The team ate rations and was moving just a few minutes after he finished his magical scouting. He was pleased with how seriously they all took this even though some of them had no military training. The miles seem to just breeze by as he planned how he wanted to make an impact. He was pretty certain that he could wreck hundreds of goblins in a very short time if he went all out.

  In fact, he itched to do it. There was a part of him that was tempted, but he knew that lives were on the line, the team’s lives, the lives of the villagers, and even his family’s lives. He needed to handle this correctly.

  They relied on Kuleen and her illusionary magic as they got closer. The forest wardens did their best to avoid the goblin scouts. As they got closer, Dave could smell the enemy. The stench of fecal matter, rotten meat, and unwashed bodies was disgusting. He felt his stomach turn and had to choke back a gag reflex. All around him the others showed the same signs.

  A short time later they got within range where Dave could hear the enemy camp. It was a cacophony of grunts, growls and squeals punctuated by the sounds of animals being herded. That gave him an idea. If the enemy army had livestock that they were depending upon for part of their food, then it made sense to attack that. More wars had been won over the years by beans, bullets and Band-Aids than through actual battles.

  By this time they were relying upon a camouflage cloak cast by Kuleen, their illusionist. When they were within three hundred feet of the enemy camp, Dave gave the signal for the plan they had discussed to be executed. From there they split into their three teams. Eisuke, Fumihero and Naiku, the alchemist, split off as one team. They were going to sneak around while Dave and his team provided a distraction. A third team was set up to provide ambushes as the others escaped.

  He turned to Kuleen. “Will I be able to speak without breaking your veil?”

  She nodded in the affirmative.

  “And will I be able to cast?”

  “Yes, but as soon as you move too quickly, too far away from me, or launch an attack, the veil will break,” Kuleen answered.

  “I can work with that,” Dave said as he then looked at the two AoE mages with him. “I want you to both hit the pack animals. I am going to try to hit the animals they have for food. Hopefully between us we can create a great deal of confusion. Now, one of you had a voice-amplifying spell, correct?”

  The two mages, Darrun and Feila, were a married couple. They had been farmers, but both showed exceptional potential for Evocation Magic and worked hard enough to break into the third tier. Neither could match Dave or Mira for raw power, but they had a good versatility of ways to blast the enemy. Both had tried to learn many AoE spells given that they were facing invasion by an enemy that outnumbered them but was essentially very weak.

  Feila answered, “I do, Baron Murkwood. Would you like me to cast it on you?”

  “Yes, please. Then prepare your spells to release as soon as I give you the signal.”

  Dave wished he could have stored Frost Storm in his Mage’s Mantle buckle, but it would only hold spells up to Tier 2. So he was just gonna have to cast it the old-fashioned way. Sir Mun Hagen and the other paladin would have to keep the AoE casters alive while he cast his spell. It had a long cast time, but the effect was going to be devastating on the enemy’s food supply.

  He felt the vocal enchantment effect and started speaking, knowing, or at least hoping, that an eerie voice booming out of nowhere with them cloaked by the veil would freak out the small-minded goblins.

  “Stop! You have angered the Master. Why have you failed to kill my enemies? Instead of fighting, you rest here. Your rulers have led you astray, and now you must face my wrath.” As soon as he finished speaking in his best ghost-story-telling voice, Dave chopped down with his hand to signal the attack.

  Fireballs blossomed amongst the pack animals in two different locations, causing the deaths of both beasts and goblins alike and injuring others. Dave’s focus was not on what his teammates were doing, as he had to cast his spell, but he couldn’t help but notice the rain of death they were sending down on their enemies.

  The goblins immediately began screaming in panic and running every which way. They crashed into each other and caused obstacles, which made the larger ogres and trolls stumble and fall too. More than one goblin met its death today under the heavy belly of a monstrous ally.

  Just as Dave finished his spell, he saw a handful of hobgoblins trying to get their troops organized, and he heard a yelling voice that he assumed was their leader. It was far too chaotic a scene to make out anything specific though. Then his spell was complete, and he too appeared out of the veil. Immediately in an area half the size of a football field in every direction, centered on the tightly corralled pigs, goats, sheep, cows and chickens, the temperature dropped to -40.

  The bleating of terrified animals combined with that of those who were tending them. They had no idea why the temperature dropped a good 70 degrees in an instant. It had the effect of making them all sluggish, which was all that was needed for the spell to take its true effect. During the second tick, a flurry of razor-sharp snowflakes swirled around the creatures as the temperature reached -60, and almost all of them suffered from the Chilled debuff. Their movement slowed to a crawl, and despite their panic, none of the animals escaped the crude paddock they were in.

  Just like when hitting a long drive or a perfect putt, there was the temptation to stand there and watch the handiwork of his spell, but Dave knew better than that. If they escaped the paddock, some animals and goblins might survive, but if not, they would all be dead within the first three ticks. Dave just wouldn’t be watching.

  He had already quick-cast Minor Enlarge and then cast Ablative Armor. A powerful leap from his legs sent him over the heads of the two paladins and into the midst of the swarming goblins who were running at him. He heard Sir Mun Hagen call out to him to stop, but ignored the man. Dave knew he could handle this. He would show them why they should fear him.

  A part of Dave realized that his aggressiveness was being pushed. He knew it wasn’t probably the best move, but he also knew that he could handle it, so why hold back? He triggered the shadowy power of his sword as he swung it amongst his enemies. Goblins were so pathetic. He could end them all if he had to.

  Dave called out, “Eyes,” before he cast Lesser Brilliant Radiance, and a burst of light blinded all the creatures within thirty feet of him. Those right up against him took radiant damage, and some even died from it. He was walking death amongst them. They had no hope against him. Each stroke of his sword put down at least two goblins as he sheared heads from shoulders and limbs from bodies.

  Still, they kept swarming him, but their pathetic attacks couldn’t penetrate his damage resistance and toughness. Any minor damage that he took, his regeneration was keeping up with, and he felt like a god. Then he smiled. Finally they were taking him seriously.

  A pair of ogres were pushing through the throng of goblins and making their way straight to him. Dave did note that the explosions from his mages had slowed down. He had to assume that they were running out of mana. He yelled back, taking his eyes off the ogres for a second since they weren’t close enough to attack yet, “Retreat. Follow the plan. Protect them.”

  “What about you, m’lord?”

  “Go. I’ve got this,” Dave snarled more harshly than he had intended. Why did everyone have to keep doubting him? The more he fought, the more sure he was that this army was nothing. He was beyond them all. A quick-cast of Alcoholic Cloud thirty feet in front of him caught the ogres as they entered it.

  The idiots actually slowed to breathe it in deeply and then began to stand there dumbly. The concentration was too much for the small goblins, who mostly passed out within minutes. Dave yelled, “Bring it on. Is this all you have?”

  He laughed as a second later he was knocked backwards twenty feet as a hobgoblin shaman cast flaming missiles through the cloud and ignited it in an explosion that killed all the goblins for forty feet in every direction and knocked those within sixty feet to their backs, including the caster. The ogres might have survived, but the burns they sustained were so painful that they elicited screams of agony even in their heavily inebriated state.

  After regaining his feet, Dave rushed forward and, with a couple of sword slashes, took their heads, ending their suffering. A quick check of his mana said that he was still at over 50% thanks to his Ablative Armor, but the armor had failed after the force of the explosion. Confident in his supremacy on the battlefield, Dave activated his Mana Barrier and Frost Armor before he began casting Summon Dire Rhino.

  The spell took a full thirty seconds to cast, but he felt the explosion, and his barriers would buy him enough time. Then the rhino would buy him enough time to escape if they mounted a real defense. If not, then Ablative Armor’s cooldown would run down in another minute, and he would keep slaying these fools till they took him seriously.

  The seconds ticked away, and when he was almost done with the spell, he saw three groups of more serious enemies moving towards him. A pair of what Emiri had identified as ghouls were racing across the ground toward him, their tongues dragging along the ground. Another was a cluster of hobgoblin shamans, and finally there were three twelve-foot-tall creatures he could only assume were trolls based upon their ugly dirty green skin and gaunt figures.

  He didn’t lose his cool though. He held on and finished the spell even as lashing ghoul tongues popped his mana barrier. The heat erupted through the summoning circle as whatever desert the rhinos came from was visible on the other side. The creature charged through at the behest of Dave’s magic. The struggle for control lasted less than a second as, in his supreme confidence, Dave’s will crushed that of the brute. He immediately quick-cast Minor Enlarge on the rhino and sent it to bowl over the trolls.

  He then turned his attention to the surrounding enemies. The hob shamans were starting to pelt him with magic missile attacks to feel out his defense. None of the spells hurt that much, but the damage was adding up. The ghoul attacks were strong enough to pierce his frost armor and toughness, and they were adding to the damage Dave took. Worse, his arms were starting to feel a bit numb from the building venom of the fiends.

  Dave triggered the Mage’s Mantle in his belt and released Lesser Regeneration to help shore up his healing. He then cast Lesser Blinding Radiance again, to great impact against the fiends. Both seemed to be blinded, but more than that, their skin was scorched by the radiant energy released on them.

  Taking advantage of their disoriented state, Dave cast Sure Strike and delivered a critical blow, taking the head from one of the ghouls. He immediately followed that with a slash to the other and a casting of Mirror Strike to duplicate the damage caused by his critical. The second fiend fell, cut into three pieces. But even with the trolls tied up and the ghouls dead, Dave realized he was in trouble. The hobs’ spells were causing more and more damage, and even with his damage resistance and regeneration, he was already below half life. Worse, swarms of goblins were beginning to gather around, and he knew if he faltered before the spells, he would be overwhelmed.

  His mind fought back and forth. Part of him saying this was the cost of arrogance, and another voice, which he now knew was the one Seimion called master, was railing against how these petty creatures dared to stand against him. A moment of clarity brought on by pain convinced him that if he continued to let this voice influence him, it was going to be the death of him. Being bold was good, but arrogance led to recklessness.

  Still, there was little choice but to act boldly one more time. He couldn’t escape quickly enough to not be brought down by their spells and then swarmed to death by pathetic goblins. So instead he did the last thing they expected. He started running straight at the hobs. His natural speed was doubled by Forrest’s Boots and a quick-cast Lesser Gazelle’s Grace.

  He crossed the distance to them in two seconds flat and was among them, slashing with his sword in a frenzy as blow after blow was deflected off magical barriers. He triggered the Lesser Heal stored in his Mage’s Mantle, and because it had been cast by Emiri, he got all the perks of her overpowered healing. Then he triggered the Frost Wave stored in it at one side of the goblins swarming around them.

  With his free hand he pulled a potion from his belt only to have it blasted out of his hand. He leapt at the offending hob, hitting it twice until the shield crumpled under his onslaught as he quick-cast Minor Enlarge, taking his mana down below 20% and his health below 30%. He released the Lesser Fear stored in his mantle and sent many of the goblins running in terror, only to be crushed by the press of more of their kin trying to reach him.

  His death was looking more and more imminent. He began to wonder if this was the day he would die. If so, he was determined to take as many of them as he could with him. Dave didn’t know if it would be a hobgoblin spell or a filthy goblin dagger that would end him; either way, though, he cast his new spell Damage Mirror. He howled in rage at the goblins swarming over him.

  When suddenly the world flipped upside down. He saw stars as a powerful irresistible force slammed into his back and sent him spinning end over end. In an instant he was reduced to 5% health, and some part of his mind triggered the Apprentice-level perk of Regeneration, and for one minute his regeneration went into overdrive, restoring ninety health per tick.

  Shaking his head, Dave struggled to his feet, trying to figure out what had happened. He took the scene in before him and realized that he owed his life to a surprise attack from a mountain giant. The creature was a massive humanoid nearly forty feet tall, so it couldn’t be anything else. It had hit him with a club, but because it was a surprise attack, it triggered his Arcane Backlash and reduced the damage he took by 50%. He was further protected by the goblins swarming over him, who reduced the damage he took, as did his now failed Frost Armor and Toughness skill.

  Even after all that, the damage he took had been over 500, which had then been projected out by his Damage Mirror, killing all six hobs and dozens of goblins around him. The Arcane Backlash delivered 100% of the blow back at the attacking giant, who clearly had not been prepared for it. Dave could only imagine how much the full effect of that blow was when it had hurt him so badly even with all his layers of protection.

  Whatever it was, though, it wasn’t enough to down the giant, and even with his quickly regenerating health, Dave knew he didn’t stand a chance of surviving another blow from the massive tree the creature wielded as a club. He activated Dodge as the next blow came in, and was able to vault off the swinging blow in a supernaturally agile movement. He then began running full speed away from the battlefield. Hopefully the others with him would have followed instructions, and some nasty surprises would be left for anyone trying to follow him.

  He ran as fast as he could, careful to follow the path that the rest of the team had taken while retreating. A glance over his shoulder revealed that he was being followed by the mountain giant. It seemed unsteady on its feet as if the backlash had hurt it. Perhaps it just wasn’t used to feeling pain. Dave had to imagine that few creatures would have the moxie to attack a walking mountain.

  Still, its huge strides were keeping pace with Dave’s spell- and gear-enhanced speed. He just had to stay out of reach of that deadly club. His heart was racing with exertion and the struggle to stay alive. “This is what it means to be alive.” There was that voice again. Dave had to push it down. He managed to pull the second healing potion he had on his belt free and quaffed it mid-stride.

  Having a Tier 4 alchemist in Eris’ Rise definitely paid off as the Epic-level potion restored 1000 health in an instant and added to his regeneration. Feeling stronger, Dave began chanting the words to cast Enhanced Flight. He wove around the rocks and branches that made up the area the goblins had been camped in for months. Behind him he heard the buried heat and shock stones going off as the pursuing creatures stepped on them, but he maintained his concentration till the spell was complete.

  Not a second too soon, because while the goblins and even the mountain giant might have slowed their pursuit because of more buried mines made from the magical stones, the fiends known as shadow fliers were not bothered by such concerns. So as he leapt into the air under the power of flight, he just barely missed the three fiends swooping down on him.

  He turned effortlessly in the air under the power of the spell while maintaining his forward momentum, yet was able to lash out with his sword at the nearest creature. This spell rocked, and Dave only wished he could take a moment to appreciate how amazing it was to be free of the ground and gravity’s pull. He was free to turn upon his back as though doing the backstroke upon the currents of the wind. His sudden movement caught the first creature by surprise, and he sheared a chunk of wing free. Enough at least to make it crash into the terrain below. The other two lashed out at him, but while they were terrifying in appearance, their attacks didn’t do much to Dave.

  They were agile, though, and now aware of the danger he posed, they harassed him, trying to drive him back to the ground without letting him land another solid blow. He could have turned and caught them, but it would have pulled him off his escape trajectory, and he was more afraid of the mountain giant than he was of the bone-white talons extended from the flying fiends’ jet-black bodies.

  He knew all would be well when a series of swooshing sounds passed him and elven arrows peppered both of the fiends. The unenchanted weapons cause little harm to the fiends, but they still interrupted their flight. More than that, it meant that they were within range of his allies, so he wasn’t shocked when one of the shadow fliers fell to a lightning bolt and another to a set of spinning ice blades a moment later.