Ultimate Level 1

Chapter 15: Sometimes you lose, sometimes you win

All night long Max tossed and turned in bed. The thought of joining a real group and getting a chance to see how it all worked was the only thing he could think about. Even the idea that they might get to take on the goblin boss was something he had never dreamed of. The truth was a week ago he would never have wanted to do such a thing.

When the light orb came on as he had scheduled it to, he put his gear on, grabbed his supplies, and headed downstairs to eat breakfast. All after a quick trip to the bathroom, of course.

The sun was barely up as he left town, going to the west along the road toward the kobold dungeon. It was a solid five-mile walk from the edge of town just to get to the area where they would be.

The conversations he had last night had informed him that often it was packs of three to five with the occasional pack of seven in the wilderness. He had been warned they were crafty and not to approach them with the same mindset of goblins who often just attacked with abandonment.

Almost two hours after having left town, Max saw one for the first time, amazed at the pack of four who were walking through a field. They were low, which was hard to imagine since they were small, and their scaly hide glistened in the sun. They were a solid hundred yards from him, and he was staying close to the tree line, using the cover of the trees and shadows to stay hidden as long as possible.

They would see me long before I could sneak up on them

Instead of rushing them, Max chose to wait, watching as they made their way across the open area toward the woods on the other side.

Well, that was stupid, he cursed as he saw them disappear from his sight, having gone out of his range to see. Maybe I should have chased after them.

Frustrated, he began moving south along the tree line that seemed to wind and curve to the southwest, bordering the field and, at some point, leading to the dungeon that was deep in the woods.

After walking for a bit, a barking noise caught his attention. Peering around a tree, he saw two kobolds up ahead near a tree, one appearing to try and lift a branch that was pinning another one to the ground. Seeing them up close surprised him as Max realized they looked like walking dogs covered in scales.

They were both grunting and whining as the one trying to lift appeared unable to get it off of his ally.

Slowly, Max set his backpack on the ground near a tree and began to sneak up closer to the two of them.

When he was about twenty yards from them, Max dashed forward, his spear out, ready to run the one helping his friend through.

When he was less than ten yards from the pair, barking noises erupted around him, and he saw the one who had been trying to lift the branch spin, holding a club as the other began to slide out from under the branch.

A frickin trap!

Max saw, as he tried to slow down, two more kobolds appeared on each side, all of them holding clubs and spears.

With no time to think about how bad things were about to get or how many more were potentially around him, Max dashed forward, ignoring the threats on his side.

The kobold before him had brown scales rippling with small muscles as it had no fat on its body and its tongue was hanging from a mouth full of teeth. It begin to growl, not expecting Max to keep charging. It began to try and swing its club, but Maxs spear had the reach, and he drove it into its chest, piercing its body as it let out a yelp that reminded him of the dog he had encountered a week ago.

Not risking slowing down, Max kept his legs moving, grateful for the extra strength the hobgoblin had given him. He found himself just a few steps from the one who had climbed out from under the branch. Just as it started to rise, he slammed his shield into its head.

A loud thunk sounded, and the cracking of its skull as it flew backward, dropping its spear.

Yelping and barking noises filled his ears as he whirled around, the kobold still stuck on his spear. He struggled with the weight of it pulling the spear down.

The four others began bounding toward him, ignoring the plight of their brothers, and lept at Max, swinging their clubs while attempting to dodge his spear and their impaled companion.

Two tackled Maxs legs while another bull-rushed his chest.

It felt as if a pack of twelve-year-olds were attacking him. Twelve-year-olds rushing him with clubs while trying to bite and claw at him.

The impact staggered him, and he barely got his shield up as the fourth one swung at his head with its club, causing him to stumble backward.

Suddenly, an immense pain bloomed from his crotch.

Max dropped his spear as he slammed his right hand down on the kobolds face, who had decided to use his manhood as a snack.

Grateful for the two extra strength points he had acquired, Maxs fist brought a yelp upon impact, buying him a little reprieve as it let go of its grip on his genitals.

His vision blurred, he tripped and fell backward, the three remaining kobolds on top of him.

Ignoring the one on his leg, Max grabbed the one on his chest by its neck with his free hand, pulling it back while trying to slam its face into the edge of his shield.

A kick to his head made his grip go weak.

The forest went dark and Max realized he was about to black out. As panic filled him the cold sensation he had come to desire, filled his veins.

[ 13 Hit Points Consumed ]

[ 5 Stamina Consumed ]

[ 16 Hit Points Consumed ]

[ 1 Stamina Consumed ]

His vision became clear, the darkness gone, and the pain in his temple and crotch was gone. Unsure which two had died, Max regripped the one on his chest and tossed it at its friend, who was about to kick him again.

With those two tangled together in a pile, Max lifted his left leg to see the kobold attached to it. The kobold looked like it was trying to hump him or something as it scratched and bit at his armor. In its mouth was a studded section it had torn off. Lowering his left leg back down, Max brought his right heel up and slammed it into the side of the kobolds mouth, earning him a yelp and knocking it off his leg.

The two near his head were working at untangling themselves as Max rolled over, rising to his feet, yanking his dagger from his belt.

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Neither of them had a weapon, having lost them when he tossed them together, and both were growling at him while the three of them stood up almost at the same time.

When one near him that had sampled his tenders began to move, Max drove his dagger into the back of its skull, feeling the blade slide along it until it cut the back of its spine, once again flooding him with the sensation he always enjoyed.

[ 9 Hit Points Consumed ]

Max looked back at the two who were growling and was surprised when both turned, running into the woods yelping.

As they ran off, the one he had kicked got a knife to its throat, sending it into convulsions for a moment before becoming still.

Holy mother of goblin nuts, Max gasped, not tired but feeling the adrenaline flowing through his body.

His hands shook, but not wanting to waste precious time, he quickly wiped his knife off on his pants leg and put it in its sheath before going and yanking his spear free from the kobold still impaled on it.

His chest heaved as he took deep breaths to calm himself.

I should have researched them more. What the hell was that? A fricking ambush?

With his mind trying to take in what had just happened, Max set his spear down near him and set to work, quickly slicing off the ears of the kobolds, always keeping his head scanning the forest and listening for sounds.

The two who had run off were yelping in the distance, and Max didnt want to wait and see if they might come back.

With four sets of ears tossed quickly in his trophy pouch, Max noticed they wore no armor or clothes. Their skin was thick and provided more protection than a goblin would against a blade. While weaker than a goblin, their sheer numbers were the biggest threat.

Jogging quickly, Max kept his shield and spear ready as he made his way back toward the field and tree line.

I gotta get out of these freaking woods, he stated as he saw the field coming into view.

The tall grass rolled like the waves of an ocean from the wind that blew across the open expanse. Max took a moment before leaving the shadows of the trees to scan and see if any packs of kobolds were visible.

A few sounds off to the north caught his attention, and he saw a group of three dispatching a pack with apparent ease.

How easy must this be with a few good friends

The thought brought a twinge of loneliness as an image of Caleb flashed through his head.

Oh, the fun we could have here working together against these things.

Taking a break near the edge of the field, Max chewed on some dried beef, appreciating the spices used to flavor it.

Someone has actual talent with this, Max said to himself as he admired the piece of meat in his hand.

After a small break and some scouting along the treeline, Max finally found what he was looking for.

A pack of four kobolds was coming across the field, the group crouching low as they crossed the open area.

It took Max a minute to figure out where they would most likely exit the field, and with that knowledge, he skirted the woods, making a beeline for where he expected them to appear.

Running between the trees while crouching, he kept checking the pack and made sure they hadnt spotted him or changed direction. As the pack began to draw close, a shout erupted from the direction he had come from.

Turning, Max saw a group of three adventurers moving toward his intended target. The adventurers were yelling and drew the attention of the kobolds.

An arrow barely missed one of the kobolds, probably because of the wind and distance. The pack began barking. They took off, running toward the woods and where he was hiding.

Goblin shite this isnt going to be good

Max had no clue on how combat worked between who fired first or who hit a creature first, but he didnt have a choice as the kobolds were almost upon him.

When the pack was just a few yards from Max, trying to escape the party running them down, Max popped out, spear at the ready, and delivered a killing blow to the first in the pack. It wasnt looking in his direction when Max attacked.

Yips and barking rang out as Max kicked at the kobold, impaled on his spear, freeing it, causing the group who noticed their dead pack mate to halt. Trapped, they scanned both directions, only for the one in the back to take an arrow to the shoulder, causing it to yelp from the pain. The small dagger it held fell to the ground as it scratched at the arrow.

The party was shouting at him, but Max ignored them. They still had a good thirty yards till they arrived.

Using the distraction, he speared the next closest one, catching it in the gut and slicing its stomach open, its scaly skin tearing like it was paper.

I really need to thank Sherry for this spear.

Smiling, he rammed into the last one with his shield, sending it sprawling to the ground, knocking it back so hard it dropped its club.

Not waiting or giving reprieve, Max drove his spear into the laid-out kobold as the adventurers arrived, just steps from joining this fight.

What the hell are you doing?!

Wheeling to face the coming crowd, Max held his shield up and his spear a little low as the human warrior, who had apparently been the one shouting at him, cleaved the kobold they had shot early in half with one strike of his sword.

The archer was right behind him, her bow at the ready, and a person Max assumed was a healer came running up in their robes, panting a moment later.

Why did you attack our group?! the red-faced, brown-haired mountain of muscle demanded from Max. We shot at it first!

The kobold Max had stabbed in the gut was whimpering, trying to hold its intestines in, blood running all over.

Max turned, driving the spear into the creature's throat, ending its life before turning back to the adventurers.

I tracked them here and was waiting on them. You are the ones that sent them to me faster.

We still shot at it first! They are ours! the warrior shouted again, his face somehow becoming even redder.

Max doubted he could take all three of them, but he wasnt going to give up without a fight.

Are the rules first to shoot or the first to strike? Max asked as he watched the archer with her bow pointed at the ground. She didnt appear as angry as the warrior, and her blond hair was tied back in a braid that had flicked in the air as she snapped her head around to take in the carnage before them.

Brutus

The warrior waved his sword at his party member who had tried to interrupt, not looking back.

They are ours, he growled, pointing the sword at Max. There are three of us and only one of you.

So you are threatening me for killing that which I stalked and hit first? Are your party members in agreement with you?

Max had read the rest of the manual and knew that fighting between adventures was permitted in the system but heavily penalized outside wars. Somehow, it tracked fights, and if they attacked him, it would register them as the offenders, giving him free rein to defend himself.

They are ours! the warrior, who must be Brutus, demanded again. How can you expect to claim them all?!

Max took a deep breath, letting it out, and held the warrior's gaze. He had suffered at the hands of boys like him earlier in his life back home. He had been weak, and they had forced him to submit. Now, it was different.

Now, he wasnt weak.

I wont claim all four. I will claim three, but I will only take the trophies of two, Max stated as he pointed at the kobolds dead on the ground around him with his spear. You know the rules, and I have no problems with a group of four having taken out a larger group earlier.

Max did his best not to smile when he saw the look of shock on all three of their faces when he made that statement.

You claim to have killed a larger pack?

I can show you the trophies if you want, but yes. I fought a pack of six and defeated four before the other two ran off.

The archer moved over, putting her hand on the warrior's shoulder, and gently pulled him back a step.

We would be grateful for the two you have offered. All four are yours by right.

The man, Brutus, opened his mouth to speak, but a grunt from the archer cut him off.

I understand it isnt easy since the goblin dungeon reset. Max continued. Sometimes, tempers flare, and I know finding a pack in the open isnt easy. I am actually looking for a party to join, but I am not sure you all might want me after this.

The male healer coughed and choked for a second, his mouth opening a little bit in shock. You would offer to group with us, even after we did this?

Max nodded. I still have much to learn, having only arrived here recently. I wouldnt mind even trying to get into the Kobold dungeon if you three were up for it.

The warrior, Brutus, blinked his eyes a few times as he watched Max, trying to read him.

I guess he paused, turning to his party mates and watching them all slowly nod their heads before turning back to Max, we would be honored to have you join us.

Smiling, Max cleaned off the gore of his spear with a flick and motioned to the corpses.

In that case, how about we take one trophy each and see how much we can accomplish.