Tabitha’s Point of View:
Raising my shield in front of my face, I block the halberd-wielding hob from stabbing me in the chest. At the same time, I use my sword to parry a strike from my right.
A second hob with a curved longsword was trying to catch me off guard during my scuffle with the halberd wielder, but he would need to do better than that if he wanted to score a hit on me.
Dancing backward, I twirl around and stab a third goblin who was also trying to sneak up on me in her right shoulder. Unlike the two hobs I was just facing, the third hob was only a typical hobgoblin that wasn't close to becoming an arch-goblin. She was just one of the many goblins watching my duel with their leaders, looking for an opening to attack. She wasn’t the first to try, but I knew how to deal with her kind.
The goblin tries to backpedal while holding her shoulder with her good arm, but at this point, they should know I wasn't going to let that happen. Instead, I slash the goblin across the chest, cutting deep into her flesh and exposing her insides for all her pals to see.
The surrounding goblins hiss, seeing me slaughter yet another goblin, but not a single one of them turns to flee. Nor do any of them try to check on their fallen comrades, even if it is futile. Unfortunately, I don't have time to contemplate the peons’ actions before the two quasi-arch hobs are on me again.
This time the longsword hob takes the lead. Again, I move to raise my shield, aware that the second one will attack as soon as I show an opening when my Danger Sense goes off. So without hesitating, I use Instant Parry. Just in time, too, because the goblin's long sword curves around my shield like it was alive, and if I didn’t use my sword to block it, I might have been hit.
The goblin sneers, seeing me block his strike. I maliciously grin back and kick him in his armored stomach. The force of my kick made the goblin stumble back a few steps, but that wasn’t why I did it.
Using the force of my kick, I leap back and avoid another would be hit by the halberd-wielding goblin. I'm impressed with how well these goblins are using their weapons. I doubt they just happened to come across their weapon of choice, yet they're wielding them better than most trained warriors would. It just went to show a goblin’s frightening capacity for growth in any situation.
I switch targets and try to close the distance between me and the halberd hob, but he uses a footwork skill to keep his distance. He maintains the exact distance needed to stab at me with his longer weapon, while I can't touch him with my sword, all while the longsword hob circles the both of us, looking for an opening.
At least the other three weren't joining in. The arch-goblin, and the other two quasi-arches, were standing close by watching me, but not close enough that I could shift to them without giving them time to react.
I would need to finish these two before engaging the other three, but how did I do that?
Their teamwork is astounding, and they handle their weapons like it's second nature. We were going skill for skill at this point, and though I'd outlast them in the long run, it would leave me vulnerable when I took on the others.
As I thought, if I want to end this fast, I’ll need to be extra creative, like Master would be.
First, let's get some distance from the three hobs' content to sit out. It was counterintuitive to my original plan of rushing the goblin leader, but that plan changed as soon as I realized the levels of his underlings. I may be good, but I couldn't take on an arch-goblin as long as he had the backup of four goblins stronger than Aaliyah. So, to ensure the other three don't interfere when I make my move, I slowly inch backward while dodging and paring the two hobs in front of me.
If the three goblins watching noticed the distance between us growing, they didn't show it. I cut down a few normal hobs to make it appear they were my target, but I keep most of my senses on the longsword and halberd hobs.
Again, I need to use Instant Parry to block another weird slash from the longsword hob. This time he swung his sword downwards, and when I went for what I thought was an opening, his sword curved upward at the last second and came inches from stabbing me in the chest.
Aaliyah told me their weapons were of decent quality, so there was a possibility that they might be able to cut through my armor, leaving me to treat every attack as if it could be fatal. Sure, my armor would activate if I’m at death’s door, but doing so would be a death sentence for myself and Aaliyah. And I couldn’t let that happen.
With her personality, she would undoubtedly try and save me, at which point she would die to the arch-goblin and his gang. My armor would be able to protect me for a time, but we were too deep in the forest and too far away from my comrades to do me any good. My armor would only keep me alive until it ran out of mana, at which point, I'd die an excruciating death at the hands of whatever was close by.
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I want to think Master would charge towards my location, should my armor activate, but I knew better than anyone that he couldn’t leave the front while negotiating the ceasefire. Doing so would doom Scholl further, and despite my loyalty and Aaliyah's potential, it simply wasn't worth it.
Clearing those negative thoughts, I decapitated another regular hob who drifted too close to our fight. With its death, that was thirty-one goblins I’ve killed so far. I couldn't count all the thuds from the goblins falling from the treetops, but I'd estimate Aaliyah and I had killed roughly fifty goblins by this point. But it wasn't enough, not yet.
Time to really make these goblins bleed; I grin in excitement.
I've mainly used defensive skills until now; let's go on the offensive—first, the annoying halberd's hob.
Analyzing both the hobs movement patterns, I wait for my opening. Then, finally, the opportunity presents itself after I dodge a combo attack from the two, and in the brief moment they need to collect themselves after their skills fail to find purchase, I make my move.
Sheathing my sword, I jump into the air and grab my shield with both hands. Then, combining the basic Throwing skill with a modified Power Slash attack, I throw my shield with incredible force while activating the enchantment that covers it in mana.
My shield turns into a spinning blade, and thanks to my timing, the halberd hobgoblin can’t react in time.
I don't watch my shield decapitate the hob; instead, I land with a flourish and run at the hobgoblin with the curved longsword.
The goblin's face cycles through a wide range of emotions in quick secession. Disbelief that I killed his ally, anger towards me, shock that I was charging him barehanded, so many emotions, all visible as he raises his sword to cut me down.
Sorry, you were a decent opponent, but it's time I move on. Using Flash Step in conjunction with Quick-Draw, I appear to the side of the enraged goblin, my sword already drawn.
On instinct, the hob tried to turn towards me to defend himself, but my attack was already complete. The goblin's eyes start dimming as he collapses to the ground, bisected cleanly in two at his waist. His Vitality keeps him from dying immediately, so I raise my sword to pierce his skull to finish it.
I’m about to follow through when my Danger Sense screams at me like a wailing banshee. I Flash Step to the side as a dagger sores past where my neck just was, while a second dagger implants itself into the head of the top half of the dying hob.
Turning, I make eye contact with one of the quasi-arch hobs who was snickering while flipping another dagger in her hands. Stupid creature, I doubt she killed her friend to end his suffering; instead, she was probably hoping to steal some of my experience points by landing the final hit—an offensive gesture if there ever was one.
Though it's rare to see so many female goblins participating in a hunt, especially one of this level. Usually, female goblins stayed in their village, tending to the numerous young. If this many females were allowed in the hunting party, then there had to be countless more back at the village.
When we eventually leave the forest, I'll need to contact Master and inform him of the danger. Even if they’re likely to stay in the mana-rich environment, it was never a good idea to leave such a group alone for long. Especially if they periodically cast out the weaker ones. If they did, it would be a considerable danger to Spotted Creek Village, and culling would need to be carried out.
“You’re next,” I mouth to the cocky goblin. She immediately scowls at me, but while she’s distracted, I can sneak a quick glance at my surroundings. The regular hobs look to finally be afraid of me now that I have killed two of their strongest warriors. Of course, they won't flee with the arch goblin standing there, but now they’ll think twice before trying to stab me in the back.
Speaking of stabbing, I lean my head to the side as another dagger zips past my face. That's right, throw all your toys while you can.
Seeing that she couldn’t get me with her daggers, the female hob moves to draw the short sword at her side. I purposely smile wider, hoping to draw her in and make my life easier, but the arch goblin growls, causing the female hob to freeze. She lowers her hand from her weapon and takes a step back. The last of the four quasi-arch hobs does the same as the arch goblin takes a step forward.
It looks like he's seen all that he needed to. And lucky me, he's having his subordinates step back, cocky bastard.
Good, his horns will make excellent gifts for Master.
The arch goblin casually starts walking toward me with his large claymore balanced on his shoulder, and I him. He doesn’t try to stop me from picking up my shield, though I had a plan to recover it if he did. We stop thirty feet from one another, both sizing each other up.
He was tall, much taller than me. Goblins were typically spindly creatures, but the arch goblin in front of me was built like a warrior who’s spent countless hours honing their body. He looked like he had more muscle than brains, but I knew for him to reach this level, that wasn't the case.
With sword in hand, I take up my stance with my shield out in front of me, ready to dance with death.
The arch goblin takes up his own stance. At first, he wields his large sword single-handily, showing off his massive strength, before slowly bringing up his second hand, properly gripping his sword.
Much like I taught Aaliyah, there was no signal for us to start. Only a tense silence until one of us made the first move, which turned out to be him, and what a swift attack it was. Too bad for him, I was a Dexterity fighter and was more than capable of dealing with raw speed.
It feels like I’m trying to deflect a mountain when his claymore smashes into my shield, confirming he was your classic Strength build. With how much force is behind his swing, I can tell his Strength stat easily eclipsed Aaliyah’s. Of course, if he were using a hammer as she does, then I wouldn't be able to deflect his attacks, but with his current weapon, it was still possible, all be it difficult to execute.
His sword slowly slips off my shield and crashes into the ground in front of me, and I’m forced to steady my legs as a small shockwave is released from the impact.
The arch goblins eyes widen in surprise, seeing me brush off what he must have thought was a surefire one-hit-kill.
“It’s too early to be surprised!” I shout in excitement as I aim my sword at his exposed face. Because of their many horns, arch goblins can’t wear helmets looted from adventures, giving me a large opening I wasn’t afraid to exploit.
To his credit, the arch goblin doesn’t take my attack lightly. Using his superior strength, he easily repositions his massive sword, but he slashes at my chest instead of moving to block my attack.
I try to use my shield to guard my midriff, but without the proper stance, I can't contend with the force of his attack. His claymore forces its way past my shield and slams into my armor like a rampaging beast.
Stumbling back, for the first time since we entered the Endless Forest, I taste blood in my mouth. A glance down shows that his sword couldn't pierce my armor, but that didn’t mean much when he could cause internal injuries through force alone. However, the arch goblin didn't come out of our clash unscathed, either.
On the arch-goblin's left cheek, an inch under his eye, there was a large bleeding gash from where my sword almost took his head.
We both drew blood, but this was merely the opening act, two worriers still sizing each other up.
Things would only get more intense from here on out.