Free Web NovelChapter 12: Draw the Sword
Vyral frowned as he stared at the Boss Hobgoblin. Now he finally understood why Arthea said they would never complete this dungeon.
[Boss Hobgoblin Lv.5]
A veteran fighter with close-combat skills and magic-infused blows. He fought Arthea without breaking a sweat, as if it were nothing more than brief amusement to him. It looked like he had been pushing Arthea to her limit before finally intending to kill her with relish.
Turns out, the hobgoblins Vyral had just killed were nothing more than a bunch of small fry, just as Athrea said.
Vyral summoned a battle axe and rushed at the boss hobgoblin.
The boss hobgoblin’s eyes flashed with a glint of amusement as the green goblin joined the fray.
Even with Vyral joining the battle, it didn’t seem to matter much. The boss hobgoblin could still easily overpower the two of them, like an expert dancing with amateurs.
"Quite strange... a woman carrying the aura of a King, and a goblin that looks so ordinary, yet possesses such a bizarre trait."
He spoke coldly, his voice carrying a hint of regret.
"I feel sorry for you."
For the first time in the entire battle, his eyes flashed with clear murderous intent. His vertical pupils locked tightly onto the green goblin.
In the long run, he would win this battle for sure, yet for some reason – maybe his predator instinct was warning him that the one standing last wouldn’t be him.
Especially this green goblin; it gave hobgoblin a sense of unease, despite being the weakest one.
"You must be erased."
His voice turned deeper and firmer as he delivered a claw strike as fast as lightning toward the goblin, completely ignoring Athrea’s blows. He had to kill the green goblin right now, even if it meant being struck by Athrea and dying afterward.
A flood of memories flashed through Vyral’s mind. Time seemed to slow.
"I... will die?"
...
"No!"
Vyral’s willpower wouldn’t allow such a thing, so he raised his hand to block it. He only needed to withstand that blow one only time. Moreover, it was a golden opportunity for Arthea to finish this monster.
Right now, he could only hope for two things.
First, that he’d survive that fatal strike – though even with his body enhanced by basic evolutions, he wasn’t sure. Maybe he’d die.
Second, that Arthea could make the most of this chance.
However...
THUNK!
"Damn, I thought it would hurt like hell, but it doesn’t."
Vyral cracked his eyes open, but his expression quickly turned dazed when he saw Arthea standing in front of him. She had taken his place and blocked the strike by using herself as a shield.
The Boss Hobgoblin quickly pulled his claw out of Arthea’s belly, leaving a deep hole as blood poured out like a waterfall.
The Boss Hobgoblin frowned in confusion as he stared at the woman, struggling to stop the bleeding and heal herself with her mana. Yet, she would die soon no matter what. Her useless attempt was nothing more than a desperate struggle before death. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
"I don’t understand."
...
’’He’s just a goblin.’’
Arthea’s face was pale as death as she gasped for breath. Her eyes slowly turned hollow. She didn’t know what the Boss Hobgoblin was saying, but she could partly guess it.
Vyral slowly calmed down and gently laid her down, transferring his meager mana into Arthea while using his hands to stop the bleeding.
He stared at her beautiful, yet slowly fading face with a complicated expression.
"Why did you do that? You lost your golden chance to complete the dungeon."
For the first time, he spoke to Arthea as a real person rather than just an NPC.
A trace of bitterness flashed through her eyes as she repeated her father’s mistake. Her thoughts were a mess, torn apart between what she had been taught, and what that way of thinking had led to – death.
Arthea slightly parted her lips, her eyes reddening with tears.
"That’s what a king would do."
She didn’t regret saving Vyral at all. She felt relieved, yet at the same time, a painful sadness filled her heart for never being able to fulfill the simple wishes of a normal young girl like everyone else. freewebnøvel.coɱ
If there were a next life, she wished for an ordinary one – living in a quiet, remote place, marrying a good man, giving birth to a dozen children for him, planting trees, and growing old together until the end of her life.
Tears quickly blurred her eyes while weak sobs slipped out of her trembling lips.
"’I... I want to live...’’
The Boss Hobgoblin picked his nose and asked,
"What did she just say? I’m curious why she did that."
Vyral tightly grabbed her cold, trembling hands. He let out a long breath before speaking.
"Huh? Speak louder." The Boss Hobgoblin let curiosity override his judgment and stepped closer, but at that very moment, Vyral seized the opportunity. Clenching his jaw, he lunged up into the air and lashed his claws across the monster’s face, leaving behind long, bloody gashes. To begin with, he had intended to slit the monster’s throat, but its reflexes were simply too fast, so he failed.
"She said... you’re a son of a bitch."
The Boss Hobgoblin’s veins bulged across his forehead in rage.
"You really pissed me off, shorty."
Just like that, the Boss Hobgoblin simply tortured Vyral with cruel, brutal punches. It swore not to let Vyral die easily.
Vyral would have to endure the most terrible things before the Hobgoblin felt satisfied. Combined with the game’s amplified pain, what Vyral was going through was nothing short of hell.
He just wanted to log out and escape the endless pain, yet the system’s announcement suddenly rang out.
[Do you really want to log out? You will never be able to sign in again if you do so under these circumstances.]
’’P-Please, spare him.’’ Arthea struggled to force the words out.
The Boss Hobgoblin grimaced and spat in disdain. Although it didn’t understand what Arthea said, it could guess from her expression — the broken look of someone forced to watch their partner being tortured.
’’Disgusting! I thought you were a worthy knight. Turns out, you’re nothing but a mere woman.’’
In the final moments of the torture, he ripped off Vyral’s left arm before tossing him across the ground like a broken puppet. Vyral skidded violently before crashing into the rocky platform where Excalibur was embedded at its center.
Vyral lay motionless on the rocky platform, struggling to take each precious breath. Blood from his wounds flowed down the rocky slope of the platform, spreading a metallic smell through the air.
’’It’s over yet?’’
...
’’NOO! I WON’T’’
Vyral fought to stand up. His vision grew vague, yet he still kept his willpower. His resilience, crazy even caused Boss to be surprised for a second – a monstrous, unbreakable will.
Ting!
[Excalibur has witnessed everything you’ve done. She acknowledges you as a knight of the Round Table.]
[You have the right to draw the sword and wield it for a single strike.]
