9 An Obstacle
[Name: Ren Arken
Age: 14
Race: Human
Strength: 30
Agility: 2000
Vitality: 200
Mana: ~~~
Spiritual: ~~~
Intellect: 1000
Unique Skills:
-magic cards]
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As Oz trailed behind Geeta on their exploration of the city, he found himself utterly flabbergasted. This goblin tribe was like nothing he'd ever imagined. Gone were the small, cowardly creatures of his stories; these goblins were practically human! They tended to farms, cooked meals, and even practiced their combat skills with an air of proficiency that left Oz in awe.
(Magic! Real, actual magic! I've got to get in on this before heading to the human town.)
(But seriously, this place is something else. I doubt there's a human settlement with this much harmony.)
"Here we are, the cobblestone river, our prime food source," chirped Geeta, her enthusiasm infectious.
"So, do you fish here or just wait to catch whatever creatures come to drink... or maybe hunt the humans who come by?" Oz quipped with a smirk.
"Hey, you've got some smarts after all! We do fish here, but we also set traps for the critters that wander too close. And sometimes, when a real threat shows up, my brother swoops in to save the day," Geeta explained with a dramatic flourish, stealing glances at Oz as if gauging his reaction.
"You seem to idolize your brother-in-law. He must be quite the hero. Feel free to ask me anything, by the way. Don't be shy," Oz said, nonchalant as ever.
Geeta blinked in surprise. "Uh, yeah, well... I just have one question. Judging by your size and skin, you're a goblin duke, right?" she asked cautiously, eyeing Oz.
"My brother mentioned you're a goblin duke, but he said you don't emit any mana aura," she elaborated.
"So, you're a wizard," Oz concluded. Only a wizard would talk about spotting mana, a skill Oz had developed since his transformation.
She nodded.
(So, I was right. Aegir, the goblin magicians, and Geeta all seem to give me weird looks. All the magic-using goblins emit an aura, but not me. I thought my infinite mana would change that. Guess not.)
"Well, my situation's a bit complicated. I picked up fighting skills along the way, but I still don't understand mana stuff. But yeah, I'm a goblin duke," Oz explained.
"Seriously? Then how do you fight?" Geeta asked, her curiosity piqued. "Ah, I see, the raw strength type. No wonder you survived that injury. Relax, I'll teach you some mana tricks when we get back," she offered sweetly.
"I'd appreciate that. Actually, I was just about to ask if you could teach me magic too," Oz replied, but their conversation was abruptly interrupted by a piercing scream from downstream.
KYAAAAAAAAAA
The shrill cry was unmistakably one of terror.
Oz and Geeta sprinted toward the sound, dread tightening their chests.
Growl
As they reached the scene, they found five goblins locked in combat with a fearsome creature—a griffin!
"It's a griffin!" Geeta exclaimed, her surprise evident.
No wonder the woman's scream was full of terror. The griffin was a formidable foe!
(How the heck am I supposed to even land a hit on that thing?)
With a flap of its mighty wings, the griffin sent all the goblins flying.
"All non-rare-ranked goblins, retreat now! Someone fetch my brother-in-law!" Geeta commanded, her voice steady despite the chaos.
As the goblins scrambled to safety, Geeta began chanting incantations to buy them some time.
"I'll distract it," Oz declared coolly, rushing toward the griffin with determination.
But as he threw a punch, he realized something was terribly wrong. The griffin didn't even flinch. And worse yet, his qi refused to respond.
(Why didn't I notice this sooner?!)
With a jolt of realization, Oz attempted to focus his qi, only to find himself spitting out a mouthful of blood.
"Ren!" Geeta's cry pierced the air, her concern evident as she feared for Ren's well-being.
(Ugh. It seems my meridians are shot. This is going to take forever to heal, and I'll have to start cultivating from scratch!)
As Oz grumbled about his injuries, Geeta completed her incantation.
"Ice Shards!" she exclaimed, thrusting her hand forward. A dozen arm-sized icicles erupted from the magic circles, hurtling toward the griffin with deadly precision.
But the griffin, confident in its power, merely flapped its wings, intending to brush aside the incoming onslaught. Yet the icicles paid no heed to the wind's resistance, piercing through with ease and striking true.
"Yes!" Geeta cheered, her victory short-lived as the griffin roared in rage. While the icicles had injured it, they hadn't incapacitated the beast.
The griffin took to the skies, its fury evident as the clouds above darkened, crackling with the promise of a devastating attack.
Oz understood immediately—it was going to unleash Thunderbolt. Unable to accurately gauge the skill's damage, he trusted his instincts, knowing Geeta wouldn't survive the onslaught.
The thunderous rumble grew louder, prompting Oz to leap toward Geeta.
*Sound of a terrifying thunder*
The thunderbolt struck with terrifying force, Oz bearing the brunt of the attack while protecting Geeta. But what shocked him most wasn't the pain—it was the fact that there were ten thunderbolts striking him simultaneously.
"Ren!!!" Geeta's worried cry echoed in his ears.
"Why'd you do that? You could've been killed too," Geeta exclaimed tearfully.
"My pride as a man can't stand by and watch a beautiful girl get attacked," Oz replied coolly, a hint of blush creeping across Geeta's cheeks.
Their conversation was cut short as the griffin charged toward them. But before it could land its attack...
"Horizontal Strike!" a voice rang out, and a figure dashed toward them, narrowly avoiding the griffin's onslaught.
Booom
"Brother-in-law! You're finally here!" Geeta exclaimed with relief.
"Yeah. How's Ren holding up?" Aegir asked, his tone serious.
"I'm okay. Just need a minute to catch my breath," Oz replied casually.
"Good. Get your gear on, Geeta," Aegir ordered, and a goblin quickly brought her helmet, gauntlets, shield, and sword.
"Quickly, Geeta. We don't have much time," Aegir urged.
"Right, brother-in-law," Geeta replied, her expression determined.
As Geeta armed herself, Aegir diverted the griffin's attention, using his strength and speed enhancements to engage the beast.
Clank!
The sound of sword meeting claw echoed through the air as Aegir clashed with the griffin. Despite his enhanced abilities, he was still no match for the beast's formidable strength.
Whoosh
Aegir was sent hurtling backward, but before the griffin could capitalize on the opportunity, Geeta intervened.
"Wall of Frost!" she shouted, conjuring a barrier of ice between Aegir and the griffin. The beast crashed into the wall, visibly weakened by the impact.
Seizing the moment, Geeta charged forward, wielding her sword with precision.
"Sword of Frost!" she cried, slashing at the griffin and causing icy tendrils to corrode its flesh.
ROAAAAR!
The griffin roared in agony, its fury reaching new heights as it attempted to retaliate against Geeta. But before it could strike, Aegir appeared behind it, delivering a decisive blow.
As Geeta retreated, Aegir followed suit, leaving the griffin battered and bruised.
(They're formidable! Their teamwork and strategy are impeccable. And Geeta—she's not just a magician, but a magic knight as well.)
Oz was left in awe of their prowess.
(But..)
"Appraisal card!"
[Type: Griffin [Count]
level: 237
Strength: 250.000
Agility: 100.000
Vitality: 1.100.000 / 1.500.000
Mana: 700.000
Spiritual: 100.000
Skills: -strengthen -dash -Leap -superhuman strength -ruler's aura -Eagle Eye -Wind magic -Claw strike -King's Roar]
[Type: Goblin [Duke]
Name: Aegir
level: 262
Strength: 250.000
Agility: 8.000
Vitality: 1.800.000
Mana: 200.000
Spiritual: 20.000
Skills: -strengthen -club dash -Leap -superhuman strength -ruler's aura -Swordskills ]
[Name: Geeta
Age: 13
Race: Goblin [Baron]
Strength: 4.000
Agility: 5.000
Vitality: 3.000
Mana: 9.000
Spiritual: 5500
Intellect: 8000
Skills:
-Fire Magic -Swordskills -strengthen -Ice Magic -Mind Magic -Shield skills]
(Mind magic, huh? No wonder she could deceive my appraisal card. Next time, whenever I check someone using the appraisal card, I'll make sure they touch it. But damn, that beast only took 400,000 damage after all those strikes.)
Observing the successful attack they had executed, Aegir and Geeta prepared to launch another assault.
(So they use mana to reinforce and strengthen themselves. Different from my Qi, they borrow external power from their surroundings, channeling it through the mana aura they emit. My Qi may be back to level 1 because of that blasted black kitty, but even at level 1, it can still double my stats. That should be enough.)
"This is going to be one hell of a fight. But you know what? I'm actually looking forward to it," Oz smirked confidently.
