The morning sun already stood tall over the horizon. Much too late by now.

“Well, the plan was to attack them at sunrise, when the night patrols are going to sleep, and the others still not awake.” I turned around to the other three that just stepped outside. “But now that it’s like this be ready to fight for your life. Today’s the last day I will watch out for you.”

I don’t have time to waste. By all I know the system could drop a dragon on me next time. I walked forward, taking my time to take in the nostalgic view. Of course, it was the same scenery as yesterday, but it was a whole different story if one knew that it’s not a dream.

“Why are the streets completely empty?” Claire’s voice rang out behind me.

“While goblins may stink like hell, looking like a dump, they are really good at recycling. Everything sharp becomes a weapon while everything edible becomes exactly that.”

I turned around seeing Claire grimace while the kid looked at his mother, asking her to explain my words. It will be enough to see it. Then there’s no denying that this world has ended. I walked forward in silence, entering a nearby alley, still shrouded in greying shadows.

“Now then. You did well to follow me here.” I spoke while walking towards a nearby wall. “You just followed a stranger, trusting everything he said. Never once did you look at your surroundings.” Only now the began to look around.

“The first task for today will be one thing. Survive.” With my words as the mark goblins started to rush in the alley. They didn’t even notice that we were followed.

As they ran at us, I jumped up to nearby emergency stairs, sitting down at the frame. While Claire should be able to do it just like me, courtesy of higher physical attributes the kid would never be able to escape alone.

“What are you doing?” Claire shouted at me.

“Did you really thought I was going to make it all easy for you? You need more than the will to survive. There is also experience and luck. It was your luck to meet me.” Then I gestured towards to goblins coming from both sides. “Now it’s time to get experience in fighting.”

There were like a good dozen of goblins, eight coming from the front while the others rushed in from behind, having run around us to set up an ambush. What’s wrong with this world, where even goblins are more intelligent than humans.

Three goblins were at the front of the group, they turned to me, wary as I sat atop of the stairs. But I just smiled at them and beckoned them onwards. If course they didn’t but at least the other five continued onwards.

Claire stepped forward, shielding Marc behind her, as the first goblin reached them. This one’s got a club. Should be fine. The goblin jumped upwards, the club raising like his body, before both came crashing down on her. She tried to block it, lifting her arms before her, but as it hit her, she tumbled backwards, crashing into the child, and sending them both to the floor.

Then came the next goblin, knife in hand, trying to stab the child.

“Marc!” Claire’s scream pierced the air, but it only made the goblin sure of his kill.

The knife rushed downward, as a black shadow rushed forward, springing at the goblin, and making them both roll over the floor. As they stopped, we could see the wolf biting down on his throat, the goblin scratching him with his claws until his arms turned limp. Then it rushed at the next, managing to hurt it. But it was grabbed before it could finish it off.

“Blacky!” The kid shouted, making me nearly fall as I slipped my grip. Even Shadow is a better name than that! Naming aside, the wolf didn’t deserve to die because of the incompetence of his summoner. I pointed my hand at the goblin, a spell circle appearing mid-air. “[Fireball].”

The golden flame lit up the surroundings, alerting all the nearby goblins, but the Fireball was to fast for the goblin to react to. Its grip loosened as the flame scorched his back. The wolf used this chance, biting into the arm that held him. It twisted free, pulling some of the goblins flesh with him.

Finally, Claire stood up once again, her arms beginning to turn blue from the bruise. They still had four goblins left, even if one probably couldn’t use his arm anymore. Two of them turned to the wolf, making him back down towards the wall.

At least it knows how to fight. While a wall makes it unable to evade backwards it’s not going to be surrounded. Looking at the other two I sighed. They have lost the initiative, the goblins circling around them, while they only stood still, waiting for their attack.

One goblin rushed at the kid, making Claire grab him, pulling him back to shield him with her body. “Haaaa, at least try to punch it. [Flame Whip].” My fire twisted towards the goblin, reaching out towards his leg, and making it fall.

As I looked to the side glass cracked in front of me, splintering outwards toward the alley. A goblin, twice as big as his fellow companions sprung outside towards me, a shabby sword in hand, ready to strike at my heart.

It had an evil grin, thinking that it would kill the most dangerous one with his sneak attack. No common goblins would be capable of setting up an ambush. They wouldn’t even have the patience to follow them silently, of course there was a hob.

The sword inched onwards towards my chest. I let myself fall backwards, down to the hole were a ladder led back to the ground. “[Flame Strike].” I raised my leg, kicking towards the goblin as flames crawled over it. Given my position I couldn’t do much harm with the attack, but it was enough to send us apart.

I looked up at the sky, reaching my hand out towards. Flames started to coil from my hand twisting upwards through the hole before the shot over the frame and to the hobgoblin. I grabbed my Flame Whip as it tried snare around his neck.

Clearly hobs were more accustomed to battle as this one, pushed its hand in between to stop me from chocking him. A sudden rush of force came onto us as the weight from the other pulled at us. Still, the weight of a human was evidently much more, as I fell further down, the hob being pulled upwards sending his head crashing into the railing, making a sickening crack resound.

I stopped shortly before the ground as the hob couldn’t be pulled further, its body dandling from the frame. I released the Flame Whip, falling gently to the ground while the corpse of the hob crashed down before me. The three goblins looking out for me backed away, fearful of the one who killed their leader.

I looked towards the other three. While the wolf killed another goblin, fighting at the last one now, the other two didn’t look good. The kid stood there, almost bursting into tears while Claire bleed from her arm. How did they get this messed up in a few seconds?

I walked over to the corpse of the hob, grabbing his sword before I threw it over, hitting one of the goblins in the back. Then I started to walk over, berating them before the fight even stopped completely.

“You’re a damn Fighter, not a tank. It’s not a job where you block attack you dodge them. And that get’s increasingly harder if you stand directly in front of the backline.” At my sudden outburst, the attention from all turned to me. “At the beginning of a fight you rush at the enemy, get their attention, and fucking attack them yourself.

Hearing me shouting the three goblins behind me slowly backed away. “No, no, no, you’re not getting away. [Flame Shield; Modify: Size].” Behind the goblins a fiery membrane came into existence, blocking their way out. It’s not enough if they start to hack on it, but they shouldn’t try it.

“And you kid, I thought you said you would protect her. Seems like those were just empty words. I’m sorry for you beast, restricted to his claws and teeth because you are unable to make proper use of it, not giving it the mana to use its skills. And don’t try to tell me you didn’t know, because as fucked up as the system is it always tells you how to use your skills.”

The alley fell silent as I finished. I turned back to the wall leaning against it. Then I looked over them.

“What are you waiting for? Start again! And this time use the sword. How did you even forget to take something as a weapon with you?”