I pulled up the description of the Level 5 Kobold Tribal Guard. Nasty little bastard. That Stonefang Spear gives it reach—close in and I’m skewered before I even blink. And worse, they’re pack fighters. One-on-one? Doable. Two or more? That’s me bleeding out on the floor. So, isolate one. No heroics.
If I just charge in, I’ll eat a thrust straight to the gut. No good. I need to take that reach away. Stun’s an option—fast, cheap, three seconds. But three seconds isn’t much if I’m not already moving. Freeze gives me five. Safer. Freeze first, close the gap before it shakes it off.
Fleetstep… that’s ten whole seconds of speed. More than enough to dash right past the spear. The question is: use it to get in or save it for bailing out if things go bad? Might depend on how aggressive the kobold is. Better keep it in my back pocket.
Shield comes first if I do commit. That spear’s obsidian tip isn’t for show—it’ll punch deep. I’d rather my Mana Shield take the hit than my ribs. Time it right before I rush.
Offense… Mana Slash is the bread and butter. Three strikes, mana wave, plus Mana Burn chewing at its guts. But if we’re fighting in close quarters, Arc Lash might be smarter. Whip the mana, bounce it off the walls, chain lightning frying it wherever it jumps. Good backup.
If the fight drags, Illusory Double goes out. Give the kobold something else to stab at while I reposition. And if it still won’t go down? Sapping Bolt. Expensive, but it’ll cut its health and mana in one shot. Not how I want to start a fight, but definitely how I want to end one.
Yeah. One-on-one, I can do this. Just got to be smart about it.
I chose advanced again. I was positive I could fight one Level 5 Kobold.
“Advanced and if possible, I want to fight single Level 5 Kobolds, until I end the scenario.”
The area opened, and I was met with New York. It was a different area each time, and I was very impressed and happy. Impressed with the variety and happy that I can practise in different settings.
I slowly walked down the street, keeping my eyes open. Now was the time to test my planning.
The kobold stepped into the street, spear lowered. I raised my staff and let my spell fly.
Freeze.
The kobold stopped dead. Its body went rigid as icy mana spread across its limbs, locking every joint in place. Good start.
Fleetstep lit under my skin, and I dashed forward, faster than my legs had any right to be. But the bastard broke free sooner than I’d hoped. Damn. Spear lunged for my chest—Mana Shield flared, the impact cracking through it like glass under strain. It held. Barely.
Counter now. I snapped my staff, Mana Slash (Advanced) spilling out in a trio of glowing arcs. First strike bit deep, second cut across its side, but the third… I missed. The kobold twisted under it with that uncanny agility, spear flipping, butt-end driving into my ribs. Pain lanced through me, sharp and hot. The mana wave fizzled uselessly into the ground.
It pressed forward, relentless. I had no space, no time. Instinct took over—I whipped my staff and let Arc Lash fly. The mana whip cracked across its chest, lightning tearing through flesh. The kobold staggered, smoke curling from its chest, but it still lunged.
“Persistent little shit,” I muttered.
Illusory Double shimmered into being at my side. The kobold’s eyes snapped to it, spear thrusting through the false image. Perfect. I braced myself, staff glowing as I poured everything I had into the next spell
Sapping Bolt.
The blast screamed forward, a dark projectile of energy ripping through its chest. The kobold froze mid-motion, life and mana draining away in a torrent. Its weapon slipped from nerveless fingers.
The body crumpled. Spear clattered on the stone.
I stood there a moment, sucking in breath, staff trembling in my grip. Ribs ached where the blow had landed, shield or no shield. “That… was rougher than I wanted.”
But the kobold was dead. And I was still standing.
I could not move yet, as I was still catching my breath. I decided to call it a night. I would rather get an early start and continue the next day.
I replayed the fight in my head. Freeze had landed, yeah, but I’d counted on more time than it gave me. Misjudged the duration. That little mistake nearly got me skewered when the kobold broke free before I was even in striking range.
Fleetstep did its job—too well. I burned it too early, all in on the rush. Should’ve saved it as my out instead of blowing it on the in. Once things got close and messy, I had nothing left to fall back on.
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Mana Slash should’ve ended it. First two hits connected clean, but I got greedy with the third. Overextended, left myself wide open. The kobold didn’t waste the chance. My ribs are proof of that.
Mana Shield… it held, but barely. I leaned on it too much. Should’ve been angling out of reach, not trusting a thin shell of mana to eat a spear thrust.
Arc Lash and the Double—those saved my ass. Bought me just enough time to line up Sapping Bolt and finish it. But that wasn’t skill. That was desperation.
The truth was ugly: it wasn’t the clean takedown I’d pictured in my head. Too much wasted mana. Too many mistakes. If there’d been even one more kobold in that street? I wouldn’t be standing here.
I gripped my staff tighter, pushing the ache in my ribs down.
“End the scenario.”
I was just about to take a shower, when my Comm Crystal buzzed.
“Claire, everything okay?”
“I got my quest. I got it.”
I smiled and enjoyed her enthusiasm, “So, don’t keep me in suspense. What quest did you get?”
“It is named Mana Well Construction. That sounds so exciting.”
“It does. When are you planning on doing it?”
“I was thinking tomorrow. I will begin early, the way you did, and after I am done, I will call you and tell you everything.”
We spoke a little while longer and then I got my shower, and I went to bed.
I was tired.
I woke the next morning thinking of Claire and her quest. Jordy was also doing his quest. I ate my breakfast and thought about facing the Level 5 Kobold again.
I thought about my fight a lot and I was ready to correct my mistakes.
I walked down the street, staff in hand, eyes scanning for movement. Time to test what I’d learned.
A Level 5 kobold stepped out from between two parked cars, spear lowered, eyes locked on me.
“Alright,” I muttered. “Let’s see if I get it right this time.”
Freeze. The shard streaked through the air, striking the kobold square in the chest. Frost bloomed instantly, spreading across its scaly hide, locking it mid-step. I counted—one, two—and then Fleetstep surged through me.
The world snapped into sharp focus. Every detail—shadows stretching across the pavement, dust caught in sunlight—slowed as I blurred forward.
The ice cracked. The kobold’s muscles bunched, and it broke free with a roar, thrusting its spear. I twisted aside, close enough to feel the rush of air graze my arm.
Mana Slash (Advanced). The staff moved almost on instinct—first Slash cut deep, second followed through clean, the third hammered home. A burst of blue energy rippled out, slamming the kobold backward.
It recovered faster than I liked. Snarling, it swept the spear low, trying to take out my legs. I hopped back and snapped my staff forward.
Arc Lash. Lightning cracked across its chest, a whip of raw mana tearing through flesh. The scent of ozone hit instantly - sharp, metallic, wrong. The creature jerked, smoke curling from its armour.
It dropped to one knee, panting.
“Not this time,” I muttered, voice rough.
I raised the staff, focused everything I had left into one clean shot. Sapping Bolt. The spell hit like a hammer, bursting through its chest in a pulse of blue-white light. The kobold stiffened, spear clattering from its claws before it hit the ground with a dull thud.
I stood there for a moment, breathing hard, sweat trickling down my temple.
“Better,” I said quietly, staring down at the body as it shimmered into dust. “Still not perfect… but better.”
I fought a few more Kobolds and even changed the settings. I had the Kobolds catch me unawares. They appeared behind me so that I could work on my reaction speed.
The real test waited outside. Out there, there were no resets—if you died, you stayed dead. The thought tightened my gut, but the fear also grounded me.
Stepping out of the apartment, the familiar emptiness of the city greeted me. No cars. No people. Just sunlight glinting off the glass towers like nothing had ever changed. My Mini Map flickered to life—red dots blinked here and there, low-level kobolds wandering aimlessly. Not what I needed.
A Level 5. That’s what I was hunting today.
I finally saw on my Mini-Map.
The kobold stepped into the street, spear low, eyes locked on me. I didn’t wait. Freeze. The shard struck clean, ice spreading over its chest and locking its limbs in place. For a moment, it was nothing but a frozen statue of fury. I moved in under Fleetstep, speed humming through my legs, every motion sharp and light.
The ice cracked. The spear thrust and the Mana Shield flared, a shimmer of blue intercepting the blow. The impact rang through my arm, but it held. I countered with Mana Slash. The first strike cut deep. The second ripped across its shoulder. The third—perfect.
I pressed forward; staff raised for the finisher, then something slammed into my back.
Pain ripped through me. I stumbled, spinning just in time to see another kobold lowering its spear for a second strike. The first had drawn my focus; this one had flanked me. I had no idea why I did not see it on my Mini Map.
The spear raked across my side, hot pain spreading as blood soaked through my shirt. I gritted my teeth, forcing my stance steady.
Both kobolds were closing in now. One in front, one to the right. I shifted my grip, staff up in guard. The first thrust came fast. I caught it on the staff’s haft, the impact shuddering up my arms. I kicked it back and snapped the staff outward. Arc Lash ripped through the air, lightning branching and cracking. The bolt hit the first kobold dead center and chained to the second. Both howled, smoke curling from them but they didn’t stop.
The closer one lunged again, spear aimed for my chest. I twisted, but not fast enough. The blade cut deep across my ribs. I gasped, the pain white-hot and blinding.
No time to think. I released Sapping Bolt. The spell struck point-blank, blasting through the kobold’s chest. It flew backward and hit the ground hard, unmoving.
The last one roared and charged through the fading smoke. I met it halfway, both hands gripping the staff tight. I swung my staff, and it connected to its head. It stumbled and dropped beside the first, spear clattering uselessly against the asphalt.
I fell to one knee, clutching my bleeding side. My breath was ragged, and shallow. It was not a fatal wound, but it was serious.
Two dead kobolds. One hard-earned lesson: expect anything. I knew I checked my Mini Map and yet the second Kobold just appeared…
I retrieved my Health Package from my inventory and downed the Vitality Draught. Health flowed through me, but it did nothing to ease the pain. The wound was still open, bleeding and throbbing like crazy.
My shirt was filled with blood and torn, so I took it off. I also needed to put the salve on the wound, and it was just easier to do it without the shirt in the way.
The cool salve immediately began working, and I could feel the wound closing.
I signed in relieve. That was just too close.
“Too fucking close.”
I took out my Repair Token and patched up my shirt. I never noticed before, but the Shard also cleaned the shirt while repairing it
“Let see what Loot I got.”
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