Chapter 154 The Monster

So? What now? I was required on the field for once.

Now that terror had settled in and crippled the air, the adventurers would move.

The damage dealer was brave enough to kill one more goblin. It was the one that held its bony spear at his chest. From a mood heavy with anxiety, things had stirred another way, and their situation might have improved a little… But no.

My expectations of them shouldn't be so high. After that very brightening move, everything went downhill again. My poor humans. They were in a tight spot. Obviously.

And after he'd roared like a hundred tigers, the boss hobgoblin showed his fang. He first turned towards his troops. The five other hobgobs'. It seemed the regular goblins would just stay subdued in the mighty presence of their chief for the time being. The boss hobgob' waved a hand to his troops and spoke in Orcish. Basically told them he was enough to handle that.

Complaints were heard but ignored. Meaning what he meant, he bent his whole upper body onward and sprinted. Toward my boys. This time, to massacre them for good.

Loud stomps rang out through the forest, making it tremble and shudder again.

On one side, there were the five timid adventurer soldiers to whom I took a liking. On the other side, 6 demi-orcs thirsty for human blood.

Action settled back in. That was no lie. Absolutely true. It couldn't be truer. A great many actions, moves, and assaults went down.

Within such a wild setting, there were a handful of people up against three handfuls of monsters. Needless to say, there were no two ways around my friends' predicament.

The tank had been brave. He allowed his friend, the damage dealer, to be saved. He basically swapped places with him. Now, he'd face the consequences of his action.

Closest to the raging demi-orc, he was trampled upon like he was worth nothing. He was just a sack of meat, fat, and bones. Nothing worth noticing. Lifting one foot up— "Uuugh!" —the hobgoblin stomped on the man's back. He had been on all fours, now his stomach was pressed against the earth under the enemy's weight.

As long as nobody died, there was no need for me to intervene. As long as nobody called me for help, that was the same. I figured the lesson about life I wanted to teach my humans would be far more resourceful this way.

Quite a few more times, the demi-orc stomped a few more times on the tank's helpless body. He had fun. The tank figured he'd be dead, but he figured wrong. His cries of pain were muffled under the monster's weight.

Being the closest to that raging demi-orc going his way–and First Hob just arrived next to him–he was to be trampled upon like he was nothing. Yeah, just like that giant ball of both fat and muscle was nothing, the demi-orc, finishing off his rush, lifted one foot up with momentum, and bam!

The demi-orc trampled the man's spine with madness. Then he roared around, clenching his big fits into big raging balls.

After the chief goblin was done, he extended his arms around, roared again, and showed his thick fangs. He seemed proud. That was just plain bullying at this point. Not funny. Plus the tank was my friend, I think. Not cool.

"Lea– Leave him alone!!" The leader intervened. At long last, captain. Another player wanted in the game. He had his sword and shield ready for attack.

Up until now, he was only a few feet away from the show of stomping about. But as he was totally crippled by both the fear that seized him by his guts and the feeling of death that breathed down his neck, he did nothing.

His tank sobbed and feared what would come, and he did absolutely nothing. Who wouldn't have done that in such a situation, though? Now anyway, he got up, shook off his hesitations, and stepped up for his human friend!

But it really couldn't have gone faster. It only took a blink. The chief reached for his thick rusty sword and a sharp Thump resounded.

He caught the feeble leader off-guard and swept him away. The leader couldn't do a thing. He just took the blow head-on. Not even with dignity but with resignation.

"Too easy," the hobgoblin had said. The leader wasn't killed. Just swept away. He might have broken a few ribs, though.

So the man was sent flying. His blast-off was sudden, and his landing was just as sudden. A tree was planted there, behind him, when he was slammed against its trunk.

The leader of the goblin team pointed a finger at one other demi-orc, spoke words in Orcish, then pointed back at the leader of the human team and spoke some more words. That demi-orc marched to Leader. Then there were the other demi-orcs. They were given some words, too, and they started a thing on their own.

The priestess only stood there, her eyes planted to the damage dealer's wound as she tried to heal it. She didn't dare look up. Who knew what kind of horrible things were going on up there. She refused to look up. Completely shut off from the world.

That wound she was trying to heal wasn't even closing anyway. I mean, a stab through the leg by a spear? Has she even healed this kind before? No. But she could only keep at it.

The damage dealer was bleeding out, wasn't he? Looking at what just happened with a pale purplish complexion, he must have cursed himself for having taken that wound. If not, maybe he could have run. Run and leave them all behind, the party members.

But no. Too bad for him. And then there was the sorceress. It was a wonder how she still was up with legs as trembling as her own. And her face seemed so unwell, too.

She still had her legs, at the very least. And that's what the world needed. People who had legs. So they could survive and keep safe.

More orders were given by the chief monster. This time, goblins went in and out the battlefield. Each had a task to take care of. Some more grim Orcish words were spoken again, and sneaky glances were thrown at the three party members at the rear.

A finger pointed at them. Dreadful heads nodded. More enemies approached. It seemed like a lot was going on in the sorceress' head. She had a lot to think about. And her trembling legs were ready to run. At last, unwilling to torture herself more, she spoke with the shakiest voice. "Nonsense…! Why… am I even still here…!"

In the end, she didn't even say goodbye before leaving.

Ah, never mind, I thought. Maybe her tears're waving goodbye, lol.

I trusted their lesson was learned. They were weak. Then, it was about time I moved and did something.

The leader, still up against his tree trunk, with a rusty sword slowly climbing to his neck, eyed me.

As if he suddenly remembered what I was, he let me know he was seeing me. That was enough. It was my time. I took the tide with both hands and turned it around.

First things first, the escaping member. Using <Slash>, I appeared right in front of her and knocked her out. I was gentle, no worries. Using the same quick pace skill, I carried her to the priestess' feet.

That was carried out within a blink. So I jumped a second ago, crossed the sorceress, and interrupted her escaping, then jumped again to my next target. The demi-orcs didn't have time to react.

My first hit was the chief goblin. A class between the two bosses right from the get-go. That was what I liked. Stirring my mana, I overspilled. A monster appeared in the arena.

Just like an ocean washing over the enemies, my animosity spread all around. Every hobgoblin bent. Except one. What didn't bend had to break.

The boss enemy was ready to give the tank his coup de grace. He was obviously busy elsewhere, but when he picked up a presence stronger than his, he fell back behind the tank. This maneuver was probably so that he stood a chance against me. Cursing in his own language, he thought he would—

No chance. My claws ran down his throat. I tore it open. That was easier than I'd have thought. I was then again reminded that I only opened the System Menu a day ago and applied all my Stats Points, so that was probably normal.

All I had to do was attack, huh.

The damage dealer and sorceress were momentarily passed out. The tank's face was buried into the mud. That left the priestess and her leader to see me. Oops. After I sliced the monster's throat open, he sank to the ground. I was seized by my wild monster's instincts. Yanking the demi-orc's thick chin back, I tore his hideous head off his shoulders.

My face was bloody. The priestess' eyes fell on me. She blinked twice. She was surprised. Her posture relaxed. The girl was also relieved. But then, when my full eyes fell on her, and she saw my listless expression devoid of any humane emotions, she cast her gaze downward instantly.

I was THE monster, but I shouldn't let it show. It was as if she feared me. I didn't want that. People feared me, and then they wanted to off me. I butchered her enemy, but she feared me.