PICK ME UP, ANOTHER LOBBY!

The hours and day passed quickly with so many things in my mind.

Before I knew it, I was already being engulfed in the bluish-white light in the mirrored chamber.

The light diminished and my comrades and I found ourselves standing inside a ruined garrison.

It was different from the one on the fifth floor.

The garrison sat in the middle of a mountain path of a huge range spanning from east to west.

Instead of destroyed buildings, the enclosure was filled with defensive contraptions.

Ballistae and catapults.

All were ruined, however.

What appeared to be human skeletons were also spread all over.

A great battle took place here. 

The walls only covered two sides. East and west.

The northern part was a steep slope of the mountain range. The southern side was bordered with an iron platform overlooking a grand valley.

It was on the platform that the broken defensive contraptions were placed.

A walled city could be seen sitting far below us, just as ruined as the garrison, or what was left of it.

There was no doubt that we were still in the Surga Pass as we found ourselves in from the sixth to the eighth floor.

And that the city below us must had been Loro.

Kekeke!

After assessing our environment, goblins started approaching from the mountain paths east and west of the garrison.

They were making their way to the gates situated on each side of the walled structure.

Twenty-five goblins coming from each side.

They were geared with either a machete, a crossbow, or a spear.

All of them were steeled-armored and wore iron caps.

[Goblin Lv.10 x50]

Their number was almost twice the size of the horde on the eighth floor.

But none of them were riding giant wolves, at least.

If they had, the battle might become a tad more troublesome. Just a tad.

The gates were already torn open and they were too wide to be blocked by whatever debris I could enchant and pile on there. 

There was no stopping the goblins from entering the garrison.

[Floor 9]

[Mission Type – Subjugation]

[Objective – Annihilate the enemies!]

With the mission window giving us confirmation, my comrades and I immediately assumed our fighting stances.

I gave them my instructions.

"Don't let them join forces and overwhelm us with their numbers! Intercept them at the gates where they can't enter all at once! Shanny, Darius, take the eastern side! Jonah, Trudy, the west!"

My comrades immediately took their position by the gates as I told them, anticipating the incoming hordes.

I quickly raised my hands and activated my spell.

No need to hold back for the first time in a new trial.

Third Circle.

[Maha Jwala]

Trails of flames emerged around me, fusing into a fiery ball.

[Ignite]

The fire burst forth and flew straight to the center of the garrison.

I spread my arms and activated the second stage.

[Divide]

The rushing pillar of fire split into two like rushing river parted in the middle by a protruding rock.

The two trails of fire each blazed through the gates and struck the approaching rows of goblins.

[Burn]

Pillars of fire emerged beyond the walls of the ruined garrison.

The blazing fire exploded where it reached the monsters and decimated the ones that were standing too near the center of the blast. 

I counted nineteen goblins killed. Ten on Jonah's side, nine on Shanny's.

Thirty-one monsters left.

Jonah and Darius used their exploding throwing spears and sharp arrows to dwindle the numbers even more before they reached the gates.

But the goblins were smart and they spread around to avoid the projectiles and reduce the casualties.

Only four kills by Jonah, three by Darius.

Eleven goblins remaining on Jonah's side and thirteen on Shanny's.

It was time for a head-on combat.

Trudy and Shanny readied their swords. Jonah switched to his main spear while Darius made sure his drawing hand was holding a dagger.

['Shanny (★★)' has gone berserk!]

[Strength, stamina and agility have increased by 5!]

[Intelligence has decreased by 90%!]

With her special skill activated, Shanny charged toward the goblins that were about to pass the gate.

She was so fast that the monsters did not get a chance to raise their weapons at her.

Slash!

Thanks to her enhanced strength, Shanny's sword sliced through the goblins' armors like butter.

Had she not used the Berserk skill which suppressed her sense of reasoning, Shanny could aim at the monsters' joints instead of their steel armors. It would be a much more effective and efficient assault.

But Shanny insisted on using Berserk as much as she could before the Quintal Trial so she could get used to the negative side effects the skill posed.

['Shanny (★★)'s Berserk has levelled up to level 2!]

With Darius backing her up with his arrows and daggers, Shanny continued rampaging against the goblins entering through the eastern gate.

On the other side, Jonah and Trudy were already engaging the enemies.

The shepherd positioned himself right at the gate and took on most of the horde.

Trudy stayed behind Jonah and handled any goblin that went past him.

It had been acknowledged that Trudy's skill with the sword was not as good as Jonah's with his spear.

So it was within our strategy for Jonah to generally positioned himself in the front while Trudy a few steps to his rear if the two were situated together in battle.

Of course, we had different approach when it came to different combination in our party. Such as Jonah and Shanny. Darius and I. Or Trudy and I.

We also had strategies in terms of a combination of three members and even four.

Every day, for whatever little time that I could spare outside the magic hall, I would go to the training ground and practice such various formations with my comrades.

So we had known what to do when our party was arranged in this particular manner in the battlefield.

['Jonah (★★)'s Projectile Defense has levelled up to level 3!]

I spied several crossbow goblins from outside the garrison were disrupting Jonah and Trudy battling the ones that were charging inside.

Jonah could not find the chance to grab his throwing spears to kill them since the machete and spear goblins would immediately attack him the moment he shifted his attention.

I began casting my spell to solve the situation.

[Maha Vayu]

Wind swirled around me.

From the quick glances Jonah and Trudy threw at me, they noticed I was preparing my spell.

[Roar]

Without looking back, as if they instinctively knew when the spell would be activated, my two comrades immediately jumped aside and let the strong gale passed through.

The crossbow goblins outside the garrison were immediately shredded into pieces by my assault.

With no arrows distracting them, Jonah and Trudy battled the remaining goblins.

I turned my gaze to the other side of the garrison and saw Shanny decapitating the last goblin on her side.

Darius's daggers were also drenched in dark blood. He too had to fight close-ranged combat with the goblins.

I darted my eyes back to Jonah's side.

When he was about to impale the final goblin with his spear, I hurriedly raised my hand toward the creature.

[Davah Shashanam]

My telekinesis took hold of the goblin and dragged it away, just enough for Jonah's spear to miss.

The shepherd knew the goblin's unusual displacement was my doing.

He stared at me with confused gaze.

His adorable face actually reminded me of a lost sheep for a moment there.