The group ventured into the forest, easily defeating some low level enemies, resting, drinking some water, and walking again.
"Maybe we should map this place," Inox interrupted the others suddenly, everyone was sitting near a stream eating some previously bought roasted toad.
"I don't think it's that easy without a scribe, besides, the monsters here aren't very strong, why map it?" Dust cleared his throat, bringing some of that meat to his mouth.
Kazuma was about to say something about how he could easily map a place thanks to his knowledge right when the ground began to shake.
They exchanged glances before putting everything away and taking a battle stance, with Darkness at the front, Dust behind her, Inox in the middle, and Kazuma defending Aqua.
"Grraaahh!!!" a loud beastly roar sounded, startling the birds in the trees and making them retreat, Kazuma, still sweating despite having been trained by Dust, couldn't stop his legs from trembling.
"I remember that sound," Darkness lowered her sword a little, "Isn't that the roar of the three eyed Woolly Mammoth?"
Finally, the trees fell a few meters ahead, revealing a goblin scout squad.
Several goblins quickly surrounded the group, hiding in the brush and aiming their arrows, the goblin on top of the Mammoth was about to say his classic catchphrase before looking closely at the humans.
"Where have I seen them before?" the goblin on the mammoth thought for a moment before widening his eyes, he opened his mouth before gritting his teeth, "Sound the alarm bell!!!"
The next moment, several goblins in the shadows and the very goblin on the mammoth took out metal squares that they shook in the air, producing a sound almost indistinguishable from silence.
"What are they doing?" Dust couldn't help but feel that something was wrong with these goblins, a cold sweat ran down his forehead before he pressed his foot against the ground, "Attack!!!" he shouted loudly.
Finally, Darkness charged forward with Dust right behind, Kazuma's eyes flashed with worry, sweat covered his body as he held his shield and moved his head constantly.
Inox, on the other hand, with more previous training, albeit little, smiled, broke formation, and ran towards some goblins hidden in the brush.
SwingSwing
Several arrows shot out towards the prince, surrounding him from all sides, he saw all this calmly, exerted force on his legs, before jumping several meters straight up.
The arrows collided with each other and some deflected, making Kazuma have to continuously move his shield to protect Aqua.
"Hold on just a moment, my brothers!!!" the elite goblin on top of the woolly mammoth shouted, before his mount was brought down by the powerful force of the paladin.
Inox fell to the ground, covered his face with both forearms, and took several arrows that pierced his skin a bit due to their proximity and his leather armor.
He forcefully raised his right longsword and slashed horizontally, the blade of his sword gleaming in the sunlight, before he decapitated five sword and shield goblins who were caught off guard by his risky move.
"Gyahhh!!!"
"Gyahhh!!!"
The other elite goblins reacted quickly, ten sword and shield goblins charged with screams, shields at the front and swords like spears.
"My right sword, my left sword," Inox muttered, raising his two longswords, before roaring and swinging them with force.
Swing
His sword cut down several goblins running together, the other, although stopped by their shields, still sent several of the green ones staggering back.
He slashed again with ferocity, pressing his arm forcefully, tightening the grip in his hands, goblin heads went flying, some roared in pain as they lost limbs, while others backed away in fear.
Once again a volley of arrows pinned Inox like a hedgehog, but he didn't stop, instead, it increased his adrenaline, he took a huge leap and lunged at the archer goblins, starting a slaughter.
Dust didn't take long to kill the mammoth and finish off several goblins, he stopped for a moment watching Inox's madness, his mouth opening and closing several times while a frown sat on his face, "This guy," he licked his lips.
Then he looked at Aqua in the distance protected by Kazuma and remembered his friend's words, "Does he really trust that blue haired girl's healing so much?" he thought to himself.
Kazuma's eyes shone with an unknown light, while he intercepted some arrows aimed at Aqua with his shield, he never took his eyes off Inox.
He swallowed hard, looked at himself, and then looked at the man in the distance, a small smile forming on his face, "Shit,"
Darkness, on the other hand, had rosy cheeks, she crushed a goblin with her bare hands thanks to her strength, but she still focused on Inox, "Beautiful, unique, incredible," she thought, imagining what it would feel like to be pierced by several goblin arrows at the same time.
The silly smile on her face made her serious paladin girl aura disappear, not that she had one anyway.
Finally, Inox finished off the last goblin before quickly returning to where Aqua was.
"Tsk!!" he fell to one knee near Aqua, his body looking more like a hedgehog than a human, he raised his head and looked into that girl's blue eyes, "Will you heal me?" he smiled brightly.
"Eeehh"
Finally, everyone witnessed Aqua's healing spell, just a low level spell. A blue light enveloped the prince, all the arrows in his body were expelled and fell to the ground, his wounds closed in seconds, and vitality returned to his face.
Darkness, who was still dreaming about what it would feel like to be in Inox's place, returned to a serious face in just a blink of an eye.
She widened her eyes, her pupils dilating and her posture faltering, "Healing magic," she muttered.
Dust's reaction was similar to hers, they were both about to ask when a red thunderbolt charged ferociously towards him.
"To battle!!!" a guttural voice sounded slightly distorted by its charge, Dust, surprised by the sneak attack, barely managed to raise his spear when a long, thick red sword broke his defense and slashed his chest.
"Ahh!!!" Dust watched almost in disbelief as that weapon nearly cut completely through his bones, the inertia of the attack sent him flying far away until he crashed into a tree, while an imposing figure mounted on a black wolf stood in his place, smiling.
Darkness reacted on instinct, grabbed her sword, spun around, and swung it forcefully at the enemy.
"Mrgaalll!!!" the beast roared, raising his sword with force, the muscles of his red arm throbbing.
Clash
The ground beneath the Berserk Rider crunched as the paladin pushed, his previously shining greatsword began to get pushed back, his smile, however, did nothing but widen.
"Groaall!!!" the wolf beneath the Berserk Rider roared before delivering a powerful swipe that shattered Darkness's armor, revealing her perfect skin underneath and sending her staggering back several meters.
Read Chapters Ahead :3
patreon.com/cw/tgthegoodd