“This is where they started to find precious stone,” Sarel explains. “They had defended this place when we first arrived. Although they quickly retreat”
Ruvick could make out dark blood across the stones. And an unpleasant smell of corpses lingers faintly. The Kobolds' corpses must have been stored somewhere nearby.
They’re a monster. Ruvick reminds himself. The Kobolds are.
His undead spread to inspect the dark openings. He doubts the humans have any reliable way to ensure no Kobolds are hiding there.
“Smart thinking,” Mort says. “But none of them attack us when only three of us are here. They’re not going to do anything.”
A clash of steel clangs from one of the holes. A flurry of sword clashes rang on another. A gultural shrieking of Kobolds wails echoing through them.
“Master Treant?” Guvikor calls from the front. The man shoves his torch into one of the undead hands. He held his sword ready in two hands.
Ruvick did a quick possession of his wooden kobold. He had sent five teams to search out the holes.
“All five groups are in combat, each is outnumbered. I will recall them to us.”
Guvikor nods, “Back to the slope. We hold together!” He says, moving back, motioning for Sarel and Mort to follow.
Holding position on the slope behind is hard; they had to get down with the help of the rope that the humans had set up. Climbing it will just expose their back.
“Mort, climb up and shoot them,” Guvikor orders. “Sarel, watch his back. Make sure no sneaky Kobold stabs him in the back.”
Both Sarel and Mort lurch into action. The girl is a very fast climber, unnaturally so. Ruvick made out their conversation.
“If only you didn’t say that…”
“You blaming me for this?”
Glossary (25/100):
- Liyu X2
- Kobold X23
Ruvick had sent ten Kobolds to scout. So far, no one has died yet. He made out his wooden Kobolds running to him. Bloods trail down some of their weapon. As they arrive and assume formation, no living Kobolds emerge yet.
“They’re not coming?” Guvikor whispers. His voice was chill, adding to the rising tension inside the darkness.
“They’re,” Ruvick replies. He makes out a yellow eye peeking from the holes. “They will charge.” The Kobold's body shudders in excitement. Ruvick has seen it before when the creature surrounded him.
“Perhaps they’re waiting for us to climb before commencing a charge. The Kobolds have tunnels all over this place. Multiple leading between the depths, I’m sure. I'm worried about Sarel and Mort. They’ll be in more danger than us. Master Treant.. Can I ask you to go up there?”
“You will be a more fitting choice to protect them,” Ruvick says. “Go, my undead will hold them here.”
“I can’t do that, Master Treant. I’m the one who insists on keeping going when your MP hasn’t recovered,” Guvikor said, his eyes downcast. His grip on his sword tightening. “Besides. If you fall here, your undead will be gone too. I think. With your power, we can pierce through the fourth depth.”
“The part about both of them being in more danger is a lie, then?”
“Call it an old man's excessive worries.”
“White hair,” Ruvick muses. “Your hair strikes me as a sign of age. Every human and elf I met has been young.”
“Master Treant,” Guvikor says. “You cannot say such a thing out loud. Especially in front of the individual. Besides, comparing me to an elf in terms of age is not fair.” His mouth quirks into a smile.
“Is that so?” Ruvick lays a hand across his core. He wants to know more. “Very well, Guvikor. I will go and watch over them. But, please allow me to leave Yuu here and most of my undead with you.”
“You have my thanks, Master Treant.” Then Guvikor shouts. “Do you hear that, both of you! Do not come back down until we take care of the wave!”
Ruvick heard both of them shout back a protest. He grasps the rope and starts climbing. Ruvick orders Lorn and two undead Kobolds to follow him. Leaving Yuu side by side with Guvikor. Twenty Kobolds stand with them. They stare at the countless holes, expecting living Kobolds to charge anytime soon.
A hand shot out, pulling Ruvick over the cliff. Sarel's worried face greeted him. She shot a look toward Guvikor and the endless dark beyond him.
“Let me guess. He said he will take responsibility because he is the one who insisted on going.”
“That is accurate,” Ruvick says.
“Of course,” Mort heaves. He pulls Lorn over. “Well, we will need a little light here anyway. Ruvick, your spear will be useful. Please fight near my back.” He nocks an arrow. Drawing it, ready to shoot.
“I can see pretty well in the dark,” Sarel says. “I’m not strong enough to be a vanguard. So I will enter the fight and weave out repeatedly. I'm counting on you to hold the line, Master Ruvick. If any Kobold threatened us,”
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As the last two of the wooden Kobolds climb over. A deep, grounding scream roars. Mort let out a yell and released his arrow to cover his ear. Sarel's long hair pushes back in pressure alone, her face contorts in horror.
“It’s the sound of toothed Kobold!” She shouts. “Uncle! You need to charge!”
“Master Ruvick! Orders a charge!” Guvikor shouts, then he takes off.
Ruvick did as he said. In a snap, his twenty wooden Kobolds charge along with Yuu.
He made out two pinpricks of black fire from the darkness. They slowly spun before bursting into a huge fireball. The ground shook, and Ruvick presses himself down to not falling over. Two giant wingless blue dragon towers over his undead. Their mouth open wide with a black fireball.
“Yuu!” Ruvick shouts. He feels a thrum of response from Yuu.
Guvikor is not going to make it before the dragon bursts him apart. As the dragon was about to mow down their fire. Yuu pulls back Gavikor, making him fall backward.
Yuu stood with his Sword of Light blaring. He holds it up above his head in an overhead stance.
In a core jolt. Yuu’s sword blazes with a majestic white flame. A direct contrast against the dragon blacks.
The dragons burst their fire forward. Two black flames shot out at his undead.
Yuu rends down his Sword of Light.
A sizzling clash of white and black evaporates the air around them.
Ruvick made out through the heat. Black flame blazes against white flame, overwhelming it. Yet, the white flame stood not consumed by it. The source of the black flame weakens and eventually, the flame dissipates. Yuu fell to his knees. His white flame is gone.
“Charge!” Guvikor shouts. Yuu got up and stumbled over to follow him.
Dozens of dozens of Kobolds charge into the various holes like a creature possessed. The line clashed. Guvikor roars as he tries to fight through toward the toothed Kobold.
“We should get down! The toothed Kobold will have a considerable delay before they do that black flame again,” Sarel says. “They’re forced to charge.”
Mort let out nine arrows in quick succession. Each found a target, killing them in an instant. “I'm more useful here. If you want to go, then go. But leave Ruvick to guard my back.”
Sarel shot a look at Ruvick. As if asking him what to do.
A shriek of Kobolds’s voice sounds behind them. Ruvick turns to find himself facing five charging Kobolds.
He thrust Nil. Gorging through a Kobold head. He pulls Nil back, blood drawn, and he spins and swings Nil into another Kobold side, sending it falling over the cliff. The Kobold shriek dissipates as a crash of bodies overwhelms it.
(You Slain Kobold Lvl 39)
(You Slain Kobold Lvl 38)
His two undead Kobolds with Lorn finish their respective opponents, besting the living Kobolds.
Beyond them, the shadow morphs into ten Kobolds with more behind them.
“We need to hold here. Gavikor’s party will be overwhelmed on both sides, should we fall,” Ruvick says.
Any word of protest dies in Sarel’s throat. “I will draw some of the charging Kobolds toward me, easing up the number you need to face.” She drew her dagger and ran toward the darkness.
Ruvick was about to stop her. Her plan would only work if she were faster and could see better than the Kobolds. But the girl has gone in a flurry of steps.
“She will be fine, Ruvick,” Mort says without stopping his shoot, lashes of bow string beat in rhythm. “She is chosen to scout the fifth depth for a good reason. But still, those Toothed Kobolds shouldn’t be here.”
Ruvick watched the ten charging Kobolds. Two of them at the very left got engaged in a clash of steel. A flicker of light rings through. Three Kobolds got distracted, looking at the light. His mind races; he needed to keep their attention on him. Deciding they’re not too far, Ruvick orders a charge to engage them, leaving two Kobolds guarding Mort.
He and Lorn rush at the eight Kobolds. Ruvick lurches, sweeping Nil down with a powerful strike, tripping two Kobolds, their heads crack against the cave floor. He brings Nil up to finish them, but a spearhead snakes into him before he can. Striking deep into his stomach area.
Groaning at the flaring pain, Ruvick skids back. Three Kobolds rush at him. Lorn tackles them, dodging a sword strike, bringing two down crashing.
Ruvick bats away another spear jab. He dug Nil right into the Kobold's stomach in revenge. Letting the body fall backward.
(You Slain Kobold Lvl 42)
(Level Up!)
Lorn smashes his wooden hand into one Kobold's face. Blood jumps from the impact. With sword in his left hand, Lorn struck across both throats at once. Letting blood flow freely.
Ruvick finishes the two Kobolds with a quick thrust to each of their throats.
(You Slain Kobold Lvl 45)
(You Slain Kobold Lvl 37)
(Level Up!)
He pulled Nil into a stance. Stepping in front of Lorn to buy him time to stand. Three Kobolds lurch at him with their sword.
Ruvick stabs Nil, scoring a deep gash on the first one. He withdrew as a sword strike almost cut him.
The third one ran past Nil length, entering Ruvick's defense. It raised his sword high, before going down, Ruvick steps in, shoving his hand to its throat. He crushed the Kobold’s throat under his hand, warm blood seeped as the Kobold’s skin gave in. The Kobold’s face turn purple, eyes threatened to pooped out.
Ruvick hurled the body to the other Kobold, the creature caught it. Without missing a beat, Ruvick thrust Nil deep into the Kobold’s dead body, impaling through the living one.
(You Slain Kobold Lvl 39)
(You Slain Kobold Lvl 47)
(You Slain Kobold Lvl 43)
(Level Up!)
Ruvick's eyes shot up. He saw two dead Kobolds' bodies on the ground. Not from Lorn or him. He did not see where Sarel went. But she does tell him she will weave in and out of the fight.
A cackling laugh echoes in front of him. Ruvick made out twenty Kobolds step out of the darkness. He steps back to where his two wooden undead are. Watching as the twenty slowly creep out on them.
He gave the battlefield below a brief look. Not good. They have not even scratched the dragon. Gavikor and Yuu have slain plenty of kobolds. But they had not yet touched the Tootless Kobold.
Deciding he cannot affect the battlefield below. Ruvick focuses on the enemy in front of him.
RUVICK LVL 53
RACE: TREANT
CLASS: Verdant Sapling
HP: 4755/ 5200
MP: 900/3200
STR: 350
DEX: 345
INT: 250
Pure Essence: 7000.
Skill =
- Wooden Necromancer. (Grade D)
- Root Extension. (Grade D)
- Fire Enforcement. (Grade D)
- Vine Whip. (Grade D)
“Ruvick, I've got to admit those creepy laughs behind us are unnerving,” Mort calls. He did not take his eyes off the battle below. His hand moves like the wind. “Should I be worried?”
“Everything under control,” Ruvick says.
(Fire Enforcement)
Green flame blaze lighting up their dark surrounding. The twenty living Kobolds jolted back in surprise. Fear crept into their yellow eyes. They clutch their weapon tightly and advance.
He made out Sarel hiding behind a rock. Ready to jump the furthest Kobolds group. Her eyes widen as he sees him. She taps her bloodied dagger across her chest, marking her white clothes. Probably some sort of acknowledgment. Ruvick did the same. His core thrums with a jolt of energy across his body as he does so.
“Well, you know how to make an archer reassure, don’t you!” Mort laugh.
Strange, laughing under these circumstances. Yet, Ruvick could understand it. His whole body was covered with excitement. This is not from his essence. He did not think so.
STR: 350 [+15] [+30] = 395
DEX: 345 [+25] [+50] = 420
INT: 250
“Charge,” Ruvick orders.