The group climbed to the top of the bone wall and shifted to the watchtowers. There were two watchtowers at the front perimeter of the wall, each manned by eight Goblins.
Callum and the quiet girl decided to attack the left watchtower, while Alexa and the chain guy targeted the one on the right.
With his sword equipped and skillset prepared, Callum braced himself for the first real battle of his life.
Upon reaching the base of the watchtower—no wider than the size of three beds—the Goblin Scouts noticed them and charged at once.
Callum and the quiet girl spread out, deciding to split the enemies between them.
Five for Callum. Three for her.
It wasn't about claiming to be the strongest—Callum simply couldn't choose who the goblins would rush toward.
He considered saving his skill for now because...
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Goblin Name: [Goblin Scout]
Goblin Rank: [E]
Vitality: [97%]
Skill: [Swift Stab]
----------
Thanks to Magnus's frequent lectures, Callum knew that not all monsters required heavy attacks to kill. Goblin Scouts were one of them.
As E-rank monsters—just a rank above the weakest, F—they could be defeated with simple, smart combat tactics.
The Goblin Scouts wielded crude daggers coated in a dull red paste—poison, infused by the Goblin Shamans.
To survive, Callum had to make sure he didn't get stabbed.
SLASH!
The battle began with Callum's opening strike, cleanly beheading the first Goblin Scout.
---
[You have slain an E-rank Ordinary Monster, Goblin Scout. +5 EXP]
[First Kill Completed! You have unlocked the Soulmancy Feature: Soul Bank]
[First Kill Completed! You have unlocked the Soulmancy Feature: Soul Lab]
----------
Callum's lips curled instinctively as he saw the notifications—but he didn't let it distract him.
Thanks to the endless hours in the simulation room, his strikes were crisp and efficient—perfect for mowing down low-tier monsters.
----------
[You have slain an E-rank Ordinary Monster, Goblin Scout. +5 EXP]
[You have slain an E-rank Ordinary Monster, Goblin Scout. +5 EXP]
...
-----------
In less than a minute, Callum dispatched all five Goblins. The quiet girl had finished her three as well.
With a nod, they turned toward the other watchtower.
Alexa and the chain guy had also completed their task. Alexa's brutal close-combat dagger skills, paired with the chain guy's destructive power, made it likely they'd even finished first.
Though no one could say for sure. When Callum and the girl turned toward the right tower, it was already clear. And when Alexa and her partner glanced left, their side was clean too.
Now, they used signals and body language to communicate—speaking might alert the Goblins in the castle.
The plan was simple:
"Descend the towers. Meet at the gate. Charge into the castle together."
And they executed it perfectly.
"You're impressive," Callum said to the girl.
"Thanks," she replied after a glance.
"How old are you?" Callum asked.
"Sixteen. Don't judge me," she said with a light glare.
"I wouldn't. Dying at sixteen... must've been hard," Callum murmured.
Her eyes shimmered. She said nothing more, just shook her head and kept walking.
Callum took the cue and fell silent too.
They descended the tower using bone-carved steps. The craftsmanship surprised Callum... Clearly, Goblins weren't so different from humans in some ways.
At the bottom, the group reunited at the gate and moved toward the castle.
It stood fifteen meters away, with several patrolling Goblin Warriors ahead.
They took them down stealthily, one by one, to avoid alerting the entire army.
Unfortunately, the effort didn't last long.
"KEKEKEKE!!!"
A larger Goblin emerged, draped in bone jewelry and warped wooden staves, with glowing red paint on its forehead. It let out a screeching cry.
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Goblin Name: [Goblin Shaman]
Goblin Rank: [C]
Vitality: [100%]
Skill: [Mini Dark Magic]
----------
As soon as the Goblin Shaman cried out, a massive horde emerged.
Eight Goblin Champions, eight more Goblin Shamans, and about thirty-five Goblin Warriors.
In seconds, the group was surrounded.
"Too bad," Alexa muttered. "We'll just have to kill them all."
"Even better," the chain guy grinned.
Callum tightened his grip on his sword, silent but ready.
The group formed a circle, back to back, preparing for the full assault. The quiet girl seemed nervous—but her eyes burned with resolve. Not because she believed in herself... but because she wasn't alone.
The Goblins attacked in a frenzied charge.
-----------
Goblin Name: [Goblin Warrior]
Goblin Rank: [E]
Vitality: [96%]
Skill: [Swift Stab]
..
Goblin Name: [Goblin Warrior]
Goblin Rank: [F]
Vitality: [99%]
Skill: [Swift Stab]
---------
There were even F-ranked warriors among them, wish were easier to kill. But the real threat came from the Goblin Champions.
---------
Goblin Name: [Goblin Champion]
Goblin Rank: [C]
Vitality: [100%]
Skill: [Rip and Devour]
--------
These monsters had unique skills and carried massive machete-sized axes, with more durable, potent body protections.
"Focus on the warriors. Alexa and I will take the Champions," Callum said. The team nodded.
Callum charged the first Champion and activated Crimson Severance.
A surge of crimson energy exploded from his palms and flooded his blade. With a single thrust, he slashed—his blade ignited by the skill.
The Goblin Champion was clad in suit of many beast skulls for protection, but the defense piercing power of the skill reacted, ignoring 30% of the champion's bone armor defense. Thus, as the normal damage on any monster below the A-rank was 70%, it meant that the combined force of this attack was complete.
BAAAM!
A crescent-shaped wave of crimson energy split the Goblin Champion in half with just a single strike.
---------
[You have slain a C-rank Ordinary Monster, Goblin Champion. +15 EXP]
---------
It was the first time Callum saw the skill in action. The result amazed him.
"So cool," he whispered.
Meanwhile, Alexa danced across the battlefield.
Her first Champion opponent was aggressive, but with Blitz Step increasing her Agility by 30%, she turned into a flash of light and beheaded the monster with her twin X-steel daggers. These were blades forged from one of the best combat metals.
They weren't ordinary weapons.
In no time, the team wiped out all enemies—Champions, Shamans, and Warriors... All dead.
-----------
[EXP Complete! You have Leveled up to Level 1]
[EXP Complete! You have Leveled up to Level 2]
Level: 2 (5/200 EXP)
----------
Callum smiled and turned to Alexa. "I reached Level 2."
"Same! Just 185 EXP more to reach Level 3," she grinned.
"Nice. You're a little bit ahead of me," Callum said.
"What about you, chain guy?"
"Level 2, barely. No extra EXP," the guy chuckled.
"And you?" Alexa asked the quiet girl.
"Nothing special," the girl replied. "We need to enter the castle before the Goblin King escapes."
"Oof. Fine, then. No more questioning you," Alexa said, turning to the castle.
She had doubted the girl before they arrived at Dreadpines Grove. But after seeing her warnings prove true, she wouldn't doubt her again.