Back to Back Battle - II

"Argh!..."

*Thud* *thud*

*KREEE!~* *KEE!~*

*KREEEKEKE~* *KEKEKEEE~*

"Dammit!... I got careless!..."

After Ash fell down on his back after he got clobbered up by the sneaky Goblin's blunt weapon, he immediately rolls his body away from it and gets himself up kneeling.

He couldn't help but curse himself for his carelessness and covered the part of his face that got hit with his palm- attempting to feel relief from the burning sensation he's feeling on his face...

*KREEE!~* *KEE!~*

*KREEEKEKE~* *KEKEKEEE~*

Seeing that the human in front of it was still on his knees, the Goblin took its chance and dashes towards Ash again, not giving him a breather.

It screamed in delight and in a mocking manner thinking that it's an easy kill. It held its blunt weapon similar to a club up high, ready to smash Ashs's skull to pieces.

*KREEEKEKE~* *KEKEKEEE~*

Ash ignored the aching feeling from his face upon seeing the Goblin swiftly dashing towards him and stood up. He held his sword in front and got into a stance.

*KREEE!~*

*Swiiiiiiiiiiish*

When it reached closed enough, it swung its weapon towards Ash's head again however, he too immediately took action and...

*Dong!* *Clang!*

A dull sound resounded when both of his and the Goblin's weapons clashed against each other. They were in a deadlock for a short while as if testing both of their strengths.

Ash refused to drag the fight any longer so he slightly shifted his wrists and used his physical strength to push the Goblin back.

It caused the Goblin to stagger backwards but was still able to stay on its toes although barely due to the momentum.

'Good thing they're not much that stronger than me...'

"Ha!"

He took advantage of the Goblin's unstable footing and dashed towards it pointing his sword towards the Goblin's chest with a battle cry.

*Punchi!*

*Crack!*

Ash's sword pierced through the Goblin's chest and within the certain depth of its body, and an inaudible cracking sound can be heard.

This was Ash's target all along after his short conversation with Wise before they got interrupted.

He found out about their weakness and the most effective way of dealing with the monsters through Wise's analysis.

*Hiss*

Not long after that, the Goblin's body immediately disintegrated leaving a broken crystal in its place.

[*Alert!... more hos-*]

"Huff... huff... Later Wise..."

Focusing his attention on the remaining Goblins that are still coming at him and refusing to get himself distracted, he cut off Wise's words... which he would soon regret.

Ash once again lured the Goblins towards vantage positions where he could easily pick them off one by one.

*KREEE!~* *KEE!~*

*GRREEEEEEE!* *KREE!~*

*GRAAAAAAR!*

*GRREEEEEEE!* *KREE!~*

"Huff... huff... Only three remaining..."

Ash said while constantly moving from one place to another to avoid getting ganged upon.

"Huff... huff... hmm?"

While they're having their chasing game, ash noticed that the remaining Goblins only have short weapons in their hands so he thought...

'I have the reach advantage with my sword... I think I can face them head-on...'

And so he pushed himself further and dashed towards his front intending to gain a bit of a distance.

'Hmm... this is far enough!'

Glancing behind him and seeing that he has taken enough distance, he stopped and abruptly turned around.

*Swoosh!*

He dashed towards the Goblin at the side who was holding a rusty dagger in its hand and caught in unprepared...

*Swiiiish!*

"KREEE!?"

*Punchiiiii!*

The Goblin with a dagger in hand widened its eyes upon seeing Ash swiftly coming towards it.

It was only able to make a single gibberish sound when the cold glint of Ash's sword cleanly latched at its torso and completely severing it into two.

*Thud* *Thud*

*Hiss*

Successfully slaying another one of the Goblins, he didn't relax even for a moment and set his eyes to the remaining two.

*GRREEEEEEE!* *KREE!~*

*Swoooosh!*

One goblin holding an Axe somehow propelled itself and lunged towards Ash mid-air while the other one with a broken shortened spear was dashing towards him from the right.

*KREEE!~* *KEE!~*

*Swiiiiish!*

*Shiiing!*

Ash made a side-step and rolls his body, dodging the rusty Axe of the landing Goblin. The other one saw an opportunity and pointed its spear towards Ash however he didn't fail to notice it...

*Clang!*

Successfully blocking the spear with his sword, Ash raised his leg. And with every bit of strength he could muster, made a side-kick towards the Goblin's chest.

The poor Goblin crashed to a nearby tree before falling on the ground.

*Bang!*

*Crash* *Thud!*

While the other Goblin was still struggling to get back on its feet, Ash turned his eyes towards the last standing Goblin and was about to rush towards it when...

*KEE!~* *KREEE!~*

*Swooosh!*

It threw its Axe towards him before following through. Ash didn't expect the Goblin to do what it just did and widened his eyes since he was caught off guard.

Fortunately and almost instantly after seeing the lunging Axe, he instinctively raised his sword towards the front barely making it in time to block the incoming projectile...

*Cling!* *Clang!*

*KEE!~* *KREEE!~*

After blocking the attack, he could help but think...

'Crazy little rascal... now you don't have any weapon anymore...'

*Swiiiiish!*

Without a weapon, Ash took a step forward when he thought he didn't have anything to be afraid of anymore... although it still had its long and pointy fingers.

He caught it by the neck and gripped it as tightly as he could to the point that his fingers completely dug at the skin of its neck.

"Hnnnrgh!..."

*Greugh!* *Krekgh!*

Poor Goblin started choking, wriggling its body and scratching Ash's arm while struggling to escape his grasp however it didn't take long until...

*Crack!*

A cracking sound was heard when Ash finally snapped its spine and in an instant, the Goblin's body was hanging motionless while still being grabbed by the neck.

Ash stabbed its chest destroying the crystal within its body and it immediately turned into smoke.

*Kee!~*

His eyes turned towards the last struggling Goblin who is until now didn't manage to get back up. It turned out that he broke its spine a bit upon impact when he kicked it moments ago.

*Punchi!*

*Hiss...*

He walked towards it and immediately stabbed its back parallel to its chest, shattering its core which is the crystal within its body. When the last Goblin disintegrated into smoke, Ash heaved a sigh of relief...

"Haaaaa... at last! hahahaha!... I survi-"

[*Incoming!... behind you Host!*]

*Swoooosh!*

*Boom!*

"AAAARGH!..."

*Thud*

Ash didn't notice the incoming fireball hitting his back. He was propelled forwards and fell on the ground...

"Argh!... D-dammit!... hnngh!"

*Hiss...*

Grunting in pain, he crawled forwards grabbing his sword and struggled to get back on his feet.

"Hnnngh!... arghh!..."

Managing to push his body upwards, he knelt on the ground smelling the burning scent from the emitting smoke from his back.

He felt a burning pain from the upper right part of his back torso along with a handful of his once silky smooth white hair.

"Hnnngh!... what the hell was that!?"

He screamed while moaning in pain and slowly stood back up and turned his attention behind him.

*Grrrrr!*

*Grrrrraaawrr!*

It was then he saw that he was surrounded by a pack of black furry wolf-like monsters with menacing red eyes and razor-sharp fangs.

Cold sweat was falling from his forehead and his back as soon as he saw their numbers. He gritted his teeth and held his sword tightly in his hand.

"Wolves!?..."

*Grrrrr!*

'This might be the reason why I heard Wise's agitated voice earlier...'

Seemingly knowing what he's thinking, Wise's mechanical voice resounded in his mind...

[*... Indeed Host... This was what I was trying to warn you earlier...*]

'Dammit!'

He couldn't help but curse himself again and regretted cutting Wise off earlier.

'But where did that blast from earlier came from!?...'

'Was there someone hiding in the dark who cast that which I assumed a magic spell?...'

'Or was it some kind of monsters who can use magic?...'

His thoughts ran wild along with his eyes which were scanning the surroundings and the monsters who are surrounding him.

Currently, he mocked himself and thought that he's like a lone lamb who's about to get shredded to pieces by the bloodthirsty monsters encircling him.

Although he knew that it wouldn't help him much given his current situation, he tried his best to remain vigilant since he didn't actually notice or see someone or something earlier who cast that which he assumed a magic spell towards him.

And that was what scared him the most; where he wouldn't know when or where an attack like that will happen again.

While he was having his inner monologue, the largest wolf which he assumed was the 'Alpha' of the pack slowly took steps towards him and...

"Awoooo~"

"Awoooooooo~"

It raised its head and began howling seemingly trying to speak towards the other wolves signalling to commence their assault.

"They're coming!..."

'Dammit!... Dammit!... I still don't know where that spell came fr-'

He was interrupted in his thought and his eyes widened when he saw that the Alpha wolf opened its mouth wide and a small spark of flames gathering in its mouth.

"And there's the answer I'm looking for..."

It eventually expanded and expanded until the flames brightened the rest of the space of its mouth.

Ash could only try his best to remain calm even though his body is shivering from the fright.

He gritted his teeth to the point of making a grating sound while tightly keeping his grip on his sword.

Seeing no way out and left with no other choice, he took a deep breath and with his eyes getting bloodshot, he screamed...

"NOW COME YOU BASTARDS!..."

"RAAAAAAH!"

He didn't wait for the wolves to initiate the attack and dashed towards them.

*Swoooosh!*

*Boom!*

"Awoooo~"

*Grrrrr!*

*Grrrrraaawrr!*

"Ha!... Raaaah!"

*Swoooosh!*

*Boom!*

"RAAAAAAH!"

*Boom!*

That night, a bloody battle between a lone man and a group of monsters ensued within the Seolo Forest.

---

Dawn soon came and the sounds of battle finally died down from within the thicket...

*Rustle* *Rustle*

*Thud*

A bloody and dishevelled Ash who's still holding his sword somehow miraculously survived and came out of the bushes and fell down to the ground barely staying conscious.

His once long and silky smooth white hair was now shortened, burnt, and dyed in red completely covered in red blood.

His once handsome and perfect face that could ensnare anyone who sees it is now completely disfigured and covered in claw marks and burnt skins.

His clothes that covered his perfectly defined body is now soaked and completely bathed in blood.

His once perfectly defined body is now covered in claw, bite, and burnt marks and is missing some of his flesh.

His overall appearance could only be described as someone who just came out from the jaws of hell...

*Cough* *cough*

"I... sur... haaa.. survived.... haaaa so.. some...how..."

*Cough* *cough*

While coughing up blood and struggling to breathe and remain conscious, Ash was still able to speak and what's more... he was still able to smile.

[*... Indeed you survived, Host...*]

[*... Advising Host to take a rest while waiting for the last healing pill you took to take effect...*]

"... I... su... surely..."

Ash wasn't able to finish his words and finally succumbed to being unconscious due to what he has just gone through.

While his body is beginning to slowly regenerate thanks to the healing pill he took... thanks to the LAST remaining pill he took.

He was after all, only able to last long and survive in the end thanks to the healing pills he got from Erethel in his starter pack.

Albeit a low grade one and would not heal him instantly, he was able to battle and finish off the pack of wolves while consuming the pills wisely all throughout the battle.

While the gruesome Ash was lying motionless on the ground with his body slowly regenerating, a light suddenly shined at his side.

And from within, Erethel's figure suddenly formed kneeling beside him while gently caressing his disfigured face.