"Let's take care of them here," Kai said as he stopped and looked at the three Goblin Captains with a mocking smile.
Cedric also stopped instantly and looked at Kai, as if waiting for orders.
"Hold one of them and don't let it escape," Kai ordered.
The moment the three Goblin Captains were almost upon them, Kai made his move as he charged toward them, followed by Cedric, who had already locked onto the captain on the right.
The two Goblin Captains in front let out guttural roars and split apart, flanking him from both sides.
Without breaking stride, Kai snapped his fingers as he summoned four undead Goblin Captains at once since he wanted to save his energy for the next big fight.
"Handle the left one," Kai commanded.
The undead Goblin Captains obeyed instantly. Two seized the living captain's arms, another hacked at its legs, while the fourth drove a jagged short sword toward its ribs, forcing the creature on the left into a desperate scramble for footing.
Meanwhile, Kai turned toward the remaining goblin directly ahead. He slid beneath the first sweeping slash as his agility far surpassed the goblin's.
Sparks scattered as his sword met the captain's crude cleaver, parrying the blow aside.
With a twist of his wrist, he redirected the recoil into a spinning back-kick that slammed into the goblin's chestplate and sent it skidding across the street.
To Kai's right, Cedric intercepted the third captain. He lowered his shoulder and slammed into it like a living battering ram, locking arms with the goblin and wrestling it into a dead-grip stalemate, just as Kai had ordered.
Kai didn't look back and charged toward his target once again with each step measured, as he intended to conserve his strength for the battle with the 1st Echelon Goblin Captain.
The goblin leaped and raised its weapon overhead, ready to welcome Kai warmly.
However, Kai immediately ducked inside its guard, as his fist drove up beneath its chin, stunning it long enough for a precise knee to crash into its stomach.
The goblin reeled from the knee strike, stumbling backward with its guard wide open.
Kai caught the sound of clashing steel at his back, but kept his focus forward. The goblin he'd crippled with his knee strike wasn't done yet.
It suddenly charged with surprising speed and roared, blood splattering from its lips.
Kai sidestepped the overhead slash, allowing the blade to whistle past his ear. He parried the follow-up strike, letting the recoil spin him around the goblin's guard like a leaf in the wind.
The goblin rotated, trying to keep him in sight. Kai's sword flicked out, one shallow cut across the ribs, another at the elbow. Battered plates failed to keep pace with his sharp timing.
The goblin bellowed before charging again. Kai planted his back foot and responded with a perfect sword attack. The blade blurred, slicing an X across the goblin's chest.
Pain slowed the creature for a heartbeat, but it still lifted its cleaver for a brutal, two-handed chop.
Kai ducked inside the arc, reversed his grip, and thrust straight through its chest. The sword point burst from the goblin's back.
He then twisted his sword before pulling it out, and blood sprayed from the wound. The goblin toppled as its eyes dulled.
A moment later, its lifeless body dropped to the ground with a thud.
Behind him, another Goblin Captain was surrounded by Kai's four undead Goblin Captains. It tried to break free in a frenzy, swinging its cleaver in wide, desperate arcs.
One undead captain stepped in and took the blow on its rust-stained breastplate, sparks flying where metal met metal. A second seized the living goblin's wrist, locking the weapon in place.
The third and fourth undead rushed in and delivered attacks. The living captain snarled, ripped its arm free, and slammed an elbow into the nearest undead's face, cracking a little bit of the bone, but it barely made any difference, since the undead Goblin Captain didn't feel pain.
After the one-sided fight continued for a while, it ended with the death of the Goblin Captain not long after, as its head was chopped off by one of Kai's underlings, instantly killing it.
Looking at the second dead Goblin Captain, Kai glanced at Cedric's side and rolled his shoulders.
Kai shook his head helplessly as the method Cedric used to hold back the goblin was funny, as they were grappling against each other.
He then charged forward, waiting for an opportunity, and immediately slid in low when he saw that Cedric had made an opening.
He thrust his sword up like a spear. The blade pierced straight through the goblin's right foot, pinning it to the ground.
The goblin howled and tried to pull back, but Cedric tightened his grip, forcing the goblin to stay planted.
Letting go of his sword, Kai immediately made another move as he jumped toward the goblin's back.
Afterwards, Kai grabbed the goblin's jaw and pulled its head back hard, exposing the green throat that pulsed with rage-fueled blood.
He then took out the military knife on his waist. Kai immediately made a quick single horizontal swipe across the exposed neck, making a fountain of blood burst out in a high arc.
The goblin's strength vanished instantly. Noticing that the goblin was finally dead, Cedric released his hold, letting the body drop to its knees.
Kai pulled his sword free from the pinned foot, wiped both blades on the corpse's ragged cloak, and sheathed his sword in one swift motion.
Three Goblin Captains down—each without wasting any mana or too much strength.
Kai exhaled deeply. "First step is done beautifully."
Cedric glanced at the dead goblin for a second, then at Kai. He grinned with a helpless look. "Remind me to never let you behind me with a knife."
Kai only smirked in response before turning toward the park's direction where the real fight awaited him.
He then flicked his wrist, his palm facing up, activating his [Resurrection of the Dead] skill while looking at the new notifications, since he wanted to distribute his stats before the main battle, considering that this was also an important part of the plan.