As small bands of plated goblins started to slowly, but surely, emerged out of the mirror, StossTruppen grimaced at the sight. He wished him and the party wouldn't have to go all in and wouldn't risk their necks after the past couple days of bitter fighting. However, he learned that what you hoped, and what you ended getting, were two different things.

"What are we supposed to do now?" High Elf, who was peeking on the left side of the entrance, whispered.

"Maybe we could attack them now?" Warrior suggested, "It doesn't look like they're expecting anything,"

Lizardman swayed his head, "I am not sure that would be possible," He revealed that, when they scouted earlier ahead, that eye has an ability to disintegrate with an acid beam the moment it spotted something move. "I would summon a dragon tooth warrior, but when that creature glares at it, it will use Dispel and my spell will be undone."

Goblin Slayer, who was also peeking from the entrance as well, (but closely beaming at the armed goblins, waddling out of the gate one-by-one hauling small crates) said: "Disintegrate and Dispel...this is bad."

"So, what do we do, then?" Fighter asked, looking over Warrior's shoulder. When she got a good look at the floating eye, she felt like she was ready for her lunch to throw up from the way that thing looked. Gross...

"It looks like, as long as we don't enter the room, it won't attack us," Priestess said, observing the creature -its gaze seemly starting right back at her, but not showing any reaction to their presence. Which was odd in itself. It wouldn't be half as bad if there weren't the growing number of goblins behind it. Why haven't they noticed us?

As if the god she worshiped above had heard her, the slow, but rapid thumping from the outside, underground ceilings made its presence known.

High Elf was able to distinguish the noise a few moments before, however, she didn't want to tell her comrades that until she was sure it was the same from the other day. When the pour from above finally came, the party eased a bit, since they wouldn't have to worry about the goblins hearing, and more importantly, smelling their presence.

"Well from this distance, I think I should be able to hit that thing with a couple of shots," Wizard suggested, "but if Priestess tries to cast a miracle and that thing dispells it," She shook her head. "I don't think this is something we could risk,"

"So we can't use spells, and that thing fires beams. It definitely has the upper hand." Dwarf Shaman remarked, "We're basically stuck here twiddling our thumbs."

"And we can't wait for the goblins to regroup and rearm unless we want more trouble on our hands," StossTruppen said, clutching onto his fist. The more he saw that creature look at him, or at least his general direction, the more he knew they couldn't try something foolish. But if they stayed here as Shaman said.

"Here. Take this," Goblin Slayer passed his pupil the rifle he picked up from the other day, along with a small ammo pouch.

Stoss shot his leader a perplexed look, "Sir…?"

"I tested that device a night ago and it was far too clumsy for me to use properly," Goblin Slayer revealed, "for this to succeed, I need a steady aim to keep their heads down as we work."

Stoss lowered his newly, familiarized, rifle and gave his leader a confounded, but amused glance, "What are you suggesting, sir?" The teen asked.

Peering back at the goblins, then at the Eye, Goblin Slayer asked: "Just to make sure, we're outside the town, right?"

"We walked quite a bit, so I feel like we're a pretty good distance away." Dwarf Shaman recalled. However, his voice a hint of interest at that stoic adventurer's question.

Goblin Slayer nodded. "Then this shouldn't be a problem."

/…

As the goblins were busily hulling in boxes of munitions from the foreign lands, so far too few in numbers since the bulk of them carried close-range weaponry, the spectator's eye lurked from one corner of the room to the other. It had heard something bothering a moment ago. But now, besides the rapid thumping above, it believed it was just- ...Rarh?!

Catching the creature's gasps filled the room, High Elf made sure to go into a full dash as she made her way to the cathedral's left-hand side. The Giant Eye having the same notion; as an orange liquid blasted out of its eye, trailing past the archer, just barely, as she sped faster than it.

"This is on you dwarf!" She exclaimed out loud, as she felt the adrenaline started to pump through her veins over the sound of her own excitement. She slide by one of the chairs blocking the Eye's gaze for the time being.

Quickly running to the elf's contrary view, Dwarf Shaman sucked in the substances from his wrist bottle, and, making sure to straighten his aim, spat the contents at the furious boss, creating a miniature cloud around it.

"Drink and sing spirits!" The dwarf started the spell, "Sing, dance, and sleep like a log! Show me dreams of fire wine!" He chanted. Seeing the mist appearing around the being start to fad. The Eye (including the rest of it) dropping down in fatigue, with tired eyes.

Stumbling back from the sudden ambush, one of the sprites got to its feet and trained its rifle at the gnome. Once the shot was lined-up, it fired.

"Protection!" Priestess shouted, casting her spell just in front of the mage, to block the small arms of the goblins. Bullets ricocheting off the shield's exterior.

Cursing in dismay, the same goblin that ordered the attack was about to shout to its brethren to turn their sights over to the girl, however, just as it was going to give the order, a tiny *thud came from just underneath its feet.

It quickly turned down at the small black ball, a tiny sizzling noise from the end of a rope attached to it.

The goblin made a horrified screech as the bomb went off. Destroying it, along with the rest of the goblins gathered up in the blast.

"Good throw!" Priestess told Fighter.

"Who knew that game from earlier made good practice for now!" She hollered over to her companions as she reeled back from the shot put.

Dwarf Shaman waved after his party members, grinning at their coordination. He returned his concentration back at the drooping eye in front of him, "That thing's harmless if it doesn't glare at us."

"All right." Goblin Slayer nodded, a sack over his shoulder, said: "Use Fire Spin to temporary block the mirror. We can't any goblins in, just yet." He promptly told Wizard, who nodded and started her spell.

As swift as the ignition went off, several more goblins started to emerge out of the portal. Some carrying firearms.

Standing by the cathedral's opening, Warrior and StossTruppen were already in position -StossTruppen with his Needle rifle and Warrior with several stones. Once the first goblins entered, the duo repaid them with a shock of stone and lead.

"Los!- let's move," Stoss shouted over the sound of his heart beating out of his chest. As about every goblin that sprinted out of the gate, soon crumbled to the ground. He worked the lever and armament of his rifle like a man possessed. Him and, to an extent, Warrior as well. But it couldn't have been more to a few seconds of this exchange.

"Fire Spin!" Wizard shot the small trailblazer from the tip of her staff, quickly streaming past her comrades and that Eye, and directly in front of the mirror. Exactly as the last goblin finished leaping out of it.

Stoss fasten and lined up the shot. He fired.

The goblin's head kicked back and fell back into the fire covered entrance: engulfed in flames. "..grünskin," He swore, his voice filled with ill-will and distaste.

"My spell isn't going to last any longer!" Dwarf Shaman shouted, noticing the creature was slowly coming to.

"Everyone start retreating back," Goblin Slayer hurried. As he made his way out of the entrance, sack still on his shoulder. He turned over to Priestess, "Cast Protection on the firewall, then cast another immediately at the ruin's entrance," he began, "if you mess up, we'll die."

Priestess gulped. "Okay!" She exclaimed, hurrying to get her spell going.

Soon, the Eye's sleepiness was starting to wear off. It began to blink, gradually, but a few times more as it became more aware of what was going on around it. It's flotation growing more steady.

Fortunately, after just a mere few moments, Priestess shouted once more: "Protection!" Casting a light screen over her comrade's inferno spell, but just enough to block the goblins on the other side of the mirror from ripping through.

Wizard exhaled, "Thanks," She told her fellow spellcaster. Priestess thanked back. As the others ran at break-neck speed past them and behind the entrance.

"All right." With every second counting, Goblin Slayer nodded to Lizardman, before proceeding a little out of the entrance, and, after a quick tear of the bag, shook the sack's contents all over the salient. Brown dust draining out of it and fogging the field.

High Elf, who was the last one out besides him, coughed, "W-What is that, Orcbolg?"

"Flour, don't breathe it in," He told her quickly.

Once Goblin Slayer and the archer passed the dragon warrior Lizardman had summoned, the third Protection was cast just a moment after they left the room. Goblin Slayer made sure to stand just a little in front of the shield -his pupil besides him.

"Sir?" StossTruppen asked. Slightly out of breath -more so for his comrades behind him.

In just a few seconds, Dwarf Shaman best summed-up what was going to happen in a few short moments: "Flour...in a condensed area-"

"...oh crap," Wizard muttered immediate after. Quickly covering her ears and letting her mouth open in preparation.

Goblin Slayer snapped his attention back to the rest of his party members, "Cover your ears and leave your jaws open!" He yelled, as he, along with the party quickly did what was asked.

Clawing and stabbing the see-through barrier with their weapons, the shield finally fazed out and opened. Freedom, at last, the leading goblin, armed with his stolen rifle off the stockpile, was the first to leap out into their destination.

As rough spice in the air smacked its face, the sprite hacked. Yet, once it saw something trudging forward towards it from the brown fog, it gasped. Fumbling to get its rifle towards its shoulder.

Hearing its comrades pour over by the dozens from behind, the goblin took aim. And fired-

A loud shockwave ripped through StossTruppen's eardrums. With the whole room seemingly resembling what it must look like during a bombardment on a flammable area. Even though he heard attacks like that are seldom in number and short bursts, yet the room looks like the devil's anvil.

He was forced to close his eyes as the red puff of flame ripped forward, and, very luckily, was held short by Priestess' Protection spell. The blast sounded as if a volley of siege howitzers had all decided to go off at once. Or, again, at least that's what he figured it sounded from the looks and literal sound of it.

/~~~

As the room started, or for a lack of better words, stop shaking, the ruins were what was left of the abandoned church. With most of the possessions and walls damaged and battered.

Along with a faint smell of gunpowder, and burnt wood and charcoaled goblin bodies scattered here and there. The place wasn't as bad as the party thought it would be. That if they wanted to tell the truth.

"You actually did it," Dwarf Shaman said in atonement. Just a few seconds after the Giant Eye -or what was left of it- came crashing down from a chandelier a few feet in front of him and the party.

Lizardman also shared the same sense of fascination as his fellow party member, "Sir Goblin Slayer, exactly what did you do?"

"When he told me about the canary, the coal miner also told me when there's a lot of fine powder in the air in an enclosed space, and there's a spark," Goblin Slayer paused for a moment, "it'll catch fire and explode."

" 'it'll catch fire and explode' " Wizard said under her breath. Her voice sounding very impressed and astonished on how Goblin Slayer thought the process. Just as she was very intrigued with how they went to the trouble to get a sack of flour and was surprised to find she hadn't put two in two much sooner.

She shook her head, once more. Wondering what else her party leader had hiding in his sleeve gauntlets. Can't be any more creative than this, I suppose. She chuckled.

"But it's a hassle to prepare." Goblin Slayer continued, rubbing the chaos spawn's cornea with his sword, "There's a chance it'll ignite or explode too early. Meaning it'll be useless against goblins," He looked over the burned remains of the green sprites, "under most circumstances."

"Wait, an explosion?!" High Elf shouted as if she just understood what Orcbolg had in mind.

"No one seemed to have a problem with it. So I figured it would be fine to use it here." Goblin Slayer answered, quite surprised.

"That's not the problem here…" She began, trying to explain how something that could have killed them if they messed up in a single step was extremely concerning. However, she knew it wouldn't do any good.

"Forget it," She sighed, "Someone should really make a rule of what you can't and can use…" She took a tiny look over to the team's number two.

"I'm not complaining," StossTruppen coincided with an uncertain shrug. High Elf sighed, again.

"Um...What were you going to do if it didn't explode?" Priestess asked.

"We'd shoot an arrow and a pellet from the hall and run away until it could collect itself. Any of those goblins that would try to persuade would be killed in the chase," Goblin Slayer replied, "Then we'd repeat this cycle until it died, and kill the rest. It'd be a hassle, but it'd work."

"So me and Dreaded Trooper would be doing most of the work, huh?" High Elf said, her voice sounding jaded from the thought of running back and forth for lord knows how long.

"I guess it would be a life-or-death situation for you and the lad," Dwarf Shaman taunted, seizing the duo's attention, "With all that exercise, you'd never plump up that anvil body of yours to surprise 'em."

High Elf ignored the last part and leered back at him, "Actually, I'd say you need some more exercise to keep up with us, dwarf."

"You fool!" The mage shot back, "My plumpiness is what the lads should strive for."

"Really?" High Elf laughed, "Get any fatter and we'd have to roll you down the hall."

Watching the duo duke it out, most of the party couldn't help but laugh to the entertainment of it. All say for Lizardman, who just shook his head in disapproval; believing the two of them can't go a day without going at each other's throats. Even particularly.

"Say," Stoss began, grabbing his leader's attention, "What were you doing talking to a miner, anyways, Uh...sir?"

"I was told to go and pick up a coal ration before the winter season, some time ago." Goblin Slayer answered. While he was sheathing his sword.

His adjutant cocked his head to the side, "Was it for the girl at the Farm?"

"Yea." Goblin Slayer replied. In fact, that was one of the main reasons he wanted to get back as soon as possible. After all, it had been several days since he left. The last thing he didn't like to think about was what would happen if he stayed out too long? After all, who was checking the fencing for sabotage? Or behind the grass for goblin footprints? Or-

He stopped when he noticed his adjutant give him a doubtful expression. Goblin Slayer waved it off, "Everything is fine,"

"Now, then…" Lizardman's voice trailing for a moment," What's rather curious. Is this." Referring to the large, ancient mirror that stood before him and the party.

"Woah," Warrior brought out at the sight, "you know it looks bigger when you're up close."

"I really hope you just realized what you just said, Warrior." Fighter told her friend. Which got a laugh from the team, but caused the team's belligerent to pout in dismay.

Not really paying any mind to her comrades, Priestess examined the gate with a more intriguing look to it. "Weird," She began. "How were they able to rush through just a few seconds ago? But now," She started stepping towards it.

"I don't think we should touch it so carelessly…" Lizardman -who was now holding the team's torch- asked in concern. Particularly since the fiasco that happened minutes earlier.

"I know," She admitted. "But we should still investigate on how it works."

Taking a step closer to the extremely tall gate. Priestess noticed her reflection staring right back at her the closer she got. Once she was only a foot away, she gently pulled her hand towards an oval shape part of the mirror in front of her -presumably the way to activate it. She pressed her finger against it.

Holding for a split-second: she pulled her arm away. The interaction creating a circular wave against the surface. She blinked a few times.

The mirror reacted. A hollow noise coming from it.

"Get ready." Goblin Slayer told, immediately getting in-between his party.

Aiming down his rifle's sights, the mirror turned from a dark shaded color to a bright beam for a moment. StossTruppen lowered his rifle when the mirror revealed beyond its entrance. "Was zur Hölle?" It was a poor choice of words, mostly for the poor souls on the other side.

The mirror revealed the view of, well, what had been a small camp stationed on a mountain-like location. However, the environment resembled more of a dessert aura since the place looked to fit the bill. Or at least that's how StossTruppen figured one would look if you went more southward.

What was very unfamiliar was that the party saw, besides the camp now mostly on fire, was the many goblins and plated goblins trying to put out the flames with a small pool of water nearby, with pots and their own hands. Oddly enough, the red moon in dark sky seemed a lot closer as well. Along with the same crimson, inclining stripe and crest flying above the post.

"This must be their home," Priestess hesitated, "or, er-...it was."

The others looked at the sight in reverence and as well as confusion, noticing further in the rear of the area was a shallow lake with two, maybe three, boats from various sizes floating on top of it. Realizing those boats were of the same class as the ones the party encountered earlier here wasn't the only thing that gave them the chills.

Upon closer inspection by the lake. There was a small group of plated goblins, -all but one panicky running back and forth towards the water and gathering some of it, then throwing it back at the inferno. By them, there were several smaller huts, accompanied by lines of stationary circles, with large, poorly painted on red-dots in the middle. Some had pieces of arrows still stuck inside. With a small pile of firearms, swords, clubs, and...a canon nearby.

"Looks familiar to you, Stoss?" Wizard, who was standing beside him, asked with certainty.

He slowly nodded. "Ja," He said, not taking his eyes off the sight, "I know a field barracks when I see one,"

"S-So this was also where they were being trained?" She said cautiously. Stepping a little back from the mirror as the display began to fade away. "Do you think they were getting ready for something?"

"At least this whole ordeal is a little clearer, for now," Dwarf Shaman admitted. "Whatever they were trying to do, they must have been on a rush to attack the town, it looks like,"

High Elf shook her head from the sight. "I can't believe this," Her voice a bit shaky, and sounded just like the rest of her comrades. "So someone's been summoning goblins with this thing…"

"Then giving them weapons and having them train all the way down here," Wizard finished. Still a little shaken on the possibility of it they decided to postpone this fight for another day or two.

"Hmm," Goblin Slayer rhymed under his breath. Taking a step towards the mirror.

Lizardman looked over at the deceased Eye's corpse just behind them, "And having that creature protects the mirror."

Warrior sighed and hung his head down. "And here I thought we couldn't get into anything worse than this,"

"For once, I think you're right," Fighter admitted. However, that's when she noticed Goblin Slayer stopped just a few feet short of the mirror. Usually, she wouldn't pay it no mind. But, from the looks of it, it looked like something caught his eye. What's he doing?

Leaning a bit in, Goblin Slayer stared for a moment at the red stripe and crown flag, flapping over the now ruined campsite. He knew this place was important enough, there were goblins here after all. But the map he collected from the abandoned ruins some time ago has still eaten at him.

He knew this place, or at least around it, was important enough for something. Considering goblin don't just take things and keep them without some purpose, let alone a map. If they were planning something, was that attack on the village also planned? He couldn't know for certain.

The mirror faded back to the shade it was before Priestess had interacted with it. Taking a step back. He Noticed in the corner of his eye a torn-up piece of cloth hanging (that looked like the red striped flag he just saw) onto -or for better words, what had been- a stance. The ones that a cleric would use to converse to their followers. But that wasn't what grabbed his attention in the first place; the cloth was radiating light, red color. He investigated it.

"Sir?" Stoss asked perplexed, "What did you find-...!?"

It was too late. It happened so fast. By the time Goblin Slayer had heard his adjutant begin to call out for him; a painful, and sudden zap pulsed his body, just as he made contact with the wool sheet.

Immediately feeling his body go numb, his legs feel like jelly. Goblin Slayer tried to keep his balance by pulling his leg back to hold him up, however, by the time he was in motion, he felt another sudden hard pain from his back. What-? Was his last thought, then everything went black.

"I-I can't wake him up, guys!" Priestess cried out. Trying her hardest to try and shake Goblin Slayer out of consciousness. He still had a pulse, which was good, considering the whole party rushed over, especially StossTruppen, to see if he was alive or not. When that sigh of relief came through, it came at a bad timing.

"Scheiße," StossTruppen cursed under his breath. He looked over to the rest of his comrades. High Elf had shouted she picked up a large amount of thumping feet closing in on this position, directly down the hall.

He cursed, again. Then turned back to Priestess, still trying her hardest to wake Goblin Slayer. She didn't have any miracles left, but StossTruppen figured that wouldn't do any good if he was just unconscious. Plus she couldn't really do any medical treatment if she didn't know what was exactly wrong with him.

"Stoss, what's the plan?" Warrior shouted desperately. Hearing the thumping starting to echo down the halls.

"I-I'm not sure...give me a sec-" As he was turning his gaze back to the party, he froze when he saw most of their faces: either hesitant or, for his party (The Greenhorns) was fear and uncertainty.

Staring back at them with a sense of mix ambiguity and frustration as well, Stoss glanced back at Priestess. His eyes widened when he noticed that she was slightly hyperventilating: either from the advancing sprites at hand or that she couldn't wake up Goblin Slayer of whatever troublesome stupor he was in.

"Stoss?" "Stoss, what's the order?!"

His eyes darted back at his commander, still lying Supine as a statue. Feeling his palms heat up again, as his breathing started to pick up. It was only then that he felt a sweat drop from his forehead, Gott verdammt, he thought, What am I supposed to do?

Hit them back.

...Huh? Stoss suddenly felt his nerves cease for a moment.

Do you want to protect your comrades? Do you want to protect yourself? Hit them back. The voice deepens as if it was giving an assertive command, rather than a choice.

Wizard, who was waiting -along with everyone else- for Stoss to respond, slowly walked up to him. His helmet's visor casing a small black shadow over his eyes. Something she got from their first mission together, "Stoss.." She said softly, "Are you okay?"

He muttered something. "Stoss?" She asked, again, this time leaning a bit more in. She was taken completely by surprise when StossTruppen quickly drew his sword from his belt and pointed outwards towards the direction of the door.

"Achtung!" He shouted. Grabbing everyone's attention in short-order, "With Goblin Slayer in critical condition, I will take charge to the best of my ability." -He shot a look over to Lizardman and Dwarf Shaman, "I need the two of you to set up a light barrier against the entrance, just enough for us to peek over and spray them down the hall." He ordered as quickly as his mouth could keep up.

The duo, a bit taken back from the sudden outburst, was, nevertheless, keen to follow through, "All right lad, we'll get to work." The dwarf said, "Yes, as quickly as possible." Lizardman added as they dashed to set up defenses.

Stoss turned his attention to everyone else, "The rest of you, set up the rest of the movables, here, for a stronger position right by the staircase. Once they break through the first line, we'll make sure to follow back to our second line and assure the bill will cost them everything."

He noticed they all shared the same expression the two silver-ranked adventures had, considering just a moment ago he looked as if he just saw a hound get struck by a horse-drawn wagon. He didn't pay it much mind. Now, hesitation wasn't an option.

After giving the order, he trudged over to his leader, "Los gehts.." He said, a little out of breath of his short-section 'plan'. "Let's get him out of the field of fire.." He started grabbing onto Goblin Slayer's arm and throwing it over his shoulder.

Priestess, who was still reeling from what was going all around her, quickly shot back to her senses once her companion was starting to lift their fellow party member up. She rushed over and did the same, "O-Okay...Ah!...I got him, let's go."

As the duo dragged the impassive adventurer more towards the back of the room -behind a broken pillar, the other's were quickly setting up their lines of depth. It wasn't much, but soon Lizardman and Dwarf Shaman set a small pile of what was left of the cathedral, against the door in a makeshift parapet, overlooking most of the hall.

Everyone else did the same, further behind the first line, looking similar in design, but with far more elevation and more material press up against one another. Wizard guessed the lines were about 20 or 40 yards apart, and ranging from 5 to 7 feet high. Since the defense was rushed, it wasn't the best, but it was something.

"Fighter, did you find what you were looking for?" The mage shouted from across the room.

"Yea, I just finished getting the rest," She shouted back, holding a hefty plate of small stones from the debris. "You wouldn't believe where I had to look to find them, huh..?" She lightly jokes.

"Yea," Wizard responded somberly. Even though this situation was something not to take lightly, Wizard learned that sometimes, what they did, a good joke or two could mask what everyone was feeling. After all, how can you keep your head up in a place like this?

Laying out the remainder of her arrows, High Elf glared when she had far less than when she first arrived in Water Town. After all, Elfish arrows weren't easy to craft and use for long periods of time. This shouldn't have happened, she thought, feeling her handshake from seeing Orcbolg's body twitch when he first got jolted. She had to use her other hand to stop the trembling.

"You okay?" Stoss, who just finished setting his leader out of sight, asked in concern.

"Yea...just nerves, I think." She assured, more to herself than to her comrade, "How's he holding up?" Referring over to Orcbolg, pressed up behind the fallen boulder.

Stoss softly sighed. "I don't know," He said, "Priestess said she doesn't know what is exactly wrong with him. There are no signs of him being poisoned or dying." He pulled onto his collar, again, "He just looks as if he was badly knocked out cold,"

He took another glance back at his commanding officer. He couldn't understand why he wasn't nervous, or, for a better sense, full of anxiety. Everything seemed clear now. Hell, he didn't feel like throwing up, so that was a start.

Watching over Goblin Slayer peaceful position. He frowned. Don't worry, sir. He thought When you wake up, hopefully this will all be over,

"Okay, lad, we're done with the barrier," Dwarf Shaman started, slowly looking back to their 'defenses', "or...at least the best with what was left,"

"Gut," He said firmly, "Get to position! Those with long-ranged weapons and support behind the second line. Everyone else to the first." He exclaimed. The party nodding viciously from his order. "Let's stop this."

Almost immediately afterward, Stoss was at the first line of defense alongside Dwarf Shaman and Warrior. He told Fighter to protect Wizard, Priestess, and High Elf as they finished preparations, along with the fight that was fast approaching. Considering most of the team were spellcasters and the fact Goblin Slayer was out of the fight, StossTruppen figured he should use who was left to the best of their ability. Even though he knew to fight forward, which was always what he trained for, and so far, was damn good at: he couldn't help but doubt sometimes. You never could tell in places like this.

Hearing the rattle coming forward and the sounds of shrieks approaching, StossTruppen turned his head over to make sure Lizardman and his skeleton warrior he summoned were pulling the large mirror off.

"Here!" Priestess shouted, hurrying over to the reptilian adventurer, "Let me help."

"Thank you...very much for your assistance," Lizardman struggled to thank, as he was trying to pull off the structure. After all, the last thing anyone wanted was to be pitched in, from the front and from behind.

Stoss shook his head at the allegory. Sounds like something Warrior might think of, He turned to his right over to Warrior and Dwarf Shaman huddled up, eyes fixed forward. Because of this, Stoss felt his shoulders ease a bit. While he brought the rifle up to aim, we might survive this yet.

Mere moments later, emerging from the dark hallway, probably about 40 yards in front of them: came the green silhouette of the goblins -all screeching and storming forward towards their position.

Without hesitation, StossTruppen fired a shot at the swarm. The lead goblin went down. Then, a volley of stones and arrows from behind him descended upon the horde, cutting through them like a hot knife through butter.

As the goblins pressed forward, Stoss made sure to do the same with his rifle, as he worked the lever. Even though this situation would have been perfect for a rapid firing defense, he had to work with what he had on him. Refarming from using his self-reloading pistol, at least not now, he struggled to work the lever of the rifle as fast as he could, plugged another pellet inside the chamber, aimed, then fired.

More goblins fell to the endless onslaught from the party, but more and more goblins took their places as they advanced closer and closer towards the group of adventurers.

Right as Stoss entered another pellet in his rifle, a large red-leaping flame shot forward in the goblin ranks. Decimating the leading pack of grüns in a puff of smoke and heat. Stoss grinned at the sight, "..that's my girl,"

Warrior -who was cucking stones with Dwarf Shaman- couldn't help but smirk when he heard him, "You know, I'm starting to get a good idea what the two of you were doing earlier, Stoss,"

Stoss bit his tongue. As he felt his face flush from thinking out loud. Damn him. He thought, not wanting to lose his concentration, notably not during combat. But before he could think of a response, several shots from deep within the cave crackled out. Snapping everyone attention to the noise.

Through the smoke, more goblins poured out, some holding rifles and flags of that familiar banner; all pressing forward. Despite many of their comrades were now faced down and gone. They simply hopped over them. Others, on them.

StossTruppen gasped when he had to duck down from the projectiles and arrows now coming in front of him, instead of behind.

"I can't line up a decent shot!" Warrior shouted over the exchange battering their wooden fortification. "Stoss! We need to get out of here!" He called out, louder than before; as a bullet cracked by, just a few inches short away from him.

"I hear you!" StossTruppen replied. Even though he had to shout loud enough for the three of them to hear. Seeing another Firebolt fly and screech overhead -impacting as it smashed into the goblin ranks, he screamed: Feuerschutz!"

Shooting over the now withering barrier, StossTruppen switched to his pistol and began firing from the hip at the darkness in front of him. It didn't matter whether he scored a hit or not, just as long as the goblins ducked until the fireball burned out and his comrades left was fine by him.

Once he emptied the barrel, he turned and, without a second thought, bolted back to their second line -spotting Dwarf Shaman and Warrior do the same ahead of him.

"Dreaded Trooper!" High Elf shouted -after she helped pull the other two in, stretched an arm out as the trooper approached the line.

"Danke- Thanks," He told her in fatigue, as she pulled him in.

To his amazement, Lizardman, Priestess, and, more surprisingly, Fighter, was able to yank the mirror out of the wall and set the ancient artifact in an incline against another piece of a broken pillar.

He shook his head in weary heaviness. So far so gut, he thought. Turning over to the bushy mage, "Once they break through that first line, cut them into ribbons with your stone attack. But wait until they are all out in the open," He quickly told the dwarf.

"Now I know why Beardcutter left you charge," The dwarf laughed, and gave himself a firm slap on the belly, "You can count on me, lad. They won't know what will hit them,"

Smiling back, the trooper turned his attention to the spectacle girl, "Wizard, once Dwarf Shaman is done with his spell, whatever is left from the smoke-" He tapped on the muzzle of his pistol, "burn it."

She gave him a wicked grin, "You got it."

Then, as if on cue, the improvised first barrier was starting to break as the goblins started to force their way through. While several rifles and bowmen goblins stood behind, covering their brethren.

Grunting from the sight, Stoss reached into his ammo-bag Goblin Slayer had given to him for another bullet, and felt nothing. Wha-? He checked again and felt empty air. He cursed under his breath. And looked inside to confirm what he felt. He must have gone through it so quick that he couldn't keep track of it. He looked around and noticed his teammates had similar problems: High Elf with only a few arrows left, and the stones that stacked a foot or two high were now a ⅓ of it now.

"How many goblins are still left?" He said out loud.

Stoss bit his tongue when the answer came. Soon, another wave of goblins charged forward -swords, bayonets, and other crude weapons in hand.

Keeping his word, the breaded mage fired a hail of stone into the horde. Quickly, cutting them down, as red puffs of dust shot up from the rocks' impacts.

To everyone's shock, a second wave emerged from the crimson dust kicked up from the spell, all sprinting towards the party within only a ten-yard gap between them.

Stoss and whoever was still chucking stones at the goblins exchanged shots with the fresh wave. Luckily, Wizard had finished her spell.

Promptly, she hosed down the fresh wave with her Flamethrower attack, dosing the small creatures in flames. Soon the area in front of them smelled of rotting flesh and death, as smoke streamed from the charcoal remains.

For a moment, it was silent. Is it over? Stoss knew he kept repeating to himself. But either the day was getting worse and worse, or he so happens to have a strong case of black magic.

He wished he didn't think of it. A whistle by a rifle fired at their position, followed by a small torrent of arrows, confirmed the latter; as the party kept their heads down from the attack. "Verdammit!" The trooper shouted over the exchange. The team trying to fire back at the enemy. Even though it was a good thing, as far as he could tell, the goblins with rifles couldn't really aim as precisely as they could (considering the rifle was far longer and heavier than them by comparison). However, they still did short work if they could get in a decent spot or get close enough.

Running back and forth, and making sure to keep her head down to give the team stones and potions to keep their stamina going, Priestess stopped when she saw Goblin Slayer begin to grunt aggressively as he shifted his body. Seemly as if he was fighting in his state of sleep. Priestess gasped when she noticed:

"Stoss!" She shouted, "I think he's waking up!"

"Hurry! Go check on him!" He urged, before standing back up and firing a round into a goblin that hopped into the line.

Hastening over to him, Priestess then starts to shake him once more, "Goblin Slayer!" She repeated, "Please, wake up! We need you!"

"Eh….eh.." He huffed. Almost as if he was having trouble breathing.

Priestess stopped. She could've sworn he was murmuring something just a moment ago, but she couldn't catch what it was.

She leaned in. "Goblin-"

"I'm sorry.." He uttered in a whisper. His voice sounding as if he was freezing in an unrelenting winter, "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry…" He repeated.

Author's note: I'm back ladies and gentlemen! (Yes, I know I keep saying that, bear with me) Finals and classes really put a dent in how I wanted my schedule to play out. And you could see how well that turned out for me. Because of this, I decided to put updates on my profile some time ago on the story's progress, along with other messages I should make you aware of. So please, head over there if you are wondering if I got the flu again or not. Next update should be coming soon (probably the next twenty days, *wink *wink). Until then, leave a follow and favorite the story for updates, and leave a review on whether the story is doing pretty meh..or falling flat on its face, I'd love to read it. And as always, have a very good one guys!