NOVEL NEXT Chapter 25: Going berserk
Ronan leaned against the stone wall of the tunnel, catching a quick breather. Dana was resting on the opposite wall, coiling up her whip.
There were a few goblins left of this current group, but they were briefly held back by a barrage of mana bolts and arrows from the reliable father-son duo. Ronan found himself growing more impressed with their accuracy with every moment.
Dana stroked the whip as if it were her baby, even whispering as she did so. It was a little creepy, but Ronan couldn't help admitting it kind of turned him on. She was just as wild as him when it came to fighting the goblins and he respected her strength.
Dana noticed his gaze and winked at him. He flashed a smile back, but it twisted into a frown as he caught sight of Keith wheezing and panting as he came around the corner.
Well, there was nothing he could do. At least the guy was trying. Ronan turned back to the final goblins. One archer and one warrior, wielding a shield and sword.
Ronan met the grunt's shield with a shoulder charge, smashing it off balance. Dana's whip cracked and slashed its chest open. He heard a whistle. A hole appeared in the goblin's face.
You have killed [Lesser Goblin Warrior Lv.13]!
+24 Copper Credits
+1 [Pugilist] Mastery
+Lesser Goblin Ears (Common)
A twang sounded and he saw an arrow embedded in the ground. As he watched, the arrow started to dissipate into motes of bluish light. Mana.
That was Terry's secret to where he kept his arrows. It was a skill. Had he received the skill first and decided to become an archer, or was he just that lucky?
It didn't matter. He was a deadly shot and knew how to fit in with their attacking patterns. Another mana bolt screamed overhead and exploded against the archer's chest.
It stumbled back, screeching as its flesh sizzled. It raised its bow and fired off a wild shot that bounced off the stone. Dana's arm rippled like a snake and her whip danced, carving a sliver of flesh from its face.
Now, the only enemy remaining was one of the damn berserkers. The first one had shown its mettle, leaving Ronan bloody and tired.
These bastards were tough as hell, putting even Ronan to shame in sheer bullheaded tenacity. The more damage they took, the faster and wilder their attack patterns became.
A mana bolt tore through its calf but the goblin took it in stride. The swirling red tattoos that decorated its torso flared to life and its figure blurred. Dana had to throw herself to the ground to avoid the arc of its axe.
Ronan jumped in the gap, throwing out a sharp jab. Its other axe slashed upwards to meet his fist, shearing off his little finger.
The digit flew away in a spurt of blood, the goblin cackling at the sight. Its eyes were so bloodshot they were almost completely red as it unleashed a furious barrage with its twin axes.
Ronan struggled to keep up. Dodging was difficult at this speed, so he settled for parrying most of the blows.
The bleeding damage was stacking up, but he felt a level up on the horizon. He hadn't gained a level killing the first group of the green bastards, most likely due to the shared experience penalty.
An axe descended from above like the blade of a guillotine. An arrow whistled past his ear, but it missed by an inch. Jackson's mana bolt screamed wide too.
It was just a man against a blade. Ronan had held off using his coup de grace until now, but he really didn't want an axe to the face.
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Instead of dodging, he stepped left and swung with his fist. His knuckles caught the edge of the blade, but his aim was off.
The razor sharp metal carved right through bone and he was another finger down. It didn't matter, because he'd shoved the strike off kilter.
Even at the blistering speed the goblin was moving, there were minute gaps between attacks to take advantage of. Ronan had extended the gap with his riposte and before the other axe swung up to carve his chest open his fist exploded forwards, crackling with mana.
The goblin didn't care that a deadly strike was racing at its face. It kept grinning the entire time. Even when Ronan's fist smashed into its nose, shattering it.
Cartilage and blood sprayed outwards. The berserker didn't even care. It still swung its axe. Before the blade could bite into his flesh, the destructive mana blast hit.
Flesh rippled as the wave surged through it, before bursting. Like a water balloon the berserker's head exploded, showering Ronan and his surroundings in gore.
You have killed [Goblin Berserker Lv.16]!
+33 Copper Credits
+3 [Pugilist] Mastery
+1 [Mana] Mastery
+Goblin Toes (Common)
+Cursed Goblin Axe Lv.15 (Uncommon)
You have leveled up to Lv.12!
You have been restored!
+2 Strength
+1 Agility
+1 Vitality
+1 Endurance
+2 Free Stat Points
Ronan exhaled, spitting coppery blood from his mouth. Leveling up healed his wounds, but it couldn't do anything for all the blood that had been spilled.
He wiped the sweat and grime from his brow. That had been the second group of goblins they'd encountered so far. The tunnel still hadn't expanded, but it was definitely taking them further upwards, a gentle incline steepening the further they walked.
There weren't any pressing weaknesses he wanted to shore up with his free stat points, but he'd chosen his path. Fighting those crazed berserkers showed him just how slow he really was.
He put both points into agility. He wanted to make it equal to his strength for now. A balance between the two seemed optimal for his fighting style.
Every time he felt that he had grown used to the strength of the tutorial's challenges, it ramped them up a notch. Not that he minded. Part of the thrill was the fact that victory wasn't guaranteed.
Not alone, anyway.
As it was, even if he got his ass handed to him, the goblins would simply get torn apart by mana bolts, arrows, and the serpentine cracks of Dana's whip. It was a fluid party structure.
They were only missing a proper tank. Maybe a healer. Ronan was filling the role of their frontline, but he wasn't really suited to soaking up damage.
No, he was better at punching stuff. It was working fine for now though and they had no other choice, so complaining would be pointless.
"You good man?" Terry asked him.
"Honestly, I want a burger. And a steak. Then a mountain of fries and maybe a cheesecake to wash it all down. It's… weird that we don't get hungry here," Ronan replied.
He'd noticed it after fighting the horde. Even after all the fighting and just… existing, his stomach hadn't rumbled once and he'd not felt a pang of hunger.
Terry gave him a weird look. "Well, I can empathise with missing food. If there's still anything left of the world when we get back, I gotta cook my famous chickpea curry for you," he replied.
Chickpea? Don't tell me this monster of a man is a vegan!? Ronan thought, partly horrified that someone would give up on the delights of red meat and partly terrified that Terry was still that enormous without it.
Dana had an amused expression on her face as she listened in. Jackson seemed ready to add to the conversation but a garbled screech interrupted the brief moment of normality.
Ronan sighed and slapped his cheeks. "I guess this is their nest or something. The place is crawling with them."
"It's like a boss raid," Jackson exclaimed, eyes widening. "Does that mean…"
"There's going to be some mean motherfuckers waiting for us at the end," Dana finished for him. "What? A girl can't play some games in her free time?" she added with mock affront when all four men turned to stare at her.
This group was smaller than the last two, but it had two berserkers and three warriors instead. It would be tough.
Ronan stomped the ground twice as if he were an angry bull before rushing towards the first warrior. The short goblin was tossed into the air when Ronan almost flattened himself against the ground and sprung upwards into its abdomen.
He didn't wait to see its fate before turning onto the next monster. They were getting into a rhythm and he trusted his teammates to cover his back while he went wild.
It didn't take long to deal with the three warriors, but Ronan ignored the notifications. Rather than taking turns, both berserkers charged at him together.
One wielded dual axes and the other had a broadsword clutched in both hands. This would be tough, but he loved a challenge.