The smoke rising from his sizzling cloak woke Caster up. Then he realized Elenore was crouching over him.

What… happened? He thought, narrowing his eyes.

“Hey! You alright bud?!” She asked, her voice fading as his ears finished ringing. She helped him sit up, raising him by the shoulder.

“Yeah,” Caster coughed. What happened?” His muscles were weak, but he could still lift his arm to cover his mouth.

The sound of chimes rang in the air, and the sound of the door’s opening creaks followed.

Fogrun Dungeon – Floor 1/1: Combat Room

“You failed the skill check. I didn’t even know they could do that much damage.”

“Thanks,” Caster wheezed.

Suddenly, Elenore was thrown to the side. Keith was standing over him now.

“Move!” Keith reached down, grabbed Caster by his robe’s labels, and slid him across the ground like a bowling ball. Keith dove toward him, joining both Caster and Elenore along the wall.

“Keith, what in tarnation-” Elenore already had her weapon in hand.

“Goblins!” Keith responded, holding the arrowhead and throwing knives in hand.

Caster’s eyes widened. He stood, peeking his head around the corner to see what was in the next room.

Goblin (6)

Monster Level: 20

Status: Aggressive

Info: An ugly green creature.

Six Goblins were waiting on the other side. An arrow whizzed just inches past Caster’s face. Caster immediately stepped back, sidling the safety of the starting room wall.

I should probably let them handle this one. He thought. Only now did he realize that he was missing nearly half his health.

“That’s a lot for a kid’s Dungeon!” Elenore walked forward, casually blocking an arrow with her ax.

“There’s not supposed to be that many. How are they shooting through the barrier? Where are the fog gates? We need to get to the Archmage, fast.” Keith said as he took the standard assassin position behind Elenore, at an angle.

“Sure, after we beat these things.” Elenore strode toward the opened door.

“I’ve got an AOE shroud. Want me to drop it once we enter?”

“Nah,” Elenore rushed forward, dragging her blade behind her. Keith dashed through the door right after, dodging to the side.

Caster cautiously walked to the door, peeking his head inside. The new room just beyond the first was nearly identical in shape and size, though it lacked the tables, carpet, or benches.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

What it did have that the starting room did not, were the 6 goblins.

Each one of the creatures was shorter than either Elenore or Keith, but all of them were still at least a foot taller than Caster. With puke green skin and mangled teeth, each of them looked identical to the last. Even their armor, a set of simple chainmail draped over old, hardened leather was the same.

Though at the farther section of the room two goblins held bows, instead of shoddy swords. Both had nocked with arrows pointed at the two fighters.

Caster watched in awe as Elenore lifted her weapon, slicing upward. She split the Goblin in front of her in two. It nearly exploded not only into gold and blue mist but also blood.

What?! Is that blood? I expected the blue and gold from what happened to the other Minions in The Arena, but blood?! Keith is right, this time it’s real.

Keith ran almost headfirst into the next sword-wielding goblin. He stopped right as the enemy held the hilt in both hands and swung wildly downward toward him. The steel crashed into the ground, right at Keith’s feet.

Wasting no time, Keith stabbed the goblin in the center of its chest. The creature howled and bent over, kneeling as it held on for its fading life. Oddly, Keith ignored it, and continued onward, running straight one of the two bow-wielding goblins in the corner.

Elenore was in the middle fighting not one, but three other goblins. One of them attacked her, and she parried the blow easily. Stepping forward, she plunged her ax into the creature’s center. It wheezed as it exploded. But the next goblin was already on her.

Elenore tried raising her ax, but it was too late. Caster gasped as the goblin’s swing slashed at her back, making a red box indicator fly out.

Critical! -40 HP

“Damn!” She grit her teeth. Her hair seemed to lift from the non-existent wind as if even her hair was getting just as angry as she was.

Guts and Grit - Activated!

Pivoting while swinging right for the goblin’s neck. She took its head clean off. The third goblin approached her, but Elenore was ready. She reached back, twisting her upper body as far back as she could to wind up her next parry. The goblin screeched, its blade swinging toward her in a downward arc.

Elenore’s upper body twisted back, releasing the energy in her wound-up pounce. Her ax instantly clashed against the goblins. The hilt of the goblin’s blade broke free from its hand and shot through the air like a projectile.

It twirled in a circle twice, before lodging itself dead center into the second bow-wielding goblin. The creature didn’t even have time to react, as it died on impact from the impaling attack.

Caster realized that Keith was standing less than a foot away from it, holding one of his daggers in hand. He scowled.

“That one was mine.” His tone was more like a pouting child rather than sounding upset at Elenore for the kill-steal. If Caster didn’t know better, he might say the assassin was being playful.

“Sorry, honest.” Elenore apologized, turning back to the last standing Goblin.

Disarmed and outnumbered, it decided to run. Caster gasped; it was heading right for him.

Elenore took several steps toward the fleeing creature, closing the distance almost instantly.

She raised her ax overhead and then swung it down.

An arrowhead-throwing knife whizzed through the air, nailing the goblin in the back of its head.

The creature fell, its outstretched arms just barely out of reach of Caster’s body. It had a hunk of steel lodged in its brain, but it was somehow still alive.

“Fair enough,” Elenore shrugged, sheathing her weapon. Both she and Keith began walking toward the doorway Caster stood just outside of.

“And that right there is how you sweep a combat room, bud.” She said, catching her breath as she stepped over the barely living goblin, passing Caster as she entered the starting room.

“But, some of them are still alive,” said Caster, pointing out the goblin at his feet, and the two others Keith had stabbed.

Each one lay in place, slowly writhing around and fatally wounded, but somehow unable to die.

“No,” Keith also stepped over the goblin at the door. He lifted his main dagger, then slowly sheathed it as he finished his line. “They’re already dead.”

You're Already Dead - Activated! Kills - 3. Hits took - 0. Rank: B/Baddass!

In a synchronous screech, all three goblins exploded, leaving nothing but gold and blue dust that slowly floated toward Keith.

Caster rolled his eyes.