Chapter 62: Super Hero Entrance
Boooom!
The collision between the descending fireball and the roaring hurricane detonated with enough force to shake the surrounding forest. Flames and compressed wind exploded outward in every direction, uprooting shrubs and hurling burning branches through the air. A violent shockwave rolled across the battlefield, forcing retreating kobolds to stumble before instinctively turning around.
Every eye landed on the same scene.
Grash had stopped and several meters away, Ka’z stood with both feet firmly planted upon the blood soaked earth. Fierce amber flames still danced around his outstretched hand while heat rippled through the air surrounding his small body.
For the first time since arriving Grash’s advance had been halted.
Swoosh!
The Goblin Chieftain slowly lowered his battle axe and glanced toward its blade. Tiny arcs of lightning still crawled across the engraved runes, yet the weapon vibrated faintly inside his grip.
His expression remained calm but his thoughts did not.
The first rule of the kind of magic he used was while it allowed him to use all elements, it also enhanced the power of the elements he already had an affinity to.
Because of that, his fireball carried an absurd amount of force. Far too much force for a kobold youth.
Meanwhile Ka’z remained completely still, his breathing shallow as his gaze drifted across the battlefield.
The familiar faces of kobolds he had greeted only yesterday now lay twisted across the scorched ground, their bodies mangled beyond recognition. Some had died with weapons still clutched in their hands while others looked as though they had never even realized what killed them.
Even without counting, he could already see more than ten dead. That was like killing nearly , one-tenth of their population.
His stomach tightened and his breathing became heavier. This was the price of being too late.
Ssssssh!
Bushes on both sides of the battlefield suddenly burst apart.
From the right emerged Tu’ka alongside his newly assembled squad of five inexperienced kobolds, every one of them clutching weapons with tense expressions.
From the left, Drak led Ka’z’s own squad into formation. Though equally inexperienced, every member instinctively spread out to avoid becoming easy targets.
Within seconds Grash’s group found themselves outnumbered. Yet instead of relief Ka’z felt something tighten inside his chest.
His golden eyes slowly swept across Grash and the rest of his group. Not one of them looked concerned standing near the home of over a hundred kobolds.
They simply watched calmly like hunters watching frightened prey gather together before the slaughter.
A chill ran down Ka’z’s spine.
His gaze instinctively shifted toward the translucent notification floating before him.
[New Mission Unlocked: Protect The Colony From Grash And His Group.]
[Special Reward: A unique reward will be granted for every member of Grash’s elite group successfully killed.]
His pupils shrank.
The system never mentioned defeating Grash. It specifically rewarded killing the other members.
But Grash wasn’t even listed as a possible target.
Cold sweat trickled down Ka’z’s neck. Even the system didn’t expect them to win this fight.
"No... Withdraw!"
His voice exploded across the battlefield.
"Everyone retreat to the cave! Now!"
Drak instinctively frowned.
"Captain... are you sure?"
Before Ka’z could answer, Tu’ka turned toward him. The two locked eyes and Ka’z nodded repeatedly without speaking.
There was fear in those eyes.
Tu’ka slowly looked back toward the battlefield and the lone goblin responsible for all of it, then he made his decision.
"You heard him. Withdraw!"
Mi’ya froze and Korv hesitated. Even Bigi looked confused.
None of them understood why they were abandoning a numerical advantage. It has always been known as the Kobolds true strength.
Yet seeing both captains reach the same conclusion, none of them questioned it again. Everyone turned and began sprinting toward the direction of cave entrance.
As Tu’ka ran past Ka’z, he slowed just enough to gently pat his shoulder.
"Don’t be a hero."
Then he continued running.
Those simple words lingered inside Ka’z’s mind long after Tu’ka disappeared.
Across the battlefield, Grash watched the retreating kobolds without the slightest intention of pursuing them.
His expression remained unreadable.
"As long as they’re running toward the same cave they’ve only gathered themselves into one place to be slaughtered."
Lucy laughed and the rest of the group nodded.
"That’ll save us time. I was worried we’d have to hunt them through the forest."
Tal lazily stretched his arms.
Grash ignored their conversation. His eyes never left Ka’z. He had never encountered anyone so young capable of wielding magic with such terrifying strength.
For a fleeting instant, that fireball had reminded him of fighting human battle mages. This child’s magic was on the same scale as that.
Even stranger, the brief appearance of the black scaled kobold left a deep impression. Something about him also felt. In Grash’s opinion, he was just slightly inferior to the Kobold blocking his path now.
"To think the new generation of this forgotten clan possesses monsters like these... It’s no wonder Vrag warned me about a rising dragon in the south."
His fingers tightened around the haft of his axe. These kobolds alone were more exceptional than all the younger generation goblins.
Even if their clan remains dominant in his life time, how can he be sure the next generation would not lose all their gains to a reformed colony of kobolds led by these exceptional youths in their more matured stage in life.
Even if every other kobold survives, these two must die.
Bam!
Without another word Grash exploded forward. The ground beneath his feet shattered under the force of his acceleration as his figure transformed into a blur racing directly toward Ka’z.
Ka’z’s pupils contracted.
’Shit!’
He never intended to defeat Grash. His objective was simply to buy time. Every second he delayed this monster increased the number of kobolds reaching the safety of the cave.
Within the caves, they can finally leave their defense to Kong’gong. He couldn’t retreat yet.
"Torum Dren!"
Ka’z slammed both palms together.
Earth Magic: Earth Spear!
The earth behind and beneath Ka’z erupted violently as jagged pillars of stone burst forward in rapid succession, aiming to impale him.
Grash’s eyes widened.
He instantly shifted sideways, weaving between the first two spears before ducking beneath another. The fourth narrowly scraped across his shoulder while the fifth forced him into another sidestep.
His advance slowed but only briefly.
The runes upon his axe suddenly blazed blue and lightning surged across its blade.
Slash!
A brilliant azure streak flashed through the battlefield. Every remaining earth spear split cleanly in half before collapsing into harmless rubble.
Grash never stopped moving.
Within moments he had crossed the remaining distance. His battle axe rose overhead and the killing blow descended.
"Die."
Cold murderous intent flooded the battlefield.
Yet, instead of retreating Ka’z stepped forward. His left palm shot toward Grash’s chest and everyone watching froze.
Lucy’s confident smile disappeared.
"What..."
Her voice barely escaped her lips.
"Does he have a death wish?"
Brox slowly folded his arms. A respectful grin spread beneath his beard.
"What a man."
Tal immediately snorted.
"Manly?"
He shook his head.
"I call that stupid."
Poh nodded once. He too believed Ka’z decision to press forward was not bravery but stupidity.
"The first rule of surviving is staying alive."
Before anyone could speak again, everything happened at once.
Peng!
[Dragon Scale Activated!]
Grash’s battle axe slammed into Ka’z’s right shoulder. Blood exploded outward as the blade bit deep into flesh, then stopped. His muscles and reinforced scales had prevented the strike from cleaving completely through.
At the exact same instant Ka’z’s burning palm struck Grash squarely against the thick fur covering his chest.
His eyes blazed crimson.
"Ignis Vel!"
Fire Magic: Fireball!
Boom!
A roaring sphere of condensed fire erupted between them without warning and the explosion struck Grash point blank.
His feet finally left the ground as the massive fireball continued driving him backward across the battlefield like a battering ram before erupting into an even larger explosion that swallowed both figures in blinding amber light.
The retreating kobolds instinctively stopped running and everyone turned. Powerful winds tore across the battlefield as smoke and burning debris filled the air.
Slowly a lone figure emerged from the edge of the explosion.
Ka’z.
His right hand clutched the bleeding wound on his shoulder while blood dripped steadily between his fingers. His breathing had become noticeably heavier, yet his eyes never once left the cloud of smoke where Grash had disappeared.
A crooked grin slowly spread across his face.
"Game over, motherfucker."