Clang!! Clang!!
Sounds of metallic sound echoed in the area.
Souta crouched down as a sword passed above him.
Swoosh!!
Gobu and Gobo charged at the side of the Hobgoblin. Both of them swing their weapons at the same time.
The Hobgoblin named Jelo bent his body and avoided the attacks. He lifted up his feet and kicked Gobo.
Bang!!
Gobo flew away and crashed in the walls.
Gobu increased his speed as he launched a barrage of attacks at Jelo.
Jelo swiftly dodges all the attacks as he jump from side to side.
Suddenly, Jelo turned around and lifted up his sword.
Clang!!
He managed to blocked Souta's sneak attack but Gobu's sword pierced his shoulder. His blood drip from his shoulder to the ground.
Jelo put more strength in his arm and he pushed Souta away with his sword before kicking him.
Bang!!
Souta didn't managed to dodge as Jelo kicked his side. He flew a few meters away before he regained his footing.
Gobu was about to pull out his sword when Jelo grabbed it with his hand. He raised his sword and slashed it at Gobu.
"Die!" Jelo roared as he slashed his sword at Gobu.
'Not good.' Souta thought as he dashed towards Jelo while using his stealth.
...
Tetsui swiftly moved his body as the Goblin stabbed him. He dodges every kind of attack they trow at him.
Swoosh!!
He landed on the ground and looked at the two Goblins in front of him. He used appraisal and scanned them.
[Goblin level 7]
[Goblin level 8]
The moment he used appraisal the two Goblins threw theirself at him.
Tetsui quickly retreated back.
'I want to end this quickly. I want to sleep right now.' He thought. Despite being a level 7 Ash Wolf he still couldn't finished these two Goblins. He lack battle experience and he know that. He's having a hard time deciding what to do in this situation. He could only hope that Souta would finished their battle soon.
He glanced at Souta and saw that he were still in the middle of a fight. It seems that it will take more time before they could finish that Hobgoblin. He then looked at the other Goblins. He found that they were still far from finishing their own battle.
...
A figure appeared in front of Gobu and blocked Jelo's sword.
Clang!!
Gobo blocked the sword.
Jelo saw this and he grew angrier. He release Gobu's sword and quickly grabbed Gobo's arm. He then use his strength and gripped it tightly.
Crack!
"Argh!" Gobo groaned in pain as Jelo gripped his arm. His sword fell on the ground making a metallic sound. He was just a level 10 Hobgoblin and he couldn't handle a grip from a level 20 Hobgoblin. The difference in level and stats was too large.
Souta arrived at the back of Jelo and stabbed his sword.
Jelo felt Souta behind him as he quickly turned around and smashed Gobo at Souta.
Bang!!
The two flew away and crashed on the ground.
"Argh!" Souta spat a mouthful of blood as he heard a notification in his mind.
[Proficiency reached!]
[Stealth Skill level up!]
Souta couldn't enjoy the feeling of leveling skill as he felt pain all over his body.
...
Jelo felt pain at his chest and saw that Souta's sword pierced his chest. He grabbed the sword and pulled it out causing a large amount of blood to pour out.
Gobu quickly moved and stabbed him.
Swoosh!!
Jelo noticed it and blocked it using his hand.
Putchi!!
The sword pierced Jelo's palm and Gobu quickly released his sword and pulled back his fist. He threw a punch at Jelo's chest.
Bang!!
"Argh!" Jello used his other hand and grabbed Gobu's shoulder. He pulled back his head and headbutt Gobu.
Bang!!
Gobu felt a little dizzy from headbutt.
Jelo used this opportunity to punch Gobu's face.
Boom!!
Gobu flew away and crashed in the wall.
Souta and Gobo were already behind Jelo. Souta grabbed Jelo's shoulder while Gobo grabbed the other one.
Souta grabbed the handle of the sword that was pierced at Jelo's palm and he pushed it deeper. He kicked Jelo's feet and both of them fell on the ground.
"Ahhh!!" Jelo used all of his strength as he free himself from Gobo's clutch.
"You wouldn't be able to easily overpower me. After all, I'm still a level 18 Hobgoblin." Souta said as he raised the sword and stabbed it on the ground.
Jelo's palm was nailed on the ground.
Souta moved on top of Jelo and quickly launched a barrage of punches at his face.
Bang!! Bang!! Bang!! Bang!!
Jelo still tried to push Souta away with his other arm.
"Gobo! cut his feet!" Souta shouted as he continue to throw endless punch at Jelo.
Gobo quickly moved and picked up the sword on the ground. He used it and cut Jelo's feet.
Putchi!!
"ARGH!!" Jelo screamed loudly.
Souta stomped his other hand and grabbed Jelo's head. He used all of his strength and twisted Jelo's head.
[Experience points gained!]
[You've level up!]
[Skill points gained!]
[All stats have increase by 5!]
Souta heard the notification in his mind and know that Jelo was dead.
Souta started to recalled what happened in the battle just now. Despite the difference of only two levels Jelo could overpowered him. It must because of the difference in their stats. He guess that Jelo trained his body to raised his stats.
He turned at Gobo and saw that the arm that Jelo gripped was crushed. His bone cracked from that powerful grip.
Souta stood up and said, "Let's clean this."
He turned his attention to Jelo's squad and pulled out the sword from the ground.
...
In just a few minutes, they killed the remaining Goblins. All of them received a level up from that battle.
"Rest for now. I will guard this entrance." Souta said as he sat down at the corner. He sighed and looked at the ceiling.
""Yes, leader!"" Gobu and Gobo said. Both of them were injured in the battle. So Souta let them rest first. The other Goblins suffered some wounds.
He recalled the battle earlier. He remembered that Jack was not as strong at Jelo. Jack was more of an agility type and Jelo was a strength type. And he was an all rounder. His stats was pretty much balance. Their battle sense too was higher than him.
He felt someone licking his fingers. He turned his head and saw that it was Soka.
"Come!" He picked her up in his arms and caress her fur.
"Ah~ it really feels good cuddling a fluffy dog." Souta said as he closed his eyes. He was wondering if he shouldn't let Soka join the fight anymore. She was cuter when she was this small but when she evolve Souta imagine the wolves that he fought before.
Suddenly he heard Tetsui's voice.
"Oi! We're not a dog, we're a wolf!"
"Don't mind it." Souta said as he continue cuddling Soka.
"Gobo couldn't use his left hand anymore?" Tetsui asked.
"Yeah. It will take a month or more before he could use it again." Souta nodded. Gobo's bone cracked after Jelo gripped it. That powerful gripped was terrifying. Gobu lost some of his teeth and his face swelled after Jelo punched it. Until now, Souta could feel a slight pain at his side.
"What do you plan to do now?" Tetsui asked.
"Level up." Souta replied.
"We're thinking the same thing. That's the best plan right now. The rest of the Goblins need to evolve..." Tetsui paused for a moment, "I couldn't even kill two Goblins despite my higher stats. I lack battle experience and you too. Do you know a place where we can grind huge amount of experience points in one go?"
"There's a lot of places like that. The Den of the Wolves and Kobold, the Orc's nest, but... We lack strength right now." Suddenly something came into his mind, "No! I know one place!"
"What's that?" Tetsui asked.
"The Hornet's Nest." Souta replied.