28 Goblin Fighter

Hearing the chains move, the goblin fighter growled and started taking big steps toward them. The last time it had killed one of them when they made noise, it seemed their little minds didn't work.

Seeing the goblin come closer, the group got scared but also started shaking the chains faster, making more 'chin' 'chin' 'chin' as if trying to break them, hitting them on the wood.

The goblin was annoyed; its shift was ending soon. It had to look after that log area too, and all it wanted was to relax and eat. It had seen the fire in the distance but guessed it was one of those dumb goblins that couldn't communicate.

In the goblin culture, it was already 11 years old, something others dreamed of, as they matured fast with an average age of 30.

Taking its sword out, it slashed at the first human that had stopped shaking the chain, killing him. Even though he stopped, it was still pissed off. The others froze as it attacked, but looking at Charlotte, they began getting more aggressive, spitting and swearing in the goblin way.

The goblin had no idea what these monkeys were trying to say, but it understood that their actions were insulting. How dare this food act like this?

Lifting up it slashed another human that was begging the others to stop but they didn't listen, sacrifices were needed. As the dead human's body fell to the ground, it began to walk towards the others, only to feel a sudden attack from behind.

A sharp pain coursed through its body as it moved desperately to defend itself, but it couldn't evade the sword that passed through its side, cutting and damaging its stomach.

Holding its wounded abdomen and dripping with blood, the goblin looked at the enemies standing before it.

Lucius stood with his sword, now covered in the goblin's blood, while Kevin stood by his side, wielding a sword and shield, and utilizing his skill to enhance his defence.

Behind them, Lily and Talon positioned themselves cautiously, not certain of the enemy's abilities until they could observe more closely.

The goblin shrieked, calling for help, but most of its comrades were preoccupied with the fire, leaving only a few of the weaker ones around. As approximately seven goblins rushed to its aid, Lucius quickly signalled Lily and Talon to deal with them while he and Kevin focused on the injured goblin fighter.

The experienced goblin recognized the dire situation it was in due to its injuries. Taking a deep breath to steady itself, it calmed down for a moment before suddenly dashing with extreme speed towards the human who had wounded it.

It was using a kind of mobility speed, making it faster. Lucius, not able to dodge, moved a bit, letting Kevin take the hit, blocking with the shield. The goblin was about to cut down straight, but the blade moved like a snake, catching him off-guard.

The sword cut into the shield, hitting the skin with the sound of a wound. Blood dripped as the sword stabbed him in the shoulder. He grabbed the goblin before throwing him on the floor with him.

Lucius quickly jumped and slashed downwards in the direction of the goblin, causing a 'ding sound' as the sword was blocked. The goblin used the sword to block, but it was obviously struggling as the blade made creaking noises with the skill activated.

Seeing the blade approaching its neck, the goblin rapidly twisted its body, altering the sword's path, causing it to strike beside its face, creating a scar on its cheek, and severing its ear in half.

Growling in pain, it headbutted Lucius before attempting to stand up and go for the kill, while Lucius held its head for a moment.

Kevin seized the opportunity and managed to get behind the goblin, putting it in a necklock position. The goblin struggled, realizing that if it had a second hand, this fight might have already been won.

Feeling the hands around its neck starting to shake, the goblin moved more aggressively, desperately trying to find a moment of freedom. With each passing second, Kevin's strength was weakening due to the strain of the skin. However, he skillfully locked the goblin in place, using his weight to pin it to the ground.

With the last bit of energy, Kevin held onto the goblin until a group of humans surrounded them. After being headbutted by the goblin, Lucius was bleeding from the head but managed to break the chain, freeing the humans. They had an average strength of around 10-15, and with so many of them, it was like a small gang of level 3 goblins attacking the goblin at the same time.

Despite their injuries, some without legs, missing arms, and half-depleted, the longing for freedom fueled their spirits, compelling them to summon all the energy they had left. Some crawled on the ground, gripping onto the goblin's arm, while others clung to its legs, striving to prevent it from escaping.

Unable to move, Lucius stood over the immobile goblin. Though the creature was defenceless, its malevolent eyes remained fixed on him, a silent reminder of the danger it had posed moments ago. Lucius knew that the goblin could no longer harm him, but his heart was still pounding from the intense struggle.

Without further hesitation, and knowing that his survival was at stake, Lucius swiftly ended the goblin's life. He raised his weapon, eyes locked with the goblin's, and with one decisive strike, he put an end to the creature's existence, the system rewarding him +50exp +5 gold.

Feeling pain in his head, he turned around and saw the others were winning too. Holding his head due to the injury, he knelt down next to the goblin, quickly looting two items and the sword it wielded.

Despite hearing the system prompt, he knew there was no time to examine the items now; their priority was to escape.

Lily and Talon rushed to their aid after defeating the enemies, helping Kevin up as he was exhausted from the intense battle.

One of the heavily wounded people asked, "What do we do now?"

Lucius knew he couldn't help all of them and made a difficult decision. He turned to Charlotte and said, "You can come with us, the rest can't."

''What do you mean we can't? How are we supposed to escape?'' an old man cried out, his desperation evident. He was the least wounded next to Charlotte, but he hadn't contributed much during the battle.

''Not my problem,'' Lucius retorted, his voice firm as he pointed the sword at the old man to silence him. ''I suggest you don't follow us, or this sword will find its way into your skull.''

Gesturing to Charlotte to follow, Lucius and the group ran out of the village on the opposite side of the fire, with one of the less wounded individuals struggling to keep up with them.

Turning to see the wounded person following him, Lucius grew grim as he looked back at the fire. He knew they couldn't afford to have someone slow them down or attract attention to their escape.

"Talon, shoot his leg," Lucius ordered.

''Fast, do it!'' Lucius commanded, his voice filled with a hint of ruthlessness.

''Swish,' the arrow flew and landed next to the person who was limping and following them.

''Don't miss; we will die,'' Lucius gave Talon a murderous look, making it clear that there was no room for hesitation or compassion in this situation.

Talon, seeing the look in Lucius' eyes, felt conflicted, not having a choice, he shot the man in the leg, leaving him crying in pain.

Looking behind, he could see the fire soon getting under control, and the other group escaping on the other side. The situation was dire, and they needed to make their escape quickly before the goblins regrouped and pursued them again.

Lucius felt a tinge of sorrow, but he knew that as the leader, his primary responsibility was to keep the group alive. The others might not understand that leaving the wounded person behind was a strategic move to avoid attracting further danger.

The person following them would become a tracking flag on their tail, putting the entire group at risk. He had chosen to sacrifice them to gain time, and if given a second chance, he would make the same decision again.

Charlotte followed behind the group of four in silence. Since being chained with the others, she had only spoken a few times and didn't hold any close relationships.

Her fate of being eaten had changed because of this person, and she would now follow Lucius' fate to the end, no longer tied to her own path.