The first head popped over the ramparts and Cheese identified it as his axe came crashing down. He had lifted the blade above his head in an arc, and he used it to split the creatures` skull like a log. [Goblin Warrior: Novice] Cheese almost felt regret for the strike as it landed. This creature was weak, astoundingly weak compared to him. He could hardly feel its mana, and it was unable to react to his strike as separated its head. A scant few moments later it was followed by another and Cheese had to snap out of his regret as he dispatched the creature with a similar swipe of his axe.
As he smashed the invaders Cheese kept a thought for his core. His earlier throws had begun to drain it, and it was currently at around ninety percent full. He was unsure how exactly he knew that, but Cheese just had a sense of his power that seemed ingrained.
To his side Tompson shouted out "ROCK!" and Cheese cast his eyes to the sky before his instincts triggered. A great bolder was flying toward the wall, but as he watched it fell short. The massive stone landed in the tide of bodies that thronged below them. The twang of arrows began again, and Cheese turned his eyes to the ladder. He could push it away, or cut it with his axe, and for a moment Cheese thought of doing exactly that, but then he decided against it. He yelled out "NO ONE FIRE ON MY LADDER! LET THEM UP!" to his men and was unsurprised when his words were met with a cheer, and an increase in his Leadership skill.
A few more moments passed, and then a slightly larger form ascended the ladder. Cheese saw as it bulged under the creatures' weight, yet the mana in its core was pitiful, same as the rest had been. Cheese allowed the creature to step over onto the gatehouse as he stepped slightly back.
This one was massive, easily twice the size of the previous goblins. Its thick, green-gray skin glistened with sweat as it hefted a rusted iron club the size of a small tree branch. As it stood it let out a bellowing yell, and Cheese smiled to himself as he tightened his grip on his axe.
The goblin roared again, the sound deep and guttural, like boulders grinding together. And then it stepped forward with surprising speed, its massive foot pounding against the stones.
Cheese didn’t flinch. As the club came crashing down, he sidestepped with ease, letting it shatter the stone where he had been standing. He swung his axe in an upward arc and split the Goblin in half. As it fell past Cheese, he felt the regret again, but this time it was less. It had been a [Goblin Berserker: Apprentice] after all. That was better than killing a novice, right?
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
The system didn't seem to think it mattered, as Cheese` axe skill refused to raise over the next ten or so minutes as he fought down the enemies. More and more of them were of the apprentice level, and he had killed more than thirty before his skill pinged [Axe: 40]
"For fucks sake" he said to no one in particular. Yet he heard a reply from beside him.
"Wine my lord?" Came Nold's voice. Cheese looked away from the massacre and nodded. He stretched his hand out and swigged at the skin before handing it back to the boy.
The rocks had come sporadically, over this time but Cheese paid them little mind. The one time they came close to their position Elder Tompson called it out. Cheese had readied himself to move, but it had landed some twenty meters behind them, striking in the center of the training ring and rolling for a time.
Cheeses` main issue he had found was managing his energy. He could rely on brute strength to beat down the Goblins, but that only lasted them so long. He could rely on his magic, but that exhausted itself far faster.
He was draining, not fast but it was happening, so with a reluctant sigh he was forced to finally end the goblins assault. Cheese reached back with his axe as a particularly large creature with a shield tried to top teh wall. he drove his axe down, and pressed out with his mana, using his Chop Ability for the first time in the fight.
A wave of mana pressed out in a thin line, and it descended down the wall towards the ground, as it did it killed a number of goblins and then a moment later the ladder fell apart. It had split at the wrungs as the wave sliced downward.
Cheese turned and said "Mauren" the man was in the middle of delivering orders to a pair of men, but when Cheese spoke, he turned and waited for the younger man to speak. Cheese stopped for a moment. Was that a tinge of fear in the other mans eyes?
Then it was gone as Mauren said "Out with it, men are dying"
Cheese nodded and said, "What do I need to do?"
Mauren shrugged and replied "Everything is in hand. We lost a few men to arrows before they realized crenelations are for standing behind, and a few more to goblins who were on the stronger side. But everything is in hand. The men are taking the goblins two to one, and when they begin to get overwhelmed, we send reinforcement."
"Was that the baron who returned earlier?" Cheese asked as the older man finished.
"No" came the reply. "It was a number of his scouts with your brother. They reported that the baron had been cut off by some of those dogs. The baron and 30 of his men were pushed to the south by those beasts as the assault began. Your brother is on the wall helping the Master at arms, but once this stops, we can get his report."
Cheese nodded and then summoned his axe back and turned to the wall. There was work to be done.
As he walked away from the goblin bodies the young warrior stopped and smelled the air. It was weird. These little green men reeked, in fact most things smelled horrible when killed. Yet for some reason these goblins left a smell of rotting eggs.
Cheese shrugged and turned his attention back to his work.