The Chronicles of Leafshade [Isekai/LitRPG]

Phase two was deceptively simple.

With all its minions defeated, the King Kobold let out a guttural snarl before abruptly digging into the ground. Its massive claws tore through the stone floor like it was mere dirt, leaving behind a yawning hole as its massive form disappeared beneath the surface.

"It's gone under!" Elena hissed, eyes wide. "Again. I hate when it does that."

We immediately closed ranks, standing back to back in a tight formation. Our breathing was heavy, magic crackling at our fingertips, weapons drawn and ready.

"Hold steady," I said. "Wait for Darwyn's mark."

Unlike the Kobold Diggers that struck from below, this thing was smarter and faster. It could ambush us from any direction.

The only thing keeping us alive? Darwyn's eyes and senses.

His eyes flickered across the battlefield, analyzing every shift in the terrain. Then, in a firm, decisive voice, he called out.

"Muradin! Three o'clock, from the wall!"

Muradin reacted instantly.

"I see it!" he roared, pivoting just in time.

The King Kobold burst from the sidewall in a blur of movement, claws extended like twin scythes.

CLANG!

Muradin barely managed to intercept the attack with his shield. The force sent him skidding back, his boots scraping against the stone floor.

"NOW!" Darwyn shouted.

The moment Muradin halted its momentum, the rest of us launched our strongest attacks. Lightning crackled, wind howled, and arrows tore through the air, piercing into the King Kobold with unrelenting force.

The King Kobold howled in pain and fury, twisting as its hide was punctured and scorched.

But it didn't stay long.

With another shriek, it vanished into the floor again, only to erupt from the ceiling seconds later.

"Above!" Elena screamed.

Muradin spun, grunting as he absorbed another crushing blow. His shield, already dented, groaned under the strain.

"I can take this all day, you overgrown rat!" he spat, even as blood trickled from his lip.

Again and again, the pattern repeated.

Each time it tunneled, Darwyn called it out. Each time it emerged, Muradin intercepted. And we struck with everything we had.

But time was wearing us down.

Muradin's movements had slowed, his breathing ragged.

"Hold… on…" he muttered, stumbling back from the last clash. His shield arm trembled.

"Muradin, fall back," I urged.

"Not… yet…" he growled. "I drop, we all drop."

Around us, the battlefield was crumbling,pitted with gaping holes, unstable footing. One wrong step meant a one-way trip into the dark below.

Yet, we weren't the only ones struggling.

The King Kobold limped now, one leg dragging. Its silver-streaked fur was singed and caked with blood. Every time it leapt from the wall or ceiling, its timing faltered, its claws missed by inches.

"It's wearing down," Orin panted, wiping soot from her cheek.

"We're getting through to it," Darwyn confirmed, nocking another arrow. "How much longer, Erynd?"

I tightened my grip on my scepter and narrowed my eyes.

"If my calculations are right," I said grimly, "we're minutes away from Phase Three."

"Like we discussed, right?" Elena said. "That's when it gets really dangerous."

The ground trembled again, more violently than before.

A low, guttural growl rose from beneath us.

Darwyn's voice was cold. "Then we'd better finish this soon. Don't die."

***

Minutes had passed.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

The air felt heavier, charged with an ominous energy.

RUMBLE!

The entire room quaked violently. Cracks splintered across the stone floor. The King Kobold was nowhere to be seen.

Without warning, the floor collapsed beneath us.

"Shoot!" I barely had time to curse before we were all plunging into darkness.

The chasm was deep, far deeper than it seemed from above. The howling void swallowed us whole, the wind roaring past our ears as we fell.

Through the abyss, Darwyn's voice rang out.

"Fifteen! Fourteen! Thirteen!"

With no hesitation, we all reached into our inventories, pulling out the one item that would save our lives.

"Three… Two… One."

"Now!" Darwyn commanded.

[Featherfall Tonic used]

A cool sensation rushed through my body as I swallowed the Featherfall Tonic. My descent slowed instantly, the magic within the potion negating the lethal impact.

Without it? We'd be dead on arrival.

Our boots touched down gently onto the floor of a vast, flooded chamber. Ice-cold water reached our ankles. Total darkness surrounded us. Silent, suffocating, absolute.

"Darwyn?" I called.

[Illumne cast]

A brief glow illuminated the chamber. We were able to check the surroundings before it's fading again.

We split up, moving swiftly into position. The room was circular, with jagged walls offering small alcoves. Perfect hiding spots.

"So close," Muradin muttered.

"Everyone stay low," Darwyn whispered. "Don't move. Don't even breathe unless I say so."

Suddenly, a massive form crashed into the chamber, sending shockwaves through the water.

King Kobold had arrived.

Dim, eerie light began to pulse from the crystals embedded in the walls, casting unsettling shadows across the chamber. Though it wasn't much, it was enough to reveal one crucial advantage.

We were hidden in the darkness.

King Kobold straightened, its heavy tail rising high, charged with deadly energy.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

The tail slammed into the ground, over and over. The entire cavern shook. Stone cracked and splintered. Water from the surrounding reservoirs sloshed violently, and the air itself seemed to vibrate with the sheer force of the King Kobold's fury.

"By the gods…" Elena muttered under her breath, gripping her bow tight. "That thing could crush us like bugs."

With a sudden roar, the King Kobold spun violently, its tail sweeping through the chamber like a scythe of death.

FWOOOSH—CRASH!

The wind from the arc alone was enough to rattle our bones.

"One hit…" I whispered, clutching my scepter. "One hit, and we're done."

We didn't move. We didn't speak.

We just waited.

The barrage continued. The tail slammed and spun and slammed again, breaking stone and sending debris flying. Time stretched. The seconds dragged like hours.

And then… silence.

I let out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

"Everyone okay?" Orin whispered urgently.

"Still breathing," Elena said with a shaky exhale.

"No casualties," Darwyn confirmed, eyes trained on the monster. "Not yet."

But we knew this wasn't over.

King Kobold's attack pattern was brutal. A short pause… then another devastating spin. We had mere seconds to strike before we had to retreat again.

"Light him up!" I shouted.

In those narrow windows, we unleashed hell. Darwyn and Elena's arrows pierced into the monster's head.

Then the tail twitched, rising again.

"Fall back!" Darwyn commanded.

We dove into the shadows.

Again. And again.

Once.

Twice.

Four times.

"We've got this down," Elena whispered through clenched teeth. "Just a few more rounds."

BAAAAAAM!

The tail came crashing down, right on top of Muradin.

"Mister Bromir!!" Orin screamed.

King Kobold snarled, slamming the ground again and again as Orin screamed.

We froze, staring through the swirling dust. As the debris settled, we could see Muradin.

"Ugh… I'm not dead?"

Muradin stood in the clearing, knees trembling, shield held high but half-crushed, his chest heaving like bellows.

"You lucky bastard…" Darwyn muttered. "You scared the life out of me, you idiot."

I swallowed hard, my heart hammering in my chest.

"That was too close," I murmured. "Far too close."

But there was no time to rest.

We struck the monster that was running out of energy.

***

After several more rounds of brutal attacks, with some close calls, the battle finally reaching it ends.

King Kobold was nearing its limit. Its movements sluggish, its once-dominating form weakened. But if we didn't end this now…

It would escape. And trap us here until the Tower closes.

"Wait." Orin's voice cut through the tension.

We turned to see her, staff raised, a strange blue energy swirling around it.

"Orin, what are you—"

The energy surged. A soft, radiant light enveloped the King Kobold, its massive body locking into place.

We stared in shock. This wasn't in the plan.

"Finish it." Orin's voice was steady, unwavering.

[Quickdraw cast]

Muradin's equipment shifted in an instant. His shield and hammer vanished, replaced by two massive axes, Mordok's Battleaxe.

Without hesitation, I cast Inner Beast on Muradin, feeding him raw power.

He raised both axes high, muscles tensing, before bringing them down in a devastating, earth-shattering blow.

[Thunderstrike Slam cast]

A twin-axe strike, imbued with the raw force of a storm.

The impact was cataclysmic. A shockwave tore through the room, sending ripples through the water, the sound deafening. The King Kobold shuddered.

Then, with one last agonized roar, it collapsed. Dead.

We stood there, catching our breath, the enormity of our victory settling in.

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Something unexpected emerged before us.