Sight of Smart Monsters

Watching the goblins resting from a distance, the group decided to retreat and discuss their plan. There were seven regular goblins and one larger one, while they had a total of four members.

Lucius gathered everyone in a circle and drew a rough sketch on the ground to mark the goblins' positions. "This is where they are sitting," he said, pointing to the circle on the mud.

"And we are here. Here's what we'll do: Talon, you'll shoot an arrow and try to injure the stronger one or even kill it if you can" he said, turning to Talon and asking if he was okay with that plan.

Talon nodded, "I'll do my best."

"Good," Lucius continued. "After the shot, we'll be hiding behind that fallen tree over there. As they rush past us, we'll attack their backline while they chase you." He explained that Talon would act as the bait to draw their attention away.

Kevin, listening intently, raised his hand like a student in the class. Lucius gave him a nod, encouraging him to speak.

"What happens if they spot us when they run by? Won't we be trapped?" Kevin asked, concern evident on his face.

Lucius didn't waste a moment before responding, "We understand the risks, but it's still the best plan we have. The chances of being spotted are low. Let's proceed with caution and be prepared for anything."

With no other ideas forthcoming, the group proceeded to their hiding spot, letting Talon take the lead and pull the aggro of the goblins as planned. The tension was high as they readied themselves for the impending encounter.

Talon sneakily reached the area where the goblins were resting on the ground. Taking the bow from his back, he held it in his hand and knocked an arrow.

His heart pounded in his chest, the sound echoing and reverberating in his head, "Badum, Badum, Badum," as he aimed the arrow at the goblins below.

The weight of the situation bore down on him, causing his hand to shake with nervousness.

Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and he blinked, trying to clear his vision, only to feel a sting. He blinked his eyes, trying to clear the liquid in the corner.

Focusing, Talon released the arrow and ran away with a speed that he had never achieved before. However, he didn't realize that if he had turned his head to observe the arrow's landing, a chilling sensation would wash over him.

The goblins were sitting, seemingly relaxed when a swift "swish" cut through the air.

The regular goblins paid no mind to it, and even the level 3 goblins remained oblivious. Yet, the strong goblin reacted differently. As it lounged, the sound reached its ears, prompting it to raise its hand rapidly in a protective gesture.

Despite its effort, the arrow managed to penetrate its hand, piercing through and coming to a halt right in front of its eye.

Looking at the sharp arrow in front of its eye, the strong goblin emitted an enraged shriek, much louder and more terrifying than the combined noise of the other goblins.

Startled by the shriek and witnessing the human running away, the goblins immediately gave chase. The Strong Goblin, with a face distorted by fury, followed suit, trailing closely behind the others.

As Talon heard the thunderous shriek, he understood that the goblin was infuriated, and all eight of them were now chasing him in a relentless line.

A mix of relief that they had taken the bait and anxiety over their furious expressions flooded his mind.

Rushing past the tree where Lucius and the others were hiding, Talon continued running in the planned direction.

The sound of leaves and sticks breaking filled the air as the goblins ran like wild animals, passing by the tree one by one, unaware of their presence. Lily turned to Lucius, asking if it was time, but only received a silent glare in response.

Counting the sounds, Lucius realized that four of the goblins had passed, leaving the other half behind. He gestured to the group, and they rushed out, cutting off the goblins and launching a surprise attack.

Kevin, already rushing forward, shield slammed one of the weaker goblins before finishing it off quickly.

Lucius and Lily focused on the level 3 goblins, and it was going to take some time to defeat them. The level 3 goblins were more experienced and stronger, almost on par with Lucius and Lily's abilities.

"Kevin, hold the strong one for a minute, we will be there!" Lucius yelled as they fought, fully focused on the task in front of him – killing this green creature.

The forest was filled with the sounds of swords clashing together, accompanied by rough breathing as each strike from Lucius was at full power.

The goblin at the start managed to block some of the attacks, but it slowly got pushed back as the power behind Lucius' strikes never wavered.

Seizing an opportunity, Lucius managed to sever one of the goblin's arms. Sadly, it was the one not holding the blade, causing it to bleed and fall to the ground.

The goblin shrieked in pain and rage, but its mind seemed to be consumed by a frenzy, ignoring its own injuries and attacking with reckless abandon.

Fighting a crazed opponent was harder, but Lucius also found it easier in some ways.

He exploited the goblin's mistakes, inflicting more cuts on it before managing to strike deep into its elbow, passing all the way through to its heart and killing it on the spot.

Turning to take a look at Kevin, Lucius saw that he had managed to stop the strong goblin but was getting pushed back.

The goblin was shrieking and calling for backup, and two of the weaker goblins had already started running back to help. Realizing that they needed to take out the weaker goblins first, Lucius decided to assist Lily so they could kill them faster.

He rushed to Lily's side, and as the body hit the ground, it caused dust and leaves to fly as he slid on the ground.

He then slashed at its leg while moving, causing the goblin using it to lose its balance and fall to the ground with its back against the earth. Lily took the opportunity and attacked down in front of it.

While the goblin managed to block her attack, it couldn't block Lucius' attack at the same time, and it met its demise as the sword pierced its head from the side.

Lucius and Lily exchanged glances and ran to take on a normal goblin each. With Lucius now at level 2 and wielding increased power, defeating the regular goblins became easier.

He dispatched the foe swiftly before rushing to Kevin, who was now on the verge of defeat. Blocking the strong goblin's powerful attacks had taken its toll on him, and he was shaken, struggling to hold up his shield.

As Lucius arrived next to Kevin, a glint of intelligence flashed in the strong goblin's eyes. It looked around at Lily finishing off the other enemy and the two goblins that were chasing Talon in the distance.

With a strange noise, it let out a shriek, as if giving a command, causing the two pursuing goblins to stop in their tracks before turning back to join the fight.

Lily, now standing next to Kevin and Lucius, made a triangle with the goblin in the middle. Kevin, the most wounded of the three, threw his sword to the ground and used both hands to hold the shield, acting as the tank in their formation.

The strong goblin muttered some weird noises as it attacked using its sword, pushing them back. It was managing to hold the three of them alone for a bit of time.

However, Lily and Lucius had already experienced battle, and they took the flank, damaging its legs and back when it couldn't block.

The goblin wanted to attack them, but Kevin, as a shield warrior, was holding it in place, preventing it from gaining the upper hand.

Knowing it would die, Lucius thought it showed a determined face. At that time, he might have imagined it differently, but later on, he realized the gravity of the situation.

Trapped in the middle, the goblin was getting wounded and soon dropped to one knee. "Behind you, they are coming! Wait, what?!" Talon's voice of warning, followed by confusion, was heard as they turned around to see why he made that second comment.

The goblins ran past the trio that had trapped their leader and fled deep into the forest.

As Lucius turned to see the other two goblins escape, he felt a shiver of unease. "STOP THEM!" Talon woke up from his daze and swiftly drew his bow.

Sensing the bow being drawn, the last goblin turned and charged at Talon, using its broken shield to block its face and stomach.

The arrow pierced the goblin's thigh, causing it to stumble, but it continued running towards Talon, forcing him to take steps back.

Taking a rusty sword from his inventory, which he had gained from the previous fight, Talon swung at the charging goblin, drawing green blood with his awkward strike as he had no experience.

The goblin fell on him, pinning him down with its lifeless weight.

The strong goblin witnessed what had happened and, seeing one of its kind escape, it let out a shriek. It charged at them with reckless abandon, attempting to inflict damage.

With a powerful jump, it aimed at Kevin, pulling his shield down with its hand and claws, trying to harm him. However, before it could succeed, Lucius swiftly ended its life with a decisive cut to its neck.

The goblin fell to its knees, then slowly toppled to the side, looking at them with a hidden smirk, even in its final moments.