"By my own decree, you will die by my blade."
A cold sweat ran down Zander's back as he said those words, words that would surely spell his own doom. Silence reigned throughout the hall as the horde of goblins was at a standstill, their frenzied partying silent in the face of Zander's boldness.
"You…" The goblin king said, his words slow, and slightly amused. "Who is you? Why does ye come in da goblin den?! We is da big bois now!" The monstrous king stood closer to Zander, its feet waddling toward his direction, looming over him imposingly. "What is da puny ewman gonna do?" He laughed a grotesque, devilish laugh. "Pointy stick ain't go deep, skin too tough!" His laughter grew exponentially, and soon another goblin joined in, and another, and so on, until the entire hall was doubled over in laughter, ringing out for miles.
Despite the taunts, Zander's face kept still and focused, his blade still raised towards the enemy that could end this entire scenario. He infused his weapon with sword energy, lighting the blade ablaze with a flurry of bright blue electricity, causing the rest of the howling goblins to reel back reactively, their eyes widened in complete terror.
"Da sky blade! He has da sky blade!" The king pushed away from Zander, desperately doing his best to avoid the blade that awaited him. "No! We's goblins hide aways in the caves, away from the sky blades, no need for sky blades under da roof! Why?! Why bring the sky blade 'ere?!" Its breathing was harsh, and he panted for breath as it continued its desperate run away. "No want! We's da rulers under da ground! No wants the sky blades here." It scurried back towards the throne, sitting upon it once more, placing itself as far away from Zander as possible.
Zander was surprised. He knew that the lightning along his blade was not real lightning, but the manifestation of energy, his weapon energy. Despite this, the goblins seemed to have a terrible fear of lightning, something which he could take advantage of.
Swinging his blade through the air, he cleaved through the open space, churning his weapon energy throughout his weapon, the lightning-like energy sparking and twisting, doing its best to stretch itself outward, despite becoming harmless once it reached past the blade. His actions sent another wave of goblins running in fear, climbing over one another as they desperately tried to escape, some even trampling their fellow kin to death, leaving behind a few horror-stricken corpses, their expressions still frozen in terror.
"I could send a wave of the sky blade to kill your entire army if I wanted to" Zander exclaimed, his voice trembling slightly, just enough for him to notice. "I can slaughter your people at any moment, and end your reign here, so I choose to do so." He said, knowing how screwed he was if any of the goblins called his bluff. "I will let you go, let your people live, to be king under the mountains, but only if you free my kin." He pointed the blade once more towards the goblin king, who squealed like a pig, shying away from the weapon. "What will it be?"
"Devil! Monster! Demon from da sky!" The king called him a manner of names, however the terror in his voice showed Zander his desperation. The monster's face changed emotions constantly, its mind in a state of unending thought. It was clearly considering something, but as to what it may have been, Zander had no idea. The king grunted, shaking its head, before snorting, and breaking into a stark, short laugh. "We's simple goblin, we's kill da ewmans above, tah eat and feast, and we needs dem ewmans… needs 'em for da rest of da sky gods." The king stood once more, snorting like a pig at a feast.
"We's no give da humans, da sky gods send punishment if we's don't appease 'em." The king spoke with determination, clamoring up on his throne, moving to stand on his feet once more. "We's no want sky blades in da caves, so we sacrifice to sky gods. Theys no send the sky blades, we feast, and we gets tah keep a fews slaves. Victory for alls da goblins!" It roared, sending a hasty, but still apprehensive set of cheers in its wake.
"You is no sky god, puny ewman. We's no wants tah deal with you." The king raised his hands above his head, causing the goblins to beat their chests, screaming with fury as they unsheathed their blades, their similarly rusted blades not even shining, covered in disgusting, blackened muck. Zander shuddered internally as he watched this unfold, his mind racing with different possibilities.
Ideas rushed through his mind as he began to panic a little, not daring to show it in front of the massive army that now called for his death. Could he fight his way out? No, not even close he concluded, turning his attention back towards the goblin king, watching his excited expression. Could I take him down, and end it all here? He didn't know the strength of the king, but something in the back of his mind told him that he couldn't, even if he had the buffs from Maia. The monstrosity's presence placed a subtle pressure down on him, more so than a typical brute class thrall, but much less than the one they'd fought mid-evolution. Still, the king was dangerous, and much, much more than he could handle. It seems he was completely out of options.
"Kill da false sky god! Kill 'em dead!" The goblin king's roar overpowered the cheering, taunting crowd, sending them in a frenzy as they took off in a full sprint towards Zander, roaring and shrieking with glee. As they surrounded him and plunged in for the kill, Zander raised his sword high above his head, shouting.
"A bet! I propose a bet!" Sweat streamed down his face as his [Calm Mind] began to activate automatically, slowing his heartbeat and focusing more efficiently. He began to notice the unique, minute movements the goblins exhibited, their uneven, unfocused strikes leading towards his body, threatening to hit every part of him, dicing him into pieces. He took a deep breath, sending a silent prayer to whatever gods were listening.
"No betses! Only death!" the king screamed as the horde descended upon him, stamping its foot along the ground, grinning wildly. As it finished its sentence, it stopped, frozen in thought. The horde stopped as well, watching their king's every move. "Waits… you want tah play game?" It tilted its head curiously, its eyes lighting up brightly. "Tah king of goblins always is downs for a game! Entertainment! Hahaha~!" It laughter began to fill the air as the horde suddenly came to a stop, their faces irritated, yet intrigued. "Why didn't puny ewman say they want tah play game in the first place? Silly ewman."
"Yes! A game, whatever game you wish for. Surely the King of the goblins must have games to play!" He said, going along with it, his heart in his chest. He was certain the king would let him die, but it seems their mischievous nature would work in his favor. The irony of his previous words rang through his head, his attempt to be both brazen and overwhelmingly confident not paying off.
"Yeas! Entertainment is good! We goblins be workin' and no playin', we needs a good game!" The king patted its oversized belly, the slap of its palm on its skin ringing throughout the hall. "We's got a favorite game for da ewmans 'round ere" It said, leaning in towards Zander once more. "How abouts it?"
"Perfect! However…" Zander pretended to think for a moment, his eyebrows tilted down in concentration. "I need a little compensation if I win, don't you think? It's only right for a king to present a reward to the victor, no?" He said innocently, a cheeky smile placing itself upon his face.
"Whatcha want? We's got plenty of things… but no shinies! We keeps those." The king spat, rocking back and forth on its two large feet.
"Simple, I just want those keys from around your belt. Does that sound fair?" He asked, pointing towards the keys that hung from the king's side, dangling and clinking as it moved around eagerly. Its eyes widened as it glanced down at the keys, before a devilish grin appeared on its face, a row of sharp, jagged teeth showing. Zander prayed to the gods above that was a good sign.
"Ah! Hahahah~!" It slapped the side of its thigh. "Yesss! We's agree, da keys are easy to make again, no needs em all the time." Its words were harsh on Zander's ears, causing Zander to flinch away slightly. "We's gots a great game! Better yets, you gets tah die wit us!" The goblin cackled fanatically, like a witch in an old cartoon. "Is arena fightin' time!"
In an instant the crowd cleared out, forming a massive circle around Zander, their cheers roaring n the small, enclosed hall.
"Fightin'!"
"We best be killin'!"
"Ewmans get da blade!"
Their weapons glinted in the air as they raised them above their heads, pumping them up and down as they jeered at Zander, their snide smirks and growls echoing in his ears. As Zander began to walk around the length of the new space, a few stray goblins lunged for him, only for their feet to be grabbed by the others as they were dragged back to the safety of the crowd.
"Ten rounds!" the goblin king announced, his voice booming with newfound confidence. "Ten rounds tah survive the arena! We's be sending da worst, then it gets tougher! Till da champion be faced!" Its grin expanded as it shouted, its facial proportions extremely unnatural and unnerving. "When we's kills ya, we's gets tah skin ya, and if yas surrender…" it paused, clearly for dramatic effect. "Yas be joinin' the slaves down under." It threw its hands into the air, causing another wave of roars and cheers. "WE BEST BE GETTING' STARTED!" It shouted, and suddenly a single smaller goblin leapt into the circle, turning to the crowd as they cheered it on.
Zander watched the small goblin as it moved, finally getting a good view of the monster for the first time. Wrinkles covered its dried skin as it crawled along the floor on all fours, occasionally switching to be bipedal, almost like a monkey. I can handle that he thought, smiling briefly. It moved with grotesque, disgusting movements, its skin flapping as it lumbered its way over towards him, its pointed, yellow teeth grimy and filled with various meats and foods from its prior meals.
"Ee's be killin!" The lone goblin shouted as it swung wildly at Zander, its slash slow and uncoordinated. Unphased, Zander ducked down slightly, barely feeling the blade pass over his head, before swinging his sword towards the beast's throat, catching the rim of it with his blade. The tip of his weapon snagged on some of the loose skin around its neck, but didn't cut deep enough to kill it for good.
Tsk he clicked his tongue as he dashed forward, thrusting towards the monster with deadly precision. The monster, upon noticing his mad dash towards it, tried its best to block the attack, but its movements were sluggish and slow, and soon Zander felt the solemn shink of his blade cutting through its neck, carefuly piercing a large hole before dashing out. Zander retreated as he watched the goblin begin to die. It grabbed its neck, trying to formulate words as it clutched the wound, as if trying to stop the bleeding, but more blood only spilled through its hands. It dropped its weapon in the other hand as it fell to a knee, croaking out a few, muddled groans, and finally falling silent, slipping onto the ground face first.
Zander's expression did not change as he read the kill notification
[Goblin Killed]
[1 Essence Gained]
"Baaaaaah!" The goblin king shouted in a mixture of glee and anger, before slapping the side of its throne wholeheartedly. "Next group!"
This time, two goblins stepped forward, both small and meek like the previous. The two growled and snarled, but Zander wasn't afraid anymore, he knew their weakness. In just a few seconds, he dashed around the side of the goblins, sending a searing slash towards their legs, sending them tumbling to the ground before finishing the fight by cutting their necks.
"NEXT! Bring out da bigga goblins!" The king's voice boomed.
This time, a single goblin was placed before him once more, but this time, the goblin was the same as the rest of the crowd, the larger, human sized goblins that rose to his own height. The goblin's stature was slightly hunched, as if a hunchback, but its movements were quicker, more stable, despite running with a small limp.
Might as well try the same thing… he thought, before similarly dashing towards the monster, attempting to repeat what he did with the two, but this time, the goblin was ready.
Clang! Their swords rang together in a small shower of sparks as Zander's blade cut against small bits of rock and flint that were stuck fast on the goblin's blade. Frowning, he launched another attack, a wild thrust towards the monster's exposed body, but it quickly dodged out of the way.
It threw an attack back towards him now, and he quickly sidestepped the overhead slash, his sword flashing up as he passed by, efficiently cutting into the monster's arm, causing it to scream in pain. It shrieked and shriveled away from Zander, dropping its weapon onto the ground, leaving nothing in the way of its inevitable doom, and Zander did not hesitate to give it to the goblin, slicing its head off, sending their skull rolling across the ground.
That was way too close he thought, noticing the visible change in differences. It was only the third round out of the ten, and the monsters were showing signs of improvement just from watching him fight alone. If this pace kept up, he would be dead in just a round or two, unless he began to give it everything he had. He was hesitant however, knowing his stamina would not last forever. He was already heaving a few large breaths at the constant movement, and he used these few seconds of respite very wisely, placing his hands above his head in an attempt to stay cool.
"Two bois!" Shouted the crowd, not bothering to wait for the king's order. Two goblins stepped out, sending a stark grin along the king's face. He was going to punish the goblins for going against him, but it was much more entertaining to watch Zander's plight.
Zander stepped up once more, twirling his sword cleanly in his hand before pointing it at the two normal sized goblins before him. The goblins, their faces alight with glee, charged towards him like a rampaging bull, but Zander stepped to the side at the last possible second, sticking his sword into the side of one of the charging goblins, before turning to the next. As he turned however, he noticed that his sword did not pull cleanly into his hands, but instead stuck itself deeper inside the goblin's flesh as its momentum continued, ripping his weapon out of his hands, leaving him empty handed to face the last remaining goblin.
Zander's eyes widened as he dodged to the side, barely avoiding the blade the swung down at him, hearing it whoosh through the air where he just was. He backed away, looking for an opportunity to regain his sword, but it was too far away, and the goblin was giving him no chance to recover. He dove to the side, avoiding more attacks, but before he managed to get to his feet the goblin was on him, slamming the sword towards where he lay. He dove again, and the actions repeated themselves, trapping him in a cycle of desperate rolling dodges, before he finally caught an opportunity.
The goblin swung wildly towards him, but this time it missed, the blade awkwardly thumping against the dirt ground. In this moment, Zander did not dodge, instead kicking his foot upwards at the goblin, causing the weapon to fly out of its hands as Zander launched himself to his feet. He caught the weapon, and in that moment, the goblin knew it was over. It turned, trying to run, but the blade cut through its chest, ending its life.
Zander made his way back to the dying goblin that held his own sword, grabbing it by the hilt and pulling out, opening the wound further. Within seconds, it was dead. He breathed a sigh of relief as he held onto his blade with newfound fervor, not daring to let it leave his hands for a second longer. It felt like just a few seconds had passed by when three normal sized goblins stepped forward for the fifth round, and he sighed as he lifted his weapon once more, his muscles feeling a slight pang of exhaustion.
Before any of the goblins could make a move, he coated his weapon in sword energy, causing the length of the blade to erupt in the familiar blue electricity. The goblins shrieked and skirted away as the sudden light burst into their eyes, sending them reeling backwards in fear. They screeched and scratched at their eyes, clearly terrified at the lightning that approached them.
Zander gave them no time to get back to their senses, using the few seconds he bought through their fear to slash down the three of them, his sword cutting cleanly through their bodies like paper, only stopping at the bone. He dealt with the three in an instant, saving him the effort of desperately fighting the three of them. I should have done this from the start he thought. He'd been worried that using sword energy would drain his reserves if he used it early, but it appeared that it barely took from the internal energy that formed within his core, which fed his other abilities. It appeared that he could use sword energy even if he didn't have enough internal energy to use any other abilities, meaning he had a nearly permanent tool of destruction.
[Goblin Killed]
[1 Essence Gained]
Five notifications had rung out within the last minute, signifying the end of two rounds of the arena. He heaved a sigh of relief as he turned back towards the king, who sat in thought. Just as he thought the king would announce the next round and refuse to give him any form of rest, the king took a massive swig of its tankard of ale, chugging it down over the course of a full minute, giving Zander a chance to gather his bearings. .
It finished its long, concerning drink with a loud burp that rang around the hall, before it raised its hands once more in a cheer, its crooked teeth showing as it gleefully grinned. "Bring out da big bois!" It shouted, and Zander felt a small wave of fear as something emerged from behind the king.
Unlike the previous goblins, these newer goblins looked more like orcs from fantasy stories, their massive, muscled forms standing far over Zander's height, their flesh rippling with strength. They pounded their chests as a single goblin stepped forward, roaring an ear piercing roar that was echoed with the voice of hundreds of other goblins huddled around the fighters.
Zander stretched his arm, his sword still coated in distinct sword energy, before readying himself, waiting for the pompous goblin to make a move.
"RAAAAH!" It didn't even bother to speak, instead launching itself towards him with extreme speed, which was surprising for its hulking, massive size. Zander's eyes widened as he desperately brought his sword up to meet the massive, deadly cleaver that sat in the larger goblin's hand, which thrust at his neck. If he did nothing, he was sure to lose his life, and he barely managed to swat the weapon away in time.
The orc did not stop its charge however, slamming into Zander and sending him to the ground. With a furious roar, the goblin slammed a punch into Zander's gut, knocking the wind out of him and sending him wheezing. He doubled over in pain as another punch rained down, his writing causing the next punch to barely miss, and the goblin's fist hit a shard of rubble embedded into the ground. The pointed piece of rubble stabbed into its knuckles, impaling its hand on the stones. It roared in pain as Zander lifted himself to a knee, still out of breath, and slashes its head off, using the distraction to end its life.
[Hobgoblin Killed]
[5 Essence Gained]
This thing is much stronger than any of the goblins from before! He thought furiously, his eyes widening at the text. This placed the monster on par with a normal thrall, meaning it was now more dangerous than it was outside of the trial, and he was completely without the help of his fellow scouts. Crap!
Two more hobgoblins stepped forward, their lemon-yellow skin shining in the light of the chandeliers and lanterns that lay scattered around the area. They gleefully smirked at him, heaving their cleavers onto their shoulders, letting them rest.
"Ew… man!" Their words were scattered and slow. It seems their brawn was more prevalent than their brains. "We's… be killin'… yous!" With those words, they charged Zander once more, the two swinging their blades towards his neck.
Zander ducked under the twin attack, managing to slink below their blades as if ducking under a bar. Their weapons hit nothing but air, swinging onwards with deadly momentum, and during that moment Zander took advantage of their massive, heavy weapons. Despite their deadly weight, they were far too heavy to move quickly, meaning that with every dodged hit Zander had a moment of opportunity to retaliate. He slashed into the side of the nearest hobgoblin, his sword sending a long, but shallow cut along its waist. Zander frowned as he fell back, taking the space gained by the newfound wound to get his bearings in the fight.
How do I do this? Both are stronger than me, as normal thrall are, but they're dumb as rocks. His eyes dashed around, looking for anything he could use as leverage. Nearby, back where the previous hobgoblin had stabbed its hand, allowing for him to land the killing blow, a collection of rubble spiked from the ground. Several jets of rock obstructed anyone going by, but if he moved carefully, he'd be able to use the terrain to his advantage.
Sprinting towards the rubble, he placed himself between the rocks that rose up to his shins, holding his sword towards the monsters that sprinted towards him, a small trickle of blood flowing from the wound placed along the size of one of their waists. As they pushed towards him, they ignored the large rocks around Zander's feet, lunging at him mindlessly with their overwhelming strength.
Thunk! Whoomph!
Just as their weapons neared his face, their toes hit the rocks, sending them tumbling to the ground, their faces plunging into the dirt. Before they could react, Zander had already chopped off their heads, a smirk implanting itself on his face as they rolled along the ground. Only three more rounds to go.
The next two rounds went by the same way. It seemed the smaller goblins had better planning. He'd faced one more enemy every time, and he'd led them like cattle to the slaughter, making them trip over chunks of rubble and rock before ending their lives. The goblin king roared with anger and fury, but he kept his word, sending in more hobgoblins, one more per round, until finally Zander was standing in the open arena, the last round awaiting him.
He'd been given a few more relaxed seconds as the king went on a wild, rambling rant about drinking and death, all the while stopping to drink from his tankard. He placed his hands on his knees as he felt his internal energy begin to flow back into him, recovering slightly. He had no real rate or units for calculating how much he got back per minute, but it certainly wasn't slow, at least not yet. He hadn't used much energy anyways, so he didn't care too much.
"Bring out da champion!" The goblin king shouted, slamming its foot into the ground. The earth around the arena shook, the ruined walls of the keep crumbling slightly, sending a small cascade of pebbles and snow onto the well-lit floor. As the king called forth its last fighter, Zander watched as a figure emerged from the darkness behind the goblin king's makeshift throne, a massive, hulking figure of muscle and might, covered in layers of chipped, thick armor that covered its features. It looked as if the monster was half metal, and upon further inspection Zander noticed that plates of its metallic exterior were welded into its skin, sending a shiver down his spine.
"We's be doin' the last round! Winner take all!" The goblin king shouted, and in an instant, the goblin champion dashed into the arena, jumping high into the air before slamming down into the ground, sending a shockwave of dust around the crowded expanse.
This guy… Throughout all the fights, Zander had noticed that while the goblins were tough as a group, individually they weren't very smart. They were sentient, and clearly had some form of intelligence, but strategy and precision seemed to fall away as they got stronger. The hobgoblins were no more than a blind beast, their strength overpowering any sense of caution or care they may have had for their well being. Something felt different here, however. Half of the champion's face was covered in a helmet-like skin, yet its eyes shone from behind its armor, glowing a bright, brilliant orange. Its eyes dashed around the arena, gathering its surroundings as it chose not to move, but to sit perfectly still.
I'll just lead it around to the rubble again. Surely this guy will follow the trend of stupidity, right? Zander asked himself as he squared his sword towards his enemy, coating it once more in that familiar, blue electricity. The champion watched him move slowly towards the monster, not moving a muscle, and Zander finally got a good view at the champion's set of weaponry.
The monster had a massive falcata along its back, over double the size of that on Earth. Zander paled as the champion drew its weapon, its lengthy, black blade gleaming in the orangish light, giving it the appearance of a flint showering sparks over the length of the weapon.
Like the hobgoblins, he began to feel a familiar aura emanating from the monster's fortified skin, its imposing presence pressing down on him, like a small stone sitting on his chest. It did not phase him, but it certainly did make him wary. A bead of sweat crept down Zander's face as he prepared himself, but before he could get the chance, the monster struck.
Clang!
Zander reacted fast, bringing his blade up in an attempt to block the attack, only just managing to block the strike in time. Sparks flew from their collided weapons as the champion's was knocked back, but it did not hesitate. Not missing a heartbeat, it leans into the rebound, slamming the weapon back down into Zander's sword, causing the man to take a step back.
It's so strong! He thought to himself as he backpedaled, blocking a few fatal strikes from the champion as it pressed onwards, overwhelming him with attacks. He swiped outward, attempting to draw the defense of the champion, but it ignored him, allowing his attack to rend the air, approaching its exposed body…
It glanced off
The armor shell embedded within its skin bounced off the attack, sending Zander reeling as it now slashed back towards him, having ignored his attack entirely. His expression turned into one of panic as he twisted his body violently, doing his best to adjust himself out of the line of danger, but the blade embedded itself along his waist, cutting a moderate cut along his side, sending a line of blood downward, dripping onto the rubble around his feet.
Zander gasped as the pain hit him, his [Calm Mind] keeping his mind somewhat in the zone, however he still doubled over in pain, clutching his side. His mind screamed to him as he felt the next attack incoming, using his free hand to slash the attack aside, the pure force of its strike sending vibrations down his hand. He shook as he regained his balance, tears involuntarily filling his eyes as the pain grew stronger.
I can't beat him! He thought to himself as he barely managed to parry the next few blows, his mind reeling. What could he do? The monster was stronger, faster, and clearly more experienced with the sword. He was outclassed on every level! He felt his control of the fight fade away slowly but surely as he took small cut after small cut, a few blots of bloody residue staining his armor.
Another blow rained down from above, one he couldn't possibly dodge. He lifted his sword above his head, the impact slamming into him, hitting him like a truck. He fell to a knee as the champion pressed down further, driving him further and further into the ground. He couldn't move, he couldn't get up, he couldn't fight back. So what could he do?
[Adrenaline]
He activated his last resort ability in a heartbeat, not daring to lose any further energy in this fight. The pain began to fade away, and suddenly his strength returned, finally being able to fight as if he had just slept a long night away. Grunting, he began to push, his sword lurching upwards, only to be pressed back down as the champion redoubled its efforts.
He still couldn't overpower the monster, but he did have a small plan formulating within the back of his mind, just one. Sweat dripped down from his head as his body kept energizing itself, and he knew he had to act before he accidentally fell into a berserk state. If he had no plan, he was sure to lose, and he knew it.
"Ah- RAAAAAAH!"
He roared as he once again pushed upwards with all his might, the blade rising above his head by nearly a foot before the goblin tried to bring it down upon him again, but this time, he did not attempt to block the attack. Instead, he dashed out of the way, letting the blade fall down upon him, piercing his thigh. However, it was already too late for the champion.
In the second he gained from throwing the champion's blade upwards, he slid towards the monster, dashing forward quickly. He let out a hoarse cry as the blade stabbed into his leg, but he ignored the pain as he rose his own blade, holding it horizontally.
"DIE!" He screamed as he stabbed his weapon into the fleshy side of the goblin's head, the bright blue lightning of his sword energy sparking, and then solidifying into a solid cover of light. As his blade entered the side of the monster's skull, the layer of sword energy exploded throughout its body, bounding around its internals and piercing several organs in just a few fractions of a second. Blood exploded from ever pore as the champion seemed to erupt with blood, showering Zander in a blanket of viscera.
Just… Die… Zander thought, collapsing to his knee as the champion fell over, its eyes exploded. The sword energy had pierced its eyes, then bounced into its brain, killing it instantly. It couldn't even fall over, instead raining down chunks of gore and guts as its form seemingly evaporated in an instant.
It was over…
"Da champion be dead!"