'Wake up. Look down!'
Swoosh!
Following a strong gust of wind, Kyle's eyes flew open as a wave of dread washed over him. The wind howled through the trees, and dark clouds smothered the sky, blocking the moonlight that had once illuminated the forest. It was clear rain would fall soon.
'Wake up. Look down!'
The voice repeated. This time, even in his dazed state, Kyle knew something was wrong. With bleary eyes, he looked down.
"What?"
Kyle squinted at the sight of three green eyes burning brightly in the darkness.
Two were on the forest floor, while the third steadily climbed the tree. Their cold, vicious gazes never left him for even a moment. Having lived in caves all his life, night vision was a natural trait for Kyle, allowing him to clearly make out the three goblins. His heart skipped as his body stiffened.
'It's those three… They really followed me all the way here? I didn't know goblins were this good at holding grudges.'
Kyle recognized the trio instantly.
However, his gaze shifted toward a faint glow behind a tree some distance away.
'That damn snake!'
Kyle's eyes hardened at the sight.
Clearly, the goblins were unaware that Boa was following them. Kyle himself wouldn't have noticed if not for the elevated view from the tree branch. Even so, he knew Boa wasn't tracking the goblins. He was the target. After being double-crossed, it would have been strange if the snake had simply let him go.
'A single expedition attracted this many enemies to our territory… Goddamnit!'
Kyle's thoughts raced.
How had he failed to consider the possibility of being trailed by one of the many beings he had offended?
Because of him, Ashmark goblins from the south had stepped into the northern forest of Wyvern's Reach. Beyond the gnawing shame, Kyle felt furious with himself for putting his siblings in danger. Fear lingered, but he knew things would be far worse if any of these enemies escaped and spread word of a kobold coven in the north.
"I barely managed to deal with one goblin last time and ran out of stamina. How am I meant to handle all three?"
Kyle clenched his fists, his brows knitting tightly.
"No… No matter what, I can't run. I created this problem. I have to deal with it here and now."
Memories of their cave being invaded by human adventurers were still fresh in his mind. He had always called them fools and resented them for their recklessness, yet now he was on the verge of making the same damning mistake.
"No, I absolutely cannot run from this."
The fear in Kyle's voice faded, replaced by conviction. His pride wouldn't allow him to repeat the mistakes others had made. He would prove he was worthy of leading his siblings by correcting his failure here and now. That was the only way to atone for the sin of incompetence.
With the decision to fight made, Kyle's fear vanished and his mind kicked into overdrive. What he lacked no longer mattered. What mattered was making the best use of what he had.
'These three are my priority. We can deal with the damn snake later,'
he concluded in an instant.
Grrrr!
Without hesitation, Kyle grabbed the backpack and leapt off the tree branch just as the goblin reached it.
Bam!
{-2 HP}
With his current Strength stat, Kyle landed firmly and immediately turned back the way he had come. As expected, the goblin pursued, jumping down without hesitation and lunging straight at him.
'So predictable!'
{Fire Ball Spell Activated}
Fire spiraled into existence an inch above Kyle's palm, spinning rapidly as it expanded until it was twice the size of his hand.
"Fall!"
Swoosh!
The fireball shot forward with alarming force and exploded on impact, engulfing the goblin in flames and abruptly halting its advance.
Bam!
The goblin was blasted out of the air and crashed to the ground between Kyle and his two brothers. They watched as their sibling screamed, kicking and thrashing while the flames raged over him. The remaining goblins knew better than to approach and instead stood their ground, glaring at Kyle through the flames.
'These aren't the mindless, wild goblins the books and games always portrayed.'
Kyle's brows furrowed.
Even during his first encounter the night before, the goblin hadn't attacked immediately. It had tried to scare him off and only fought when it realized there was no other choice. With both encounters in mind, Kyle began to reconsider his impression of this so-called lesser race.
'In that fight, I only lost because I misused my bloodline and drained my stamina too fast. I learned that power shouldn't be unleashed all at once. It should be focused where I'm about to get hit. But that's easier said than done. Controlling the flow of warmth and directing it where it's needed takes concentration. It's not something I can manage mid-battle at my current level.'
Kyle didn't waste the moment. He reviewed his conclusions and quickly judged his Hardened Scales talent too risky for a high-stakes fight.
'I'll rely on my wits. And of course… I only have four shots left. Every single one has to count.'
He briefly checked his status.
{Mp:} 20/25
Each cast consumed 5 mana points. This wasn't a spell he could afford to spam.
Kyle's thoughts were interrupted by sudden movement. The first goblin had nearly burned out, and the other two were now circling the charred body. One held a rusted dagger, the other a hefty stone club.
They began advancing, but the moment Kyle formed another fireball in his palm, they split apart. One moved left, the other right, slowly circling him. Kyle was forced to constantly shift his gaze, ensuring he wouldn't be attacked from behind.
His Predator's Awareness warned him when danger entered his vicinity, but it didn't tell him when an attack was about to happen. That meant he still had to rely on his own senses.
'This is getting troublesome,'
Kyle frowned.