There were no longer two enemies…
…There were three!
On his side was a small optical distortion, slightly smaller than most reptilians, but clearly one of them.
He was concealed by a well-prepared spell. It wasn't as powerful as the one he had used to hide before the confrontation, but still very effective.
His figure gradually revealed itself, the translucency dripping from his body like a heavy liquid; it was another Koboldt, a little smaller, but still one of them.
He slowly approached the swordsman undetected, in his hand he wielded a staff with a blunt tip, a signature weapon of his species.
Dragomir only had time to analyze the pattern running along the lines on the new enemy's body.
The mana flowed along the pattern's lines like blood in a vein. The energy was applied with intensity and aggression, a violent current coursing through the pattern's segments in the spell.
But it wasn't something brutal; the blow was well-planned, the energy, though intense, was focused, controlled, and masterfully directed within the master.
A pulse was generated, the spell expanded, occupying space between the small reptilian and the gray-haired one; it was like a rubbery matter aggressively taking ground.
Dragomir was launched against the two newly arrived Kobolds, his body on a trajectory against their blades, with no possible deviation from the path.
Even if he tried to slow his body to minimize the damage, it wouldn't save him from being hit; worst of all, he was perfectly aligned with the Koboldt armed with the crossbow.
Calculating the enemy marksman's field of vision, he concluded that he would only escape his line of fire if he were hit by the axes.
He was literally surrounded; the damage was inevitable, or so it seemed.
Dragomir didn't fight with the force that threw him against the enemy weapons; he simply let the flow of inertia carry him towards them.
Once again, the reptilians were confident they had cornered their enemy, unaware that he was cooperating too much, something that would have triggered an alert in anyone capable of multitasking.
Each of them decided to reinforce the attack, expending a little more energy; they strengthened the joints and fast-twitch muscles of their bodies.
The spell enhanced the destructive capacity of the attack; the overwhelming force compensated for the excessive expenditure. A move that Dragomir wouldn't survive if hit… if hit at all.
Without either of them noticing, Dragomir positioned his body in a gap in the double attack, simply sliding between the two.
An almost comical scene; the Koboldts were temporarily paralyzed. Their slow minds were still processing what had happened. Disbelief overwhelmed their movements; it was difficult to accept this mistake.
A mistake that cost one of them dearly.
Dragomir did what he could, his blade piercing the creature's back, slightly adjacent to its spine.
The reinforcement protected all the perfect points for Dragomir to strike, so he had to exploit an unprotected area. The blow went through the reptile's body from end to end, bright purple blood dripping onto the blade.
That blood was different, not only because of its color, but also because of the spectral crystals it contained.
The gray-haired man moved away as quickly as possible; he didn't have much time to react. Above him, the crocodile with the club was hovering over his head, ready to strike violently.
Dragomir moved as fast as he needed to escape. His retreat was executed with the meticulous precision he always displayed.
But this didn't free him from danger; it only put him in the path of another.
The spearman advanced towards him, his movements quick and precise; one mistake and the battle would be over instantly.
The reinforcing spell that the reptile infused into the spear revealed its devastating presence. The weapon moved through the air with a subtle, yet perceptible lightness. Its pointed tip radiated deadly, controllably volatile energy.
The weapon wasn't much; Dragomir's own sword would be on a superior level.
His sword didn't have a conventional appearance… well, for this world, that's the weapon pattern, which would be somewhat eccentric to anyone unfamiliar with it.
His weapon featured black tips, a dark line stretching down the center of the blade. Several softer black lines formed rigid patterns that directed all the energy that came into contact with the weapon.
The sword's hilt, where the hand rested, had small openings similar to the pattern on the blade, but with a depth that the patterns lacked. This design wasn't random; it was designed to passively receive mana from its user without them needing to directly inject it.
Something that was very convenient for Dragomir, who could use his weapon without needing to cast a reinforcement spell like his enemies.
A very advanced technology, which guarantees a huge advantage against wild and tribal monsters.
The most important part of the weapon was its core, a circular black stone located between the handguard and the blade. The core was surrounded by an artificial black material, prepared to stabilize it.
When they say that this is the most important part of any weapon, they're not kidding. Having a core is what separates mundane and common weapons, like the Koboldts' weapons, from what can be called true magical weapons.
A simple weapon created in an artisanal and tribal way didn't even come close to the technical complexity that characterizes his weapon.
But that was no reason to underestimate his enemies.
The Koboldt's spell was potent, making that small and seemingly fragile creature reach its level of lethality.
If that were the only problem, Dragomir would have no difficulty resolving this discrepancy; his technique was far superior, and eventually he would defeat the enemy.
The problem was that there were too many enemies: the spearman in front of him, the idiot trying to land a single blow with brute force, the "archer" just waiting for his chance to act, the two mages who were hindering his progress, and the duo who had just arrived at this impasse.
It was many against one; individually, all would be easily defeated. But unlike humans, they didn't seek to strengthen themselves individually, improving their own particularities to achieve something close to perfection in their art.
They focused on unified teamwork, which is why individually they were mediocre, with several errors in their performance, but these errors were covered by the quality of their companions.
A very symbolic way of fighting, reflecting their group philosophy well. Even weak beings could be strong by uniting, using the qualities of one to cover the flaws of another.
Dragomir respected this philosophy, one so different from that of all the races considered more intelligent.
But…
"It's a good formation," Dragomir declared to his enemies, his serious and almost expressionless face marking his words, "with this kind of teamwork, it's clear how such weak and stupid creatures have survived for so many years."
His posture changed completely; in a situation of clear disadvantage, anyone would feel pressured, but Dragomir didn't feel that way. On the contrary, he was confident.
"The problem with this tactic is that it relies too much on numbers, not only for advantages but also for the function that each one performs,"
Unlike everything Dragomir had done up to this point in the battle, now he moved in a relaxed and unpretentious way. Casually, he stretched while pointing his sword at the Koboldt and therefore the beast.
"You are only strong when you are in groups," His posture gradually straightened, and for the first time in this small battle, Dragomir used magic.
A simple spell, but not easily replicable, something he could never teach anyone, because he never learned it; he could only do it without understanding why.
"After one dies, it doesn't take long for the others."