The supply depot had become an inferno.
Flames raced greedily across stacks of timber while barrels of oil burst apart one after another, scattering burning liquid across the camp. Thick black smoke rolled endlessly into the night sky, swallowing entire sections of the battlefield beneath its suffocating veil.
Lan'ka wasted no time.
"Move!"
The remaining kobolds surged forward through the burning supply yard, weaving between collapsing wooden structures as they pushed toward the rear of the goblin formation. Their objective had never been the supplies alone. Destroying them merely created the opening needed to strike the enemy from behind and relieve the pressure on Tud'or's squad.
At least, that had been the plan.
The moment they crossed into the next section of the camp, every kobold instinctively halted.
One figure stood alone in the center of the path.
He was a Hobgoblin.
As broad shouldered as Lan'ka and nearly equal in height, his muscular body was covered from neck to ankle with intricate crimson carvings that pulsed faintly beneath the firelight. A dark red ritual skirt hung around his waist, decorated with countless bones, teeth and strange trinkets collected from beasts and enemies alike.
Resting in his hand was an elegant steel staff unlike anything Ka'z had ever seen.
Its shaft had been engraved with countless runes connected by thin grooves that resembled intricate circuits carrying flowing mana from one inscription to another. At the very top rested a polished beast skull whose empty eye sockets held two fractured mana crystals glowing softly from within.
Ka'z's heart sank.
He knew almost nothing about Forgemastering or rune craftsmanship. Even so anyone could tell this was no ordinary weapon.
It was a true magical weapon.
His Dragon Eyes instinctively activated.
[Inspect Successful]
[Goblin Battle Shaman]
[Faction: Ashmork]
[Faction Stage: Village]
[Core: Silver]
[Element: Versatile]
[Equipment: Shiki]
Ka'z's expression darkened.
The goblin was at the silver core realm, the same realm as Tud'or, Lan'ka and Tong'a.
This wasn't another Blood Shaman. This was one of the pillars supporting the Ashmork Clan.
The Hobgoblin smiled calmly.
Despite standing alone against an entire strike force, there wasn't the slightest hint of tension upon his face.
It felt almost as though he had been waiting for them.
Ding!
[Kobolds Lost: 7]
[Hunters Lost: 0]
Buzz!
Ka'z's breathing stopped.
Seven.
Those weren't numbers anymore, they were people. Faces and voices of warriors who had watched him grow since he hatched.
His fists clenched so tightly his claws dug into his own palms. He immediately stepped beside Lan'ka.
"Seven members of Tud'or's squad are dead," he whispered urgently. "We have to break through. Right now."
Lan'ka blinked before turning toward him.
"...How do you know?"
"I just do."
Ka'z's voice carried unusual frustration.
"That doesn't matter anymore. They need us. We have to get past him."
The words struck Lan'ka harder than expected. Only minutes earlier Ka'z had warned everyone that something terrible would happen and nobody believed him. Now seven kobolds were dead.
Lan'ka slowly nodded before shifting his attention back toward the lone Hobgoblin.
Bam!
He exploded forward first.
The veteran kobold warriors followed immediately behind, forming a tight wedge with crude shields raised and short spears extending between them.
Ka'z and Za'r remained directly behind the shield line, prepared to support from relative safety.
The Hobgoblin's grin widened.
"So impatient."
He casually rotated his staff and one of the engraved runes ignited with brilliant orange light.
"Fire Magic: Fire Ball!"
The beast skull opened its jaws.
Flames spiraled violently inside its mouth before rapidly compressing into an enormous sphere of blazing fire almost equal in size to Lan'ka himself.
The blazing projectile roared toward the charging kobolds.
Lan'ka never slowed. Instead he curled forward and the earth surged upward. Massive slabs of rock tore themselves free from the ground before attaching themselves across his body.
Within moments he had once again transformed into a gigantic rolling boulder.
The two attacks collided.
Boom!
The fireball exploded violently but Lan'ka burst straight through the inferno without slowing, flames washing harmlessly across the thick stone covering his body.
The Battle Shaman remained perfectly composed. Another rune rotated into place but this one glowed emerald green.
He drove the staff into the ground.
Bam!
The earth shook as a massive stone wall erupted upward before him. Unlike an ordinary barrier, however, it continued rising at an angle until it formed an enormous ramp stretching high into the air.
Lan'ka's spinning body rolled directly onto it. Instead of crashing into the obstacle, he launched skyward. The massive stone sphere sailed cleanly over the Battle Shaman's head.
Ka'z's eyes lit up.
"Over the ramp! Everyone!"
The kobolds immediately understood.
Rather than wasting precious time engaging the Battle Shaman, they sprinted up the earthen ramp behind Lan'ka before leaping over both him.
Ka'z intentionally remained last. The moment he reached the middle of the structure, he stopped.
Both palms slammed against the earth and stone spikes erupted beneath the supporting ramp. The entire structure instantly lost its stability and cracks spread rapidly throughout its foundation.
The enormous earthen ramp collapsed directly toward the goblin beneath it. Yet, the Battle Shaman merely laughed.
"That short bastard."
Boom!
The wall crashed down.
Earth and shattered stone exploded across the battlefield, raising a massive cloud of dust that swallowed the entire rear formation.
The remaining kobolds landed safely beyond the collapse.
Without hesitation Ka'z stamped the ground again.
Another thick stone wall surged upward before him. He drove both fists into it and the wall shot forward like a battering ram.
BOOOOOM!
It shattered violently against the collapsing debris, sending thousands of rock fragments flying through the already blinding dust cloud and filling the entire area with even thicker smoke.
Perfect.
Even if it failed to kill the Battle Shaman, it bought precious seconds.
Ding!
[Kobolds Lost: 9]
[Hunters Lost: 0]
[Warning: Tu'ka and Tud'or are in critical condition.]
Ka'z's face lost every trace of color. Then a calm voice echoed from within the smoke.
"What an interesting little kobold."
The Battle Shaman's tone carried genuine amusement. A pair of glowing eyes gradually appeared through the dust.
"I can understand now why Grash was wary of this colony. Even your Iron Core children possess this much talent."
Lan'ka immediately stepped forward. So did the veteran warriors but before anyone could move another step, Ka'z turned around.
"Go!"
Everyone froze upon seeing his eyes were bloodshot.
"They've lost nine people already! Tud'or and Tu'ka are dying. They need you! Now!"
The desperation in his voice stunned everyone into silence. Even La'te found herself unable to speak.
"...Tud'or..."
Disbelief filled her voice.
"The Chief Warrior... is injured?" Another asked.
The idea itself seemed impossible. Tud'or had always stood like an immovable mountain before the colony. Seeing Ka'z speak with such certainty made her stomach tighten.
Lan'ka stared at the young kobold for several long seconds. Ka'z had never been loud or disrespectful. If he was shouting, then the situation truly had become desperate.
His jaw tightened.
"We're moving."
"I'll stay." Za'r stepped forward immediately.
Ka'z gently shook his head.
"No."
His voice softened.
"Tu'ka... the others... they're hurt. They need your Light Magic more than I do."
Ka'z slowly unclenched his fists before offering a faint smile that failed to reach his eyes.
"Don't worry. I am the Child of Prophecy. I won't die here."