The forest grew still as Aamon crouched over the disturbed soil, tracing the drag marks where goblin corpses once lay.
"Not animals," he murmured. "These were taken."
Alexia scanned the treeline. "And not goblins. They don't eat their own."
"They were taken that way," Yue pointed northeast. "Let's follow before the trail goes cold."
They moved swiftly through the undergrowth, the massive trees casting long shadows in the dying light. Eventually, the trail led to a hollow nestled between jagged hills. Below, torchlight flickered. Aamon signaled the others to halt and crouch low.
A Kobold warcamp stretched out before them—rough tents, bone totems, and a massive bonfire crackling in the center. Dozens of kobolds—reptilian, hunched, armed with crude weapons—moved with purpose.
"There," Yue whispered. "At least thirty. Maybe more inside those caves."
Alexia narrowed her eyes. "They've built defenses. Sentries, rotations, supply lines. Not wild beasts—this is a functioning tribe."
Aamon's gaze sharpened at the sight of the firepit, where blackened bones crackled in the flames. A fresh corpse—a half-dead beast—was dragged to the center. The tribe gathered, chanting low and guttural.
"They're using goblin corpses," Aamon said coldly. "For fuel—or for a ritual."
Yue's voice dropped to a whisper. "Blood magic. They're drawing power from the dead. They're trying to evolve."
"We can't let them finish," Aamon said. "If one reaches Second Order…"
Alexia nodded. "We strike the pit. Fast and clean."
"Not yet," Aamon replied. "We wait until nightfall. We kill the leaders. Burn the ritual. Leave a message."
Night fell.
The bonfires dimmed, and chanting faded to murmurs. Most kobolds retreated to their huts, leaving only a few sentries in the trees and around the pit.
Aamon watched the flickering shadows and gave a nod. "Now."
Alexia vanished into the dark, emerging behind a sentry perched on a branch. Her blade slit its throat in silence. The body dropped without a sound.
Aamon descended next, sword drawn. With a swift slash, he whispered—
"Wind Blade."
A sharp crescent of wind burst from his sword, slicing through two guards by the firepit. One dropped instantly, the other crumpled with a cry that was swallowed by the crackling flames.
Yue hovered behind, drawing symbols into the air. Glimmering threads of spirit energy darted outward, binding a group of kobolds emerging from a tent. Their limbs locked mid-step, paralyzed.
Then came the chaos.
Kobolds poured out, brandishing jagged spears and rusted swords. But the trio moved like a tide.
Aamon parried a thrust, twisted his stance, and drove the pommel of his blade into a kobold's snout, dropping it. Another charged—he side-stepped, slashing low. Blood splashed his boots.
Alexia weaved between enemies, her short sword moving like a viper. Each cut was fast and efficient—throat, joint, back. She moved before they could scream.
Yue floated above the battlefield, hands raised as streaks of pale light slammed into pockets of kobolds. She wasn't strong—but her support made all the difference.
"They're waking the warlord!" Yue shouted from above.
The ground shook. From the largest tent, a roar split the night.
A massive kobold tore through the flap—taller than the rest, armored in bone and fur. Twin cleavers in hand. Its eyes burned with ritual light.
"He's already evolved," Alexia hissed.
"Keep him away from the others," Aamon ordered. "We finish him here."
The warlord charged with surprising speed. Aamon braced, sword raised. Their weapons clashed—sparks flew. The force drove him back.
The cleavers came again—Aamon ducked one, caught the second on his blade, and kicked the warlord in the gut. The kobold stumbled.
Alexia darted in, slashing across its leg. Blood sprayed—but the beast didn't fall.
The warlord roared and raised both cleavers for a killing blow.
Aamon gritted his teeth. He didn't have a technique—just instinct.
He slashed horizontally and roared—
"Wind Blade!"
The wave of compressed air slammed into the warlord's chest, staggering it. Alexia struck again—her blade dug deep into the warlord's back.
Yue, from the ridge, gathered her focus. A blast of concentrated mana flew from her palms, slamming into the warlord's side. It howled, faltered.
"Now!" Aamon shouted.
Together, he and Alexia struck—one final blow each. Aamon's sword plunged into its heart. Alexia's blade cut clean across the throat.
The warlord collapsed with a heavy thud.
All around, kobolds fell into panic. Some fled. Others dropped their weapons. The battle was over.
Aamon turned toward the pit of bones. Without speaking, he lifted his sword and drove it into the ground. Mana flared—and a gust of wind surged outward, scattering the remains and extinguishing the corrupted flame.
His system chimed softly:
[Mission Complete. EP Gained: 125]
Aamon stood, blood dripping from his arm, breathing steady.
As the warlord's body hit the ground with a thunderous thud, silence hung for a heartbeat over the ruined camp.
Then—another roar.
Deeper. Colder. More primal.
It came from the cave embedded in the hill behind the main tent—a sound like grinding stone and shattering bone. The air thickened, pressure mounting. Trees trembled. Aamon's heart skipped.
"That's not the warlord," Yue whispered, floating closer, her face pale. "Something else woke up."
From the cave's shadow, something massive stirred.
A hulking kobold stepped into the firelight. Taller than the warlord. Its scales shimmered dark crimson, runes etched in blood pulsing faintly across its chest and arms. Its maw opened—jagged teeth and a hollow howl that made the air shiver.
Its presence was undeniable.
Second Order. True evolution.
Alexia's breath caught. "That… that thing's been feeding longer. It's a full Champion."
The kobold raised a brutal iron blade—not crude like the others—and pounded its chest once. The sound echoed through the clearing. The remaining kobolds, once panicked, rallied behind the beast's howl.
It charged.
Aamon barely shouted "Split!" before the beast reached them. The ground cracked under its feet. Its swing came down like a falling tree—Aamon raised his blade, deflecting it just enough to avoid being split in half.
The force blasted him backward, crashing through a tent.
"Keep it away from Yue!" he shouted, spitting blood.