold. The latter could barely block the attack by imbuing his axe with blue light, and even then, he was pushed back slightly.
Boom!
Just as the hobgoblin stopped after its attack, a fireball exploded on its face. Nox jumped in without thinking and slashed through its hamstring, forcing it to fall. Just as the hobgoblin's knees touched the ground, the kobold's shining blue axe slashed through its neck.
The burning head rolled on the ground. When the flames naturally died, only its dead hollow eyes stared at the void through its charred face. Its hate and resentment were burned on its pupils, deeper than the flames had pierced through its skin.
Thorian's focus shifted to the rest of the battlefield. They were winning on all fronts, with the magi providing long-range support and damage, while the two priests healed and buffed the fighting kobloids.
While he could stay in place and throw fireballs, his leveling efficiency would be severely hampered. As such, Thorian gripped his axe handle tight and charged into the fray. Wherever there was a battle, he would rush toward it and kill as many goblins as possible.
Minutes passed quickly, and soon, there was no more squealing in the cave, only the howls and screams of the kobloids. Thorian was also in a delighted mood as he looked at the last two notifications he had received.
Level up!
Level up!
That should make me level 14 in both my species and class. Display Panel.
Ding
Status Panel Race White Kobloid Level 14/15 (exp: 4/300) Class Magus Level 14/20 (exp: 4/300) Lifespan 40 years Cultivation realm Qi Gathering First Stage (31.6%) Stats Strength 25 Agility 35 Constitution 11 Mana 25 Qi 4 Free Points 9 Skills Minor Moon Boost (Passive) Fireball (active)
Thorian grinned as he looked at his stats. The nine free points were especially pleasing to see.
I should leave them for emergencies. There's no telling what stat would serve me best when the time comes.
Snapping out of his daze, Thorian looked around to see the kobloids still cheering and shouting. Even Nox and the kobold were laughing amongst each other as if their past grievances never existed.
Huh… Well, they deserve to have their moment after such a bloody battle.
After the ruckus eventually died down, Thorian took the lead and walked out of the cave. "Let's move. It's almost time."
Both Nox and the kobold looked at him with confused eyes.
"Time?" The kobold asked, furrowing his eyebrows.
"You'll see soon enough," Thorian simply replied. "Now let's go back to our territory. We need to hunt a lot more along the way while we still have the chance."
Hearing the word "hunt" was all the kobold needed to hear to completely forget Thorian's previous talk. The pack of kobloids happily followed as they laughed and giggled amongst themselves.
While walking back to the territory, Thorian turned toward Nox and asked, "What level did you reach?"
"Thirteen," the night kobloid grinned. "Me strong! Me fast!"
"What about you?" Thorian shifted his focus to the kobold.
The white monster grinned and said, "Warrior nine."
Seeing that the kobold did not speak of his species' level, Thorian could guess that it had not leveled up.
So it's the same as what happened to us before. The experience points all go toward the class level until both levels are close to each other.
With this new piece of information in mind, Thorian asked the rest of the kobloids about their progress. The average species level reached nine while their class levels were hovering between seven and eight.