A battle against the super natural: part one
Luis, Oliver, and Charles, the vanguard, spearheaded their way through the treacherous caverns of the first level. Despite the constant distractions from fellow adventurers seeking to earn extra money and levels, the trio pressed on, slaying clans of ferocious goblins, orcs, and trolls, both large and small, with ease. Their daily training and experience in first-level fighting had made them a formidable force to be reckoned with.
As they descended to the second level, the air was thick with the stench of blood and the sounds of screams echoing from the depths. Suddenly, a group of ten adventurers came running up the stairs, their faces contorted with fear and desperation.
"There's a massive, one-of-a-kind goblin down there!" cried the front-runner.
Concerned, Richard, the group's leader, asked, "What's going on?"
As they caught their breath, the group leader explained the dire situation. "The goblins gave birth to a unique goblin with red skin. He's a towering 8 feet tall, wielding an axe that's been chipped to hell, and possessing human-like muscles, clad only in a loincloth."
Richard remained calm and collected, "Take a break and catch your breath. If he follows you, I should be able to defeat him."
The group continued on, panting heavily, until they revealed the severity of the situation. "Unless you're level six, I highly doubt it. He was massive and strong, and our leader, a level five adventurer, along with six level four and level three adventurers, tried to battle him, but they all died. He killed five more members before the rest of us were able to make it out."
Richard was taken aback by the gravity of the situation, "Are you all right?"
"We're fine, but everyone down there is dead," the group leader replied.
"Very well. You all go back to the surface while we discuss our plan of action," Richard commanded.
"Please be careful, we don't want you to end up like us," the group leader pleaded before their party retreated to the surface.
As Richard and his group deliberated on their next course of action, a group of thirty battle-ready adventurers emerged from the shadows, fending off waves of goblins and approaching them with determination.
"I can't believe they rejected your application for the king's tournament. You're level six for crying out loud!" a woman in the group exclaimed.
One of the men in Richard's group, consumed with anger and frustration, swung his sword with a ferocity that cracked the ground beneath them, taking down a colossal troll and a group of goblins.
"I know, right? It's a complete joke," the adventurer grumbled, then turned to the approaching group. "Hey, if you're too scared to enter the second level, you can follow us, but keep up."
"We're not scared, we're just being cautious. A previous party lost their leader, a level five adventurer, to a unique goblin down there," Richard explained.
"Oh, I see. Well, don't worry, my dear fellows," the adventurer said with an air of confidence, his voice ringing with the echo of a thousand battles won. "I'm a level six adventurer, and I venture into the eighth level every now and then. He must have been a pushover. Anyway, let's get going."
"Very well," Richard said, directing his group towards the entrance of the second level. "The quest must go on."
As they descended down the winding staircase that led to the second level, the dungeon's foul stench grew stronger, making them all gag. The putrid smell of blood mixed with the pungent odor of decay wafted through the air, filling their nostrils with its unbearable stench.
"Yup, they had a battle down here," Colt said nonchalantly, his eyes scanning the surroundings with a keen gaze.
"Hey, before we go any further, what is your name?" Charles asked curiously.
With a sly grin, Colt replied, "My name is Colt, but they call me the god in the sheets. Let me tell you something, my dear fellows. Ever since that day, no monster I have ever fought has ever come close to the strength of that one creature."
"What monster was that?" Charles asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.
"Five years ago, I met a monster, a man with nearly unparalleled power. I tried flirting with his lady friend, and before I could do anything, time completely stopped. His power strained me, and in that moment, I saw infinity. Every physical possibility of how I would die, I saw it all. Since that day, I have trained to become a godly adventurer," Colt explained with a hint of pride in his voice.
"Wow," Luis exclaimed, impressed by Colt's story.
"Yeah, 'wow' is correct," Colt replied. "I may not be near his strength, but I know I'm at least as strong as a seventh level adventurer. I tried figuring out what happened to him, but I found out that the Angel Exaldera hated him and sent the previous No.1 adventurer, Pope John, to kill him."
"So you encountered the Demon Lord that leveled a city that held over a billion people. And you survived?" Charles asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Colt said, shrugging his shoulders. "Alright, let's continue to find this unique Goblin monster."
The group continued walking through the cave floor. The smell of blood and the sight of decapitated bodies scattered everywhere made their stomachs churn. The sound of screams and howls could be heard faintly in the distance, sending shivers down their spines. The air was palpable with fear around every corner as the group walked deeper into the dungeon, ready to face whatever lay ahead.
As they navigated the dungeons, fighting off waves of degons and hoards of goblins, they stumbled upon a gruesome sight. A massive goblin was holding a dead body, its head and spine pulled out from the throat. The goblin ripped off the clothing of the body, eating the flesh and muscle.
"Oh my fucking god," Amelia gasped. "I can't heal that," she said before throwing up.
"What the fuck," Oliver muttered.
"I'm guessing that's the guy?" Colt asked.
"Yeah, I think so," Richard replied. "That matches the description they gave."
Suddenly, Raphael noticed something peculiar. "If so, what's that?" he asked, pointing at something small that seemed to be clinging to the giant goblin's leg. "Something's holding onto his leg. It's really small."
Upon closer inspection, the group saw that a tiny female goblin, about 5'8", was holding tightly to the giant's leg, eating the meat he gave her. She wore clothing, a poncho, shorts, and sandals with her hair tied in a ponytail. She carried a dagger and a small crossbow on her arm. As she ate, she looked behind the massive legs of the unique goblin and noticed the two parties hiding behind cover.
The little goblin girl frantically tapped the giant goblin's leg until he kneeled down and came closer to her. She told him about the party of people hiding behind boulders because he couldn't smell the parties behind the strong smell of iron and blood. Her massive eyes were able to collect as much light in the caves and see their dark bodies in the dimly lit floor.
Rising to his feet, the eight-foot-tall unique goblin began walking towards them. Each stomp shook the floor beneath them. Suddenly, the whistle of an arrow rang out through the cave, striking an adventurer in Colt's party in the calf that barely stuck out from the boulder they hid behind. From above, the unique goblin picked up the man, one hand on his head and the other on his shoulder, pulling his head and spine from the throat.
Richard and Colt's parties scattered as the man was torn to shreds. Then suddenly, arrows whistled through the air once more, and three, four, five guys were struck in their heads and jugular, falling to the ground and bleeding out.
"We are receiving fire from the dark. Healing mages, perform your spells and move the injured to cover," Colt ordered.
Three mages from Colt's party began chanting healing magic, trying to speed up their metabolism and healing. Amelia immediately began performing first aid with her medical bag. Ten people stayed behind to help carry the injured away to cover and provide aid.
Hopping over her, Richard and Raphael ran around to provide a distraction. "I think you'll need some help," Richard said. Colt hopped in, drawing his sword along with ten of his party members, while the rest performed immediate first aid on those in critical condition. They charged in as crossbow fire rained from the sky, striking the battlefield. The strike force mages activated their defensive magic, protecting those with swords charging in. Once the mages providing defensive magic cast their spells, they began sending projectiles into the dark towards the little goblin girl firing the arrows, and at the unique goblin
As the seven vanguard strikers closed in on the unique goblin, he scanned their every move with razor-sharp precision. With lightning-fast reflexes, he deflected their initial strikes and sent a few of them tumbling backwards with a fierce counterattack. Colt, Richard, and four of the vanguards closed in, swords at the ready, but the unique goblin vanished into thin air just as their blades were about to make contact.
As they frantically searched for their opponent, they suddenly heard a loud thud behind them. "What the hell, now he's over there?" Richard thought, incredulous. But before he could even react, the unique goblin had already reappeared, delivering a devastating kick to Colt's stomach.
Without missing a beat, the unique goblin fluidly transitioned above Colt, unleashing a powerful kick with his right leg that sent him hurtling through the air. As Colt struggled to regain his bearings, the unique goblin swiftly took down the four remaining vanguard strikers, leaving them to writhe in agony on the ground.
Richard raised his sword to fend off a surprise attack from the sky, but as soon as he looked up, the unique goblin had teleported right next to him with incredible speed. Richard's open book ability was useless against this master of combat, and before he could even react, he was sent flying through the air, propelled by a vicious punch from the unique goblin.
With blood streaming down his face, Colt rose to his feet, determination etched on his face. He assumed a sprinter's starting position, ready to unleash the full extent of his speed and strength. With a fierce battle cry, he charged towards the unique goblin, sword at the ready.
In a split second, Colt closed in on the unique goblin, striking with perfect form and precision. The sound of the blade meeting the goblin's skin echoed throughout the cave, and for a moment, the unique goblin was taken aback. But in the blink of an eye, he regained his footing, grabbing Colt by the head and hurling him across the room like a ragdoll, the impact sending him crashing into the unforgiving stone wall.