Pick Me Up!

Aaron’s mouth gaped in astonishment.

“What the heck is that?”

“Never seen a monster before?”

Truth be told, this was my first too.

I drew my blade across my shield, and the piercing sound of metal split the silence.

“Don’t be afraid, everyone! It’s just a beast, like us, it has a brain and a heart. If it has a heart it means it can die. Keep thrusting your weapons, and it’ll fall.”

“Well, it’s better than facing a swarm of goblins!”

Ping!

In a swift, graceful motion, Jenna said then released an arrow.

Twirling through the air, it found its mark deep within the ogre’s belly.

“Kuaaah!”

The ogre roared, drool flying from its mouth, yet it continued its approach steadily. Each heavy footstep disturbed the earth beneath.

Jenna, smiling, scratched her cheek nonchalantly.

“Or perhaps, facing goblins is better?”

“We’ll find out once this one’s down.”

I cast a glance over my shoulder.

My party was tense with uncertainty, yet their faces betrayed no fear.

This was promising. If each held their ground, victory was within our grasp.

“Get hold of yourselves! We’re splitting responsibilities. Eolka, you’re to create a wall of fire near the dam.”

“A wall of fire?”

“To bar the goblins from advancing until backup arrives.”

“I can manage that, but what about that monster?”

“I’ll handle it. Aaron, your job is to shield Eolka. Jenna, depending on how things unfold, assists either Aaron or me. Trust your judgment.”

“Understood.”

“Alright!”

“Everyone, to your positions.”

As Eolka sprinted toward the riverbank opposite the dam, she started her spell casting.

Aaron followed in a swift stride, warding off any projectiles aimed at Eolka.

Jenna, entrusted with the center position, observed the unfolding scenario, her arrow poised to strike.

I hurled a stone from the riverbank straight at the ogre’s grim face.

The ogre scowled at the unpleasant surprise and advanced towards me.

I readied myself, drawing my sword and raising my shield.

“Kuoouoouoo!”

With a deafening shriek, the ogre swung its formidable iron hammer.

I nimbly rolled aside to evade. The ground trembled under the mighty force of the hammer, flinging dirt and mud high into the air.

‘One hit could spell the end.’

A shield is only as good as its ability to withstand the force it’s meant to deflect.

I vaulted backwards, deftly avoiding the erratic arc of the plummeting hammer.

Ping!

Jenna’s second arrow pierced the ogre’s right shoulder.

“Kiaaaa!”

At the same time, Goblins began to surge towards the dam in a frenzied rush.

【Ignite!】

Whooosh!

Fire seared a path between the goblins and the riverbank. The flame’s menacing wall caused the goblins to falter momentarily, a pause Aaron seized to spear through a goblin’s skull with deadly precision.

Eolka, her eyes closed, continued to recite her spell unyieldingly.

Her purpose wasn’t to shoot fire, but to sustain it. Even in the relentless rain, the flames roared upward, their fury undiminished.

The ogre, after retrieving its iron hammer, nonchalantly shrugged its shoulders. An arrow lodged in its muscular crevice slipped out smoothly. Jenna, who was readying her third arrow, grumbled a curse under her breath.

“What a beast!”

“Aim for vital spots, or don’t bother. We can’t waste arrows.”

“And where the hell are these vital spots?”

“That’s for you to figure out!”

Whoosh!

As if about to leap in, I rolled forward. The place where I once stood was demolished by the iron hammer. I sprang to my feet and swung my sword in a wide arc, causing a spray of blood from the ogre’s right arm.

The ogre, unaffected, swept its hammer sideways. I evaded narrowly.

‘Cutting deep is tough without a proper stance.’

I snuck a glance sideways.

Aaron was giving his all, yet there was no assurance of how long he could shield Eolka. The goblins, having assessed the situation, had shifted from close-combat to long-range attacks. They fired bolts; the ones without crossbows resorted to hurling stones. Whether bolt or stone, a single hit could disrupt Eolka’s balance.

‘I must take the risk.’

The ogre upheaved its hammer and thundered it down.

I semi-bent my knee and moved in closer to the ogre. As the hammer’s tail end threatened to shatter my skull, I yanked my left hand back, lifting my shield in a deflective block.

Ka-ka-kak!

A bone-warping shockwave rattled my left hand. I shrugged off the pain and, with a slippery move, slid under the ogre’s feet and tightened my grip on the sword hilt.

With my right hand, I drove the sword tip into the ogre’s groin with all my might.

A sensation of crumbling filled my hand.

‘Ow, so he’s a male.’

Blood gushed between its legs as I yanked out the sword and swiftly wriggled free.

“Kuoooooo!”

The ogre howled, brandishing its hammer aimlessly in an unhinged frenzy, a desperate act to override its agony.

I established a safe distance between myself and the gigantic beast, ensuring I was just a few meters away.

An agonizing sting surged from the deep recesses of my left arm, the sensation akin to a broken bone. Still, it wasn’t incapacitated, and with some effort, remained functional.

“Kuoo, Kaaaa!” roared the ogre, slamming its iron hammer down with brute force, painting a gruesome picture as a handful of goblins were crushed into a bloody pulp.

In an electrifying moment, an arrow from Jenna’s quiver found its mark, piercing the ogre’s left eye with deadly precision.

The ogre lost control, dropping its hammer and thrashing wildly, jumping and spinning chaotically.

Taking a quick breath to steel myself, I moved in for the attack. With a nimble step back, the ogre’s tree-trunk-like fist grazed past my nose in a swift miss. I plunged back into the fray, noticing the ogre’s back arching over. The ogre’s armor, covering its left chest, showed a visible gap.

With a firm grip on my sword hilt, I lunged, aiming directly for the beast’s heart. The ogre’s muscular chest put up a fierce resistance against my sword. Undeterred, I twisted my blade, plunging it deeper until I could sense the pulsating beat of its heart through my weapon.

With a swift pull, I withdrew my sword. Blood, thick and red, erupted from the gap in the ogre’s chest plate.

With a heavy thud, the behemoth’s body collapsed face-first into the muddy sludge.

The rain, now tainted with the ogre’s blood, splashed wildly, soaking me to the waist.

Stunned by the spectacle, the remaining goblins hesitated, their confidence shattered.

Spitting out the rainwater that had slipped past my lips, I pressed on towards the petrified goblins. The first one didn’t even react to my blade, and just as I was about to engage another, Jenna’s urgent voice rang out.

“Oppa!”

“What’s wrong?”

“I think there’s another one!”