NOVEL WEB Chapter 85: Second Floor, Attacking.
After they gained some distance, Arthur let out a breath as if tired. "Good. Now let's regroup and rethink this," he said, his voice firm but measured. "We'll take them out—just not all at once."
Gates nodded, wiping sweat from his brow. "Alright, what's the plan? We can't afford to get overwhelmed again."
Arthur's mind raced as he quickly concocted a strategy. "Okay," he began, his tone practical. "Since my summons is on cooldown, I'll focus on supporting you. I'll stay back, watch the field, and make sure no goblins get the jump on us while you take the lead."
Gates raised an eyebrow, his sword resting on his shoulder. "You're really not planning to fight directly?"
Arthur nodded with a serious expression. "It's not ideal, but if we both get swarmed because I overextend, we're done for. Someone needs to keep an eye on the bigger picture—make sure we're not ambushed or caught in a bad position."
Gates hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Fair enough. What's the actual plan, then?"
Arthur gestured toward the clearing. "We'll bait them out a few at a time. You draw their attention, engage them carefully, and I'll watch your back. If they try anything sneaky, I'll step in—but only if absolutely necessary. My cooldown will be up soon, and once my summons are back, we'll have the advantage again."
Gates squinted at him for a moment, his expression unreadable, but he eventually sighed. "Alright, that sounds reasonable. But if you're not jumping in, you better be damn good at spotting trouble before it hits me."
Arthur smirked, giving him a confident nod. "Don't worry. I've got sharp eyes, and with the cooldown ticking down, we'll have reinforcements soon enough."
"Fine," Gates said, tightening his grip on his sword. "Let's hope this works."
Arthur led Gates to a position with better cover, his dagger ready with his stance more on the defensive than the aggressive side. He watched as Gates stepped forward, deliberately making enough noise to draw the attention of a nearby group of goblins.
After not finding Arthur and Gates the goblins went back to their old actions as if nothing had happened, returning to being in different groups instead of being in one single group.
'Their intelligence is terribly low, even their dexterity. They just fell like jenga pieces when Hank attacked the archers,' He thought for a second before not paying it more attention.
As the goblins snarled and rushed toward Gates, Arthur stayed back, his eyes darting between the goblins and their surroundings.
He called out instructions as the battle unfolded. "Watch your left flank—one's circling behind you!"
Gates pivoted, his sword deflecting the sneaky goblin's attack before countering with a clean slash. "Nice call!" he shouted, his tone slightly winded but appreciative.
Arthur continued scanning the area. "Two more are coming from the hut on your right. Keep them in front of you—don't let them surround you!"
Gates adjusted his positioning, intercepting the incoming goblins with calculated swings. Meanwhile, Arthur threw a dagger at one of the goblins attempting to close the gap, catching it in the shoulder and staggering it.
"Don't let them push you into the open!" Arthur warned, stepping to the side to maintain a clear line of sight. "We can't risk more joining the fight."
Gates grunted in response, focusing on the goblins in front of him. Arthur's supportive approach worked, keeping the engagement manageable as the two whittled down the goblins one by one.
As the last goblin fell, Gates straightened up whilst panting slightly. He glanced back at Arthur, who stood with his dagger slightly lowered but ready, his eyes on alert mode.
"Not bad," Gates admitted, sheathing his sword. "Your support made that easier than I expected."
Arthur gave him a small nod, his expression neutral. "Let's keep moving. We still have a few more to deal with, especially that stronger Goblin that was between them earlier,"
Gates nodded.
Inwardly, Arthur smirked. 'Perfect. I barely had to lift a finger, and he's none the wiser. Now I just need to keep playing this role as if I'm waiting for my summons.'
With only a few goblins left and the stronger goblin between them, Gates surveyed the situation with a furrowed brow. "It'll be difficult—impossible even—to separate them now. They're the last group after all."
Arthur nodded, appearing calm but thoughtful. "Yeah, no choice but to engage them all at once. My summons are still on cooldown, though, so we'll need to work around that."
He rubbed the back of his neck, adding a touch of reluctance to his voice. "I'll fight with you, but don't expect too much. I can probably take down one goblin in about a minute, but you'll need to hold off the other four during that time."
Gates turned to Arthur, his expression unreadable. There was a brief pause before he gave a curt nod. "Alright. If that's how it's going to be, we don't have a choice. Let's get it done."
Arthur gestured toward the goblins' position. "We can't just charge in. That stronger goblin won't make it easy for us. Our best bet is to sneak up and take out one of the weaker ones first. Thin their numbers before the real fight starts."
Gates tightened his grip on his sword, glancing at Arthur. "Fine. Let's go for a sneak attack. But once we strike, they'll all be on us. Be ready." Experience new stories on empire
Arthur gave him a brief nod. "Always am."
The two moved silently through the shadows, keeping their movements slow and deliberate as they approached the goblins. The goblins were huddled together, speaking in guttural tones and gesturing wildly with their crude weapons.
The larger goblin, clearly their leader, held a proper spear and barked orders at the others.
[Hobogoblin]
Level: 4
[Details:] An evolved goblin that is respected within the tribe, they command other goblins to do their bidding.
Arthur's sharp eyes scanned the group, quickly picking out the weakest-looking goblin on the edge of their formation. He nudged Gates and gestured toward the target, silently conveying his plan.
Gates gave a slight nod of understanding, raising his sword.
Arthur and Gates crept closer, their steps muffled by the soft dirt. The goblins remained unaware, too focused on their internal squabbling to notice the impending threat.
When they were within striking distance, Arthur whispered, "Now."
Arthur lunged forward and stabbed the goblin on his back.
-10HP
Gates lunged forward alongside Arthur, his sword slicing through the air with a faint whistle. The blade struck the unsuspecting goblin's neck cleanly, a spray of blood marking the success of the sneak attack.
The goblin let out a choked cry before collapsing to the ground, lifeless. But the commotion was enough to alert the others who were close by. The remaining goblins whirled around, their eyes locking onto the intruders.
The leader roared, raising his spear high whilst remaining in his position, and the other goblins charged.
Arthur stepped back, feigning a defensive stance as Gates held his ground. "Here we go!" Arthur called, raising his dagger as if preparing for a desperate fight.
"Keep them off me for a minute!" Arthur added, watching Gates as the man engaged the goblins.
"Easy for you to say!" Gates grunted, parrying the goblin's rusty sword with a heavy swing of his sword. He managed to knock the weapon aside and land a solid counterattack, but the remaining goblins pressed in, forcing him to pivot quickly to avoid being surrounded.