Klericho looked ready to pounce on me, but Thomas held up a hand to control his companion. I wondered how Thomas had been the one to summon Malikap instead of Klericho. Klericho was constantly agreeing. How did he not gain wrath points? Was it because he didn't feel bad? Because he didn't act on that anger? I wished I had more time to think, but Thomas spoke.
"I'm sorry. Can you repeat that, please?" Thomas shook his head, looking confused.
"I said, 'What do you mean?' I'm not in a rush, but what's the change of plans? How many rooms do we have left?"
"Oh, only around two to four, depending on how many rooms this floor typically generates," I replied quickly.
"Around fourteen," Thomas mused. "Honestly, not that many more than the first floor."
"Alright then, the change of plans is that we will bring out Kingsley from the Aerlyntium and fight him. Afterward, we can heal up and go back to the entrance, get some grub, and fight the Djinn, who is also fully healed."
"And why are we fighting the Goblin King?" Klericho asked, suspicion evident in his tone.
"I made a promise to Thumbs," I explained, gesturing to the goblin with my right thumb, snickering to myself.
"Whoa, Thumbs is back. How did that happen? I thought Malikap ate Thumbs or something," Thomas exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise.
"I managed to get him back through the Aerlynt orb," I said, smiling down at Thumbs. "He's been through a lot, and I promised him I'd help free him from Kingsley."
Thumbs did his signature pose, sticking out his thumbs proudly. "Thumbs fight! Thumbs free!"
“I think minions respawn,” I said, glancing at Thomas. “Unfortunately, he has no memory of my earlier runs with him, but he still wants to be free of Kingsley’s control. He says he will join us if we free him.”
Thomas nodded, his expression determined. “That's worth it. I died last time the guy got himself killed, running head-first into a mob.”
A chill ran down my spine at the memory.
[Turn-based mode deactivated in boss rooms]
I stared at crystal in shock. "W-What do you mean?" but she didn't respond, so I turned to talk to my companions.
We decided to each take flanking positions while Thomas faced the goblin. Turning the turn-based mode off would be an adjustment; I hadn't had a real-time battle since my run as the archer ended. And never with magic. I was worried about the wind-up that spells had. It was a definite disadvantage that I couldn't overcharge spells in this fight. If things went awry, I decided to play it safe and only use the Aurentum-aligned spells. It wouldn't do to double over in pain after failing to turn the goblin king into a battery.
As soon as Kingsley appeared, chaos erupted. The goblin king didn’t even wait to talk, apparently taking our flanking positions as a threat. He immediately burst into action, thrusting a staff towards Thomas’s face and casting a blank fire spell.
“Watch out!” I yelled, heart pounding.
I had often encountered mages in boss fights, and this one was no different. I shook my head and charged a fireball at his head. The dice rolled, and I appreciated that I could freely flank him as the boss turned toward Klericho. I cast another fireball as Thomas lunged with his sword. He only managed one swing before the goblin king reset his counter.
“I realized I hadn't cast Scan yet!” I shouted over the din. I immediately incanted the spell, hoping it would give us the needed edge.
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The information unfurled in front of me: [Kingsley. Eldest son of Grendel. Betrayer of the Grendelkin. Enslaver of goblin kind. This is a group-level boss. It is highly recommended that you take this on with peers. The minimum group recommended is 5+. This boss has 999 hp, the maximum encountered on floors 1 and 2 except by secret bosses.]
I stared long and hard at the paper as it curled to the floor, but I didn’t dawdle long. As soon as it fell, I tossed a potion to Klericho. “I have about 20. Ration where you can, but save some for Thomas. Our only hope is that he can build up damage on his sword. Just like the other Grendelkin, he's tough.”
Klericho caught the potion and pocketed it, giving me a curt nod. My potion bag jostled. It was a little lighter but worth the purchase. I cast Mana Drain on the goblin, hoping to score enough to continuously cast Ice Breath. The ice beam would do more damage, but we really needed the ability to distract the goblin king.
As my breath connected with the goblin king's neck, I could smell his rank odor, almost faltering in my step. The sewer was a bouquet compared to the stench of death radiating from the 'king.'
I did my best to ignore the overpowering stench while I cast my spell, but as soon as it was done, I knew I’d have to inhale a mouthful of him. I pinched my nose and jumped away, but the smell still sent me to the floor, gagging.
Kingsley laughed, his voice echoing through the chamber. He turned to face me, a cruel smile spreading across his grotesque face. "You think your tiny little spells are magic?" He laughed again, the sound grating on my nerves. Meanwhile, Thomas didn't waste the opportunity of Kingsley's turned back and started hacking away at the dense fur of the goblin king. I lost count of how many strikes he landed, but Kingsley didn't flinch. Instead, he laughed again and said, "This is magic."
A fireball launched from his staff, and I went for broke. I fired off an ice beam to counter it. I could feel my teeth cracking in the cold, but I held the beam with as much will as I could muster. The ice beam obliterated the fireball and continued forward, shattering the orb atop Kingsley's staff. I grimaced, wishing the staff would drop. Instead, it disintegrated before my eyes.
I smiled, defiant. "What was that about real magic?"
Kingsley's eyes narrowed in anger. I was sure I was about to lose more teeth, but I cast an ice beam again, aiming for the goblin king's giant-pawed hands. I only managed to freeze one, and the excruciating pain cost me four teeth. I spit them out, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth, and charged forward through the agony, casting ice breath again. The pain intensified, but I could see it working as the other paw became more vulnerable and easier to dodge.
Meanwhile, Thomas had been tirelessly swinging his sword, striking repeatedly. Chunks of hair and blood flew from the goblin king as a golden shield appeared around Klericho and me. Thomas's shield thankfully still held. The timing was almost too perfect, as if rehearsed, just as the goblin king let out an unearthly roar that kicked us all back 20 feet. I hit the ground hard, the wind knocking me out of me.
The goblin king immediately bounded on all fours and ran, shedding his front paws as he moved faster than lightning. Before we knew it, he had burst through the door and into the oasis. Without hesitation, we ran after him, plans to heal be damned.
"Don't let him get away!" Thomas shouted, his voice filled with urgency.
I struggled to my feet, every muscle aching, and followed. The sight of the oasis was almost surreal, a stark contrast to the dank chamber we had just left. The goblin king was already at the far end, his monstrous form silhouetted against the shimmering water.
"Cut him off!" Klericho yelled, his voice hoarse from the exertion.
I nodded, my resolve hardening. There was no turning back now. We had to finish this, no matter the cost. As I prepared another spell, I could feel the last reserves of my strength draining. But the sight of Kingsley, now visibly wounded, gave me a surge of determination.
"This ends now," I muttered, pushing through the pain, ready to give everything I had to bring the goblin king down.
The worst part about his entering was that the accessible spots had already been compromised. Panic clawed at my mind, but I forced it back. I wasn't sure if my companions had done the same. Driven by pain, I ran faster than I ever had before. We would each need to move in different directions to navigate the room safely. Somehow, the doors didn't drop. I didn’t have time to ponder why, so I immediately ran to my left.
I was determined to end this run on floor three and not fail at the finish line. I was hurt, bleeding, and weary, but Kingsley and the Djinn were going down. "What's the plan, guys?" My speech was chopped and stilted. It hurt to talk, but I projected as loudly as possible while waiting for Klericho or Thomas's response.
“I don’t know! Kingsley has never done this before!” Klericho's voice was tinged with desperation.
"Just keep chasing him. If I can get a couple more hits on him, he should be easy to take down. But he's headed for the Djinn room," Thomas replied, his tone grim but focused.
My grin faltered, and I almost stumbled, but I managed to regain my footing as I ran straight for the door. The Goblin King had already left the room.