Kenan had 330 exp left, but he didn't seem particularly inclined to use it—not even to raise his skills. But not doing so would make him a hypocrite. After all, he'd been the one to suggest they don't hold anything back and try as hard as they could to raise their skills to the next level in preparation for this boss fight that was coming their way. He needed an extra 180 exp to raise his Basic Wind Bullet to level two, about 30 to raise his new active skill to level one, and then another 132 exp to raise his Basic Weapons Mastery to level two. In total, 342 exp. He was twelve exp short, so he'd have to sacrifice one thing. The choice was rather easy.
[180 exp spent! Basic Wind Bullet has reached level 2! Range, cast time, and damage increased. You can now easily attach this skill to your weapons and attacks.]
[132 exp spent! Basic Weapons Mastery has reached level 2! Damage with all weapons +5%, the cost for weapon-based skills -5%]
Kenan frowned. His skill leveling up had a different text or effect than Kate's. Some things were still the same, but it seemed his use of his skills was causing them to grow to match his combat style. Plus, out of everything the notification had just told him, one thing stood out more than anything else—the fact that he could now easily attach the skill to his weapons and attacks.
For once, he decided to think like his wife. She was all about synergy and builds. If he could attach the skill not just to his weapons but also his attacks, what was to say he wouldn't be able to attach it to another skill? There was a lot to unpack here, but Kenan could understand why Kate was excited about all of this.
This was just the second day, but he could tell she was enjoying every bit of this drastic experience they were dealing with. Magic, it seemed, fascinated her. There was a spark in her eye every time she spoke about her skills and the build she had in mind. It made Kenan envious, and he wasn't afraid to admit that. He wanted to hold her, kiss her, make love to her. But instead, she was focusing all of her time on magic and not enough time on thinking about how they would survive.
Perhaps it was all in his mind, and he was just feeling a little bit impatient or neglected. Regardless, she better get her head in the game. This world was going to take everything they had to give in order for them to survive. And for Kenan to feel this way, he knew there were far worse things ahead than thirty goblins. After making sure of his stat changes, he stepped back as the screen shifted to reflect his and Kate's stat pages.
Name: Kenan Keys Davis
Level: 2 (0/1000)
Unallocated EXP: 18
Stats:
Physique: Basic Lv 2 (500/1000)
Spirit: Basic Lv 2 (500/1000)
Mental: Basic Lv 2 (500/1000)
Soul: Basic Lv 2 (500/1000)
Perception: Basic Lv 2 (500/1000)
Magic: Basic Lv 2 (500/1000)
Skills:
Active Skill:
• Basic Wind Bullet — Lv 2 (0/1250)
• Cleave: Lv 0 (13/50)
Passive Skill:
• Basic Weapons Mastery — Lv 2 (0/1250)
• Basic Defense Mastery: Lv 0 (5/50)
Name: Katherine Kate Davis
Level: 2 (0/1000)
Unallocated EXP: 30
Stats:
Physique: Basic Lv 2 (0/1000)
Spirit: Basic Lv 2 (500/1000)
Mental: Basic Lv 2 (500/1000)
Soul: Basic Lv 1 (50/100)
Perception: Basic Lv 2 (500/1000)
Magic: Basic Lv 2 (500/1000)
Skills:
Active Skill:
• Basic Fire Bullet — Lv 2 (0/1250)
• Basic Earth Bullet: Lv 0 (31/50)
Passive Skill:
• Basic Magic Mastery — Lv 2 (0/1250)
• Basic Elemental Mastery: Lv 0 (19/50)
"How do you raise your Basic Defense skill anyway?" Kate asked suddenly, prompting a raised eyebrow from Kenan, who was caught off guard by it. There was barely any time left on the timer, but it seemed she wanted to make small talk before then... she was nervous. Kenan couldn't blame her. It might have just been two days, but a boss fight was definitely something new.
Just as the system had thrown them that curveball in the previous wave by sending thirty goblins out against them, there was still a possibility for things to go extremely wrong. Kate might not admit it, but her accident was still fresh on her mind. If it wasn't the monsters, then being reckless with the skills they'd been given could just as well be the reason for their end.
"I'm not sure we can completely rely on gaming terms for this one. No time to check the skill's description, but I suspect it makes it easier to use shields and armor. But then again, seeing how the skills seem to grow to better match the way we use them, Basic Defense Mastery might encompass more than just weapons and armor—it might actually cover structures or the entire clearing. If I had a choice, I'd prefer if it grows that way."
Kate was slightly surprised by Kenan's answer. "Sounds like you've put some thought into it."
He smiled at her. "Well, I don't want to be left behind by my wife. You're taking this seriously the only way you can. It's annoying, though—seeing you so focused on skills and our current existential crisis rather than on us. But this is important. I can't just go at it recklessly. You already got hurt by your own skill. I want to make sure I can keep you safe and this clearing safe."
They were interrupted by a notification chime.
[Wave 3 (Boss Fight): Defeat 1 Basic Goblin Shaman, 5 Basic Goblin Warriors, And 1 Goblin Chief. 0/7]
[Time Until Next Wave: 00:00:00]
"It's time."
Just as Kenan finished saying that, the telltale sludge from the trees spilled into the clearing. But this time, instead of spawning in front of them, the monsters were spawning from the side, far away from the defenses Kenan had put in place. The bodies of the other monsters would have still served a purpose in slowing them down, but the goblin shaman—a goblin with streaks of purple over its sickly green skin—formed first and far too rapidly for Kenan to react.
"Raragaaaaaa!"
The shaman acted almost immediately, blasting off a ball of shadow in their direction. Kate responded immediately, firing off a Basic Fire Bullet toward the shadow ball. Both skills met in the middle and exploded, creating a shockwave that blasted in both directions. It wasn't strong enough to throw anyone off their feet, but it did exactly what the shaman wanted—creating a distraction to give the rest of the monsters time to spawn.
Kenan didn't waste time. They needed range. He turned and ran, grabbed Kate, and dragged her—much to her shock—to the other side of the clearing. There was a sound like a small explosion of air. All of Kenan's instincts seemed to scream at him. He turned, pulled Kate behind him, and they jumped over the line of bodies they'd made. His gladius was in his hand as he slashed down, using his Cleave skill in the process.
The hazy blue outline of mana around his blade seemed to glow even brighter as Kenan literally slashed through the shadow ball that had been fired at their backs. The skill split apart, releasing another shockwave that caught the off-balance Kenan and threw him on his back. He scrambled to get back on his feet, though he felt a little disoriented after destroying that skill at such close quarters. But Kate was already standing by his side, her staff and her wand held aloft like some avenging sorceress.
The shaman staff she held began to glow as a larger-than-normal spell circle appeared at its end. Instead of the instant cast of her skill that Kenan was used to, it took three whole seconds for the Basic Fire Bullet to form, and it was larger than normal—about the size of a football. Or to be more precise, a small RPG. It fired off, displacing a little bit of air as Kate's red hair was ruffled slightly. The cloud of shadows that had blocked the arrival of the other monsters had cleared. It was enough for them to see seven goblins decked in full leather armor and holding gladiuses of their own, along with shields. These were the goblin warriors, and it seemed they were the vanguard and recipient of Kate's attack.
*BOOM!*
The Basic Fire Bullet detonated right in their middle. Kenan could see the shaman raise a shield to cover some of them, but it was a little bit too late for that. They were blasted apart, a powerful explosion ringing out across the clearing that left ears ringing. Kenan watched Kate take a deep breath as she stumbled back, fumbling quickly for a mana potion. She drank half of it and gave the other half to Kenan. She'd used almost all of her mana in that attack, and there wasn't much of it left anyway from the last wave.
Kenan didn't need the mana potion, but it was better to be safe than sorry. He could feel he was about halfway through his reserves. In no time at all, the smoke from the explosion cleared. There were only three goblin warriors left standing—the ones that had been shielded by the shaman. The other four? Kate couldn't even look at the mess that had been left behind. But she hardened her mind. Two days was much too soon to be used to gore and destruction on a level like this, but there was no time to dwell on that when their lives were on the line.
But with everything impeding their sight cleared up, they were finally able to see the boss they had to face off against.
It was definitely a goblin... if a goblin was eight feet tall, wielding a massive claymore. There was a crown made from bones on its head, and it was rather rotund in appearance. The goblin chief only had on a loincloth, but its shoulders and hands were armored, along with its shins and knees. The three goblin warriors left stood in front of the goblin chief like a vanguard, while the shaman kept to the rear.
"That's one big goblin," Kenan muttered in surprise at the goblin chief's size. Even from here, a few meters away from each other, Kenan could tell that the goblin chief absolutely towered over him. He wasn't sure about the chief's mobility given its size, but those goblin warriors with gladiuses and shields didn't look like they would be easy to kill like the others. It was almost as if the monsters were learning and observing the previous fights and were coming up with strategies that could best bring them down.
"I'll charge up another Basic Fire Bullet. Buy me some time," Kate called out, but Kenan shook his head.
"No! They've seen it already, and they'll be expecting it. The shaman will shield them, and it'll go to waste. The last shaman I faced couldn't shield more than one individual at the same time. This one just shielded three goblins from that powerful attack of yours."
Kate frowned, her hand shaking slightly as she took in the sight of the goblin chief that was just glaring at them since it came face to face with them. "Then what do we do?"
"You wait. The shaman will definitely be looking for an opportunity to bring us down while the fight is going on. You'll do the same—you have to catch them off guard. Also, whenever the shaman shields the other goblins, it'll be vulnerable. Take advantage of that and take it out first. That's our number one priority. As for the chief and goblin warriors, I'll handle them. This fight... at the end, it's going to come down to who's the better caster—between you and the shaman." Kenan paused, then looked at Kate with a reassuring smile on his face.
"Show these monsters who you are!"