Noah hoped that they would all charge at once, like mindless beasts. But he was wrong. One moved from the middle, the other two stalked his left and right flank.
I can’t let them hold the initiative. Noah dashed toward the reptile on the right. The three kobold's shoulders recoiled at the sudden human shout. They looked at Krall with suspicion, but with the human charging at them they put all their attention onto him.
Noah, with both hands tightly gripping his spear, stabbed it into the creature's throat, his aim was true. Blood spurted, but the other beasts didn’t give him a chance to celebrate.
One of them held a jagged dagger, the other had a make-shift shield and a wooden club. They both attacked at the same time.
“Now, Krall!” Noah shouted.
Krall sprinted from the trees and leapt onto weaker monster on the left with a beastly ferocity. Despite his small stature, Krall was still an otherworldly monster.
Noah held the pointed tip of his spear at the front, he aimed it at the only enemy left to face. The kobold with the shield. It also happened to be the strongest of the bunch, and by the muscles in its body; it was by a fair amount.
Dashing to the right, the kobold screeched and lunged towards him in confusion and anger. Noah’s spear stabbed forward, but the creature raised its shield and blocked the hit. Noah frowned and instead, stepped forward, and snapped a kick to the shield, sending the creature stumbling back.
Noah glanced at Krall as he desperately wrestled against the bigger beast with the knife. The monster had gained the advantage, it pushed down against Krall as the knife inched towards his chest, then with a final push, the tip of the blade disappeared into Krall's scaley flesh.
No you don't! Noah thought in desperaration as he rushed to Krall's aid. Approaching, Noah stabbed his spear into the monster's neck and the strength within its arms vanished as Krall was showered in a viscous dark red.
“Get up, grab its shield so I can attack.” Noah helped his pet up, thankfully, the wound wasn't as bad as he feared.
Krall bared its sharp fangs at the shielded kobold and grabbed the dagger within his scaly, clawed hands.
Noah and Krall rushed forward.
The kobold swung its club in a wide arc, but Krall leapt forward and clutched the shield within his grasp, narrowly avoiding the hard hit.
Noah bolted to the side and thrust his spear at its throat. The spear's sharp, shelled edge sliced against the scales on its neck, but it glanced off the shiny natural armour, unable to slice through.
Using the opportunity of the failed attack, the kobold dug its clawed feet into the ground and dropped the shield. It lunged at Noah, bearing its glistening fangs.
Noah slid back and he shifted his hand on the spear until the tip was nearly at his shoulder, and struck it to the monster’s close range throat once more. The kobold grit its teeth and lowered its head. The spear's tip smashed into its solid skull. It swung its club down at Noah.
Not having time to raise his shield, Noah brandished the spears shaft, and the club struck the hard wood of the spear. His eyes widened at the sudden strength. The spear’s shaft warped, until Noah could no longer fight against the weight of the attack. It continued and smashed against his shoulder.
Grimacing, he snapped his leg toward the kobold's knee, causing the monster's weight to shift. Using the relief of the creature being off balanced, he aimed the spear to the monster’s throat, but it quickly rolled to the side and stood at attention.
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Krall attempted to dash in, but the other kobold’s strength was far superior to the runt of the litter. The club smashed against Krall as he was sent tumbling to the floor. Using the time Noah and Krall were not attacking, the kobold grabbed hold of its shield from the floor.
Pacing to the side, the kobold followed his movements as they stalked round in a circle. Waiting for each other to make the first move. After killing the first monster, Noah understood the importance of being the initiator, it was exactly like a street fight. He had experienced it countless times before.
One needed momentum. So he moved. His spear struck forward, but the kobold blocked it with its shield. With a loud ting, Noah quickly guessed that it was bark from the hardened palm trees.
With the range advantage with his spear, he realised that he had total control in a one versus one. Every-time the shielded creature would charge forward, a spear tip was patiently waiting for it. Ready to take its life at any moment.
Although it held a shield, it didn’t seem comfortable with it. The Kobold didn’t know whether to keep the shield up, or block its legs.
Noah had marred its skin with many cuts, blood seeped down the cracks of its scales. It heaved in breaths of air, but Noah was no better. The strength in his arms had long begun to wane. The spear felt like a sledgehammer in his hands, nausea welled up within, and he felt something creep up within his stomach. Dehydration had long taken effect.
Then, the kobold moved, it recklessly charged at him with its shield raised up and covering its small body. Noah dashed to the side while the kobold wasn’t looking, and pierced the spear's tip scarcely within its throat. The hardness of its scales were a cut above the rest. Blood seeped from the new wound, but Noah felt within his touch that it wasn’t deep enough. He had experienced it before, back on Earth.
The kobold thrashed its club in a wide swing. Noah’s arms screamed in fatigue as he quickly lowered the spear, then shot it upwards, straight into the creature’s throat. It pierced through the already wounded scales, revealing the pink flesh that oozed red underneath. Gargling on its own blood, it stumbled forward and clasped its hands around Noah’s throat.
Noah grit his teeth, the muscles in his neck strained. He dropped his spear and plunged his thumbs into the monster’s moist, gelatinous eyes. Noah seethed, the last moisture within his mouth spat out and the tip of his thumbs disappeared into the kobolds skull. After a couple of agonising more minutes, the monster fell to the ground.
Noah gasped for air and snatched his spear from the floor. He poked its body with his spear to check if it was dead. Once he was certain, his body threatened to crash to the floor, but he stubbornly resisted the weakness that wracked all of his limbs. He slowed his strained breathing as he focused on his hearing.
Is this what cavemen were like hunting their prey? Or soldiers forced to clash metal against metal. Noah took a final deep breath and then, like a damn breaking, a maniacal laugh left his mouth.
Maybe that’s why he enjoyed watching the broadcast so much? The battle of life and death was something he could never tire of.
He wiped his face with his sleeve and gazed at his hands. I’m alive. Noah believed himself to be cursed. All throughout his life he had tried countless adrenaline filled activities to relieve his boredom, and only now he felt the intense beating of his own heart. It was far different compared to petty fights over territory. It was filled with an exuberant life that cried out to him. Noah rested his hand onto his chest and felt the intense beating.
Then, he glanced at his brave soldier, and said with a smile, “You okay buddy?”
Krall groaned and eventually got back to his feet. Although stumbling, it seemed he could still walk.
After a few minutes of calming down, he quickly got to action. His hands scoured the kobolds body. Only one of them had a singular potion which he threw over to Krall. He couldn’t have one of his people injured like that. Noah needed Krall to do his job after all. Then he plucked one of the shanks from the kobolds hands and placed it between his belt and his trousers.
As Noah approached the stronger kobold, the air sizzled and crackled, but it was only a dull, bland colour of a murky grey. It was Common Rarity. Will it be a new skill or even a Pathstone?
With the stone forming, it was small and could easily fit within the palm of his hand. So it’s a Skill Essence then. He grabbed it and the familiar hot sensation coursed through his veins. It travelled through his bloodstream and into his brain. Information was branded and information about the skill was transmitted into him alongside the level up notification.