Chapter 22: Goblin Camp (2)
Arthur adjusted his grip on the [Goblin’s Fang] and stared at the two level 4 Goblin Spear-Guards. Then, without a word, he charged.
He sidestepped the first Spear-Guard’s opening thrust, letting the tip slice harmlessly through the air beside his chest, before his fang flashed once. And before the goblin even realized what was going on, its head lolled forward, half-severed from its neck, before its body began to dissolve into motes of light.
Just one, clean strike! And it was over.
But Arthur had no time to appreciate the kill, as the second Spear-Guard was already upon him. It lunged at him the moment he turned his back to it, its fang-tipped spear darting for his chest.
...But that was all it managed to do.
Arthur had already seen the attack coming the moment the goblin shifted its stance.
So he stepped aside and let the strike go wide, then closed the gap before the goblin could pull back and drove the fang cleanly between its ribs, right where its heart should have been.
Arthur ignored the system notifications and straightened his back, as his eyes sweept the camp.
More armored shapes had already emerged from the crude huts in the distance, all of them level 4 Spear-Guards.
Two, four... six... There were ten of them in total, spreading out into a tight semicircle around the intruders.
John cracked his neck and said with a grin, "Looks like the cavalry is here, huh?"
Then he turned to Arthur and said, "You wanna split these guys? Five each?"
Arthur nodded, his grip on the [Goblin’s Fang] tightening. He could tell this couldn’t be the camp’s entire force. Surely there were a couple of level 5s here too.
Surely!
But then, why weren’t they coming out? Arthur didn’t know, but he didn’t have time to think about it more before the level 4 Spear-Guards rushed at him and John.
The next few minutes were nothing but carnage.
Arthur weaved through jabs and thrusts, but these Spear-Guards weren’t as easy to kill. They were almost coordinated, their attacks overlapping just enough to keep him from rushing in. The strikes themselves were easy enough to dodge, but Arthur struggled to find an opening to hit back.
The first attack came straight on, a spear looking for his stomach. Arthur angled his body and dodged just barely, as the fang-tipped spear grazed the leather at his hip. But before he could counter, the second was already there, forcing him to dodge again.
The goblins pressed him, four of them driving from the front while another circled to his back.
So Arthur was forced to improvise. He dodged another spear strike aiming for his chest and decided to make use of his size advantage, as he kicked the nearest guard.
The goblins stood, at best, a little over 150 centimeters(5ft), while Arthur had a comfortable 30cm(1ft) on them. It wasn’t even close to a comparison.
And yet the Spear-Guard merely stumbled, somehow keeping to its feet, as it shot the human a scornful look. Its partner stepped in from behind to cover for it before Arthur could press on, forcing him back half a step.
Every time Arthur thought he saw an opening, another thrust closed it off.
This wasn’t going to be easy. Well, fine. He’d just break them down piece by piece then.
Arthur kept dodging and dodging, going completely on the defensive, and when the first guard finally overextended, his chance arrived. And Arthur didn’t let it go.
He hooked the incoming spear shaft with his fang and twisted hard. The goblin fought to keep its grip on its weapon, but that single moment where it lost its balance was enough. Arthur slammed his shoulder into the imp’s chest and drove the fang staight up under its chin.
[Goblin Spear-Guard defeated. +12 EXP]
But he didn’t stop. The second goblin was already on him, forcing him to dodge sideways. Still, the equilibrium had already been broken.
Arthur dodged the imp’s strike and slashed the fang across its weapon arm. The goblin hissed and dropped its spear, before a spotless, white fang finished it with a clean stab to the heart.
[Goblin Spear-Guard defeated. +12 EXP]
The remaining three goblins tightened their formation, but it was pointless. If five of them couldn’t manage it, three had no chance.
Three identical notifications flashed across his vision shortly afterwards.
[Goblin Spear-Guard defeated. +12 EXP]
[Goblin Spear-Guard defeated. +12 EXP]
[Goblin Spear-Guard defeated. +12 EXP]
Then five more came in rapid succession, like a chime ringing five times.
Arthur blinked and glanced over his shoulder. He didn’t know exactly what John had done, but the five Spear-Guards that had been swarming him were gone all in an instant, their bodies turning into motes of light that scattered into the camp’s smoky air. And John stood in the middle of it, his giant log resting against his shoulder.
The ground around him was littered with broken spear shafts and fading corpses, the last of them already vanishing.
"That’s all of ’em?" John asked, scanning the camp entrance.
But before Arthur could respond, as if on cue, the heavy thud of feet echoed from deeper in the camp.
Three more Spear-Guards emerged from the distant huts, their armor thicker, and their spears reinforced with bands of blackened metal.
Arthur had seen this kind of Spear-Guard the day before. He didn’t even need to read the tags above their heads to know they were level 5. All three of them.
And yet it wasn’t the guards that drew his attention the most.
...It was the figure walking behind them.
Arthur stared at it in shock.
A goblin even shorter than the others, moving with a slow, almost ceremonial gait. Its skin was a darker shade of green, and a ragged white beard trailed down its chest. Faded red robes hung from its wiry frame, and in one of its hands, the creature held a crooked wooden staff etched with peculiar symbols.
[Goblin Shaman.]
[Level 6.]
[Type: Monster, Rare]
Arthur’s grip on the fang tightened.
A rare monster?
John had noticed it too. He heaved the log back over his shoulder and said with a forced smile,
"Well, would you look at that..."
