1.12 – Ambush

A volley of javelins sailed out from the gloom, followed by a charge of shining yellow eyes. Roughly made iron tips thunked against Rika’s shield, but she held firm. The difference between her Might score now and when she’d been in her trial couldn’t have been more clear. Her blood sang as the goblins came into view, the ghostly nameplates shimmering next to each of them.

Goblin Scout – Level 1

Goblin Scout – Level 1

Goblin Scout – Level 2

Goblin Scout – Level 2

Goblin Skirmisher – Level 3

Goblin Skirmisher – Level 3

The four scouts fanned out, each of them wielding a javelin like a spear. Behind them, the two skirmishers readied another throw. Immediately, Rika recognized this group was far more tactical than the kobolds she’d fought back during her trial. That alone made them more dangerous. Also, she didn’t have any reason to believe that even a level one enemy out here would be as easy a fight as the kobolds in the trial chambers. The Aspirant class had been so much weaker than she was now, after all.

Which also meant she was far from helpless here.

Rika stepped forward, fixing her attention on the scout furthest to her left. She kept her shield up, protecting her right side as she struck out with her sword, activating Dark Strike.

Dark Strike I: 12 seconds

As her blade carved a gleaming arc through the firelight, an umbra of coiling, almost smoky energy curled around her sword. The shadows trailed behind her blade as she swung, leaving a misty darkness that hung in the air for a few seconds before fading to nothing. The goblin let out a pained shriek as her sword cut a bloody gash across its chest, parting its leather armor and the flesh beneath like it was linen cloth. A burst of that same darkness erupted from the injured goblin along with a spray of hot red blood. As the coiling darkness dispersed from Rika’s sword, the goblin hit the ground.

Enemy Slain: Goblin Scout – Level 1

She turned. The other three goblin scouts stood frozen. They stared either at her, or their fallen comrade. One skirmisher took half a step back. For a moment, silence hung in the air like an unspoken promise. The only sound was the pounding of blood in her ears. Rika readied her sword for another attack and took another step forward. That was enough to break the goblins from their shocked stupor. A chorus of furious cries rose from the remaining five. The scouts rushed her as one. They’d finally remembered that she was outnumbered.

Rika silently thanked Marin for the equipment he’d picked out for her as more javelins thudded against the sturdy wood of her reinforced shield. Its extra size compared to the one she’d been using back in the trial means she was far more protected against thrusts slipping past her guard.

She shoved back the closest goblin scout and thrust at it from around her shield. Flesh gave way under the point of her sword, and a strangled cry told her she’d hurt it. Dark Strike ticked down, far more slowly than she’d have liked, but she had her stats to carry her in the meantime.

Dimly, she could tell the goblins were hitting much harder than the kobolds had. But thanks to her three Might, she withstood their attacks easily enough. The skirmishers were still a problem, though. They circled the fight as best they could, searching for good angles, and keeping their javelins raised and ready. Rika didn’t want to find out what one of those things would do to her, so she kept herself as guarded as she could by the natural fortifications her campsite offered.

The goblin scouts caught on to her tactics quickly enough. They harassed her, seeking to goad her into attacking so they could slide into any gaps in her defense. Dark Strike was ready again, but the goblins were staying out of easy striking distance. Her earlier assessment of their coordination was spot on, it seemed. She needed to break the status quo somehow.

A quick glance showed that one skirmisher had closed in. It stood just behind the front line formed by the scouts. The other skirmisher was to her right, slightly down the slope. She’d been using both the rock face and her deadfalls to cut off her vulnerable angles, forcing the skirmishers to take up poor positions. It wasn’t likely she’d get another chance. She charged forward, barreling over the closer scouts with her shield raised before her. Once she’d broken through, she let her sword fall as the night itself curled around her blade.

Dark Strike I: 12 seconds

A second eruption of darkness and blood sprayed out from what had once been the skirmisher’s arm. It fell to the ground, screaming and clutching its stump as blood pumped out through its knobby fingers. Rika pinned its head down to the dirt with one of her hobnailed boots. For a second it thrashed uselessly against the tough leather of her boot, then her pant leg. Her sword pierced its throat, and it died with a wet gurgle.

Enemy Slain: Goblin Skirmisher – Level 3

The second skirmisher faded into the darkness, dropping its javelin as it ran. Rika turned to the remaining three goblins as they finished picking themselves up. She’d swapped places with them, all three now packed into the campsite she’d been using as a redoubt. Except she had a shield, and a fairly large one at that. And armor. The goblins’ leathers were barely more than thick clothes, given the edge of her sword and her Might. Because of their short stature, their spears barely had better reach than her sword did. And now, with the strongest of their party dead or in flight, they were clearly panicked.

Rika pushed forward. She kept herself safe enough, using her shield to cover her flank while hewing at the leftmost of their number. With a couple of regular attacks, she got the notification that one of the level two scouts was dead. Another Dark Strike and a series of regular attacks later, she received notification that the last of them had died.

Enemy Slain: Goblin Scout – Level 2

All Enemies Defeated! Quest Cleared – Ambush! Bonus experience awarded!

With the sudden rush of battle over, Rika let her shoulders slump. She was just about to sit down and catch her breath before clearing the corpses from her camp when another flood of knowledge bombarded her. This one was unlike any of the previous ones. A swelling of power and vitality accompanied it, like when she’d first received her class. A new notification flooded her mind in Chryson’s cosmic, symphonic voice.

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Congratulations! You have reached Level 2!

Name: Rika

Class: Dark Warrior (Basic, Rare)

Level: 2 (Grade I)

• Stats Increased: Might +2, Finesse +2, Resilience +2, Magic +1, Control +1, Ward +2

• Primary Stats

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