I spent the rest of the hours gathering mana while going around the town getting supplies, potions and repairing the equipment. Hours pass by and it's the next day. I was too nervous I didn't get any sleep.
A distant rumbling can be heard followed by a loud bell ringing alarming all the people. A person is running around shouting, "A goblin invasion is happening! Wake up and go to the north gate and escape!" Over and over and over. Adventurers are starting to gather. A magic barrier started covering the entire city. Students from the academy come rushing toward the gate that faces the Goblin Forest. Strong forces began flying out from the academy and started spreading out outside the town. The guild members have been gathering at the gate.
"This is a full-on war..." I said to myself as I look at the rushing situation.
"Ras! Over here!" I heard Elaina near the gate waving at me to come closer. She's wearing light leather armor with two long swords strapped behind her back.
"Surprised I'm here?" She asked.
"Yeah, aren't you a staff? Now that I see it, the guild staff here are fully equipped too."
"That's because we're all former adventurers!" She enthusiastically said, "I'm quite nervous, this is my first battle in years."
"Be careful out there," I look at her worried sick cause I don't even know if we're all gonna make it out alive. For me I would, but how about them? Will they reset with me once I die?
"Awww, that is so cute! You're worried? Then promise to marry me after this so I have more motivation to survive!" She playfully said ignoring the serious tension of the atmosphere around us, she was trying to boost her mood by doing so.
"Fine..." I softly said to her ear.
"It sounded forced but I'll take it! Don't worry, I'm quite competent myself." She posed and smiled at me then she went to the other guild staff. I looked at her with a bittersweet expression holding back my tears. It wasn't that long but her being the second person I could meet in the town and continuously trying to approach me makes me feel attached to her.
I felt a tap on my shoulder before I walk away.
"Kid, do your best out there," It was Miss Ysletta trying to console me.
"Yes, of course," I pridefully said cause those goblins serve as a nice experience farm.
A huge screen display appeared on top of the town wall and everyone was surprised to see it causing a huge uproar while the text is slowly being typed to form words. But what made the mass shocked isn't about seeing a big screen display but the amount of goblins it stated there.
{Goblin Invasion: Wave 1}
- Goblin x 3000
"HOW CAN THERE BE SUCH HUGE NUMBER OF GOBLINS?!"
"I'M SURE WE WERE CLEARING OUT THE FOREST MONTHLY TO AVOID THIS!"
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS? IT'S JUST TELLING TO DIE!"
"DID THE GUILD KEEP THE NUMBERS HIDDEN FROM US?!"
We haven't even started battling the goblins but there is already internal strife happening causing panic to everyone.
"Listen, we didn't hide them, we wouldn't have any benefit doing so. Please focus on the invasion ahead, I'll make sure to reward handsomely the ones with the highest contribution," Ysletta announced to everyone, and then a tall elf appeared beside her.
"I'll put a temporary leaderboard in your badges, there you will see how many goblins kills you have gotten. The people who come on top of the leaderboard will be given additional rewards personally from my vault!"
That's the mayor? Moments later, a leaderboard can be seen when using our identity badge.
"WOOAHHHH!!!"
Everyone's spirits are up, they must be thinking of the great rewards if they do their best. At least that broke the strife inside the town.
"The goblins are near! We will open the gates for you guys!" The old man guarding the wall shouted.
"HEY! You better not get in my way!" That annoying voice... I turned around and saw Eirene along with Nea and Rea.
"You can just watch and see how my talent can help the situation of the war," she flips her hair looking at the sky thinking she is one hell of a fighter but in fact, her legs are shaking.
"Why did you bring Rea here?" I asked Nea.
"There are no people in the academy, besides it's safer if were together, I can protect her at all times."
"HEY! STOP IGNORING ME!" Eirene yelled at us making it more annoying.
"Kid, do you even have battle experience?" I asked Eirene.
"I'M NOT A KID! AND OF COURSE I DO, I HAVE A PERSONAL TRAINER AT MY CASTLE!" Eirene exclaimed.
I looked at Nea and for sure her expression says the same thing as what I'm thinking. Yeah, she doesn't have actual battle experience.
"Young lady Eirene, please stay at the top of the castle wall and shoot from there," The dean of archery said as she approaches us. She is wearing lightweight metal armor while holding two crossbows. Beside her is Sir Strum, he carries a giant bow almost the size of a ballista.
"But Dean Lai!" Eirene complained.
"Are they the super newbies you speak of, Dean?" A tall dark elf walks towards us while holding a bow covered in thick concentrated mana. Who is this guy?
"I am the first direct disciple of the Dean, Neirak," he formally introduced himself and we followed along.
"You guys better stay alive, you have yet to achieve advanced classes," he said and jumped up the town wall. It was an incredibly fast continuous leap, almost looked like he did it in one jump.
"CHARGE!!" The mayor shouted echoing all throughout the town.
It was bloody, it was just the start but body parts are already flying.
"Nea," I turned around and looked at her.
"Sorry Ras, I won't go to the frontline, I have to take care of Rea..." She said to me while she carries Rea.
"I'll be going up now, peasant," Eirene said with a serious tone and climbed the wall. Seriously, even when she is serious she still acts all high and mighty.
"Then I'll be joining the frontlines, I'll see you later," I said to Nea then ran off outside the gate toward the plains.
As I go near, the stench of blood becomes thicker, the shrieks of the injured become louder and the once grassy plains now turn into a pool of blood and dead bodies.
Since the cooldown of my bow skills is gone, I can now spam {Snipe-split}. I aimed up and used {Snipe-split} continuously while I recover my mana by being in a meditative state. I keep checking my distance from the other people and goblins in order to not get hit.
*Ding*
{Skill Rest has been changed to Regeneration due to certain conditions.}
{Normal/ Regeneration: Passive}
- Automatically regenerates HP and MP during the meditative state.
How odd, the skill changed by itself. The number of goblins is decreasing. I checked the leaderboard and certainly, I'm on top.
1. Ras- 483 kills
2. Lai- 458 kills
3. Neirak- 239 kills
4. Strum- 245 kills
5. Elaina- 243 kills
6. Eirene- 145 kills
...
Not long after the battle ended.
"UUOOOHHHH!!!!" The people in the frontline screamed aloud.
"Nice one!" Elaina yelled then smacked my back.
"How'd you find me so easily?" I asked her while letting out a small laugh.
"Wow, you are showing a reaction! Well, I can smell my husband-to-be even with all these putrid stench of blood," she replied.
"Let's take some re-"
The ground shook violently and ten stone pillars arose from the grounds near the edge of the Goblin Forest. After a few seconds of silence, a space distortion occurred in between stone pillars then suddenly a huge blast of wind went across the field, even blowing away people.
I grabbed onto Elaina as she stab her sword into the ground to keep us from flying. Moments later, goblins are starting to come out of the space distortions.
"A gate?" I asked myself.
"Yep, and it's a massive one at that," Elaina responded.
I guess there is no rest for us. A huge thick mana barrier was formed while the goblins are approaching. The big screen display changed its content.
{Goblin Invasion: Second wave}
- Goblin x 5000
- Goblin Mage x1000
I looked around and the people are showing despair. Can't blame them, the numbers doubled since the last wave.
"I'll take care of this" a voice echoed throughout the plains.
I'm glad Miss Ysletta is there, and I'm also glad that the wave spawned far away from us, it will take the goblins some time before they could reach us, and maybe by then, Miss Ysletta is done casting her magic.
A few minutes of anticipation later, one huge magic circle appeared in the skies above the goblins. Then, a large frozen icicle started to come out and fall toward the goblins, it took a few seconds of falling before it reached the ground. A huge shockwave ran across the field, luckily a large mana barrier was cast upon us by someone so we didn't go flying this time. I checked the leaderboard on how many it killed.
1. Ysletta- 4,432 kills
...
"Haha, this might go e-"
Elaina covered my mouth before I could finish my sentence, "Don't jinx it." She looked at me seriously and then let go afterward.
"Kill the stragglers!" The mayor's voice from the top of the town walls emanated through our heads then a buff was given to all of us.
It didn't take long to end the second wave.