I get the cage down on the ground only to get blindsided by a kobold charging me at full speed. We hit the ground in a tumble of legs and arms. It claws at me to no effect, and I respond with an awkward right hook that makes his beaked face snap back smashing right into the cave floor. The kobold stops moving. Must have knocked it out. Lucky me. I get back to my feet to see at least fifteen kobold bodies on the ground with vicious knife wounds to the back. Typhus is nowhere in sight. I whip my head round to the cage and I can see a stand off between him and two of the bigger ones. I also notice that the one with the ornate head dress is pointing in our direction and yelling at another group of kobolds. Let’s just say devils gambit is falling apart. No time to look for the others. I sprint over to Typhus’s side.

  “Need a hand?”, like a dumb ass and get a clawed foot to the guts for my trouble. Luckily that gave Typhus an opening for a critical strike on the green meanies femoral. That leaves one on two. Typhus takes a fierce backhand sending him sprawling in front of the cage. I’m perfectly healthy since they can’t seem to hurt me. Time to get my balls up. I dive at the man-sized monstrosity, griping my arms around his waist sidestepping around him to take his ass to suplex city. Much to my surprise not only do I suplex it easily I manage to fold it in half the wrong way. It starts wheezing pathetically and I take step back. Not what I expected. I do not know my own strength. Did I break its spine? I stomp its head until I hear a cracking sound and it stops moving. That was brutal. I could get used to that. The other big lug is bleeding out on the floor from Typhus’s knife wound. I then see green energy coming off of the one I curb stomped. No time to play.

  “Typhus are you ok.” I ask.

  “Give me a second, that one got me good. Do I have a shiner?” He asks.

  “Focus man, the cage.” I say.

  “Right, right. Keep an eye out.” He replies.

  Several of the people in the cage come forward, arms are outstretched, and some are even crying. One man leans into the bars saying,

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “Get me out and I’ll help you put every last one of these bottom feeders into the ground.” I’ve got my head on a swivel looking in all directions. Soon enough I see some normal sized kobolds skittering around a corner with the head honcho in charge. One of the women screeches at the sight of him and I get a bad feeling. I put Typhus at my back and say,

  “I’ll do my best.” Stepping forward I give the first one the boot, sending him sliding back on the floor. Left cross to the next beastie who then grabs my arm with one hand and tries to shank me with the other. Surprise surprise, no expected impact for him but he does get a head butt for his troubles. I’m starting to get bogged down in single strike maneuvers when a sneaky bitch pops up to my left past my scuffle. I don’t have time to yell a warning, so I just swing my opponent like a Louisville slugger into his scaly back. He bounces off the bars but gets grabbed by some of the men inside the cage. I stamp down on the one in my hands till it stops moving and turn my head to see the chief gecko chanting something at me.

  “I got it!” Typhus yells, shaking me from my stupor. I sprint directly at the chief who looks shocked at what’s about to happen. He finishes his spell and a blue bolt of energy washes right over me while I shoulder tackle him into one of the huts. I lay into him with the lefts and rights more out of panic and desperation than anything else. He is clawing at me tearing my shirt to ribbons but doing little else. His arms start to slow down, and I notice a faint green glow coming from my hands.

New Ability Discovered: Touch of the Void- this ability applies Holy damage to your melee strikes by channeling the cold void of the Nether World. Repeated strikes apply a slowing effect.

Would you like to learn Touch of the Void? Yes/No

I mentally scream yes. The repeated blows increase the glow from my fists as far as tracing up my veins into my wrists. The Chief’s breath is visible as he slowly swings his right claw at me. I snatch it out of the air, twist it around his back, and apply all the force my new body can muster. I hear the snapping of twigs and his beak gapes open in slow motion. I take the time to break every one of his limbs before dragging him out of the hut and throwing his ass down the pit. There is a fierce melee in front of the cage. Can’t be that many of them left, I think to myself. I look for Typhus and see he’s met up with Armand and Elle. They are directing traffic at this point, getting people to head for the exit and slaying whatever kobolds show up. I put one foot in that direction, and I’m hit from two sides by a couple of the large brute kobolds. Next thing I know I’m flipping end over end right into the pit. I wonder if I can learn a flying ability on my way down.