Short goblins snarled in front of us, their green bodies charging closer and closer, sharp daggers and wooden clubs raised as they screeched wildly.
I tightened my grip on my scythe, and the three of us surged forward.
When we reached them, I swung my weapon with all my strength.
My scythe cut through one goblin, then another. Blood sprayed as their bodies collapsed to the ground. But there were just too many of them.
[You have slain a Goblin!]
[You have slain a Goblin!]
[You have slain a Goblin!]
[You have slain a Goblin!]
Before I could react, a group of goblins rushed at me from behind, their daggers aimed straight at me. I didn't even have time to turn around.
Several glowing talismans flew through the air, striking the goblins and knocking them away before they could reach me.
Sebastian stood behind me, more talismans already conjured in his hands.
"Thank you!" I said.
But then my eyes widened.
"Sebastian! Behind you!"
Dozens of goblins charged straight toward him, howling as they ran.
Yet he didn't panic. He took a steady breath, planted his feet, and closed his eyes, focusing on something deep within himself.
"Wraith Triad!"
Sebastian released three talismans that turned dark. Three spectral wraiths emerged from them, leaving streaks of dark energy trailing through the air.
The wraiths struck the goblins. Their sharp claws ripped through the creatures' bodies. They roared outward, sweeping through the goblin horde behind us.
The goblins' bodies slammed into trees and rocks before collapsing lifelessly and disappearing from sight, leaving behind only faint particles of light as they faded away.
"All gone!" Sebastian said with relief, lowering his hand.
We regrouped with Emilia, who was gliding in the air, her melody shield surrounding her as she strummed her harp, releasing sharp sound blasts.
"We've beaten so many goblins already!" she said, hovering down to us.
"I hope we run into a different kind soon, something massive and a good match," I said, gripping my scythe a little tighter.
Sebastian grinned.
"Perfect! I love slaying monsters. The bigger, the better!"
Thud.
From the shadows of the trees, two enormous figures stepped into view.
Towering, muscular, and grotesque, they were at least ten times larger than the goblins we had faced so far. Their greenish skin was scarred and thick, veins bulging beneath it, and massive clubs dragged against the ground.
A different type of goblin had arrived.
Sebastian summoned another set of talismans in his hands.
"There it is, Malachi. Your request is granted," he said grimly.
"They must've sensed our presence," I said, focusing intently.
[!] Monster Classification [!]
[Monster: Goblin Ravager]
[Rank: D-Class]
A massive evolved goblin that rules lesser goblins through fear and brute force. Its body is hardened from countless battles, and its presence drives nearby goblins into a bloodthirsty frenzy.
Special Traits: [Brutal Slam] – A massive swing with its club that can crush multiple enemies and shatter the terrain.
With a heavy stomp, the two Goblin Ravagers roared.
"GRAAARGHHH!"
From behind them, smaller goblins emerged, drooling excessively. They formed a chaotic swarm, scrambling and shrieking as they rushed toward us.
"Yuck…" Emilia muttered.
The three of us braced ourselves as the goblins charged. Then, without hesitation, we moved.
I twisted my body and swung my scythe in a wide arc.
"I know it's time to use my skills," I said, a mischievous smile appearing on my face.
"Soul-Cutting Crescent!"
Dark energy erupted from the tip of my scythe. Three goblins rushing toward me were engulfed in the slicing crescent of darkness, their screams cut short as their bodies faded and disappeared into faint particles of light.
[You have slain a Goblin!]
[You have slain a Goblin!]
[You have slain a Goblin!]
Above me, Emilia leapt into the air, spinning her harp sideways. She landed in front of me with a powerful stomp and strummed her harp down hard. Several goblins were hurled backward by the wave of sound, slamming into the ground before going still.
On our right, Sebastian moved in a blur. His talismans glowed as he spun them in his hands, spirits spiraling around them like a whirlpool. Four talismans gathered and were hurled at the goblins.
"Spirit Burst!"
He released the four talismans, marked with strange symbols, forward. They burst outward with immense force.
The talismans tore through the smaller goblins, exploding in a wide blast that sent debris scattering in every direction. When the mist cleared, the goblins lay defeated.
Sebastian chuckled.
"At this rate, the forest will need a proper burial ground."
The three of us charged toward the two massive Goblin Ravagers.
‹ Goblin Ravager ›
HP: 200 / 200
As we closed in, I spotted smaller goblins approaching from the left. I stopped instantly, raising my scythe while my two companions continued forward.
"Soul-Cutting Crescent!"
I thrust my scythe to the left. Dark energy erupted, slicing the approaching goblins away before they could reach me.
Then I turned my gaze to the Ravagers. Both roared again, grabbing smaller goblins and hurling them at Sebastian and Emilia.
Sebastian threw his talismans into the air and filled them with spiritual energy. He hurled them at the flying goblins, sending them tumbling down and killing them instantly.
I looked at Emilia. She was getting ready to use her skill and closed her eyes to focus. Several golden musical notes appeared above her head.
"Harmonic Wave!"
She sent out waves of sound toward the two goblins flying at her. The energy pushed them away, sending them spinning through the air before crashing down.
But I wasn't about to miss out on the fun. I ran forward and jumped high into the air.
"Dread Shatter!"
I swung my scythe, and it released a copy of itself that hurled upward. I aimed it at a goblin in the air. Upon impact, it split into four copies, each crashing down into the goblins below.
[You have slain a Goblin!]
[You have slain a Goblin!]
[You have slain a Goblin!]
[You have slain a Goblin!]
[You have slain a Goblin!]
I landed next to my companions, but the battle was still far from over.
"Cruel bastard!" Sebastian muttered, glaring at me.
Thud.
Another huge figure stepped out from the forest. It was a third Goblin Ravager.
"Great," I muttered. "Now there are three of them."
The three massive monsters roared loudly and lifted their weapons.
"One on the left and two straight ahead," Emilia said calmly. "Let's split up. Each of us takes one."
Sebastian and I nodded at the same time.
"Right!"
I charged toward the Goblin Ravager on the left with my scythe ready, while Sebastian and Emilia ran toward the other two.
As I got close, the monster stomped its foot hard. Dozens of small goblins rushed out from behind it all at once.
There were too many to fight one by one. I narrowed my eyes and gathered dark magic into my scythe. I could feel the power building up inside it.
I spun my weapon in my hands and let darkness gather around the blade. Then I unleashed it all in one powerful move.
"I'm using this skill on the big one!" I shouted. I gripped my scythe tight and poured all my strength into it.
"Soul-Cutting Crescent!"
Dark energy shot out from the tip of my scythe and flew straight toward the Ravager. However, two small goblins jumped in the way to protect it.
"Grrrk! Rrrgh!"
They were sliced apart instantly and turned into sparks.
[You have slain a Goblin!]
[You have slain a Goblin!]
"Protecting your big one, huh?" I exclaimed.
Suddenly, a glowing screen appeared in front of my eyes.
[Congratulations! You have leveled up!]
Lv. 1 → Lv. 4
A rush of power flowed through my body. I smiled and held my weapon even tighter.