As the high orc charged our way, its massive frame thundering towards us with a deafening roar.
RRRRAAAAGH!
We all immediately jumped clear, our feet pounding the earth as we scrambled to get out of its way: Thud-thud-thud.
The orc stopped in its tracks, its axe-wielding arm swinging wildly as it turned around to face us, its beady eyes scanning the battlefield for its next target.
Its gaze locked onto Joseph, and with a menacing grin, it lunged at him with a powerful swing of its axe.
Whoosh!
Joseph reacted swiftly, sending the conjured light swords flying at the high orc with a swift flick of his wrist.
Zzip-zzip-zzip.
The orc simply swung its axe with a cruel smile, and the light swords shattered upon contact, their fragments dissipating into nothingness with a faint sparkle.
Tinkle-tinkle.
Viona, seizing the opportunity, summoned another great sword from her ring, its blade flashing in the moonlight as it materialized in her hand.
Shing!
Now holding two swords, she appeared behind the orc in a burst of speed, her feet pounding the earth with a soft Thud-thud.
She swung both swords in wide arcs, their blades slicing through the air with a deadly whoosh!
The orc, still grinning, easily blocked her attacks with its axe, its massive frame unwavering as it absorbed the blows: Clang-clang!
For a moment, the orc's back was left open, and Joseph didn't hesitate. He immediately conjured three more light swords, sending them flying at the orc with a swift motion.
Zzip-zzip-zzip.
The light swords collided with the orc's body, but instead of dealing damage, they shattered upon impact, their fragments dissipating into nothingness with a faint sparkle.
Tinkle-tinkle.
The orc's grin grew wider, its eyes gleaming with malevolent intent as it continued to strengthen itself.
"Fuck," I muttered under my breath, my eyes narrowing in frustration. This was my problem with intelligent monsters.
On a normal day, a monster's raw stats were higher than a human's, and when they were intelligent, they could adapt and strengthen themselves, making them almost unbeatable.
It was just like that shaman. Monsters originally couldn't use magic and they could hardly control their mana, but gaining intelligence granted them that control, making them a formidable foe.
I gritted my teeth in frustration, my mind racing with the implications.
I then conjured a lightning spear, its electrified tip crackling with energy.
Zzzt.
With a swift motion, I hurled it at the orc, the spear flying through the air with a deadly whoosh.
Swish!
The lightning landed with a deafening boom.
BOOM!
But when the smoke cleared, there was no damage on the orc whatsoever. Not a scratch, not a scorch mark. Nothing. Shit.
I looked at Grant, his eyes fixed intently on the spell he was casting, his hands weaving intricate patterns in the air.
"How long left, Grant?" I asked, my voice low and urgent. He replied, his voice steady, "About five to six minutes."
Upon hearing that, I gritted my teeth in frustration, my mind racing with the impossible task ahead of us.
We're supposed to keep this thing at bay for five to six minutes. Our attacks aren't even harming it. It was like trying to scratch steel with a wooden spoon.
As I was lost in thought, I felt a chill crawl up my spine, my instincts screaming at me to pay attention.
Looking forward, I saw the orc right in front of me, its eyes gleaming with malevolent intent. Fear gripped me like a vice, my heart racing with a deafening thud-thud-thud.
"You know..." The orc spoke in its rusty and deep voice, its words dripping with malice. "You really need to pay attention on the battlefield." It said as it swung its axe at me, its arm blurring with unimaginable speed.
Whoosh!
I knew I wouldn't be able to get away from the strike in time, even with elemental mode.
Wait. I have three elements. Why am I only using one for elemental mode? The thought flashed through my mind like a spark of electricity.
Channeling fire around me, I immediately launched myself back, my body bursting into flames as I propelled myself away from the orc's deadly axe.
Whooooosh!
The orc's axe bit into the ground, sending dirt and debris flying everywhere.
Crunch!
The orc's voice echoed through the air, its tone seeming almost impressed. "Hohh. You're not using the lightning form this time, I see."
Its eyes scanned my body, taking in the sight of my flame-encased form. Even Joseph and Viona looked impressed, their faces reflecting a mixture of surprise and admiration.
Currently, my whole body was engulfed in flames, the fire taking on an armor-like form that crackled and popped with intense heat.
Crackle-pop-crackle.
Two massive wings of flame erupted from my back, their fiery edges dancing and flickering with a mesmerizing intensity.
Flicker-flicker-whoosh.
I felt a surge of power and speed, my flame-encased body allowing me to move with incredible agility.
Bending my knees low, I launched at the orc with high speed, my sword sweeping low in a deadly arc.
Swish!
Syncing with me, Joseph and Viona attacked from behind the orc, their movements perfectly timed as they struck with precision: Clang-clang!
I swung at the orc, my blade brimming with flames that danced and flickered with a mesmerizing intensity.
Flicker-flicker.
Joseph swung with his only hand, his left hand, as he conjured light swords to also add damage.
Zzip-zzip!
The attacks of all three of us caused an explosion, the force of the blast sending us flying backward.
Boom!
The explosion wasn't massive, but it was large enough to be an explosion, the shockwave pushing us back a little.
Whoosh!
Then, Jessica fired an arrow laced with fire, the arrow soaring through the air with a soft Whistle.
Zeeeee.
Katherine followed suit, her arrow also exploding immediately upon contact with the orc.
Boom!
The explosion sound echoed through the air, the flames engulfing the orc's body as it stumbled backward.
The orc roared as the arrows exploded on its body, the sound echoing through the air like thunder.
RRRROOOAAAAR!
The flames and smoke enveloped it, hiding it from view. But when it stepped out of the inferno, its massive frame emerged unscathed, its skin untouched by the flames.
Whoosh.
Not a single hair was singed, not a single scratch marred its skin. Damn.
I turned back to look at Grant, who seemed to be visually struggling to cast the spell. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead, his face contorted in effort.
His hands shook slightly as he wove the intricate patterns of his magic. Damn.
Hurry up. This is why I thought fighting it was a bad idea. We shouldn't even be here. Our jobs were to kill the shaman and hobgoblin, and we'd done that.
I looked down at my sword, its blade worn and weary, on the verge of shattering: Creak-creak.
Most likely, my next clash with the orc would be this sword's last time fighting. Huuu. I breathed another heavy breath, the sound escaping my lips with a soft Whoosh.
I channeled mana into my feet as I bent low again, still in my fire elemental mode.
The flames danced and flickered around me, casting flickering shadows on the ground: Flicker-flicker.
Joseph looked at me, his eyes locking onto mine, and nodded. He too channeled his own mana, his body glowing with a soft, ethereal light.
This was now a fight to the death. Either we win, or the high orc does. The air was thick with tension, the only sound the soft crackling of the flames and the heavy breathing of my comrades.