Run!

!!!

The dark goblin sensed a presence nearby and quickly turned its head towards the bush where Kyoma and Rina were hiding. Without hesitation, it unleashed a barrage of arrows towards their hiding spot. The arrows were so powerful that they penetrated even Kyoma's mutated hobgoblin's strong armour, lodging themselves firmly into its body. Rina, who was hiding behind the hobgoblin, remained unscathed. Unfortunately, Kyoma wasn't as lucky and was hit in the left shoulder by one of the arrows. Witnessing their master getting attacked, Kyoma's undead companions were furious and immediately charged towards the group of goblins. The fastest of them was the windcutter rabbit, which blinked towards the dark goblin at lightning speed.

As the windcutter rabbit posed a looming threat, the dark goblin took a few steps back and disappeared into thin air. The five hobgoblins, wielding a mix of axes and shields, attempted to intercept the rabbit, but it was too agile for them. The windcutter rabbit darted in and out of their slow attacks, making its way toward the spot where the dark goblin had vanished. Assuming the goblin was nearby since it had entered stealth, the windcutter rabbit continued to search for it.

Kyoma's melee dark goblin also slipped into stealth and headed towards the dark goblin. Meanwhile, Kyoma's dark goblin archer remained in the bush and launched a barrage of dark arrows at the group of goblins. Although the arrows lacked a piercing tip, they were infused with the power of darkness, making them heavier. Against monsters lacking a thick hide or slippery skin, the arrows were arguably more effective than sharp ones. When the dark arrows hit the hobgoblins, they sent them flying and inflicted devastating damage equivalent to a heavy weapon smash. Moreover, the dark energy from the arrows seeped into their wounds, slowing them down.

Rina took cover behind Kyoma's mutated hobgoblin, using it as a shield, while unleashing a barrage of long-range fire spells on the goblin group. This was no ordinary and weak group of goblins that they usually encountered, so they couldn't hold back on their firepower and had to use all their tricks to defeat them.

"Fireball! Fire javelin!" Rina unleashed a continuous barrage of fire spells on the goblin group who were clad in thick leather armour, providing extra protection unlike the ragged clothes and leaf garments worn by the usual goblins they encountered. As the regular goblins charged towards Kyoma and Rina, they were swiftly eliminated by Kyoma's mutated hobgoblin, which was like a boss monster, each swing dealing a fatal wound. However, since the regular goblins could not close the distance to Kyoma and Rina, all five of the hobgoblins charged towards the duo instead.

Realizing that holding back was not an option, Kyoma activated his hobgoblin's "berserk" ability to increase its fury and stats, allowing it to match the strength of the five hobgoblins. However, a stray dark arrow suddenly flew from a tree branch and struck Kyoma's hobgoblin mid-swing, causing it to lose its balance and miss its target. Seizing the opportunity, the hobgoblins quickly attacked with their axes and shields, pushing Kyoma's hobgoblin back.

Kyoma directed his windcutter rabbit and melee dark goblin, who was still hidden in stealth, to investigate the source of the dark arrow and engage the enemy dark goblin archer. Meanwhile, he fought alongside his mutated hobgoblin against the group of five hobgoblins, utilizing his agility to dodge their attacks and land multiple strikes that poisoned them. With the yin and yang breathing technique enhancing both his strength and control over his body, Kyoma displayed extraordinary footwork as he weaved in and out of the hobgoblins' attacks.

As Kyoma battled the hobgoblins, lightning-fast dark arrows continued to rain down upon him and his hobgoblin, making it nearly impossible for the lumbering creature to evade them. Kyoma, on the other hand, managed to dodge roughly half of the arrows, but two found their mark and left him hobbled with pain, causing him to move slower. Meanwhile, the hobgoblin was being pelted with arrows from all directions, rendering it almost unrecognizable as it bristled with quills, like a porcupine.

During the course of the fight, the windcutter rabbit was finally able to track down the elusive dark goblin archer who kept shifting positions in the trees and shooting arrows at Kyoma and his team.

"Screeeeeeeeech!!" The windcutter rabbit screeched and lunged at the dark goblin archer with a powerful claw attack, causing significant damage. Despite the dark goblin's agility and stealth abilities, it had weak defence and was no match for the windcutter rabbit's sharp claws. Since the dark goblin only had a bow and arrows, it was not suited for close combat. When the dark goblin attempted to flee, it was intercepted by Kyoma's melee dark goblin, who swung a mace infused with a powerful darkness energy. This gave Kyoma's group the upper hand in the battle since they had eliminated the primary source of ranged attacks from the enemy.

The dark goblin archer cried out "ekkkk!!" as it was smacked on the face with a heavy swing of a mace. The sound of its cry enraged the five hobgoblins, who began to attack Kyoma and his hobgoblin with increased ferocity. Despite Kyoma's continuous healing, his hobgoblin's health quickly dropped to half and its accumulated damage exceeded 5000 HP. Kyoma's MP was rapidly decreasing, but he continued to heal his hobgoblin. The five hobgoblins fought recklessly, unconcerned about the damage they received in exchange for delivering blows. Whenever Kyoma's mutated hobgoblin prepared to swing its sledgehammer, a hobgoblin holding a shield would charge forward, using its body to absorb the impact of the blow.

Simultaneously, the four remaining hobgoblins relentlessly hacked away at Kyoma's hobgoblin with their stone axes, causing tremendous damage. Each chop dealt over 400 points of damage, and critical hits targeting vital areas like the head or neck could inflict up to 800 damage. Together with this onslaught, the five hobgoblins sustained damage from Kyoma's sneak attacks and poison attacks using his dagger, Rina's fiery spells that bypassed the shield-bearing hobgoblin, and the constant barrage of heavy arrows from Kyoma's goblin archer, which sent the hobgoblins reeling backwards.

Kyoma's berserked hobgoblin let out a loud shout of "SMASH" as it activated its skill and delivered an earth-shattering blow to the wooden shield held by the enemy hobgoblin. The shield shattered into a million pieces, having reached the end of its durability. The excess momentum from the attack carried the sledgehammer towards the enemy hobgoblin, breaking both its arms in the process. Now defenceless, the hobgoblin was unable to protect itself from the next blow. Seizing the opportunity, a spear made of compressed fire shot straight towards the hobgoblin's head.

With a single fire javelin that pierced through the skull of the shield-less hobgoblin, it was instantly killed and dropped dead on the floor, its charred head now with a gaping hole. There was no blood as the fire javelin seared and closed the wound. Witnessing their comrade's death, the four axe-wielding hobgoblins became even more enraged and attacked with increased ferocity. However, without a tank to soak up the damage from Kyoma's berserk hobgoblin's sledgehammer, they were quickly killed in an orderly manner. With every swing of the sledgehammer, Kyoma's hobgoblin fatally wounded a hobgoblin, which was then dispatched with successive slashes from Kyoma's weapon. The next hobgoblin to fall victim to the sledgehammer was killed by a flurry of dark arrows, while the following hobgoblin met its end with a fire javelin. The last hobgoblin suffered the worst fate as it received focused fire from all four enemies, leaving behind a charred corpse riddled with arrows and cuts from a poisoned dagger.

The regular stray goblins were disposed of quickly after taking care of the five hobgoblins, leaving only the dark goblin archer who attempted to escape from the windcutter rabbit and melee dark goblin. Despite trying to flee, the archer was brought back to the origin of the battle and surrounded by Kyoma and his group. With a 1v6, the dark goblin archer had no chance and was swiftly killed.

After slaying the dark goblin, Kyoma utilized his assimilation skill on the creature, causing it to be absorbed by his dark goblin archer. Prior to levelling up and acquiring additional stats through the assimilation of hobgoblins and mastering the yin and yang breathing technique, Kyoma lacked the strength to further enhance his undead companions. But now, his power had grown exponentially and he was capable of withstanding the energy required to assimilate a dark goblin. Despite this newfound strength, he was still unable to assimilate the corpses of the five hobgoblins that lay strewn on the ground.

Kyoma's dark goblin archer gained a significant boost in power after absorbing the dark goblin archer, almost doubling in strength and acquiring the new skill, Dark Vortex Arrows. This skill, previously used by the enemy dark goblin, enhances the piercing capabilities of the arrows, greatly enhancing Kyoma's dark goblin archer's offensive capabilities.

After the gruelling battle, Kyoma and his group finally got a chance to rest. However, their peace was short-lived as they heard a loud commotion coming from deeper in the southern forest. Birds scattered in fear while battle monkeys swung away frantically, paying no attention to Kyoma and his companions. The sound grew louder and sounded like an approaching army of knights, with the angry stomp of many feet getting closer. Kyoma climbed a nearby tree to investigate and was shocked by what he saw - a stampede of hundreds of hobgoblins heading towards them.

In a split-second decision, Kyoma knew what had to be done. Without a second thought, he leaped down from the tree and scooped up Rina in his arms, cradling her like a baby. The sound of a stampede, a thunderous roar, shook the earth beneath their feet. The hobgoblins, numbering in the hundreds, were charging towards them with the fury of a raging storm. Their eyes glinted with malice and hatred, their weapons held high, ready to strike.

Kyoma could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he ran, his breath coming in short gasps. He could feel the heat of the hobgoblins' breath on the back of his neck as they closed in, their clamouring footsteps echoing in his ears. He ran faster, his muscles screaming in protest, his eyes fixed on the horizon. He knew they had to keep moving, had to keep running, or they would be overwhelmed by the horde of angry creatures.

Rina clung to Kyoma tightly, her eyes wide with terror. She could see the hobgoblins closing in on them, their weapons glinting in the sunlight. Her heart pounded in her chest as she looked up at Kyoma, the only person who could save her from certain death.

???

Kyoma was already running at top speed, but his undead companions left him in the dust as they zipped away with lightning-fast speed. Even the bulky hobgoblin, notorious for its lack of agility, sprinted like an Olympic champion, leaving Kyoma trailing behind. "What the f.....?!" Kyoma cursed at his treacherous undead companions, who had suddenly become faster than him. It was like the chubby and unathletic office worker who miraculously turned into a sprinter during a fire breakout, leaving everyone else far behind in the race.