As Delilah finally caught up to Roy, her breaths were heavy and ragged from the adrenaline rush of running through the forest. Her heart was pounding against her chest when she saw him inspecting the bodies of three goblins, their lifeless forms sprawled across the uneven ground.
Her eyes followed his movements as he searched for something specific, a look of intense concentration etched onto his face.
Intrigued by his mystifying behavior, she approached him.
"What are you looking for?"
Delilah asked him what he was looking for, her voice low and cautious in the eerie silence of the forest. The wind wasn't blowing. The leaves weren't rustling. It was so quiet that even the sound of a pin dropping could be heard.
Roy paused, his eyes flicking up to meet hers.
"I'm searching for something very specific," he said, his tone serious and focused. "Something that only goblins possess."
He turned his attention back to the bodies of the dead goblins.
"Can I help?" Delilah asked.
"Sure, but be aware, you might've to strip them naked as it could be anywhere," Roy replied.
Delilah stepped back voluntarily. She wasn't in the mood to see goblins in their birthday suit.
"Take it as if I never said a thing."
Delilah watched as he burned the clothes of the goblins with his fire magic and then proceeded to scan the bodies one by one, his gaze lingering on each one as if he were looking for a hidden clue.
It looked like it wasn't on their body.
Did they drop it while running away from him?
Roy searched the surroundings.
"Found it!"
As a wave of thrill rushed over him, he swiftly extended his arm towards the ground and grasped onto a diminutive, horn-shaped entity with a sense of eagerness. It was the size of a fingernail, harder to notice than a fly.
Upon closer examination, he observed that the surface of the object was adorned with intricate blue designs, which were deeply etched into the material of the horn. The delicate and detailed patterns appeared to be meticulously crafted, exhibiting an exceptional level of skill and artistry, showcasing that it is a low-rank runic item created by a hobgoblin.
A certain amount of intelligence and skills were necessary to create it, and in a tribe of goblins, only hobgoblin possessed such means.
Roy's eyes twinkled. It was exactly what he was looking for.
"What is that?" Delilah asked.
"It's called the Demonic Attraction," Roy replied, a grin spreading across his face. "It's a powerful tool that goblins use to call for reinforcement. You pour mana into it, and it releases a sound that only humanoid monsters can hear. The more it is fed, the louder the sound it releases."
Delilah listened intently as Roy explained how the Demonic Attraction worked, her mind racing with the possibilities of how such a tool could be used to their advantage.
"You are going to use it to attract the goblins?" Delilah asked.
"Correct," Roy replied.
She watched as Roy poured thousands of units of mana into the horn, his hands steady and precise as he charged it up.
Tooooooot!
The Demonic Attraction released its call. It echoed throughout the forest, reaching every corner and crevice, and bounced off the green rolling hills, creating a deafening roar that seemed to last for an eternity. The sheer force of the sound seemed to shake the very foundation of the dungeon, leaving a deep and lasting impression on all those who heard it.
The intensity of the noise was so great that it was impossible to ignore, and it immediately caught the attention of anyone nearby and far away, causing them to pause whatever they were doing and rush in the direction it originated from.
Delilah felt a shiver run down her spine as she realized the implications of what Roy had just done.
He had called all the monsters in the dungeon to their location!
She really wanted to ask him if he was crazy but bit her tongue to stop those disrespectful words from coming out of her mouth.
Since he dared to do it, surely he must have a way to overcome it.
She just needed to trust him. This time, without questioning his intention.
As the duo stood there, the stillness of the air was broken by the distant sound of bustling footsteps.
It was as if something was coming closer and closer with each passing second.
And then, in a sudden moment, a huge swarm of goblins appeared before them, running frantically towards the duo.
The army of goblins was an imposing sight, stretching as far as the eye could see, with their sheer numbers making it seem as though there were an endless amount of them.
Some of them bore a striking resemblance to the ones Roy had vanquished earlier, while others were distinct with their fiery red skin and towering build, almost as if they were in a state of transition between a goblin and a hobgoblin.
As this was a low-level dungeon when the Armored Knight tackled it, Roy knew that there was only one Hobgoblin in the Goblin's Grotto. It was the dungeon boss. As for the ones before him, their levels were lower than 15, but their number was impressive. It could give aura masters, who haven't learned force, a run for their money.
The frenzied stampede of the goblins was deafening as they charged towards the duo, brandishing their weapons and baring their jagged teeth. Their eyes blazed with a malevolent gleam, and it was clear that they meant business.
Despite the imminent danger, Roy stood still. He was seemingly unfazed.
Delilah, too stood her ground, but her heart was pounding with adrenaline. She was not Roy. She couldn't remain calm in the face of an entire army of monsters.
"Thin out of their numbers," Roy commanded.
Delilah responded, "I'm not sure how useful it will be, but I'll do it since you asked me to."
Delilah had been preparing for this moment, waiting for the opportune time to unleash the ultimate skill of her class weapon.
Asura's fan's special effect allowed her to summon an otherworldly energy from within her. That energy could duplicate weapons, turning one into 25.
She felt the aura in her inner world drop rapidly as she activated the ultimate skill of her class weapon. Mystical black light then streamed out of her body, going into her daggers.
With each passing moment, Delilah's daggers began to duplicate, and soon there were fifty floating in mid-air.
But it didn't stop there, as ray after ray of light rushed out of her, fusing with the daggers and increasing their numbers exponentially.
Before long, there were around 1300 weapons at her beck and call.
There was a veritable army of deadly blades at her disposal!
After forming the energy nucleus, Delilah's aura reservoir became large enough for her to support the basic potential of her class weapon, allowing her to cast its first ultimate skill thrice in a moment.
But after reaching the peak of the second stage, her weapon underwent a transformative change. The targeted effect that could only affect two items at a time became an AOE skill, allowing her to duplicate every weapon in a certain area. However, the effect was limited to daggers and knives, meaning she couldn't use it to duplicate swords and other larger weapons.
But it was good enough, considering her age and level.
As the goblins drew closer, their crude weapons at the ready, Delilah's eyes narrowed in focus, and she whipped her hands forward, sending the daggers hurtling towards the horde of enemies.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The deadly projectiles sliced through the air with a deafening whoosh, their lethal tips glinting in the sunlight as they sped towards their targets.
The goblins barely had time to react as the daggers rained down upon them in a deadly shower of metal.
Gaahhh!
Gwakh!
Gahakk!
The vanguard of the goblin army screamed and howled in terror as the blades tore through their ranks, cutting through flesh and bone with ruthless efficiency.
Chaos erupted as the goblins at the forefront of the onslaught scattered, trying desperately to avoid the deadly rain of blades.
『Ding! Congratulation. Your subordinate Delilah has killed 1300 Level 10 goblin warriors.』
...
...
...
『Ding! Congratulation. Your subordinate Delilah has killed 700 low-level goblin archers.』
...
...
...
『Ding! Congratulation. Your subordinate Delilah has killed 300 low-level goblin archers and mages.』
Roy refused to use the minor soul array that was fixed on Delilah's soul to collect the experience points from these kills. After all, his main purpose was to allow her to earn as many experience points as she could from this battle.
『As you have refused to benefit from the hard work of your subordinate, all the experience points will be transferred to Delilah.』
『Delilah gained 65000 experience points.』
"I am far from victory."
Delilah saw her class weapon's ultimate skill take down a majority of them but instead of feeling enjoyed, she remained steadfast, her hands moving in a blur as she continued to summon the daggers from thin air.
With every flick of her wrists, more and more goblins fell, their blood staining the ground as they perished beneath the onslaught.
Yet, despite all her efforts, it seemed like there were still tens of thousands of them left.
Feeling hopeless, Delilah turned to Roy. She said, "I have run out of aura."
