'Reasoning be damned!".
Crafting a katana on my right hand, I charged at them, crossing to the other side of the stream.
The goblin with the arrow fixed a bow with an unprecedented speed and shot one at me. I cut it down with my katana.
The visual of my eyes allowed me to see even the tiniest of materials if I focused enough. Sighting an arrow was no big deal.
The sword goblin sought to engage in a close combat attack. As one with the sword, I had expected such.
We exchanged a few blows and from it I understood; the goblin had more sword skill than I did.
He was no slouch in the ways of the sword.
Parrying my attacks, striking a counter mixed in with feints. He was a well-trained swordsman.
It took everything I had, including my ocular abilities to gain the upper hand over the sword goblin.
This showed me how reckless I was to have attacked them without a plan.
But so what?!
They had shot me and drew blood from my ear. Minuscule? Yes, but a shot that drew blood from me nonetheless.
I understood that it was a warning shot to frighten me into doing their bidding. That itself is a problem.
Knowing the policy of their race, and showing them a weak side on our first encounter will end up terrible for me.
If I am to dominate them, I need to be tough, to be ruthless in my dealings.
Perhaps I had gained my courage and renounced vorality after defeating the Orc. Or perhaps it is because I appear taller and more domineering than the goblins.
I couldn't tell which one it was that permitted me to be so reckless as to charge head-on against three hideous-looking creatures.
Whatever it was, I did not care. I am in a battle for my life, for the main quest assigned to me. This was no time to be a slouch.
The sword goblin struck a hit, he slid his sword below my katana's range and pierced my right shoulder with the tip.
Though painful to be stabbed, only narrowly did I avoid a major sword injury to my shoulder. Deep enough to be thought of as a flesh wound, a scratch that will heal with days of rest.
I groaned mildly and kicked his abdomen to force him away from me. The arrow goblin seeing an opening, fixed a bow and shot one at me.
Holding in the pain, I wielded my katana to parry the arrow. What stopped me from doing so was how I felt something crawling up my legs.
I gave up on the arrow and instead dashed out of the way. Upon making my exit, I looked back to where I was earlier only to see that the Earth in that area had changed.
Somehow, I believed the Earth had been manipulated, constructed to the shape of a palm with fingers.
That was what was about to grab me. I believed so.
From the visual I gained of their inner organs, I knew. That two of the three of them could use force energy.
Unlike the Orc whose organ showed the gathering of energy setting like a wisp, the two goblin had their energy already settled and in the form of an orb.
Currently, I could see the glowing orb releasing the stored energy and dispersing it through their body.
That is evident that they are currently enhanced and under the influence of force.
'Weak my ass. These are deadly criminals I am dealing with over here".
I knew I shouldn't have taken the voice's word at face value. If this were the weakest of the lot imagine how the strongest would be.
No wait. I faced the Orc who appeared stronger than the lot and came out victorious.
I see now! It is not that this goblins are stronger than the Orc. Rather, they are efficient, skilled, and their collaboration is top-notch!
I felt my blood boiling. Certainly sure it is because of the sword wound on my shoulder. It didn't go deep enough, but still lethal to instil that pain once in a while.
What I need now is a strategy. I won't get anywhere facing all three of them together, I need a diversion, something that will split them up.
Narrowing down my eyes to one of them, I threw the katana in my hand at the sword goblin. The pain reduced my throwing power but it was enough to reach the intended distance.
Then, the hammer goblin slammed down his hammer on the ground. From the hammer's point of contact, the Earth grew into spikes that trailed to my side.
Running toward the spike, I lept my body off the ground and stepped on the closest Earth spike. As my feet touched it, the spike constructed into an arm that wanted to grab my leg.
The goblin with the bow released his arrow at the same time, initiating a consecutive double-sided attack.
I stomped the moving Earth beneath my feet and shattered it. Then, I ducked from the arrow's path and propelled myself even faster.
They had caught on to what I was after. Or at least half of my plan.
The arrow goblin dashed backwards, but he was too late. I was faster than he could get from me. The other two also hurried to get to me.
I quickly closed the distance with a newly manifested katana in hand.
Before he could afford that mind-blowing draw speed of his, I reached for his back, pressed his neck behind and fixed my sword to his neck.
"Don't move! Any of you!".
I commanded, my warning taking on a serious note as the two were quick to halt.
"Any of you make a single move without my permission and I promise his head flying off his body". I added, to the warning.