Awakener's Guide to Climbing the Tower

Astrid raised her sidearm from the carpet, mana surged through the weapon.

Kshing!

The projectile ricocheted from a shield rim, changed direction in a spray of frost, and struck a goblin archer in the throat.

Hiiro looked up, his eyes sparkling. "That was sick!"

Astrid frowned down at him. "It was ice."

"That isn’t what–" He shook his head. "Never mind."

Then one of the Hobgoblin Commanders turned. The creature lowered the weapon from its shoulders, its small yellow eyes settled on Hiiro.

Hiiro’s grin tightened when he met its gaze. "Damn... he’s so ugly."

The Commander pointed the axe toward him, a guttural order rolled from its throat. "GRRRAAAK!"

The rear formation moved. Goblins peeled away from the supply lines. Archers shifted position, two mounted Chieftains hauled their Wargs around while the smaller monsters closed on Hiiro from three directions.

Hiiro’s arms slowly lowered. "That is more aggro than expected..."

"What do you expect? You killed him ugly!" Astrid fired from above.

Two ice bullets struck the ground ahead of the nearest group, then the mana dispersed outward.

Jagged frost spread over the roots and locked several goblins in place. One fell when its feet froze mid-stride. The creature behind it tripped over its back.

Hiiro used the opening. His body blurred, then he hit the first trapped goblin with a rising knee, planted one foot against its chest, then launched himself over the frozen line.

Thud!

His heel struck its temple. Then he landed behind it and kept moving.

A blocked punch became a grip. A missed kick carried him into the next attacker. When one goblin moved too close, Hiiro dragged it into another’s weapon and struck both before they recovered.

Astrid tracked him from above, firing every blind spot he left behind. She knew he was good but that did not make this less stupid.

The axe Commander entered the trees, its first step crushed a root beneath its boot.

The Hobgoblin Commander’s shadow covered him.

Hiiro turned just as the axe came down.

WHOOOM!

He kicked backward. The blade missed his chest by an inch and smashed into the ground. He landed on both hands, twisted, and drove his heel into the Commander’s wrist. The creature’s arm barely moved.

Hiiro’s eyes narrowed. He struck the elbow next, then the shoulder, then the side of its jaw in less than a breath but the Hobgoblin Commander’s head turned only slightly.

Dropping beneath its free hand, he planted both palms against its breastplate, and drove his knee upward with enough force to send a pulse of mana through the metal.

Boom!

The breastplate dented and the creature took one step back.

Hiiro landed in a crouch, his grin returned. "There we go."

The Hobgoblin Commander looked down at the dent in its armor, then at him.

The boy’s grin weakened. "That’s an unfair build..."

In the next instant, the creature backhanded him.

BAM!

Hiiro crossed both arms, but the blow still sent him rolling across the forest floor.

"Hiiro!"

Astrid’s firearm flashed. The bullet struck the Commander in the cheek and frost crawled over half its face.

The creature tore the ice away with one hand, taking a strip of skin with it.

Hiiro pushed upright, blood ran from the corner of his mouth, though his stance settled again. He wiped it with his thumb and looked at the red smear.

Astrid guided the carpet a bit lower. "Hiiro! We’re leaving!"

"Not yet."

"You hit it several times and moved it one step!"

"That means it’s working."

The Hobgoblin Commander charged.

Hiiro waited until the axe began to fall, then slipped along its exposed side. Fist, palm, and knee, each strike landed against the same weakened point.

He attacked the leg next, striking it several times. The fifth blow forced the creature onto one knee.

Hiiro’s eyes lit up. He ran up its bent leg, planted a foot against the breastplate, and drove his fist drove into the frozen wound on its cheek.

The creature roared and swung blindly.

Hiiro jumped over the arm, twisted in the air, and brought both heels down against the side of its head.

Boom!

The creature dropped onto one hand.

Astrid stared for half a second. Then movement behind Hiiro pulled her attention away.

"Hiiro!" She called once again.

The spear Commander came through the trees. Behind it followed another carrying a heavy cleaver, then another one walked with a hooked axe attached to a long chain. A shield-bearer holding a square warhammer stepped in, and the last Commander armed with twin blades came along as well.

Hiiro caught the attention of all Hobgoblin Commanders.

"Behind you!"

He looked over his shoulder.

The spear thrust first.

Shnk!

Hiiro bent backward, the blade passed over his face close enough to cut several strands of hair.

He caught the shaft with both hands, pulled himself forward, and ran two steps along it. His foot struck the creature’s chin. Then he landed on the other side before it could seize him.

The cleaver followed next.

Whoom!

Hiiro dropped beneath it. The blade struck the spear, throwing both creatures off balance.

The chain came next.

Whirrr–

Hiiro ducked as the hook tore into the tree behind him.

The shield Commander charged from the opposite side. Its tower shield struck him like a moving wall.

Hiiro flew into a tree and dropped to one knee.

Astrid continued firing at the goblins then toward the Commanders.

Ice spread across the shield’s surface and locked one of the twin-blade Commander’s arms before it could climb onto the carpet.

Below, Hiiro forced himself back up.

There were six Commanders. One injured, two slowed, and none dead.

Even Astrid who was supporting him from the background knew they would never be able to take them all.

"Hiiro, get on!" Astrid lowered the carpet as far as the branches allowed.

He turned her way, an arrow passed beside his cheek, and another grazed his shoulder.

Hiiro flinched but kept moving. "I’m going to create an opening!"

"You are inside the opening!"

"That’s usually where you want to be!"

"No one wants to be there!"

Astrid fired into the monsters closing around him.

The mana bullet split in midair, three smaller shards curved apart and struck separate targets.

The carpet descended another meter then a hooked chain flew from below. It caught the silver border, making the carpet stop so sharply that Astrid pitched forward.

She caught herself with one hand. "Son of a–"

The chain Commander hauled backward. The carpet folded in the middle and dropped another meter.

Astrid fired at the links, turning them white with frost, but the creature pulled again before the cold could make it brittle.

Hiiro sprinted beneath her.

"What are you doing?" She shouted.

"Clutch play!"

He jumped from a rock and caught the chain with both hands. His added weight dragged the carpet lower.

Astrid stared down at him hanging beneath it while she tried her best to stabilize the carpet with her mana. "You made it worse dumbass!"

"Give me a second!"

The Hobgoblin Commander hauled him and Hiiro used that pull. He released the chain before the creature could grab him, stepped onto its forearm, and ran up the limb. One hand caught the edge of its helmet and the other drove two fingers into its eye.

"GRRRAHHH!!" The creature roared, its grip loosened.

Astrid flooded the chain with ice mana. The ice-coated chain shattered and the carpet shot upward.

Hiiro kicked away from the Commander’s shoulder and landed several paces behind it.

For one breath, the rear formation faltered. The first Commander struggled to stand, the chain wielder clawed at its ruined eye, the spear and cleaver were now focused on him, the shield-bearer blocked the path toward the wall, and the twin-blade Commander watched Hiiro’s feet, waiting.

The plan had worked.

Then Hiiro’s left knee buckled.

He caught himself with one hand. His breathing came faster now and mana flickered around his fists and feet, weaker than before. Sweat ran along his jaw despite the cold air. The wounds were not severe but his body had simply begun reaching its limit before his skill did since his level was too low.

The spear Commander noticed it. Its lips pulled back from yellowed teeth.

Hiiro flexed his fingers and forced himself upright. "Round two."

Astrid dropped the carpet toward him. "There is no round two, get on dumbass!"

The goblin archers fired toward her.

She twisted the tassels and the carpet banked, but an arrow tore through the rear corner. The fabric dipped beneath her.

Below, Hiiro moved again, slower this time.

He caught the spear blade between both palms, turned with it, and struck the Commander several times beneath the arm.

The Hobgoblin Commander absorbed all. The creature twisted the spear, the butt struck Hiiro in the stomach. Air tore from his lungs.

It didn’t stop there. The creature drove one knee into his chest. Hiiro flew backward and hit a tree.

Bam!

"Hiiro!"

Astrid fired at the Commander’s foot, locking it in place with the ice.

Hiiro shoved himself away from the trunk before the cleaver reached him.

The blade swept low.

Whooom!

He jumped, not high enough that the flat of the blade sent him spinning. Hiiro struck the ground, rolled, then forced himself back onto his feet. "G-go without me! I’ll buy you time to escape!"

A goblin rushed toward him but he managed to catch its wrist with trembling hands. The goblin’s blade stopped inches from his chest so Hiiro drove his forehead into its face then when it stumbled back, he followed with a hook to the ribs and a spinning kick to the temple.

When it fell, another replaced it, then another.

Hiiro’s movements remained clean, but the spaces between them grew longer. Mana vanished from his limbs before the next attack began.

A spear slipped past his guard, blood oozed out from his side. He tore away, only for the shield Commander to ram into him from the front.

Hiiro staggered backward.

The twin-blade Commander rushed in to finish him, but Astrid fired at the ground between its feet and ice spread across. The creature slid, its balance broke, and it crashed sideways before either blade could reach Hiiro.

Without thinking twice, she jumped from carpet. The fabric dropped through the branches and crashed into the ground behind her.

Wind tore at her coat when she jumped. Then she drew the thin sword from her hip and landed behind Hiiro in a low crouch.

Thud!

A goblin swung toward his exposed side and her sword flashed, the narrow blade cut through its wrist. Before the creature could react, Astrid drove her shoulder into the creature’s chest and fired her sidearm beneath its chin, toppling the body.

"You..." His breath caught. "You should have left."

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