Why do I always end up in these kinds of situations? Is my luck truly that bad? These are the thoughts buzzing around my head as I use Flash Step to dodge an arrow that nearly stuck my unprotected neck. I was going to have to focus on the archer first.
Currently, I was facing down six of the seven hobgoblins Tabitha left to . Two goblins were rushing from the front, two from my left and one from the right. The sixth hob was also to my right, but it stayed a ways back, taking potshots at with its bow.
Only three of the thirteen goblins had bows. Thankfully, I only had to deal with one, while Tabitha handled the other two.
Ducking, I doge another arrow surprisingly well-placed arrow. This asshole was getting old, fast.
It wasn’t like I was afraid that he'd hit . The goblin's bow had a bit of mana in it, but it looked more like a tree branch with a string tied to either end than a real bow. The arrows weren’t anything better, they were more sharpened sticks than anything else and not the most aerodynamic things, so they weren't reaching the speeds they could be if they were adequately fletched. All I had to do was keep him in sight, and with my superb reflexes, I could easily dodge every arrow he shot at .
The fight would be over in seconds if this were a one-on-one situation. But, sadly, the group I faced were not your typical garden-variety goblins. Instead, these were a hunting party of hobgoblins that lived in a magic-dense region.
A level 50 goblin would spell doom for a small village, but out here, they were so of the weakest things around. So it only made sense that they would have developed better coordination if they managed to survive here.
The hobs were moving in formation, and I only had a split second before the closest one was on , so I tried to gleam any tidbit of information before that happened.
The first thing I notice is their armor. We saw the ghillie suits as they repelled from the trees, but now that the goblins were close, I could see that wasn’t the only thing they were wearing. Obscured by their camouflaged suits but still sowhat visible, each goblin wore so form of fur or leather armor underneath.
I didn't need to use Sense Mana to know they were wearing magic-beast hide. Again, the materials didn’t look processed correctly to bring out their best properties, but that didn’t an it wouldn’t allow the goblins to take a glancing hit.
I need to land a solid hit to take them out. Good thing I specialized in blunt force trauma; dishing out solid hits was kind of my thing.
I grin as the first goblin reaches , waving a crudely made spear tipped with a bone of so kind. I raise my hamr like I’m going to et the goblin's strike head-on.
Sorry, buddy, but you’re not the one I’m after, I chuckle to myself.
At the last second, I pivot my feet and rush towards my right. The four goblins behind screech when they realize I’ve duped them but are slow to react to my change of course.
The goblin archer is just as surprised as its friends to see change direction so suddenly, but despite the look of surprise on his face, the hob doesn’t hesitate to draw and nock another arrow.
There were roughly fifty feet between us, and I was closing the distance fast. The archer tries to deter by firing another arrow at .
Instead of dodging like I did the others, I used my hamr to deflect the arrow, so I could continue sprinting toward my target and judge just how much force was behind the arrow.
The wooden arrow practically shatters into a thousand pieces on impact against my dellinium hamr, confirming that I would take no damage if I were hit anywhere covered by my armor. There was enough force behind the arrow that it would be able to punch through Mana Skin, but like hell I was going to let that happen.
I was now within twenty feet of the archer. I planned to use Flash Step again and finish it off quickly, but the other goblins didn’t seem to want that to happen.
Ducking quickly, a large wooden club passes right over my head. The hob that repelled from the sa tree as the archer wasn’t going to let approach its friend without a fight.
Swinging my hamr, I try to get the goblin to take a step back, but instead, the veins in its arms bulge, and it matches my swing with its own. Club and hamr et, and now it's my turn to look surprised when the chunk of wood doesn't imdiately disintegrate upon contact.
He must have a Strength increase skill of so kind. I want to kick myself for not considering the goblins' skills earlier, but I was preoccupied at the mont.
I can push the goblin back, but at the cost of shifting stances, bringing to a halt. Nevertheless, the move was enough to buy the goblin a few seconds and allowed its friends the chance to catch up and join the fight.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watch the archer make a hasty retreat as his comrades quickly surround . I’m forced to use my Dancing skills to their fullest as all the goblins try their best to tag with their various weapons.
The spear user was trying to stab from the left. Two of the other goblins were wielding swords made out of three-foot-long serrated fangs and were constantly trying to circle to my blind spot. But the fourth was the worst. He used a primitive axe constructed from a sharpened stone embedded in a tree branch to attack from the front and kept focusing on him.
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While those four goblins were working together to stop , the fifth club-wielding goblin positioned himself between the archer and to make sure I couldn't suddenly break off and charge him again. They were covering all their bases, and it was starting to make worry.
Whenever I think I have an opening to hit one of them, I flounder at the last second, thinking one of them is about to activate so killer skill if I’m not careful.
“What are you doing; why are you hesitating like that!?” The goblins and I freeze as Tabitha’s angry shout echoes amongst the trees.
I couldn’t turn around to face her; luckily, she was barely within Sense Mana’s range, giving a cloudy but full-bodied view of her. Still, I could see the outline of her facing with her hands on her hips, surrounded by six bodies. Tabitha’s sword was already sheathed, and judging by the corpses by her feet, I’d say she beheaded all six of them simultaneously.
I’m only reassured of this because, during the brief lull in the battle, I could snag a glance at the head goblin who was scowling and baring his teeth threateningly at Tabitha. And he wasn’t the only one. The other hobs were too busy dealing with to notice Tabitha cutting down their friends, but now that they did, all their attention was on her for the mont.
Not to let my chance go to waste, I Flash Step behind the goblin with the spear and swing my hamr with everything I have.
There was a sickening crunch as my weapon connected squarely in the middle of the goblin's back. Neither the branches that made up his ghillie suit nor his armor underneath were enough to keep from shattering the goblin's spine in one blow.
My sudden attack reminded the rest of the goblins that I was still here and still a threat. The battle continued, but I could still hear Tabitha behind .
“That’s how you do it,” I could hear the approval in her voice. “You need to get out of your own head. You’re used to sparring with ; how can a few goblins possibly match up to you?”
Tabitha’s motivating words give a sense of resolve and push to do better. So instead of trying to escape my opponents and worrying about everything that could happen, I go on the attack.
Using Precise Strike, I swing my hamr at the nearest sword-wielding hob. He tried to move out of the way in ti, but I was faster and more agile. When he finally realizes he can’t doge , he no longer has the chance to counterattack and raises his sword to try to defend himself the best he can.
My hamr is an unstoppable wrecking ball at this point and can’t be blocked by a ager weapon such as his. So the second goblin goes down and doesn’t get back up.
Leaning my head to the right, an arrow soars past my cheek. It was ti I finished what I had started.
Jumping in the air, I activate Air Walk, to the surprise of the remaining goblins. I said I was going to take out that annoying archer, and I ant it.
Running through the air, I quickly reach the hobgoblin holding the bow. He looks up at in fear as I twist in the air, pointing my feet above my head and kicking off my footholds, rocketing myself toward the ground and my foe with my hamr raised. And just for good asure, I even use Intimidating Shout, paralyzing my target with fear.
I was coming in at the force of a ballistic missile. Ok, maybe not that fast, but I certainly wasn’t holding back. I was going to pulverize this goblin.
Or that was the plan at least, but even though I desperately wanted to take out the archer, I hadn't let my guard during my reckless charge…. not ever again. That was how I noticed a goblin rushing towards in patchwork tal armor holding a broadsword. Damn, and I was so close too.
I swing my hamr downward early without anchoring myself with my skills. The force of my swing drags off target but helps dodge the incoming goblins swing. It seems the head hobgoblin had decided it was ti to get in on the action.
I was tumbling through the air, but using Air Walk again helped regain my balance. Though, the maneuver inadvertently increased the distance between myself and the goblins, giving them ti to regroup.
The leader of this little band of goblins was barking orders as I landed about a hundred feet away from them, and he did not look happy. I could see the gears turning in his head as he looked between and Tabitha, who had moved slightly closer to our battle. She still looked like she intended on having finish things by myself, but the goblins didn’t know that.
From the original thirteen, only five goblins remained. The four I was fighting looked ready to run at the drop of a hat, and no matter how much their leader hissed and howled at them, their fear-ridden faces stayed the sa.
I debated the pros and cons of imdiately attacking, but before I could decide, the goblin leader locked eyes with before spitting in my direction.
He growled once more to his n, and the five of them slowly retreated as one.
“Are you sure it’s wise to let them go?” Tabitha asks, walking towards , sporting a sly grin. Together the two of us watch the goblins disappear behind one of the massive trees.
“You know I don’t slaughter needlessly,” I rolled my eyes in exasperation after being sure the goblins were gone.
"Yeah, I know," Tabitha reaches over and puts her hand on my shoulder. "You did well."
“Only because you called out to . I’m sorry for being such a disappointnt lately,” I frown and lower my gaze. I’m about to apologize for all my recent failures and for taking too long, but Tabitha stops before I can even begin.
“Stop, none of that,” she shakes her head. “You have nothing to apologize for; I do.”
It takes a whole three seconds for to digest Tabitha’s words. “What could you possibly have to apologize for?”
“It was my fault you were injured against the bird.”
I open my mouth to refute Tabitha’s claim, but one pointed look from her has swallowing my words before I can vocalize them.
“It’s true,” she repeats. “I did not properly prepare you to face magic beasts, and for that, I apologize.”
Shockingly, Tabitha bows her head to in remorse.
“You’ve trained plenty,” I wave my hands, trying to get her to raise her head.
Tabitha shakes her head again. “I’ve trained you to fight other people, not magic beasts.”
“There’s a difference?" I stupidly ask without thinking. Of course, there was a difference between fighting soone like Tabitha and a magic beast like the bird yesterday. Despite my stupid question, Tabitha raises her head and gives a proper answer.
“There is. I’ve been training you to observe humanoid opponents, judge their armor and weapons, and predict their fighting styles.”
“Yeah," I nod along to show that I am listening.
“You can use the sa skills to identify how a magic beast will attack, but I forgot to impose upon you the fundantal differences between fighting other humans and humanoid monsters compared to magic beasts.”
“You see,” Tabitha leans in. "Though every living being can grow and gain levels, they don't develop the sa way. Take humans and stone kin, for example; we level, distribute our status points, and gain skills.”
“And magic beasts don’t?” I guess.
“Not in the way we do,” Tabitha educates . “Magic beasts, and to a lesser effect, animals, level as we do, but it’s theorized their status points are distributed automatically into the categories that best fit the creature. And when it cos to skills, animals and magic beasts are usually born with them. Of course, they can still unlock so skills as they grow, but nothing like humans do.
Your basic villager might have a dozen skills; a magic beast might only have upwards of three. That might make them sound weak by comparison, but it's actually the opposite. Because magic beasts only focus on a few skills, they're comparable to ours when they reach level 100.”
“What!?” I exclaim.
Tabitha nods thoughtfully. "Combine those skills with a body and stats designed to complint them, and you can see how magic beasts are so deadly.”
Tabitha’s gaze softens, and she sighs. “I was teaching you to expect a variety of skills and different fighting styles, not to face soone who’s only spent ti maximizing a single skill set. And for that, I'm truly sorry. I've failed you as a teacher, and because of that, you were hurt and started to doubt yourself."
For what feels like a long ti, Tabitha and I stand facing each other, letting everything sink in. I don’t think I’ve ever had Tabitha apologize to like this before.
While I understand why she feels responsible, and knowing more about magic beasts would’ve been nice to know before she put up against a random one, I also feel like she’s taking on more of the bla than she deserves. Tabitha may have forgotten to teach about magic beasts, but it isn’t like I ever considered asking her about them, either. Again, it was simply knowledge, I didn’t know I was missing.
“I think we’re both to bla. You can’t know everything I’m ignorant about, and I can’t know every question I’m supposed to ask you. At the end of the day, in the short ti I’ve known you, you’ve taught almost as much as my master has. And I want to keep learning from you," I tell Tabitha with a smile. “Can you keep teaching , even if I ss up sotis?”
For the first ti, Tabitha smiles fondly at like she does when talking about Pacore. “I would like that very much,” Tabitha holds out her hand.
Reaching out, I firmly shake Tabitha’s hand.
I know I didn’t co to the forest with the intention of this being a training trip, but I recognize that's still what I need—more training.
I’ve been improving, but you can only do so much with nothing but sparring.
I'm still not going to go around looking for trouble, but I'm not going to shy away from it, either. I'm going to et it head-on and learn from it.
This is where our adventure truly begins.
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