While the others were wrecking pure carnage with their strengths as B ranked hunters, one member was clearly struggling more than the rest due to her limited abilities and lack of powerful perks.
That was Jasmine. Her battle was far from easy, and it was about to get worse. She was now completely surrounded by a dozen snarling beasts, each one gripping crude swords tightly, their yellow eyes gleaming with hunger and violence.
"Well, I guess this is what I signed up for." She heaved a sigh, forcing her shaky hands to steady as she took her stance. Her knees bent, blade raised, and eyes narrowed, waiting for the inevitable charge.
The goblins wasted no time. The moment they encircled her, they howled and rushed forward with all the speed their wiry bodies could muster. In barely two seconds, they were right in front of her, their jagged blades cutting through the air as they swung at her in perfect unison.
"Oh come on! One at a time, please. I’m no monster like the others!" she cried out, forcing her body into motion. At the very last second, she leapt several metres backward, just in time to avoid the flurry of weapons. The goblins stumbled forward in confusion as their strikes met nothing but empty air.
"Phew. That was a close o—"
Her breath caught as an arrow whistled through the air. Jasmine snapped her head up and swung her sword in a blur, slicing the shaft cleanly in two before it could pierce her chest. The arrow clattered to the ground in two harmless pieces, but her relief was short-lived.
The attack was a distraction. While she was busy cutting down the arrow, the main force of goblins had already closed in.
One lunged at her with a savage thrust, its sword aimed straight for her stomach. Jasmine barely had time to bring her cracked blade up in defense. The clash rang out with a metallic screech, the impact forcing her backward, her boots scraping lines into the dirt as she skidded several inches. The cracks running along her weapon deepened dangerously.
Another swoosh—this time a slash aimed for her neck. She had no choice but to kick off the ground in desperation, flipping forward in midair. Her knees smashed into the head of the goblin in front of her with a sickening crunch, sending it reeling backward. She landed lightly on her feet, her chest heaving, just as the deadly swing cut through the space where her neck had been a second earlier.
No time to rest. She dashed forward, her blade flashing. Before the stunned goblin could recover, she rammed her sword deep into its throat. Blood sprayed, and the creature convulsed, swaying on its feet before collapsing.
Out of the corner of her eye, another goblin charged at her, howling. Without hesitation, Jasmine used the dying body as a weapon, shoving it forward with every ounce of strength she had. The corpse slammed into the incoming goblin, and both of them toppled backward with a grunt.
She finally paused, panting, sweat dripping down her brow. But that one moment of weakness was all it took.
A goblin had snuck behind her. It leapt high and smashed its foot into the back of her head.
"Urgh!" Jasmine cried as her body went flying forward. She crashed headfirst into the dirt, rolling and skidding violently across the ground before she finally came to a painful stop. Her vision blurred for a moment.
The goblins behind her broke into cruel laughter, their high-pitched cackles echoing through the clearing as they sprinted toward her fallen form with murderous glee.
Gritting her teeth, Jasmine forced herself up with sheer willpower. She twisted her body and spun around, just in time to see a crude blade slicing through the air, already inches from her face.
’Damn it!’ she cursed inwardly. Her arms screamed in protest, but she swung her sword up, meeting the strike at the last possible second.
The collision sent her skidding backward again, her boots digging into the ground as sparks flew from her blade. The sheer force rattled her bones, but she held her ground, refusing to fall.
"Pheeew! That was cl—"
Her sword exploded into a dozen fragments, scattering across the ground in glittering arcs of broken steel. The cracks that had webbed across the weapon finally widened to their breaking point. Now, the C ranked hunter stood weaponless and completely defenseless in front of her enemies.
The goblins noticed instantly. Roughly ten of them threw their heads back and let out mocking, guttural cackles before bolting toward her in a frenzied rush, weapons raised and eyes shining with bloodlust.
’Fuck! What do I do now? I need a weapon, anything... how do I get o—’ Her frantic thoughts halted as her gaze landed on a crude goblin sword lying just a few feet away, half buried in dirt.
Relief sparked for a heartbeat, but she wasn’t given the chance to reach it. The first charging beast closed the distance, swinging its jagged blade toward her neck.
Jasmine reacted on instinct. She ducked low, the wild strike cutting through the air above her and nicking a few strands of her hair. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as she thrust both palms forward with all her strength, slamming into the goblin’s chest. The beast staggered backward several steps, snarling in surprise.
She seized the chance, leaping toward the discarded weapon. Her hand stretched out, fingers brushing the hilt—
A sharp arrow spun through the air and buried itself into her leg with brutal force.
"ARGHHHH!" Jasmine screamed as she crashed to the ground, clutching the very weapon she had been aiming for. Pain radiated through her thigh as blood began spilling, but she refused to crumble. With trembling determination, she pushed herself up to her feet, the crude sword gripped tightly in her hand.
The goblins didn’t falter. Not for a moment. Their eyes gleamed with cruel delight as they surged toward her again, sensing her weakness.
Snarling, Jasmine crouched low and yanked the arrow from her leg. Pain flared white-hot, nearly blinding her, but she forced herself to stay upright. Just as the first goblin swung, she leaned back, narrowly dodging the slash, and then rammed the bloodied arrow straight into its glowing eye.
The beast screeched in agony, thrashing wildly as it stumbled away from her. Jasmine wasted no time. She lunged forward and, with a roar of effort, swung the crude sword in her hands. The jagged blade tore clean through the goblin’s neck, severing it in one decisive strike. Its body toppled to the dirt with a lifeless thud.
Another goblin attempted a sneak attack from her side, but Jasmine’s body reacted on instinct. She twisted, leapt, and unleashed a powerful roundhouse kick that smashed into its head. The force sent the creature flying through the air, crashing hard against the ground.
Her chest heaved, sweat dripping from her brow. She was about to advance again when the pain in her leg roared back with cruel vengeance.
"Ahh—!" Her knee buckled, and she crashed to the ground. She clutched at her leg, her face twisting in agony.
The goblins didn’t hesitate. They howled, surging forward to end her once and for all. Jagged weapons glinted as they raised them high, ready to deliver the killing blow.
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The sharp sound of palms striking together rang out, followed by a concussive blast that split the air. A massive shockwave erupted, ripping through the clearing like an invisible explosion. The charging goblins were hurled backward, their frail bodies smashing against nearby trees with bone-crunching impact. Some of their eyes rolled back instantly, blood trickling from their mouths as they slumped unconscious.
The ground still trembled from the force of it. Dust and leaves swirled in the aftermath of the shockwave.
Jasmine’s eyes widened, her breath ragged as she forced herself to glance up. She didn’t need to see clearly to know.
"Max." She muttered, relief washing through her voice.