Chapter 5: Battle
The hobgoblin's roar was still echoing through the room when a tide of goblins swept over the awakened. A savage wave, a chaos of shrill cries and rusty blades. The well-trained Awakened were not immediately overwhelmed. Daryl was the first to react.
- Hold your formation!" he shouted, his sword slicing through a goblin in one clean stroke.
Grant, to his left, parried a clumsily-wielded spear and thrust his dagger down his attacker's throat. The rest of the awakened scattered in a murderous dance where every move was a struggle for survival. The goblins, though individually weak, made up for their lack of power with sheer numbers and bestial aggression.
Isaac, who had stayed behind, watched wide-eyed. His role was to carry equipment and help out if needed, but he saw an opportunity. He clutched his rudimentary knife, his heart beating wildly. A wounded goblin was trying to crawl out of the fight. His weapon was gone, his right arm hanging limply, sliced clean off. Isaac swallowed hard and stepped forward, trying to calm the trembling of his hands.
In one swift movement, he thrust his blade into the back of the monster's neck. The goblin flinched before collapsing with a strangled gurgle. A familiar interface appeared before him:
[Possible absorption:]
[1 Absorption of physical stats]
[2. absorption of physical skills]
He hesitated for a moment and chose physical statistics. An intense burn invaded his muscles, his body instantly adapting to the new strength he had just gained. His legs felt firmer, his arms slightly more powerful. He clenched his fist and felt the difference: a slight gain in raw power.
[Strength: 7 --> 9]
He stepped back slightly and observed the battlefield. The awakened were still fighting, but the constant stream of goblins was beginning to tire them. Grant parried a sledgehammer blow but stepped back, out of breath. Daryl dodged an attack and counter-attacked, but his arm already bore a deep gash.
Isaac saw another goblin trying to flee. His instincts took over. He dashed forward, knife raised, and cut down the creature with increased precision. A new window appeared before him.
[Possible absorption:]
[1 Absorption of physical stats]
[2. absorption of physical skills]
He chose physical stats again, and this time felt his agility improve. His movements became more fluid, more precise. He noticed that his perception of space had sharpened slightly, enabling him to anticipate his own gestures with newfound speed.
[Agility: 6 --> 8]
The battle continued, the ground littered with greenish corpses. Some goblins retreated, but the majority fought to their last breath. Isaac found another opportunity and struck down a third goblin. The interface came back immediately.
[Possible absorption:]
[1 Absorption of physical stats]
[2. absorption of physical skills]
This time, he chose physical stats again and felt his senses sharpen. He could perceive noises and movements around him more clearly. The smell of blood, the creak of weapons, the breath of the awakened... everything seemed more distinct. He shivered under this influx of new sensations.
[Sense: 3 --> 5]
But just as he was getting used to this rhythm, something suddenly changed the course of the battle.
The hobgoblin, hitherto motionless on his throne, rose to his feet. With a slow but terribly confident step, he descended the steps to the platform, each movement shaking the ground beneath his massive weight. His eyes burned with a murderous glint.
- Watch out!" shouted Daryl, but he had no time to react.
The hobgoblin charged, his mace rising above his head before slamming into Grant. A horrific thud sounded, and Grant's body was thrown against a pillar, his armor cracking under the impact. He stopped moving.
- Shit!" shouted an awakened man.
Daryl and another fighter tried to retaliate, but the boss swept the two men aside like rag dolls with the back of his mace. Isaac watched, paralyzed, as the carnage unfolded before his eyes. The squad had lost its advantage in an instant.
The hobgoblin raced after the bodies of the awakened ones he had just sent flying and brought down his mace before their bodies even touched the ground.
A crash sounded in the boss's room and a cloud of dust prevented Isaac from seeing what was happening.
When the dust cloud dissipated and Isaac could see again, he saw the lifeless bodies of the two awake men with their pelvises completely crushed, and the unconscious bodies of Grant and Daryl.
- Damn! he swore. Where's the boss?
- Isa.. Isaac! BEHIND YOU! Elias shouted.
Isaac turned around slowly and saw the Hobgoblin's face a few centimeters from his face, grinning with all its sharp teeth, its foul breath smelling of flesh and corpse.
He raised the mace horizontally and with one swift blow struck Isaac in the abdomen.
Miraculously, Isaac had the reflex to cross his arms in front of him and half parry the blow, which nevertheless sent him flying across the room.
He crashed to the floor with a thud, landing next to the body of one of the awakened men with half his body resembling a flattened pancake.
A slowly approaching sinister laugh suddenly echoed through the room, the Hobgoblin savoring his pleasure.
Isaac struggled to get to his feet, his vision blurred, the world spinning and his balance so unsteady that he wondered if he knew how to walk anymore.
As best he could, he finally got to his feet and picked up the awakened man's now completely cooled-down weapon.
A long, straight blade still in its scabbard, he drew it with a quick movement. Isaac held it in front of him and adjusted his trembling legs slightly.
- Strength, honor and courage. Strength, honor and courage. Strength, honor and courage...
He repeated his code, his mantra, his guide.
His grip tightened on the hilt of his sword, he raised his head, his gaze firmed and he prepared himself for the fight to come.
- Come, monster. he said to the smiling Hobgoblin.
Issac's status panel:
[Status]
Name : Isaac
Race : Human
Hunter Rank : F
Statistics :
- Strength : 7 --> 9
- Agility : 6 --> 8
- Endurance: 6
- Sense : 3 --> 5
- Dexterity: 4
- Intelligence: 6