The atmosphere inside the stone hall was so tense that the sound of water dripping from the ceiling could be heard clearly. Atop a throne made of a heap of bones and rusted metal, the ruler of the nest stared at the three teenagers before him.
"You are impressive, humans! To think that with only the three of you, you were able to make it this far," the Goblin King said.
Keyzier, Donovan, and Novalia flinched. Their pupils dilated in shock as they heard the monster before them speak in human tongue with perfect articulation. However, Party Noiver remained in a state of high alert; not one of them deigned to answer the false friendly greeting.
"Why are you attacking my territory? As long as we have lived here, we have never meddled with human lands!" the King continued, speaking in a tone as if he were the victim.
Keyzier stepped forward, letting his aura press against the surrounding air. "I am attacking this place because I am carrying out a mission. But more than that... I have a personal grudge against you, Goblins!"
"A grudge? What have we done to you, little human?"
"Because of your kind, my friend here nearly lost his life back in the Death Forest!" Keyzier pointed toward Donovan, yet his eyes remained locked on the King. "Since that day, I swore to exterminate every goblin I encounter in this world!"
Upon hearing that, the Goblin King stood up and descended from his throne. He walked arrogantly, dragging his massive sword across the stone floor. "You wish to kill us? Do I hear correctly? Do not push your luck too far, human!"
"We shall see who is actually pushing their luck here!" Keyzier replied coldly.
Suddenly, the giant figure vanished in the blink of an eye and was back sitting calmly on his throne. Keyzier and his companions stared in disbelief. It was 'Blink', a high-level spatial magic that should be impossible for an ordinary monster to master. Simultaneously, the King waved his hand.
"Finish them!"
Forty Goblin Warriors, who had been surrounding them, immediately charged forward with high-pitched screams. Seeing the storm of attacks, Novalia reacted as fast as lightning. She struck her magic staff against the floor.
"Barrier!"
A dome of transparent light appeared, withstanding the impact of the goblins' weapons. Without stopping there, she immediately cast reinforcement magic on her two companions. Emerald green light enveloped Keyzier and Donovan, multiplying their physical strength.
"Release your barrier, Nova! We'll take care of these small fry. Just protect yourself!" Keyzier ordered.
As soon as the wall of light vanished, Keyzier and Donovan lunged forward like shadows of black and silver. However, the battle was not as easy as they had imagined. Two Goblin Shamans at the side of the throne began casting black fireballs. The magical explosions rained down on them continuously, forcing Keyzier and Donovan to maneuver between the Warriors' sword swings and the magical blasts.
"Novan, this is extremely troublesome!" Keyzier shouted while decapitating two goblins. "We can't attack those Shamans directly because the Goblin Generals keep getting in the way!"
Donovan growled in frustration. The number of enemies was too high, and the Shamans were heavily protected. However, in the midst of their desperation, a massive wave of mana exploded from Novalia's position.
A Giant Barrier suddenly enveloped the room, splitting the battlefield. Novalia successfully placed the magic wall directly in front of the Shamans. Every fireball released by the Shamans now only exploded uselessly against the surface of the barrier, unable to reach Keyzier and Donovan.
"You two fight as you please! Let me be the one to protect you from their magical interference!" Novalia shouted with determination.
Seeing this absolute protection, Keyzier and Donovan's spirits soared. With extraordinary swordsmanship, they went on a rampage. In just minutes, all 40 Goblin Warriors lay dead, drenched in green blood on the hall floor.
The Goblin King remained sitting casually, as if the deaths of his 40 soldiers were mere light entertainment. He clapped his hands slowly. "Now, it's time to enter the next round, humans!"
Six Goblin Generals simultaneously slammed their weapons against Novalia's barrier until it shattered into pieces. They immediately swarmed Keyzier and Donovan with much tighter coordination. The Goblin Shamans rained magic down on them again, while the Generals consistently put themselves in the way whenever Keyzier tried to rush forward to kill the Shamans.
"Hey Key, why aren't you using your magic?!" Donovan shouted while parrying a heavy slash from a Goblin General.
"I want to use it, but I'm afraid my attack will destroy this entire building and bury us!" Keyzier replied.
"Don't worry about us! If you don't do it now, we're the ones who are going to be slaughtered!"
Keyzier gritted his teeth. "I'll do it!"
Keyzier controlled his power output. He leaped backward and spread his arms.
"Blizzard!"
Instantly, a deadly snowstorm raged inside the room. The temperature dropped drastically, freezing the very air. Novalia, realizing the horror of the spell, immediately put up a barrier with all her strength to protect herself and Donovan. The Goblin Generals tried to charge, but Keyzier switched elements in an instant.
"Fire Cannon!"
Boom!
A massive fire explosion hit the line of Generals, throwing them against the walls. Two of them died instantly, their bodies scorched, while the rest suffered severe burns. Without giving them a chance to breathe, Keyzier cast his ultimate spell.
"Fire Stardust!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Hundreds of small fireballs the size of fists fell from the ceiling like falling stars. The continuous attack pelted the Goblin Shamans, the Goblin Generals, and even the King without mercy. Explosion after explosion shook the building's foundation until clouds of smoke and dust filled the room.
The atmosphere fell silent. The dust began to settle. Donovan lowered his sword, thinking the battle was over. However, as the smoke thinned, their hearts seemed to stop beating.
The Goblin King was still sitting calmly on his throne. There wasn't a single wound on his body. His heavy armor wasn't even scratched. He smiled broadly, revealing his terrifying rows of fangs.
"Very impressive, human! I didn't expect you to be able to use such formidable magic," he said mockingly.
In the blink of an eye, the Goblin King was already in front of Novalia. With one brutal and powerful kick, he shattered Novalia's barrier and sent the girl flying until she hit the stone wall with a loud thud.
"NOVA!" Keyzier screamed.
Donovan tried to swing his greatsword to protect Novalia, but the King blocked it with only one hand. With a movement invisible to the eye, the Goblin King landed a hard kick to Donovan's stomach.
Donovan managed to parry with the blade of his sword, but the King's physical strength was too overwhelming. Donovan's body was dragged far back until it hit a building pillar, causing him to cough up blood.
Now, Keyzier stood alone in the middle of the hall, staring at the Goblin King, who stood tall with an aura far beyond anything they had ever imagined.