Justine put her hand up to the blue and gem and a moment later, the party vanished.
They re-materialized in the middle of a shabby town. Teleportation nausea had James unable too make out what was happening for a few moments.
Townspeople ran in all directions and screamed for their lives. In front of James, there were two things that immediately caught his attention.
First, there was a giant section of the towns wall missing and goblins were pouring through. Second, was the prompt saying-
[Rare Dungeon Raid: Wave 1 of 9
Objective: Eliminate all monsters in each wave.
Bonus Objective: Keep the civilians alive (95% out of 100% remaining)]
(Wave 1 level 5: 200/200)
"What the hell! It couldn't give us a countdown or anything!?"
The girls ignored him as Justine gave out orders.
"Emily and Veronica, get the civilians away from the breach. Susan, James and I will create a bulwark and stop the horde. Move!"
James body was already moving before he told himself too.
'Is that part of the party leader abilities?'
James stopped thinking and brandished his knife while running forward. A goblin caught his eye to the left.
It was about hack down its crude stone axe on a woman's head.
He used a skill that he thought was useless previously.
[Skill: Taunt has been successfully used on level 5 goblin]
The goblins eyes went slightly red and it dashed over to him, it was naked and it's boobs bounced crazily in the mad dash.
'This is so… ugh.'
James had quite literally over six times the amount of stat points as the goblin with his knife and title equipped. He completely cleaved through the axe he meant to parry.
His strike continued forward and nearly decapitated the goblin, his knifes enhanced bleed making a fountain of blood gush onto him.
(15 exp gained)
(14215/15000 to level 11)
James had no time to be distracted with the iron taste in his mouth as he used [Taunt] on another goblin preparing to strike down a civilian.
[Skill: Taunt has been successfully used on level 5 goblin]
A very similar sequence of events followed as the goblins belly spilled it's guts.
(15 exp gained)
(14230/15000 to level 11)
"James! Leave that to Emily and Veronica, we need an extra hand at the breach!"
Justine's command rang out and he turned to see Susan and Justine surround by a pile of corpses.
But even more goblins kept coming as James focused his concentration at the top right of his vision.
(Wave 1 level 5: 126/200)
His eyes bulged when he realized Justine and Susan had killed 70 goblins in less than a minute.
'I mean they're only level 5 but holy shit..'
James ignored the stragglers as he ran towards the two women holding back the flood of goblins.
Another 3 goblins happened to be directly in his path however and they died very quickly.
(45 exp gained)
(14275/15000 to level 11)
There were only 71 goblins remaining when James arrived at his post.
He cringed slightly when he saw how Susan dispatched the invaders. Gauntleted fists caved in skulls in a sickening crunch.
He pulled his eyes away from the scene as a group of 5 goblins rushed at him.
It was like bullying children, the goblins couldn't put up even the smallest fight as he struck them down.
(75 exp gained)
(14320/15000 to level 11)
(30 exp gained)
(14350/15000 to level 11)
(60 exp gained)
(14410/15000 to level 11)
James was only able to get 11 goblins before there were none left to kill.
(Wave 1 level 5: 1/200)
James turned just in time to see Veronica plant an arrow through the eye socket of the last goblin.
James was dripping in red gore as he looked at the carnage. His knifes passive skill [Bloodletting] was true to its name. It also helped that he had +85% damage from his skill [Small Blades] now that it was level 17.
They had lost another 10% in civilian casualties before they finished this wave.
Nobody was even out of breath it seemed when the next prompt entered their vision.
(Wave 1 complete)
(Wave 2 starting in)
(10..9..8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1)
(Wave 2 level 10: 200/200)
'Oooohh so now we get a countdown..'
Since the breach was somewhat clear of movement, James could see another green tide sprinting towards the town.
James took up a position on the left side, Susan was in the middle and Justine on the right. He saw Veronica on top of roof a ways back overlooking the entire town. Emily was no where to be seen, but her health bar showed that she was fine.
Justine started a chant as the goblins grew closer. Susan was quick to stop her.
"Save it, we'll need those buffs later and we can't afford to wait for a cooldown."
Justine nodded and brought up her sword.
James did likewise as the assault began, but just before they hit the breach, James had an idea.
'I got 13 of these left.. might as well use them.'
Cocking his arm back and launching the vial of acid, horrible screams of pain came from the horde.
His aim had been pretty good and landed in a dense pack towards the middle. He could see skin melt to reveal bone as exp flooded in.
He had killed 30 goblins almost instantly.
(900 exp gained)
(15000/15000 to level 11)
(You have leveled up)
(290/16000 to level 12)
Susan spoke to his right while ripping the head off a goblin in front of her.
"Prince James, you should probably save that for later, I know those vials are expensive."
James cut an arm off a goblin as he replied.
"I have quite a few left, don't worry about it. Plus-" he lashed out his arm and cut through two throats, "-I basically got them for free."
He heard Susan chuckle a little as she picked up a goblin and pressed it into a meatball.
"Haha, selling your body isn't 'basically for free' my Prince."
She then used the goblin ball and bowled it at the feet of the ones just entering the breach. She got a perfect strike as a group of goblins fell over one another.
As grotesque as the display was, James couldn't help his own smile from forming on his lips.
(90 exp gained)
(380/16000 to level 12)
(60 exp gained)
(440/16000 to level 12)
These goblins in wave 2 might've been 5 levels higher, but they were just as helpless against his party.
James had to pause in his killing a couple times to pick up a severed limb and wipe his face clean of blood. Every part of him was dyed red.
There was no challenge to the killing on the second wave as they whittled down the horde.
He killed 62 goblins himself, if he included the acid vial, this wave as Justine bisected the last one with a horizontal slash.
(810 exp gained)
(1250/16000 to level 12)
(Wave 2 complete)
(Wave 3 starting in)
(60..59..58..57..56..)
'We get a whole minute this time? I guess our breaks get longer with each wave.'
"Master.. you have a little bit of blood on you.."
James was about to reply, 'No shit!' When he saw her holding back a laugh.
'I'm glad she's trying to joke around.. I keep telling her that she should stop taking this whole slave thing so seriously.'
"Oh really? I didn't notice."
She gave a sweet laugh that brought a smile to his face.
James looked at the countdown getting closer and prepared.
'Come on wave 3! Let's see what you got!'