Chapter Twenty-Six: Quest Complete

As soon as the flames died enough for the Commander Kobolds to get through, they both disappeared. Leaving their force of Kobolds behind. They appeared again on opposite sides of Drake.

Does everyone have a movement skill but me?! He complained.

After appearing, the Gun Kobold fired off two bullets in rapid succession from its wasteland guns. Drake was barely able to respond in time even with his increased Dexterity. Pouring more mana into his tattoos and raising them to cover his head, the sounds of metal hitting the mana infused weapons ringing in his ears.

Without missing a beat the Spear Kobold moved in closer behind Drake, heaving his halberd back with both hands in a thrusting motion, it began to shine in a red glow, the Spearman barking as it did.

Drake was unable to turn in time to fully dodge the thrust, and placed a black clad arm in between him and the spear point of the halberd. The two weapons clashed in a shower of sparking red and blue Mana before Drake was flung to the side and pushed down the dirt road.

He tumbled against the ground for a moment then landed on his feet gripping his hand. Looking down he saw a small hole and a stream of blood coming from it.

The Spear Kobold's skill just now had gotten through his Mana Infused Tattoo. As Drake had also infused a good amount of mana into the magic tattoos it didn't bode well for him.

He had made a mistake not thinking the Kobolds had more than just movement skills.

After he had gotten up he was assailed with more sounds of gunshots forcing Drake to sprint to the side to dodge, running back and forth towards the Gun Kobold in wide lines, kicking up dust with every change in direction from his speed.

Just as Drake was beginning to wonder if the Gunman had an endless pit of bullets in its guns, it stopped firing to reload. In that moment Drake took hold of the opportunity and stopped his dodging to sprint forward at top speed straight for the gunman.

Chanting his Mana Bolt as he charged the Gun Kobold, he fired it off with one hand and wound up his other, immediately chanting his Heavy Blow skill in succession.

But as soon as the Mana Bolt was about to land, the Spear Kobold appeared in front of the Gunman, taking the Mana Bolt to its shoulder as it raised its halberd above its head a red glow again around it.

Drake was less than several feet away when the Spearman began bringing down his halberd on him. But with Drake's increased speed, he quickly pivoted on his left foot as it hit the ground, and went a step further, pushing off it to dodge the swing. The red halberd finding nothing but the scorched ground below it.

Drake continued his pivot to the right and brought his swing into the side of the unguarded Spearman. "Power through force! Heavy Blow!" He roared, his fist connecting with the side of the Spearman, sending it flying directly into the forest, crashing into several trees on the way.

The Gunman had reloaded by this time and brought a gun up with a green glow to face Drake. Firing point blank at his head.

Drake infused more mana into his tattoos to stave off the gunfire, turning with his hand pressed against his head, he both felt and saw the bullet scrape across his tattoos. The sparks of blue and green flashing in his vision for a split second, a small splotch of blood trailing them.

Drake survived the close range bullet but he was quickly running through his reserves and was down to 60% after just a few exchanges with the Commander pair.

With no option of retreating Drake surged forward to close the distance with the Gunman. Chanting again his Heavy Blow skill with one arm, and kept another raised to keep him from taking a shot to one of his vitals.

Drake took hits to his slightly exposed shoulder and body, but thanks to his Rare Quality gear the bullets only left mildly deep scrapes. In a single breath Drake was close enough to hit the Gunman, his Heavy Blow chant complete. He threw his fist forward with all his might.

Only to be stopped by the flat edge of a red hued halberd. Drake cursed as he looked from the halberd over to the Spear Kobold, its face dirtied and blood ran from the corner of its grinning maw.

In the next moment Drake looked back at the Gunman, a smile creeping up on its mouth behind the head of the halberd, as itself disappeared.

Drake quickly took hold of the shaft of the halberd and roared as he pulled it to turn around with the halberd and Spearman in tow.

As he crested his shoulder able to see behind him, he saw the Gun Kobold holding his pistol up to his head, a greenish glow again forming around the weapon. But Drake's split decision saved his life, as he was barely able to raise his shoulder with his swing of the halberd. Bringing the Spearman Kobold slamming into the Gun Kobold right as it barked and the gunshot went off, the bullet ricocheting off his shoulder guard and cutting his right eyebrow.

The Gunman and Spearman collided with force attesting to Drake's strength as they flew back into the mass of the Legion of Kobolds that were scrambling to get through the opening of the fire.

The two forces collided as the Squad Commander pair was pushed deep within the Kobold ranks.

Drake didn't wait for a repeat of before in his previous fights, and sprinted forward as quickly as he could, chanting a Mana Bolt as he did. He arrived at the Spearman and Gunman pair fumbling over each other to get up, only to spot Drake as he moved in front of them so quickly it looked as if he used a skill himself. But they couldn't get up quick enough as Drake leapt forward with his feet first, catching the Spearman in the chest with his steel boots sending them both flying a few meters until they collided with the ground. Drake standing on top of the unconscious Spearman.

Drake finished his cast of the Mana Bolt in the same moment and fired a watermelon sized hole into its chest.

[You have subjugated Squad Commander Kobold [F Rank] Level 19] [30,000 Experience and 9,500 TP have been awarded]

He couldn't relax yet though, as he looked back to where the Gunman was supposed to be, only to see it disappear again. Drake turned around with his guard up in anticipation for the Gunman but nothing came. He blinked and looked around for the remaining Commander Kobold but saw nothing, until he heard a gunshot and turned to the direction of the sound. He saw the smoking barrel of a green colored pistol from behind a tree in the forest, for a split second before pain shot up his left arm.

Drake winced and tumbled backward from the force of the impact, but quickly got to his feet and rushed to the tree where he had seen the Gunman last. But the Kobold was nowhere to be found once he arrived a few seconds later.

"Damn it! It's using the trees for cover!" Drake hissed.

Another sound of a bullet being fired went off and Drake ducked behind the tree, a bullet going right through the trunk of the tree right next to his head.

Drake looked wide eyed at the smoking hole, surprised it could penetrate the large trunk.

But it didn't take long for Drake to start running through the forest, doing his best to keep moving and use the trees to at least obscure himself. He touched his right eyebrow and thankfully the bleeding had stopped, but not before it crusted his eye close with blood. As he ran he also checked on the gunshot wound on his arm. He had torn some of his pants to wrap it to stem the bleeding but blood was still seeping through albeit far more slowly.

Drake was forced to keep running and dodging behind trees as the gunshots rang out, and a game of cat and mouse ensued. Each bullet barely missed Drake or hit just accurately enough to cause a cut through his armor.

He desperately needed to end this game soon. There was no telling when the other Kobolds and the mystery monster would decide to show up. Then an idea popped into Drake's head.

It was a gamble but Drake was willing to give it a shot. He quickly took off his Martial Artist's Garbs, losing its stats and breaking the set bonus. And placed them on a bush partially obscured.

Then he dashed out from behind the bush as a gunshot rang out, kicking up a bead of dirt behind him. He stopped once he was a little bit away from his Garbs, and waited, peeking his head out and doing his best to listen.

A moment later a gunshot rang out, and Drake saw the flash of a barrel. Then it disappeared, but suddenly a Kobold materialized in front of Drake.

Drake smiled at the Gunman, as it looked at him in sheer terror. "Hide and seek is over, pup! Power through force! Heavy Blow!" He howled, almost laughing. As he brought his skill infused fist right into the side of the Gunman's head, hooking it down into the floor of the forest.

[You have subjugated Squad Commander Kobold [F Rank] Level 19] [30,000 Experience and 9,500 TP have been awarded]

[Quest Complete! 5 of 5 Squad Commander Kobolds subjugated]

[Accept Rewards?]

Drake huffed from exhaustion while he was still bent over in a position over the now crushed monster, as he looked at the new notifications, but quickly put them on hold.

While he took a moment to breathe, he spotted some familiar green reflections on the monster's corpse. It had four of the same accessories that the one from Outpost B had. Did that mean the other one may have them as well?

Drake quickly scooped up the accessories, and the stone and void pouch that appeared next to the body, after he ran to grab his Garbs seeing a new small hole in the back of it, he ran back out of the forest.

He was greeted by the remnants of the Kobold Legion about to bear down on him.

Drake looked over his status, he was at 60% health and 20% mana and stamina. He needed to clear out the remaining Kobolds so he could recover before the mystery behind the wall noticed.

But before that, he wanted to check on something. Drake Dashed to where the body of the Spearman Kobold laid, and just like he had hoped there was some sparkling loot waiting for him in the form of red earrings and rings.

[Ruby Ring [F Grade] [Uncommon]

+10 to Strength

Limited to one per hand.

A magically infused ring, with the power to increase one's Strength by a small amount.

[Ruby Earring [F Grade] [Uncommon]

+10 to Strength

Limited to one per ear.

A magically infused earring, with the power to increase one's Strength by a small amount.

Drake smiled as he read the descriptions, and placed them into his pant's pocket instead of his inventory. He wasn't out of his fight yet and if he wanted to switch out the accessories he had on they would have to be outside of his inventory.

As he looked around he saw many of the Kobolds still racing towards him in a wild rage. But some strays had started to run back to the Outpost.

Drake watched the fleeing Kobolds with a foreboding feeling starting to creep into the back of his mind, but had other problems at the moment.

He raced with all his speed to meet with the remaining Kobolds charging towards him in an instant, and began to go to work.

As he quickly rampaged in the leftover ranks of the Kobolds, he collected on the feeling he had before. As a loud howl reverberated over the field, the loudest and deepest one he had heard yet.

The Kobolds around him suddenly had a look of abject fear, as they began to scramble, fleeing in all directions.

Drake held his gaze on the gate, glancing at his status that was now slowly ticking upwards, but not nearly fast enough to reach full before the sight of a truly monstrous dog lurched out of the outpost's gate.

Drake was left wide mouthed as he only first saw the head of the beast, wearing a type of Miner's cap. Next he saw the shoulders and arms as it had to crawl through the gate to fit.

"You're a big fella arntch… Oh God!?" Drake began to joke but quickly became even more surprised as the full body of the Monster came out of the gate, and stood up. It almost came up to the height of the Outpost's walls, nearly reaching 5 meters high.

Covering its body was dirt overtop its large blue overalls. In its hands was a pickaxe to end all pickaxes. On its side attached to its belt, an unlit lantern. It looked down at the fleeing Kobolds, and picked them up effortlessly. It growled in disappointment at them as it hurled some into the forest, all the way over the football field length opening. Stomped and crushed others. Killing a majority of the remaining Kobolds that had tried to flee into the Outpost.

Then the beast glowered down at Drake. Its eyes fixed on him, and Drake smiled, beginning to shake slightly.

He didn't smile at the fact that the beast had noticed him, or that he was about to have to fight this behemoth. But at the new window that had popped up in front of him without him opening it.

[Urgent Quest! Defeat the Kobold Foreman [F Rank]

[Reward: Large amount of Experience and TP. Access to 'The Kobold Mines']