Apocalypse Healer - Path of Death

A scaled arm shot forward, claws curling around the spear shaft and twisting it. A sickening crunch echoed in David's ears as the man's skull yielded to the spear blade.

A single Kobold stepped into view, ascending the stairs with slow, deliberate movements. Its long snout glinted under the dim light, and its claws flexed rhythmically as it climbed. Its thick tail lashed against the steps, each sharp strike a drumbeat of impatience. A strange gurgling noise escaped its throat, and its vibrant yellow eyes scanned the group.

The creature's gaze lingered on Sebastian the longest. Its lips peeled back, revealing jagged teeth, as it growled something unintelligible. The guttural tones grated on David's ears, sending a shiver down his spine.

They can speak, too? What language is that? And where the hell are they from?

Amid the flood of questions, one fact stood out to David: it was tiny. Barely a meter tall, the Kobold still moved with unsettling confidence.

As if sensing his thoughts, the Kobold turned its piercing gaze on David, its spear blade rising to aim at his chest. It snarled as it approached the third floor, and David saw more scaled figures climbing behind it.

Four Kobolds? That's bad.

David's heart thudded painfully in his chest.

"Stay calm. Maybe they won't do anything–..." Sebastian began, but the words barely left his mouth before the Kobold charged.

The spear darted forward with blinding speed, forcing Sebastian to block. David saw him move from the corner of his eyes. Sebastian's muscles bulged as he lifted his longsword, deflecting the strike. The Kobold attacked again, but this time, the Warrior adjusted his stance, parrying the second blow and shoving the spear aside.

"Now!" Jack shouted, releasing an arrow without hesitation. His movements were sharp and deliberate, the shot landing with almost unnatural precision. The shaft zipped past Sebastian and struck the Kobold's chest, piercing its scales. But the Kobold remained unfazed.

"Damn it," Jack cursed, grabbing another arrow.

The Kobold hissed, its attention snapping back to Sebastian. The spear lunged faster than before, slipping past the Warrior's defenses. A sharp gasp escaped Sebastian as the blade sank into his shoulder.

Sebastian groaned as the Kobold's force impacted, yet instead of defending again, he surged forward. The Warrior's blade hummed as it sliced through the air. Meanwhile, the Kobold twisted the spear in Sebastian's shoulder.

David watched the longsword with a thin smile as it curved beautifully through the air, but the attack inflicted less damage than expected. The Kobold pulled the spear out of Sebastian and backtracked in time, escaping the deadly blow. David's eyes widened slightly as the Warrior's sword pulled to the side, hitting the blue spear and cleaving it in two.

Sensing his opportunity, David kicked off the ground and appeared beside the Kobold a moment later. He heard the blue spear's blade hit the ground with a heavy thud, a devious smile curling across his lips. His bat struck the Kobold's snout with a sickening crunch. Its face twisted slightly, but its yellow eyes remained cold and unflinching.

There was no sign of pain in its eyes. Worse, a cracking noise rang out, and David's gaze darted to his weapon. The bat had cracked!

This was supposed to hurt the Kobold, not the bat.

Thin, cobweb-like cracks covered the bat's surface. It looked similar to the shattered scales on the Kobold's face.

David's hair stood on end, and he retreated instinctively. But another Kobold lunged at him, its short blade gleaming like a massive Zweihander in its small claws. The weapon scraped across his chest, tearing through his shirt and grazing his skin.

The wound wasn't life-threatening, but it was something. And it caught David by surprise.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

He stumbled back, his mind racing. The Kobold cackled and advanced again, its sword raised high for another strike.

Suddenly, a blue bullet of mana shot past David. It tore through his pants, narrowly missing him, before hitting the beast. Flora's [Mana Bullet] arrived at the perfect moment, striking the Kobold mid-cackle when its maw was still wide open. He didn't think Flora had planned it that way when she released the Mana Bullet, but the Kobold's shriek turned into a choking scream as the projectile struck.

The Kobold's sword clattered to the ground as the creature screamed in agony. It coughed up blood, tears of pain gathering in its eyes, and it swayed left and right. David used the momentum, pressed his feet deep into the ground, and pushed forward again. He took a full swing and put all his strength into smashing the Kobold's head.

Several cracking noises rang out. The Kobold's head scales shattered, and the skull beneath cracked. However, the skull didn't burst open. Instead, the heavy baseball bat shattered, transforming into countless shards of wood that flew everywhere. Some struck David, scratching his arms and face, but he kept moving.

He saw another latecomer heading his way, but David leaped into the air and rolled across the ground, grabbing the sword the Kobold had dropped moments before.

The sword didn't feel well-balanced, and it didn't look like it had been made by an experienced blacksmith either. However, David knew how sharp the blade had been. His chest was still burning.

Another Mana Bullet hurtled through the air, separating the latecomer from David, while several arrows pierced the injured Kobold, two puncturing its neck. It squirmed in agony before collapsing to the ground.

That should be enough.

David's attention shifted to Sebastian. The Warrior didn't look well. Even though one of the Kobolds had lost its weapon, it still had claws and fangs to fight. Sebastian's only advantages were his weapon and endurance. The Kobold's scales could absorb a lot of damage, but they weren't enough to block the force behind Sebastian's sword.

David hadn't seen how Sebastian did it, but his sword impaled the unarmed Kobold. The creature was on the verge of death but kept scratching and biting Sebastian. Its claws dug deep into his chest and sides, while its fangs ripped large chunks of flesh from his upper chest and shoulder.

Sebastian was drenched in blood but didn't falter, holding the line with sheer determination. He protected Jack and Flora from the Kobold's threat, putting his life on the line. His body was shredded, but Sebastian didn't give up and kept protecting the youngsters.

The Warrior's muscles tensed, and his gaze sharpened as he surged forward. He headbutted the impaled Kobold and twisted the sword inside it, ending the creature once and for all. The Kobold let go of Sebastian and slipped seamlessly from the sword. It collapsed dead to the ground, leaving only two Kobolds to deal with.

He ranked up again. That's great, but what the hell?

A few more arrows zipped past David, hitting the other latecomer Kobold that had thirsted for his blood, followed closely by Flora's voice.

"Save Sebastian!!" Her voice trembled with exhaustion but carried an unmistakable urgency. That made sense. Sebastian looked like he was on the verge of death.

A [Mana Bullet] and two more arrows came his way, forcing the Kobold to slow down. It snarled and turned, heading for Jack and Flora instead of pursuing David. Flora squealed aloud, and David barely recognized what was happening as he accelerated.

He reached Sebastian in two hurried strides, activated [Cure Wounds] with the intent to use it twice simultaneously, and slapped the Warrior's back with his brightly glowing hand. His Holy Sea churned wildly as holy power surged into the Skill Rune.

The power surged into David's hand, where it was forwarded to Sebastian. The soothing warmth flowed through his body and into his arm, but the sensation disappeared when he touched Sebastian. David urged the Skill Rune to heal Sebastian as quickly as possible before turning to Jack and Flora.

There was no time to check Sebastian's condition or help him further. The others' lives were in danger.

A system message flickered in his mind.

[Excessive holy power has been detected. Initiating Skill Rune overclock.]

[Proficiency of Cure Wounds increased.]

That has to be enough. You can do it, Sebastian!

David turned and saw Flora trying to gather mana at the tip of her Mage Wand, but her legs gave way beneath her. Flora's chest heaved as she clutched her wand, her movements sluggish and strained.

She's used her Skill Rune too often. Her Mana Core must be empty, too.

Jack released a quick series of arrows, slowing the Kobold, but it wasn't enough. The Kobold's sword became a blur as it cleaved downward. Jack's eyes narrowed, sharp and focused. He shifted to the side, narrowly avoiding the full force of the blade.

He didn't evade the entire attack, but instead of being gutted, Jack only sustained a "minor" injury in comparison. The blade cut Jack's leg, leaving a deep wound.

David appeared behind the small creature a moment later, his sword flashing.