"Chief… too many, oh so many!" The skinny goblin stumbled back, right hand pressed tightly against his ruined left stump. "Lightning Wolves, Fire Slimes, Water Slimes, Green Slimes—there are near a dozen Deathweaver Spiders just beyond the ridge!"
Fear paralyzed him, body shuddering like leaves in wind.
"Then what are you waiting for, you idiot?" The Hobgoblin roared. "Everyone! Attack!"
He sprinted forward, spear thrust first, eyes wild with animalistic rage.
Below them, the battlefield descended into chaos, not slaughter.
Dozens of goblins surged forward with axes and crude blades, their bravado turning into desperate roars as they clashed with the monsters head-on.
The monsters moved with terrifying speed, biting, burning, freezing in unison but they did not emerge unscathed.
A hulking wolf lunged too deep into the ranks, only to collapse as jagged spears pierced its throat and underbelly.
Another spider shrieked as a crude trap snapped shut, crushing its limbs while goblins hacked it apart in a frenzy.
But some goblins were still skewered by electrically charged fangs, their bodies convulsing before falling limp.
Others were torn open by high-pressure jets of water, yet even as they died, their blades found the core, breaking it.
Flames engulfed both sides indiscriminately. Goblins burned alive as embers consumed the air but several monsters thrashed wildly in the inferno, their own bodies cracking and blistering under the heat.
Carnage piled rapidly as flesh met raw elemental destruction.
Back away from the fray, hidden beneath a leather flap behind the tent…
A silent observer watched it unfold with smug satisfaction.
She crouched low against the shadow cast by the rising dust clouds.
Lips curled upward in a predatory smirk as the slaughter unfolded below.
"Monsters will always be monsters. So simple-minded, so easily provoked by rage."
She folded arms comfortably across her ample chest.
"I hope both sides take significant losses before I make my move…"
Glancing sideways at the approaching Deathweaver Spiders descending with eerie precision.
Her blue eyes glowed briefly within the darkness.
"…but honestly, this might not be enough to tip the scales in my favor yet."
She pushed against the dirt, standing smooth and tall.
Shadows enveloped her body completely, masking her figure from prying eyes.
Disappearing without a trace, becoming one with the gloom once more.
From the original swarm of a hundred—both monsters and goblins dwindled rapidly.
Now? Only a remnant remained scattered across the bloody floor.
A pair of trembling Lightning Wolves curled at the back, fur smoking with residual shock.
Three Deathweaver Spiders hung high above, silent and watchful, legs twitching with coiled intent.
A few embers formed by a Fire Slime flickered weakly near the walls.
Exactly twenty Goblins and remained alive.
Breathing ragged. Faces smeared with gore. Bodies riddled with wounds but still upright.
They stood opposite their prey. Eyes blazing with the twin fires of rage and starvation.
Silence fell heavily. No roaring, no screeching.
Just raw anticipation and exhaustion.
Every monster hesitated. Each felt instinctual caution pulsing through veins.
Special abilities hummed quietly, they could obliterate these punks with lightning, fire, and silk.
But numbers mattered too.
The Goblins still possessed strategy.
Their cunning had laid hidden snares throughout the camp, invisible traps disguised as ordinary rock.
Even fighting for their lives, they could yet catch enemies in ambush if they rushed without thinking.
And so… The stalemate persisted.
Monsters retreated slowly.
One step after another taken backwards, withdrawing from immediate threat.
Deathweaver legs clicked against the stone, claws retracting with clicking snaps as spiders spun web-ladders high up.
Yet… as movement neared the tunnel exit…
A deafening crash shook the entire cave system again.
Dust erupted upward as debris flew, obscuring vision instantly.
The entrance lay almost entirely blocked now.
Sealed shut by a single fell pillar descending from ceiling heights.
Huge. Jagged. Heavy with ancient markings that glowed faint blue along its veins.
No door, no passage through anymore.
All escape routes vanished in mere seconds.
Survivors—monsters, goblins alike now looked helplessly upward as they realized…
Trapped once more by the same power that brought them together.
Exclamation marks above heads popped one by one in shock.
"And now… for the encore."
Lyssandra muttered to herself from within her shadow hiding spot, barely audible whispers slipping past her lips.
She raised one slender hand, palm glowing red as mana surged quietly.
The gesture ended with a burst of fire shooting forth from the rear flank.
Straight toward the monsters' blindspot, actually the goblin line.
Impact.
Instant detonation of flame engulfed the rear rank of Goblins.
A solitary skull transformed into a burning lantern as fire cascaded down face and throat.
His hair curled instantly, screaming halted with searing pain inside brain matter.
Charred remains toppled backward, dropping useless weapons clattering noisily onto damp floors.
That act broke the fragile peace instantly.
Once again, battle resumed.
Death was inevitable now; nothing was left standing forever in such slaughterhouse of chaos.
Bodies lay strewn haphazardly across the battlefield.
Former threats reduced to puddles, shredded flesh, or lifeless husks twitching in final agony.
Among the pile of slain beasts and rotting slime bodies—only two living Goblins remained conscious.
One leaned precariously upon broken shield.
The other curled tightly on ground, clutching a shattered leg like a precious artifact.
Both of them dragged shallow breaths in desperation.
Then she walked out slowly.
Emerging confidently from the shadows like death incarnate.
Steps light yet deliberate against soaked soil.
Blue eyes locked directly onto trembling targets below.
No wasted movement wasted energy; just precision honed through hunger.
She lifted her bare palms, forming two lances.
"Good hunting indeed…" she whispered softly with no mercy.
Then she drove them forward.
Her lances struck, piercing both remaining goblins simultaneously through their cracked skulls.
Brains splattered outward, mizzling over jagged bones before spilling silently onto dirt.
One second they were breathing. Now? Nothing left inside but blood-soaked darkness.
"And now…" she murmured aloud, letting voice trail off meaningfully.
A thundering crash split the still air.
Enraged impact reverberated straight behind her.
She dodged effortlessly, shifting sideways just as needed without slowing step pace.
Rush of wind hit hair as object skimmed past ear by mere inches.
In that tiny sliver time…
Two freshly murdered goblin corpses lay crushed into raw meat.
Red paste spilled forth from under the crushing mass of a humungous boulder rolling over where they once stood.
Out of rising dust cloud walked the true commander.
Hobgoblin.
Staggered back into light.
His body covered entirely in dried, clotted red stains from head to toe.
Ancient markings scarred cheeks deeply as sweat ran alongside blood.
He unleashed a roar.
Deep, guttural growling tone rippled outward from chest cavity.
Sparks jumped from spear tips when struck against shield surface repeatedly.
Each swing carried deadly weight behind movement.
Thrusts came in rhythm, heavy sweeps aimed to sever necks if she slowed again even once for moment.
She dodged every incoming strike gracefully, flowing away smoothly between gaps like liquid metal shifting position accordingly with attack speed increasing further.
She shouted right before ducking underneath another furious slash attempt.
"What are you babbling?"
She arched an eyebrow disdainfully toward panting opponent before snickering with cold amusement.
"I don't even understand any things you say anyway, green bastard!"
Stepping back while deftly slipping under a third thrust…
Lyssandra backed away, drawing the beast precisely where she wanted.
A grin spread thinly upon her face before she retreated just another few more meters behind safety marker line set previously.
The Hobgoblin roared wildly, oblivious.
His muscles coiled tight as arms tensed visibly with strength.
He lunged forward again for a strong final thrust.
That motion triggered trap trigger beneath feet instantly.
Something invisible snagged heel like hook.
He tripped awkwardly onto forward knees with painful thud that cracked bone.
Underneath lay a hole dug by clever fingers long before now.
Deep, narrow, designed especially to entombs enemies unceremoniously.
He plummeted downward quickly enough to send shock wave upwards when landed heavily at bottom of abyss below surface.
"Finally…" She laughed victoriously atop the crater rim, not wasting single moment remaining on breathlessness or victory celebration.
Smirk turned predatory again as power radiated visibly across hands once more.
She fired upwards directly into cavern roof structure without hesitation or remorse for physics logic rules anymore.
Impact caused a massive fireball explode, destroying the weakest part of stalactites cluster directly above hole.
Chunks of heavy stone fell freely to fill the empty void beneath.
Gravel, shale, and large rocks cascaded down in unbroken stream from high heights.
Collapsing weight crushed body parts before burial consumed it fully forever.