"Aim at the face archers! And spearmen when thrusting, thrust at the face and then quickly retract ready to defend against a counter-attack!"
I pick myself up and push my wet hair to the side grabbing my spear with my free hand. I see GomiTwo opposite me holding onto a spear behind the shields. I can see the tip of the spear shaking up and down slightly as well as GomiTwo's terrified expression.
"L-l-leader...I might be w-w-wrong about defeating it."
Through the cracks of GomiTwo's teeth, he squeezes out a message towards me without taking his eyes off the monster. It wasn't just GomiTwo whose eyes were glued to the monster. The four shieldbearers were standing stationary with their shields half covering their face and their eyes shaking back and forth.
What's happening to them?
I step forward cautiously gripping the spear in two hands and pointing the tip towards the head of the monster. Slowly wading through the river gradually got closer to the monster but soon I realized only I was moving. Even the archers couldn't fire another arrow and all the goblin's that were with me about to attack or defend depending on the situation were frozen, shaking in their boots.
"L-l-leader...run, please."
Hearing those words quietly coming out of GomiTwo's mouth sent shivers down my spine. Subconsciously I felt myself taking a step back, heeding to GomiTwo's words but all of a sudden I felt my whole body freeze.
I find myself staring at the monster's head.
As slow as a snail I see its neck turn. The cracks along its skin shift ever so slowly but even then I couldn't move. My feet were planted on the ground and the spear felt glued to my hand. The river flowed around me and I could feel the slow-moving undercurrent against my leg.
Slowly but surely I could start to see the side of its face which I wished I didn't see.
The corner of its mouth almost touched its ear while a crimson red trail of tears flowed down its cheeks, over the mouth and stopping at its chin. Its eye is in a half-moon shape and was as black as night.
I couldn't peel my eyes off its eye. I felt like I was traveling up a red carpet towards the abyss. The space around me was void of light and my body moved at a robotic pace getting closer and closer to the abyss.
Seconds tick away and the only thing in my vision was the monster's expression. It covered everything I saw, I don't even know how GomiTwo was able to speak to me. I felt like my throat was clogged, only big enough for air to pass through.
Seconds become minutes and minutes become hours or at least that what it felt like to me. I couldn't tell how long I was staring at the monster's eyes for and even if I did what would I do with the knowledge.
I am trapped.
Frozen in place.
I can't move.
I can't speak.
I can only look at the half-moon eyes, the carpet of blood and a smile that reaches the ears.
Until its whole face was finally in front of me.
Anxiety.
Fear.
Dread.
Distress.
Horror.
Scare.
Stress.
Worry.
Panic.
So many thoughts.
So many emotions.
I watch as the monster finally made its move. It snaps its head forward, to its rightful position before stepping closer to the goblins in front of it. With 4 shield bearers and GomiTwo behind them trembling in their places, I could feel the vibrations in the water as the monster gets closer. Each step closer meant a step closer to certain death.
Despite this, I found my eyes just following it as it moves towards them. Unable to even move a muscle I follow its movements closely. Each movement of its limbs, the drawback of its arm as it lifts its hand high creating a claw in midair. The sudden acceleration of its hand as it smashes down on the gobins' shield knocking them away as well as pushing the goblins through the river and onto the riverbank. Caught in the crossfire, GomiTwo is launched as well to the riverbank.
Like a spell had been broken, they were able to move. The slight movement of their hands as they press against their bruised area confirmed it for them that they were able to me.
"GETTING HIT ALLOWS FREEDOM FROM THE FREEZING SKILL! NOT SURE ON THE ACTIVATION YET THOUGH!"
GomTwo screams out his findings as he quickly gathers the goblins and puts their shields up preventing any eye to eye contact.
"Test 1, eye contact!"
The 5 goblins walk further inland before the goblins lowered their shield and stared at the monster with bated breath.
Who would have thought, only 1 test was needed to figure out the method the monster used to freeze us.
Some sort of paralysis or hypnosis was caused by looking at the monster directly at the eyes. Even though I did not look at the monster directly for too long I was also affected. This means the monster can nominate when to use the ability as well as when to turn it off.
That means we can never make any eye contact with the monster or else we would eventually freeze in place unable to move.
"Getting hit allows freedom. Goblin buddies let us hit our allies including leader-"
Before GomiTwo could finish his sentence the monster dashed forward slamming a fist at the unsuspected frontline. Smashing hard into the goblins and in turn sending GomiTwo back a few paces as well. The shield end up cracking and looking like it could barely defend against another attack.
"Everyone split up. Hit as many allies as possible before the monster catches us."
A final order from GomiTwo was issued to the goblins before they sprint in different directions away from the monster.
Only hope and luck were left in this battle.
And retreat is the only option.
Fighting was next to impossible...
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel