The broken wood planks began to break.
Bits and pieces of construction materials started to break out and scatter around the street.
Concrete blocks cracked.
Adam pulled out the arrow from his arm and threw it away.
Thankfully it didn`t go that far in. But still, it hurt. Blood was dripping from the leather under armor and from the arrows tip.
He threw it away and tried to take a peek on the enemy.
*SHTINGGG* as another arrow hit the debris next to his face
"DON`T" Marcus shouted to him from the other side of the barricade
They soldiers on their side were not in great shape.
Some with legs pierced, some with arrows in their backs.
And well..some didn`t make it.
The guys on Adam`s side were...fine.
And after a good while of arrow raining down , they stopped.
And didn`t start for a while.
During the silence, humans managed to pull themselves together and pull their arrows out.
Everybody looked at Marcus, waiting for commands.
*gulp* really loud sound from him, but he did finally peek out.
The goblins structured 2 lesser squads, and the front shields created solid walls.
"Okay , okay." he breathed in heavily behind the barricade again
"Get up. but stay low" Marcus and soldiers around him started to slowly get up and look at the enemy.
And they appeared to be getting more arrows from the gate.
"NOW NOW" Marcus went out of the cover and rushed forward.
Adam, Ben and every other living soldiers went out screaming toward the goblins.
Their commander shouted out some new screeches, and archers hid behind the shield walls.
Adam went for the left group, which the goblin leader was behind.
Shields were risen in response, and archers started to divide the few arrows they had left.
Adam was already close enough to strike, but...
He didn`t
There was no point trying to bash the shield wall, that was clearly prepared for them.
Flanking them was a much better idea, and surprisingly much easier than he thought.
Heavy iron shields could barely move and short swords couldn`t reach far enough.
So, very very soon Adam could see the eyes of the archers.
And even though some of them had already had their bows drawn, their heads were also gone.
Adam just slashed and bashed every single one of them he could get to. Unless someone else killed them or the shield goblins turned around, there was no stopping him.
*Shthk* well something did finally stop him
The commander standard which lost its flag was burying its tip in Adam`s stomach
And the goblin behind it was grinning widely.
*KREIGHA OIUUTEE*
All goblins who could still stand and weren`t being chopped to pieces threw away they shields and bows, switching to short blades.
And it helped them. Little but helped them.
Any remaining goblins were now fighting of the human squad.
But again, they were decimated a second ago.
Humans on the other hand, were pretty badly hurt too. No one was uninjured, most had one limb unusable.
Adam had lost most of his left`s arm strength, couldn`t breathe properly and was limping from another arrow in his leg.
He did not stop.
The commander goblin was about to thrust at him, but Adam once again decided to not just rush at the enemy.
He ran back, trying to get a goblin next to him first.
But as he tried to strike him, the goblin simply blocked and pushed Adam`s blade away
'How the f**k' and got stabbed again.
Again. Just like the training, and with full force against the small goblin, he broke his defense and his own posture, falling over him.
Goblin leader was caught up and charged at him with full speed.
Thankfully, not only Adam was around. Marcus was still somehow alive and fighting, most of the soldiers and of course Ben. And 2 of them managed to break the standard before it reached Adam again.
"You good?" they reached out their hands to him
"Yea yea thanks" And took it after a short breath.
The battle was practically over.
Remaining goblins scattered around were being hunted down.
Marcus caught one behind the barricade trying to hide behind the soldier corpse
"Disgusting" and he pierced his head with one clean strike
[Wave 2 completed]
[Monsters killed : 81/81]
[Civilians survived 45/45]
[Most kills achieved : Low Ranking Soldier Adam]
[Rewards will be given out shortly]
"WOOOOOO" the remaining 8 armored men shouted out for the whole street to hear and made a big group hug.
Well it was well deserved. Not a tutorial gate, not a training session but an actual battle won.
With injured with dead, but with a victory nonetheless.
But...after the corpses vanished, soldiers took off their armor and said goodbye, Adam was left....sad.
And angry at himself. Why?
Simple reason.
He needed help. For years now he was trying to do everything as good as he could so that he would not need any one to "save him". Not angels, not men.
And even more annoying to him was himself. Weak.
A child sized goblin could just deflect his sword. He got shot by some toy bows and stabbed with a f***ing flag pole.
'Never again' He said to himself on the way home
And once he got there, and cleaned himself up, and treated the injuries, and pulled out the splinters. He got back to work.
The trash can was thankfully only full of cans. and the book he bought lately.
So, he dusted it off and started reading again.
Word for word.
And when he did, he laid it down opened on the page describing the downwards swing, and started to practice. Just as the book wanted. Not his way, not how internet showed, not even as Grant showed. Picture after picture, step after step.
Because next time, it will have to be perfect.