The formation pushed steadily toward the village, losing more members along the way. It had shrunk. Archers had stopped using mana-intensive arrows, their supply of latent acid long exhausted. Fatigue was settling in…both in front ranks and ranged fighters.
Yet, despite how many they had slain, the kobolds still seemed as numerous as before. The battle was taking its toll on everyone, including Joseph. His muscles burned, his bones protested with each movement.
His Mana Sense scanned the battlefield, noting more and more of his fellow warriors taking injuries. He desperately searched for a way out, but there was none.
He could still fight, barely, thanks to his superior stats. But the others were slowing, gulping down potions when they could, clinging to the last threads of their endurance.
Alas, it seems we will die here, Joseph thought at last. He didn't want to admit defeat, but he could no longer deny reality. Images of his loving wife and blessed son flashed through his mind, one after another.
Then came the dreadful thought—the village might also be under attack. Even Iron Will was failing to hold his resolve together. They will be fine, he told himself. Focus on yourself.
He slew two more kobolds but wasn't fast enough to dodge a sneak attack from a third one lurking in his blind spot. Sharp canine teeth sank into his thigh, and he gritted his teeth against the pain.
Wrenching his sword free from the corpse at his feet, Joseph raised it high and brought it down with enough force to cleave the biting menace's jaw in half. With a grunt, he drove his blade through its skull, spilling brain matter and blood.
If I have to die today, I will die fighting, he vowed, surrendering fully to Battle Trance. He abandoned all reservations, willingly embracing the skill's high, determined to cut down as many of these bastards as possible before they took him down.
"My warriors," he roared. "Guards of Simon Village—"
"LISTEN! We might die today, but not like this! Keep your weapons in hand and do not give in!" He shouted, skewering two more monsters as he drew his soldiers' attention.
"For every kobold you kill before falling, that's one less threat our village has to face!" His words struck true. Memories of loved ones surged through his warriors' minds, reigniting their resolve. They fought harder, fiercer, no longer just trying to escape…now, they wanted to kill.
Before, it had been predator versus prey. Now, it was carnage against carnage. In the dead of night, Joseph moved like a blur, fully utilising his movement skill, carving through one foe after another.
Half their forces had already fallen to death's embrace. There was no reason to hold a formation anymore. He abandoned it, throwing himself fully into the fray. His sword danced, not glowing with mana, yet sharp enough to carve through flesh and bone.
He aimed only for lethal strikes, no longer worrying about defence. As long as his vitals remained untouched, he could afford the wounds. His body would heal, so long as he had health points left to spare.
And so, he fought. Memories of his precious family fueled his resolve when his skills faltered.
Huff, huff.
His breaths came in ragged gasps. His body felt impossibly heavy, his legs wobbling before finally giving out. His skills had drained him dry. His mana was gone. His body was failing.
He fell to his knees as the kobolds cackled in triumph, uncaring of the hundreds they had lost.
Sighing in defeat, Joseph let go of his sword, his hand shaking as he flexed his Mana Sense one last time. His soul protested, sending sharp pain through his skull. He ignored it.
He let out a weak, bitter laugh. He was the only human still alive.
Chunks of his flesh were missing, torn away by claws and teeth. His health was so low that he couldn't spare even a trickle of it to heal his wounds. And yet, he still laughed.
Thus, death approached in the shape of a kobold.
Satisfied with their cruel amusement, they finally descended upon the breathing feast before them. Snarling and snapping, they fought amongst themselves, tearing into him, ripping away more of his flesh.
Screams tore from his throat as the vile creatures refused to grant him a swift death, feasting on him like starving hyenas.
In his final moments, Joseph felt them rip him apart, piece by piece…until pain and blood loss finally claimed him.
…
Two Weeks ago, in the forest depths
Hidden among giant trees, at the base of a cliff, lay the entrance to a natural cave.
More than a decade ago, it had been the home of a magma bear, but on the night when all five moons aligned, everything changed.
The surge in mana that night caused the leyline deep beneath the cave to crystallise and compress. This rare phenomenon gave birth to a creature of legend—A dungeon core.
And so, as time passed, the cave transformed into a dungeon.
Undisturbed and undiscovered, the dungeon flourished, slowly absorbing mana from the leyline. It expanded, carving deeper into the earth, summoning creatures to guard its core.
Now, more than a decade later, it had grown too much, its creatures too numerous to sustain.
Thus, at this very moment, A Dungeon Break occurred.
Over three thousand kobolds were expelled from the dungeon, pouring out of the cave entrance into the forest. Once outside, they attacked everything in sight, spreading like wildfire, claiming territory for themselves.
Before long, they established a camp around the dungeon entrance, forming a growing community. Battles broke out, and from the chaos, the strongest emerged as their chieftain.
The first decision she made was to send scouts in every direction to learn about their surroundings. She was a greedy little bitch who would stop at nothing to expand her tribe and ascend to the second tier.
First, she would conquer this forest.
Then, the entire world.
Laughing maniacally at her grand vision, she turned to one of her harem members, grabbed him by the tail, and dragged him into her tent to mate.