It seemed no one had noticed my flying goblin circus act, not even the crashing and sticking like a bug part. Being in relative safety, I looked around briefly. The campgrounds were filled with orderly rows of tents. Hobgoblin warriors were already crawling out of them, looking startled and disorganized. All good for me.
From my position, I could see the camp was built next to a small hill that was hidden by the wall from outside view. To the side of the hill, not far from me, was an entrance of a tunnel leading downward. Light shone from the opening.
Despite my less than stealthy entrance the hobs still hadn’t noticed me in the tower, so I stayed hidden and kept observing and making plans. Now that I was in the midst of the enemy stronghold, staring down at their forces, I suddenly realized something. Fueled by anger and fear I unthinkingly ran headlong into serious troubles. Despite my earlier bravado, engaging the hobgoblins head on without a plan was stupid. Running aimlessly around, hoping to somehow find Tika and keep us both alive long enough to escape was not a good option. Besides, the hobgoblins had been a scourge upon my clan for too long, all of them had to be eliminated.
A crazy plan started coming together in my mind. I smiled, I love it when a plan comes together.
First, I needed the hobgoblins gathered into a much more concentrated group. While I was waiting for an opportunity to create the right conditions for the plan, I looked over the walls. The twins were in a running retreat headed for the forest, a horde of angry Ogres was gaining on them, their giant-sized legs making up for their ponderous strides. I could see that the twins wouldn’t make it to the trees in time.
Malkyr and Hoshisu seemed to realize it as well. Halfway to the forest they stopped running and took positions between two boulders to make their final stand.
The first Ogre caught up to them, charging and swinging his giant club. Malkyr met his charge head on, swinging his own oversized axe. The two weapons collided with a thunderous impact, stopping each other in place. Malkyr and the Ogre strained against each other.
Although Malkyr was of the Goliath race, in comparison to the Ogre he looked more like David. However, this David was clearly at a disadvantage. Their weapons crossed, the Ogre was slowly gaining the upper hand, leaning in on his club and slowly forcing Malkyr to his knees.
Suddenly, Hoshisu darted below her brother’s raised arms. Her two daggers stabbed forward, piercing deeply into the Ogre's body, nullifying his advantage and forcing him back a step. Now that he was not being pressed as sorely, Malkyr swung his greataxe and chopped mightily at the Ogre, taking off a large chunk of hit points. The Ogre retaliated, swinging his massive club, Malkyr deflected, Hoshisu darted in and double stabbed at the Ogre, damaging him and breaking his momentum.
They were an effective duo. Their fighting tactics and synchronization was amazing to watch. Their styles complemented perfectly. Malkyr mostly blocked, occasionally delivering a massive hit, while Hoshisu hid behind him and occasionally darted in, impeding an attack or delivering devastating attacks of opportunity of her own. For it to work, they had to know precisely how the other one fought and thought. With their precision and teamwork they could fight off opponents much stronger than either of them individually. They were only level 8, but there was no doubt in my mind they could have defeated the Ogre by itself. Unfortunately, the rest of the Ogres reached them after their first few clashes. The boulders hindered the Ogres slightly, buying the twins a few more seconds of fighting. But then they were surrounded, and forest of clubs rose and fell on them from all sides. The health bars next to their icons on my display plummeted rapidly. I heard Malkyr bellowing as he lashed out with his greataxe, spinning in a large circle, injuring several Ogres, pushing them back for just a beat. That moment was all Hoshisu needed. Diving below her brother’s wild circular attacks, she withdrew two items from her belt then dropped them on the ground.
Even through the distance I could hear her scream, “Yippee-ki-yay, motherfuckers!”
She was Malkyr’s sister alright.
The two grenades she’d activated exploded with a loud BANG, fire and shrapnel blasting in all directions. The Ogres surrounding them were all pushed back by the shockwave. The twins’ icons vanished as they both died in the explosion.
At least one of the ogres was dead and all the rest were injured, some even caught on fire and were rolling on the ground. It would take them some time to recover and carry their wounded back to the camp, significantly reducing the threat they represented. The siblings had bought me more time than I could have hoped for, I had to make the most of their sacrifice.
I looked down at the camp. It looked like the next part of my plan was in place. There were over thirty warriors assembled at the center of the camp, their lieutenants trying to organize the situation and rally them for action.
This was the moment I’d been waiting for. Feeling a bit cheated that my awesome idea was used by Hoshisu first, I drew out two of the remaining three grenades. I summoned an empowered Drilling Arrow and with a thought, made my dagger hover mid-air poised to strike. I took a deep breath, withdrew the pins from the grenades and tossed them down, into the middle of the tightly packed hobgoblin formation beneath the tower.
The hobgoblins looked down at the small objects that bounced to the ground at their feet, then a few of them looked up and spotted me. They called for alarms, pointing. Some even drew bows and took aim. Then the grenades exploded. Torrents of magical fire washed over the crowd. The hobgoblins, not nearly as tough as the Ogres, were thrown away from the center by the blast, five were killed outright and most of the rest were burned and injured badly.
I launched the empowered Drilling Arrows and my dagger. Each attack was aimed at a different, heavily wounded, hobgoblin. I meant to reduce their numbers as fast as I could.
The arrows and the dagger blasted through their intended targets, killing them instantly.
Eight down, and a shit load to go, I thought to myself as I dropped from the tower, tucking and rolling as I hit the ground. I came to a stop in the middle of the disoriented group and activated Mana Shield.
My staff in one hand, the Sacrificial dagger hovering in front of me, I took a fighting stance and snarled at the disarrayed but recovering horde around me.
Bring it, bitches! I thought grimly as I started gathering my mana.
27 - The Head Of The Snake
I used a lull in the fighting to assess my situation. I was down to half my mana, and there were more than twenty hobgoblins still in the fight.
Five hobgoblins were killed outright by the grenade blasts of my opening attack, and I finished off five more of the blast-wounded hobs in the chaos that followed.
I’d had an epiphany early in the fight. I didn’t need to activate Analyze to find my attackers’ levels and their susceptibility to mana Freeze and Dominate. I could now ‘read’ them directly. Until I had time to look into it, my best guess was that somehow Analyze, had combined with Dark Mana and Sense Emotions, to give me a new, ‘sixth,’ sense.
The hobgoblins appeared to my new mana-sense as glowing, amorphous figures of blue light; indistinct - perhaps because the ‘sense’ was newly awakened. The shapes glowed at different intensities, marking the different levels of the owners; stronger glow, higher level. I instinctively knew how many and which enemies I could Freeze or Dominate simultaneously.
It was a useful little trick. Combat is always the best way to grow.
Interestingly, when I used my new sense on myself my mana appeared as glowing-blackness instead of blue light.
A barrage of spears, arrows, and magic bolts struck my Mana Shield in rapid succession. The arrows and spears were blocked or shattered by the Shield, and the magic attacks were dissipated away. I was unharmed, but it cost a large part of my remaining mana pool.
I sense-selected three warriors whose combined glows, their levels, were just within my influence limit. Reaching out with my mind I flooded their limbs with dark mana, Freezing all three at once. The Bone dag
ger, responding to my control, darted at the three immobilized hobgoblins. Each hobgoblin was struck and instantly slain, each one a sacrifice that added to my Faith points. Darkness consumed the bodies, leaving behind only Void Crystals and some scattered items.
My attention was already on my next targets, summoning a Drilling Arrow, I sent the double projectiles streaking into a wounded hobgoblin, finishing him off.
Smiling grimly in satisfaction, I looked around for my next victims, continuously assessing my tactical situation. Twelve down twenty to go, I thought.
Then I was assailed by another barrage from all sides, a continuous bombardment of spears, arrows and magical attacks. My mana bar dropped at an alarming rate as my shield was tested to its limit.
Firebolt hit Mana Shield for 22 damage. 18 mana drain. You take 0 damage.
Arrow hit Mana Shield for 12 damage. 10 mana drain. You take 0 damage.
Arrow hit Mana Shield for 10 damage. 9 mana drain. You take 0 damage.
Arrow hit Mana Shield for 10 damage. 9 mana drain. You take 0 damage.
Arrow hit Mana Shield for 11 damage. 9 mana drain. You take 0 damage.
Spear hit Mana Shield for 15 damage. 12 mana drain. You take 0 damage.
Spear hit Mana Shield for 14 damage. 12 mana drain. You take 0 damage.
Spear hit Mana Shield for 16 damage. 13 mana drain. You take 0 damage.
Spear hit Mana Shield for 14 damage. 12 mana drain. You take 0 damage.
I lost a lot of mana, fast. Along with the expenditure for the Freeze just before, that last barrage drained me almost completely. I had barely 50 MP left. But I wasn’t quite finished. Every enemy I sacrificed meant more Faith Points and Void Crystals. I drew a mana potion from my belt and downed it on the move, bringing my mana back to a 100. Pointing at a hobgoblin with a brighter glow, I cast Mana Drain, siphoning 19 mana from him.
I burned through 48 MP Freezing another three hobgoblins. And the bone dagger flashed through the air between them, slicing across their necks, sacrificing them, and leaving behind three bodies the Void-Black hungrily consumed.
Over a dozen dead bodies lay sprawled around the killing-field, my surprise attack had been quite devastating. The hobgoblin lieutenants were hard at work, rallying and organizing the remaining dozen warriors, getting them ready to volley another attack at me.
I braced myself. This is going to hurt.
The hail of arrows and spears drummed at my protective barrier, cracks appeared and spread across the Shield. My mana bar plummeted with each hit. Then the Shield failed and vanished.
Firebolt hit for 21 damage.
Arrow hit for 10 damage.
Arrow hit for 11 damage.
Spear hit for 16 damage.
I swayed drunkenly as the I was hit from multiple sides, my health bar dropped rapidly. I managed to stay upright, forcing myself to ignore the pain and flames, and face my enemies.
Now that my shield was down, the melee fighters advanced on me. Two brutish warriors, swinging steel flails, came at me first. They approached cautiously, opting to flank me while the rest of the ranged fighters prepared another volley.
This was it. There was no way I could survive another round as I was. The fighting part was over. For now.
Luckily, I had planned for just this scenario. I reached for my inventory and retrieved the item I needed.
Just as the lieutenants were going strike. I raised both arms high in the air and declared loudly “I surrender.”
Before any of them could respond, I slipped the trinket from my inventory onto my left arm.
You are now wearing the Armband of the Cracked Skull Clan.
Reputation set to: Despised
“Hold!” A ringing voice commanded.
It was the lone hobgoblin Adept, the one who had peppered me with Firebolts throughout the battle.
I grinned to myself. My plan was working.
Because we were enemies, my reputation with the hobgoblins was Hated by default. The armband improved that by one rank, changing their disposition towards me to Despised. That meant that, although they disliked me intensely, they were open to dialogue. I intended to use that willingness to buy the time I needed to heal and regenerate my mana until I was recovered for another round of ‘farm the hobs for FP and Void crystals.’
That was the plan I’d come up with while hiding in the “watchtower of shame”; reduce their numbers as much as possible in a surprise attack, then use the armband to get an ‘intermission’, hopefully allowing me to recover enough to be able to finish off the remaining hobgoblins. Admittedly, it was not a foolproof plan, but it was the best I could come up with on short notice.
The Adept came towards me, striding confidently across the battlefield, and reached up to drop the heavy cowl back.
To my astonishment, the Adept was not an ordinary hobgoblin! In fact, the Adept was a she-hob, but that wasn’t the real shocker, she was also clearly not of pure goblinoid stock. Her features were more refined, still displaying the hobgoblins’ bestial features, sharp teeth, and heavy brows but her exquisitely curved ears were distinctly Elvish. With grim satisfaction I spotted a bleeding gash across her face from the battle. I’ll be sure to finish the job shortly. I looked her straight in the eyes, letting her know I was not the least bit intimidated.
“You dare attack us!” She hissed at me, glaring angrily.
I wasn’t interested in opening communication lines with the hobs, I was only here to rescue Tika and exterminate as much hobs as I could while I was at it. I was just playing for time. So I paused theatrically, and Analyzed her:
Elenda, Half-Hobgoblin Adept.
Level: 12 (23%)
Attributes: P:2, M:12, S:-1
HP: 66/84, MP: 80/136
Skills: Heal Followers: 8, Firebolt: 15, Deflection Field: 12, Forest Lore: 19
Traits: Goblinoid (+1P, -1S), Firemaniac (+20% fire based spells)
Resistances: Armor: 15, Mental: 30%, Fire: 20%, Spell: 10%
Background: Born of an Elven female who was violated by a marauding band of hobgoblins, Elenda was raised among her Elven kin. Because of the manner of her conception and her hobgoblin heritage, she became the object of the Elves’ loathing and the victim of their constant spiteful abuses. That treatment turned the innocent young girl into a hateful, violent person, who adored violence and lashing out at people. Once she was old enough to fend for herself, Elenda stole some of their powerful magical lore and fled the Elven lands. She sought out her father’s people in the hope of better treatment. She found them, but was the target of just as much hate and disdain from the hobgoblins as she was of the Elves. The difference was, hobgoblins respected strength and brutality. She could fight for her right and for a higher position. Elenda used the magical knowledge stolen from her Elven kin to carve her bloody way to a position of status among the hobgoblins’ upper hierarchy. Among those exalted hobgoblins she met Barska, a young hobgoblin Chief who had ambitions to rise high in the hobgoblins leadership. They formed a partnership of convenience and mutual advantage, which led to Elenda becoming Barska’s close advisor.
Elenda is an especially bloodthirsty and ruthless woman, who enjoys inflicting pain on others. Her subordinates, even her peers and battle comrades fear her rage, and would court death in battle against overwhelming enemy forces rather than face her ire
That means she is probably the last enemy I need to defeat before the final boss fight, I reasoned.
Every major combat in the game involved a boss fight. But before you could face the boss, you had to go through all their minions and lieutenants first. This was also probably the reason Barska hadn’t made an appearance during the fight, which was lucky for me. Having a boss add his strength to the skirmish would have probably tipped the odds against me
. I was aware of the risk when I had charged in, but decided to try anyway, at worse I would have died and respawned back at Goblin’s Gorge.
I had regenerated 40 MP so far. Even though the enemies’ ranks were reduced by half, it was not enough to get me through another fight.
The description on the armband I wore was very clear. Any act that could be perceived as aggression would remove its protection. I had to stall for more time.
I looked around me, pondering my next step. Well, it’s a good opportunity to try gathering some more intel.
Elenda still glared at me with undisguised hostility.
“You are holding one of my clan members against her will.” I finally answered Elenda’s accusation, having drawn out the dramatic pause as long as I could.
“Bah!” Elenda called dismissively, “You wretched goblins are only suited to being slaves. We do with you as we please.”
She was making me angry. Soon, she would find out that she ‘wouldn’t like me when I’m angry’.
I looked around deliberately, “Looks like one ‘wretched goblin’ was able to slaughter half your camp.”
Her face sharpened in shrewish anger, “And you will be punished severely for that act. I will personally cut out your eyes when Barska is done questioning you. That’s assuming of course you’re still alive.”
I looked at her with surprise. “Barska will face me in person?”
She opened her mouth to answer, but someone else beat her response.
“Yes I will.” A strong, confident voice proclaimed.
A tall, enormously muscular hobgoblin stepped out behind Elenda. A leather loincloth and a small satchel were his only clothing, revealing his scarred, sculpted physique. Humanoid skulls were placed on his bare shoulder, held in place by clamping their upper jaws onto him. His right eye was missing, a menacing red light gleamed from the empty socket.
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