Liam met it first, intercepting the hobgoblin's overhead swing with his baton gripped in both hands. But the sheer force of the impact was too much. The hobgoblin is stronger than him by a large margin, and Liam wasn't wearing any armor just a long-sleeved shirt over a bulletproof vest.
The baton absorbed some of the blow, but the rest sent him flying backward like he'd been hit by a sledgehammer. He slammed into a display rack with a loud crash, metal clattering, and plastic shelves breaking under his weight. He groaned, teeth clenched, clearly winded.
"Damn!" Amber shouted, already moving to cover him.
"Stay focused!" I yelled, stepping forward as the hobgoblin let out a guttural roar and turned its attention toward the rest of us.
Sol blurred past me, using Quick Step to appear behind the creature. He slashed low, scoring a line across the hobgoblin's thigh. It bellowed in pain and twisted, swinging its cleaver wildly.
Karen, standing back near the shelves, grabbed a nearby glass jar and hurled it. It exploded against a smaller goblin's face, stunning it long enough for Amber to dash forward and gut the creature cleanly.
"Good throw," Amber muttered, flicking green blood off her blade.
The hobgoblin wasn't done. It slashed at Amber making her dodge back before catching her off guard, by kicking her in the stomach sending her flying. Sol jumped back and looked confused about whether to help me or Amber.
"Sol, focus! Karen give this to Amber!" I said throwing a health potion towards her. Karen catches it before quickly running towards Amber.
My shouts draw the attention of the hobgoblin and now it's coming after me, cleaver raised, eyes wild with rage. I met it in the middle of the boutique, katana flashing.
It swung and I parried it. The clash echoed like a bell. My arms shook with the force of it, but I didn't back down. I knew I couldn't take its hits head on so I focused on redirecting its attacks. I sidestepped, bringing my blade around in a tight arc. It caught the creature across the stomach, splitting old leather and flesh.
The hobgoblin howled, staggering backward.
I pressed in, feinting left, then darting right and slicing a deep line across the back of its knee. It stumbled, dropped to one knee, then roared one last time before I drove the katana through its chest.
It collapsed in a heap, twitching, and thick green blood pooling beneath it.
"Clear," I called, breathing hard.
Liam limped over, still clutching his side. "Okay, next time we need to buy armor. I think my ribs are broken."
I gave him a sideways glance. "Definitely. We need to go back to base. This is enough excitement for one day."
"Are we calling that a mini-boss?" Sol muttered kicking the corpse.
"It sure felt like one," Amber said groaning. Sol sighed in relief that she was ok and I was glad also. I would have hated for someone to die on my watch. Sure, I knew it was going to happen sooner or later but I am glad it wasn't now.
Sol and I looted the area and these were the following drops:
Item Name: Hobgoblin Bone Ring
Rarity: Rare
Type: Accessory - Ring
Bonus: +3 Constitution
Passive: Slight regeneration of HP over time
Description: Crafted from the polished knuckle of a hobgoblin warlord, this ring pulses faintly with vitality. Increases endurance and helps wounds knit slowly over time.
Item Name: Hobgoblin Cleaver
Rarity: Uncommon
Type: Weapon - Cleaver
Damage: 18–26 (Slashing)
Durability: 35/60
Requirements: Strength 12, Level 5
Special Effect: +2 Strength when wielded two-handed
Description: A brutal, jagged cleaver fashioned from scrap iron and bone. Heavy and unbalanced, but devastating in close combat. Favored by hobgoblins for sheer stopping power.
Item Name: Hobgoblin Chestplate
Rarity: Uncommon
Type: Light Armor - Chest
Defense: +10 Physical Defense
Durability: 42/50
Requirements: Constitution 10, Level 5
Special Effect: Reduces stagger chance from heavy hits by 15%
Description: Crude but effective, this chest plate is pieced together from reinforced leather and salvaged plating. Light enough for mobility, strong enough to take a solid hit.
[Currency Acquired: Silver Coin ×25]
We regrouped, breathing heavily.
"That's the last of the right-wing," I said finally. "We've done enough."
Everyone looked tired, but more than that, they looked sharper. No longer arrogant, but confident in their skills and each other. We were leveling up in more ways than one.
"We are heading back. When we get back to base clean your weapons and get some rest. Tomorrow, we hit the middle path."
As we turned back, Karen walked beside me, eyes hard.
"She is still here," she said.
I didn't reply. I gave her a nod in understanding but I wasn't going to force us to keep going when most of the team was tired and injured. We will find her sister one way or another, but we need to be alive to do it.
The walk back felt longer than it should have. Everyone was bruised, sore, and riding the edge of exhaustion. Even Karen, who didn't want to leave yet, dragged her steps a little, her eyes flicking warily at every shadow.
The escalator groaned beneath us again, announcing our presence to anyone near but no one ambushed us. We just ascended back to the safety of the second floor.
When we reached the second floor and turned the corner toward the electronics store, I slowed.
Something was off. Voices. Soft ones. A few murmurs. People were moving around inside and I didn't recognize the voices.
I raised a hand to stop the group.
Amber tilted her head. "Enemies?"
We moved cautiously, blades loose in our hands, until I stepped through the main entrance and saw them.
Marco, Jasper, and the rest of his group were there. Marco and his group are searching for his daughter who I believe was also taken by the goblins because we haven't seen her on the second floor. Granted we don't know what she looked like but hopefully Nicole showed her all the dead bodies that were the Chosen and their victims. It would be really awkward if we killed his daughter because she was an enemy.