Chapter: Goblin Camp

The moon hung high in the sky, casting a faint moonlight glow over the abandoned refinery. Three shadows displayed against the walls as Damian, Astrid, and Miles moved cautiously toward the center of the site. The air was heavy with the scent of blood.

“We’ve already walked a long distance,” Astrid whispered, her voice low but wary. “Isn’t it strange we haven’t encountered any goblins?”

“You think those goblins are planning something?” Miles muttered, gripping his mace tightly, his eyes darting back and fort .

“No,” Damian replied, his tone heavy. “What probably happened is Howard’s group has cleared a large portion of this area. The goblins must have regrouped deeper inside.”

He sighed, glancing ahead at the path shrouded in darkness. “This is the only way we’ll progress. Hurry, let’s move faster.”

Damian’s focus was unwavering as they pressed on, his mind preoccupied with what awaited them ahead. Miles led the way, his movements quiet from using. Stealth.

Suddenly, Miles froze and raised a hand, signaling for the others to stop. “Shhh,” he said, turning back to them. “Give me a second—I’ll be right back.”

Before either could respond, Miles activated Stealth and vanished into the darkness, the faint rustle of his footsteps the only trace of his movement.

Moments later, he reappeared, his face tense. “We’re close, but we’ve got trouble. There’s one goblin Warrior and one Goblin Archer up ahead.”

“Don’t worry,” Damian said, gripping the hilt of Stormbreaker. “We can handle it. Astrid, the second you have eyes on the Archer, use Bloodshot to pin it down. Miles, follow me and stay behind the Warrior. Don’t let the Archer hit you. Once Astrid takes the Archer out, focus all your strength on the Warrior.”

Both nodded, filled with determination to get payback.

The trio crept forward until the goblins came intoview. The Archer stood perched on a broken steel beam, its glowing green eyes scanning the area as it clutched a jagged bow. Below, the Warrior prowled, its mace dragging along the ground with a low, menacing scrape.

Astrid took a deep breath, steadying her aim. The moment the Archer turned its head, she released her arrow, activating Bloodshot. The arrow flew through the air, glowing faintly red, and struck the Archer’s shoulder. The creature screeched, its movements sluggish as the paralysis and bleeding effects took hold.

“Go!” Damian shouted, rushing forward with Miles at his heels.

The Warrior roared, raising its mace and charging at Damian. He activated Iron Skin, his body shimmering faintly as the blow crashed into his shield. The force reverberated through his arm, but he held on firmly, pushing the goblin back.

Miles darted to the side, swinging his mace into the Warrior’s exposed knee. The impact sent a sickening crack through the air, and the goblin stumbled, howling in pain.

Astrid fired another arrow, this one piercing the Archer’s leg. It tried to retaliate, but its aim was off as the paralysis slowed its movements.

“Keep it pinned!” Damian yelled as he dodged another swing of the Warrior’s mace. He countered with a slash from Stormbreaker, the blade cutting deep into the goblin’s side.

The Warrior roared in anger, swinging wildly. One blow caught Miles on the arm, sending him sprawling. “Damn it!” Miles groaned, clutching his arm.

“Astrid, finish the Archer!” Damian shouted.

With a sharp nod, Astrid drew her bow, her fingers steady. She aimed for the Archer’s head and released. The arrow struck true, embedding itself between the creature’s glowing eyes. It toppled from the beam, lifeless.

“Done!” she called, turning her attention to Damian and Miles.

The Warrior was relentless, its attacks heavy and unyielding. Damian activated Lightning Spear, a glowing bolt of energy forming in his hand. He hurled it at the Warrior’s chest, the impact sending the goblin staggering backward.

“Now, Miles!” Damian yelled.

Miles roared, swinging his mace into the goblin’s side with all his strength. The Warrior fell to one knee, its grip on the mace faltering.

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Damian seized the opportunity, dashing forward. With a fierce cry, he swung his sword in a wide arc, as it sliced clean through the goblin’s neck.

The Warrior’s head hit the ground with a heavy thud, its body collapsing moments later.

Breathing heavily, Damian wiped the blood from his sword and turned to Astrid and Miles. “You two okay?”

“Yeah,” Astrid said, lowering her bow, her hands trembling slightly.

“Arm’s a little sore, but I’m good,” Miles replied, giving Damian a thumbs-up.

“Good work,” Damian said, a hint of pride in his voice. “That was a tough fight, but we handled it., there levels are getting higher”

As they began looting the goblins, Miles activated Stealth again and disappeared into the shadows to scout ahead.

When he returned, his expression had completely changed.

“What is it?” Damian asked, frowning.

Miles hesitated before speaking. “It’s Howard’s team. They’ve been captured.”

Astrid gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.

“Captured?” Damian repeated, his jaw tightening.

Miles nodded. “There’s a camp up ahead. I saw them—they’re tied up and surrounded by goblins. If we’re going to save them, we’ll need a plan. And fast.”

Damian’s grip on his sword tightened. “Then let’s move”

Damian, Astrid, and Miles maneuvered through the labyrinthine structure, picking off stragglers as they crept closer to the camp. Their blades and arrows had claimed numerous goblin lives, but the sheer number of enemies waiting ahead of the refinery was staggering.

“We’ve already killed so many,” Astrid muttered, her voice strained. “But it’s like their numbers never end.”

“They’re swarming,” Damian said, gripping his sword tightly. “We need to figure out a way to cut through without getting surrounded.”

Miles, leading the way, suddenly let out a sharp cry. “Ahh! Something hit me!”

“Hold still!” Damian shouted, rushing to his side.

Observe!

Poisonous Dart: Inflicts temporary paralysis and severe nausea.

Miles groaned, clutching his shoulder as his face twisted in pain. “It feels like my head’s about to split open,” he gasped. His legs buckled, forcing Astrid to catch him.

“Damian, do something!” she pleaded, panic creeping into her voice.

Damian quickly cast Heal, green light enveloping Miles’ body. The nausea subsided slightly, but the paralysis clung stubbornly.

“It’s not working!” Damian growled, his frustration mounting.

More goblins emerged from the shadows, firing darts and arrows against them. The trio was forced to retreat, dragging Miles along as Damian deflected incoming projectiles with his shield. The sound of goblins chittering and laughing echoed above, their figures darting across the metal frames like laughing hyenas.

“Damn it, this is getting out of hand!” Damian cursed, his breath ragged.

The goblins closed in, their foul faces and distest smell giving them away. Astrid fired arrow after arrow, her Bloodshot skill turning the closest goblins into pincushions. Damian swung his sword in wide arcs, cleaving through clusters of enemies, while Miles propped against a wall.

“They just keep coming!” Astrid shouted, sweat dripping down her face.

Damian gritted his teeth, stepping forward to shield her from a volley of darts. “Astrid, focus on the ranged ones! I’ll handle the rest!”

Astrid nodded, her eyes narrowing as she took aim. One by one, her arrows silenced the goblin archers perched on the beams above, their bodies tumbling to the ground with sickening thuds.

Damian surged forward, activating Iron Skin as he barreled into the horde. The goblins’ crude weapons bounced harmlessly off his hardened flesh, sparks flying as Stormbreaker tore through them. Blood splattered across the floor, the scent of iron filling the air.

Suddenly, a goblin wielding a serrated dagger lunged at Damian from the side. He twisted, bringing his shield up just in time to block the strike, then countered with a crushing blow that split the goblin’s skull.

“Get back!” he roared as another wave of goblins charged.

Miles, the paralysis in his legs slowly wearing off, activated Stealth and disappeared. He reappeared moments later behind a cluster of goblins, his mace crushing skulls and shattering limbs with brutal efficiency.

“You think you can take me down?!” he shouted, a manic grin on his face.

Astrid, meanwhile, climbed onto a stack of barrels, using her elevated position to rain arrows down on the goblins. Her Bloodshot arrows turned the tide, pinning several goblins in place as the bleeding effects sapped their strength.

“We’re thinning them out!” Astrid yelled, her voice filled with determination.

Damian’s focus sharpened as he noticed a larger goblin barking orders from the back, a hulking figure wielding a wickedly curved blade.

“That’s the one holding this group together,” he muttered. “Astrid, focus fire on him! Miles, stay close to me!”

The goblin leader snarled, rallying its troops for a final push. Damian charged, his body a blur as he activated Lightning Spear. A crackling bolt of energy formed in his hand and shot forward, piercing through several goblins before striking the leader in the chest. The creature staggered, but it didn’t fall.

“Finish it!” Damian yelled.

Astrid’s arrow flew true, embedding itself in the leader’s eye. It let out a guttural scream, flailing wildly before collapsing to the ground. The remaining goblins, scattered terrified of Damian’s group.

Blood pooled around their feet, the corpses of goblins littering everywhere they looked .

“We did it,” Astrid said, her voice trembling with relief.

Miles sank to his knees, his mace clattering to the floor. “I thought we were done for,” he admitted.

Damian wiped blood from his face, exhaustion weighing heavily on him. A familiar notification appeared in his vision.

Congratulations! You have acquired the skill: Poison Resistance Lv 1

Reduces the effects of poison.

He let out a weak laugh. “Well, at least I got something out of this nightmare.”

The group stumbled into a small office building near the edge after collecting all the mana stones and resources they could find. The walls were cracked, and the windows shattered, but it provided a temporary shelter. They avoided the remaining windows, keeping low in case of another attack.

Damian slumped against the wall, exhausted while he closed his eyes to rest a few brief moments.