The trees rustled as the wind passed through the forest, under the shadows cast by the trees were two individuals steadily walking on the road, the crunches of dry leaves left behind with every step.
The two stopped near a small clearing where the sun cast light down on a large smooth stone–It was decorated with the carcass of a deer and odd-looking totems on each side of the rock.
“This might be it,” Alex said as he carefully approached the presumed offering.
“We must be getting close now, check your gear.” Arthur crouched down without disturbing the totems as he examined the sacrifice, “What do you think they might be keeping away?”
“Must be the wolves, or something worse. Either way, I’d rather not find out.”
The two stepped away from the carcass and started searching the area for what they were looking for, the goblin camp.
Not long after they did, Alex motioned for Arthur with his hand as he crouched near a tree.
They were on a small cliff that overlooked a large settlement–The settlement consisted of wooden shacks with straw roofs and a tall stone tower in the centre with bones stacked on the side of the walls. The settlement itself was surrounded by wood palisades decorated with bloodied skulls.
“How many do you see?” Arthur asked and squinted his eyes as he tried to count the goblins in the camp.
“Based on the amount of huts, 21. But, I am unsure of the tower”
“Whatever it is, that tower might be where Sorin is.”
“And, the innkeeper’s child.” Alex finished.
They noticed two guards stationed at the gate of the settlement, one seemed like it was dozing off and the other was barking at it to wake up.
“Don’t these goblins seem severely under-equipped than the ones that invaded the village?” Alex pointed out.
He was right, all the goblins they’ve seen so far were wearing basic scraps of clothing they obtained from ambushing bypassers, they all had clubs or slings as weapons, no swords or bows like the ones from last night.
“It makes me wonder where they came from since those ones had a minotaur on their side.” His eyes scanned the settlement for weaknesses, and Arthur noticed a pen where strange-looking vultures fed on a carcass, stripping it of its flesh and bones.
Before he could tell Alex, a loud guttural hiss came from the sky and vultures circled above them.
“Shoot them down!” Arthur shouted as he drew out his crossbow and shot a bolt toward the vulture above him. But, he missed.
Alex didn’t wait and loaded two arrows in his bow and aimed up, focusing on the vultures above he let go of the string and the arrows split apart from each other, hitting both vultures simultaneously.
“You never told me you were Robin Hood!” Arthur joked as he saw the vultures fall from the sky.
“Haha funny, looks like I got a skill from doing that. Multi-shot.” Alex chuckled and read its description, “Shoot multiple arrows from a bow, each arrow added decreases range and damage.”
Trying it out, he pointed his bow toward a tree and recited its name in his head ‘Multi-shot’, the bow glowed green and three arrows were shot out, bouncing off the tree as they made contact.
“Must be my dexterity is too low, still it's pretty good since it does most of the process for you,” Alex said as he looked at his bow, impressed by the system automating the muscle movement required for the skill.
“I hate to break your moment but the goblins know where we are.” Arthur pointed towards the two guards that had left their post and were heading to where the vultures had fallen.
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As the two goblins arrived at their location, Arthur and Alex jumped out from behind a shrub they were hiding in and assassinated the unfortunate goblins.
[2 Goblins slayed]
[+16 Exp gained]
“Oh good, the experience is shared among party members,” Arthur felt relieved that the game didn’t divide the experience and instead shared the entire amount obtained from slaying monsters.
Before the goblins in the settlement noticed the guards were missing, the two sneaked in and waited.
It didn’t take long before a goblin noticed and ran to tell the others, they all gathered in one spot and then scattered in multiple search parties to look for the two that had infiltrated their home.
Alex disappeared in the shadows of a nearby hut while Arthur was crouched behind one of their huts with food supplies. Arthur set the hut on fire and made his way toward the tower.
While the goblins were distracted by the fire, Arthur was struggling at the door that led into the tower, it was locked.
“Out of the way, I can handle this,” Alex said as he crouched in front of the door, and brought out the set of lockpicking equipment he had bought earlier today, then he started picking the lock.
It took awkwardly long for him to open it up, a few seconds turned to a minute and that minute turned to five minutes.
Now they were surrounded by every goblin in the settlement.
"...Listen, I can't pick locks, okay?" Alex stated with a hint of embarrassment in his voice.
“And look what that got us!” Arthur retorted as his eyes looked at the goblins surrounding them, his sword steady in his hands.
The two waited until they were both ready and started to fight, Arthur fought off the goblins trying to get to Alex with his sword while Alex shot the goblins coming in, occasionally throwing a knife when he could not find the time to reload.
At an awkward timing, the door of the tower opened and a tall and muscular goblin walked out, it was surprised by the two in front of it but it soon prepared itself to attack.
This was bad, they were sandwiched between a group of goblins and one clearly a cut above the rest.
“Shit, Alex can you hold him off? I’ll deal with the smaller ones,” Arthur said as he charged toward the group of goblins. Knocking one over and finishing it off, then cleaving through two more that rushed in from his right side.
“He is clearly for you?! Just look at him, he looks like he was born just to punch you!” Alex shouted as he shot arrows at it.
There were now 7 smaller goblins left after Arthur’s attack. Arthur panted as he pulled his sword from the goblin on which it got stuck. “Just… Give me a moment!”, he blocked one of the goblin's incoming strikes with his sword and slid it down the club as it slashed off the goblin’s fingers.
The goblin wailed in pain and lunged toward Arthur. He kicked the goblin and sent it flying into another one behind, with the two lying on top of each other, Arthur skewered them with his sword.
5 left.
3 of the goblins charged at him simultaneously and Arthur twirled his entire body in a circular motion as the sword came around and cleaved through them, all three of the heads flew off of their necks.
With his back turned to the other 2, they grabbed Arthur from behind and he struggled to escape from their grasp, “I need help!”
In a swift motion, Alex turned around and used his Multi-shot skill, the two arrows were sent flying past both sides of Arthur’s head and hit the two goblins behind him.
The large goblin swung its fist at Alex from behind as he was distracted but Arthur came in and hit the fist with the sharp end of his sword, slicing its pinky off and making deep cuts in its knuckles.
It screamed in pain and tried grabbing Arthur with the other hand but Alex shot its shoulder and now the large goblin could not use that arm.
Using the opportunity Alex made, Arthur lunged in with his sword and pierced its heart.
[19 Goblins slayed]
[+152 Exp gained]
[Obtained: 11 Goblin ears.]
[Hobgoblin slayed]
[+50 Exp gained]
[Obtained: Tower key]
[Arthur: Harbinger of an ill-fated end]
[+Level up!]
Level 5 [445/250] > Level 6 [195/450]
[Health: 17/23](+12)
[Stats]
Strength:5
Dexterity:4
Constitution:4(+2)
Intelligence:1
Wisdom:1
Charisma:1
***
Arthur inserted the key in the keyhole and turned it, the lock clicked and the door was now unlocked.
“I’d make this my lockpicker if I could” Arthur joked as he remembered Alex struggling to pick the lock.
“Shut the hell up.”
Arthur stared at the staircase that led up the tower, “Let's go and rescue those kids.”
“Yeah.” Alex nodded and they both headed up the stairs.
But, what they found in the tower was not what they had expected.