Chapter 39

"You... I won’t forgive you... I’ll kill you."

The Goblin King glared at me with eyes filled with hatred and muttered.

It seems that the Goblin King can speak fluently. I cast a few buffs while staying on guard. Larit was surprised that I could use buffs, but I ignored it as it was too troublesome.

"Huh? Are you the one who abandoned your fellow goblins back then?"

My obvious provocation seemed to work, as the Goblin King charged at me with a look of fury.

"Die!!"

The Goblin King attacked with incredible speed. His sword skills were at 'Swordsmanship LV5,' a level that even top C-rank adventurers could match. However, Yuu easily deflected the attack. Yuu’s sword skills were at 'Swordsmanship LV6,' not easy, but still superior to the Goblin King’s.

"Idiot! How can you defend?! I am the King of Goblins!!"

Frustrated by having his dozens of sword strikes deflected, the Goblin King took a step back and switched to casting a spell.

"O spirits of fire, gather your power in me. In my hand, gather the flames that will burn everything."

Judging from the amount of magic power contained in the incantation, it seemed to be a considerable spell. The Goblin King’s incantation was complete.

"Blazing Flame!!"

A ball of intense heat flew towards Yuu. To avoid causing a forest fire, Yuu countered with two Fireballs, neutralizing the attack.

The Goblin King was more shocked by the fact that Yuu could cast spells without an incantation, but even more so by the fact that just two Fireballs could neutralize the 'Blazing Flame.'

"Huh... You’re kidding me..."

"What are you surprised about? I just neutralized the Blazing Flame with Fireballs."

As the Goblin King’s composure continued to crumble, he unleashed the sword skill 'Flash.'

"Take this!!"

But Yuu also used 'Flash,' not only neutralizing it but overpowering it. Just like with magic, the effectiveness of sword skills can vary greatly depending on the user.

"I am... the King... the strongest... being..."

Having his best sword skill so easily countered and overwhelmed, the Goblin King, now in a state of confusion, threw caution to the wind and ordered the surrounding goblins to attack.

"You, kill them all!!"

Hundreds of goblins swarmed and attacked, but Yuu had already deployed Explosions in all directions.

Explosions erupted in all directions, sending goblins flying. Those who managed to dodge the explosions were efficiently dispatched by Larit.

As expected of someone on the verge of becoming a C-rank adventurer; goblins were no match for him. Any goblins Larit missed were mercilessly struck down by Rena’s magic. Nina was guarding nearby, allowing Rena to focus on casting her spells.

"What an incredible guy. Fighting the Goblin King while casting that many spells..."

While beheading a Goblin Knight in an instant, Larit watched Yuu’s battle.

His sword skills were good enough to be considered B-rank, and with his ability to use Explosions, he was definitely at least 'Black Magic LV4.' His MP was also extraordinary. While C-rank support classes can use Explosions, I’ve never heard of anyone maintaining eight Explosions at once.

Furthermore, he could use 'White Magic' and 'Buffs,' so he was likely B-rank or higher—maybe even A-rank. No, A-rank adventurers are truly a league of their own.

"Sorry..."

Nina whispered as she sliced through a Goblin Soldier’s neck with her dagger, which was covered in magic power. The blade remained sharp despite the blood, thanks to the magic power.

She bound a Goblin Mage with threads of magic power and efficiently took him down.

"... There."

Rena’s Flame Lance pierced a Goblin Shaman. She felt the difference a single party could make. With Nina on guard, she could cast spells with peace of mind and even heal injured party members with White Magic.

Despite being surrounded by hundreds of goblins, she felt at ease, a stark contrast to the previous party.

Moo had just had his severed arm reattached but was still fighting fiercely. The difference between his old party and this one brought a sense of regret, but he pushed it aside to focus on the battle.

"O fire and wind, gather your power and become a blazing storm—"

The Goblin King began casting the fourth-tier Black Magic, 'Flame Tornado.'

"To smite my enemy—Gah!"

Yuu’s first-tier Black Magic, 'Wind Blade,' interrupted him.

"Do you really think you can cast such a spell in front of me?"

Yuu’s Wind Blade was several times more powerful than a normal one, severing the Goblin King’s left leg.

"Grr... I won’t... forgive you... Gah!"

Yuu’s obsidian iron greatsword sliced through the Goblin King’s left arm. Approaching the severely wounded Goblin King, who could no longer resist, Yuu stripped him of his skills.

After taking all his skills, Yuu beheaded the Goblin King.

By taking the Goblin King’s skills, Yuu’s 'Swordsmanship' finally reached LV7. Joseph’s Swordsmanship was at LV8, so the gap was closing. 'Plunder' had also reached LV3.

The new skills he gained were:

'Shield Mastery,' 'Shield Techniques,' 'Increased Incantation Speed,' 'Enhanced Hearing,' 'Half-Demon Eye,' 'Magic Awakening,' 'Beast Killer,' 'Intimidation.'

'Shield Mastery,' 'Shield Techniques,' 'Increased Incantation Speed,' and 'Enhanced Hearing' were self-explanatory, so he checked the effects of the remaining skills.

'Half-Demon Eye': Can see spirits.

'Magic Awakening': Increases magic power while active.

'Beast Killer': 5% increased damage against beasts.

'Intimidation': During combat, reduces the stats of opponents with a lower level by 5%.

Satisfied with the skill level-ups and effects, Yuu headed towards Nina and the others, who were still fighting the incoming goblins.