Moving through the forest toward the sound of weapons clashing against each others in front of us.Step by step that sound somehow become smaller. After the last fight against the goblins Cleon gave me some heath potions which recover HP over time but they can't be use in combat since if I taken any hit even if it's the smallest the healing effect will be cancel. Well at least we proceed slowly afterward so I have enough time to use those potions. Actually just 1 potion is enough for me since it recover 300 HP in 1 min 30 secs, the Goblin [Elite] drop a helmet and the group decide to give it to me since I don't have one anyway. It's a bronze rank helmet which have better stats than normal white helmet at my level and the best part is it don't require level to wear so I can equip it right away. (http://www.manningimperial.com/gallery/328main.jpg)
Item receivedSturdy Phrygian Kranos Helmet (Bronze)A good helmet that provide limited defend for your head against arrows.Defend:20.
Oh I forgot to mention that the game clearly divide the armor into 3 different parts, for example an helmet offer protection for you head, the enemy attack you head and only the helmet armor is counted. Some special design body armor offer addition armor for head or leg but they aren't popular nor cheap so only a few wealthy NPCs was seen wearing them.
In the way, Cleon also explain to me why the goblin was able to deal so much damage on me even while I defend with a shield. It turn out that club belong to a group of weapon that have bonus against shield so a lot of their damages go to my body. It even decrease the defender's energy more than normal weapon at the same time so I take note to deal with any enemy that using a club first the next time I have to face one. Better be safe than sorry.
After pushing away those bush branches we finally arrive at the battle site or we could say what left of it. There are at least 30 dead human bodies on the ground and about 20 dead goblin, which mean the goblin wipe out more than 3 groups of us already. And god know how much of us has fallen prey to their ambush. We then walking to the field of corpses to check each one of them. After making sure that Cleon's bro isn't one of them we decide to go back and report. No use to search for other teams in middle of this forest without any certain direction. I pat Cleon's shoulder as i see it shaking violently.
- Your brother will be fine.
He turn back to face me with his eyes already red and nod. Well I can somehow understand his pain but right now is not the time to be emotional.
On our road out of this damn forest we find more than a few dead bodies, which probably belong to those fallen prey to ambush or the one who try to run but unable to do so. Just when we are about to reach the border we stumble upon another battlefield. This time it's clearly a bigger battle than the last time. In the distance I can count at least 80 dead goblins and about 40 dead human in the middle of the field there are 2 figures.
One of them on the ground clearly too scare to move, his face is pale as much as it can be so that you can almost taken it as a white sheet of paper instead of human's skin, based on his clothes and equipment he is one of the peltast that join the siege today. Can't blame him, after what happen yesterday it's gonna taken more than what you could have to be able to stand on the battlefield again. He was able to do so but now he is again in middle of a sea of dead bodies. Normally anyone in his place would vomit or pass out.
And the other one is cover in red from head to toes, I am not sure it's the armor's color or it's the blood of the deaths or is that even human being to begin with? That being walking slowly toward the guy that are frozen on the ground while dragging along a huge sword. What do they called those sword? Isn't that "great sword" or "giant sword". And holding it with only one hand which mean that being is clearly much stronger than us. *We are all dead, whatever it's, it gonna slaughter all of us* that's what we think at that moment we saw that "creature".
To be honest I not really paid too much attention over something like this since I will revive if I am killed as I am a player but what I didn't expect is the one who move first is from our side. A black shadow rush out and run straight to that "creature". It turn out that the first one to move is Cleon, I don't think he is the type that would risk his life for strangers but maybe I am wrong. I shouldn't judge the book by the cover after all.
Cleon run up while he is about 10 meters away from that thing he make a big jump and with the spear go straight toward "it". Surprisingly "it" don't dodge but swing it's giant sword to Cleon's side instead. That force Cleon to withdraw his attack and brace his shield to stand against that attack but pretty unlucky for him that he decide to make a jump when he attack. Now floating in mid air, he have no thing to rely on so he took that full swing and that hit blow him away at least 15 meters and land near to my right side. "It start to rush toward Cleon, clearly want to deal the finishing blow. That's when something hit me inside my mind. I know that we are all gonna die by "it" but something make me move and I hold my shield in front of Cleon who is still lying on the ground. Greeted my teeth and I make my stand.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
You've received 200 damage.
SHIT! I am as good as dead now.
Looking up from behind my shield I can see clearly that another swing is coming. Damn so this is my first dead in this game , not even know what is gonna kill me? Close my eyes as I already accept my death coming surely.
1...2...3...4...5
Something is wrong, why I am still alive? Slowly open my eyes. In front of me the pale guy who was gonna be killed by that "creature" before now standing there shield me with his body and for my surprise the creature actually stop attacking us.
- Damon get away from it. You'll be killed.
Hearing what Cleon scream out from behind. It finally hit me.
- You are Cleon's brother?
Turn sideways to look at me Damon nod approve what I was suspecting. Damn I knew that Cleon's self sacrificing is too good to be true. But why I didn't realize that he want to save his brother? Have the long time of study dull my imagination ability?
Cleon: And why are you stopping us. More important why "it" stop attacking us when you throw yourself into the line?
Damon: It's your mistake, bro. This one here is my savior. Once we lost all hope to win the battle, he appear and with his giant sword mercilessly slaughter the goblins. We tried our best but it seem that I am the only one able to survive. It's he who chop down the Goblin[Elite] that should have end my pitiful life right before you jump on him, bro.
"It": her...
Eumenes: Err ... what did you say?
"It": I said I am a GIRL. How the hell you guys look at me and think that I am a guy?
Eumenes: Ekr, ehm, ehem. Sorry about that, this guy Damon must be too terrify from the battle so that he made a mistake. Once he calm down he will see how wrong he was. And Cleon, you should apologize to her and thank her for saving your brother too. May I know your name, brave girl?
"She": ... My name is Belynda.
Cleon: I am sorry that I suddenly attacked you and thank you for saving my brother. He is the only family I have.
Cleon is clearly don't like the idea of owning something to someone so he immediately drag his brother and forcefully make him say his thank to Belynda too.
Damon: I am thankfully from the bottom of my heart that you have saved my life. And I am sorry to be unable to recognize that you are a girl. But you can't blame us you know, you are fully covered in blood so we can't even see your face with all those bloods.
Belynda now realize that her whole body was covered in blood so she take out an canteen of water and start to poor it over herself. Once the blood that cover her face and hair was wash away. And she took off her coat. I am stunned. Well I can't say that she is the most beautiful girl but she isn't bad at all and she look really cool herself. A cool beauty but deadly one too, I don't know much about her so better not make her hate me.
Spoiler :
http%3a%2f%2fi.imgur.com%2frbm7NkL.jpg [http://i.imgur.com/rbm7NkL.jpg]
Eumenes: I think we should cut this chit chat. With this group wiped out that mean out of 300 we have lost at least 100 guys to the goblin in this forest. We have to go back and regroup. Also we need to report to the commander our situation. This isn't gonna be nice. Somehow I get the feeling that we are being play around by the goblins. They aren't suppose to be this smart.
Belynda: Doesn't matter for me, the more the merrier.
Eumenes: But it's a matter for us, we gonna die like those that you unable to save if we just blindly charge in.
Belynda: You ...
She mumble something but unable to find the word to fight back and close her mouth. Look like I hit a spot that I shouldn't but at least that work. But by looking at her facial expression I can tell that she doesn't like the reality that she was only able to save Damon. There must be 5 or 6 of them left back when she jump in. Somehow I feel bad for her, maybe I shouldn't tell that straight into her face.
Let out a long sigh she said
- Okay then let's do as you say.
Err? She actually agree to it? I didn't expect such thing happen, I thought she is a head strong and not gonna listen to anyone. Well, it's a good thing for us since with her, our group's combat strength has increase by a whole level or two.
At the very least, according to Damon she was single hand against 20 goblins and one goblin[Elite] and still come out almost unharmed so her strength is something that we are welcoming. Arrgh okay I was overboard a little bit, she wasn't unharmed but 1 vs 20 and still alive and kicking isn't what anyone of us can do.
After clean up the field Cleon tell us to leave the loots to Belynda since she is the one who save Damon. That's also work as a bribe so Belynda will not gonna leave us anytime soon. Who know what the hell our commander gonna throw us into the next time? Together we now heading toward the army outside the forest.