For a brief moment, all three combatants faced off in silence, slowly inching forward with each passing second. Watching from afar, Boa was shocked to see the fireball forming in Kyle's hand. It instantly guessed this must have been one of the spoils taken from the goblin Kyle killed the previous night.
'That should have been mine!'
Boa hissed.
At the moment, it stood no chance against either side, so it decided to wait until the battle ended and then eliminate the survivor.
'It's starting!'
Swish!
The first goblin charged forward, dragging the heavy stone club behind him. Despite the size of the weapon, the goblin moved with surprising nimbleness, balancing it on his shoulder and catching Kyle off guard. Having once used a bone club himself, Kyle knew just how difficult that was.
Faced with the approaching enemy, Kyle didn't panic. Instead, he glanced to the side. As expected, the goblin wielding the rusted sword had also moved, using his brother as cover. Since the sword was lighter, he would reach Kyle first. The loud charge of the club-wielding goblin was nothing more than a distraction.
'Battle experience and synergy built over a long period of partnership… scary,'
Kyle deduced in an instant.
"Alright then!"
Bam!
Kyle stomped the ground and spun a full 180 degrees, swinging his jagged dagger as he turned.
Peng!
For a moment, time seemed to slow. Kyle watched as the second goblin's figure was flung sideways by the force of the clash, but not before a sharp pain tore through his shoulder.
'The sword's reach is greater. I miscalculated!'
The blade pierced into his shoulder before he could fully deflect it, tearing open a bloody gash along his left side. His left arm weakened—the same arm holding the fireball.
'Damn it…'
Kyle's eyes narrowed as he struggled to keep his left hand raised, aiming at the first goblin who was charging in with the club.
He couldn't afford to miss.
With great effort, he forced his trembling arm to stay steady, holding back his attack until the enemy was right in front of him—close enough that missing was impossible.
"GET BACK!"
Kyle roared as the fireball spiraled forward to meet the incoming stone club.
The fireball exploded on impact, but it failed to reach the goblin. The club acted as a solid barrier between the goblin and the flames, allowing it to continue its swing without hesitation.
'Shit!'
Facing a stone club engulfed in fire, Kyle didn't dare hold back. In his condition, both of his hands were committed to offense, leaving him wide open.
Bam!
Steam exploded on impact, and Kyle was sent skidding backward several meters. The orange glow on his scales flared briefly before dimming just as fast. His head snapped to the side, revealing a scorched bruise across his cheek. If he hadn't activated Hardened Scales at the last second, his face would have been completely crushed.
{-10 STA}
{-10 HP}
Even though the skill had only been active for a split second, ten stamina points vanished along with a sizable chunk of his health. And still, Kyle had no time to recover.
The goblin wielding the rusted sword charged in again.
Gritting his teeth, Kyle ignored the pain and barely managed to parry the blade—only to spot the second goblin beside him, club already raised.
Bam!
{-10 STA}
{-10 HP}
"Gaaaah!"
A groan tore from his lips as blood streamed down his forehead, tracing the line of his sharp jaw. He was badly wounded, yet he remained standing, jagged dagger held out as his chest heaved violently.
They had clashed twice, and both times he had failed to escape without injury. The goblins were too fast for him to handle simultaneously, and brute force wasn't an option. Activating his bloodline skill for even a second drained at least ten stamina.
If this continued, he would be dead long before a fourteenth clash.
Kyle's mind raced, searching for a solution, but within the limits of his abilities, he saw none. Only escape routes presented themselves—and he refused every one of them.
All his life on Earth, Kyle had been many things.
A coward.
A liar.
A burden.
But he had never been the kind of person who let others suffer because of his mistakes. That was why he never shared his pain with his family, even until his dying day. He kept everything locked away where it wouldn't trouble anyone else.
In this new world, many things had changed. That part of him had not.
"Come on!"
Kyle roared at the face of death, showing a courage his former self had never possessed.
The battle dragged on as both sides unleashed everything they had, each strike carrying lethal intent. Kyle fought with all his strength, but the goblins had superior numbers—and worse, they fought with caution. No reckless charges. No openings to exploit.
Even his Fire Ball spell had become ineffective. The sword-wielding goblin was agile enough to dodge it, while the club wielder simply powered through the flames without hesitation.
Swoosh!
Kyle was thrown back several meters, his scales cracked and splintered, blood seeping steadily through the gaps. His body swayed, vision blurring, hands too numb to properly grip his weapon.
{Health Points:} 10/130
{Stamina:} 7/130
{Mp:} 5/130
Huff! Huff!
Huff! Huff!
Watching Kyle struggle just to remain upright, Boa was stunned. Honestly, it had expected more from him after witnessing his overwhelming strength the night before.
'At this rate, he'll die without killing even one of them,'
Boa frowned.
If Kyle fell here, retrieving the bag from two goblins would be impossible. Everything would have been for nothing.
Meanwhile…
Despite Kyle's dire condition, the goblin duo didn't rush in. Instead, they grew even more cautious. While they saw his weakness, they also noticed the fighting spirit still burning fiercely in his eyes.
"Haha—ouch… You motherfuckers don't have the balls to finish me off?"
Kyle laughed, immediately wincing in pain.
He raised his final palm as a scorching ball of fire flickered into existence. With his dagger lifted and pointed forward, he flashed the grin of a man prepared to die without regrets.
'This hurts a lot more than the last time… but it's a better way to go.'
Kyle watched the two goblins inch closer, preparing for their final strike. It was a pity he wouldn't be able to kill Boa, but there was some comfort in knowing the snake would never get its hands on the loot.
Once again, it would be forced to watch others reap the fruits of his labor.