As Erik's blade was caught mid-air by the goblin's bare hand, a chill ran down his spine. This was no ordinary goblin. It was larger and stronger than the ones they had faced earlier, with bulging muscles beneath its greenish skin and eyes that glowed with a strange red light.
Blood dripped from its claws as Erik tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, trying to pull it free from the goblin's tight grasp.
"Erik, watch out!" Jarek shouted, charging forward with his battle axe raised high, his eyes fixed on the goblin.
With a powerful swing, he aimed to cleave the goblin's arm. His axe descended swiftly and brutally, severing the goblin's arm clean off.
The severed limb dropped to the ground, releasing Erik's sword just in time for him to dodge an attack from another approaching goblin.
Jarek's axe then embedded itself into the stone floor with a loud clang, sending sparks flying.
Before Jarek could recover, another goblin lunged at him from the side. Its claws raked across his armor, the sharp edges screeching against the metal and leaving deep gouges. Jarek grunted and yanked his axe free, swinging it in a wide arc.
'I don't understand, since when do goblins have claws?' Jarek wondered, slightly caught off guard by the attack.
The goblin leapt back, but not before Jarek's axe caught its leg, slicing deep into the flesh. Blood sprayed across the floor as the goblin stumbled, its eyes burning with rage.
Alister found himself surrounded by a trio of these massive goblins. They circled him with the look of predators stalking their prey. He could feel their oppressive gazes piercing through him, making him feel like they were starting to predict his moves.
His dagger was covered with goblin blood, but his hands shook as he tried to fend them off. He swung his blade desperately, his muscles straining with every move. His breaths were labored, sweat streaming down his face.
'This is bad… I'm starting to get exhausted.'
Each goblin easily parried his strikes, their rusty daggers scraping against his armor and drawing shallow cuts on his arms and legs.
"These aren't ordinary goblins," Amelia yelled, her voice strained as she unleashed a torrent of flames at an advancing group.
The fire engulfed them, but instead of retreating, they walked through. Their skin charred and blistered, emitting a sickening smell, but they didn't look the least bit afraid. "They're champions!" she shouted, her eyes wide with realization.
"Everyone, regroup!" Jarek commanded, his voice cutting through the chaos. The team moved instinctively, forming a tight circle with their backs to each other, weapons ready. Lila stood in the center, her hands glowing with her healing talent as she slowly healed the wounds her teammates had sustained.
"T-they're healing too fast," Lila observed, her voice trembling. She watched in shock as a goblin Erik had wounded earlier slowly stood on its feet, its injuries closing before her eyes. "It's like they're regenerating."
Amelia unleashed another burst of flame, but the goblins barely flinched. "This isn't working," she muttered, frustrated. "They should be burning, but they're just walking through it."
Alister was struggling to keep pace. Each goblin he managed to strike down seemed to rise again, more furious than before.
'I don't understand, why aren't they dying… it's like they've become zombies or something.'
He closed the distance between himself and a goblin. Noticing an incoming attack aimed at his skull, he shifted his head slightly, causing the blade to graze his left cheek, leaving a slight cut.
Now close enough, he stabbed the goblin in the heart, his dagger sinking deep into its chest. He paused briefly to catch his breath, only to watch in shock as the goblin pulled itself off the blade and lunged at him, its wound knitting together before his eyes.
'And they're fighting without fear or concern for what happens to them. It's almost as if they've gone mad.'
Blood poured from the puncture wound, but the goblin showed no signs of slowing down. "What does it take to keep these things down?" Alister gasped, retreating back into the circle, his legs beginning to shake from exhaustion.
'I was hoping to quickly kill some of them and level up again so my strength would be recovered. But with the way things are going, they are going to overwhelm us.' Alister thought as he gritted his teeth, his grip on his dagger tightening.
"Hit them harder," Jarek yelled, though he, too, looked uncertain. He swung his axe with all his might, severing the arm of a goblin. Blood spurted from the stump, but the creature barely slowed. It continued its attack, using its other arm to swipe at Jarek.
Jarek's arm muscles bulged as he tried to fend off the attacks, but now his axe started to feel heavy in his hands. "Damn it!" Jarek cursed, stepping back to avoid the blow, his boots sliding on the slick, blood-soaked floor.
Erik was now visibly struggling. His sword flashed as he fended off attacks, but for every goblin he cut down, two more took its place.
His body started to feel heavy, and his speed dropped as he was slowly becoming exhausted. Each parry and strike took more effort than the last, his shirt soaked with sweat and blood, and his hands starting to tremble. "We can't keep this up," he panted, glancing around at his companions, his chest heaving.
As the battle raged on, the air was filled with the clashing of steel and the guttural growls of goblins. Amelia was in the midst of summoning another wave of flames, her eyes locked on a cluster of goblins charging toward her. Suddenly, a shadow loomed over her.
She turned to see a massive goblin, larger and more muscular than the rest, wielding a club studded with jagged metal, emerge from the darkness. Its eyes glinted as it raised its weapon high above its head. Before Amelia could react, the club came down with a thunderous crash.
"Amelia, look out!" Erik shouted, but his warning came too late.
The club smashed into Amelia's side with brutal force, sending her flying through the air.
Boom!
She slammed into the stone wall with a sickening thud, the impact sending a jolt through her body. Blood sprayed from her mouth as she crumpled to the ground, unconscious, her eyes still open.
Her face seemed frozen with an expression of shock.
"Amelia!" Alister yelled, his voice cracking with shock. He tried to rush to her side, but the goblins kept him at bay.
Lila's eyes widened in horror, and a scream tore from her throat. "Amelia!" She made a move to go to her, but Jarek grabbed her arm, holding her back.
"Stay focused, Lila!" Jarek yelled, his own face pale with fear. "We can't afford to lose you too!"
Amelia lay motionless against the cold wall. The goblins, sensing weakness, closed in around her, their dark eyes glinting with mischief.
Alister's heart pounded in his chest, a cold sweat running down his back. He looked around at his exhausted teammates.
Erik was fighting off two goblins at once, his movements slowing as exhaustion took a toll on his body. Jarek was barely standing on his feet, looking like he could fall over at any moment, his axe heavy in his hands.
Lila was trembling, her eyes darting between Amelia's motionless body and the approaching goblins.
"Are we..." Alister's voice was barely above a whisper, his grip tightening on his blood-stained dagger. "Are we all gonna die here?"