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EP.36 [Goblin Extermination]3
"The high-level debuff spell, from what I can see, is being cast using the intermediate monster goblin champions as a medium."
Although there was no shaman goblin present at the scene, the buff spell on the goblin champions was cast,
But a debuff spell that affects enemies rather than allies is on another level in terms of mechanism.
So casting these two techniques simultaneously is extremely difficult.
However, Sophia immediately grasped the reason this difficult feat was being accomplished now,
And without delay began explaining the mechanism to her companions.
It was remote spellcasting through a totem,
With the goblin champions in a state of receiving the shaman's spell buff acting as that totem.
"Wait, could a crimson shaman goblin actually do this? Isn't it just a legend???"
However, Thomas didn't seem to be in a mental state to focus on that explanation.
He was shocked by Sophia's mention of a crimson shaman goblin just before.
In the past Warring States period,
There was an incident where mercenaries who set out to exterminate goblins were sacrificed more than necessary.
According to records, it is said to have been because of a shaman goblin with crimson hair.
But afterwards there were only rumors without any official sightings, so
Crimson shaman goblins were dismissed as an extremely rare case, or legend.
"If it's not that, there's no explanation. Including the purification spell and so on."
Sophia shook her head, saying it didn't seem to be a legend, with a very focused expression.
If only the debuff spell had been heard, Thomas's thoughts would likely be correct.
But there was already not just the purification spell, but armored hobgoblins and goblin champions,
And even the regular goblins' combat performance was coordinated.
From Sophia's perspective, it seems reasonable to view the debuff spell as a finishing blow putting the period on all that.
"Ugh!"
Thud!
At that moment Jeanne frowned and put her hand to her head.
"Come this way, Captain! It's a spell causing nausea and severe headaches."
Swoosh!
Then Sophia began drawing a large circle on the cave floor with her mace.
Fwoosh...!
"No matter how strong a crimson shaman goblin is, it can't keep using spells now. We need to endure until its magic power is depleted. Everyone can endure with my mental healing divine magic that works within this circle."
Afterwards, a white divine power haze rose up inside the circle.
At the high-level nun level, purification divine magic and
Mental healing divine magic become possible.
When sufficient maturation of that occurs,
One can directly cast related divine magic on allies' bodies for an active effect.
However, Sophia, who hasn't been at the high-level nun level for long, is not yet at that state.
So she is trying to block the enemy's debuff spell
By setting up a space where her divine magic has influence.
"We have no choice. Let's all enter the divine magic circle Sophia made. Even if it's difficult to actively respond, we should be able to sufficiently block the goblins' attacks as they come."
"What if the goblins run away, Captain?"
"We have no choice. Ensuring our safety is the priority in the current situation."
Jeanne immediately changed tactics.
Then Thomas, who had only experienced the initial discomfort of the shaman goblin's debuff spell
Before already stepping into Sophia's divine magic circle, worried about the enemy's escape.
But Jeanne, who was experiencing a continuing feeling of her head about to split, was resolute.
"Since defense is the main focus, I'll stand in front."
Swish...!!!
As Jeanne entered the circle,
Finally Eugene also stepped in and held his greatsword defensively at the very front.
"Ugh, it's really a vicious spell. To feel it even inside here."
At that moment Thomas stuck out his tongue.
He had felt a sudden comfort as Sophia's divine power activated,
But the discomfort he felt just before was gradually coming through.
"Judging by the spell pattern, the shaman is female. A rare case. That's why the Captain reacted more severely than Thomas just now."
Sophia conveyed even more detailed information.
She also felt her divine power aura was being exploited better than expected.
It's partly because she hasn't fully matured as a high-level nun yet,
But it's a phenomenon created because it's an attack from a female shaman with frequency similarity.
'This is troublesome. If those guys escape like this, the sword soldiers at the entrance will be in danger. Do we have to hope Priscilla catches the shaman goblin quickly after all.'
Jeanne's face deepened with worry.
Though Jeanne had made the decision to protect her frontline comrades first,
If the hobgoblins and goblin champions take advantage of their tied-up situation to escape,
There's a high chance they'll encounter the sword soldiers guarding the largest entrance.
So though she was racking her brains trying to come up with a plan,
As the situation flowed in an even worse direction, Captain Jeanne felt her insides burning up.
Glance...!
Eugene glanced sideways at Jeanne's face.
Jeanne was positioned half a step behind and to the side of Eugene.
From his view, Jeanne's expression was not only deeply worried,
But the aftereffects of the prolonged headache from earlier still seemed to remain.
'But, I can hear the shaman's spell sounds too, yet I don't really feel like I'm being debuffed...'
Meanwhile, Eugene's facial expression looked comfortable not only compared to Jeanne, but even compared to Thomas who was also male.
'Oh shit!'
However, Eugene's expression also quickly became serious.
"Kieeee...!"
"Grrrr...!"
Thud! Thud! Thud!
'Those bastards even prepared iron spikes!'
While the Red Fox Mercenary Group was regrouping,
About six hobgoblins appeared wielding long iron spikes.
"Damn, those guys have no intention of running away at all."
The six brought a total of 10 iron spikes,
Which all ten hobgoblins shared among themselves
As they formed ranks and gradually approached the circle where Sophia's divine power aura was emanating.
Thomas's face turned pale at that sight.
'This won't do. We'll all be done for at this rate. Even if my head explodes, I have to fight.'
Hnnng...!
Jeanne, who was still suffering from the headache's aftereffects,
Gripped her sword with eyes flashing with determination.
It was an offensive rather than defensive posture,
Thinking of forcibly enduring the debuff spell to leap out of the circle
And take out the hobgoblins with iron spikes first.
But at that moment,
"Sophia, please hold the Captain back so she can't jump out."
As if anticipating Jeanne's decision,
Eugene Schneider's preemptive words flew out.
Fwoosh!!!
Not only that, Eugene immediately leapt out towards the hobgoblins brandishing iron spikes.
"E-Eugene!!!"
"No, Captain! With our current state, two people moving will just tangle up our movements!"
Grab!!
The flustered Jeanne tried to follow almost reflexively,
But Sophia strongly embraced her to hold her back.
"No matter how tough your armor is, it's impossible to withstand those iron spikes while also taking attacks from the goblin champions! Come back Eugene!"
In Jeanne's mind, she imagined how Eugene was trying to resolve the situation.
A strategy of sacrificing flesh to scrape bone,
So Jeanne cried out almost like a scream.
But soon a situation unfolded that would stop her screaming.
"Kueeee!!" "Kieeee!!"
Stab! Stab!
The hobgoblins thrust their iron spikes even more aggressively at Eugene charging straight at them,
They too must have thought Eugene would attempt a frontal breakthrough.
Swoosh!!
However, Eugene's response was completely different.
He suddenly demonstrated a huge half-rotation step and
Slipped to the side of the 10 iron spikes stabbing in sharply.
"What's that???"
"Oh my, that footwork of Eugene's???"
A step sliding in like skating,
It was mana footwork, an ability step.
Thomas and Sophia were shocked at that all too clear sight.
'That guy Eugene,'
And even more surprised than those two was Jeanne.
'He wasn't a Sword Runner but a Sword User?'
Using mana footwork means he's at least a Sword User,
In other words, Eugene Schneider had deceived her in their first duel.
Whoosh!!!
'I'm confiscating those iron spikes, you bastards.'
Eugene, who had caught the hobgoblins' side, swung his greatsword vertically.
Clang!!!
What Eugene aimed for was the several iron spikes extended forward,
His greatsword's first strike came down on those vicious weapons.
As a result, all six or so hobgoblins lost grip of their iron spikes,
And in the process of losing them, unable to withstand Eugene's tremendous power, they fell over or were flung forward.
"Kieeee!!" "Gueeee!!"
Then the remaining four hobgoblins launched stabbing attacks again
At Eugene who had brought his sword down to the ground.
"Fuck off."
Clang!!
Eugene quickly swung his greatsword outwards using only his right arm
And deflected those four iron spikes in one go.
"Wow! As expected, he's Sword User level or higher, big bro Eugene! Sword Runner swordsmen couldn't swing Uncle Ivan's axe, which has similar weight to Eugene's greatsword, like that!!"
Thomas went wild at those fast, concise, and unwavering movements.
The Sword User shit power produced by a 190cm tall, 106kg man,
Not only the twist of learning he was a User when thought to be a Runner,
But visually too, the situation before their eyes was refreshing like cider.
Slash!!
Thus after Eugene's greatsword was swung outwards
It immediately succeeded with an inward attack as well.
As a result, the heads of four hobgoblins were also sliced off at once,
And the hobgoblins' dark red blood painted the space in the middle of the cave like a circular arena.
A one-shot multi-kill against multiple opponents wearing helmets of considerable strength,
An attack impossible for Jeanne who excels at quick successive attacks but inevitably lacks weight.
"But Eugene looks way too fine, Sophia??"
"Yeah... the shaman goblin's spell is still continuing though."
Eugene finished off even the remaining hobgoblins who had lost their iron spikes and were in disarray.
At that moment Thomas, who had been too busy cheering at Eugene's refreshing performance just before, tilted his head.
He thought the assault captain Eugene was fighting while forcibly enduring the shaman goblin's debuff attack.
But from continued observation, there was no trace of a frown on Eugene's expression.
Sophia also tilted her head because she didn't feel even 1% of the abnormal symptoms created by the debuff's influence on Eugene.
"....."
At that point Jeanne also silently watched Eugene performing in front of her with a subtle expression.
"Shouldn't we lure the goblin champions over here to fight together, big bro Eugene?"
In a situation with many questionable points,
Thomas still assumed Eugene was being affected by the shaman goblin's debuff spell and mentioned a plan to deal with the remaining goblin champions.
"It seems Priscilla chasing the shaman goblin isn't having an easy time, so we should quickly finish these guys off and join up. Sophia said the goblin champions are being used as mediums for the debuff spell, so won't the urgent fire be put out if we take them down?"
Shing...!!!
From Eugene's perspective, by this point the shaman goblin who would be aware of the situation seemed likely to try escaping.
Since they couldn't let the most important one get away, Eugene wanted to quickly help Priscilla.
So Eugene took an aggressive stance while slightly lowering his greatsword.
"Grrrrrr...!"
"Karrrrr...!"
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
"But still, to face opponents wearing such armor."
In front of him, the enormous goblin champions began charging while wearing heavy armor and wielding iron clubs.
Greatswordsmen have lower detailed successive attack power.
So rather than aiming for vital points, they tend to take the approach of slicing the opponent's body,
If using that method on the fully armored goblin champions before his eyes,
There's a chance of being attacked by another one before finishing slicing up one.
"Even so,"
Thud!
Though Eugene knew that full well,
He didn't care and bent his upper and lower body to take a dash stance.
Fwoosh!!!
Then he explosively leapt out towards the two goblin champions.
"Guaaah!"
Thud!!
Then the goblin champion set as Eugene's first target
Raised its iron club to defend its neck, its most vulnerable spot from its perspective.
Slash!!!
"Guoooh!!"
"Just green lumps of meat after all."
However, what eventually rang out was not the sound of heavy metal colliding.
It was the sound of meat-like bodies being messily sliced,
Eugene Schneider's greatsword swung towards the goblin champion's body
Sliced through its tough armor and heavy flesh chunks in one blow.
'That Eugene,'
Flash!
Jeanne's eyes flashed at that sight.
'He's a Sword User Alpha!'
She confirmed Eugene was at an even higher level than herself, who was also a Sword User.
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