The continuous sounds of "thud" and "thud" rang out as Alexander skillfully used his sturdy shield to block the goblin's fierce attacks, one after another. Although he couldn't completely defend against more than two attacks at once, he would quickly thrust his sword with his right hand during the intervals between the goblin's attacks, forcing them to dodge. In these moments, Kevin would seize the opportunity to attack one of them.
When one goblin was hit or lost balance due to dodging, Alexander and Kevin would swiftly switch positions. Kevin would resist the other goblin while Alexander used his shield to forcefully smack the first goblin down, pinning it before quickly ending its life with his sword. As Kevin guided the other goblin to a suitable position, he would agilely leap backward to create enough space for Melissa to accurately cast her "Magic Bullet" spell to knock the goblin away, allowing Kevin or Alexander to finish it off.
Throughout the process, Owen didn't intervene but instead watched their battle with appreciation, occasionally offering advice. As long as there were no more than two goblins, he would leave the battle to the three of them, allowing them to gain more experience.
From their first battle until now, they had fought goblins wielding various weapons: short swords, curved blades, short axes, and long spears. Only during the fight against the spear-wielding goblin had Alexander been stabbed in the thigh. Fortunately, his leg was protected by leather armor, and the knight's enhanced resilience helped him recover quickly under Kevin's "Blood Activation" spell.
In the other battles, thanks to the strong synergy and teamwork among the three, they were hardly injured. After about two hours of intense fighting, they grew tired, but their combat experience continued to accumulate. The repeated victories excited them, significantly reducing their fatigue.
"Alright, young ones, we'll go to one last place this morning to eradicate the goblins there and use them to test your progress. But there's a larger fellow there, and I'll join the fight," Owen said with confidence, clapping his hands.
After a brief rest, some cool water, and food, they headed towards their final destination with renewed energy. Kevin wondered what the "larger fellow" Owen mentioned was as they walked. Immersed in thought, his steps remained steady. When he saw their destination was a relatively intact three-story building, memories from three days ago resurfaced in his mind, and his eyes gleamed with a strange light. Kevin was sure that the "larger fellow" referred to a Goblin Warrior, the stronger subspecies of goblin that had once killed both him and Eric.
As they entered the building, the familiar scene on the first floor greeted Kevin: two sword-wielding goblins guarding both sides of the stairs. He and Alexander exchanged glances and nodded in agreement before charging in.
Alexander didn't use his taunting skill to avoid attracting goblins from the upper floors. He and Kevin, one on the left and one on the right, moved swiftly and decisively, their relentless attacks forcing the two goblins to retreat continuously. After fully drawing the attention of the two goblins, Kevin gestured to Alexander, who nodded in understanding.
They gradually changed their positions relative to the goblins through a series of attacks and movements, keeping the goblins unaware of their intentions. After several attacks and movements, they both swung their swords simultaneously. The two goblins, focused on dodging the attacks, collided with each other in midair and fell to the ground.
"Melissa!" Both of them called out to the mage in their team.
"I know!" Melissa had already raised her staff and aimed it between the two men
before they shouted. As the two goblins landed on the ground, she had already channeled her magic, yelling, "Fireball!"
A fireball formed at the tip of her staff and flew out, striking both goblins. Under the impact and the burning flames, they screamed in pain and quickly turned into lifeless, charred remains.
Kevin exhaled softly, realizing they had dealt with these two goblins quickly and without expending much energy. They should still have enough strength to face the next wave of enemies. As for the Goblin Warrior, Owen would most likely confront it directly, while their job was to eliminate the weaker goblins nearby and support Owen after they were defeated.
As Kevin made up his mind, the sound of "clang, clang" echoed from the stairs. Three goblins appeared, one wielding a long spear, another carrying an iron sword and shield, and the last one holding a hand crossbow. Behind them stood a towering figure, a goblin warrior wielding a broadsword.
Seeing this formation, Kevin silently told himself to stay calm. Alex's face was serious, gripping his weapon tightly. Melissa adjusted her grip on her staff, staring at the enemy with determination.
Owen nodded to them, signaling they were ready, and slowly stepped forward. His eyes were locked on the goblin warrior with the broadsword, full of confidence in the trio. They had to face three at once, Kevin thought as he considered their strategy. On the other side, under the command of the goblin warrior, the three smaller goblins launched their attack. Owen swung his sword with force, sending the shield-bearing goblin flying into the wall, and said, "I'll help you with this one. Take care of the other three. This is your final test for today."
The goblin warrior growled as it saw one of its comrades sent flying and charged at Owen with its sword. Owen, a second-tier warrior, easily matched the goblin warrior's strength. Blades clashed in the air, sparks flying everywhere.
Meanwhile, Alex struggled to defend against the spear-wielding goblin's thrusts, while the crossbow goblin aimed its arrow at Melissa, who stood behind Kevin. Its cunning intelligence told it that the mage's high threat level must be eliminated first. Kevin was too far away to prevent the crossbow goblin's attack. Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Alex roar, "Taunt!" He didn't want any of his comrades to be harmed, whether it was Melissa or Kevin, as it would be a serious failure for him as a knight.
Under the influence of the taunt, the crossbow goblin's eyes glowed faintly red, its arrow now aimed at Alex before it was fired. Faced with the spear's length advantage, Alex couldn't turn his shield to block the incoming arrow.
With a "swish," the arrow penetrated Alex's leather armor, lodging itself in his body. Grunting in pain, he resisted the urge to cry out, merely growling softly. He gritted his teeth, trying to stay alert.
The shield and sword-wielding goblin, affected by the taunt, got up and attacked Alex as well. Already struggling to defend against the spear goblin's attacks, Alex now had to deal with the shield goblin and the watchful crossbow goblin. It was a critical moment!
"Melissa, aim at the shield goblin and use Magic Missile," Kevin instructed as he picked up his sword to help Alex. Quickly casting her spell, Melissa sent a white, magic-infused missile toward the shield goblin, stopping it in its tracks. The crossbow goblin was still reloading, so Kevin ignored it and focused on the spear goblin, stabbing its spear-wielding hand several times. The spear goblin halted its attack on Alex to dodge, but still dropped its weapon. Kevin kicked the fallen spear toward the crossbow goblin.
Although the spear didn't hit the crossbow goblin, it startled it enough to drop its bolt, failing to reload. Kevin didn't pursue the spear goblin, as his priority was to fulfill his duty as a priest and heal his teammate.
Approaching Alex, Kevin said, "Bear with it." He carefully removed the crossbow bolt lodged in Alex's body and placed his palm over the wound, casting "Heal."
A green light enveloped Alex, and his wounds disappeared in an instant. Kevin, who had been keeping an eye on Alex's HP through Death Eye, saw the previously fading red portion of his HP solidify and the small empty segment fill up. He breathed a sigh of relief. Throughout the process, even though Alex felt intense pain from the crossbow bolt being pulled out of his back, he gritted his teeth and kept his shield up to protect against the goblin attacks. Feeling the pain subside, he thanked Kevin, "Thank you, Kevin."
"No need to thank me. It's my duty as a priest, and besides, haven't you been doing a great job protecting Melissa and me as a knight?" Kevin replied.
Alex looked at Melissa, who was holding her staff, aimed at the goblins, ready to launch an attack at a moment's notice. Her eyes were full of concern for Alex. Seeing this, he thought to himself that this was the reason he chose the knight class.
Melissa saw that Alex had been healed and her worry turned into anger towards the goblins. In a low voice, she said, "Kevin, just tell me when you need me to cast a spell, and I'll be ready to send these vile creatures flying."
"Don't worry, your chance is coming soon," Kevin said as he rushed to the crossbow-wielding goblin and knocked its crossbow out of its hand. Then, he yelled to Alex, "Alex, taunt!"
"Roger that, taunt," Alex released the skill that attracted enemy attacks once more. The goblin without a crossbow didn't bother picking up the fallen weapon and charged straight at Alex instead. The spear-wielding goblin picked up its spear and attacked Alex, along with the goblin holding a shield.
"Back against the wall, crouch, and block," Kevin instructed once more. Alex immediately complied, backing up against the wall and crouching down, hiding as much of his body behind the shield as possible. It was difficult to maintain balance while blocking attacks in this position, but the Block skill not only enhanced defense but also forcibly kept the body stable and balanced. So, Alex successfully defended against the three goblins' attacks.
Seeing the situation unfold as he had imagined, Kevin gave his final command, "Melissa, aim at them and keep casting Magic Missile." Magic Missile, although consuming less mana and having a fast casting speed, had a smaller range and less damage compared to the more mana-consuming Fireball. However, in this situation, it was the perfect choice.
Melissa understood Kevin's intentions, and her eyes flashed with determination. She aimed at the goblins and fired four or five Magic Missiles in rapid succession. Each missile traced a beautiful arc in the air, accurately hitting its target. The impact of the Magic Missiles didn't hurt Alex, who was hidden behind the shield, but the three goblins, who were attacking the shield with full force, were knocked to the ground, unconscious.
Through Death Eye, Kevin saw that the three goblins' HP was low but not yet zero. He cautiously approached them with Alex, and together they used their swords to deplete their remaining HP. Once they confirmed the goblins' deaths, Kevin didn't let his guard down but turned his gaze to another battlefield not far away.