"Stay sharp," Nova repeated, as he felt the thick grass cut his knees slightly. His voice was low as he used his daggers to carve out a path for himself, though it wasn’t as effective, since the grass at the bottom was much sharper and denser than at the top. "This grass is a nightmare. I can’t even see the ground. I must have stepped on shit along the way."
Elesch nodded to his first two words and ignored the last four. She kept scanning the field, gripping the rapier tightly, as a black aura surrounded the rapier.
"I don’t see or hear anything. I have a feeling that sothing may be wrong. From my experience with goblins, they won’t just sit still and let us play house with them. Be careful, Nova, since you’re leading us, so don’t fall into a trap."
Adam sniffed the air like a dog. He didn’t sense any mudgrubs or goblins, or any distinct sll, other than the dense grass that produced a very dense odor, which felt like a mix of coffee and photosynthesis.
They pushed forward, the grass resisting their every stride, like it had a grudge. Elesch took over, leading the way, as her rapier sliced through the stubborn stalks better than Nova’s daggers. Adam also went ahead of him, as Nova dropped back slightly, his eyes darting for any signs of the monster or creature he had seen for that brief second.
But then he got back into reality, watching his step for the vines, his eyes darting for any signs of the vines. Every step felt like a gamble, one wrong move and they were in deep shit, or in deep bruises.
From the sides, the oak trees, sowhat thicker and bolder than the ones on Earth, felt like they were whispering, saying sweet nothings, murmuring in a low voice, and in a language the trio didn’t know about.
After a mile of walking in a straight line, removing the stubborn stalks, the grass finally narrowed, thining by the second, revealing just across the field a goblin village, with huts made from sticks and mud.
Twenty white goblins stood in a rough line, clutching nets and spears. They were bigger than the green goblins from the previous dungeons, bulkier, with sharp teeth rotted with snarls.
In the center of the village was the throne, made from bones and flesh, of the chief, a massive, lethargic brute, like a 600-pound man, with grease dripping down its chin. Its eyes betrayed its nace, like it couldn’t be bothered to care unless forced.
"Alright, ga plan," Elesch whispered, crouching low. "I can touch their nets to temporarily make them disappear for about five minutes. I suggest that Adam focus on the fast ones, with Nova focusing on the heavy hitters."
Adam nodded. "I got it," he replied, completely serious, as if clearing this dungeon was a life or death situation, which it was, but in a more suicidal way.
Nova smirked, twirling his daggers. "I’ve got this. I’ll carve straight through them like butter." He stated his arrogance, boosting his ego further. "They won’t even know what hit them. You two just try to keep up."
"Nova, don’t go rogue. We’re a team, not your backup dancers." Elesch shot him a look, narrowing her eyes, as if scolding her older brother.
"Yeah, yeah," he waved her off, already stepping forward. "Just watch the master."
The goblins spotted them, their whispering turning into a war cry. The soldiers charged, nets spinning their hands, spears raised. Nova didn’t wait. He lunged, aiming for the closest goblin. His daggers sliced through the nets like it was paper, the threads unraveling into sothing.
The goblin snarled, hurling the spear forward, but Nova dodged; his movents were sharp and accurate, filled to the brim with arrogance. He slashed again, and the goblin’s arm sared blood on the floor, screaming gutturally.
"See? Easy," Nova called over his shoulder, grinning. He didn’t notice the second goblin flanking him, its net aid toward his legs.
"Nova, move!" Elesch shouted, her rapier slicing through the net before it could tangle him. She glared at him, her voice sharp, as if parenting him: "Stop showing off and stick to the plan!"
Adam tore through two goblins with his claws, their flesh ripping through the air. "Yeah, dude, quit trying to be a one-man show!" he yelled, ducking a spear thrust. "I’m not dragging your ass out of here if you get caught."
Nova’s grin dimd; his ego was hurt. He gritted his teeth, slicing through another goblin, but his movents were now sloppy, too focused on proving a point. A third goblin lunged from the grass, its spear grazing his arm, leaving a shallow gash.
He felt the pain searing through his body, sharp and snapping him back to reality.
"Damn it," he muttered, clutching his arm. The wound wasn’t deep, and it didn’t even ache much, but it was a wake-up call for him to set aside his ego and work together to clear the dungeon.
He glanced at Elesch and Adam, who were easily maintaining their own ground, while also covering for him. "Alright, fine," Nova said, his voice softer, the arrogance faltering away. "Let’s do this right. Elesch, please lead us."
Elesch nodded, happy her brother ca around and that his ego didn’t hinder the trio too much. "Good. Stay behind and hit the spears. Adam, keep the right flank clear. We need to move as one. As a team."
They synced up, acting as if they were a single unit. Elesch led, her rapier sweeping the grass, slicing through the nets before they could even leave the grotesque hands of the goblins.
Adam lunged towards the right, shredding through the goblins as if they were minced at, his enhanced senses helping him take more than one at a ti.
Nova stayed centered, his daggers unravelling spears and limbs with precision, focusing on his breathing, and removing all the overconfidence and arrogance he had at the start.
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