Chapter 95: The Slingshot Kill!
Chapter 94
Max was on his way to the hammer goblin, aiming to take it down before it had the chance of slamming its hammer into the ground as usual.
But before he could get close, the sword goblin suddenly appeared in front of him, sword drawn, and swung his way with astonishing speed.
’I have no skill in hand-to-hand combat,’ he thought as he leaned aside, causing the blade to whistle past his face with a sharp hiss.
He ducked low to avoid another swing aimed at his head, then leaped off the ground to evade a thrust that came straight for his abdomen.
’But I can at least throw fists!’ he roared internally. Kicking the air with immense force, he shot forward, appearing in front of the beast within a second. Without hesitation, he swung his fist forward with everything he had.
The goblin reacted quickly and blocked with the back of its sword. Max’s fist smashed into it with such immense force that a small bang echoed out, and the sword rattled violently in the beast’s grasp.
Before Max could follow up, the goblin twisted its weapon and swung it aside, knocking his hand away before quickly lunging in for another thrust, this time at full speed.
{Draconic Ability activated}
{Fireball}
Max didn’t waste a second. He swung his palm toward the goblin’s abdomen at the exact moment the sword pierced into his own abdomen. He clenched his face, but a twisted smile formed on his lips.
His hands lit up orange, blazing with heat, and the next moment an explosion erupted. A fireball blasted out from his palm at close range. The goblin’s eyes widened as the fiery force slammed into its body, sending it skidding several metres away while flames seared its flesh.
Max staggered back, his breathing ragged. The goblin’s sword was still lodged in his abdomen, blood spilling freely, but he didn’t care.
{-10HP}
{HP: 80/100}
"Kek." He chuckled calmly, his voice eerily steady, as he clamped his hands tightly around the blade and stared coldly at the goblin struggling to regain its footing.
"You okay, brother?" Jake called out casually as he glanced back at him.
"Don’t call me that again! I have no brother!" Max roared, and in the same breath yanked the sword out of his body in one sharp pull, wincing slightly as pain rippled through him.
{-5HP}
{HP: 75/100}
The moment the sword was free of his body, his draconic healing kicked in. The wound closed at an incredible rate, flesh knitting together as though time itself bent to his will. A savage grin spread across his face as he stared at the goblin, who now glared back at him with burning hatred.
With a guttural cackle, the beast bolted toward him at full speed, charging without hesitation, and for the first time it came without its weapon, which was now firmly in Max’s hands.
"Humph. Feels off," Max muttered as he weighed the sword in his grip, testing its balance. Before he could get too comfortable with the weapon, the goblin appeared in front of him, fists swinging straight toward his face.
’Though I don’t play fair, I still want to test my physical strength against you, so...’ Max thought. With a decisive motion, he flung the sword aside, letting it clatter to the ground. Then, in the blink of an eye, he swung his own fist forward to meet the goblin’s blow head-on.
Bang!
A sharp mini-bang echoed out as the two fists collided, raw power exploding between them. Neither combatant was pushed back; both withstood the crushing force as their knuckles ground against each other.
Before Max could even blink, another punch came hurtling toward his face. His grin widened. He swung his other fist to meet it, and once again their fists crashed together, sending a violent shockwave between them.
"Let’s take it to the next level then!" Max growled, his eyes glowing faintly.
{Skill: Strength Surge activated}
{Skill: Adrenaline Rush activated}
In an instant, Max felt power surge through his veins. His muscles tightened like coils of steel, his heartbeat thundered like war drums, and his speed increased. He could feel the raw strength coursing inside him, begging to be unleashed.
Without wasting a breath, he exploded from where he stood, the ground beneath him cracking as he launched forward to make full use of his newfound strength.
The goblin swung a vicious punch toward Max’s face, but he leaned back, narrowly avoiding the blow.
Without hesitation, he countered by swinging his own fist, and this time his strike landed cleanly. His knuckles connected squarely with the beast’s face, and the force sent the goblin tumbling across the ground.
"I’m not done with you," Max said calmly, his voice low and dangerous. In the blink of an eye, he dashed forward like a blur, appearing behind the tumbling goblin.
He swung again, this time landing a devastating punch squarely on its back, sending it hurtling forward with bone-crunching force.
With the surge of speed and strength boosting his body, Max began blistering around the battlefield. His movements were a blur of violence as he toyed with the beast, darting in and out, delivering one brutal strike after another. Each blow cracked with devastating impact, and the goblin could barely keep up.
Jim, Jasmine, and Lana stood frozen, their eyes wide as they watched.
’He... he is a human? Really? Nah! I find it hard to believe,’ Lana thought as she heaved heavily, struggling to catch her breath and regain her energy.
’He... he moves and attacks faster than any human I’ve ever seen. I don’t think he is one. Who is he? Or rather, what is he?’ Jasmine’s thoughts swirled as her gaze stayed locked on Max.
’He... he is super strong! Fuck! I don’t think I’ve ever idolized any hunter before, but something about Max screams I’m different!’ Jim roared internally, his eyes burning with eagerness.
He didn’t even spare a glance at Jake clobbering his own beast. His sole attention was on Max, watching him dismantle the goblin with raw power and skill.
To Jim, Max still looked like a human, and for a human to perform such feats was beyond impressive. Respect was the only thing Max had earned from him.
"Brother! Switch now!" Jake suddenly yelled as the hammer goblin swung its massive weapon upward in a savage uppercut-like motion aimed for his chest.
At the same time, Max’s goblin had regained its footing, snarling as it lunged for him once more.
Hearing Jake’s call, the duo’s eyes locked for a brief second. In perfect unison, they crouched low, muscles tensing.
Max went even further, lowering himself like a beast, his posture primal. He dropped down on all fours, pulled his sword from its sheath, and clenched it tightly between his teeth. The goblin was mere inches away, claws ready to tear into him.
BANG!
BANG!
The deafening sounds erupted as both brothers leaped high into the air at the same time, their bodies twisting upward as the goblins’ attacks smashed into the empty space they had vacated.
The hammer goblin’s weapon slammed into the ground with cataclysmic force. A thunderous bang followed, and the earth cracked for several meters, a spiderweb of destruction spreading across the battlefield.
High above, Max and Jake reached each other midair. Without a word, they extended their hands. Their palms met with a resounding clap, and their fingers locked tightly around one another’s.
For a heartbeat, the air trembled around them. Then, with synchronized strength, they clamped down and slingshotted each other in opposite directions like living projectiles.
Max was hurled toward the hammer goblin, sword clenched between his teeth, while Jake rocketed toward the sword goblin, who stood defenseless without its weapon.
{Skill: Draconic Pulse Activated}
Max’s blade began glowing crimson the moment it left his mouth and entered his hand.
The aura of dragonfire coursed through it, the weapon trembling as if it were alive. The hammer goblin was still regaining its balance after its wild swing when Max came down upon it like judgment itself.
With a savage roar, he swung the sword with every ounce of his strength. A massive slash of red aura tore free from the blade, a searing arc of draconic energy. It cut through the air and smashed into the goblin’s head.
The beast didn’t even have time to scream. Its head was severed clean from its neck, flying high into the air before crashing down with a thud.
Right on cue, a deafening impact rocked the battlefield. Jake’s massive fists, bulging with power, smashed into his goblin’s skull with terrifying force. The beast was lifted clean off its feet before being driven back into the ground like a meteor.
The earth caved inward under the impact, cracks splitting the ground as the goblin’s head was crushed beyond recognition. Its body twitched once, then stilled.
Silence swept across the battlefield for a moment. Both twin bosses lay dead. The hammer goblin’s decapitated corpse collapsed in a heap, while the sword goblin’s head was nothing but pulp beneath Jake’s fists.
The battle was over.