hunting is always good - IV
After a long walk without encountering a single goblin, they stopped about thirty meters from the camp. From a distance, the situation already looked bad — but up close, it was even worse.
— I'll send my magical beast to attack and lure them to us. That way, we'll have some kind of advantage. said Med.
— Just don't send him too far. We don't want to lose an essential asset here. replied Lily.
— I know. he assured.
Then, Med commanded his magical beast to advance.
A squad of goblins patrolling the perimeter spotted the werewolf sprinting toward them. Following their wild instincts, they charged to attack — one of them landing a spear strike.
Seeing his creature's HP drop rapidly, Med called it back.
The werewolf, now wounded, retreated, guiding the goblins straight to its master — exactly as planned.
It didn't take long for the goblins to charge at an imposing man clad in thick silver armor and a red cape flowing in the wind.
His eyes burned with rage, and his steps grew faster by the second.
— Come on... said Carlos, spreading his arms wide, as if inviting them to their own deaths.
But the "invitation" didn't last long. In the blink of an eye, he drew the shield from his back and charged at them.
The seven-meter gap vanished in an instant.
A werewolf ran past him, claws digging into the ground to make a sharp turn back into the fight.
BOOM!
The spears clashed against the shield, pushing the tank back a few steps.
— Six against one… don't you think that's a bit unfair? taunted Carlos, standing firm like a wall.
— HAHAHA!
— Then let's level the playing field… RIGHT NOW!
The goblins' eyes widened in surprise as three more enemies suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Med tightened his grip on his whip and lashed it at the nearest goblin. The tip wrapped around the crude spear, locking the enemy's weapon.
— Go, Yumi! he ordered.
Without hesitation, Victor charged in, aiming to deliver the strongest blow he could muster.
But of course, the remaining goblins didn't just stand by and watch their comrade get attacked. Their eyes narrowed, and growls echoed through the clearing.
— Tsk. Victor clicked his tongue, frustrated he couldn't act in time.
However, Carlos stepped forward, increasing pressure on the enemies.
To the left, Robinson and the werewolf fought with surprising synergy, striking in perfect coordination.
With the goblins' attention drawn to another flank, the rest of the group seized the opening — free to strike without retaliation.
And so they did.
Three goblins were hit in the neck, falling to critical strikes.
Monster HP: 70/100
Monster HP: 70/100
Monster HP: 70/100
The hits were more effective than expected, though not enough to decapitate — only deep cuts, from which blood sprayed in hot spirals.
Even wounded, the goblins tried to rise, determined to keep fighting. But of course, it wouldn't be that easy.
— Yumi and I will hold off these three. Finish those bastards! yelled Med, drawing the remaining goblins' attention.
Carlos nodded firmly and looked at the enemies who were barely standing, trembling but stubborn.
— The train's coming through. he growled.
What the goblins saw was hell in the shape of a shield, bearing the image of a golden lion charging at full speed.
BOOM!!!
They were trampled like isekai protagonists — but the one in the center suffered the most.
The shield surged forward like a battering ram, and Carlos's boot crushed the goblin's skull, deforming the left side of its face grotesquely under pressure.
Carlos stopped about four meters away, spinning back toward the battlefield with a cynical grin.
— Hey! I think your buddy could use an extra eye, huh? he mocked, laughing out loud.
The remaining goblins tried to stand, but they never had a chance.
The rat-man and the werewolf moved like hungry shadows — and in the blink of an eye, dispatched the two with lethal precision.
Lily, despite being a powerless mage, simply observed. This was their first battle against a larger goblin group.
"Carlos has a shield and heavy armor, which cuts damage well… but we still don't have a ranged attacker to do steady damage without closing in," she thought.
Her eyes dropped to the ground, spotting a few tennis-ball-sized rocks.
— YUMI! she suddenly shouted.
Everyone turned toward her, startled. Then they saw her gesture with her hand, calling someone over.
— Huh... Med tried to speak, but before he could finish, Victor just shrugged and ran toward his leader.
— I'm on my own now? he muttered, already knowing the answer.
The fighter didn't bother to respond with a wave or nod.
Reaching her, he stopped in front of Lily.
— Got an idea? he asked.
Lily let out a chuckle and adjusted her glasses with a quick motion.
— You know you don't us...
Victor began to speak, but she cut him off, more firmly:
— Don't interrupt my inspi... Remember Med's stone strategy? He'd throw them to lure goblins and trip them easily.
— Yeah. So?
— We'll do the same — but this time, we hit them directly. Disorient them. Makes them easy pickings for the others.
— Hmm... Might work. But we outnumber them anyway. You just want to test the mechanics, huh?
Lily just shrugged, needing no further reply.
Victor looked back at the battle.
Med and his beast were still fighting three goblins, while Carlos and Robinson were pushing the other two toward a more strategic point.
The goblins who'd already taken critical hits could barely hold their weapons. But as the saying goes:
Better safe than sorry.
— Hey! shouted Victor.
Everyone heard the call and instinctively looked back.
Med, with his back to the fighter, tilted his head slightly to catch a glimpse.
Victor made a throwing gesture with his left hand. Robinson and Carlos understood instantly.
— DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE! GROUP THE GOBLINS TOGETHER! ordered Lily firmly.
The two companions understood the strategy without needing more words. Med, still a bit confused, tried to figure it out.
— We're winning. he murmured.
— Better to just follow the plan and finish this quickly.
Determined, Carlos drew his short sword, now wielding both weapons, ready for the final strike.
— And that's exactly why you almost got eliminated by the armored goblin a few hours ago. said Victor, dead serious.
— This isn't just a game. We need to understand every mechanic — what's possible… and what's possible even without doing anything.
— Think of this little sub-plan as learning. added Robinson.
— If it works here, we can use it in other situations.
The tamer, a more casual player, didn't fully grasp what they were talking about. Strategy talk and terminology weren't his strength.
Still, he nodded, accepting the plan.
The two others made the same hand gesture, signaling readiness.
And then, the plan went into motion.
Carlos was the first to charge, swinging his short sword in wide arcs while dragging his spear with his other hand, creating metallic clangs to draw the goblins' focus.
SWISH!! SWISH!! SWISH!!
Both goblins stumbled backward.
A moment later, their vision went black.
The werewolf decapitated them in a single slash.
Everyone looked at Med, who hadn't even blinked.
His eyes were locked on the remaining three goblins.
Victor, Carlos, and Robinson turned to Lily, who simply nodded.
And thus ended the short learning phase with the goblins — barely begun, and already over.
They advanced on the remaining enemies. The battle was quick, almost uneventful.
LEVEL: 1 (32.25/100) Victor, Robinson, and Lily.
LEVEL: 1 (61/100) Carlos
LEVEL: 2 (1/100) Med
Lily glared at Med, her eyes burning with fury. Without hesitation, she stormed toward him.
— What the fuck do you think you're doing, huh?! — she growled, grabbing him by the neck with all her strength.
Instantly, the werewolf at his side lunged forward, enraged by anyone touching its master.
BOOM!
The tank's shield slammed into the creature's side, sending it flying.
— Hahaha... Been a while since I wanted to test you, buddy — said the warrior, stepping forward confidently.
Victor and Robinson flanked him, ready for anything.
— Enough. Let's focus on what matters: the goblin camp — said Lily, releasing Med and collecting herself. — No more dumb distractions.
She stared him down, pressing a firm finger against his chest.
— Next time, I expect you to follow the fucking order. Got it?
— Whatever... Med muttered, making his beast back off.
With the tension gone, the group exhaled. Silence. They gathered their thoughts.
It was time to return to the main objective: destroy the goblin camp.
After that, they kept moving. Med had reached level two, doubling his stats — now stronger than even a level one monster.
During that time, they only faced goblins armed with spears, taking them down one by one and collecting experience — which paid off well.
LEVEL: 1 (30.20/100) Victor, Robinson, and Lily.
LEVEL: 1 (91/100) Carlos
LEVEL: 2 (22/100) Med
¶• GOBLIN EAR. x5
— Hm?...
Med stopped and looked at his XP. He noticed something strange — something that didn't happen before.
One by one, the group slowed down until they came to a full stop.
— What happened? asked Lily, curious.
— My XP is missing. I should've gotten 30 points like you guys… but I only got 21. Med replied, confused.
The four exchanged glances — already knowing what was going on.
— Point reduction... Carlos muttered.
— This game has that lovely system of punishing players the more they level up. Didn't think it'd kick in this early.
— Agreed. said Robinson.
— I also thought it would take longer, but looks like even level 2 gets nerfed already. That could be trouble.
Lily raised an eyebrow, not seeing the big deal.
— Did you guys forget our painful past playing games more pay-to-win than *Clash Royale*? Where even sex had to be paid for? And now you're whining over a simple XP drop?
Med made a face at the "paid sex" part.
Victor shook his head — but deep down, he was dying of embarrassment.
— What's the name of this game? asked Med quietly.
— What? Robinson replied, frowning.
— I-I meant… what should we do now that we're dealing with point reduction? Med quickly corrected himself.