"Grug, keep at it! Shadow, go for the neck if you can!" Ethan yelled. The three of them, him, Grug, and Shadow relentlessly attacked the goblin brute.
The brute swung its axe wildly, smashing through branches and underbrush, but it was slowing. Blood poured from the wound in its side, staining the forest floor. Grug delivered another solid blow to the brute's knee, this time forcing it to drop to one leg.
Ethan saw his chance. With a shout, he smashed the rock on the brute, this time aiming for its eyes.
The tip pierced flesh, and the brute gasped, its massive form shuddering. It tried to swing its axe one last time, but its strength gave out. The weapon fell from its hand as it collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.
[Ding! You have killed Goblin Brute.]
[Ding! Experience points gained.]
[Ding! The entity Goblin Brute has been added to your summoning list.]
Ethan dropped to his knees, panting, as the notifications flashed before his eyes. Shadow returned to his side, purring softly, her eyes glowing with satisfaction. Grug grunted triumphantly, planting his club on the fallen brute's chest as if staking a claim.
"That," Ethan gasped, wiping the sweat from his brow, "was insane. But we did it."
He stared down at the brute's lifeless body, the enormity of what they had achieved sinking in. A Level 10 monster—and they had taken it down together. The victory was hard-earned, but it was worth every ounce of effort.
"Good work, team," he said, forcing a shaky smile. "Let's get out of here before something worse shows up." He forced himself to stand even though he was shaking from exhaustion.
Every muscle in his body protested, but he knew they couldn't linger. The forest was too dangerous, and the sound of their battle had likely drawn attention. He summoned the goblin brute and thankfully this one as well appeared completely docile.
Its once-snarl-twisted face was eerily blank, its powerful frame standing silent and ready. "Alright, big guy," Ethan muttered, "welcome to the team."
Grug looked up at the brute with awe and a hint of pride, as if pleased with his leader's growing strength. Shadow sniffed at the newly summoned brute, her nose wrinkling slightly before she moved to Ethan's side.
Ethan wiped a smear of blood off his arm, his hands still trembling. He couldn't help but feel a small surge of accomplishment despite the exhaustion. "Okay," he said, his voice firm but tired, "we've got what we came for. Time to move out."
He quickly peeped into the cave to take a look when a wave of nauseating stench hit him.
The stench was overwhelming, like a mix of rotting meat and unwashed bodies. Ethan gagged, his hand flying to his nose to block out the foul odor.
He peered into the dim interior of the cave, squinting to make out the shapes within. The rocky walls were jagged and damp, illuminated only by faint rays of sunlight filtering through cracks in the ceiling.
Piles of discarded bones, crude weapons, and scraps of cloth were scattered haphazardly across the cave floor. It was clear this was a goblin lair—a grim and disgusting hideout.
A larger pile near the back caught Ethan's attention. He squinted, realizing with a shudder that it was a mound of half-rotted carcasses, likely prey dragged here by the goblins.
"Gross," Ethan muttered, stepping back. He instantly dropped the idea of checking out the cave. "Big guy, get the others out." He ordered the goblin brute. "Carefully, don't worsen their injuries." He added.
The goblin brute grunted in acknowledgment, lumbering into the cave with heavy steps. Ethan waited outside, glancing nervously at the tree line, hoping that the carriage driver wouldn't show up now at the last minute.
Moments later, the brute emerged, cradling the injured goblins with surprising gentleness for a creature of its size. One goblin clutched at a bloodied arm, while the other had a gash across its chest, both looking weak but alive.
The brute set them down carefully near Ethan, stepping back to await further orders.
"Good work, big guy," Ethan said, nodding. He crouched next to the injured goblins, inspecting their wounds. The injured goblins groaned but didn't resist. After looking at them for a while he realized he had absolutely no idea what he was looking at.
The only good thing was that they seemed to have stopped bleeding heavily. Maybe he could put some bandages on them but there were no materials nearby that he could use. Also, he wanted to get the hell out of there as soon as possible.
"Any chance you guys heal after I dismiss your summon?"