Annie's grip tightened as she sent out a [Sweeping Strike]. Her spear blurred as the skill activated, cutting through a goblin's arm and embedding itself into another's side.
She yanked her arms back.
Blood and guts spilled from the monster, a death rattle leaving its throat. It tried to claw at the wound, hopelessly holding its innards in place before the light slowly faded from its eyes.
Nemir cleaved through another pair, his massive greatsword bisecting their bodies. Omi was back with the team now. Exchanging his stealth for a brutal upfront assault. His hands moving so fast she could barely make them out.
She fixed her gaze on what remained of the pack, the half dozen Iron-rank threats still trying to get their bearings from the explosion. Scorched and wounded.
Annie still couldn't believe how powerful Jamis's spell had been.
Just two more levels, she reminded herself. Then I ignite my own Core.
Her grip tightened around the shaft of her spear, an excited glint in her eyes. It had been a risk to go for it so early in her path, but if that was the result, it seemed like the right choice.
Name:
Anneliese Kiro
Body:
Iron III [11 Levels]
Core:
N/A
Level:
11
Strength:
12
Dexterity:
25
Vitality:
22
Intelligence:
7
Willpower:
3
Focus:
12
To ignite her Core, she needed both Intelligence and Willpower to be over ten. And while that didn't seem like a lot, those twenty stats made all the difference. Especially at a lower level.
While people like Jamis had the distinct advantage of being born with both those attributes already past that threshold, others needed to work for it.
It wasn't fair, but life rarely was.
She glanced over in his direction for what had to have been the tenth time. He was fighting the shaman with an infuriating grin on his face, his steely gray eyes shining with a fierce intensity, most likely reveling in the fact he could finally let loose.
Stones whistled through the air faster than she could follow, and his whips deflected them with what appeared to be barely any effort.
The fight was a sight to behold, and she found herself distracted as she battled her own foes. They dealt with the Bronze-ranked monsters, and that only left the Iron-ranked goblins.
The [Fireball] had left them scorched and bruised, but they were still more than capable of putting up a fight.
Silvia shot an arrow at the closest one, and it deflected it with a grunted snarl. Its spear of hardened bone sending the arrow flying to the side. It tried to deflect the one that followed, but it couldn't quite manage it.
The arrow took it in the shoulder, piercing through flesh and bone and exiting on the other side. The goblin shrieked in agony, dropping its weapon and clutching at the wound. Trying to hold its arm in place, blood pooling through its fingers.
"Let them come to us!" she shouted, stepping in rank next to Nemir.
There wasn't a point in rushing. They just took out three dozen goblins, and taking a few seconds to breathe would do them some good.
Omi appeared next to her, panting slightly and wiping blood from his brow. Wincing from the wound on his arm.
"You okay?" she asked, ready to pull out a potion.
He waved her off. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. It's just a scratch. The fight's already over, anyway."
"I wouldn't be so sure," Nemir muttered, gesturing towards the side where the cavern floor was coming alive as it battled against Jamis's flames.
"You really enjoy tempting fate, don't you?" Silvia said, poking Omi in the side. "What happens if he loses, huh? Stop trying to be macho and drink the damn potion."
"Nemir prays to Eldric. It evens out," Omi grumbled.
Annie snorted, handing the vial to the rogue. He gulped it down, the cut on his arm slowly knitting back together.
"If he does start to lose, do we…?" Silvia trailed off, looking unsure.
"No way," Omi shook his head. "We do not get close to that death trap. None of us have an Aura, and getting in the middle of a mage duel is suicide. Plain and simple."
"He'll win," Nemir said firmly, no doubt in his voice. "Jamis fights like an apprentice war-mage. He's stronger than the shaman."
"It's level twenty-three," Sil added, pulling an arrow out of a goblins throat. "That means more mana, and a second affinity," she shook her head. "Jamis is only level six. It seems like… a lot."
Nemir nodded, bracing his sword and getting ready for the slowly approaching goblins. "I know. But Jamis is more skilled. And despite his lower level, his mana pool is nothing to scoff at. You've seen that first hand."
"How's that even possible?" Silvia muttered, knocking an arrow.
"Easy. He's a noble," Omi shrugged.
"You think?" Silvia frowned. "Maybe he's one of those people that ignite their Cores naturally. Don't most mages advance by the time they're his age, especially if they have resources?" she asked, glancing at Nemir.
"They do," he answered. "Most of them Awaken at thirteen, and by fifteen they advance. At Jamis's age, some are already close to a second advancement."
"Yeah, but it isn't like he doesn't have resources," Omi rolled his eyes. "And besides, just look at him and tell me that man isn't a noble."
Annie followed along to the battle that still raged in the far corner of the cavern. A blazing shield flared to life above Jamis, defending against a falling spear of rock.
His onyx black hair billowed as the wind picked up, his coat fluttering by his feet.
"That coat is packed full of enchantments," Omi pointed out. "Not to mention all the potions he chugs, his access to some highly regulated spell tomes, and the endless amount of gold he seems to have access to."
He wiped his daggers clean against a small cloth rag tucked into his belt. "My guess is he's a fourth or fifth son of a noble house from another region. Maybe the reason he doesn't talk about his family is because he can't," he shrugged. "From what I know, you're not supposed to do that if you're out getting life experience."
Nemir slapped on that awful poker face of his and looked away.
"Still doesn't explain the age," Annie said, pointing her spear forward.
She'd spent more than a few nights trying to figure out his story. But the black-haired bundle of mystery stayed exactly that, a mystery.
Over the last few months, he'd gone on two dozen quests with them. Along with more than a few late nights spent at the Hall. It was safe to say he was a part of the team, yet they didn't really know him.
Annie agreed with Omi on one thing though. He was definitely a noble. But he wasn't out here getting life experience.
The look he got when anyone got even close to the topic of family wasn't secrecy. It was sorrow, and rage, and righteous indignation. A strange brew that spoke of tragedy.
What she did know was that he was talented, charming, smart, and a plethora of other different things.
But he was also reckless. Prone to violence.
Intense.
Thankfully, the only time Annie saw those traits was in situations like this. When they were pointed well away from them and at a monstrous opponent.
It was like he had two states of being. The calm adventurer, and the manic mage.
Annie had noticed it during their fight against the Vinesnakes. The way his fingers had twitched, aching to cast. In the way his eyes had narrowed, a single-minded focus overtaking him.
She wasn't a complete stranger to that feeling. The thrill had gripped her more than once, but it seems to perpetually hang around Jamis. Like it was just waiting to be set loose.
Two more arrows took out another goblin, leaving only three.
Their walk had slowed to a crawl, furiously glancing in the direction of shaman as if deciding what to do. They just watched the five of them take out their entire pack, it wasn't all that unexpected for them to be slightly hesitant. They might have been stronger than the lesser goblins, but the sight of so much carnage put them in fight or flight.
It was just that flight meant having to deal with an angry shaman later. So they were having some trouble deciding what to do.
"Sil, pick them off. If they start running, we go after them," Annie said, her focus narrowing down to ending this fight.
Seeing another one of their number die, they decided that maybe dying later was better than definitely dying right now. They turned around and bolted while Annie and Omi rushed at their backs.
Her spear took one in the back of the knee, followed by a quick kick to the neck, snapping its spine.
Omi took out the other two in rapid succession. Cutting one's throat and piercing the other through the neck. The bodies hit the ground in a lifeless heap, and with that, the goblin pack was reduced to one.
"Now we wait," Nemir said, positioning himself at the front, his massive greatsword held flat as a makeshift shield.
"Uhh, I wouldn't be so sure about that," Silvia pointed out, gesturing at one of the three cave entrances.
Something scraped against the ground, ominous thuds echoing from the darkness.
Annie's stance firmed, pushing away the fatigue and the burning in her muscles. The fight wasn't over yet, and they couldn't afford to relax.
A towering goblin stepped out of the shadows, a massive bone club held loosely in its grip. Annie could almost feel the tremors with each step it took. Its sickly green skin pulled taut over a frame of muscle.
Scanning it revealed something she already knew.
Level:
18
Body:
Silver I [18 Levels]
Core:
N/A
"You just had to jinx us, didn't you?" Silvia muttered, glaring at Omi.
"How is this my fault? The big bastard was here from the start. Not like my words conjured him from the ether," he snorted. "If anything, it's Nemir's fault. He's the one who let the hand of fate choose this quest."
The burly swordsman rolled his eyes. "I'm a follower, not a priest. Nobody but us chose this quest."
"Enough screwing around," Annie said, taking a deep breath.
With one final glance at the furious exchange of spells still taking place in the corner, she set her stance. Her gaze locked on the massive shape that was slowly gaining speed as it moved towards them.
The hobgoblin let out a loud bellow, raising its club high into the air.
That alone was a frightening enough sight, but the faint red haze coating its weapon was what really made Annie's heart race. Whether in fear or excitement, she wasn't sure.
"Keep your distance and focus on defense!" she shouted, getting into position. "There's four of us and only one of him. We whittle him down, no heroics!"
Her focus narrowed as a faint hum vibrated through her veins. The sound of her own heartbeat was loud in her ears, like a guiding rhythm correcting her movements.
Fighting up a rank was a challenge, even for them. Having an Aura was a power boost that was hard to match. But just like for mages, levels didn't determine strength.
Jamis was level six, and he was handily holding his own against an opponent almost four times his level. Annie might not have had a Core, and the twenty or so stats she'd put into attempting to ignite it made her weaker than a Warrior of her level should be, but she balanced that out with skill.
Or in a more literal sense, skills.
Skills:
Spear Mastery [Proficient], Iron Wall [Proficient], Sweeping Strike [Proficient], Martial Resilience [Proficient], Deadly Precision [Adept], Piercing Thrust [Adept], Sense Danger [Novice]
Annie had spent her entire life training to be an adventurer. And now, under the tutelage of her aunt, she was finally thriving.
Four Proficiency-rank skills, and two that were on the cusp of a breakthrough. All while only half-way through Iron. [Sense Danger] was the skill she chose after her last advancement. And even though she'd only had it for a few days, seeing it at Novice was still an eyesore.
Annie's plan was to have at least eight before she advanced to Silver. Not to mention igniting her Core.
She would be a warrior her family could be proud of. A true Knight.
Even with a Core she would never be a full-fledged mage. That just wasn't in the cards. She had neither the time, nor the dedication needed to pursue the magical arts. Spell tomes didn't grow on trees, and acquiring one had as much to do with having connections as it did with having gold.
But that didn't mean she would leave that well of power untapped.
Igniting her Core while still in Iron would make her Aura that much more powerful. She just had to live long enough to accomplish it.
Silvia pulled her bow back as far as it could go, the string vibrating as she activated [Power Shot].
She released her skill.
The arrow blurred through the air, heading straight towards the bull-rushing hobgoblin. It roared, swinging its club in a sideways sweep, obliterating the projectile with ease.
"Seven more shots!" Silvia called out, quickly trying again. Once again failing to breach through the hobgoblins defenses.
Annie widened her stance, getting ready to dodge.
This was their third time fighting a monster with an Aura. They knew the roles they needed to play in order to win.
It was Nemir's job to hold its attention, while Omi and Annie assaulted its flanks. Forcing it to spread its attention. Silvia would hold off, waiting for a good shot.
Just as the hobgoblin crossed the halfway point—the thrill now pumping freely through her veins—a pained shout, followed by an enraged screech, interrupted her focus.
Her gaze shot towards the source of the noise just in time to see Jamis flying through the air, his back impacting the cavern wall. He crumpled to the floor in a heap, and for a moment, Annie thought he was dead.
She held her breath, the grip on her spear unnaturally tight.
If he's dead, so are you, the thought came unbidden.
Fighting the hobgoblin would be challenging enough. If they threw a caster into the mix, they were as good as dead.
Come on, she grit her teeth. Get up!
Grunting in effort, Jamis pushed himself up and cast a shield, barely managing to deflect a barrage of rocks the shaman sent his way.
"Annie, watch out!" Omi shouted, pulling her focus to their own fight.
Her muscles tensed as she turned her head. Once again reminded that just because something was big, it didn't mean it was slow.
A massive bone club fell towards her head, the red-haze covering it shining ominously in the dim light as she frantically threw herself to the side.
The hobgoblin had reached them. And it wasn't wasting any time.