After killing ten more goblins in the dungeon, Tom came across a huge door adorned with illustrations of goblins.
Tom was certain that the dungeon boss lay beyond this door. After making the necessary preparations, he combined the goblin stones and absorbed their power.
+2 Power
Satisfied with the boost, Tom pushed the heavy door with all his strength. It groaned open, revealing the room beyond.
Inside, he saw goblins marked with descriptive titles:
Archer Goblin: Ranged attackers using poisoned arrows.Wild Goblin: Fighters with a brutal, power-and-speed-based combat style.
Tom counted twenty goblins, ten of each type. Behind them loomed a much larger figure.
Shaman Goblin (Dungeon Boss): A master of curse spells. While lacking in raw combat ability compared to aggressive bosses, it is highly dangerous due to its magic.
Tom quickly formed a battle plan and put it into action.
The wild goblins charged at him. Allowing three of them to surround him, Tom used their bodies as cover to block the archer goblins' line of sight.
Having mastered his katana, Tom no longer needed to sheathe it after every strike. Though he couldn't achieve the same speed as an unsheathing attack, he was still remarkably fast.Observing the savages' movements, Tom positioned himself at an angle where one archer could see him. As the archer goblin drew its bow, Tom activated his Monster's Eyes ability, momentarily distracting the goblin.The archer's poisoned arrow flew wide, striking a wild goblin in the back. The savage howled in pain and became disoriented—exactly what Tom had been waiting for. With a swift motion, he sheathed his katana and executed a flawless draw-cut. The wild goblin's head rolled to the ground.The sudden death stunned the other savages, giving Tom an opening. He dashed past the fallen goblin toward the archers.Strategic Advantage
The wild goblins only attacked in groups of three for two reasons:Their reckless fighting style often caused friendly fire when too many attacked together.If too many swarmed Tom, the archers wouldn't have a clear shot.
No one expected a savage to fall so quickly—after all, they were fighting a mere human. But the archer goblin's mistake had turned the tide in Tom's favor.Tom reached the archers before they could regroup. Though they fired a few arrows, he dodged them effortlessly and leapt among their ranks. The archers, lacking melee combat skills, were no match for Tom. He slaughtered them all.The Shaman attempted to curse him, but the spell's effect lasted only a second. Tom suspected one of his unique abilities had some hidden anti-magic properties.Taking Down the Savages
With the archers eliminated, the wild goblins charged en masse. Tom noticed a faint purple liquid seeping from his katana's scabbard.Goblin Poison: A toxin that clouds the mind and induces exhaustion.Stealth Effect: 30% more effective against wild goblin species.
Tom used the poison to his advantage, landing small but strategic wounds on the savages. After five minutes, they were visibly weakened, teetering on the edge of collapse.
Capitalizing on their fatigue, Tom swiftly decapitated three of them. Enraged by the deaths of their kin, the remaining savages launched a ferocious assault.
Despite their combined efforts, Tom's superior speed and agility allowed him to hold his ground. After two exhausting hours, he watched the final savage collapse.
Confronting the Shaman
The Shaman Goblin rose from its throne and roared, staring at Tom with contempt. Its gaze seemed to convey that the human before it was unworthy of notice.
Tom, undeterred, smiled and readied himself for the final battle.
He reflected briefly on how much he had changed. Once, he'd feared that taking a life—like the student he'd killed at school—would drive him to madness. Yet, strangely, he felt more rational and composed than ever before.
"Perhaps," he thought, "there's an explanation for this. But that's a question for another time."
For now, all that mattered was defeating the Shaman Goblin.