Jason jumped.

The big fireball smashed the tree as it burned it into a cinder. Jason watched the tree being burned, but a second one was coming. He glanced towards the tribal camp and saw another fireball heading his way. He ran as the fireball exploded upon contact to the ground. He dodged it as he was fast. Yet another one was heading his way. No, two more giant fireballs charging over at him.

The heck? It can see me? But I think I’m still invisible.

He ran along the perimeter as those fireballs exploded from behind. The ground shook and he felt the shock wave from the explosion from behind. The moment he stopped and glanced towards the camp was the moment he saw more of those fireballs coming at him.

It can see me.

“Shadow Hide,” said Jason he felt the energy being used as he was concealed once more. But the same thing happened again. Fireballs kept on coming at him as he ran around the whole tribal perimeter with fireballs chasing him down.

The hell. How the heck is it seeing me.

He was bewildered but he didn’t panic. He ran as those fireballs kept on blowing up and burning down the ground. But then in front of him, stood a group of hobgoblin readied to clash against the hunter, Jason.

A well-thought plan never thought they could do that.

Jason didn’t even realize it, but he had run a full circle around the tribal camp as he avoided those searing fireballs. Nocking the arrow, he shot at the group taking one of them down in a blink of an eye. The rest charged at him swinging their weapons at him.

Jason took another shot but it was blocked. Then their distance was a foot away and they clashed. A scimitar swung at his head and Jason dodged it. He replied with an arrow he grabbed in his hand and slammed right behind its knee. The hobgoblin fell on its injured knee. Jason continued his attack intending to punch it right at the face. But another scimitar was coming at him.

He leaped to the side dodging it. But another hobgoblin came at him smashing the mace from above. Jason rolled on the ground, dodging its attack. His hand was glowing in light green as he swung his hand delivering three Wind Cutter. Those three projectiles cut apart the mace wielding hobgoblin into pieces as it dropped dead.

Yet an ambush from behind caught him off guard. A mace struck him right at the back as he dropped on the ground. Jason turned around and saw more weapons coming from on top. He quickly stood up and rammed to one of the hobgoblins. Both fell to the ground, Jason lunged forward as he knew that someone might already be swinging their weapons once more. He heard the unfortunate cry of the hobgoblin that he rammed into. They missed Jason by a second and instead, killed one of their own by mistake.

He ran but a fireball was closing in. Jason wasn’t aware of it. He dodged it but the fireball was too close. The moment it made contact with the ground, it exploded shoving Jason in the air as he impacted over the nearby tree. He felt an ache as he opened up his status. His EP was down by one fourth.

It wasn’t time to make any more mistakes. Jason got up and ran into the trees. They were too many and that Copper Hobgoblin was being a nuisance throwing those fireballs. Jason ran deeper and climbed on top of a tree. He tried to remember his kill count and if he was correct then there were ten more of those smelly hobgoblins and one incapacitated. He just hoped that the incapacitated one would die due to the poison.

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While perched on top of a tree branch he saw seven hobgoblins approaching in a group. Jason drew his bow and prepared to ambush but a second later, the seven hobgoblins saw him on top of a tree branch. Jason was surprised. He didn’t expect them to be this fast in finding him.

Shit, that yellow shock wave might be some sort of tracking ability.

A scimitar was thrown at him as if it was a throwing ax. He jumped down and shot his arrow. It hit one of them on the chest. It wasn’t a killing shot but enough to be a ticking bomb. The arrows are laced in poison, at least he was assured that one of them will die sooner or later. Considering that they were no archer hobgoblin alive, then their source of cure wasn’t present.

He was still in mid-air and seconds from reaching the ground. But a hobgoblin was thrown by its kin as it rammed Jason in mid-air. An immense force slammed over him as Jason was helpless.

Both tumbled on the ground as Jason attempted to kick it while rolling around. It hit, and Jason propelled himself further away from the hobgoblin. His hand glowed in green as he healed himself. He took a peek and his energy guard was full once more. But his EP was down to single digit. The situation wasn’t looking good and to top it off, he heard people screaming from a distance. The thought of them butchering those humans surfaced in his mind.

Just great.

He shot an arrow at the hobgoblin that was just about to stand up. It hit right in the eye, piercing straight to the skull. Six more came charging at him. Jason slung the bow over his body and ran towards them. He picked up the scimitar on the ground belonging to the dead hobgoblin he just killed.

Rather than resorting to range attack, he opted for melee. The situation wasn’t letting him be. It was a race against time as those fellow humans are counting on him. Scimitars clashed against one another as sparks fly. Jason gave a frontal kick pushing the hobgoblin away, he followed it up with a slash but another two flanked him from both left and right. He jumped to the back, flipping himself like an acrobat.

I can do a backflip.

Never did he thought it was possible. Considering his status, a back slip was an easy maneuver. Jason still didn’t have a chance of testing his current body capabilities.

A mace and a scimitar came at him. Another flank attack by another two hobgoblins. He rolled to the side and slashed the leg of one of the hobgoblin. It fell and screamed. The other took the opportunity to slam its mace one more time. Jason was quick and defended with his scimitar. The force from above made him knelt. But it didn’t feel that heavy. Jason pushed upwards and the mace wielding hobgoblin had its two hands thrown in the air.

Jason sliced its belly as its gut popped out. It dropped its mace and shocked by its open belly. Blood kept spewing out and whatever it had eaten before was spilling out. The hobgoblin with its injured leg pounced as it swung its scimitar. Jason leaned back and pushed it to the side. He was about to deliver an attack but four hobgoblins charged at him from the front. They collided against the gut-spewing hobgoblin as it was trampled by its own kin.

Four simultaneous attacks and Jason did another backflip. It was a success, he dodged the four attack but they were relentless. One of them swung its mace and Jason blocked it. Another scimitar coming from the side, Jason kicked the mace wielding hobgoblin to the ground and parried the scimitar slash. His free hand formed a fist and punched the living daylight out of the hobgoblin at its temple.

It was a success but a mace slipped through the crack in his defense as it struck him right at the chest. He flung back as he coughed out a few times. A hobgoblin jumped from the back of the one who managed to land its attack on him, a vertical slice of its sharp gleaming scimitar.

Jason blocked using the scimitar with both of his hands. The weight pushed him down but he didn’t kneel. He redirected the force of the hobgoblin to the side as it pushed the hobgoblin forward. With its back in front of Jason, it didn’t stand a chance. Jason stabbed him from the back as it pierced through the abdomen.

The mace wielding hobgoblin slammed another attack right at Jason’s back. Jason was pushed forward as he rolled himself on the ground. He glared at the mace wielding hobgoblin as it had managed to succeed in hitting him twice. It charged once more swinging its mace. The creepy smile on its ugly face showed that it had the confidence to deal with Jason. Jason ducked over the simple attack. With a wide swing like that, anyone can see it from miles away. His hands were empty but it didn’t stop him. A punch right at the right ribcage, a precise liver blow. The overconfident hobgoblin felt its insides churning. Its legs got weak as it staggered in place. Another fist right at the temple and the hobgoblin was down to the ground.

Jason’s breath was getting ragged. He grabbed on to the mace held by the down hobgoblin. He stared down at the hobgoblin who was still confused, shaking its head from side to side. But it wasn’t time to show mercy. He pummeled down the mace right at its head. He heard cracking noise but he didn’t stop. After the tenth blow, he stopped and glanced at the three hobgoblins who were getting up from the ground.

One who was still shaking its head after that blow to its temple. Another one limping on one leg and another having trouble standing with a lodged arrow on its chest. From what he was seeing, these three are already dead meat. He dropped the mace and pulled the scimitar that was stuck on the hobgoblin’s corpse.

With a smile, he charged. Against these three, Jason was confident. A minute later, three more dead bodies lay on the ground. Jason was spent. Dealing against seven opponents in a row was tiring. He felt like sitting down for a while but then he heard those screams echoing once more. He turned facing the tribal camp direction.

It was time to deal with that old wrinkly hobgoblin.