Chapter 135: Saving the Down

Swamp goblins to his left went roasting along with their lifeless body falling like a sack and the other two thudded headless.

Ned didn't stop, he went straight to Keesha and the down Rickart. Steam sizzled as he passed grasses and trees with a blur.

Ned raised his hand and with sparks flickering from his left, and with distortion, he pronounced spell with a quick grunt: "Fireball!"

The ball of fire went humming above the kneeling Keesha and the wounded rouge. Their mouths went gaping after one of the thick-scaled lizards tumbled down together with black smoke coming out from its mouth.

Together with the down and dead butriki was a chime echoing inside Ned's head.

[Fireball reached level two.]

Ned smiled in surprise after the chime. I should test it. Ned thought then went sliding behind one of the lizards amidst his steaming body.

Keesha's spell was worth noting after she killed six—maybe eight—Grade E swamp goblins with her wind spell in a single burst.

Yet, leaving a couple of dozens of reptiles unscathed. It was understandable since butrikis have thickened scales covering their exposed bodies. Aside from joints and eyes; attacking them through their scales was worthless.

After sliding, Ned slashed the lizard behind its knees, it fell on one. Ned spun and inserted the short-sword into its green eyes. Without delay, and with four seconds left on his Overclock, Ned dashed toward the nearest lizards. He shot arrows from his left, hitting nothing but the hard scales. With a slash from the spear, some of the arrows were knocked mid-air.

A distraction. Three seconds left and Ned used his short figure to hide under the blind-spot of the butriki—which was almost twice a feet taller than Ned.

Ned needed to be quick, he spun behind the lizard, and with a short, and quick flick of his wrist, he slashed the lizard behind just above the waist. Creating a short open wound under its thick yellow scale.

"More than enough," Ned muttered with two seconds left on his Overclock. Raising his left hand, he pressed the flat of his palm against the open wound of the lizard. He smiled, more like a smirk (a smile genuinely available during a fight) even Ned didn't notice his wicked smile. "Fireball!" He said under his crying breath.

The fireball went inside the small open wound.

It traveled from the wound to its gut, to its lungs—which expanded from the boiling heat inside. The remains of the fireball departed from its mouth, the holes of its ears, snouts, and its eye. It fell, too late to know that its inside was charcoaled, it thudded and black smoke it breathes.

Better than I assumed, Ned thought after conjuring his newly leveled up fireball.

Before his Overclock ended, Ned vanished in front of the two hunters. Six more butriki fell. He could have killed more, but due to their coordinated formation and with set pieces of equipment (especially the butrikis with their long wooden spear and thick scales), Ned did what he could do.

He stopped with sweat flowing off his forehead and muscle tensing. Ned could kneel to rest. But, no—he settled with raising his mechanical bow aimed at the incoming swamp goblins and a handful butrikis, while gripping Boom as a crutch.

Came along another chime.

[Overclock reached level two.]

[Overclock can now be used fifteen seconds.]

A red dot then appeared at the upper left corner of Ned's display. A tiny envelope went wiggling after the notification. Ned frowned looking at his display. The last time he saw the wiggling envelope was after he activated the Protocol. Calahir? Ned assumed. Not now, we need to leave.

Behind him were the hunters. Ned looked behind his shoulder. Keesha woke up from a fleeting moment and pulled a vial of healing potion from the bag hidden under her furry coat. Yanking open the cork, she poured the greenish and viscous liquid down to Rickart's arrow pierced leg. The arrow was out, but after the healing potion did its job, the blood stopped from flowing but a small hole could still be seen.

He stood with a dagger on his left, and Keesha wiped the sweat off her paling face. They looked Ned with awe while the bag behind him remained unscathed.

"A little wasn't enough to describe what you did, Ned," Keesha said with a hint of surprise between her words. She moved beside Rickart watching the incoming swamp goblins. "We need more of that 'a little' you have, Ned. Also, you have a good Fireball there, who taught you that?"

"It wasn't enough," Ned muttered. "Plus, I'm a porter, remember? Not a hunter." Ned said but didn't answer her last query and saw a flash of red running above Keesha's cheeks. "The path's open, we need to leave."

This time, they both agreed to hear their porter making the same suggestion twice.

To think that my first quest is us being hunted. Ned thought and stood releasing arrows.

At mid-range, Swift's mechanical bow should hit enemies with ease and with force. Now, Ned assumed that the bow was made for the Chance Arrow game, for the goblins to be specific. The bow's arrow wasn't enough to pierce the heavy scales of the lizards.

If only I could move closer to those damn lizards. Ned thought while pacing backward together with Rickart and Keesha.

Even wounded, Rickart could take on five to eight swamp goblins all at once. It was evident after three goblins made their way toward Rickart. He slashed and kicked while evading the last one all at the same time.

With Overclock, I'm on par with iron rank hunters. Without using magic, I might be in gridlock with him. Ned thought wiping the remaining sweat on his forehead.

"Shit! There's more of them!" Rickart said.

A dozen or so swamp goblins rushed toward the party. With their brown and muddy fur, the goblins screeched in joy. It doesn't matter if they stepped on one of their dead allies. Their prey was in front and they overwhelmed the humans with their number.

They won't make it. Ned thought pertaining to the two behind him and shot arrows until nothing was left, killing two goblins and maiming only three. He tsked. Held the short-sword with his hands and prepared for a frontal assault by putting his weight on his feet and leaned forward. "I'll buy time," he said, "you two leave."

It was at this moment Rickart knew he messed up seeing their porter protecting them. "How can we," Rickart said with boldness. "It was my fault Malik got captured." He flicked his hand, three goblins dead; headless. He flicked once more and scratched the butriki.

He cursed. Ned in front, Rickart in the middle, and Keesha preparing her spell. Trees to their sides, grass to their feet, magical beasts to their front, and a blinding light from above.

"Shield of Might!"