The moment Govan activated [Encourage], his body surged forward with blinding speed, aiming straight for Anyi.
Not good!
Layton’s heart dropped. Anyi’s agility was a mere 10—not an issue against ordinary Goblins, or even a typical Goblin Centurion. But with Govan’s sudden boost of 5 agility points and explosive power, Anyi couldn’t evade in time.
In a single heartbeat, Govan was upon Anyi, his massive blade slashing down.
Bang!!
A wall of slime formed in front of Anyi, but it was no match for the raw force of Govan’s blade. The sword cut through the slime, landing squarely against Anyi’s own weapon.
Boom!!
The impact hurled Anyi like a cannonball, launching him high before he crashed somewhere in the jungle. His fate was unknown.
Nearby, Ariana’s face paled, her eyes narrowing with steely resolve.
'Use skill: Encourage!'
Meanwhile, Miruku, shaken by Anyi’s fate, gritted her teeth, held Ariana close, and kept moving.
[Thorn Hero: Mr. Anyi, are you okay?]
Miruku sent a message in the group chat. Silence.
“Focus!” Ariana’s voice cut through Miruku’s worry. “Follow… Anyi’s plan!”
Momentarily stunned, Miruku nodded and shouted, “Ah—!! Damn it! Mr. Anyi should definitely not encounter bad things!!”
Their strategy had been for Layton to lure the Goblin Centurion while Anyi and Dus took out the Shamans, eliminating any chance for Govan to use [Encourage].
Without those extra five points, the Goblin Centurion was manageable. They never anticipated Govan would use [Encourage] on himself without a Shaman!
And now, with no choice, Ariana was forced to reveal her own [Encourage] ability, one of their secret cards reserved for other Goblin Centurions. Her mana limit allowed [Encourage] to last ten minutes, enough to keep the party’s strength high.
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Miruku’s task now was to use her boosted attributes to avoid giving Govan any opening to reach Ariana.
Boom!!
Govan’s blade slammed into Layton’s shield, driving his feet deep into the ground but leaving him unhurt.
In fact, with [Encourage], Layton’s Strength had soared to 33!
Though not as physically formidable as the Goblin Centurion, his increased Strength and Durability gave him a solid edge.
“Ho ho! This is interesting!” Govan roared, his grin fierce.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
His blade struck repeatedly, each blow pushing Layton’s shield to its limit, morphing into countless forms as his knees began to sink into the earth.
All this—within mere seconds!
"Come at me, monster!" Dus bellowed, brandishing the war rod in his grip, his voice resonating like thunder.
In one fluid motion, he’d dispatched several Goblin Shamans, elevating his level from seven to ten. With Ariana's [Encourage], his Strength attribute was boosted from 13 to 18, making his strikes effective against the towering Goblin Centurion.
"Huh!" Govan grunted, casting Layton aside like a discarded doll, hurling him deep into the woods. He then turned with brutal swiftness, his longsword already arcing toward Dus. In that instant, Dus twisted, dodging with such speed and precision that Govan found it hard to believe.
The Goblin Centurion’s eyes narrowed. If your speed is your strength, human... then I’ll leave you nowhere to run!
Abruptly, Govan halted and unleashed a series of blindingly rapid sword swings, blocking every escape. Though Dus had 25 Agility, he found himself trapped. His long rod, formidable though it was, proved too short against Govan's immense blade.
In that moment, Dus grasped why the Goblin Centurion had a recommended team level of ten. Facing this beast one-on-one, even with comparable attributes, was nearly impossible—he would need at least ten more points in Agility to stand a chance.
"Monster! I'm back!" came a cry from the treeline. Layton, tossed aside earlier, came charging back, his Agility enhanced by [Encourage] to 10 points. The power surged through him, and he felt unstoppable.
"Shield Bash!" Layton roared, his slime-covered shield glowing faint blue as he hurtled forward. For the first time, he understood why Anyi always called out his skills—it felt exhilarating.
Govan’s expression darkened, but he had no time to react.
Bang!
The shield crashed into Govan's side with tremendous force, sending him staggering forward. He felt the strange elasticity of the impact, and the blow knocked him off balance, forcing him several meters away.
"Perfect timing!" Dus seized the moment, launching himself high into the air.
'Use skill, Slap in the Face!'
The war rod glowed light brown, shimmering with enhanced power. Dus’s strike was like a falling boulder, slamming into Govan’s skull with a sickening thud.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
With each swing, the rod crashed into Govan’s head, driving him back in a dazed retreat. Just as Dus readied to crush his skull—
Swish!
From nowhere, Govan’s blade lashed out in a deadly arc, aiming for Dus's waist.