Eldest Oak Guardian

With only half of my health bar remaining after being swatted out of the air just one good time, I looked at the fading bodies of the two hobgoblin warriors and start backing away toward the front line. "Withdraw to half and brace, full offensive!" I call to the others, making them run halfway to the fire before forming a straight line with their familiars all around and at the ready.

Oleander used a recovery spell, replenishing not just health but also a little bit of my mana as well. Hers were the only class and race that could currently recover mana for herself or others without using mana potions. There were, of course, other methods to stimulate mana recovery such as incense and the like.

Then, my entire field of view was filled with a blinding red for an instant before the entire world seemed to shake. With a single footstep that felt like it carried the weight of three warriors, "Be ready, Hack, that's not just any hobgoblin warrior!" Sir Beryl's voice calls out suddenly just as the entity was coming into view. "That's a Chieftain!"

The so-called Chieftain stood even taller than Stonewall and dragged behind it an almost neatly whittled giant wooden sword of elder root wood. Thanks to my experience in making Stonewall's shield I could already imagine that the sword in that monster's hands could hit for nothing less than a base damage of fifty. With their insane body and strength behind it, even Stonewall might get one-shot by a critical.

Knowing something like this was bound to happen eventually, I step forward from the front line and say, "I'm going to draw out his attack patterns! Do not blink and do not hesitate! If I get hit ONCE then count me as dead and hit that giant son of a bitch for everything you're worth!"'

Then, I dropped Midnight Fuller and picked up one of the many Hardened Bokuto that had been tossed back out of the way earlier. The Chieftain just stood there outside the tunnel watching me, the only person to make moves or noises as I started walking out to meet them. Then, stopping a few yards short, I took up my 360 Edge stance.

"You don't have to do this, Hack!" Sir Beryl calls from somewhere in the meadow just beyond the tree. "Just say the word and I'll take care of everything! There's no reason to throw your life away just because you think it's fun!"

"If that wasn't a good enough reason to die then I wouldn't be here!" I shout back to the old knight. Then, to the Chieftain I softly growl, "Come on, ugly. It might be your last time ever seeing the sun but I don't have all day!"

Suddenly roaring with a volume that made something warm trickle from my right ear and my vision blur, the Chieftain closed the distance with a single step and swung his giant sword. Five-and-a-half feet of broad wooden sword blade swept through the air so fast that it was barely more than a thin and blurry line traveling toward me. However, I simply hopped and used 360 Edge to carry my momentum even higher above the sword that had been swept low at my crouching body.

Leaning forward as their swing comes to a sudden stop, I flip forward and down to chop the Hardened Bokuto down on the flat side of the Chieftain's elder root sword as hard as I could. The knockback effect was so strong that I was thrown back a few feet through the air while the Chieftain was pushed half a step back while their sword slammed toward the ground while still in their hand.

Annoyed from having been upset in the fight by something it probably saw as a flea, the Chieftain gripped his sword in both hands and started swinging even faster back and forth at different heights. It was clear that the Chieftain was only vaguely aware of how to even hold the sword, let alone how to use it, but with their incredible size and strength there was little need for actual skill. Even if it was an oak sword, one hit would probably split two people standing in line in half across the middle.

I did my best to evade, dancing left and right and spinning low to the ground and a sloppy circle around the Chieftain.

[Agility raised by 1]

However, there finally came a time when I was caught in midair with little choice but to fight fate at all costs. I performed my strongest attack, a 360 Geist, while leading with the Hardened Bokuto so that its knockback was emphasized by my skill. Not only did the strength of my attack and knockback meet muster and stop the Chieftain's attack but the ensuing triple set of Geists from the Hardened Bokuto spun the sword in the Chieftain's grip while denting and cracking its surface.

Landing on the damaged flat of the Chieftain's giant sword as Geists from Midnight Hauntings striking the sword into the ground start tearing up the surface of the sword as well, I leap forward up the sword and the full length of the Chieftain's arms before performing another shouting 360 Geist.

Both blades struck to unleash a small whirlwind of six Geists flaying the Chieftain's head, neck, chest, and shoulders. However, the only response I received from the Chieftain's health bar was for a meager eight perfect to fade away. The Chieftain was not even wearing anything but a loincloth, how could its defense be this freaking TOUGH?!

Despite how little damage was done, there were numerous knockbacks stacked on its face and the Chieftain had no choice but to stagger back an entire two steps. Landing as they recovered their balance, I run forward and crouch into a slide under the retaliatory backhand swing of their sword before leaping up and twisting sideways in midair to perform my last 360 Edge up the front of the body and into the underside of their chin to land two attacks with either sword and set off a swirling mass of twelve Geists.

I only managed to do twice the damage as last time but this time the cyclone of ghostly attacks coupled with my physical knockbacks lifted the Chieftain a foot off of the ground and threw them back two or three yards to land on their ass. Running forward as their body soaked the ground around them in thick black fluids, I feint another leap and draw out a hasty thrust of the Chieftain's sword.

Sidestepping the thrust, I perform a normal 360 Edge into the side of their sword that knocks it several feet away from me so that I can try to push in again. However, the knockback this time was weak and their Strength was not. The Chieftain recovered in less than a second and snatched back with his elbow. That elbow caught me in the side under my raised arms and sent me flying.

I did not fly a few yards like I had whenever a hobgoblin warrior struck me into the air but instead flew all the way back to Go who snatched me out of the air and was thrown to the ground in a slide right along with me from my momentum.

Even though I had been caught I had still dropped below thirty percent of my health and my player's health bar actually started flashing. Now that I was out of the way, though, everybody with a ranged attack of any kind started using it and the world around the Elder Oak came to life with explosive thunders and blinding lights. The only reason I was still alive was from the buffs that were still active, so I knew the Chieftain was probably hurting right now.

"I never even made it use a skill," I groan while curling up on the ground, hugging my broken body even as several heals were suddenly cast. "I had one freakin' job… find its attack pattern, and I fucked up."

"It's a noob boss, do you think they would give it skills with those stats?" Go asks rhetorically. "You got knocked the fuck out and you weren't even hit with the weapon! There is no attack pattern, its all just basic attacks. But, we know that thanks to you. Now, get the hell up because he's not down yet."

As if encouraged by my best friend's words, an ear-splitting roar deafened the world and shook leaves from the Elder Oak overhead. There in the clearing smoke of the artillery attack stood the Chieftain. Its big, fatty hulking form was covered in open wounds and charred flesh and even one of its eyes were gone but there it still stood with over a third of its health remaining.

The entire magic artillery move from four magic users was only enough to take around fifty percent of this noob boss's health.

Accepting the hand that Go offers me as our front liners rush the Chieftain with Stonewall's booming steps in the lead, I pull myself up and then give my friend a shove toward the boss. "Go take that bitch's other eye and bring it back for me," I say proudly, sending the half-orc running into the fray with the axes I made for him in hand.

With Stonewall keeping the Chieftain's sword pinned on the spikes of his shield, Papi and Skooma took turns keeping the other arm busy while Merch and Lil joined Go in bringing down the Chieftain's already wounded legs. Soon, the sword was shattered and Papi had the other arm stretched out back the pick side of his hammer punched through its hand. Stonewall, thankfully, kept the other broken hand pinned to the ground under his shield.

At that point the Chieftain was already being swiftly whittled down to ten percent where it might have gone berserk under usual circumstances. As it was now, though, the Chieftain could only roar and struggle as the next three attacks ended its life.

[CONGRATULATIONS]

A giant notification suddenly appeared in the air after the Chieftain's body disappeared, almost blocking the Elder Oak Passage entrance with its massive window and bright coloring. Then personal notifications began appearing.

[You have just cleared the Elder Oak Passage survival challenge!]

[+2000XP]

[Leveled Up]

[All stats raised by 1]

[Elder Oak Survival Challenge Clear Rating: S]

[Elder Oak Survival Challenge Clear Reward: +2000XP]

[Leveled Up]

[All stats raised by 1]

[Elder Oak Survival Challenge Rating Reward: Title; Eldest Oak Guardian. Recipe: Elder Arms. First Completion Rights. Unique Title]

[Eldest Oak Guardian: Legendary. Passive. For leading not only the first team completion of the Elder Oak Passage survival challenge but leading the first perfect victory without any losses while being the pioneer of the dungeon, you have been recognized as eldest of Elder Oak Guardians. +10 to all stats and +10% PATK/PDEF/MATK/MDEF/MVSPD for you and your allies when fighting together as well as +50 Sierra Reputation and +10 Imperial Reputation]

[Total number of enemies faced are; Goblins: 1100. Hobgoblins: 1100. Hobgoblin Warriors: 6. Chieftains: 1]

[Awarded Unique Title: Goburin Sureya]

[Goburin Sureya: Legendary. Passive. For killing the most goblins to date in a single battle and in general, you have been awarded the Unique Title of Goburin Sureya in honor of the one who worked, breathed, ate, shit, slept, and lived a life of killing goblins. +10 to Agility, Endurance, and Willpower. While fighting against goblins and goblin kind, the wailing of dead goblins precedes you like the drums and trumpets of war to cut the stats of your enemies in half out of fear. +10 Imperial Reputation]

After that came a long, LONG list of all the loot I gained. From eleven-hundred goblins I gained as man skins, ears, fangs, cores, and so on. I even received the full bodied loot of all six warriors like their skins and claws as well as the Chieftain's loots. I did not, however, receive eleven-hundred clubs and spears but instead one hundred and ten of each.

"HACK YOU GREAT BIG IDIOT," a thundering voice that was no weaker than the Chieftain's roar silences the world as Sir Beryl runs over to us. With only three fucking steps. "I told you not to throw your life away like that, dammit! You could have died, then where would Ms. Lana be? What about this team of yours you claim to love so much? If you died, what would have become of all these people?!"

"They'd see me again back in Sierra," I mumble under my breath, earning myself a confused glare from Sir Beryl. Seeing this look, I open my inventory and take out my Travelers' clothes for him to examine while saying, "Beryl, I'm a Traveler. If I die, I come back to life in the last safe place I visited. That would be Sierra. Of course, I lose a lot of experience, too."

Looking between the wrinkled canvas outfit that had definitely seen better days and then me, Sir Beryl seems to have trouble grasping the situation for a few moments before wordlessly handing the clothes back to me. Finally, he hesitantly asks, "You're… really one of them? Are you… good or bad?"

Carefully considering my next words, I say, "Neither. Good means I aim to better others and bad means I aim to better myself at their expense. My first concern is myself but I will not better myself at the expense of others? If I had to answer your question honestly, I would say bad because I am selfish? But it's not like I would let innocent people die in my place. I don't stay dead, to begin with."

*