The wolf and his rider approached slowly, seeming to savor every moment of terror they inflicted. Not that it was necessary, as behind them a dozen goblins began to feast on the dead, ensuring that there was enough terror.
The child threatened to drop the spear, watching in horror as our relatives were torn to pieces. I grabbed her hand, making sure the spear was raised towards the wolf, and began to pull it back.
The goblin struck with the whip, opening a bloody gash on the back of one of the goblins we had killed, the blood sparking the wolf, which began to growl.
"Pay attention..." I began to whisper a plan to the child, and with my other hand I picked up the bone blade.
The whip cracked again, this time leaving a scar on the ground beside me. The goblin's smile widened.
I stopped backing away and waited. The sound of the whip cutting through the wind echoed again, and I heard him hit something on my right.
"NOW!!!" I pushed the child forward, praying to the gods that it wouldn't fall.
The wolf leapt forward, jaws open, trying to close in on us.
The child raised the spear even higher and I held it steady. The spear pierced the wolf's throat through its open mouth and broke. The goblin tried to hit us, but the wolf knocked him off balance while moving frantically due to the pain, and he fell to the ground. I pick up the blade and throw myself at him, using one hand to hold his neck and the other to start stabbing him. The child arrives soon after, using the rest of the spear to help me kill the goblin
[You killed a goblin rider nv 07]
[Heroic quest completed]
[You leveled up (2x)]
Several notifications pop up in my mind, but I don't notice a single one of them, my attention focused on the goblins who interrupt their macabre feast to look at us. The hideous creatures have their faces smeared with blood, some of them still chewing on pieces of their bodies.
I sit next to the goblin I've just killed, unable to... unable even to think. I passed the limits of this body a long time ago.
I watch numbly as the group of goblins picks up their weapons - a motley collection of bones - and advance cautiously. The child stands in front of me, a bloody piece of wood in his right hand, a bone knife in his left. He is by far the weakest of us all, yet he stands defiantly.
I force myself to stand up, using the small child as a support. My knees almost buckle with the effort, my head spins. The goblins are just blurry figures in front of me. Scavenging monsters, without honor or loyalty. Cowards by nature.
The child passes the bone dagger to me, and I take it with difficulty. This piece of bone seems to weigh a ton as I struggle to lift it.
The goblins hesitate, some taking steps back.
I take a step forward, the child follows me. The hesitant goblins take a step back. Some incites the attack, but most retreat, and they are forced to retreat with them.
I hear something approaching, the unmistakable sound of human voices urging mounts to go faster.
The goblins stop hesitating, drop their weapons and anything else that might slow them down and flee towards the forest. My leg gives way and I fall to my knees, my vision dimming as the ground comes closer.
…
…
"There's no one left alive, Captain, the women... the women suffocated the children and killed themselves."
…
…
"Hurry up, we haven't got all day! Is the fire ready? Good, now take some wood and coal to the house."
…
…
"What's your name, kid?"
"Tommy"
"Listen Tommy, we can't offer your family a proper burial... let the fire light the way!"
Tommy took the offered torch and approached the warehouse. The winter harvest had been stored, barrels of meat, cheese and beer. All his family's wealth was stored behind thick wooden walls.
"It's not much, but it's all we have... may it feed the fire, and may the fire light the way" The child repeated the words his father and grandfather had taught him. The boy watched the fire spread, devouring what was most important in his short life and consuming his world.
…
…
"Captain, we have to get out of here soon."
"One more minute..."
…
…
I was trapped in a world of darkness and pain. Losing and regaining consciousness. I heard voices, fragments of information. I dreamt of a simple but perfect life. I saw that life consumed by darkness and fire.
The flames roared, and the wood crackled, the beams began to give way and the ceiling collapsed. A column of smoke rose into the sky, obscuring and desecrating that beautiful shade of blue...
"Tom..." My voice sounded rough and broken, less than a whisper, yet Tom turned his head towards me. There were no tears in his eyes, just the reflection of the fire.
Old Tom, Tommy's older brother, had taught him that men didn't cry, and both Jon and little Tom took this teaching to heart. And even when Jon saw Old Tom crying, he kept the secret to himself. After all, men don't cry, especially over a girl.
Tom took one last look at the flames before turning away. A soldier puts him in the wagon next to Jon, and they quickly left the scene.
…
…
"Captain, we've warned all the estates to the east about the attacks, they've started evacuating to Terhi, but we've found groups of goblins to the south, and we have a report from a merchant who claims to have seen hundreds of goblins gathering near the Old Tower"
"We can't keep our men spread out... Send a request to the baron to ask for reinforcements from the duchy, I also want Igor to mobilize the militia, equip them as best he can and start knocking the rust off the recruits... Send the signal, all our patrolmen must return to Terhi"
"But who's going to warn the settlements?"
"We have confirmation of goblins to the east and south, with rumors of hundreds gathering to the southwest... if we keep our patrols spread out, we'll lose them one by one, and if all these goblins converge on Terhi, the village itself could fall before the duke's army arrives. We can't be under the illusion that we'll save everyone"
…
…
I'm stuck in an uncomfortable bed, in an unfamiliar room, with strange people forcing me to drink strange liquids. My consciousness comes and goes, but regardless of the state, the pain remains.
Little Tom always appears when I wake up, sometimes he's sleeping next to me, other times he watches the room intently, as if expecting goblins to come out of the shadows.
This time I regained consciousness in the early hours of the morning, with only the pale moonlight illuminating the room. Little Tom is asleep in a nearby chair.
Everything that's happened is so inexplicable... I died at the age of twenty-one in another world, and I turn up in the body of a twelve-year-old during a goblin attack, not to mention the mission...
This second life was supposed to be a reward, but the time I've been here has been the worst of my life.
I've watched Jon's life as if it were a fast-paced movie, I can understand the big picture, but don't ask me for the details.
The original Jon never existed in this world.
There were two families in that settlement, with Jon's family consisting only of Tom, Thomas and Tommy's father, and his wife. His brother Raul, his wife Joana and their three young daughters. And their father, Brito.
Jon came into the family during the attack, and somehow he's always been part of their family... Divine will? Magic? Manipulation of time or reality? I don't know, and it doesn't really matter.
Leaving that aside, let's take a look at the system messages.
[Heroic mission completed]
[You leveled up (2x)]
[You completed a heroic mission, reward doubled (01/05)]
[First Task: Goblins are attacking your house, survive until reinforcements arrive.
[impossible to increase the quantity of the first reward, so the quality will be increased]
Main objective: survive (reward: choose a mythical class)
Secondary objective: kill five goblins (reward: two basic skills)
Bonus objective: beat back the attack before reinforcements arrive (reward: 40 silver coins)
Secret objective: Kill the enemy leader (reward: two gold coins)]
…
…
I think the most important thing is the class, so let's start with it.
[Choose a mythical class]
[Herald of light: you receive a divine spark, your healing abilities are unparalleled, you strengthen and protect your allies]
[Son of fire: fire runs through your veins, turn your enemies into ashes and reduce the ashes to nothing]
[Blood Knight: you were forged on the battlefield, created to lead from the front. You get stronger the more enemies you kill. The stronger you are, the stronger your army is]
[Commander: you may not be the most powerful warrior, but you lead the most powerful army. Choose your soldiers and turn them into lethal warriors]