Gustav stands in front of me, watching the Goblin King, who was kicked through the wall. His body is releasing steam. Suddenly, I feel someone grab my shoulder.
-- Leon!! --
It was Sario. He looks around, taking in the scene—a mountain of burned and dismembered goblins and hobgoblins scattered everywhere.
-- Whoa, did you kill all of these goblins? -- Sario asked, astonished.
-- Sario, grab Leon and get out of here! The Goblin King is unlike any other monster! Call Stella and the others!! I'll buy you time! Now, go!!! -- Gustav commanded.
Sario grabs my arm.
-- Leon, let's go. Let Gustav handle this. -- Sario urged.
- No, I'm the one who's going to kill this freak! -
I use wind magic to propel myself toward the Goblin King, still stuck in the wall after Gustav's kick. I summon my psi-blade and pierce the Goblin King's chest.
-- Leon, no!! -- Gustav shouted.
The Goblin King howls in pain. His chest splits open, releasing a red aura. He pulls himself out of the wall, his eyes burning red. The atmosphere changes—he walks with the menacing presence of a king. His muscles swell, growing larger. Before I can react, he rushes forward, almost teleporting, swinging his massive sword.
Gustav ducks under the strike, delivering an uppercut. The Goblin King dodges and Gustav quickly throws me toward Sario.
-- Escape!!! -- Gustav yelled.
Sario picks me up, and we head toward the tunnel's largest exit. Before we can reach it, the Goblin King suddenly appears in front of us, swinging his sword. I use wind magic to push Sario down and launch myself upward, narrowly avoiding the blade. Gustav appears, punching the Goblin King, but he dodges and stabs his sword into the ground. The earth trembles, and the tunnel's ceiling collapses, sealing our only escape route.
The Goblin King stands in front of the sealed tunnel, guarding it.
-- We don't have a choice. We need to defeat this thing to survive. -- Sario said.
Gustav charges forward. Sario fires arrows, followed by ice spears. The Goblin King charges at Sario, swinging his sword. A wind blade forms, flying toward Sario, but he dodges and throws a smoke grenade at the Goblin King's feet.
-- That's inconvenient. I can't see a thing... Wait, I'll use detection magic. --
Through the smoke, I sense Gustav and the Goblin King exchanging blows. Sario leaps over the Goblin King, wrapping his legs around the king's neck, stabbing him with a dagger. Gustav delivers an uppercut, sending the Goblin King upward. Sario leaps away, loads his arrow, and shoots at the Goblin King mid-air.
I charge a dense fireball, focusing my mana until it shifts from orange to blue.
- I think this will do. I can't collapse the cave. -
I release the blue fireball, setting the Goblin King aflame. His agonizing screams echo through the cave. Gustav leaps into the air, delivering a powerful kick that slams the Goblin King into the ground, creating a crater.
-- Did we get him? -- Sario asked.
-- I hope so. The Goblin King grows stronger the more damage he takes. Normally, you have to kill him in one blow. -- Gustav replied.
The Goblin King stands again, still burning, his steps making the ground tremble. He rushes at Gustav, weaving his sword. Gustav ducks again, but the Goblin King punches him, sending him flying. Sario fires an arrow, but the Goblin King kicks him away in a blur. He charges at me, slashing his sword. I summon multiple barriers, but his sword pierces through them. I use wind magic to push him back, following up with an earth spear.
Gustav regains his footing, rushing the Goblin King again. The Goblin King drops his sword, and they exchange brutal punches, their blows shaking the ground. It feels like watching a high-speed brawl between Yoshihiro Takayama and Don Frye, but even faster and more vicious. If I had a camera, I'd upload this fight to YouTube when I returned to my world, surely it will go viral instantly.
Sario recovers, throwing a dagger at the Goblin King, but the king catches it mid-air. In a flash, he stabs Sario in the chest with the same dagger.
-- Sario!!! -- Gustav shouted.
The Goblin King smirks, clearly enjoying the torment. Gustav rushes him, punching with full force, sending the Goblin King flying into the ceiling and crashing back down.
I run to Sario, desperately trying to heal him. Blood splatters onto my hands as I use ice magic to seal the wound, but it's not enough. He's still losing blood.
- No! No, stay with me! -
Sario coughs up blood, his breathing shallow. The air trembles and heats up as Gustav's body releases steam, like something out of an anime.
The Goblin King laughs, watching Gustav. Gustav shifts into an odd stance, spinning his arm before vanishing from sight, only to reappear, pounding the Goblin King like a living punching bag.
Suddenly, the ground shakes. A giant hand bursts out, grabbing Gustav.
-- The Goblin Lord! -- Sario shouted in panic.
I summon a wind blade, trying to sever the Goblin Lord's hand. The monstrous figure rises, towering over us, horns and tusks making its appearance even more terrifying.
The Goblin King raises his hand, his sword flying to him. Sario rushes at Gustav, who is trapped by the Goblin Lord. Before anyone can react, Sario jumps in front of Gustav. The Goblin King's sword pierces through his chest. Blood splatters as Sario gasps, locking eyes with me. Time freezes.
- Sario!!! - I shouted.
Gustav stops moving.
-- Brother Gus...tav -- Sario whispers, before the Goblin King's sword slashes through his neck, beheading him.
My black lightning strikes the Goblin King, stunning him momentarily. With that, Gustav screams, his voice echoing through the entire cave like a beast unchained. He grabs the Goblin Lord's monstrous fingers and, with a primal roar, pries them open. His muscles strain, veins bulging as the Goblin Lord attempts to crush him, but Gustav's sheer will force its hand back. For a second, I think he might win.
But the Goblin Lord is faster than expected.
It slams Gustav into the ground with a vicious thud, shaking the earth beneath us. Dust and debris rise from where he fell, and I grit my teeth as I watch him struggle to stand.
Gustav, of course, doesn't stay down.
With a leap, he launches himself high into the air, and the ground beneath him gives way, collapsing into a massive pit. I glance down and what I saw is truly terrifying, another underground cave with Limbless human women screams from inside rusted cages, their cries echoing up from the darkness below. They're barely alive, some too broken to even move. Goblins lurk around them like vultures, sneering and laughing. Newborn goblin writhe in the filth, abominations born of something sickening.
- This is... wrong. This place reeks of evil. - I gag, my gut twisting. Gustav, however, seems even more enraged by the sight. His fury consumes him, while in the air without hesitation His fists crash into the creature's face, blow after blow, like the wrath of a man who's seen too much to care anymore.
Both Gustav and the Goblin Lord tumble into the pit, smashing through cages and sending goblins scattering. The screams of the imprisoned women pierce the air, but Gustav keeps swinging. He won't stop.
The Goblin king step forward and try to follow Gustav in the pit.
- I won't let you get away!!! - I shouted.
I summon multiple barriers to trap the Goblin King, then unleash black ice spears and lunched it towards the Goblin King. He stops them with his bare hands, smirking. I summon black flames inside the barrier, burning him alive, but with a swing of his sword, he shatters the barrier. Another sword materializes in his other hand.
He rushes at me, aiming for my neck. I summon psi blades, blocking the strike, but his strength and speed are overwhelming.
Suddenly, the system screen appears, blocking my view.
- What the fuck! Why now!? -
*/System: Main Quest: Kill the Goblin King [30 minutes remaining]/*
The Goblin King's swords slip past my psi blades, penetrating my neck. My vision fades to black...
-- Wake up, Leon... -
A voice echoes in the darkness. I open my eyes. Everything is white. Am I back here again in white empty space?
I turn, startled, and see Sario standing before me.
- Sario! What... what are you doing here? -
-- He died, Leon. You took too long. You had the power to kill the Goblin King in one blow. Why did you hesitate? -- A faceless man steps forward, his voice cold and detached.
- Not you again... - I mutter, frustrated.
Sario smiles, his eyes soft but distant. -- You know, I thought this was heaven at first... I didn't expect this place to be tied to you. Now I understand what you are, Leon... --
- What are you talking about? Is this really you, or am I just losing it? - I ask, searching his face for any sign of the friend I knew.
-- What can I say? I'm me. HAHAHA! Time flows differently here... but don't let those goblins take Gustav. You need to go back. --
Sario steps forward, handing me a white orb.
- What is this? - I ask, gripping it cautiously.
-- You'll find out soon. And... give my bow to my son, okay? -- His awkward laugh cuts through the tension.
-- One more thing, Leon. Ever heard of God Magic? -- The faceless man interrupts, his voice piercing. -- Never mind. Just remember, in this world, magic is shaped by your imagination. --
Sario's figure begins to fade, his voice growing fainter. -- See you later, Leon. Maybe in a billion years... HAHAHA! --
*/System: Rebooting...