This Is Not the Life That I Imagined

Before John could struggle with the choice much longer, a rumbling growl echoed from the portal.

The sound was followed by a cacophony of guttural snarls and screeches as figures began to emerge from the glowing rift. At first, they seemed like shadows, small and indistinct, but as they stepped into the dim light of the battlefield, their forms became unmistakable. Goblins.

The creatures were short, no taller than a child, but their twisted, wiry frames and grotesque features exuded malice. Their greenish-gray skin glistened under the portal's eerie light, marred with scars and markings that looked like crude battle trophies. Each carried crude weapons—rusted blades, spiked clubs, crude bows, and makeshift shields cobbled together from scraps of metal. Their glowing yellow eyes flickered with a predatory hunger as they scurried out in droves; it was like there was no end to them.

But it wasn't the horde of goblins that made John's blood run cold. It was the figure that followed.

Towering over the smaller goblins was a single, humanoid figure. At first glance, it could have been mistaken for a human, but the illusion shattered with every detail that came into focus. Its skin was a deep, sickly green, stretched taut over a muscular frame that radiated power. The creature's face was sharp and angular, with piercing crimson eyes that seemed to burn with intelligence and malice.

Unlike its smaller kin, it wore armor—it looks crude like the rest but with additional runes etched with glowing runes that pulsed faintly, giving a dreadful sight. In one hand, it carried a massive wooden halberd with the same kind of runes etched on it from the top to bottom—radiating an unmistakable aura of lethality.

With its free hand, the creature raised clawed fingers alongside loud screeches. The smaller goblins immediately froze, their chaotic movements halting as they turned toward the towering figure. A faint, glowing energy began to swirl around it. The air grew heavy, charged with an unnatural force that made John's heart pound in his chest.

Without warning, the creature thrust its clawed hand forward, and a pulse of elemental energy erupted from its palm. A searing wave of flame shot toward the crumbling wall, obliterating what little remained of its structure.

Booom!

The impact sent debris flying in every direction, and a cloud of smoke and dust engulfed the battlefield. When the air cleared, the wall was no more—only a jagged ruin remained, marking the official breach.

"Oh Sh*t!"

The smaller goblins let out a collective screech and surged forward, no longer restrained. They poured through the breach like a flood, their movements wild and destructive. They swarmed over anything in their path—equipment, makeshift defenses, the empty houses—tearing and smashing with reckless abandon.

The battlefield descended into chaos, the organized defense lines crumbling under the sheer ferocity of the assault.

Liam screamed with all his strength through the comm. "The monsters breached the wall! Stop them!"

No one has the time to stop anything; they barely hang on to their lives. Only the military commander heard it, and he couldn't do anything either. His heart fell, rapidly issuing one command after another to brace for what was coming.

John stood frozen for a moment, his mind racing as he took in the scene. The wall was gone. The goblins were everywhere. It was hopeless.

"No," John muttered under his breath, shaking his head. He couldn't afford to think like that. Not now. He gripped his bow tightly, forcing his legs to move as he sprinted toward a vantage point. From there, he could provide cover, pick off some of the goblins, and buy the others time. It wasn't much, but it was something.

"Fight for a while," he told himself, his voice barely audible over the cacophony of battle. "Just long enough to make a difference... and then retreat."

But John didn't have time to rush to higher ground as another explosion erupted, blasting apart a nearby house.

"What the he**?" John covered his eyes as he retreated, glancing at the goblins racing in his direction. His gaze shifted to their leader, and his expression hardened. The goblin leader moved slowly at first, then began accelerating bit by bit. Suddenly, it let out a loud cry and leapt into the air, its halberd extended as elemental energy swirled menacingly around it.

As John followed the goblin leader's movements, he saw it targeting an energy-user agent who had created a glowing shield for protection. The moment the halberd struck the shield, a deafening explosion occurred, sending the agent flying and scattering dust and rubble in all directions.

John jumped back and extended his hand to his quiver. "God damn it!" He realized there was only one arrow remaining. Nocking the last arrow—an armor-piercing arrow—he drew the bow to its absolute limit, making a crescent shape.

Taking a deep breath, John aimed at the leader's head. His hand quivered as it was a crucial shot. 'Don't second-guess yourself, John! I have decided to fight, then fight.'

John skipped across the ground as he moved back, waiting for a chance. From the rubble, the energy agent stood up, coughing. His body was in a miserable state, but at least he was not dead.

The goblin leader sprinted while letting out a strange battle cry, aiming to finish off the energy-user agent.

"Come on, motherflipper!" The agent cursed as he waved his hands, sending bolts of energy in the goblin leader's direction. With erratic movements, it dodged every bolt, then channeled elemental energy around its weapon for a moment before hurling a ball of fire in the agent's direction.

The agent conjured energy to his feet, propelling himself to the side and barely dodging the fireball. He then created another energy shield just as the goblin leader reached him. The moment the halberd struck the shield, sparks flew everywhere, and the goblin took a step back, losing its balance.

"Now!" John shouted as he let the arrow loose. The arrow cut through the air and, in a blink, pierced the neck of the goblin leader. But it didn't stop there—it exited from the other side, leaving a gaping hole in its neck.

"Good job!" The agent laughed as he looked at the goblin leader, which uttered a gurgling sound, unsteady on its feet.

"Yes," John sighed, feeling a sense of accomplishment. Just as he drew his sword to kill the rest of the goblins, he got goosebumps all over his body. Looking over, he saw the goblin leader suddenly gathering elemental energy and hurling it in his direction.

John shifted his attribute to agility to the limit and ran forward, uncaring of what he bumped into. Whether goblin or rock, he didn't have time to care.

STR: 18 -> 13. AGL: 11 -> 16.

Boooooom!

With the explosion came rocks and rubble. One piece struck his left shoulder, embedding itself deep into the bone.

"Aghaaaa!"

Gritting his teeth against the pain, John staggered to his feet, his eyes wild and bloodshot, with crimson blood streaming from his wounded shoulder.

'I can't move my left arm!' John was alarmed as the only sensation from his left arm was pain—excruciating pain.

He used his right hand to kill goblins around him while keeping an eye on their leader. To his horror, the neck wound was healing fast, visibly closing even to the naked eye.