The Goblin Chieftain rose from his throne of skulls, a hulking silhouette framed in firelight. Nearly seven feet tall, grotesquely muscular, with mottled green skin stretched tight over corded sinew. His yellow eyes gleamed with cruel intelligence. It some how resembled it’s smaller brethren, but in a terrifying, skin stretched way. In one hand, he held a black axe bigger than Bhel, the blade notched and stained dark, the serrated blade screaming danger.

  It grinned at them as they walked through the door. A deep, jagged smile full of rotting teeth and laughed. It was a wet, choking sound, half snarl, half gurgle. The sound crawled across the stone walls like a disease. The Goblin Chieftain slammed the haft of its axe onto the ground with a booming echo.

  Josh’s hands tightened around his sword. He could feel every instinct in his body urging him to back away, to retreat, but he set his feet. This time, he wouldn’t falter.

  The others froze for a heartbeat. Josh forced himself to step forward.

  “Same as before,” he said, voice steadier than he felt, as he drew his longsword. “I hold the front. Carcan, stay behind me and use me as a wall, whilst you support the others. Brett, Perberos, Bhel, flank and harass it from it’s blind spots. No one do anything stupid. We can whittle him down slowly if we need to.”

  Bhel grinned. “Gladly.”

  Josh took a deep breath and activated Dash before his brain could catch up and think of a reason not to.

  His body shot forward, boots slamming against the stone floor. The world blurred, and in an instant he was upon the monster, sword raised high. He swung with everything he had, the edge of his blade crashing into the Chieftain’s thick arm. Sparks flew as the blade cut through metal armour and then flesh. The impact jarred his arms to the shoulder, but he didn’t stop, he pressed the attack, following up with Lion’s Roar. The sound burst from his chest like a shockwave, a thunderous echo that filled the chamber.

  The goblin staggered, momentarily stunned by the appearance of Josh and the sudden attack. The others took this opportunity and surged into motion as Josh slashed again with his sword cutting into the beasts chest. The impact jarred his arm. His blade cut deep but not deep enough. The goblin snarled and swung its axe down in reply. Josh raised his shield just in time. The blow landed with bone-shaking force, sending a shock through his entire body. He skidded back, boots gouging the floor. His arm throbbed with pain.

  “Damnit he’s strong!” he hissed.

  “On your left!” Perberos called. A volley of arrows streaked through the air one after after the other, striking into the beasts shoulder, thigh and cheek. The creature roared, the arrow protruding from its jaw refusing to be dislodged, but the monster barely seemed to feel them.

  Bhel charged in from the right, axes flashing. He struck the goblin’s leg once, twice, hacking into the muscle like a lumberjack before leaping back as the Chieftain roared in fury, bringing its axe around in a savage arc. Josh threw up his shield, barely catching the blow. The force of it sent him skidding back several steps, his boots grinding against the stone. His arm went numb from the impact.

  Josh seized the moment, unleashing his new Counterswing skill, his sword dashing forward and slicing into the beasts face, scoring a deep gash across it’s forehead, drawing a heavy amount of blood that flowed across the boss’ face, making it even more intimidating.

  Brett followed up instantly. “Firebolt!” Fire erupted from his staff, snaking across the goblin’s torso. The monster screamed as fire coiled up its body, dancing over its armour and bubbling the flesh beneath.

  Josh surged forward whilst the beast was distracted by the flames eating at its flesh. His sword cutting a deep line across the Chieftain’s ribs. The creature retaliated, slamming the butt of its axe into his chest. Pain exploded through him as a few of his ribs broke. He staggered back, gasping, vision flickering.

  Carcan’s voice rang out, calm but sharp. “I’ve got you!” Green light flowed into him, knitting torn muscles and bone back together, easing his breath. The pain dulled just enough for him to stand up straight without seeing white.

  “Appreciate it,” he muttered, raising his shield again.

  The Chieftain bellowed and swung its axe two-handed. Josh blocked the first hit but couldn’t stop the follow-up, a sweeping kick that caught his leg. He crashed to the ground, rolling aside just in time to avoid the axe biting into the floor where his head had been.

  Perberos’s arrows struck again, one embedding in the Chieftain’s neck. The monster swiped it’s hand up, drawing the arrow out of its neck, splattering blood across the surrounding area, and throwing the arrow back at the ranger in a fury, but the ranger was already moving, ducking behind a column.

  “Keep it angry!” Brett shouted. “Don’t let it focus!”

  Josh forced himself to his feet, ignoring the ache in his ribs and leg. He darted forward, slashing at the goblin’s arm. Sparks flew. The Chieftain snarled and slammed its forehead into his, the impact ringing his skull. Josh stumbled, disoriented but very thankful for Garrik’s gift..

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Then a blur of motion, Bhel’s axes came down on the goblin’s back. One bit deep, the other scraping off a scrap of its metal armour. The creature howled, spinning, and backhanded the dwarf across the chest. Bhel flew through the air and hit the wall with a thud and a curse.

  “Still standing!” Bhel wheezed as he pushed himself to his feet, coughing blood. “Barely!”

  Josh lunged again, this time feinting left before driving his sword into the creature’s thigh. The goblin shrieked, jerking backward, straight into another firebolt from Brett. The explosion engulfed its shoulder in flame.

  The heat washed across the chamber, and the smell of scorched flesh filled the air.

  “Press it!” Carcan called. “It’s weakening!”

  Josh took that as his cue, striking high, shield up. The Chieftain’s axe met his sword in a shower of sparks. They locked together, muscle straining against muscle. The Chieftain swung its axe again, howling in rage. Josh ducked low, the blade passing inches above his head, cutting a deep furrow in the stone behind him. He came up inside its reach and drove his sword into its ribs. The blade bit deep, blood spattered across his arm but the creature didn’t falter.

  It retaliated, slamming a massive fist into his side, driving the air from his lungs and his vision flickered for a moment and he faltered, too stunned to function properly. At the last moment he came to his senses and he jumped aside just as the goblin’s axe slammed into the ground where he’d been standing. The impact shook the floor. A wave of healing warmth washed over him again as Carcan’s spell took hold, reknitting bone and easing the pain.

  “Come on!” Josh screamed in frustration, voice raw. “You’re not beating us!”

  The goblin roared back, forcing Josh back half a step. Its hot, fetid breath hit his face. Then a whistle of air, Perberos’s arrow slammed into its eye. The creature reeled, blinded, roaring in pain.

  “Ha! How’s that taste, ye bastard!” Bhel shouted as he charged across the room.

  Josh drove his sword upward, piercing through the creature’s lower jaw and into its skull. The blade lodged deep, and with a final heave he tore it free. Blood sprayed across his chest.

  The goblin staggered, barely keeping its feet but it wasn’t done. How the hell is it still going!? They all thought at the same time.

  It bellowed, rage shaking the walls. Its axe came up quickly in a last, desperate swing. Josh ducked low, but the edge clipped his shoulder, tearing through his pauldron and into the flesh below. Agony flared white-hot, his shield falling from his grasp.

  Bhel rushed forward with a snarl, swinging both axes at once. They connected, one burying deep in the monster’s abdomen, the other taking its arm clean off.

  Brett raised his staff again, flame flaring bright orange. “End it!”

  Josh steadied himself, gripping his sword with both hands, trying to steady his grasp. “Together!”

  Brett’s flames roared through the air just as Josh charged. The explosion hit, blinding light and heat washing over them all. Josh burst through the smoke and flame, sword raised high and drove it straight through the Goblin Chieftain’s chest.

  The creature convulsed, body shaking violently. For a moment, its mouth opened as if to laugh again, then it sagged forward, the last of its life blood dripping down Josh’s blade.

  The goblin boss let out one last, wet gurgle before collapsing to its knees. Its massive, misshapen frame hit the stone floor with a thud that echoed through the chamber. For a moment, the only sound was the heavy, uneven breathing of the party. Then, slowly, the creature’s body began to glow with a sickly green light, breaking apart into drifting motes that vanished into the air.

  Silence.

  Only the crackle of flame and their ragged breathing filled the chamber.

  Josh stood over it, sword hanging low, his arms trembling from exhaustion. Blood ran freely from a deep cut along his shoulder and another across his ribs, seeping into the torn leather armour. His chest rose and fell in ragged heaves, and when he finally exhaled, it was half a laugh, half a sigh of disbelief.

  For a long moment, no one spoke. Then Bhel gave a hoarse laugh as he stumbled up beside him, axe still in hand, his beard matted with blood and grime. “By Moradin’s beard… I think I’ll be feelin’ that one tomorrow,” he muttered, wincing as he touched a gash along his arm.

  Josh gave him a weary grin. “Tomorrow? I’m not sure I’ll even be alive to feel it.”

  That earned a few tired laughs from the others.

  Perberos lowered his bow, panting. “Took enough of us to bring it down.”

  Carcan hurried to Josh, green light gathering in her hands. “You’re bleeding.”

  Josh looked down, his shoulder was a mess of torn leather and blood. “Yeah,” he said with a shaky grin. “I felt that one.”

  Brett stumbled over, leaning on his staff. “You. You madman. You went straight through the fire and speared the thing!”

  Josh gave a tired laugh. “Yea… Guess I did.”

  Bhel laughed from his perch. "You're right, it was pretty nice."

  Then the familiar chime echoed in all their minds.

  Josh sheathed his sword and leaned back against a wall, closing his eyes. “That… was one hell of a fight.”

  Bhel sat heavily on top the goblin’s corpse, using it as a seat as it dissipated, wiping his axes clean. “Worth it though. Look at that beast,” emphasising his statement by slapping the Chieftain in the face.

  Perberos crouched near the body, pulling an amulet from the goblin’s neck, a crude charm shaped like a wolf’s head, its eyes tiny rubies. “Looks like loot to me.”

  “Good,” Brett said, still catching his breath. “If we’re not rich after this, I’m going to be really fed up."

  Carcan smiled faintly. “You all did really well, all of you. We fought as one.”

  Josh looked around at them, burned, bruised, bleeding, but alive. Stronger. He nodded, pride swelling in his chest. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “We really did.” Emotions welled in his chest. Thoughts of where he’d come from, new to this world only a few weeks ago, terrified of a goblin. Now, he’d conquered his fears, faced down a troll and as a team they’d slayed a dungeon boss.

  The flames burned low, flickering off the ruined throne. Beyond it, the walls pulsed faintly with mana, the heart of the dungeon, pulsing as it prepared something else for them.

  They’d done it.

  They’d won.