Bells of alarm rang out from the towers. Rolan was woken by the shrill noise and dashed to the castle's balcony. From the top, he saw them—an army of green-skinned goblins. To his surprise, hobgoblins were among the ranks, and a Hobgoblin Champion led them.
Rolan quickly armed himself and buckled on his leather armor. He grabbed an axe and a shield. A knock pounded on his door, and he flung it open.
"Sire! We are under attack!" shouted a guard clad in leather armor, gripping a pike with urgency.
"I know. Rally the men and prepare for our defense," Rolan said as he and the guard rushed down the tower's stairs.
"Already done, sir. They await your further command," the guard replied.
Suddenly, a system announcement echoed in his mind.
[Mission: Kill all the goblins]
[Reward: Persuasion skill]
Rolan rallied his men and observed the enemy forces. They were over a hundred strong, while his defenders numbered less than fifty. It would be a battle not on their side. But quality versus quantity. That's all there was.
They needed to conquer them with fewer numbers. And that was a very difficult task given with their strength. They were just few days trained and that would be a test of attrition to battle these enemies which were veterans in fighting. It was in their disadvantage but all hope was not lost. Their possibility to win was not zero.
He opened the gates and stepped forward, roaring defiantly as he drew his sword. A confident smirk spread across his face.
"Everyone, charge!" he bellowed. His men responded with a thunderous cheer, charging alongside him.
The goblins shrieked at the sight of him, drawing crude weapons. One goblin dashed at him, swinging wildly. Rolan blocked the strike with his sword, just as another goblin shifted positions to flank him. Surrounded, Rolan slashed diagonally through one, cleaving it in half.
He spun, slicing through two more. Blood spurted as their bodies crumpled. Enraged, the goblins attacked from all sides.
Ting! Ting! Ting!
Steel clashed and echoed. Rolan's blade flickered through the chaos, decapitating enemies with each strike. Aizen, beside him, stabbed one in the chest. The goblin vomited blood and cursed in its tongue before Aizen kicked it away.
After the skirmish, Rolan flicked the blood off his sword and sheathed it—he hadn't even needed to use a skill.
[Mission Complete!]
[Reward: Persuasion skill]
Rolan opened his character sheet and distributed a stat point into Strength.
"Wow, nice! I love this!" Aizen muttered, grinning.
Rolan then spent his points on Endurance, estimating he needed more stamina for prolonged fights.
The battlefield reeked of blood. Rolan stood in the center, scanning the area. He realized this must have only been a scouting force—the main army was likely still en route.
Suddenly, a horn sounded from the woods. Rolan cursed under his breath. One of the goblins had escaped and signaled reinforcements.
Swish!
Rolan slashed the horn-blower, ending it immediately. The creature died with the horn still gripped in its hand.
"Tsk, such a blunder."
He stabbed the body again, then stomped on the horn until it shattered beneath his boot.
From the distance, he heard more cries and yelps. He was surrounded again. But retreat? He didn't even consider it. Sitting cross-legged, he waited, sword stabbed into the ground beside him.
[Mission: Survive the waves of attacks]
[Reward: Stamina skill]
"Deym! This sure riles me up!" Rolan growled, standing and grabbing his weapon. He counted nearly a hundred enemies approaching.
He inhaled deeply and smirked.
"All those who oppose—beware! Death is at hand!"
The goblins charged, and Rolan dashed forward. His first slash cut three in half. His swing continued, cleaving through seven more in a wide arc.
"Fear me!"
He launched into the fray, slashing left and right, spinning and cleaving three more in a single strike. Goblins attacked from behind, their blades clashing against his bone armor. Rolan gritted his teeth, grabbed a goblin's arm, and glared.
It was his natural battle gaze—cold and feral.
He stabbed the creature through the chest, then ripped it apart with a powerful horizontal slash. Blood sprayed across the field, and fear rippled through the goblin ranks.
He tossed the body aside and continued attacking.
His soldiers formed a defensive ring around him, fighting fiercely. They parried strikes and raised shields to guard their lord. Slashes rang out as goblins fell to steel and shield.
Arrows rained from enemy archers, but Rolan's army held their formation. Rolan dashed toward the archers, spinning into their ranks with deadly grace. His blade flickered through the air as his men followed him into the fray.
The goblin formation faltered, shocked by the sudden counterattack. In mere seconds, the tide of battle had shifted. But Rolan was quickly surrounded by ten enemies. They smashed against his shield, trying to overwhelm him.
Agitated, Rolan grabbed a goblin by the skull and crushed it bare-handed. Blood and brain matter burst out.
Soon, fifty more enemies swarmed in. The infantry struggled to hold them off. Rolan hacked down every goblin that breached the defensive ring, slashing with brutal precision.
The enemy wavered. Their numbers meant nothing now. They realized—this man was not like the others.
"I'll attack! Cover my back!" Rolan commanded.
The infantry nodded, falling into formation.
Rolan charged again. He hacked and slashed through goblins while skeleton warriors blocked incoming strikes. He parried a vertical strike, kicked the goblin away, and pressed on.
Five goblins leapt at him. Others lunged with daggers. He blocked and countered in swift motions. The blades clinked against his armor—none pierced through.
He grinned. Then, in one spinning motion, he slashed them all.
He fought with everything he had. A slash forward, a spinning strike—more blood, more bodies.
By the end of the battle, only a handful of goblins remained. They tried to flee, but Rolan wouldn't allow it. He chased them down, cutting them down to the last.
[Mission: Survive the waves of attacks]
[Reward: Stamina skill]
[Assimilating Stamina skill to the body...]
[Assimilation complete]
[Stamina skill acquired]