Jaded Series (Books 1-2)

Alim was glad that he didn't have to worry about Jin's breath attack affecting him at all as he slammed the boss back into the miasma. While it definitely interfered with his ability to see well inside it, at least he wasn't getting loaded up with Banes. However, he found himself wishing he had a weapon again, having declined the offer from the group each time they had bought something from the shop.

Rolling off the Goblin Chief, he tried to get lost in the fog as he regained his footing. Backing up the way he believed he had entered from, and where Jin should be, he kept his eyes scanning through the thick swirls of green and purple. He jumped and swung out with his shield when he felt something land on his shoulder, thinking it was an enemy, but was relieved when he saw it was only Clover, then became confused and worried at the Familiar's presence.

Alim couldn't help rolling his eyes when the little dragon tried talking to him with those lizard lips and forked tongue, but Clover eventually tried using the Whisper signs with those tiny clawed hands. "Jin gone. Kill goblins. You boss."

Oh, wonderful, Alim thought. I always wanted to solo a floor boss…

The distraction almost cost him as a large hook chain shimmering with violet light came at him from his left through the fog, shattering his [Mana Barrier], but luckily bouncing back off his [Reflective Shell], saving him from the same painful wound Jin had suffered. He wasn't sure if his conjured armor was more durable than Jin's bought items, but he didn't want to test it.

"May my mana be the barrier," he mentally incanted to reapply his barrier on himself.

Just focus, Alim, you don't need to kill it, just stay alive long enough for Jin to get back, he thought, continuing to back up and get clear of the fog. Once he was free of it, he spared a glance around to confirm that Jin really had left to go intercept other goblins. He also noticed a few melted goblins nearby that had dropped their makeshift weapons, and he took the chance to grab one of the half-melted hatchets. It was just a sharpened stone attached to a wooden shaft, but he figured it was better than nothing.

When he turned back to the wall of fog, his eyes went wide in surprise as a large wave of murky swamp water came straight towards him. He tried running diagonally away to avoid the Spell, but it was no use. It broke through his new barrier and slammed into his side, sweeping him off his feet and beyond the tree's draping vines.

He felt some kind of Corrosion Bane land on him that was slowly eating away at his Construct armor and shield, rather than his health. While it would suck to be without those, at least he wouldn't die a slow death. Coughing and sputtering the disgusting water that had tried to drown him, he staggered to his feet and saw the boss had also emerged from the tree's canopy and Jin's miasma, looking much the worse for wear.

The Goblin Chief likely had multiple stacks of [Numb], [Rot], and [Chemical Burn] from the sickly fog, based on the patches of black necrosis and green burns melting part of its face, along with how it stumbled as though its arms and legs weren't fully cooperating. The other injury of note was the black metal spear still sticking through the center of its throat. Apparently, Jin hadn't reconjured her spear yet, and the boss was smart enough not to want to bleed out.

The goblin's goat-like eyes were fixed on Alim like he was the whole reason for his current pain. While Alim was glad that his taunting had proven effective, he was not exactly thrilled to be alone at the moment. However, he was reminded in the next moment that he wasn't alone.

Clover launched off his shoulder to fly into the air, and when they got close enough, the little dragon let out its own breath attack. A brighter green smoke poured out to engulf the Goblin Chief with an [Acid Cloud] that Alim could only assume was eliciting screams of pain that he couldn't hear.

The Jade Dragon landed back on his shoulder and signed to him, "Lightning."

He nodded, triggering his [Wand Wielder] to construct the wand that had been primed already with the three powers he had chosen to try first for his [Runic Reservoir]. The first one he had chosen to store was [Last Bastion], mainly due to its long cooldown, but that wouldn't help too much currently.

The second was [Mana Barrier], primarily for those times when the whole group's barriers got taken out at once and he needed to spam the ability rather than dealing with the thirty-second cooldown. He went ahead and used one of those charges now to replenish the broken barrier before the boss could surprise him again.

When he could see the boss again, this time with the spear missing from his throat, Alim used all three of his last chosen powers at once. The Call Lightning Ritual wasn't an especially costly one when it came to materials, which was one of the reasons he had chosen it, but it did have a rather long incantation and high mana cost. Three blinding flashes later, the boss collapsed in a smoldering heap, and Alim got a new alert on his bracelet.

Congratulations! You have slain the Boss, Goblin Chief Goburakasha!

Each Champion who had participated in the Boss fight has been awarded 200 points! You may now proceed to the treasure room to claim additional prizes!

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

15 weeks and 2 days remain until the Second Floor becomes uninhabitable!

Alim had to cover his eyes as a bright golden light engulfed the giant tree. When it dimmed to a less blinding level, he was surprised to see that it had transformed into a large open rest area with a portal at its center, likely leading to the treasure room and the third floor beyond.

Clover tapped on his cheek to get his attention, and when he turned to look, they were excitedly hopping up and down in place, pointing between the dead boss, theirself, and him, but they were talking faster than he could hope to decipher and not using the hand signs. That was until they finally stopped long enough to use an unofficial sign and lifted an outstretched fist towards them.

With a small smile, Alim raised his own fist and bumped the little dragon's in celebration of their shared victory.

Jin was determined not to look back as she ran after Karam and Rayyan, not wanting to doubt her decision to leave Alim and follow their own strategy. She knew from gaming experience that not following the plan during a boss fight could cause even more deaths. Despite this not being a game, she had to assume those rules still applied, even if this wasn't the same kind of known strategy that had been tried and tested hundreds of times before. Gods, what she wouldn't give for a monster wiki to just hand her all the abilities and strats for everything in here.

She managed to catch up with the group just as they reached Karam's [Fragrant Mire] area, and she grinned as the goblins stepped on the bouncy mushroom only to destroy them in little puffs of smoke, triggering the random assortment of Banes. They howled in pain and annoyance, stopping their chase to try to escape the softly glowing zone of fungi. She almost laughed when one of the goblins started sprouting mushrooms on itself, like some sort of magical pox.

The fun didn't last long, though, as one of the goblins threw a makeshift javelin at the pair of boys and managed to hit Karam in the thigh. His cry of pain was the trigger for Jin to reconjure her [Silent Spear] and use [Vorpal Charge] to skewer the attacking goblin from behind in an act of instant karma.

With a new target on this side of the field of painful mushrooms, the goblins turned to attack her, just like she had hoped, but quickly realized it would be a challenge for her to take on five goblins at once. They had usually gone for sneak attacks and smaller groups that they could divide and conquer. Being on her own and easily surrounded was not something she had needed to deal with before, but it wasn't like she had much of a choice but to try her best; after all, it wasn't just her life that depended on it.

Jin continued to attack with [Hollow Strike] and [Piercing Thrust], landing most of her strikes and taking another of the goblins down. She was still bleeding from the boss's hook attack, and one of the goblins landed a couple of strikes with a rusty sword to her calf and bicep.

She had a bit of an advantage with her [Solo Player] Talent, boosting all her attributes while she fought alone, and her Armor of the Bloodthirsty was healing her with each attack, but she didn't know how much longer she would last with her mana and stamina dwindling. Considering how much she had already spent on the boss, she was almost surprised she was still standing at this point.

A pleasant scent hit her nose, like vanilla and peaches, as a [Refreshing Mist] enveloped the area around her, helping increase her health and stamina regen. She chanced a glance to see Karam had moved closer but stayed within the field of mushrooms to try and support her, his thigh covered in a silky [Regenerative Cocoon].

She didn't see Rayyan at first, until she heard him playing his flute from further back on the far edge of the fungi zone. She wasn't sure at first which ability he was attempting to use until three of the four remaining goblins started to look sleepy.

Jin recalled what Rayyan had shown her on his bracelet when he joined, having explained that this ability had helped him and the group of lovers traverse the swamp without too much combat required. It hadn't been enough to take on the Fighters, though. He had also explained that damage being dealt to a target would usually break the effect and make them more resistant to it.

She still took the opportunity to lunge at one of the sleepy targets and shove a Hollow and Thrust through its head. Immediately after that, she triggered [Leap] to avoid an attack from the other and then combo'd her [Death from Above] to take out another sleepy target, leaving only two left to take down.

Pulling her spear out of that impaled goblin, she turned to take out the last sleepy one, already feeling a mana headache coming on. Foregoing the [Hollow Strike] that would take more mana, she settled for just a [Piercing Thrust] as she lunged at the target.

The goblin seemed to snap out of its stupor when the music suddenly stopped, and it managed to dodge Jin's initial attack, but she was quick on the follow-up, sliding the spear through her grip like she had thousands of times by now to arc up and back to thrust again, landing a blow in its chest and knocking it to the ground where her spear pinned it.

It didn't seem to be dead yet as it thrashed beneath her, but Karam's cry of, "Jin! It's after Ray!" distracted her from finishing it off. Not letting the goblin up, she quickly scanned for Rayyan and saw the last goblin, who hadn't been targeted by the sleep Spell, had decided to go for their bard instead of chasing her around, like she had expected.

Leaving her spear to keep the goblin under her pinned, so it couldn't attack Karam, Jin took off running straight for the fleeing pair. She was not going to fail at keeping her teammates alive again.

The goblin had managed a hit on Rayyan's calf, causing the man to trip and tumble in the mud, and just as the goblin moved to thrust its rusty sword straight through Rayyan's face, Jin managed to put herself between the two, forming a fist and triggering [Maw of the Dragon], watching her hand transform into a dragon's head to bite the goblin in half, consuming the upper portion entirely.

It did not eat the sword that was buried in her chest, however, and as the goblin's lower half collapsed to the ground, so too did Jin. Her mana completely gone, and her health still dangerously low, blackness consumed her senses.