"Retreat!" Rashan shouted.
But it was already too late. Several goblins began to advance. The five Hobgoblins also charged in. A massive club swung toward Rashan.
He managed to block the first strike, but the follow-up hit landed squarely on his right ribs. His body was flung against the wall.
Baam!
Rashan coughed up blood. Vennel, Brux, and Jilkan were visibly trembling. They glanced behind them. Behind them stood the Goblin King, along with fifty regular goblins.
There was no way out. The three of them clicked their tongues in frustration. No other choice remained.
"Help Rashan." Vennel took out a potion and tossed it to Brux. "Give that to him!" she urged.
Brux nodded and ran toward Rashan. But just as he moved, a Hobgoblin's strike came straight at him.
Brux quickly cast earth magic, raising a stone wall to block the attack.
Then he rushed over to Rashan and immediately gave him the potion.
"I'll protect you until you recover," said Brux.
Rashan nodded, gulping down the potion in one go. Slowly, his body began to heal. But… it would take time. Their party's potions were not high-grade.
Unlike Dyren's potions, which could instantly mend severe wounds.
"Aaarrrh!" Jilkan screamed.
Hearing his twin brother's voice, Brux instinctively turned. Jilkan was lying on the ground with a gash on his forehead, blood flowing down.
Brux wanted to help him. But as he tried to move, a club smashed into his back. Brux didn't have time to cast earth magic.
He collapsed, and pain shot through his spine. He vomited blood and could barely move. The spine... a vital area.
"Damn it."
Rashan had recovered. He helped Brux up. But the goblins began swarming in, surrounding Rashan, who now stood alone.
He had no choice but to fight. He couldn't protect his comrades. But the battle had already been unbalanced from the start.
***
It wasn't just Rashan and Brux who were injured. Vennel and Jilkan were also nearing their limits.
Blood flowed from all four of them. None of them could move anymore. They were completely beaten.
They had already given up. It was impossible to defeat five Hobgoblins, one Goblin Shaman, dozens of regular goblins, and… the Goblin King.
All four of them had their legs held, about to be dragged into the den—where they'd be turned into food. Except for Vennel, who was to be used to satisfy their lust.
"Stop!" someone suddenly spoke.
It was Dyren, who had been standing in the back the whole time. He hadn't been attacked, nor had he helped. He had simply watched—to see how strong a Rank C party from Velderath really was.
And Dyren was disappointed.
"Truly pathetic…" he muttered.
He let out a long sigh and stepped forward. His eyes no longer showed interest—only pity and disgust.
He had liked how Rashan's party worked together, but no matter how good their teamwork was, if they were weak, the outcome would always be the same. They would lose against stronger enemies.
In the end, strength was everything.
"All right. Time to clean up."
[Summoning Undead: Cerberus]
[Raise Skeleton – Active]
[Necroguard Legion – Active]
[Raise Spellcaster Skeleton – Active]
In just a few seconds, thirty-one undead emerged. When Cerberus was summoned, the cave trembled. Dyren turned around.
"You can handle them, can't you?" Dyren asked Sniffy.
"Ghwroof!!" it answered.
Dyren nodded. "Then I'll leave the Hobgoblins to you. I'll face the Goblin King. I want to see how strong he really is."
Dyren and the Goblin King stood face-to-face. Dyren drew his sword.
"Come on, entertain me!" Dyren challenged.
He immediately lunged forward and launched the first attack.
***
Brux, Rashan, Jilkan, and Vennel, who were being dragged away by goblins—were now free. Sniffy had saved them.
The goblins dragging them had been slain, their heads smashed in.
"Are we going to survive?" Vennel asked.
"Of course. We've got Dyren."
A short reply—but one that gave them hope. They could now see how powerful Dyren truly was.
A Necromancer who could fight like a swordmaster—that alone defied logic.
Rashan gave a small smile. "Hope you win."
Dyren was struck by the Goblin King. His body was thrown and crashed into the wall. The Goblin King marched toward the fallen Dyren.
Dyren's left hand trembled. The pain surged through him as he glanced at his screen.
[Goblin King – Level 50]
Dyren only smiled. So the Goblin King wasn't as strong as he'd imagined. The Goblin King raised his massive club and slammed it down.
"Enough. I'm done playing," Dyren said.
He blocked the Goblin King's strike with just one hand. Even as the Goblin King tried to yank his weapon back, he couldn't.
"Aaarrgh!" the Goblin King roared.
Dyren let go of the weapon. The Goblin King stumbled forward, thrown off balance by Dyren's trap.
Other goblins charged at Dyren. With no weapon in hand, Dyren struck their heads with brute force. Their skulls shattered—but the numbers were overwhelming.
[Shadow Eruption – Active]
A shadow burst from the ground. One second later, it exploded—destroying the legs of the goblins nearby.
But something was off. Dyren noticed the goblins' legs slowly healing. He frowned and looked at the goblins he had already crushed.
Those ones weren't regenerating.
"So this only works on goblins still alive…" Dyren muttered in frustration. "This is going to be annoying."
He had no choice but to finish off every single goblin. The Goblin King attacked again, but his movements were more agile now—and smarter.
When lured into a basic trap, the Goblin King easily avoided it.
"Aaarrgj!" the Goblin King screamed and charged toward Dyren.
As he roared, the normal goblins began healing faster. They rose again and sprinted toward Dyren.
Seeing that, Dyren grinned wide. "I want this Goblin King. You will be mine."
Excitement surged through him. As the Goblin King approached, Dyren stepped back—dodging the attack.
At the same moment, he slashed upward. The Goblin King dodged it cleanly. Dyren narrowed his eyes.
"You're adapting fast. I like that."
[Berserk – Active]
"Let's see how long you can last."
Dyren was getting fired up.