Ch: 112.5 (Patreon)

Why do I always end up in these kinds of situations? Is my luck truly that bad? These are the thoughts buzzing around my head as I use Flash Step to dodge an arrow that nearly stuck my unprotected neck. I was going to have to focus on the archer first.

Currently, I was facing down six of the seven hobgoblins Tabitha left to me. Two goblins were rushing me from the front, two from my left and one from the right. The sixth hob was also to my right, but it stayed a ways back, taking potshots at me with its bow.

Only three of the thirteen goblins had bows. Thankfully, I only had to deal with one, while Tabitha handled the other two.

Ducking, I doge another arrow surprisingly well-placed arrow. This asshole was getting old, fast.

It wasn’t like I was afraid that he'd hit me. The goblin's bow had a bit of mana in it, but it looked more like a tree branch with a string tied to either end than a real bow. The arrows weren’t anything better, they were more sharpened sticks than anything else and not the most aerodynamic things, so they weren't reaching the speeds they could be if they were adequately fletched. All I had to do was keep him in sight, and with my superb reflexes, I could easily dodge every arrow he shot at me.

The fight would be over in seconds if this were a one-on-one situation. But, sadly, the group I faced were not your typical garden-variety goblins. Instead, these were a hunting party of hobgoblins that lived in a magic-dense region.

A level 50 goblin would spell doom for a small village, but out here, they were some of the weakest things around. So it only made sense that they would have developed better coordination if they managed to survive here.

The hobs were moving in formation, and I only had a split second before the closest one was on me, so I tried to gleam any tidbit of information before that happened.

The first thing I notice is their armor. We saw the ghillie suits as they repelled from the trees, but now that the goblins were close, I could see that wasn’t the only thing they were wearing. Obscured by their camouflaged suits but still somewhat visible, each goblin wore some form of fur or leather armor underneath.

I didn't need to use Sense Mana to know they were wearing magic-beast hide. Again, the materials didn’t look processed correctly to bring out their best properties, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t allow the goblins to take a glancing hit.

I need to land a solid hit to take them out. Good thing I specialized in blunt force trauma; dishing out solid hits was kind of my thing.

I grin as the first goblin reaches me, waving a crudely made spear tipped with a bone of some kind. I raise my hammer like I’m going to meet the goblin's strike head-on.

Sorry, buddy, but you’re not the one I’m after, I chuckle to myself.

At the last second, I pivot my feet and rush towards my right. The four goblins behind me screech when they realize I’ve duped them but are slow to react to my change of course.

The goblin archer is just as surprised as its friends to see me change direction so suddenly, but despite the look of surprise on his face, the hob doesn’t hesitate to draw and nock another arrow.

There were roughly fifty feet between us, and I was closing the distance fast. The archer tries to deter me by firing another arrow at me.

Instead of dodging like I did the others, I used my hammer to deflect the arrow, so I could continue sprinting toward my target and judge just how much force was behind the arrow.

The wooden arrow practically shatters into a thousand pieces on impact against my dellinium hammer, confirming that I would take no damage if I were hit anywhere covered by my armor. There was enough force behind the arrow that it would be able to punch through Mana Skin, but like hell I was going to let that happen.

I was now within twenty feet of the archer. I planned to use Flash Step again and finish it off quickly, but the other goblins didn’t seem to want that to happen.

Ducking quickly, a large wooden club passes right over my head. The hob that repelled from the same tree as the archer wasn’t going to let me approach its friend without a fight.

Swinging my hammer, I try to get the goblin to take a step back, but instead, the veins in its arms bulge, and it matches my swing with its own. Club and hammer meet, and now it's my turn to look surprised when the chunk of wood doesn't immediately disintegrate upon contact.

He must have a Strength increase skill of some kind. I want to kick myself for not considering the goblins' skills earlier, but I was preoccupied at the moment.

I can push the goblin back, but at the cost of shifting stances, bringing me to a halt. Nevertheless, the move was enough to buy the goblin a few seconds and allowed its friends the chance to catch up and join the fight.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watch the archer make a hasty retreat as his comrades quickly surround me. I’m forced to use my Dancing skills to their fullest as all the goblins try their best to tag me with their various weapons.

The spear user was trying to stab me from the left. Two of the other goblins were wielding swords made out of three-foot-long serrated fangs and were constantly trying to circle to my blind spot. But the fourth was the worst. He used a primitive axe constructed from a sharpened stone embedded in a tree branch to attack me from the front and kept me focusing on him.

While those four goblins were working together to stop me, the fifth club-wielding goblin positioned himself between the archer and me to make sure I couldn't suddenly break off and charge him again. They were covering all their bases, and it was starting to make me worry.

Whenever I think I have an opening to hit one of them, I flounder at the last second, thinking one of them is about to activate some killer skill if I’m not careful.

“What are you doing; why are you hesitating like that!?” The goblins and I freeze as Tabitha’s angry shout echoes amongst the trees.

I couldn’t turn around to face her; luckily, she was barely within Sense Mana’s range, giving me a cloudy but full-bodied view of her. Still, I could see the outline of her facing me with her hands on her hips, surrounded by six bodies. Tabitha’s sword was already sheathed, and judging by the corpses by her feet, I’d say she beheaded all six of them simultaneously.

I’m only reassured of this because, during the brief lull in the battle, I could snag a glance at the head goblin who was scowling and baring his teeth threateningly at Tabitha. And he wasn’t the only one. The other hobs were too busy dealing with me to notice Tabitha cutting down their friends, but now that they did, all their attention was on her for the moment.

Not to let my chance go to waste, I Flash Step behind the goblin with the spear and swing my hammer with everything I have.

There was a sickening crunch as my weapon connected squarely in the middle of the goblin's back. Neither the branches that made up his ghillie suit nor his armor underneath were enough to keep me from shattering the goblin's spine in one blow.

My sudden attack reminded the rest of the goblins that I was still here and still a threat. The battle continued, but I could still hear Tabitha behind me.

“That’s how you do it,” I could hear the approval in her voice. “You need to get out of your own head. You’re used to sparring with me; how can a few goblins possibly match up to you?”

Tabitha’s motivating words give me a sense of resolve and push me to do better. So instead of trying to escape my opponents and worrying about everything that could happen, I go on the attack.

Using Precise Strike, I swing my hammer at the nearest sword-wielding hob. He tried to move out of the way in time, but I was faster and more agile. When he finally realizes he can’t doge me, he no longer has the chance to counterattack and raises his sword to try to defend himself the best he can.

My hammer is an unstoppable wrecking ball at this point and can’t be blocked by a meager weapon such as his. So the second goblin goes down and doesn’t get back up.

Leaning my head to the right, an arrow soars past my cheek. It was time I finished what I had started.

Jumping in the air, I activate Air Walk, to the surprise of the remaining goblins. I said I was going to take out that annoying archer, and I meant it.

Running through the air, I quickly reach the hobgoblin holding the bow. He looks up at me in fear as I twist in the air, pointing my feet above my head and kicking off my footholds, rocketing myself toward the ground and my foe with my hammer raised. And just for good measure, I even use Intimidating Shout, paralyzing my target with fear.

I was coming in at the force of a ballistic missile. Ok, maybe not that fast, but I certainly wasn’t holding back. I was going to pulverize this goblin.

Or that was the plan at least, but even though I desperately wanted to take out the archer, I hadn't let my guard during my reckless charge…. not ever again. That was how I noticed a goblin rushing towards me in patchwork metal armor holding a broadsword. Damn, and I was so close too.

I swing my hammer downward early without anchoring myself with my skills. The force of my swing drags me off target but helps me dodge the incoming goblins swing. It seems the head hobgoblin had decided it was time to get in on the action.

I was tumbling through the air, but using Air Walk again helped me regain my balance. Though, the maneuver inadvertently increased the distance between myself and the goblins, giving them time to regroup.

The leader of this little band of goblins was barking orders as I landed about a hundred feet away from them, and he did not look happy. I could see the gears turning in his head as he looked between me and Tabitha, who had moved slightly closer to our battle. She still looked like she intended on having me finish things by myself, but the goblins didn’t know that.

From the original thirteen, only five goblins remained. The four I was fighting looked ready to run at the drop of a hat, and no matter how much their leader hissed and howled at them, their fear-ridden faces stayed the same.

I debated the pros and cons of immediately attacking, but before I could decide, the goblin leader locked eyes with me before spitting in my direction.

He growled once more to his men, and the five of them slowly retreated as one.

“Are you sure it’s wise to let them go?” Tabitha asks, walking towards me, sporting a sly grin. Together the two of us watch the goblins disappear behind one of the massive trees.

“You know I don’t slaughter needlessly,” I rolled my eyes in exasperation after being sure the goblins were gone.

"Yeah, I know," Tabitha reaches over and puts her hand on my shoulder. "You did well."

“Only because you called out to me. I’m sorry for being such a disappointment lately,” I frown and lower my gaze. I’m about to apologize for all my recent failures and for taking too long, but Tabitha stops me before I can even begin.

“Stop, none of that,” she shakes her head. “You have nothing to apologize for; I do.”

It takes a whole three seconds for me to digest Tabitha’s words. “What could you possibly have to apologize for?”

“It was my fault you were injured against the bird.”

I open my mouth to refute Tabitha’s claim, but one pointed look from her has me swallowing my words before I can vocalize them.

“It’s true,” she repeats. “I did not properly prepare you to face magic beasts, and for that, I apologize.”

Shockingly, Tabitha bows her head to me in remorse.

“You’ve trained me plenty,” I wave my hands, trying to get her to raise her head.

Tabitha shakes her head again. “I’ve trained you to fight other people, not magic beasts.”

“There’s a difference?" I stupidly ask without thinking. Of course, there was a difference between fighting someone like Tabitha and a magic beast like the bird yesterday. Despite my stupid question, Tabitha raises her head and gives me a proper answer.

“There is. I’ve been training you to observe humanoid opponents, judge their armor and weapons, and predict their fighting styles.”

“Yeah," I nod along to show that I am listening.

“You can use the same skills to identify how a magic beast will attack, but I forgot to impose upon you the fundamental differences between fighting other humans and humanoid monsters compared to magic beasts.”

“You see,” Tabitha leans in. "Though every living being can grow and gain levels, they don't develop the same way. Take humans and stone kin, for example; we level, distribute our status points, and gain skills.”

“And magic beasts don’t?” I guess.

“Not in the way we do,” Tabitha educates me. “Magic beasts, and to a lesser effect, animals, level as we do, but it’s theorized their status points are distributed automatically into the categories that best fit the creature. And when it comes to skills, animals and magic beasts are usually born with them. Of course, they can still unlock some skills as they grow, but nothing like humans do.

Your basic villager might have a dozen skills; a magic beast might only have upwards of three. That might make them sound weak by comparison, but it's actually the opposite. Because magic beasts only focus on a few skills, they're comparable to ours when they reach level 100.”

“What!?” I exclaim.

Tabitha nods thoughtfully. "Combine those skills with a body and stats designed to compliment them, and you can see how magic beasts are so deadly.”

Tabitha’s gaze softens, and she sighs. “I was teaching you to expect a variety of skills and different fighting styles, not to face someone who’s only spent time maximizing a single skill set. And for that, I'm truly sorry. I've failed you as a teacher, and because of that, you were hurt and started to doubt yourself."

For what feels like a long time, Tabitha and I stand facing each other, letting everything sink in. I don’t think I’ve ever had Tabitha apologize to me like this before.

While I understand why she feels responsible, and knowing more about magic beasts would’ve been nice to know before she put me up against a random one, I also feel like she’s taking on more of the blame than she deserves. Tabitha may have forgotten to teach me about magic beasts, but it isn’t like I ever considered asking her about them, either. Again, it was simply knowledge, I didn’t know I was missing.

“I think we’re both to blame. You can’t know everything I’m ignorant about, and I can’t know every question I’m supposed to ask you. At the end of the day, in the short time I’ve known you, you’ve taught me almost as much as my master has. And I want to keep learning from you," I tell Tabitha with a smile. “Can you keep teaching me, even if I mess up sometimes?”

For the first time, Tabitha smiles fondly at me like she does when talking about Pacore. “I would like that very much,” Tabitha holds out her hand.

Reaching out, I firmly shake Tabitha’s hand.

I know I didn’t come to the forest with the intention of this being a training trip, but I recognize that's still what I need—more training.

I’ve been improving, but you can only do so much with nothing but sparring.

I'm still not going to go around looking for trouble, but I'm not going to shy away from it, either. I'm going to meet it head-on and learn from it.

This is where our adventure truly begins.

**********

2,800 words.

Sorry for the late release; this chapter was oddly tricky to write. I knew how I wanted the fight to turn out and that it was supposed to be a learning experience for Aaliyah, but I didn't know how to connect the two.

What do you think; did the chapter come out ok? Did this clean up some of the plot points I left open when I stopped writing? What about the reason Aaliyah has been feeling down?

Please tell me what you think below, and as always, stay safe.

P.S. I'm going to try and drop another chapter for you guys tomorrow.