Chapter 84 - Goblin Leader's
"Don't want to break your perfect plan," Bral shouted, his voice strained as he parried a goblin's jagged blade, "but we need support now!"
Bao and Pao exchanged glances, understanding the urgency. Bao reached into her pouch, pulling out a small glass bottle filled with a thick, amber liquid. She grinned grimly, whispered something to Pao, and launched the bottle into the center of the goblin cluster near Bral. As it arced through the air, Bao quickly drew her bow, nocking an arrow. She released the string, and the arrow struck the bottle mid-fall, shattering it. The liquid within splashed outward, coating several goblins in sticky droplets.
Before the goblins could register what had happened, Pao stepped forward, her staff glowing. With a flick of her wrist, she cast a small fireball at the spreading liquid. The moment the flames made contact, the liquid ignited with an intense whoosh, creating a circle of fire that engulfed a portion of the goblins. While the fire wasn't immediately fatal, it created chaos among the goblins, giving Bral and Idin a much-needed breather.
"Good teamwork," Bral muttered under his breath as he drove his sword into a goblin lunging at him. "But we're not out of this yet."
Meanwhile, Amukelo rushed at the towering troll. The troll growled deeply, swinging its massive club. Amukelo slid on his knees under the swing, the air above him humming with the club's momentum. He drew his dagger to the stone floor to slow his slide. Rising to his feet in one fluid motion, he slashed his sword across the troll's side, cutting deep into its tough flesh. The troll let out a guttural howl of pain, staggering slightly.
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From the corner of his eye, Amukelo spotted movement. The goblin shaman raised his staff. Before the spell could take effect, an arrow shot toward it, forcing the shaman to stop. It raised a hastily summoned magical shield, deflecting Bao's arrow. The distraction was enough to give Amukelo a fighting chance, but not enough to eliminate the threat.
The troll roared again, its massive club swinging down in a vertical arc. Amukelo sidestepped just in time. Seizing the moment, he darted forward, slashing his blade across the troll's belly. Dark blood gushed from the wound, but the troll was undeterred. It swung its massive arm, and though Amukelo tried to dodge, the troll's clawed hand caught him partially. He raised his dagger defensively, the blade absorbing some of the impact, but the blow still sent him sliding across the ground.
Gritting his teeth, Amukelo pushed himself upright. He rushed at the troll again. The troll swung its club horizontally, but this time, Amukelo leapt over the attack, using his momentum to propel himself higher. As he reached the troll's face, he drove his dagger into its eye. The troll let out a painful roar. Before Amukelo could follow through, the troll's massive fist connected with his ribs, sending him flying.
Amukelo hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the breath from his lungs. He gasped, coughing as he struggled to steady himself. Pain shot through his ribs, but he forced himself to stand. His vision blurred momentarily, but his resolve remained unshaken.
The troll, now partially blinded, roared again. Green light enveloped its body—the shaman's spell. Slowly, the gashes on its stomach began to close. Amukelo cursed under his breath as he realized the troll was being healed. Yet, the dagger remained lodged in its eye, preventing the spell from fully mending its wounds.
"Bao! Pao! What are you doing? I can't take on both of them alone!" he shouted over the din of the battle.
Amukelo glanced back toward the others. From one of the side tunnels, another wave of goblins poured into the chamber. Though fewer in number than the initial group, the reinforcements were enough to split their focus.
"We're a little busy here!" Bao called out, her voice strained as she drew and released another arrow.
Pao nodded. "We'll handle these! Just hold on!" she shouted to Amukelo, even as she cast a water bullet that slammed into one of the advancing goblins, sending it tumbling.
Amukelo growled in frustration, gripping his sword tighter. "Fine," he muttered to himself, turning his attention back to the troll. Despite the pain radiating through his ribs, he forced his body to move, charging the massive creature again.
The flames from Bao and Pao's combo hadn't killed all the goblins it touched, it had thrown them into disarray, causing some to flail and scream while others hesitated, uncertain about their next move. This momentary disruption gave Bral and Idin the opening they needed to regroup and push back.
Bral charged forward. He zeroed in on a cluster of goblins that were still organizing themselves. His first swing was wide and powerful, cleaving through two goblins with a single stroke. Their bodies crumpled to the ground, but the others immediately rushed to fill the gap. A goblin leapt at him from the side. Bral twisted, the goblin's weapon grazing his side. With a growl, he swung his longsword upward, severing the goblin from hip to shoulder.
Meanwhile, Idin was battling his own cluster of enemies. He stepped into a group of four goblins. With a heavy swing, he cleaved through two of them. Another goblin lunged at him, shrieking as it brandished a crude axe. Idin pivoted, driving the point of his sword into its skull. As the goblin fell, another immediately jumped at him from behind. With no time to bring his blade around, Idin raised his arm defensively. The goblin's weapon struck his forearm, drawing blood but lacking the force to incapacitate him. Gritting his teeth through the pain, Idin slammed the goblin into another with a punch, sending both sprawling.
Bral, nearby, had no time to savor any victories. Another goblin charged at him, its small axe raised high. Bral shifted his weight, narrowly avoiding a direct hit, but the axe still caught his shoulder. With a swift motion, he yanked the axe free and drove it into the goblin's throat, silencing its shrieks. Another goblin came at him immediately, its jagged sword aiming for his stomach. Bral tried to sidestep, but the blade grazed him, leaving a shallow but painful cut.
Before the goblin could follow up, Bral countered with a powerful swing of his longsword. The blade would have killed the goblin outright, but another stepped in at the last moment, taking the brunt of the attack. The force of Bral's swing sent the second goblin crashing into its companion, saving it from death but leaving both sprawled on the ground. Bral jumped back to catch his breath, clutching his side as blood seeped from his fresh wound.
Idin, still battling nearby, faced a pair of goblins armed with spears. Idin swung his broadsword to deflect one spear, the force sending the goblin stumbling. But the second goblin capitalized on the opening, thrusting its spear toward him. Idin reacted just in time, swinging his sword in a backhand motion that knocked the spear aside. Both goblins rushed him at once, their weapons aiming for his legs and chest.
Idin jumped back, his movements slower now from the growing fatigue and accumulating wounds. He met Bral in the center of the chamber, their backs nearly touching as they sized up the remaining goblins. Blood dripped from Idin's arm where he had blocked an earlier strike, and Bral's shoulder and side bore fresh cuts.
Bral exhaled sharply, his eyes scanning the ten or so goblins that remained. "It doesn't look good," he admitted, his voice gruff. "But we're getting there."
Idin nodded, his grip tightening on his sword. "Just ten more," he said.