" Whoosh!" Instantly the hobgoblin grabbed a goblin by its neck hurling it forward.
'Wha....' Subconsciously an Ice barrier erected and..." Bang!" I was thrown backwards as the goblin's body popped like a balloon spraying blood.
'Shit!' My vision was blocked and out of instinct I flung the staff upwards and spun around to my right dodging the hobgoblin's cleaving sword by inches. My hand placed on the hobgoblin's plated neck I pressed down. Its head smashed on the ground.
" Booom!"
Dust covered us as I jumped back catching my staff then retreating back into the tree openings. Daggers stabbed where I was.
" Ice lance!" Instead of massive lances hundreds of arm length lances skewered the goblins rapidly cutting their numbers.
' Quintessence'
['???: 143/ 203'] 'About 70% remaining.'
" MANA BARRIER!" " BOOOM" The hobgoblin's shoulder smashed into the barrier hurling me backwards.
' Idiot. Focus.' Mid air I caught onto the red hue surrounding the monster.
" Thwap!" " Crack" " Arghhh!" I crashed into a tree. Yelling in agony. ' I definitely broke something.'
" Haa-mhaa-mphaa-mphaa" My labored breaths intensified the pain. 'My back' My thoughts raced.
"That was it, the skill rampage." I muttered struggling to stand up.
" Petals of life." I grabbed onto a petal mid-air swallowing it as I gazed at the hobgoblin. Between us the swarm of goblins rushing at me but their numbers significantly less.
If they were about 3000 thousand before now, roughly 1200 was left.
The hobgoblin swung its arm down as a volley of poisoned arrows launched at me.
A refreshing feeling washed over as I casted.
" Wind guardian hear my plea. Flatten thine enemies. Sylphiria " I shouted as I took a step back. A gust of wind razed the arrows scattering them east.
' I haven't learnt it perfectly, I wanted to repel them to the goblins. well whatever.' Though the wind was strong it was not strong enough to dismember the goblins.
Magic spell wind storm. It was 1st circle wind magic. I had gotten it from the loot.
' I need to master it.' Momentary silence ensued and then " RACKI QUO! POLARSH RIEG ( Kill HIM! Fail and you die.)"
" GRawl" " Grrrr" The goblins looked viciously at me, visibly shaking as they growled intensely and then rushed forward. More arrows crashed into my barrier.
'Fuck, maybe I should run.' I thought. Grabbing my staff whilst hearing my heartbeat. My grip felt weak as sweat or swamp water glided down the staff.
" No" " Eat magic you fuckers!"
" Double casting: Ice lance + Ice shards" Multiple magic circles appeared behind me as I charged 40% of my unknown into the spells.
" Crackle" " Woosh" The wind became colder as thousands of ice arrows rained down on the goblins.
" Pish-pish-pishh" Green flesh was skewered until it became puddles of torn skin as the goblins chirped in agony.
Screams rang out as I looked directly at the hobgoblin rushing out the zone of the ice arrows. It was taking hits. I focused on the goblins. They were in the way.
Seconds later the screams died out. I dashed after the hobgoblin. The swamp had regained its calm.
In the goblin settlement, in the chieftain house the hobgoblin stood cleaver in hand staring at my incoming figure. It exited the hut as ointments healed slowly the arrow holes.
There were two main types of magic. Reinforcement magic and Elemental magic. Arcane soul magic fell into neither. Reinforcement magic then developed later into the warrior's path and elemental magic became superior to reinforcement magic as centuries passed.
Right now a layer of blue hue surrounded me as I looked at the hobgoblin whose red hue grew thicker. Monster skills were bloodline abilities awakened as they evolved towards their primal existence.
Rampage was a skill only 2/3 of hobgoblins awakened upon evolution. I placed my staff away materializing my sword. The hobgoblin smirked in turn.
This was gonna be a beatdown.
After sizing it up, I took a step forward and it charged at me cleaver sword slashing. The earth split as it charged and dust splattered into the air as it appeared half a meter before me. I backstepped dodging the slash but 5 thrusts followed as I continuously evaded left or right barely moving my torso.
Finally I tipped the thrust sending it wide then kicked its chest regaining my calm. It stumbled backwards.
" Huuu" Exhaling, ' This is unlike fighting goblins. He has reach and my apprentice sword mastery sucks but lets go.'
( AN: In the status window it was supposed to be apprentice sword mastery. Going forward it will apprentice sword mastery.)
I swung the sword getting the feel of the air. I dashed at it. Hacking at every swing.
" Clank." " Screech" My blade glided as we stood chest to chest. I pressed my sword then ducked the overhead punch and tumbled backwards.
" Grrrr...." It was getting frustrated.
'Although rampage increased its stats by 10~20%, 20% of 0 is nothing. His figure was big but mostly lean if not for the armor. If not for that fact then I would have broken a few more bones.'
Magic missiles shot at the hobgoblin. It deflected them all. Then I shot more missiles at it but with more power . It dodged most and deflected a few.
( An: Don't be surprised by magic missile spells and why it is not in the stat window. Some non-elemental zero circle spells will not be included.)
"I need to finish this." My power was running low. I lunged thrusting my sword at the exhausted hobgoblin. It dodged and tipped my foot.
" Thrash." I fell.
" Fuck." Staring at the incoming cleaver, I recalled the troll back then. " Not this time!" At point blank wind blades tore through us blasting us apart.
" I need more practice with the sword. Playtime's over." My chest burned from the pain as I brought out my magic staff.
Staring at the hobgoblin struggling to get up I casted a glance on my clothes. 'It's good that I bought enchanted clothes.' For adventurer's another layer of defense was the enchanted clothes they wore but they were expensive.
' Static domain.' Calmly the ice slowly encased the hobgoblin in ice. I walked forward, " It was fun." A wind blade severed its neck. " And I preserved the materials this time."
The fight was followed by mandatory harvesting. "Haa, no choice. " Looking around I spotted the stairways leading down.
With a shrug, I tore the teleportation scroll keeping my barrier active.
The sensation of nihility wrapped around me as I teleported out of the 1st floor of the dungeon.
Then..." Booom!" " Ugh!!" My barrier rippled from the impact as it blasted off onto a nearby mountain. " Crashh" It visibly receded as a shadow descended from above.
In heavy armor, " Bang." A fist landed on my guts." Plerggh" I vomited on my clothes as the figure grabbed me by the head. 'Shit SHI..! What's going on.'
" Let me go. Please let me go..." I barely whispered as I felt my head about to collapse from the grip.
" Captain. Let him go." An archer approached us, his hazy figure coupled with his words I laid my eyes on the figure's long flaxen hair and feminine features . " Captain." The archer repeated with agitation.
" Alright." She brought my head closer to her as she said, " Disrupt my hunt again and I will make you hurl your own guts. Now get the fuck out of my sight." With a flick she flung me into the distance.
Light flickered onto my figure as I felt a rejuvenating sensation wash over me. " How did you know he was gonna appear outside the dungeon and not the guild...?" Their voices grew fainter as I passed out.
....
On the cold frozen streets of the Ostriana kingdom a shadow materialized as a figure with long auburn hair stepped out. The figure was Rose. She turned her head to the darker alleys. " You are late." The alleys spoke. " Hurry up, we are about to begin without you." The darkness receded as Rose turned her head to the devastation and lingering magic residuals of Linnaeus's attack.
" Soon they will all be beautiful like this." Rose waved her hand hiding her grin. " That Nylore. Well if she is here then Arthur must also be here. Why can't the assimilation happen much faster. I want to go out and conquer more worlds and finally meet more puppies." She halted as bit as she thought about Nathaniel. " But that puppy is useless."
" Though imagine failing with all those potions and the money haha." She leaned on the cold ice as gasped laughing. " Or even more when he realizes its gone! The way to his world. Haaa that would be a sight." " ROOOSEE!" " I'm coming!" She glared and then disappeared into the shadows once more.
A few seconds later, " I'm here okay." Rose appeared on the highwalls that shielded the royal palace of the Ostriana family. Nylore gave her a look and then looked at the others.
" Good, everyone is here." Nylore Nox the head of Silent whisper looked at the other heads of the divisions that made up Linnaeus's elite army. Adrien, the head of the Loscht Vis of the dark elves. Arthur Payne leader of Black aegis. Though Torius was absent but his absence was justified. He served as the gate, he was Vanu ( Guardian of the Emperor.)
" Arthur, don't embarrass yourself further. His majesty is displeased. Two objectives were given to you yet why is only one of them complete?" Nylore questioned. Her voice quivered in anger as it resounded like the thundering of a crowd. Her species, Banshee for those that had wakened intelligence had to take special care not deaf the ears of anyone one close to them. Rather than physical ears it was the soul's sensitivity to the plane of existence that was tempered with.
You could think of moving but no matter how you will it the body won't move. It stays paralyzed as they suck out your soul of the body. However with those present she had no need to control her powers. They were strong if not then they did not deserve to be here.
" Prove to his majesty that his acceptance of barrel filth like yourself was not only in amusement and you actually have self-worth." Arthur's eyes shone with glint at her words. Though disparaging she made a valid point. The kingdom of Ares was no more.
" Post the first calamity. 4 kingdoms( Melbourne, Ostriana, Island of Wales and Ares) have fallen within 14 years. It's disappointing but it can't be helped. The assimilation was halted as his majesty eliminated dangerous variables.
Another fact, this a low level world in transition to become a middle level world. So they are more resilient however that is no excuse for such failure." Nylore said.
"So-" Where are the others?" Arthur interrupted, " What others?" Nylore gave him a glance. A signal of her attention. She was focused on her mission and rarely few things got her attention. " His majesty has conquered 8 prime worlds and obliterated 6 120 awakened worlds. So where are the elites of those 8 worlds?" Arthur asked sternly.
( AN: Alright noobs. Lets go again, the awakened worlds are those that have awakened to cosmic energies like mana or universal origin. This stuff will become more in depth later. For the prime worlds those are worlds in transition to become middle level world. Basically evolution by increased cosmic energy concentration that radiates the world. More info later...)
" They are dead." Nylore said, " Rather his majesty restored their disorder on the universe. Put simply they were disappointing." She made as gesture of slicing her neck as grinned. " So you are a dead man walking. No, dead trash walking." She turned her head thinking. " Ok, back to the topic at hand. The assimilation of this world has already started and considering that the world of Mergard is the biggest prime world we have come across its safe to say it will take more time.
So 8 years roughly. That gives us time to trim the fat of this world. Remember do not damage it beyond irreparable means. For now we will withdraw from this continent and focus on the continent of beasts. Let the kingdoms be dealt with by our army of stragglers. We only need the elite." Finished talking she turned to Adrian. " Your kind has had their moment of respite. Time to earn your keep. "
" Understood." Adrian spoke. The 2 meters tall elf stood towering over Nylore's 5,5 feet figure. His black eyes which stayed from the normal green eyes and raven blue hair. Adrian could feel his heart beating, a rapid beat different from its stale normal self.