The group fell into a pattern. Igvild would scout ahead and occasionally find a pit trap or trip wire, which he easily found and marked. Thornspitters, Oozeslingers and Thornfists were all they ran into for each Thorn Clearing they found. Valka would hold their attention, Davros would pick them off at a range with fire bolts, Igvild would slice hamstrings and throats when he could and Anya would alternate between healing, cleansing poison and bashing skulls with her morning star. All in all, Davros felt they made a good team.

  The entrance to the Boss Goblin’s area showed the first change in the dungeon’s layout. The thorn passage finally cleared at the edge of a deep precipice where a bridge woven from thorn branches and overlaid with wooden planks led to a small island plateau. A large tent sat in the center of the plateau flanked by two bored looking Thornfists and half a dozen Thornspitters who were crowding around a boiling cauldron under the watchful eye of the largest goblin Davros had seen yet.

  Garnak Bleakthorn

  Level: 10

  “He’s Level 10 now? Damnit,” Valka muttered.

  “He’s usually only Level 8,” Anya answered my confused gaze. “The Dungeon buffed this encounter like it did when it added in the Hexblighter Sub Boss.”

  “So what do we do?” I asked. I forced myself to breathe normally, but I could feel my excitement growing and my mana stirred in response.

  “Do? We kill them, of course!” Valka answered with a fierce grin. “The trick is not getting ourselves bottlenecked as we cross the bridge. Others who have run this dungeon in the past have tried to lure them to this side in an attempt to funnel the Thornspitter trash one at a time. Garnak never falls for that. There’s no way he will now at Level 10 either. He’s likely smarter now too as he is two levels higher.”

  “Are monsters smarter the higher the level they are?” I asked.

  “No, but Boss level mobs rarely fall for such obvious tactics, even if it is a Goblin,” he answered. I looked over at Boss Garnak. He was taller than Valka, a green skinned variety with a long, pronounced nose. Unlike the rest of the goblins he also had a full head of long, greasy looking black hair. Even from this distance, I could see the glow of his red eyes and the light glinting off his shark-like teeth. I licked dry lips. I was glad I wasn’t actually going to attempt to solo this monster. What had I been thinking before?

  “Igvild will sneak across the bridge and hide behind the tent. I’ll run across the bridge and get their attention. Davros, you stay on this side of the bridge and just start shooting fire bolts at the Thornspitters. Their poison needs to be nullified as soon as possible. Anya, stay with Davros on the off chance he gets hit with a thorn, then join me. I’ll hold Garnak’s attention. Igvild, once we engage, try to take out at least one of the Thornfists. I should be able to handle Garnak and a single Thornfist until the rest of you clean up the Thornspitters. Got it?”

  The rest of us nodded. It sounded like a good plan to me, but then what do I know about battle tactics? I would just do as I was told and burn down as many as I could as quickly as possible. However, I did disagree with Valka on one thing. As capable as he was, I was doubtful that trying to fight Garnak and an additional Thornfist was something the Soldier Defender would be able to handle for any great length of time.

  “Alright, this is it. We’ve been very fortunate on the loot drops and General Torlack, not to mention the Graf himself, will be pleased. Garnak drops the Cleave skill for melee types like me, but has also been known to drop random spells for casters. Let’s kill these bastards and the first round at the Inn in Bruhle is on me.”

  “As long as it’s Vodka,” quipped Igvild.

  “Bruhle Vodka is passable. Go!”

  Igvild’s form blurred and seemed to vanish. His Infiltrator class was like nothing I could believe was possible. It made me briefly wonder how Jevro had originally even acquired him to begin with? How could someone who could disappear entirely ever allow themselves to be put into a cage?

  The thorn bridge didn’t jerk or even sway when the dwarf put his weight upon its rather hazardous looking wooden boards. I imagined the goblins had likely originally made them to avoid stepping on any thorns, but their effort had been minimal at best. The three of us waited, Valka counting down. He’d told Igvild he had until the count of a hundred, then he was charging in.

  I kept my breathing even and steady, not allowing my excitement or desire for combat overwhelm me like it nearly had before. Corruption was something I would have to learn to manage. I fingered Igvild’s ring. I wondered where he had gotten it? Soothe magic, Anya had called it. Power to remove Corruption. There was so much I didn’t know! My ignorance was becoming more than just a minor annoyance for me.

  For the first time in my life, it felt like I had a purpose, a direction. If the Graf wanted me to travel to more Dungeons, I would gladly do so. I hoped it would be with Anya and Igvild. Even Valka, for all his temper and name calling, was reliable in a fight. This fight against the Goblin Boss would…No!

  It was too late. Valka had reached his count of one hundred and was charging forward, his Czak warcry bellowing forth from his lips. At that exact moment, I saw another goblin emerge from the Boss tent. A mid-sized, blue skinned goblin covered in glowing tattoos. It was another Hexblighter!

  Valka saw the Hexblighter when he had already covered half the distance across the bridge. He made his decision in an instant.

  “Davros! Kill the Hexblighter!” Valka raised his shield, already defending from the thorns being launched by the Thornspitters.

  I reacted instantly, pushed forward by a combination of fear, excitement and a new feeling that ignited within me when I beheld Garnak’s expression. The other goblins, the Hexblighter included, were surprised and caught on the backfoot by our sudden attack granting us the initiative. Except for Garnak.

  The goblin boss slapped its bulbous stomach and sneered down its long nose at us all. Then, the large goblin threw back his head and bellowed a warcry of its own. Whereas Valka’s cry was a rally to one’s bravery and heroism, Garnak’s was a hideous screech of promised pain and suffering. For the Goblins, it emboldened them and threw Valka and Anya off a step. For me, it filled me with a terrible rage.

  “Garnak Bleakthorn, I swear by the Eye I will kill you!” I snarled.

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  You have just issued a Challenge to Garnak Bleakthorn!

  You are permitted to issue a single Challenge to any Boss or Sub Boss mob within a Dungeon. Once the Challenge is complete, that Dungeon will not accept further Challenges. Issue Challenges at your own discretion!

  Garnak Bleakthorn accepts your Challenge!

  All damage you give to Garnak Bleakthorn is doubled!

  All damage taken from Garnak Bleakthorn is doubled!

  You cannot retreat from this battle!

  Eye save me, what did I just do?

  Valka’s words were still fresh in my mind. I raised both my hands, index finger of each hand pointing at the Hexblighter and I dual casted a Fire Bolt. Like before, the twin bolts combined mid flight into a larger fire bolt and slammed into the Hexblighter’s chest. Fortune favored me and the Hexblighter was blown off its feet and whatever spell it had been about to cast was ruined. Yet, the caster was now just outside the range of my fire bolts. It was screaming in pain as its chest was on fire, but still very much alive, if seriously wounded.

  I made my decision a heartbeat later. I charged across the bridge after Valka.

  “Davros, what…”

  “I need to get closer to kill the Hexblighter!” I yelled over my shoulder at Anya. I just hoped she was following behind me. If the Hexblighter managed to get a spell off targeting any one of us, I didn’t think we would ever be leaving this Dungeon.

  As I pushed myself to move faster across the bridge, I realized I owed Valka an apology. The running he had made me do as a part of preparing me for the dungeon hadn’t been the punishment I had interpreted it as being. It had been a necessary part of my training. I made a promise to myself I would continue with it if I survived. Even though my Speed attribute was a mere 2, I could still push myself for longer than I had previously. Yet, this wasn’t a jog, it was a sprint and fast I was not.

  I was more than halfway across the bridge when the Hexblighter managed to douse its [Burning] debuff somehow and regain its feet. The blue skinned goblin snarled a one word Curse. I felt the magic settle over me and my limbs began to seize up as if squeezed in a vice. Each step felt twice as long, because they were.

  Speed reduced by 1!

  Then I felt a hand touch my shoulder and I felt more outside magic flood into my body, but this time it came as a relief.

  Hex of Slow Inertia removed!

  Speed increased by 1!

  Anya gasped and I knew she had just expended a great deal of mana to free me from the Hexblighter’s curse. I needed to take the little blue bastard out now.

  I raised a finger, but the Hexblighter saw and decided it would make a more difficult target if it started moving. It was wrong. I had become very adept with Fire Bolt. I wouldn’t miss. However, watching the Hexblighter shimmy sideways gave me an idea.

  I finished crossing the bridge, Anya hot on my heels. I prepared a bolt at the end of my finger, but didn’t release it just yet. I wanted the Hexblighter closer to the Thornspitters first. In the meantime, Garnak had not been idle. The Boss pulled a wicked looking cleaver from behind its back and stalked towards Valka, who was still hunkered down behind his shield, thorns plinking off his armor.

  “Hurry up, Anya! I’m poisoned!” Valka yelled.

  “Hold fast!” The half-elf cried. One of the Thornfists had broken off from guarding the boss tent and was running towards Anya, a wicked grin on its face. It gnashed its teeth and punched its thorn encrusted gauntlets together making a horrid clamor.

  Igvild, where are you? The Hexblighter still wasn’t where I needed him and was chanting another spell, this time staring at Anya. I would have to act soon. Garnak snarled something at the remaining Thornfist who at first moved to join the other Thornfist in engaging with Anya then abruptly changed its mind and started charging towards me!

  Just a little closer…

  The Thornspitters had all lined up in a row in front of the boiling cauldron. Garnak stalked past them focused upon Valka who remained braced against the thorn attacks, unmoving. The Hexblighter finished chanting its spell and a yellowish mist took form beneath the Hexblighter’s feet and began spreading outwards. What its spell was, I never learned. I had run out of time. The Thornfist swung a fist at Anya who deftly dodged aside and countered with her morning star with a blow to its right arm. The second Thornfist charged me, a fist cocked back ready to pulverize me into meat. I launched my fire bolt.

  My spell sailed true, not at the Hexblighter or any goblin. My target was the boiling cauldron of what I rightly assumed was Tyne Sap. The flame touched the sap and the resulting explosion blew all five of the Thornspitters off their feet, those who still possessed feet, that is. Tyne Sap was more volatile than I could have ever imagined.

  The Hexblighter was caught in the blast as well and it was revealed that the yellow mist it summoned was as flammable as the Tyne Sap. The mist lit up the Hexblighter, who was surrounded by the stuff, like an oil-doused torch. It didn’t even get a chance to scream as it was immolated where it stood.

  Garnak wasn’t spared either. The boss had been flung forward and face planted in the dirt, its grimy hair now aflame. Both Thornfists, even the one who had been about to knock me into the next world, had spun around to gawk at what they saw, their disbelief evident upon their monstrous features. In less than a moment, I had turned the fight around.

  Valka, Eye bless him, didn’t waste the opportunity. He leapt forward, blade stabbing downward into Garnak’s unprotected back. The Thornfist Anya had been engaging suddenly cried out and dropped to one knee, Igvild appearing behind it from nowhere, dagger bloody after hamstringing the creature. The dwarf didn’t stop there, he charged forward with a roar at the Thornfist in front of me and threw a second dagger end over end, which sank into the Thornfist’s chest.

  I scrambled away, trusting Igvild to clean up the mortally wounded Thornfist. Anya was also swinging her morning star with a fury into the first Thornfist’s skull. The Thornspitters were dead, unconscious or too wounded to fight on. It was now down to us and Garnak, but the Goblin Boss wasn’t finished yet.

  Valka’s blade burrowed a hole in the goblin’s back, green blood spurting from the wound. I shook my head to clear away the after effects of my proximity to the explosion just in time to witness what common sense said shouldn’t be possible. Garnak, blade still embedded in his back, stood up.

  Valka was nearly face to face with Garnak, the Goblin’s eyes glowing a deep red and its body seemed to swell and grow before our eyes.

  “It’s enraging! Valka, step back!” Anya cried. It was too late. Garnak’s cleaver came down in a horizontal swipe bisecting part of Valka’s shield and cutting deeply into the soldier’s shoulder. Valka jerked once, his face registering first confusion then pain as he collapsed to the ground, blood fountaining from the wound.

  The three of us stared in horror at Valka’s prostrate body.

  “He needs healing! By the Eye, what is that damage? Unconscious with one blow?” Anya’s eyes were wide and even Igvild looked worried.

  The bloody Challenge. Garnak is doing double his usual damage. It’s my bloody fault!

  I clenched my teeth so tightly I felt they must break. Garnak snarled and now his entire body seemed to glow red with rage. He was hurt, no doubt, the explosion had scorched his back and charred part of his face black. The wound in his back was still pumping out his foul blood. Even if he could hurt us for twice the amount, so too could we do the same to him.

  “Heal Valka. I’ll keep him busy.”

  “Are you mad? If he hits you, you’re dead!”

  “Then I won’t let him hit me.” I raced left, Garnak’s eyes following me the moment I moved. Good. I needed him to follow me to give Anya some breathing room to save Valka. If Igvild could help me, so much the better. I would try to give him an opening to attack the Boss from behind.

  I started by launching a Fire Bolt into Garnak’s left thigh. The Goblin roared in pain, but he was far from done. He launched forward, cleaver swinging vertically to split me in half down the middle. My instinct was to leap away, but the moment froze as my mind leapt into overdrive. No, not overdrive. My mind was on fire. My thoughts were moving faster than they ever had before. My Mana Core pulsed. I could sense my flames orbiting my Core, spinning faster and faster until merging and enveloping the entirety of the Core.

  I cried out in pain. My heart was afire! Or that’s what it felt like. I couldn’t see it, but my eyes were burning as red as Garnak’s were. It was both agony and enlightenment. My very soul warred with the Corruption coursing through me, just barely held in check by my ring and Anya’s Soothe spell. I needed to hold on and time what I was about to do perfectly. The violent sensations raging about my Core was something I could not yet put a name to, but it wasn’t entirely unpleasant. I activated my Wrath Shield not a moment too soon and the flames within me threatened to melt my Mana Core itself.

  Garnak’s cleaver cut into my flesh beginning at my forehead and continued down until he reached my navel. He would have continued cutting, I’m sure, but he no longer had the entirety of his cleaver to do the cutting. Behind me, I thought I may have heard Anya scream.

  Garnak stared in horror at the bubbling metal dripping from what remained of his weapon. The moment his blade made contact with my body and blood it liquified as if it had been dipped into a volcano. Dumbfounded, Garnak stared from his ruined blade to me and back again. Then I vomited hell straight into his gaping mouth.