Novalia and Donovan lay weak on the cold stone floor, gasping for breath while clutching their stomachs from the excruciating pain of the Goblin King's brutal kick.
Seeing his two companions helpless, something inside Keyzier seemed to snap. His usually calm eyes now flashed red, consumed by pure rage.
"How dare you do that to my comrades, Goblin King!" Keyzier hissed. His voice was low, yet it carried a vibration that made the very air in the hall tremble.
The Goblin King laughed mockingly, his voice echoing against the stone walls. "Why? Are you angry? Did you not do the same to my subordinates, human? This is the law of nature. The strong oppress the weak."
"You goblins deserve nothing but extinction! I hate every breath you take!"
"Hahaha! Grand words! Let's see if you can actually kill me, human!" the Goblin King challenged, unsheathing his massive sword.
A high-level battle erupted. Keyzier lunged forward, his blade clashing against the Goblin King's greatsword.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Every impact of metal created shockwaves of wind that swept the dust around them. Keyzier moved at a speed difficult for the eye to follow, searching for a gap in the Goblin King's heavy armor.
However, he soon realized a bitter reality: his sword and assassin skills alone were not enough. He began weaving elemental magic into his attacks: fireballs, ice daggers, and even small bolts of lightning. Yet, the Goblin King moved with incredible agility. All the magical attacks either exploded in empty space or were easily parried by his massive blade.
Amidst the relentless exchange, the King saw an opening. A horizontal sword swing sliced through the air. Keyzier tried to dodge, but the tip of the blade still struck the right side of his chest. Fresh blood sprayed out, soaking his new armor and dripping onto the floor.
"Heal!" Keyzier uttered shortly as he leaped back.
In an instant, a white light enveloped the wound, closing it without leaving a trace. The Goblin King stood stunned, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"You... You can restore yourself?" he asked with a tone of fury. "A human with no honor of a warrior! You use cowardly magic to survive!"
Keyzier wiped the remaining blood from the corner of his lips and gave a thin smirk. "What? A warrior? When did I ever claim to be a warrior? I am an adventurer, and I came here for one purpose. And my purpose only to kill you!"
Feeling toyed with, the Goblin King unleashed his full authoritative aura. His magical pressure caused the stone pillars in the hall to crack. "I will make sure you die here, human!"
The Goblin King began using Blink aggressively. He appeared behind, beside, and then in front of Keyzier in less than a second. His movements became so unpredictable that Keyzier could only rely on instinct.
"Mana Tracking Area!"
Keyzier created a transparent mana web within a 5-meter radius around him. Through this web, he could sense the changes in mana coordinates every time the Goblin King used Blink.
Despite detecting the movements, the King's speed remained extraordinary. Keyzier's body began to be covered in new slashes. His clothes were torn to shreds, and his elegant Black Wolf leather armor started to crumble, unable to withstand the King's heavy strikes.
At that critical moment, Novalia and Donovan began to regain consciousness. They saw Keyzier fighting alone, his body drenched in blood. Novalia, with her remaining strength, refused to be a mere bystander. She gripped her staff tightly.
"Physical Boost! Agility Up! Intuition!"
Three reinforcement spells were fired at Keyzier simultaneously. Instantly, Keyzier felt an incredible surge of energy. His battle intuition sharpened, making the Goblin King's previously blurred movements much clearer.
Keyzier stole a quick glance at his comrades and gave a thin smile. He was relieved they were awake.
The Goblin King noticed the change in Keyzier. He turned his gaze toward Novalia, realizing that the girl was the source of the problem. "That mage... she must die first!"
The King Blinked directly toward Novalia. Keyzier was too far to reach her in time. However, the Goblin King forgot there was one more person there.
Clang!
Donovan stood tall in front of Novalia, parrying the Goblin King's greatsword with his own blade. Though his hands trembled under the massive weight, Donovan did not retreat a single step. He pivoted his body and landed a powerful kick to the Goblin Goblin King's waist.
The Goblin King was dragged back three meters. That moment was the opening Keyzier had been waiting for. He moved like a bolt of lightning and slashed his sword across the Goblin King's wide-open back. Thick green blood spurted as the monster's tough skin was torn apart.
Novalia did not waste the opportunity as the King howled in pain.
"Paralyze! Blind! Decrease!"
Three debuff spells hit the Goblin King's body at once. Instantly, the giant monster froze in place, his vision turned pitch black, and his physical strength plummeted.
"This time, you won't be moving again after receiving my comrade's powerful magic, Goblin King!" Keyzier said, standing before the Goblin King with his sword raised high, ready to strike.
"You... I... will never forgive you!" the Goblin King hissed amidst his blindness.
"I should be the one saying that. Goodbye, Goblin King."
With one clean, powerful stroke, Keyzier decapitated the Goblin King. The monster's head fell to the floor, marking the end of the reign of terror in Yavo Forest.
Silence returned to the hall. The three of them collapsed to the floor, gasping for air, their bodies covered in scrapes and bruises. The heavily lopsided battle was finally won through perfect teamwork.
Keyzier took a deep breath and began to stand up. He placed the precious corpse of the Goblin King into his Inventory. Meanwhile, Donovan and Novalia began gathering the remaining corpses of the Goblin Generals, Goblin Shamans, and Goblin Warriors into their magic bags as proof for the Adventurers' Guild.
Once the area was clear, Keyzier approached his two companions. "Come here, let me heal your wounds."
The white light glowed again, healing the bruises and internal injuries on Donovan and Novalia's bodies. Despite the exhaustion, they felt a sense of pride. Their first step as adventurers was no longer just gathering herbs, but toppling a monster king.
As the sun began to set in the west, the three members of Party Noiver stepped out of Yavo Forest, walking back toward Antrows City. They knew that their return this time would change how the entire world of adventurers viewed them.