Chapter 21: Promotion Test (Part3)

The Goblin Mage’s Power

Wilmot looked at Ben once more, his face showed that he didn’t want to leave but in the end, he handed Ben his buckler. Ben looked back at Wilmot, but his back was already turned. Ben closed his eyes once more… he sensed a dark aura, red aura, brown auras, and a small dash of green. He opened once more to see them floating in front of him, he drew his sword towards his face and selected the brown aura.

(Brown aura, the power of the earth… the magic of earth. I wonder if I were to unleash this, what would this do?)

Ben walked forward towards the Hobgoblin and the goblins, his sword shined with a faint red and brown aura. The ground around him began to shift, pebbles started to follow Ben, while the torches on the wall began to flicker violently. Earth formed quickly and floated around Ben while the flames ignited on his sword. The 8 goblins rushed forwards towards Ben with small matchets and wooden clubs.

Ben swung his sword, the earth fired four rocks the size of a basketball at the four of the goblins. Each of them quickly smashed into the ground, coming out with either a broken neck or a shattered arm or leg, rendered useless. Screams of pain started to emit from the goblins. Only for the Hobgoblin to kill one of the screaming goblins with a stomp of its feet. *Crunch* Sticky red ooze followed the Hobgoblin’s feet.

As the other four goblins came near. Ben wielded his sword and slashed towards them, flames spit off of it, burning two goblin’s faces. Only to be finished off with a quick jab from Ben’s sword and another swing to finish off the other goblin. The other two goblins swung at Ben, only for their attacks to hit the shield that Wilmot gave. *Clunk Clunk*

“GRAWH!” They screamed in savage.

Ben followed up with a red aura enveloping the shield and bash the heads of the goblins with the shield. Their necks snapped with a loud sound. The bodies of the two goblins slumped onto the ground.

The Hobgoblin knocked on its bone shield as if it was taunting Ben. It growled at him as he saw him murder 8 of his goblins. Ben simply held his sword and pulled the shield closer to his heart. It was beating, it was running fast, it was thrilling.

Ben charged at the Hobgoblin, carefully scanning its entire body. The hobgoblin rapidly placed the bone shield in front and charged at Ben. Ben unleashed another volley of earth onto the Hobgoblin, only for it to endure against the hits as the earth shattered upon hitting the shield. Ben ran towards the Hobgoblin while it readjusted itself, shaking off the numbness from the earth attack. Red aura burst once more from his arm, his sword ignited with flame once more.

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Seeing Ben charging the Hobgoblin swung its wooden club at Ben. Attempting to block the bash, Ben put up his buckler. The swing collided with the shield. The shield blocked the hit but not the force that came with it. The force knocked Ben down the ground, his arms numbed, his head woozy, leaving him lying down on the side.

Ben: “Ugh…” Ben tried to get up, only to falter back down as his head tried to readjust itself.

The hobgoblin slowly walked up to him. “Heh Heh '' Lifting its legs and giving a kick to Ben’s stomach.

Ben: “Gah! *Cough* *Cough* *Gasp* *Cough*. Ben got up as he backed up towards the cage, his movement was like a drunken man. Unsteady, weak, and with every step it was almost like he’d fall down.

The hobgoblin, seeing this, launched another attack. Ben dodged to the side for the hobgoblin to hit against the cage. Although its attacks were powerful, the cage remained sturdy as ever. The hobgoblin quickly looked downwards where Ben was at, only for him to stab his sword into the armpits of the hobgoblin.

Ben: “AHHH!!” Ben pressed more power onto the sword as it cut half of the hobgoblin’s underarm. The hobgoblin could only howl in pain as its arm holding the club dropped the club unwillingly. Blood continued to pour from its underarm and the hobgoblin panicked and used its other hand to cover it, attempting to suppress the pain. Only to be released from its pain by Ben’s final blow to the back of the head, a simple stab. Pulling out the sword, the hobgoblin slumped down onto the ground. The goblin mage turned around towards Ben, its eyes were filled with black ooze, when it began to speak black slime gurgled from its mouth.

Goblin Mage: “Suc-gad-h Pow-agh-er. . . Ch-ne-an-he-ge. . . is . . com-ga-ing, Pre-za-g-sent for you-ooh.”

The goblin mage dissolved little by little until eventually, the original voice rang out.

Goblin Mage: “DARK… TOO DARK! ME WANT LIF-”

Silence... only the oozing mess of the goblin mage continued to crackle and pop as if it was magma. The cage holding Bernard dissipated, forming dark red droplets of blood on the ground. Before Bernard could talk, an object inside the altar’s vat appeared, it was a half-melted deer head.

Ben: “Certainly is a present…”

The deer's head started to move, its mouth only said one sentence repeatedly.

Deer: “Join me… Join me… Join me…Power...Power...Join me.”

Bernard: “Hmm it would seem to be the dark god’s work. For it to reappear once more during this time.”

Bernard only looked at the head of the deer that continued to repeat its words, as if it was trying to entice unsuspecting victims into a trance. Bernard looked at Ben, who was on the ground panting.

Bernard: “Ben… as much as I would like to thank you for your efforts. However, that was too reckless… a hobgoblin is a C rank monster, if it had been armored up properly, you would’ve died a messy death regardless of your magical abilities.”

Ben nodded.

Ben: “I know… *whispers* it’s just… I can’t do it again.”

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A band of adventurers arrived alongside Linzet, Scarlett, and Wilmot. Bernard looked up towards the door entrance and saw a figure that stood out from the rest of them.

His body was large, taller and on his back was a greatsword. His face had a slight stubble beard, his hair was dirty brown and short, however, his smile generated a high sense of familiarity.

Bernard: “Guildmaster?”