EBE Chapter 80, Stage 2
Chapter 80, Stage 2
Sensing the impending death of their companion, the remaining goblin warriors and their shaman emerged from the hut.
Roar!
With a collective roar, the goblin warriors charged forward, determined to protect their shaman. It was their instinctive reaction.
'Evolutionary species.'
They will be the leaders of the monsters, and the goblin shaman is one of them.
However, the goblin warriors did not get their wish. They encountered a fierce attack from Anya, Hari, and Fay, who were the vanguard of the group.
clang!
Anya stood firm as a rock, unwavering, raising her shield to meet the impending onslaught. Her spear, an extension of her will, struck its target with pinpoint accuracy.
“Faye, Harry. Get ready.”
She immediately analyzed the remaining goblin warriors and the situation on the battlefield with her gaze.
'Most of the goblins have been defeated. Good, the newcomers will catch up with us quickly, and this should be a good experience for them,' she thought, preparing herself.
"Follow my instructions."
She activated another skill, Earth Pierce, which raised sharp stone spikes from the ground and pierced the goblin warrior.
Boom! Crack!
"Roar..." the monsters growled, trying to get rid of the sharp stones embedded in their feet.
“Now, Harry.”
"Understood, Captain."
Upon hearing the command, Harry charged into the melee like a storm. Her twin swords moved with elegance and precision, finding an opening in the goblin's defenses and striking her target fatally.
Flames leaped from the edges of her weapon, further amplifying the destructive power of her attack.
*Pfft! Swoosh!*
Blood splattered as her twin blades struck their targets with deadly accuracy, and goblin warriors fell one after another. Despite their initial fierce aggression, they were no match for Anya's defense and Harry's precise coordination.
“Lure them here!” Anya then used her skill [Taunt] again.
Anya's [Taunt] skill ensured that the goblins' attention was entirely focused on her, and her shield absorbed all the attacks.
"Faye!"
"Yes!"
Faye, enhanced by her physical strengthening abilities, wielded her greatsword with relentless and ferocious attacks. Her strikes cleaved through armor and bone, sending goblins flying with each swing.
Boom! Whoosh!
Each of her strikes shook the earth, and the goblin warriors were overwhelmed by her relentless onslaught. Their resistance was futile; Faye's greatsword swept across and shattered their formation.
Meanwhile, from the rear, Morse and Fred provided invaluable support. Morse's arrows struck with deadly accuracy, weakening the goblins and disrupting their formation. His sharp eyes spotted the threat in the distance, and his arrows were unerringly accurate.
Whoosh!Whoosh!
He moved swiftly and fired accurately, protecting Ethan and Emily's back and ensuring they could continue dealing with the remaining goblin squad. His attention never wavered; he remained constantly alert to the battlefield.
No one can deny his contribution in this battle. His value may not have been obvious, but it was crucial.
Fred, meanwhile, cast his spells amidst the chaos, but he never forgot how to act like a novice.
"cure."
"Emily, I... I'll cover you."
"bright."
He used the skills that every basic therapist has, but he was actually only doing the most basic procedures.
He used healing magic to heal wounds and maintain the team's fighting strength.
However, beneath his seemingly benevolent exterior, he secretly sowed distrust among his teammates, quietly eroding the trust between them.
As the goblin warriors and shamans continued their advance, they found themselves outnumbered and outmatched. Anya, Hari, and Fay's relentless attacks proved too much for them to handle.
The shaman is trying to use magic.
'I won't let you succeed.'
Morse's arrow interrupted its spell. The arrow was swift and accurate.
Shamans, however, use magic differently. They need to chant incantations, which is a disadvantage for them.
Whoosh! Bang!
The arrow struck its mark, but the goblin shaman was clearly prepared. The necklace around its neck formed a barrier around its skin.
However, even though the goblin shaman was still alive, it never managed to complete the spell due to Morse's careful observation and harassment.
I already knew about you in the game.
This is thanks to his understanding of the game, which is a major advantage for him.
"Well done, Morse!" Anya's voice echoed across the battlefield as she looked at him with a slight smile.
As goblins were eliminated one after another, the team's morale quickly rose.
'Now you're finally making that face.'
Morse noticed that Fred's expression turned cunning in an instant.
'You're getting anxious. Don't worry, I won't let you succeed.'
With their leader and most important members rendered helpless, the remaining goblin warriors struggled desperately, but it was too late.
Thump! Splash! Thump! Splash! Thump! Splash! Thump! Splash!
One by one, the goblin warriors fell, and eventually, Ethan and Emily joined the battle to face even stronger monsters.
boom!
"what!"
The battle reached its climax, and with the final blow, the last goblin warrior was felled by the spear, ending the fight.
“Well done, Ethan.”
Anya and the others looked at Ethan, who had single-handedly defeated the last goblin warrior.
"You truly are a member of the Hartley family."
*Pfft! Thump!*
Harry said, as he swung his sword and beheaded the goblin shaman.
The forest fell silent in the rain, save for the heavy breathing of Anya's team. The goblin tribe was destroyed, and the team was victorious.
Anya remained poised with her shield and spear, surveying the battlefield. "Is everyone alright?"
Despite their exhaustion, the team members nodded in response. The rain continued to fall, and the smell of blood and battle filled the air.
Groups of goblin corpses were scattered all around, some with charred marks, some with pierced bodies, and some with broken limbs.
One thing is certain.
The battle was won.
"Well then, it's time to start collecting the loot."
Following Anya's words, the hunters began to do the most tedious task, a job usually done by porters.
Collect loot.
......
"We will set up a camp before we move on."
Anya said, looking at the spoils we had collected.
"Everyone seems a bit tired."
There's a reason why multi-stage dungeons are so sought after and rare: the monster density in dungeons is much higher than in other places.
The reason is simple. Because the border is separated by a magical barrier, the monsters do not need to participate in territorial wars, which means their lives will not be lost as a result.
That's why there are so many goblins here. After all, 47 goblins, 8 goblin warriors, and 1 goblin shaman is by no means a small number.
The second reason why multi-phase dungeons are sought after is that they provide a break before challenging the second phase and subsequent phases.
Just like what we're doing now.
“Because time flows 2.5 times faster in the underground city than outside, we can stay here for a day,” Anya explained briefly, glancing at her watch. “If we haven’t returned after eight hours outside, a rescue team will be dispatched.”
"clear."
As everyone began setting up camp, I stopped what I was doing and started reflecting on the battle.
'Indeed, real-life combat is very different from that in games.'
Playing a game and experiencing it firsthand are two different things. You only understand the dangers of the hunter's profession when you put your own life and the lives of others at risk.
Similarly, things become much easier if you approach it as a team.
The Academy has always emphasized the importance of teamwork for a reason. Hunters are a scarce resource, and they need to be protected.
Through this experience, I clearly saw the effectiveness of teamwork.
Tanks draw aggro, melee hunters eliminate enemies, and archers and healers provide support for melee combat.
This is clearly a good formation, rather than relying solely on melee damage.
'However, this also demonstrates the value of magicians.'
I know Irina and how she swept across the battlefield with magic, and I can say without hesitation that magicians are indeed very powerful.
'Unfortunately, her attitude was poor.'
Of course, not everyone can shine in a team. People like me prefer to work alone.
This is because most of my power comes from my hidden abilities.
The Shadow ability allows me to constantly change positions and take advantage of my location, something a team cannot do.
However, I did improve a lot in this battle.
I feel like my eyesight has improved.
In these vast battles, I felt my senses becoming increasingly sharp. This is extremely important for a hunter like me.
I sat on a makeshift rest chair, eating the dry rations we had brought, which other hunters usually jokingly called "dungeon snacks."
As I was lost in my own thoughts, I realized that the others were discussing their performance in battle.
Ethan was the first to speak, his youthful energy evident. "More intense than I expected, but definitely a great fighting experience."
Emily wiped her gleaming sword and nodded silently in agreement. "Agreed, although..." She paused, her gaze briefly sweeping over me, "I didn't expect some of us to be so...inexperienced."
“No.” Just as Emily was about to continue, Anya interrupted. She walked over to me, looking thoughtful. “Hey, Morse, are you sure this is your first time?”
I met her gaze, a hint of surprise on my face. "Yes, that's right. Why don't you think so?"
Anya's eyes gleamed with genuine curiosity as she continued, "If this is your first time, then you are truly exceptionally talented." She pointed to the spot where the goblin shaman had stood. "You quickly spotted the goblin shaman, and even while fighting others, you never missed casting a spell to disrupt it. This is not common among beginners."
"It's quite interesting that someone can say such a thing while facing six goblin warriors and watching others fight."
"Don't put me in the same category as others, young man. You'd better watch out, or you'll regret it."
"…..you're right….."
"However, you really surprised me. I thought you would be a burden, but your support was clean, efficient, and precise. I guess that's your talent?"
"..."
“But keep it up.” After praising me, she turned her attention to Fred, who was quietly carrying out his healing and enhancement tasks.
And so, everyone took a one-hour break.
......
“Let’s go.” Anya’s voice was firm as she led the group forward. We followed behind her and left the camp we had set up.
After walking for a while, we soon arrived at the center of the goblin tribe, where there stood a peculiar tree spirit statue holding a precious orb in its hand. Anya struck the statue's arm without hesitation with her weapon, and the orb fell to the ground with a soft clatter.
“This is the core of the first barrier and also the first fragment of the dungeon,” Anya explained succinctly, her tone flat.
With the dungeon fragments in hand, we prepare to head to the second phase of the dungeon...
I saw the smile on Fred's face as he looked at the shards...
'I bet he'll start making his move soon...'