POV 3 people
'Human corpses? Some of those who couldn't save themselves?' Connor thought incredulously, seeing the reanimated corpses.
Everyone knew that the goblins devoured the unlucky ones who couldn't escape the Ordeal, but some were taken (sometimes still alive) somewhere, in this case, it's now known to be this village.
Human skeletons on the ground make sense, however revolting the reason for their being there might be, but not why their bodies were being used as firewood. Or even standing next to the pyre, none of us smelled the burning flesh.
No matter how many questions Connor might have, the tattooed goblin had no intention of answering anything, even if Connor could understand what he was saying. With a gesture of his staff, the skeletons and semi-charred human bodies moved towards Connor, who was forced to retreat and move away from his friends.
With the distance now, at least, Connor now had the confidence to use some more dangerous techniques without worrying about hurting either of them. And they felt the same way, in their respective fights.
'5 skeletons, with almost no flesh and 5 corpses still burning. I have 10 arrows, a short sword and...'
[Name: Connor Steel
Level: 10
HP: 39/50
MP: 12/45
Strength: 35
Agility: 50
Defense: 23
Wisdom: 16
...]
'Tsk, less than 10% of my MP.'
Connor thought, seeing the stats that appeared on the tablet he had stored inside his hunting cloak. He put it away again and quickly fired two normal arrows towards the two closest skeletons; they fell without resistance. Their bodies on the ground ended up hindering the others' advance, despite the goblin shaman being so close.
It seems the shaman hadn't expected the young human to shoot so decisively at the remains of other humans; even Connor was somewhat surprised by his own composure and slight coldness towards the human remains. But as he himself had said before: "when hunting, if you hesitate, you might end up dead."
Connor took advantage of the slight confusion ahead and retreated a little. He pulled one of the three potions he had received from Anna's parents from his belt, a mixture in a rare straight glass tube with a purplish-blue color, and quickly drank it.
A cold sensation went down Connor's throat, which quickly spread to the other members, almost putting them to sleep. But as soon as the last drop passed through the garage, it brought a feeling of energy and vitality to him.
Without taking his eyes off his opponents and keeping his senses sharp for a possible attack from behind, Connor picked up the tablet again to check his stats.
[MP: 27/45]
'Well, at least this way I have more options.'
He thought as he drew his short sword from its sheath. He quickly analyzed the situation on the battlefield and soon concluded that he had a better chance of ending things quickly.
'Fighting a snake with a knife is never a good idea, but sometimes you have to take risks.'
(Kaio: As if you weren't already risking your life right now, son.)
With his sword slightly backed, Connor lunged forward, leaping over the fallen skeletons. Reaching one that was still burning, he delivered a swift strike with his short sword to the joint of its arm, easily severing it.
Continuing forward, the other seven skeletons, some noticing that they still had flesh and a bit of clothing attached to them, formed a wall in front of the shaman. Seeing that they hadn't left any space to pass through, Connor, with his bow on his back, did the only thing possible: anything to jump over.
Throwing himself onto the hard ground, the young archer slid just below the legs of a skeleton that seemed to be the same height as him. Behind the skeletons, he stood up and tried to attack the shaman, but the shaman had anticipated the attack and tried to strike him with his staff from below.
Connor barely managed to defend himself with his arm, but was still thrown to the left. He made a clumsy roll to avoid dislocating his shoulder and to create a slight distance between himself, the goblin, and the skeletons that were already turning towards him.
The goblin covered his staff with dark energy once more, and a sphere darker than night formed, making the target obvious. But Connor, living up to his years as a hunter's apprentice and professional hunter, made a split-second decision, not even a thought, pure instinct: he carelessly threw his short sword towards the goblin.
Startled by the sudden attack, the shaman canceled it and used his staff to defend himself awkwardly, managing to deflect the short sword. Relieved to have evaded the attack, he didn't notice something worse that soon followed.
Throwing the sword was more automatic than strategic, but this one was thought out. As soon as he saw the sword ricochet off the staff, Connor grabbed the three small knives his master always instructed him to carry for cleaning small game.
Even after spending so much time in the Trial, where prey often disappeared leaving a prize behind, the habit of bringing those knives continued. And now that habit proved decisive in the fight; grabbing all three at once and unconsciously using the [Rapid Shot] skill, Connor threw them with all his might toward the goblin.
The shaman saw the knives approaching but didn't have time to do anything; one hit him in the eye, another in the shoulder, and the third just above his ribs. Even though they were thrown with force and the added skill of a weapon, these weren't knives made for throwing, and therefore didn't kill him.
However, they caused him so much pain that he not only let out the loudest roar anyone had ever heard a goblin make. But the pain also caused him to lose, even if only momentarily, his connection with his army of undead.
At the gate, the fight between Andreas's few mercenaries and some of those who, theoretically, would be non-combatants, quickly took a new direction with this small lapse by the flesh puppets. With only 13 fighting now, excluding the mages further back, they used this chance to pressure the mounted goblins and manage to end the fight.
Returning to the center of the goblin village, as soon as the shaman let out a roar of pain, Connor prepared his next attack, glad that this had destabilized the goblin; if it hadn't, it wouldn't have been difficult for the skeletons to stop him. Advancing almost skimming the ground to the left, in the same direction as the goblin's ruined eye, Connor saw his sword, grabbed it, and immediately went towards the goblin shaman.
Despite the intense pain and blindness, the shaman still sensed a great threat coming from that direction and tried to attack with his staff.
'This is the first time I've ever been grateful that these "leader" goblins are almost the same size as a human.'
Connor thought, dodging the blow and advancing beneath the attack with his sword in an attack stance. Without hesitation, he delivered a deep lateral cut towards the goblin's ribs, just below where one of his knives was. Letting his [Blade Combat] skill take over, Connor quickly returned with his sword in a stab strike towards the goblin's throat, leaving it defenseless.
*Splash*
[Eliminated: Necromancer Shaman Goblin.] [Experience gained.]
[Congratulations on leveling up!]
[Name: Connor Steel (+5)
Level: 11]
Finally, one of the 5(?) goblin leaders of the village was finally dead.
'Now there are 4 more to go.'
Connor thought, picking up his bow and preparing his last 8 arrows.