《Vengeance in a Broken World》Chapter 2- The Goblins
Advertisement
Mercy finally gains the motor controls of her body back. The first thing she does is turn around, away from the display.
What she sees is about what she expected. The other five people are glancing around at each other, almost like they are checking something. It is hard to spot, but for some reason Mercy can spot the small details really well.
A man in a hawain palm tree shirt speaks up first, “Did anyone else see that or am I going crazy?”
The woman next to him, probably a girlfriend or wife, is the first to answer, “I saw a blue box and heard a voice in my head.”
The other three people in the room voice their assent with the spoken words. All except Mercy. She stays absolutely quiet, though not because she is anti-social or anything. She is gazing at the doorway.
When Mercy first walked in, there was a doorway with no door. Now though, there is a door made out of some sort of black substance blocking their way out. The substance seems to be flowing, like black tar ever so slowly creeping down a surface. The weirdest thing isn’t the substance though. The weirdest thing that she notices is a skull inlay in the middle of the door with white words directly below it. The skull is pure white, like bone. The only speck of color is its eyes, which glow with a faint reddish orange glow.
Mercy reads the words aloud, so that the rest of the people will focus on it, “Five for five is live. Fair and square. Survivors will live, diers will give. Have fun, without any gun.”
As she first starts reading, the survivors all look at her before noticing that she is looking at the doorway. They all turn to look, surprise evident on their faces. The woman next to the hawain guy faints, dropping to the floor. The man doesn’t even try to stop her as he is in shock at the sudden appearance.
An old man, the one closest to the door, asks in a weak, thin voice, “What does it mean? Five for five? What is liv-”
The old man’s answer arrives quicker then anybody would’ve hoped. In a flash, five creatures come out of the black tar door, passing through it like it is not even there. Each of the five hold makeshift weapons, all wooden spears. As the five enter the room, they all screech loudly.
All five of the creatures are of the same type. They are fairly short, coming up to just above her belly button. Since all of them are hunched over, they appear even smaller. The creatures are a dark green color, like the grass of Central Park in summer. Also just like the grass, they are covered in dirt. Their limbs are odd to say the least. Their arms are double jointed and long enough to reach their knees, which are bent the opposite way of a humans. Their legs look like what she would see on a wolf, crooked backward at a small angle. They have three toes and four fingers, each one tipped in a wicked looking claw. The creepiest thing by far are their faces. They look humanoid, but they have small snouts. Not long like an animal, but it is noticeable. Inside of one of the screeching one's mouth, Mercy sees dozens of razor teeth, made for tearing apart meat.
Advertisement
Mercy thinks they look familiar, like something she has seen in a game. She focuses on them intently, watching for what they want. To her surprise, information enters her head as she looks at them.
[Lesser Goblin, lvl.1]*5
[Description: A weak, low class creature of the Monsterian Gobulus family. They are treated like slaves by the normal parts of the Gob family. While they may be weak, in large numbers they are a threat. They, like most of the Gob family, are extremely vulnerable to falling into bloodlust.]
‘Goblins? Aren’t those the starting monsters in those games I’ve seen people play? If I remember correctly, they are definitely hostile to sapient creatures.’ As if to prove Mercy’s thoughts true, one of the goblins thrusts his spear into the old man standing by the door. If the person was younger, they could’ve survived. Since the man is well into the later stages of his life, he dies instantly as the spear strikes near his heart.
The other three, since the woman is knocked out, start screaming in terror as the old man drops to the ground, with the spear still in him. His blood leaks out like a broken bottle, filling up the entire area around him. The goblin tries to pull the spear out, but it is stuck in the old man’s corpse, so it can’t. As one is messing around with its spear, the other four of the lesser goblins start to move forward into the room.
Since this isn’t the first time she has been in a fight, Mercy makes a split second decision. In a fight, whoever doesn’t have a weapon is at a disadvantage. Glancing at all of the displays again, Mercy spots what she wanted.
She dashes to the other side of the room in a split second. Using her elbow, she shatters the display case, grabbing what is inside. The exhibit she chose is an exhibit to Ares, the greek god of war. Inside of the case is a small sword. Mercy doesn’t have much hope for it, but it can’t be worse than the wooden and stone age weapons.
As soon as she turns around, the goblins are already on her. Luckily for her, only two came at her. The other two are killing the knocked out woman on the ground. Mercy doesn’t have enough time to check the other human’s positions and how they are, but judging by the screams, they can't be well.
The lesser goblin on the left screeches and thrusts its spear at her. Running on pure instinct, Mercy dodges the blow. The goblin on the right stabs with its spear next, thrusting directly towards her head. Whoosh! Just like in boxing, she ducks underneath the blow and closes in towards the right most goblin.
She has never used a sword before, but she has used a knife. Using the techniques from a knife, Mercy pulls on the goblin and thrusts forward. This is one of the techniques taught to her, using the enemies power to deal a bigger blow. Because of the force of the stab and the force of the lunge, the sword easily stabs up into the goblins brain.
Mercy notices that there are two pieces of news. One good and one bad. The good is that, from the green blood pouring out of the lesser goblins wound, it is definitely dead. The bad is that the sword definitely snapped in two when she tried to pull it out. It makes sense, considering the sword is hundreds of years old. It’s a surprise it even lasted this long.
Advertisement
The first goblin stabs towards her again with his spear. She dodges once again, this time not so flawlessly. The wooden spear cuts open her side loosely. It is a small wound, but it is big enough for her to dye the clothes red. Luckily, her hoodie is black, so the blood isn’t very noticeable.
Gritting her teeth, Mercy chunks the hilt of her sword at the goblins face. It smacks him in the eye, causing him to screech loudly. Mercy quickly picks up the now deceased goblins spear and stabs it into the one that got hit in the face. The wooden spear easily pierces its head and into its brain. Gray matter and green blood pour out of the wound as she pulls the spear back out.
With a quick analysis, trained from years of scrimmages and fights, she takes stock of her situation. One goblin is still trying to pull out its spear out of the old dead man. Judging by the scratching noise, the spear must’ve gotten caught in between his ribs. The other two are ruthlessly stabbing the previously knocked out woman. She is now screaming in agony as they repeatedly stab her, over and over again. ‘They are caught in their blood lust like the description said, they haven’t even noticed that two of their compatriots are dead.’
Two scenarios play out in Mercy’s mind. The first is attacking the duo of goblins, the second is attacking the goblin still wedged in the old man. ‘If I attack the duo, there is a high chance I will put myself in danger of an ambush. The goblin might be able to pull its spear out of the old man. If I attack the single, there is a chance of getting ambushed still, but I will be able to fight them off easier since the single should be dead by the time they reach me.’
Since she doesn't have a weapon, Mercy pulls the spear out of the second goblin and picks up the other spear. With a strong throw like a javelin, one of the spears impales the goblin standing over the old man. The goblin screams wildly as it collapses to the ground. From the sounds of it breathing and the ups and downs of its chest, Mercy can tell it is still alive.
She quickly approaches and raises her spear to stab it… before freezing. The lesser goblin is staring up at her with tear filled eyes. Its expression is that of terror. She stops because it is such a humane look, like a small child that just scraped its knee. She shakes the thought out of her head and stabs down, piercing its head. One again, green blood bubbles out and fills the ground.
She almost didn’t kill it, but then she remembered what happened when the goblins first entered the room. The way that the goblin in front of her heartlessly stabbed the elder man, killing him without remorse.
By sneaking a peek over her shoulder, Mercy sees that the other two lesser goblins have now fully murdered the woman. A few things give this away, with the most prominent that she is now in pieces. Her arms are almost torn completely off while her head is fully separated. Her decapitated head is still open, in a permanent scream of absolute terror. Her eyes are staring eternally, never to see again.
One of the goblins licks the end of his spear, the tip covered in blood. And then, both goblins walk forward towards the other three survivors. Mercy has a short thought to escape while they are busy, but that plan is dashed when she sees that the doorway is still blocked by the tar substance from before.
With a gulp, she turns back to the other goblins. While Mercy can fight them off, she doesn’t want to. Fighting is like a ticking time bomb. Learning new techniques, getting better, or increasing the fitness of your body all add to the timer, but eventually the fighter will get hurt. Mercy has already killed three of the five lesser goblins, taking a minor wound. Since she is wounded, even if it is minor, it will be more difficult to fight. Not impossible, but more difficult. Luckily for her, the lesser goblins are slower, weaker, and not as intelligent, giving a clear advantage to Mercy in every department but numbers.
She picks up the two spears, one from the old man’s corpse, and the one she used to kill the goblin. Repeating what happened last time, Mercy chunks a spear at the goblin on the left of the duo. The spear strikes true into the back of its head. With a meaty squelsh, green blood oozes out from around the wound.
Before the other can turn around, she stabs forward. For the first time, the goblin dodges the strike. The spear, unfortunately, gets stuck in the wooden part of one of the displays, right next to one of the useless men’s faces.
With no other idea left, she charges the goblin and punches it in the face. Caught off guard, the goblin drops its spear to protect itself. Mercy grabs the dropped spear and stabs the goblin while it is distracted. The corpse drops down to the ground, one of the seven in the room.
Every single human is staring at Mercy in shock, but she couldn’t care less for three reasons. One, because the door of black tar has started vibrating. Two, because a few blue boxes have popped up in her vision. Three, because why would she want the appreciation of useless people. From her childhood, she knows that useless people will just drag down everyone around them instead of contributing.
[Lesser Goblin killed: 3 points]
[Lesser Goblin killed: 3 points]
[Lesser Goblin killed: 3 points]
[Lesser Goblin killed: 3 points]
[Lesser Goblin killed: 3 points]
[Points: 15. Solo Modifier: x2]
[Total Points: 30]
Advertisement
- In Serial75 Chapters
The Winds of Fate B1 - The Blood of Kings
The Great Winter reaches its third year and creatures of nightmare thought to be long extinct roam the land once more. The Oathbreaker stirs from his icy prison, calling upon his servants both past and present. The wolf howls, the dragon roars and the serpent thrashes as the world unravels. Heroes will rise, for this will be the age to end all ages. The spirited girl escapes the shackles of tradition, searching for adventure, finding much more. The craven boy goes after her in the name of love. The man with no hand seeks an old friend, and the dragon searches for that which will restore her race. The hero-turned-blacksmith leaves his family to save the world. His friend the King wishes him dead. The blacksmith’s son goes after his father, questioning what it means to be a hero. Their paths intertwine. They guide the Winds of Fate, weaving the song of our salvation. The Twilight of the World approaches. The Heroes of Faengard will ride again. Let the sun rise, and the world be reborn through the ashes of war. Old Synopsis: The first of the chain of events prophesied to end the world has begun. The Great Winter reaches its third year and creatures of nightmare thought to be long extinct roam the land once more. The Tree that protects Faengard crumbles, and only those with the blood of kings can restore it. As a boy on the cusp of adulthood, Ein Thoren's concerns were largely limited to which of the village girls he would marry—but when a mysterious man calls upon his father to save the world, Ein finds himself leaving behind his quiet village life to bring his father back. Along with his childhood friends and a bumbling storyteller, they face a path filled with monsters and myth, swords and sorcerers, dragons and princesses, and a demon wolf that seeks to swallow the sun, all while the world unravels around them in what will be the age to end all ages. The Heroes of Faengard will ride again. Let the sun rise, and the world be reborn through the ashes of war. Release Schedule: I aim to release a minimum of one chapter a week, though sometimes I might release more. DISCLAIMER: I do not own the cover image in any way. Full credit goes to the original artist.
8 77 - In Serial40 Chapters
The Veiled Worlds
The various races of the land of Onterrath have always struggled for supremacy. These wars caused the annihilation and extinction of many races. The battles for hegemony lasted until the day when greed and desire led to the creation of a portal to the Rift. The Rift sent forth hordes of creatures to destroy Onterrath. No one was prepared for the invasion, and this brought about the demise of nearly every living being on the continent. The survivors picked themselves up and fought back. They rebuilt the world while strengthening themselves for the eventual Rift wars. Follow Liam's journey after he returns from the Rift and becomes the savior of Onterrath. ******* The release schedule will be a five chapters per week. Apart from Thursday and Friday, there'll be a chapter on the other days.
8 75 - In Serial176 Chapters
The Aria Chronicles
A Car crash later Luna finds herself in a completly different world, a world full of magic and myths. A world where monsters raged and Bloodlines ruled, experience the wonderful adventures of luna in the magical world of Aria. Pledge to Patreon to read more than 20 Advanced Chapters. Patreon link: Patreon.com/theariachronicles
8 83 - In Serial7 Chapters
Saints and Sinews: Wrynn Legacy Book One
Adalsindis is unstable and rebellion is brewing. The monarchy is destabilized and grasping for scraps of their crown, their only weapon against the almost unending tide of unholy creatures is Saint Florence. Cloistered and chained in the pits below Ciaran Abbey, young Sister Florence longs for her freedom. Days and weeks string together in an endless blur of blood and ash as she is used to bolster a dying religious regime. Milo Andilet, mercenary tracker, monster in his own right, races against time and foes to find his target before the Exemplars. His position at his fathers side at stake, but does he want it? ------------------------------------------------- This is going to be an at least three book series, I will be posting static updates on Thursdays with occasional Monday bonus updates if I had a good weekend. Once this book is finished I will be releasing it to retailers however the original will stay up here on Royal Road. Down the road I will expand the world of Etiofath with more stories and books, however they will not center around the characters from The Wrynn Legacy.
8 192 - In Serial51 Chapters
Death... and me
Rean Faran had never been anything special. Born into a regular family, with ordinary parents, ordinary siblings, etc. He pretty much had a going-with-the-flow life. If there is something different about him, it is the fact that he doesn't care about anything. But it is during his last moments that he feels unwilling for the first time in his life. Unfortunately, it was too late... or so he thought. Later, the Death appears in the morgue to send his Soul into the Path of Reincarnation. But Rean... has other plans!
8 159 - In Serial10 Chapters
Sahasra (Completed ✔️)
After the War of Mahismathi was over and Kuntala rebuilt, Shivu and Avanti were leading a happy life. But their luck was reversed by the kidnap of their child which left Mahismathi without a heir. Sahasra abducted by the rival kingdom Sarayuha, is now a princess and a warrior who loves her nation more than anything else. Unknown to her origin, her parents, she is fighting for Sarayuha. The journey of a girl, a princess, a daughter, a lover, a Queen.
8 181

