Chapter 114: Rushed

Level seven came without a delay. Barriers didn't open, trees didn't bore under the arena, rivers remained, and another crack appeared, unleashing another group of swamp goblins. A hundred and fifty goblins according to the joyous announcer in purple.

Kwan was nowhere to be found, and Ned doesn't have the luxury of time looking for him.

Two dozen of goblins herd the wet soil, forming a small hill of dead humanoids.

Ned pulled arrows off the dead goblins, he chose only the one that was salvable, the rest were either split to half or were stuck inside the skull and was difficult to pull. Ned pulled the last arrow sunk inside the eye when a  spell-made wind blew from west of him. Highlighting a rough, and warm smell. A treacherous odor only Ned could smell.

He brushed his nose with his finger, the same finger he used to kill dozens of the goblins. "Come out," Ned said. Putting the last arrow back to his quiver. Left hand holding the bow. Right hand ready to shoot, depending on the man's decision, hiding left of Ned, under a tree with orange leaves. Not from the fiery fire of the arena, but the leaves were orange, even the stem. Making the white and some golden thread lining the clothes of the man hiding behind the tree, nakedly visible.

"Never saw you before here, kid," the man behind the tree spoke. Slowly, and wryly he came out of the tree. Waistline hair hung behind him, braided neatly as if he wasn't a participant of the game, he looked neat. Highlighting the wooden necklace hugging his neck.

Hunter Liv. Ned thought. He looked older, maybe around the late twenties, but Ned assumed he was younger than that.

"Not from here," Ned said. Turning to face the wood rank hunter. "I'm with someone, he asked me to join the game."

"The weeping kid," Liv said and smiled. Holding his bow while the tip aimed at the ground, as if he was ready for something.

Ned confined his eyes. "How long have you been there?" Ned asked with apprehension. Looking at the hunter, it seemed that he doesn't want to answer Ned with his shoulders shrugging. Ned changed his question. "Where's your Spotter?"

Liv hissed. "We got separated," he said eventually, looking left and right away from Ned's wary eyes. "And how about your spotter? Won't you go and follow him? Level seven is about to start, are you sure he will survive, or are you sure you will survive, kid?"

Ned turned without saying a thing and pointed at the lifeless body of the lady participant. Beside the beheaded body were goblins. Green and red blood mixed and flies buzz as they chose to feast on the human body than the goblins. "Isn't she your spotter?" Ned said.

Liv was silent. He didn't stutter, not a jerk or twitch, even a blink. And Ned saw it all.  And it seemed that he was with someone who's willing to take a risk to achieved goals. 

And to highlight what Liv has said. Not far from the two, the ground shook, and a crumbling sound reverberated the stone floor. The announcer then cried. "Twenty left! A hundred and fifty more!"

Twenty for the participant; and to tell people that Bogaressi has the capacity and power to capture magical beasts, a hundred and fifty more swamp goblins appeared.  

Ned prepared by carefully aligning the two feet and half arrow into the string of the bow. 

Leaves rustled, stem snapped. Under the dimming light, figures appeared from the forest. The same forest where the lady spotter appeared.

Ned didn't bother to aim. He doesn't want to shoot the incoming participants. Terror filled their eyes. The same terror that followed them. Ranks of swamp goblins were trailing them. Most of the fleeing participants were skilled but new to the game. They were overwhelmed with the prize and joined with false bravery. Too late for them to learn that this false bravery will sink one of their foot in a grave. 

"Proceed near the barrier!" One of the participants cried. The voice doesn't seem to care, but at least he was guiding the rest of the terrorized participants.

Eight participants ran amok passing through Ned and the uncaring Liv. 

"The goblins at level six were my prey, kid," said Liv, pestering Ned with his slightly off the tune voice. And it doesn't suit him.

"So you lured them here?" Ned said.

"No," Liv replied uncaringly. One of the participants passed behind him and Liv gave a hissing sound. "You're just in my way, that's all. I could have killed the goblin leader, and... " He stopped. Withholding something he should not share.

Participants ran wild as the last of them passed Ned and the hunter, the last of the participant who seemed to guide them stopped between Ned and Liv.

"Leave now, kid," said the new guy. He doesn't have a spotter, and his bow shuns the orange light with its golden thread.

"You might be surprised who you talking to Don," said Liv. He wasn't praising Ned, his accent revealed that he was mocking instead.

Don cocked a shoulder and said with a pity: "Well, don't tell me later that I didn't warn you." He eyed the dead goblins scattered and the headless body. He seemed to gulp air and turned away his eyes at the dead lady spotter. His eyes turned left and right as if looking for something.

"At the back," Ned said without pressure.  His eyes gazed at the incoming goblins. "Don't know where, but you might find her head in one of the bushes there."

This is a game. Yet, flinch a little, do a wrong move, or worse fight with hesitation. Expect to die. Ned thought. Raising the bow aligned to his collar. He let loose the arrow with ease. His strength added with the bow's string, the arrow hit the goblin's neck with a thwack sound. It fell on its own green blood.

Don's crafted compound bow compensated the lack of strength by its range.  Hitting the far end of the horde of the goblins. With his trained arms, he downed two goblins twice with ease.

While Liv shot at a slow rate, very slow. He was taking his time, and as if he wasn't bothered by the group coming their way.

Goblins were scattered in the arena, some near the edges, a number of participants and goblins in the center, while Ned and the rest were at the middle near the edge. Their group took most of the goblins since it almost counted to eighty, more than half of the current number.

The three remained unmoving. While the dead goblins made a small hill in front of them. Covering the dead goblin leader and the headless body. 

But Ned with limited arrows dashed forward, leaving his quiver on the ground.

"Kid!" Don cried. Stopping his attack midway, surprised by the action of Ned. 

Ned skipped the dead bodies, pulling one arrow along the way. There were almost twenty goblins left. Ned stood atop the dead goblin hill and jumped at the incoming enemies. 

Ned bent, evading the club hurled toward him. He aimed and shoot. The one who threw the club went dead. He jumped backward, making the two clubs swung at him hit nothing but air. He shoots the one on his right; dead. He pulled an arrow on the dead body resting beneath his left foot. Aimed, and shoot, another one dead. He jumped, evaded, and shoot. Making his energy lower by almost forty percent. Leaving him with enough energy to last a couple of hours of acrobatic movements. 

After Ned jumped from the goblin-hill. The other side went with a scream and screeching before it toned down to complete silence. The two had a hard time shooting since the hill was blocking their view. 

Moments later, the two decided to move with a silent agreement, they walked, and climbed the pile of a dead goblin, and peered at the other side. What they saw were the remains. 

Neck, eyes, joints, and even the holes in the ears of the goblins weren't spared. Ned stood in the middle of another small hill, with only one arrow nocked in the bow, and another one he held. Some green liquid smudged on the surface of his black clothing. 

As the game kept on going, so as the onlookers with their gasping breathe and gawking eyes. 

Ned stood, feeling the surroundings around him. A serious number of goblins were killed, yet, the level hasn't ended. 

Ned could hear screams in the depths of the man-made forest. If level six had one, so does level seven. Ned needed to find where the goblin leader was. 

He dashed, leaving the two with dead goblins. Ned grazed trees, plants,  and rocks. Following a trail leading him almost in the center of the arena. 

Ned stopped near a shallow pond or swamp that ran far and wide. Fewer trees and stones. And abundant grass stood in front of him. Far from him, he saw two goblin leaders swinging their axes pursuing a man clad in black. It was Swift with his fitted clothing and a mechanical bow attached to his wrist. 

The two goblin leader was struck with many short arrows, making them look like a walking cactus. But, instead of dying, they were enraged. And the culprit, they were chasing. 

Water splashes as the goblin leader throw its ax. Swift evaded by sliding on the mud, making the ax stuck on the muddy ground. Then, he ran after he shot one arrow hitting the chest of one of the leaders. Then the goblin leader pulled the ax on the ground and started to pursue again. 

Swift could have killed the other goblin leader the moment it stopped and pulled the ax on the ground. But he didn't. 

Unless. Ned thought. He then aimed the only arrow he had nock and released just before the goblin threw the ax again. At the distance of almost a hundred-meters, the arrow swooshed hitting the first goblin leader on its neck.

Distance made the arrow weak the moment it landed on the neck. The goblin leader stopped, grabbing the arrow stuck on its neck and growled the moment it was pulled. He shot its bloodshot red eyes to Ned and ran. 

Taking the chance, Swift shot dozen of arrows in a matter of second, aiming at different parts of the second goblin leader. Yes, swift never missed, but even at a close distance, the arrows weren't penetrating. The goblin leader jumped, raising its ax aiming at Swift. 

Swift jumped backward, the moment he landed, his right foot slipped and he tumbled on the muddy ground. The shadow cast on his face, the ax was nearing. Swift raised his hand instinctively to protect his face where the ax was aimed—as his arm could really protect him against a hungry ax. Under his black mask, he closed his eyes. 

The ax hummed beside him, hitting not his head but the wet ground beside him. He opened his eyes, and an arrow was sticking into the goblin leader's neck. It jerked gasping for air as the green blood oozed out. It thudded on the ground making a burbling sound as the blood flowed. 

Not far from him, the other goblin leader dashed toward the opposite direction, and not far from the dashing leader another figure appeared.

Ned shot the last of his arrow saving the downed Swift. While a goblin approached him.  He smiled, and throw the recurve bow beside him. The snapped string waved back and forth midair until it went stuck on the ground.