Free Web NovelChapter 21: Strength Of A Silver Core Magic Beast
Pa!
The instant Tud’or’s fingers wrapped around the shaft of his spear, brilliant orange flames exploded from the weapon. Fire raced across the wooden shaft without consuming it before gathering around the stone spearhead, expanding until the entire weapon had doubled in size. Heat distorted the air around it while streams of fire spiraled upward like living serpents.
"Fire Magic: Fire Spear!"
The Goblin Blood Shaman’s eyes widened. So did every Goblin Rider behind him.
Without exchanging a single word, they instinctively yanked on their reins, forcing their striped boars to scatter in different directions. Every survival instinct screamed at them to dodge but they were too late.
Boom!
The flaming spear crashed into the center of their formation like a falling meteor.
An explosion of fire and earth erupted outward, swallowing the goblins in a wall of smoke and blazing debris. The shockwave rippled across the battlefield, knocking every boar off its feet. The beasts screamed as they tumbled across the dirt while their riders were hurled violently into the air before crashing separately onto the ground.
In a single attack, Tud’or had dismounted all five remaining riders.
Thud!
He landed heavily within the smoking crater, one knee bent while his burning scales glowed like molten rock. Without the slightest hesitation, he reached down and pulled the charred spear free from the shattered earth.
His gaze slowly settled upon the Blood Shaman.
A mocking smile spread across his face.
"Do you really think..." Tud’or said calmly, "...that you can escape a Silver Core Magic Beast?"
His tone dripped with contempt.
Despite standing on enemy territory while being vastly outnumbered by the Ashmork Clan as a whole, Tud’or looked down upon the goblins as though they were vermin.
Even the Blood Shaman couldn’t understand it. By every measure, the goblins should have been the superior race.
Why...
Why was this kobold looking down on him?
One after another, the Goblin Riders staggered back onto their feet. They instinctively glanced toward their leader, silently begging for instructions.
Against a Silver Core warrior, without magic, how could they possibly win?
The Blood Shaman slowly straightened.
"We were going to spare your women and children before," he growled.
His expression twisted into something feral.
"But now we will slaughter your children and make your whores bear our bastards!"
Red cracks slowly spread around his eyelids. The veins across his body began pulsing.
The moment those words left his mouth, every Goblin Rider pulled a crude bone dagger from their waist.
Without hesitation...
Slash!
Slash!
Slash!
Slash!
Slash!
They sliced open the arteries along their wrists. Blood immediately sprayed onto the ground.
Instead of pooling beneath their feet, however, the streams of blood rose into the air as though gravity itself had ceased to exist.
Every crimson stream converged upon the carvings covering the Blood Shaman’s body. The symbols lit up one after another.
"Blood Magic: Berserk!"
The transformation was horrifying.
His muscles bulged violently beneath his skin, expanding so rapidly that they seemed ready to burst. Purple veins spread across his entire body while his bones cracked loudly as his frame continued growing until it reached 5ft.
Within seconds, the once-scrawny goblin had become an enormous mountain of swollen muscle.
The grotesque proportions made even the most extreme bodybuilders from Ka’z’s previous world look like children.
"What the..."
Ka’z muttered beneath his breath.
"It heals too?" Za’r gasped.
Her words drew everyone’s attention toward the other goblins. The blood continued pouring from their wrists only to reveal perfectly healed flesh beneath.
Not even a scar remained.
The regeneration occurred faster than Za’r’s Light Magic could ever hope to accomplish.
"He’s got healing and offensive spells?" Ru’k blurted out in disbelief.
"This should be illegal," Kurg whispered, staring with a horrified expression.
Only one person remained unimpressed.
Tud’or.
Instead of surprise he looked disappointed as though he had expected something far greater.
Thud!
The Blood Shaman disappeared. One heartbeat later he reappeared directly before Tud’or. His massive fist descended with enough force to shatter stone.
Bang!
The impact thundered across the battlefield and dust exploded outward. Yet when it settled Tud’or had not moved even an inch. He had casually caught the punch with one hand.
The massive goblin strained desperately, muscles bulging further as he tried forcing the kobold backward but nothing happened.
Swish!
A streak of fire flashed through the air. The Blood Shaman’s eyes widened and his scream tore across the battlefield.
His forearm spun through the air before crashing onto the dirt several meters away. Blood gushed from the cleanly severed stump.
Before he could retreat his own blood surged outward.
"Blood Magic: Blood Threads!"
Thin crimson tendrils shot toward Tud’or’s face and chest like countless needles.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Every strand struck the kobold’s scales. Not one penetrated. The attacks scattered harmlessly and Tud’or looked almost bored.
He casually waved one hand and the earth beneath the Blood Shaman erupted. Massive stone spikes burst upward in an instant, piercing through both legs, his stomach, shoulder, and side before erupting from his back.
The goblin was lifted into the air and pinned upright like an insect on display. Blood poured from every wound and his mouth opened repeatedly but no words came out.
"You really thought that you could win?"" Tud’or scoffed.
To everyone’s surprise the Blood Shaman began laughing.
The laughter quickly turned into violent coughing. Blood spilled from his lips yet the smile remained.
"Fools..."
He struggled for every breath.
"I was the bait all along."
Only then did Ka’z instinctively look around. His pupils shrank as he realized the remaining Goblin Riders were gone.
During the brief but overwhelming exchange between Tud’or and the Blood Shaman, they had taken advantage of everyone’s attention being drawn toward the duel.
They had slipped around Ka’z’s wall and vanished into the forest.
"Damn it..." Ka’z whispered.
Everyone had forgotten about them.
"The real fool..."
A calm elderly voice interrupted his thoughts.
"...is the one who walks into another man’s home and expects to leave it alive."
Everyone turned.
Tong’a sat comfortably upon a large rock near the edge of the forest, leaning lazily against his staff as though he had merely come outside to enjoy the afternoon breeze.
The forest suddenly came alive and vines erupted from beneath the undergrowth. The escaping Goblin Riders screamed as thick green tendrils wrapped around their necks and ankles before violently dragging them upward into the canopy.
They kicked wildly and their fingers clawed desperately at the vines tightening around their throats.
The more they struggled the tighter the vines became. One after another their movements slowed.
The Blood Shaman’s eyes widened. Disbelief quickly became rage and his lips trembled causing blood spill from his mouth.
His head slowly fell backward and he hatred burning within his eyes faded into emptiness. He died watching every remaining member of his scouting party hang before him.
