Threat! II

Rustling bushes indicated the presence of enemies, the flying arrows kept them behind their covers.

Fiona and Tiara, lying behind the fallen tree, yelled together, "Darius, are you alright?!"

"Yes!" He shouted back, taking cover behind a tree whose trunk was studded with a recent barrage of arrows.

"Wait until they run out of arrows then escape!" Commanded Fiona, dagger readied for imminent combat.

"Okay!" He lied, his plan was to wait, then ambush while they distracted the enemies.

However, he did not know the identity of the enemy or their numbers. From arrows, it was obvious that they were human.

"System," he said, "Put 5 skill points in Battle Sense."

[Affirmative]

[Battle Sense levelled up: LV 1→ LV 6]

"Add remaining stat points in Agility."

[Agility: 30→33]

The status panel opened, showing his current stats.

|•••••|

Name: Darius Black

Gender: Male

Age: 24

Level: 4 (50/400)

Race: Human

Job: Adventurer (F)

Shop Tokens: 0

[Statistics] {Available Stat Points: 0}

HP: 57/57

MP: 40/40

Strength: 24

Dexterity: 30

Vitality: 27

Agility: 33

Intelligence: 30 (+50)

Magic: 10

Spirit: 20

Charm: 26

[Ability]

[Born during the Eclipse (S)]

Description: Growth will be extremely slow. The person with this ability will be much weaker than the average person if not trained.

• – 200% Growth Speed of Stats

• – 95% Experience Gain

• – 90% Learning Speed

[Genius (Rank: D)]

Description: A genius born once in a decade. Boosts the learning speed of any skill and knowledge.

» +50 Intelligence

» Skills requiring Mana i.e. Magic skills, Martial arts based on usage of mana, gain 2x more experience. 

» +100% Learning Speed

[Skills] {Available Skill Points: 1}

• One-handed Sword Arts (Rank: F) (XP: Max): LV 5

» Description: One-handed sword arts are taught to novice adventurers and soldiers to build the foundation for advanced one-handed sword arts. Maximum level: LV 5

» Damage with one-handed swords increased by 2%

» Advanced one-handed sword arts gain 3% more experience.

• Observe (Rank: D) (Mana Cost: 5MP) Cooldown: 2 seconds) (XP: 15%): LV 2

» Description: Analyse objects or people to acquire more information about them. Maximum Level: LV 15

» Become better at analysing objects, people or situations (Passive).

• Battle Sense (Rank: E) (XP: 0%): LV 6

» Description: Acquire battle experience equivalent to a Rank: E Adventurer. Maximum Level: 10

|•••••|

"Now I can only hope that the enemies are not too strong." He muttered.

The three waited. A few moments seemed like an eternity for them, finally, the arrows stopped.

More than 200 arrows were shot, causing the scenery to look like a battlefield with arrows scattered everywhere.

Fiona and Tiara came out with their dagger and bow ready, awaiting the enemy.

"Darius, now escape!" Fiona said loud enough for only Darius to hear.

However, hearing no reply and sensing his presence still. She almost went to kick him off the battlefield but a sudden Battlecry stopped her feet.

"Charge!!" She heard.

A horde of Goblins rushed with their wooden spears. The mother-daughter pair swiftly launched arrows at them, killing as many as they could before they closed in.

The foremost Goblin jumped forward. His spear pointing at Tiara.

She readied her dagger. Graceful in her movements, she evaded the spear by sidestepping. Using its own momentum, slicing off its head.

Fiona took hold of the incoming spear. She jerked the spear towards her with it the Goblin right into her dagger.

Skilful in their movements, they killed Goblins one at a time.

Darius watched the battle from the branch he had climbed onto. Amazed to see them fight off so many Goblins at once.

Nevertheless, he calmed himself and counted the number of enemies.

'Too many.' thought he, unable to count due to the chaos. He understood one thing though, that these two women could not fight them off alone. At least, he thought so.

He also could not think of a way to help them. There was no gap for him to enter the skirmish. Even if did, he could not deal a massive blow to them.

'What can I do?' He pondered analysing the tumultuous horde below.

Fiona and Tiara had already killed quite a few Goblins. In his mind, something was off. It bothered him. This sinistrous feeling.

His eyes hastily flitted across Goblins. There it was. The cause of this doomful feeling. Not good. Not good at all.

Below were Goblin Archers, way in the back of the Goblin Spearmen. Their eyes were on their target; Fiona and Tiara, the two beautiful women. The women whom their leader desired.

They were not allowed to kill them but some injuries were inevitable during the capture. Their platoon leader came forward with his bow.

Darius saw him. "Him" because he could easily tell this Goblin's gender. After all, he looked much different than the others.

He was donned in leather armour. He was taller, but not as much as humans.

Nevertheless, much taller than other Goblins.

He looked more human. Darius would have mistaken him for a human if not for his pointy ears and green skin.

His face was less ugly, and his body was muscular.

Observe.

[Hobgoblin LV: ???]

.....

Standing before his Archer troop, he commanded, "Prepare to shoot!"

.....

Fiona had sensed the Goblin Archers.

She sped up her attacks, quickly killing many Goblins surrounding them. But her attacks could not clear a way for them to evade the imminent rain of arrows.

She shouted among the cries of pain and battle, "Tia, I'll clear the way. You escape with Darius."

"No!" Tiara crushed a Goblin head under her foot, "I'm not going anywhere without you!"

"Listen to me!" She screamed, further speeding up her movements trying in vain to make a path for her daughter, "I'm your mother! You will do as I say!"

"I will not." She killed another, "Go without."

Another died with a dagger between its eyes, "You!"

She killed three more with one sweep, "I'll stay with you till the end. I won't let you die here."

Fiona screamed in frustration kicking off a Goblin, massacring more of these disgusting critters.

She hated her daughter right now. She hated the stubbornness she inherited from her Father.

'Why can't she be obedient like usual right now? Why does she have to be stubborn like that bastard of a man?!'

.....

"Avoid their vitals!" He added.

The Archers raised their bows. The arrows were drawn awaiting their leader's command, "On my mark!"

The leader looked for a good opportunity. A moment later he shouted, "Release!"

A unanimous thung of arrows being released echoed into the air.

.....

Fiona and Tiara felt the doom above their heads. The shadow cast by the arrows halted their and enemies movements for a moment.

Before enemies continued their attacks not giving them a chance to run. Not fearing their deaths. The arrows struck.

Many Goblins lost their lives, many resembled porcupines. Half of the Goblin Spearmen had been massacred.

Leaving only the ones who had been out of range who joyously screamed in victory. The Hobgoblin smirked victorious.

The dust fog caused by the death rain began to disperse. Hobgoblin shouted, "Bring the women! They are not dead but will be too injured to be a threat to us."

"Bring them for our lord!" He repeated, "And we will be rewarded."

A five Goblins charged into the dusty mist to carry out the orders. However, three of them flew out of the dust cloud with their heads caved in.

"What!?" The leader Hobgoblin exclaimed in shock.

The obscurity was dispersed with the dusty mist. In their view, a perplexing situation appeared.

The two women stood unharmed. In their crushing grips, two Goblins struggled before their throats were squashed.

A faint blue dome surrounding them flickered out.