Thunk.
"Ugh… this feels awful…"
After endlessly rolling down the slope inside the cave, I finally stopped upon colliding with a wall.
Returning from a spherical shape to my cubic form, I felt slightly dizzy, despite the fact that slimes shouldn't have a vestibular system.
"Lightning Strike - Low."
Pulling myself together, I reactivated my [Unique Skill], which I had deactivated while rolling. Lightning surged upward toward the ceiling, illuminating my surroundings.
"Looks like... a chamber?"
Near the slope where I had collided, there was an entrance, leading into what seemed to be a large open space.
As I moved forward, I increased the power of my lightning to light up the entire chamber.
"Gobuuu!?"
“Goobbb!”
“Gee!!”
“Gruemme!!”
Holy crap, there are so many of them!
Hobgoblins appeared in the glow of the lightning, shielding their eyes with raised arms.
At a glance, there were around thirty of them, including two particularly powerful individuals whose [Mana] seemed comparable to [Beast Lords]. A rank lower than me.
"So, this is the boss room, huh?"
Judging by the layout, it seemed like this was the final area of the cave.
Of course, there's always a chance the true leader could be out at the moment.
"Gegyo, Gigigee! (Go, you lot!)"
"Gugyaaa!"
At the command of one of the [Beast Lords], the hobgoblins charged at me en masse.
"Hmm, maybe I should tone it down a bit?"
I adjusted the power of my lightning to just enough for visibility while stepping forward to meet the goblins.
"Alright, perfect."
The leading hobgoblin thrust his spear at me.
I did nothing and allowed it to strike. The iron spear simply bounced off my surface.
"Compact Slash."
In return, I decapitated him.
Stolen story; please report.
Though the goblin wore a helmet, it was easy to aim for the gap between the helmet and shoulder armour at this range.
Perhaps the poorly-fitted helmet, typical for hobgoblins, made it even easier.
"Gyagyaaahh!"
Despite their comrade’s gruesome end, the remaining hobgoblins showed no hesitation, charging relentlessly.
Some wore heavier armour, but it made no difference. I unleashed a series of [Weapon Skills], cutting them down one by one.
My whip swords and spear danced through the air, spilling blood in their wake.
Thanks to [Ruthless Combat Arts], I could chain [Weapon Skills] without interruption.
After this grim carnage continued for a while, the two [Beast Lords] finally made their move.
"Gyakugwaag! (You useless fools! [Steel Fist]!)"
The first to act was a hulking goblin, standing nearly three meters tall. His massive frame swelled further as his muscles bulged, pushing his armour to its limits.
"Gugeyaaaa! ([Demon Split Chop]!)"
Closing the gap in just two steps, the massive goblin launched a chop with arms as thick as logs.
Even under the effect of [Swift Moment], his strike blurred with speed.
I accepted it without resistance.
"Gyugii!? (It hurts!?)"
The impact echoed like an explosion, shattering the giant goblin's gauntlets and sending him staggering back while clutching his hand.
The force of his attack had been too much for his own equipment to bear.
"As I thought, normal attacks won’t get through my defences, even from a [Beast Lord]."
Through [Intent Interpretation], I could sense that he was using some kind of [Skill].
However, my [Toughness] makes it virtually impossible for opponents of my level to break through with brute strength.
"That all you got? [Provoke]."
"Ggguugh! (Don't mock me!)"
The hulking goblin followed up with a roundhouse kick.
"[Swift Moment], [Slash]."
"Gyagyaaaaahhh!"
I preempted his attack, cutting into his leg with a high-speed slash.
Using [Provoke], I baited his timing to ensure my strike landed first, compensating for any speed disadvantage.
"Slice."
"Gege!? Gogo… Gagya..."
As the goblin staggered from the pain in his leg, I quickly enveloped him with my body.
Suppressing his struggles with [Toughness], I seeped into the gaps in his armor and unleashed [Dissolve], simultaneously using [Bite] to consume him.
"Giggyaahh! (A distraction well played!)"
The second [Beast Lord], who had remained eerily silent until now, finally made his move.
Unlike his muscular counterpart, this goblin was slender and stooped, giving off an almost elderly appearance.
Placing both hands on the ground, he unleashed a torrent of [Mana].
"Gugegogaa! ([Steel Refinement], [Shining Waves]!)"
The ground in front of him rippled, transforming into gleaming steel, which surged across the chamber like a wave.
The steel morphed into various shapes—blades, spears, and jagged spikes—attacking indiscriminately across the room.
The assault was so wide-ranging it even struck down the remaining hobgoblins.
A cruel act, though I wasn’t exactly in a position to criticize.
"Still, I could probably dodge this with [Jump] or [Air Jump]."
Manoeuvring through the barrage of weapons, I noted that the high ceilings would make evasion relatively easy if I used my skill.
That said, I opted not to use it, saving it for emergencies.
"Gyuguyaaa! (H-help…)"
Terrified by his inability to land a blow, the slender goblin cowered in the corner, trembling.
Unable to flee due to the chamber's layout, he shrank against the wall.
"Lightning Strike - Max Output."
"Gigyaaaaa!"
I unleashed a concentrated bolt of lightning at the slender goblin, striking him directly.
It ignored the surrounding steel, homing in solely on the target.
"Charge!"
Without hesitation, I lunged and enveloped him, repeating the same process I used on the hulking goblin.
And thus, the battle against the goblin horde came to an end.
[The soul accumulation level of Aresnal Armoury Slime has risen to 73]