A Lesson From Death

SCHULK!

Clean hit. A knife thrown from a distance found its way to the head of a lone goblin loitering around the woods. Shiva came running after and pulled out the weapon that delivered the monster to its certain death.

Leif let out a whistle as he watched how Shiva swiftly eliminated his target from afar without being seen. "The accuracy on your hands is insane, Shiva. I can't teach you more of that, seeing you're par to mine skills... No, maybe yours are even more precise than mine."

"Quit messing around Leif, there might be still more nearby," said Shiva as he disregarded Leif's commending to him. He continued to crouch down to maintain a low profile but Leif beside him stood tall, looking at him like a weirdo.

"Yes, you're right. There were two. I'm afraid they're not breathing anymore though..." Leif said to Shiva.

Shiva couldn't believe that he was one step behind Leif again. "Ugh, you're way too fast..." he grumbled at him who was already walking away from him.

"Hey, wait!"

*** A Lesson From Death ***

A couple of hours have passed since they departed from the eastern woodland of the peninsula. The compass in Leif's hands now kept telling the two to go northwest.

With that as their guide, the two continued to travel in the same direction. Towering wooden palisades soon loomed before them - a familiar sight two nights ago.

"We're back at the prison again," said Shiva. He put down the sack behind him and enjoyed a moment of rest.

"The compass keeps pointing this way, just like yesterday..." said Leif.

He then organized in his head what the two of them found out within the past scouting they'd done before.

"Say, Shiva, there were more goblins on the western side than here on the east right?"

"Hmm... Yes, I think so. Now that you talk about it, the groups wandering there are also more concentrated compared to the ones we found here in the eastern part. These are like stragglers in comparison."

"Maybe their voidgate is on the west after all," Leif muttered under his breath.

"We still haven't gone to the southern part of the land though. Aren't we going to?" asked Shiva.

"No, the only ones we're going to find there are the guards from the fort. They already have that covered," answered Leif.

"Fair enough... We haven't encountered them yet today, and it's past noon now."

"Let's keep pushing west... We might find out something else there."

"Want to get to the top of the hill?" Shiva offered an idea. Leif, interested in his suggestion, wore a face full of anticipation.

"Let's go then."

As a result, the two continued to travel northwest crossing the hill at the edge of the peninsula where the prison was built at its base. Covered in lushful shrubs and broad trees, it was packed dense with vegetation - a perfect place to hide... or lay an ambush.

Fortunately, the two of them reached the peak safe and sound. But the ones they found there weren't lucky enough.

"Traces of blood, tracks of someone being pulled, and a muddy boot left behind. Someone got killed here..." Shiva concluded. Leif agreed to what he had said with a nod.

"Let's track this down. But we're going to be extra careful from now on."

The two didn't even have time to enjoy the view from their height - a vantage point that can see all over the land of Grande and its surrounding seas. They soon went down the opposite direction as they followed the tracks of someone being pulled down the hill.

They continued until they reached the base of the hill at the other end where Leif suddenly stopped.

"The tracks end here," he said to Shiva at the back, his voice hushed down to a whisper.

For a moment, the salty scent of the wind breezed through the trees where they were on. It was hot but refreshing, something that changed the atmosphere around their area.

"Shiva, are we almost at the sea?"

"You smelled that? Yes... I believe so - maybe a moment of walk northwest from here," replied Shiva.

"Is it... possible though?"

"What is that?"

"Nothing, but we're to check the shoreline next."

"Alright..."

The two of them continued to walk northwest. As they walked, the shrubs below them soon were replaced with soil covered in black sand. Palm trees began to surround them and the jungle-like appearance of the woods began to disperse.

Beyond the trees, the ever-expanding sight of the blue waters of the ocean met their eyes. The weak echoes of the waves crashing on the black sands of the shore can be heard. These are the black shores of Grande.

"I can't get over to this unusual color of sand when I first saw it in your village. Do you know why this is black?" asked Leif to Shiva as they continued to walk towards the edge of the treeline.

"It is black because of the high concentration of salt around here. Well, that's what old man Pet-"

THUMP!

Out of nowhere, a log, as thick as a person's leg, flew right toward Shiva's left flank. The sudden impact pushed him away to the right. Unhanded, the sack behind him flew farther - the weapons packed inside were all scattered on the ground where it landed. Leif was too late to notice the presence of the enemy on their side.

"Grouughh!!"

It was a goblin, but its physique was much bigger than the small ones they'd encountered before. The muscles on its arms and chest bulged with great strength. The canine fangs on its mouth grew much longer than the rest of its fangs. Long, unkempt hair, white engravings of tattoos all over its face, and bloody red eyes.

It was the second evolution of a goblin - a hobgoblin.

"Leaf Art: Milena."

Milena, the broad leaf, manifested at Leif's hand as he ran between the hobgoblin and Shiva who lay unconscious in the distance.

"Shiva! Can you hear me?" shouted Leif, hoping he could get a response from his ally behind him. But to no avail, Shiva was wholly silent - not even a weak groan could be heard from him.

"This one's on me..." he mumbled to himself as he engaged forward the hobgoblin. His left hand drew the dagger suspended on his hips.

The hobgoblin was taller than him, and its brute strength was as troublesome as its fierce appearance. Despite everything, Leif braved the challenge.

The hobgoblin sent its first strike at Leif - a left hook directly to his face. But Leif saw its attempt, quickly stepped back, and slapped its fist with his leaf. Shocked that its hand was stopped by a mere leaf, the monster was confused for a moment.

The hobgoblin then struck Leif next with a flurry of punches and kicks. Whenever it punched, Leif dodges away and slaps its leaf back to stop it. Whenever it kicked, Leif quickly jumped to its side and slashed its foot with the dagger in his other hand. The damage further accumulated as the hobgoblin kept repeating its attack.

Minutes had passed with their duel, the hobgoblin now showed signs of slowing down and rarely used its feet to kick. Yet, the strength of its arms was still the same. On the other hand, Leif now started to feel tired as beads of sweat rolled down his face. The battle was still far from over.

"GRAAGHH!!"

Enraged, the hobgoblin roared ferociously - its voice echoed throughout the immediate vicinity.

"Tch..." Leif clicked its tongue. Annoyance and discomfort mixed up in his eyes.

The hobgoblin stomped its right foot forward. It lowered into a low stance and twisted his body to the left as its right arm traveled straight to strike Leif's torso - a straight punch. Leif, taken aback by the monster's attack, quickly shielded his body with Milena. He managed to stop the punch in the nick of time.

The leaf then glowed up into bright green. Its blinding light was paired with traces of visible static sparks buzzing around its exterior.

[

Ability Art Enhanced

Leaf Art: Melina (Unique - Enhanced)

(1 mana per usage)

Summons Melina, the legendary shock-absorbing leaf. Nullifies every hit it receives, converts it into a shock with an equivalent power, and stores it. Stored shock can be used to trigger the "Folium Pound".

Enhanced: When stored shock reaches full capacity, "Folium Dance" is automatically activated without mana usage.

]

Leif was too focused on the fight to give attention to the green panel that appeared before him. A shock was then generated at the leaf that pushed away the arm of the hobgoblin. Staggered, the hobgoblin found it hard to maintain its balance - the wound on its legs didn't help it either.

SCHULK!

Leif didn't notice what it was, but something flew over his head. The mysterious thing went right at the face of the hobgoblin.

"Aarggh!" the hobgoblin cried in pain. It was a knife, pierced on one of its eyes.

"Get down Leif!"

A familiar voice commanded Leif behind him. He quickly went into a prone, and then a chain swirling around while midair flew right over him. The chains wrapped around the head of the hobgoblin and pulled it to fall on its back. Blinded on the ground, the hobgoblin kept on screaming in pain.

With the opportunity opened before him, Leif immediately leaped forward towards the hobgoblin's body.

"Leaf Style: Folium Pound!"

CRASH!

With a thunderous smite, Milena pounded on the torso of the monster disabled on the ground. Blasted full of energy, greenish light filled the area around it. The shock it produced was so powerful that it even sent Leif tumbling backward.

What was left on the body of the hobgoblin in the ground was just its four limbs and what remained in its head - even the chain that wrapped around his neck was cut in half. Everything else was dissolved into nothingness - the ground below itself looked like it was burned from the attack's forceful impact.

Leif, who lay on the ground after being blasted away from the impact himself, let out a big sigh. Shiva then came in walking towards him, his right hand supporting his injured left arm.

"You good?" he asked Leif below him. Leif smiled at the sight of his friend being well.

"I should be the one asking you that," he replied to Shiva. Both of them then let out a heartfelt chuckle - their stress escaped their feelings for a moment. Suddenly, Shiva's expression changed - his eyes felt serious as they squinted and scanned the area around them.

"We've got company Leif," he then said.

Leif got up to see what Shiva had seen. Encircled them were a good number of goblins, laughing like a maniac in the distance.

Some of them were equipped with bloody guard helmets, some even used ripped gambesons and tabards as body clothing. Some held in their hands long but thin swords. Some had daggers and knives.

The presence of the wicked beasts meant that the struggle of the two wasn't over yet. Leif stood up and Shiva accompanied him on his side.

"Time to accelerate your training, Shiva," said Leif.

"You're still thinking of teaching me with these odds we have?"

"Yes... This'll teach you one of the most important things in the life of a strong one..."

.

.

.

"To overcome death itself."