Spirit Game

The village lay in ruins. Flames licked the remnants of buildings that had taken weeks to construct, inferno consuming everything in its path.

The explosion had not only shattered the physical structures but had also claimed the lives of thousands of Hobgoblins caught in its devastating blast.

Through the thick smoke and scattered rubble, General Gralnor emerged, a figure of fury and resilience. His rage was palpable, his massive form pushing through the debris.

Half of his face was a grotesque mask of melted flesh, the searing heat having burned away skin and muscle, exposing raw, charred tissue. His body bore the marks of the explosion, with patches of skin hanging loosely, revealing the sinew beneath.

Despite the inferno, there were still about two thousand Hobgoblins who had been fortunate enough to be outside the blast radius.

Among the survivors was General Varkis, his body covered in burns, each movement sending waves of pain through his scorched skin. His usually composed demeanor was shattered, replaced by a grimace of agony and fury.

General Gralnor, however, had suffered the worst. The left side of his face was unrecognizable, a horrifying mix of melted features and exposed bone.

His anger was a palpable force as he looked around at the charred bodies of his fallen troops. The pain from his wounds was secondary to the seething rage that coursed through him.

"AaAarRgGH!"

With a roar that echoed across the desolate landscape, Gralnor vented his frustration and disbelief.

How could a ragtag village of misfits do this to their army? He bellowed, his voice a mix of pain and fury. How could they destroy them without even a proper fight?

He couldn't fathom the reality before him — a small, seemingly insignificant village had managed to inflict such devastating damage on his mighty force.

The realization stung worse than his burns, a blow to his pride and a testament to the cunning and resolve of their enemies.

As he surveyed the destruction, his anger only grew, fueling a desire for vengeance that burned hotter than the flames around him.

At a distance, Rain and the others rode their horses away from the village when they heard General Gralnor's enraged shouts echoing through the chaos.

"That guy is still alive?" Rain asked, surprised.

He distinctly remembered seeing the Hobgoblin General at the center of the village. That blast should have killed him, but it seemed Gralnor was sturdier than the rest.

It would take a great deal of damage to completely kill that Hobgoblin, Rain thought, signaling everyone to hurry. They needed to get close to the shore within range of the warship to finish off the remaining Hobgoblin army.

By now, they should have bought enough time for the others to fully evacuate to the warship.

"Let's pick up the pace!" Rain urged.

~WhoOosh!~

A whistling sound cut through the air, and before Rain knew what was happening, he was thrown off his horse. The ground split with a violent tremor, knocking him off his feet. It was General Gralnor's [Cleaved] skill, a powerful attack that caused the earth to shake and sent them sprawling.

Chin, Chill, and Chick managed to evade just in time, but Thraigar was slower to react and got struck in his left hand. The wound was deep, and the goliath bled profusely.

Chin and the others did their best to heal his wound but only managed to close a small part of it. Their healing abilities weren't potent enough for such a severe injury.

"Get back here! I'll kill you! I'll definitely kill you!" General Gralnor's furious shout sliced through the air.

Rain scrambled to his feet and felt a forceful gust of wind from behind him. He turned to see General Gralnor's gruesome, burned face, eyes bloodshot, teeth gritted, his hand bulging with veins as he gripped his axe and swung it with deadly intent.

Time seemed to slow as the axe came swiftly towards Rain's throat.

~ClaAanNgG!~

A loud clang rang out as Chin's shield parried the Hobgoblin's axe just in time, saving Rain's life. The shield shattered from the impact, sending both of them flying.

Rain felt some of his ribs crack from the force, and he struggled to get up, his head ringing. To his horror, Chin was writhing in pain from his broken hand. The force of the Hobgoblin General's attack had been too much, and Chin had sacrificed his arm to save him.

"Chin!"

~Chirp~

Chin pushed Rain away while trying to heal himself. He stood up, grabbed his sword with his one good hand, and faced the Hobgoblin General. Chill and Chick healed his broken hand as best they could, but their healing skills weren't strong enough to fully mend it.

General Gralnor closed in on Chin, swinging his axe with brutal power. The force of the blow would surely kill Chin or break his other hand.

"Chin! Get away! Don't face him head-on!" Rain shouted.

But it was too late to retreat. Fortunately, Chill and Chick rushed in, helping to parry Gralnor's blow. The Hobgoblin General sent them flying, but the damage inflicted on them was minimal.

Gralnor had gone berserk, raging with uncontrollable fury, mouth dripping with saliva as he muttered only one word, 'kill.'

At this point, the General couldn't feel pain, but his power had doubled in his madness. He knew he was going to die soon from his burns, so he had nothing to lose — a powerful and fearsome opponent to face right now.

Rain deduced that the General had somehow used a skill to teleport to their location. The rest of the Hobgoblins were still hundreds of meters away, slowed by the fire and their injuries.

Rain didn't care anymore. He grabbed his sword and charged at General Gralnor. The General was alone, and he had to kill him before the others could reach their location.

"Argh!" Rain charged head-on, but General Gralnor swung his axe, and the force sent Rain flying without even bridging the distance between them.

General Gralnor stomped towards Rain, each step reverberating through the ground. Raising his weapon high, he brought it down with a vengeance.

Rain closed his eyes, expecting to be cut in half, when suddenly Thraigar appeared before him, clasping the blade between his massive palms and halting the axe in its tracks, saving Rain.

The impact sent shockwaves through Thraigar's body, but he held firm, his muscles straining as he absorbed the blow.

"Get up, Rain!" Thraigar growled, his voice like rolling thunder. "You have to run!"
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Rain scrambled to his feet, his eyes locking onto General Gralnor's enraged face. Thraigar pushed back against the axe, forcing Gralnor to take a step back.