Everyone began to focus while they slowly made their way back toward the Goblin camp, checking for traps along the way. Ruven, who wasn't much of a talker in the first place, seemed to have steeled himself for a battle. Neia was wearing a carefree smile, one that didn’t match her eyes. As it took roughly an hour to get back to where the pitfall trap was located, Lee’s mana was restored.

I won’t be able to last very long with just my magic.

MP: 175/175

Lee found out earlier that thinking about his HP or MP would let him know what was currently at. He had discovered this when taking damage during the jackalope fight, instead of being notified of just the damage he received, he got an update on his HP as well.

Only three uses of Earthen Strike...

As he started to wonder if a measly three spells were actually enough to help him stay alive against the Goblins, Neia stopped them.

She spoke quitely. “I will go and check if they are still there. If not, we will set an ambush for when they return. If they are there, we will attack.”

Before Neia left, she paused and spoke to Lee. “If they are here, then we will each target a different Goblin and try to kill them immediately by surprise. Don't worry if you do not kill yours instantly, your goal is to help from afar to try and gain experience. You can’t gain experience while dead.”

Lee nodded, his face showing a grim seriousness, showing that he clearly understood. Neia immediately turned and stalked off through the forest. A few moments later, Ruven glanced at him and spoke. “With yesterday's setback, we should reach Neldam by tomorrow by noon.”

He tore his eyes away from Lee, gazing off toward where Neia left through the trees as he continued. “When we arrive, you probably won't see much of us. I will come find you to see how you’re doing.” Lee was about to respond when Neia arrived.

“They are here, but there's an issue.” She shifted her eyes between them both, wearing a small frown.

Ruven, checked his arrows one final time, nodded, and gave her his full attention. “How many more?”

Neia looked conflicted. She fiddled with her long braid as she gave Lee a worried look. “one."

Ruven stilled for only a fraction of a second before also giving Lee a look. “This will be more dangerous than we already anticipated, Lee, but potentially more rewarding for you in particular."

Ruven looked toward Neia in askance. An unspoken question was being asked. Neia dipped her head. “Hobgoblin, big one too. I’ll take care of it and join you both when I'm finished. Lee, aim for the Hobgoblin with your first strike. Then target all Goblins with ranged weapons.”

Lee's palms were beginning to sweat. He acknowledged his task as Neia gestured to them to follow her toward the Goblin's camp.

As they approached the camp, Lee began to hear noises from off in the distance. They all paused behind a decent tree for cover as Neia gave a 'hide' gesture. Ruven and Lee both leaned around the tree and peered around carefully.

Lee took in the 'Camp' with his own eyes and was immediately disgusted. About fifty meters away, raw rotten flesh lay around in small chunks around the camp. Torn cloth strips were wrapped around the trunks of trees, seemingly to indicate their small camp's boundaries. Shit, bones, and half-rotted carcasses of animals were scattered around the small area. There was a single small fire with six Goblins eating raw meat around it; three other Goblins were fighting one another, biting and scratching with their black claw-like nails. One larger creature, seemingly the Hobgoblin, appeared to match Lee’s own height at six feet tall. He watched the fighting with his large yellow eyes and a piranha-like toothy smile. His was huge, thickly built, almost like a bear, with skin a darker green than its companions. Its muscled body was covered in bumpy warts and puss-filled pockets of disease. Its long nose was crooked and a scar ran down across the left side of its face, starting at the base of its ear down to its chin.

Quickly, Lee abandoned his view. Fear started to settle in as he thought about the fight ahead of him.

This is not going to be nearly as easy as the other fights. Lee quickly began to have second thoughts, doubting himself.

I get one spell for combat, and I think I can suddenly take on ten Goblins? He jerked, feeling a hand grab his shoulder. He quickly snapped his head around, spotting Ruven.

Ruven gazed straight into Lee's blue eyes with his own vivid green. “You will be tested here and come out stronger.”

Lee gave a meek nod in reply as he tightened his grip on the knife given to him.

Ruven looked at Neia with determination and said, “I will attack on your signal.” Then crept off into the forest.

Neia waited around a minute, letting Ruven get into his chosen position. Lee prepared to cast his Earthen Strike at the Hobgoblin as soon as he saw Neia make a move.

The atmosphere was tense. Lee could hear his heart thumping and the blood rushing to his ears. He was breathing quickly but tried to be as quiet as possible.

Neia, seeing that Lee was ready, stepped around the tree and cast a spell. While holding out her hand in a “stop” like motion, a tightly condensed chunk of spiky ice the size of a basketball appeared, lowering the temperature around her and Lee by a few degrees. The chunk of ice launched forth, flying through the air, slamming into the small fire after around two seconds, right into the ground. Neia took off in a sprint toward the Hobgoblin. The campfire Goblins dropped their food and stared at the spiky ice ball right before it exploded.

Spiky shards of ice launched in a dome outwards. Like a grenade, the ice shrapnel riddled the bodies of two of the closest Goblins with massive holes, killing them. Then it tore through the other four Goblins, dealing significant damage.

Seeing Neia’s spell in action, Lee nervously and quickly launched his Earthen Strike forwards toward the Hobgoblin. A single chunk of earth ripped itself from the ground and surged fourth, hitting the Hobgoblin in the chest. The Hobgoblin, who was watching the three Goblins fight with cruelty, recoiled back sharply from the impact. Not but a moment later, a high-pitched sound of cutting wind resulted in an arrow being lodged in the Hobgoblin's shoulder.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

The Hobgoblin and normal Goblins, now alert to danger, reacted with haste. Most started grabbing bones from the ground, and for those who had them, equipped their bows. The Goblins searched for their attackers. They instantly saw the fast-approaching Neia, who was holding her dual sickles out to the sides and slightly behind her, charging towards them like the reaper.

The two Goblins who had bows, both injured from Neia’s earlier spell, instantly began to nock arrows. But, before the first one could pull and release, an arrow from off in the distance sank into its skull. The second managed to do so, and launched its arrow at Neia, who casually swiped the arrow out of the air. Before it could launch another, Lee cast another Earthen Strike, sending forth a chunk of earth and hitting the goblin in the lower face. As a result, its chin was snapped and crushed inward. Now gurgling, the Goblin flailed with blood pouring from its maw.

Neia rushed past the Goblins, came straight up to the Hobgoblin, and attempted to disembowel him. The Hobgoblin, who was now obviously aware of the charging figure coming, took hold of his large, long wooden club, which appeared to be banded with metal, and attempted to block. Lee uses Identify quickly.

Identify failed! Target has been alerted to your presence.

Meanwhile, the three Goblins who were already fighting each other didn’t sit around. While they were weaponless and minorly injured from their infighting, they eventually decided to seek out Lee with their claw-like nails. Lee decided to take it slow and wait for them to approach. It was three on one and with only one spell left, he couldn't afford to waste it. He only had a few seconds with only around fifty meters separating them. After only a second, he saw his chance and cast his last Earthen strike toward the closest approaching Goblin while taking out his knife, he watched as the spell crushed the Goblin’s right knee, causing it to collapse.

Quickly closing the distance, the first to arrive slashed out with its sharp black claws. Lee narrowly backstepped and tried to counter with a slash of his own.

He was too slow.

Before he could retaliate, the second Goblin arrived and slashed as well. Already slightly off-balance from the attempted counter, Lee took the rake-like slash from the top right of his chest diagonally across down towards his left hip.

-34 HP HP:101/135

He winced in pain, but as he was fighting for his life he couldn't register the severity of the damage. Lee traded the blow for one of his own, aiming for the face, hoping to blind his enemy. Lee stabbed the knife into an eye socket and jerked it left and right. Screaming, the same goblin rakes his nails all over Lee’s knife arm, ripping into his flesh in an attempt to get the knife out and away.

-3 HP - 2 HP -4 HP -3 HP

Lee, feeling a sense of danger at the back of his head, let go of his knife and rolled to his right side. Finishing his dodge roll, Lee turned only to see the first Goblin with its hand in the still form of the second one's head—cold sweat. Having almost been completely skewered from behind, Lee took a fearful step back. He was beginning to panic, gazing around with wide eyes for help. Out the corner of his eye, he saw Neia’s finishing strike to the Hobgoblin.

Neia, after avoiding a wide arced swing from the Hobgoblin's large wooden club, sheathed her blades with arms still on the hilts. Not a moment later, she exploded into motion, arms instantly extended, both blades drawn once more, creating an “X” like slashing attack. Although not cut into four pieces like the last time she used this move fighting a Goblin, the Hobgoblin was cut dead center, exposing its innards, and it slowly collapsed.

Neia, now finished with her main opponent, looked around to get a sense of the flow of battle. Deciding she needed to act, she began to cast another spell. She held out her hand and pointed towards the first injured Goblin. Out of her fingertip, a blueish-white mana sphere appeared without warning. It shrank in the blink of an eye. The sphere of mana coalesced into a thin beam and sprung forth towards the goblin. As if she was aiming a laser pointer, she dragged the beam over every injured goblin she could spot, holding it on them for a moment before moving on. Whenever the beam wasn't on a Goblin, it was striking the earth and trees, easily creating a path of frost, ice, and frozen leaves.

Lee, noticing the battle wrapping up quickly, decided to take another defensive posture. The Goblin in front of him freed his hand from his former ally's face and charged Lee with reckless abandon. The Goblin dove low, attempting to tackle Lee to the ground. It was rewarded with a foot to its face. With it recoiled back, Lee noticed that he had injured it moderately; its nose was broken. The Goblin instantly and recklessly went for a tackle once more---this time, aware of the potential kick, and succeeded.

Knocked to the ground. Lee started fighting with the goblin in a wrestling match. He tried his best to control the Goblin's arms and keep the black nails away from him but was struggling with the crazed Goblin who was attempting to end his life. He then saw something horrific. A pit formed in his stomach, and the little bit of calm he was managing to keep within flooded out of his being.

It was healing.

The feeling of horror plunged itself into Lee's core. He was healing it. Lee was now fully panicking, flailing, and attempting to get out of this wrestling match. He was screaming but ended up being saved by an arrow from off in the distance. The Goblin, now lying still, was quickly shoved off of him. Lee crawled away backward at speed, while filled with terror.

He took ragged breaths as he his surroundings, Lee saw that the battle was over. Ruven entered the small camp from the forest's edge and made his way toward Lee. “You did well.”

He reached down to help Lee stand, and as he did, he saw the closing wounds. “You almost made it to Neldam with modesty to spare.”

Lee looked down and took in sight of the now basically destroyed hospital gown. Neia arrived, joining them without a scratch on her. It looked like she was never in a battle at all.

Lee knew that Ruven was trying to cheer him up, so he tried his best to respond in kind. “Yeah, I should have packed some more clothes when I was planning this trip.”

Neia took in his look and shook her head. “We will get you some good clothes in Neldam as soon as possible. I can’t believe this flimsy robe has lasted even this long. I’m curious to see what you look like wearing real clothes.”

Lee, attempting to smile at the thought of real clothes but failing, said. “I can’t fight in melee range anymore. I healed the Goblin by touching it.”

Both of his elven companions stared at him for a moment. Lee tried to break the moment of silence. “I don’t choose to activate my healing ability, it's just always on.”

Now understanding, Neia explained. “That’s called being passive. It is always on, like your language ability. Your storage ability is active, you have to will it to activate.”

She looked back to Ruven for a moment and asked “Do you know if most healing abilities are passive or not?”

Not knowing, Ruven just shrugged. “I think it depends. Some are passive, like speeding up someone's natural healing, and some are active, like a quick burst of healing.”

Ruven continued, glancing at Lee. “If you’re still planning on becoming a healer, you have options. Most healers are ranged casters, providing support to a group. They don’t actually heal that much either, usually providing shields and barriers, along with positive short term effects called buffs. There are some melee healers though.”

Neia jumped in. “Let’s loot these Goblins and make our way forward, Lee needs some clothes.”

While splitting up to loot the bodies, Lee read the text floating in the corner of his vision.

You are now level 4! Six stat points available.