Pick Me Up!

“It’s about time.”

Although they appeared unscathed, both Aaron and Jenna were nearing their limits.

Not only they were lacking oxygen, but the surroundings were a blazing inferno. While the Flame Resistance skill enhanced our resistance to fire, it didn’t grant complete immunity. To make matters worse, the rain made movement arduous.

“Now, it’s time for Tier 2.”

Eolka nodded, her complexion pale.

The first mana potion was nearly empty.

As I tore off the arm of a goblin wielding a sword, I shouted,

“Jenna, Aaron! When Eolka unleashes the spell this time, we’ll charge straight toward the river. Don’t stop, keep running!”

“Yes!”

Emptying the mana potion in one gulp, Eolka began the incantation.

I tightly gripped the empty glass bottle of potion and hurled it at the face of the goblin standing before me.

Crash!

“Ouch!”

The goblin clutched its face, screaming in pain, and I swiftly pulled it towards me, placing it right in front of Eolka.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

The goblin became a shield, absorbing the relentless barrage of crossbow bolts before collapsing.

“40 seconds.”

“Get down!”

“Yes!”

【Unleash!】

The flames, previously lingering around Eolka, shot forward in a straight line.

I quickly dropped to the ground, feeling the metallic thud as bitter mud entered my mouth.

【Ignite!】

Boom!

Countless raindrops poured down in unison, as if each carried the force of a pounding fist. The impact engulfed me from head to toe, while the goblin’s agonized screams echoed amidst the chaos.

I rose to my feet and spat out the mud, feeling Eolka staggering with exhaustion.

Sheathing my sword and securing the shield on my back, I lifted Eolka with both hands, supporting her.

“This is…”

“Don’t say a word.”

Eolka nodded slowly, then entrusted her body to me.

“Jenna, Aaron, by my side. Let’s run towards the river!”

“Yes!”

Joined by the other two, we sprinted past the lifeless goblin bodies.

As I held Eolka, I couldn’t wield a weapon. Jenna and Aaron ran ahead, one shooting arrows and the other thrusting his spear from both sides.

The sound of the rushing river grew closer.

The horde of goblins was slowly retreating.

Although they glared at us from a distance, baring their teeth and attempting to intimidate us, they didn’t pursue us relentlessly. Their focus shifted towards advancing further to the northern city wall.

“We made it through.”

“Phew, that was close. I thought we were done for!”

On one side of the river, there stood a majestic tree, providing a refuge from the rain.

Jenna and Aaron sought shelter beneath its shade, taking a seat.

I gently placed Eolka down, though her gaze remained sharp.

“I wish you could be more gentle.”

“Sorry, the circumstances don’t allow for it.”

I chuckled and replied.

“Take a moment to rest. Apply the healing potion to your burns and take a sip. Remember, we only have one, so don’t use it all at once.”

“Understood. Whoa, this is quite potent.”

Jenna furrowed her brows as she swallowed the potion and lightly dabbed it onto her exposed brown skin. Aaron followed suit, and after taking a sip myself, I applied it to my burnt marks. A tingling sensation coursed through my entire body.

I stepped outside the tree.

To the north of the city.

Though it was distant, I strained my eyes to catch a glimpse of the ongoing situation.

Dozens of siege towers clung to the city walls, ferrying goblins upward. Arrows and bolts crisscrossed between the upper and lower levels of the wall, and as most goblins reached the top, they promptly plummeted to their demise. The outer defenses hadn’t been breached yet. It seemed like Edis’ party was putting up a good fight.

And then, there was the river—the very reason we had come here.

Rain poured relentlessly, causing the river to surge forcefully. A substantial dam spanned across the river, positioned between its upstream and downstream. Although its stone construction didn’t exude an air of sturdiness, it appeared capable of holding for the time being. Beyond the river stretched a sprawling forest.

On the 7th floor when we checked this place, the dam lay in ruins.

It wasn’t a natural collapse; there were telltale signs of something forcefully breaking it, such as scattered bricks and upturned piles of dirt. It suggested that the goblins, anticipating the arrival of reinforcements, deliberately demolished it.

“It’s strange.”

Both the fifth-floor city and the seventh-floor dam were in a deplorable state of disrepair.

These small goblins lack the means or strength to completely obliterate the city walls and buildings. At best, they managed to assemble siege towers to scale the walls.

Then how?!

“Oppa, what are you doing out there? You’ll get soaked. Come inside.”

“…hmm.”

“What’s the matter?”

“Everyone, come out. Our guests will arrive soon.”

Footsteps echoed from somewhere.

“I wanted to rest a bit longer.”

Jenna complained as she emerged from the tree.

Aaron followed suit, and Eolka, having caught her breath, drank about a third of her mana potion and stood by my side.

“We’ll hold on until reinforcements arrive. They’ll attempt to demolish the dam. We must stop them at all costs.”

“Yes.”

Amidst the falling rain, the enemy revealed themselves.

Unlike the previous group of goblins we had encountered, these guys had set their sights on the dam. I checked them through the curtain of raindrops.

[Goblin Lv.9 x 19]

They were armed and prepared like elite special forces.

Donning iron armor and wielding weapons, some even brandished picks and hammers, seeking weak points to break through.

And then…

Thud, thud, thud!

Each step sent tremors reverberating through the ground.

Standing approximately 3 meters and 50 centimeters tall, they made the goblins by the side appear small like some rats.

Their tightly muscled bodies rippled beneath their pale green skin. Clad in sturdy plate armor that shielded their vulnerable areas, they hauled colossal iron hammers in their right hands.

“I had a feeling it would be you.”

The creature let out a resounding roar.

“GUUUARGH!”

[Ogre Lv.23]