19 Dazzled

He's tough, Ned admitted. So far, the Goblin-orc was the toughest monster, Ned encountered. Even with the three of them attacking the huge Goblin, they cannot land a single attack. Aside from its head, and joints, the rest of its body was fully covered with iron armor, they have no other way to attack the beast. Unless they found its weakness and precisely striking it.

"Shit, he can even use magic!" Ned let out a deep breath before he lunged towards the Goblin-orc's disfigured head, precisely targeting its eye. 

But Ned's speed wasn't enough to strike first. On his way, the goblin orc disappeared on everyone's sight. The second it appeared, it was now beside Xi who was ready to release an arrow. 

Startled, Xi released the arrow accidentally. Hitting a pillar not far from where Ned stood. The Goblin-orc focused its attack on Xi's neck. But blocked by Toni's dagger before it could even reach. Sparks split away from the Goblin-orc's blade. 

Ned was impressed by Toni's handle of the dagger. She wasn't even using her Magic, yet. Air hissed every time she slashed her dagger. But everyone has a limit. Even for Toni.

The stone that the Hybrid was holding lit, and a faint blue and green light shone. The fire started to form on its left hand and smoke finds its way out. The fireball was formed throwing it towards Toni at a close range. 

With two daggers holding the Hybrid's sword. Toni doesn't have a way out off the fireball attack. But before it could reach Toni. It changes its direction and shot on Xi's incoming arrow. The fireball swallowed to arrow whole and traveled towards Xi. Xi evaded the fireball by jumping at his left. Ground smashed and debris scattered all over when the fireball hit the ground.

Not far from them, even at tiger form, Coco has been struggling to fend off the rest of the Goblins. 

The Goblins were not just ordinary, they wore armor, artacking with weapons, and Coco was greatly outnumbered. Coco's electric charge killed only five goblin Warriors. And since Coco was only borrowing his strength on Ned's blood, he must finish the rest of the Goblins as quickly as he could before his strength runs out.

Seeing Coco's condition, Ned decided to take on the Goblin-orc by himself and asked Toni and Xi to support Coco. 

"I'll take on the Hybrid, you two support Coco!" Ned ordered. Brandishing the Butterfly, he provoked the Goblin-orc. "We have no other way out, but to go back!" 

"We'll try to clear the way," Toni added, she knew without her magic, she will have a hard time clearing the rest of the goblin warriors. But it wasn't impossible. With a hint of hope. She knew they will survive this.

"Toni! I'll support you from behind," Xi guaranteed. He pulled an arrow and shot at the goblins encircling  Coco.

"Uh!" Toni nodded. With a speed faster than a normal human. Toni rushed towards Coco. 

"It's just you and me, smelly head," Ned provoked. I'll hold him, enough for them to clear the path going back to the iron door. Ned thought. ICE evaluate.

[Energy decreasing fast.]

[Vanish skill 2.]

[Overclocking available.]

[The rest are stable.]

Good. Ned smiled. I can't take on a direct hit from him. And even at long range, he's got a fireball spell. Sweat formed on Ned's forehead. This is tough. The thing on his left hand, every time he cast a spell it shines. Ned wondered. 

He was right, the stone on the Goblin-orc's left hand emitted a faint light. Then fire enveloped its blade. A fire sword was formed. The ground trembled and echoed throughout the entire chamber every time the Hybrid moves. Massive but fast, he leaped towards Ned, with the firesword on the front, he was ready to slice Ned. 

A normal hunter's clothes, a vambrace on his left arm, and a will to fight were enough for Ned to take on the massive Hybrid. 

Ned approached the Hybrid. He knew with its massive build, he was faster than the Hybrid. He dashed, and when they were about to clash, Ned bent his knees. The bent was too low he was now sliding on the ground with its knees. He raised his sword then slashed the Hybrid's legs. 

But since it was full of armor, the attack was not effective at all. Sparks flew where the Butterfly and the armor met. 

The Goblin-orc saw the human on the ground, he thrust his blade and struck. But Ned evaded the attack. The ground cracked and the blade sunk in the ground. Almost half of the blade was now stuck on the ground. But even stuck, the fire on the blade was getting stronger and stronger.

Ned smiled, not because of the Hybrid's blade was stuck on the ground, but because he saw an opening in his armor. The Hybrid's underarm was wide open. So wide, Ned can hit his underarm three times in a row. 

The Hybrid pulled the blade on the ground, like a hot knife sunk on a butter. Smooth and easy. Then, the stone on his left hand shone again. 

Shit! Ned cursed. With his current state, laying on the ground, with no time to get up, Ned swallowed his saliva. He knew he had to take on the Fireball, directly. With his body and his sword raised horizontally to block the incoming Fireball. Ned braced himself.

With almost a meter away from Ned, the Fireball was formed. The air scorched, the surroundings shone red. The Hybrid smirked, laughed, and sneered. The smile of victory. His eyes flashed with excitement. 

[Notice. Massive amount of pure mana detected.]

With the spell complete, the Hybrid, shot the Fireball directly to Ned. The surrounding boomed, the ground cracked, and the air sparked. 

"Ned!" Toni shouted, cutting a goblin warrior on its neck. 

"Ned!" Xi cried, shooting an arrow and hitting a goblin warrior on its eye. 

Groar! Coco roared. 

They wanted to go and check Ned, but the Goblin Warriors were stopping them from moving an inch. 

"No!" Toni cried, her eyes started to turn red. "Ned! No!" She cried and cried. With no response from Ned. The air around her turned glacial and a chilling aura enveloped her. A golden thread of hair started to form, masking some of her dark hair. A blue cloudy mist started to breathe out of Toni's body. 

The surrounding started to feel arctic. With goblins in shock, and out of instinct, they started to move backward. One step at a time, they retreated away from Toni. But, it was too late, pillars of ice started to form on the ground. Goblins numbered for about twenty ran and tried to avoid the pillars of ice randomly spiking off the ground. 

A Goblin was pierced by the ice and was mutilated. Its armor couldn't save the goblin. Others were struck and tossed midair. Head pierced, body stabbed to half, some are entirely frozen. Others ran out of fear. But no blood dripped the ground, before the blood could hit the ground, it was frozen. 

At the same time, Xi's Heart beating fast, muscles couldn't move, and sweat dripped off his face, he was dazzled. He was surprised that some random strangers he joined were full of overly powerful individuals. A guy without magic who soloed an evolved Goblin - mixed with an orc and can cast a spell. An overly shy lady, who he taught was rouge because of her weapon of choice. Was actually super, Mana infused, a magical mage with a very rare element that killed twenty or so goblins, that needed almost two groups to kill. An adorable cat, who he taught was just for grabbing girls' attention, was actually a super rare species of Elemental Cat, and having a very rare thunder element, that can evolve into a fierce tiger. 

And there he was, with only a bow and a handful of arrows, a small amount of mana, and embarrassed enough to show his spell for it was so weak, that cannot be called tier 1. If there's a tier 0 spell, Xi would classify his skill as tier 0. What in the world did he get into? Is what Xi's face tells. He'd rather be a Hollow and be like Ned. Xi thought. Ned. "Ned!" Xi cried. Suddenly, Xi felt a hot sensation running on his side. It was too late for him to notice that he was hit by an arrow. He fell off the ground, and blood started to flow out of his side.

Iron carts, wooden living quarters, rusty chains could now be seen. Smoke started to settle down and the Goblin-orc's face was satisfied. Cause he knew, that the Fireball was a direct hit. 

Right in front of the Hybrid, smoke enveloped where Ned laid, fumes started to disperse. The light started to shine and burn. Sphere of fire started to form and spin around, devouring all matter surrounding it, smoke, fire, and air were being devoured by the Sphere of Fire. "Fireball!" A voice resonated inside the chamber. 

Eyes bulging out. Surprised, the Hybrid jumps off away from the sphere of fire. But it was too late, the sphere flew and boomed right on its body. The Hybrid was thrown off the chamber. The green and orange striped skin that was visible under the armor was burnt. Skin sizzled, the Hybrid roared at top of its lung. 

After the smoke was completely devoured, Ned was now visible laying on the ground, with the Butterfly raised upwards. 

Toni snapped and saw Ned was alive. The chilling aura was now settling down. She regained her consciousness. But one after the other, Toni was surprised to see Xi on the ground, laying flat with blood flowing out his body. "Xi, no," she muttered. 

Some Goblins, that weren't killed by Toni's attack started to regroup. The remaining goblins knew that if they can't kill the humans, the Goblin-orc will be the one to kill them.

Meanwhile, Ned was still lying on the ground. "Thank you, Master," Ned said. With the impact of Ned's Fireball. The surrounding was, if not completely destroyed, unrecognizable. Chambers after chambers, all destroyed. But Ned noticed a chamber where the Hybrid was thrown. It was a chamber with mechanical surroundings. Ned saw a room with a mechanical lift going up. "That's it!" Ned cried and got up.

Ned saw that the Hybrid got up the same time as him. Time to finish this. Activate Predictive Combat Emulator. Ned ordered ICE.

[Predictive Combat Emulator activated.]

Ned was surprised to see that the numbers that appeared on his display were at a single digit.  No weaknesses huh. Ned thought. Only 5% was shown on Hybrid's underarm. We'll see about that.

[Should you want me to control your body this time?]

No. This one's on me. "Vanish," Ned muttered.

The moment Ned appeared, he was already at the back of the Hybrid. Heavy, swift, and precise. He stabbed the Goblin-orc's underarm. Green blood spewed, spraying everywhere, some grazed Ned's face, his clothes, and on the ground. The green blood painted an abstract art on the ground. Ned smiled. But not for long.

"Ned!" Toni shouted the first time Ned heard Toni shouted. "Ned!"

At a distance, he saw Xi, on the ground, lying flat, unmoving, and blood flowed coming out from his side. Coco was trying to block the remaining goblins storming towards them. Toni blocking Xi's wounds, by instinct she's trying to put pressure on it. 

With the Hybrid on the ground, unmoving. Ned raced toward Xi. 

Ned saw that an arrow pierced through Xi's stomach. Blood flowed out his hunter's clothes. 

Xi opened his eyes and saw Ned and Toni on his side. Trying to say something, in a whizzing voice. The chamber was crowded with monsters and Coco fighting them. Ned had to move closer to Xi for him to be alone to hear him. 

Some Goblins made past Coco, with no other way, Toni had to make a path and find a safe place for Xi to rest. She kept on slashing goblins, one after the other. 

Ned, on the other hand, listened to Xi's mumbling.

"Le...leave....leave me."

"No, No one's leaving somebody, especially you, Xi," Ned assured him. "Let go, let go, let me see your wounds." Ned survived countless battles, simply because he was focused. And being focused is what he needed now. Ned saw that the blood stopped flowing. Which means the arrow didn't pierce through. With the tip stuck inside Xi's left waist, Ned had to make instant decisions. Pulling out will resume the blood leak. But keeping it for a long time will infect the wound. Ned knew both were critical decisions. Especially without a healer in the group. Pulling the arrow out, the blood will leak, and the risk of him dying of blood loss will be higher. Ned examined. ICE, evaluate the subject, Xi. 

[Evaluate complete.]

[Judging from the distance. No major organs were damaged. But the rate of infection is higher if the arrow remains inside his body.]

[Suggestion. Pull the arrow and close the wound by scorching using metal objects.]

"Toni," Ned saw Toni searching for a place to rest. And with two Goblin left. Coco finished them with ease. Now with Toni on his side, Ned asked Toni to help him carry Xi towards the room with a mechanical lift. "I saw a chamber with a mechanical lift, let's put Xi there." 

With a slow pace, and a drip of blood trailed the three reached the mechanical room. "You'll be fine Xi, don't worry," Ned assured him once more. Ned remembered that the Goblin-orc's blade was enveloped with fire, he decided to take the blade off the Hybrid's unmoving body. 

"Okay, I'm going to pull the arrow out and this will hurt a bit, but you'll be fine, at the count of three," with determined eyes, and unwilling Xi. Ned swiftly pulled the arrow out.  "Three!"

Blood rivered off Xi's waist, but not for long. Without a second thought, Ned laid the Goblin-orc's scorching blade on the wound. 

"Mother F—!" Xi cried at the top of his lungs, sweat dripped down his face, tears splashed, mouth drooled, and nose slimed. Xi's skin sizzled and steamed, but the wound was closed. Xi smelled roasted meat. But he knew it was his own flesh.

With the four gathered inside the mechanical lift, they heaved a sigh of relief. But, not for long.