Chapter 7: The Mana Dense Zone - A Deadly Game of Sorcery and Survival

The Mana Dense Zone was a vast, uncharted landmass filled with an abnormal concentration of mana coursing through its Hidden Uncharted Reaches. The Concentration of mana across the region was uneven, with Certain Locations boasting higher magnitudes than others. Helvetia, a unique country nestled nearer to the centre of the zone, was surrounded by mountains on nearly all sides. The mountain passes were often from where mana beasts intruded and were guarded by colossal walls. These walls were Armed year-round to deter Intruders. Mana beasts rarely lingered near Helvetia because the density of mana there was relatively lower compared to surrounding areas. This density fluctuated gradually throughout the year. But for about three months, it dropped significantly across the zone. During this period, mana concentration in some regions surged, allowing humans to navigate the landmass more safely, albeit cautiously.

During these rare months, mana beasts that consumed vast amounts of mana migrated to zones where the density of mana remained relatively stable or higher, while smaller creatures that consumed less mana fought for limited resources, competing for dominance. Among these species were Goblins, a Species of demi-humans that dotted the landscape of the Mana Dense Zone. Goblins had a short lifespan but multiplied quickly, living in small groups to fend for themselves. Rarely did their groups grow large enough to form proper settlements or villages due to the high death toll in the zone. Helvetia and the guild kept track of goblins and similar species, which operated like humans but were hostile towards them. Nomadic by nature, goblins seldom stayed in one place for long, making it difficult to monitor their numbers.

The Brave Seven had yet to secure a complete Victory Despite dwindling the Goblins by half. Thirteen Strong goblin brutes remained. Lieutenant Clarissa Silverblade was the only one left among the Brave Seven. An opening could be made for escape, but the group lacked mobility. Their horses were nowhere to be seen, and all the members were either drained of mana and stamina or incapacitated. If she wanted to escape, Lieutenant Silverblade could easily do so. However, her pride will not let her admit defeat and run away like a coward.

"So, how would you like to proceed in battle? Would you like to fight me, or would you rather continue on the path of your slow defeat by duelling each of us, one at a time?" Vorag the Merciless remarked.

"Don't worry. I have plenty of energy left to deal with all of you. Let's honour our terms and continue our fight as before. And I choose that one." Clarissa boasted, trying to muster charisma as she pointed at one of the thirteen goblins wielding a long, blunt blade. The remaining goblin's physique differed from the others the group had faced until now. The goblins that Clarissa faced totalled thirteen and were all brutes. They appeared to be at a stage between a hobgoblin and a regular goblin beside Vorag the Merciless. The leader of the bunch, clearly an evolved hobgoblin, stood out like a sore thumb.

In her thoughts, Clarissa prepared an action plan to fight the goblin ahead of her. Clarissa achieved a decisive victory as her opponent was merely a brute with nil knowledge of magical arts. The fight ended almost before it had begun, restoring some of Clarissa's confidence.

The second duel proved more difficult as she faced a brute who could use earth attribute spells with Great proficiency. The brute created rocks and boulders, manoeuvring them with his earth magic, making it challenging for Clarissa to evade and time her strikes. However, using her quick wits and superior technique, Clarissa overpowered and defeated her opponent.

Clarissa wanted to conserve her mana as much as possible for her eventual face-off against Vorag. Her next opponent, however, proved tricky, using water attribute spells. Ideally, water spells would be easy to counter for Clarissa, given her lightning attribute spells, but this goblin was an intelligent brute. He combined his water spells with melee attacks, keeping Clarissa at bay. This led to a deadlock as Clarissa couldn't approach her target closely. Frustration mounted as the goblin hit Clarissa with a water spell, soaking her and preventing her from using her lightning spells for fear of damaging herself. Luckily, her repertoire of spells was vast, and she used a basic fire attribute spell to quickly dry her armour without the goblin noticing. Thinking he had won, the goblin approached carelessly, and Clarissa seized the opening, striking him down with her trusty blade. "Nice try, but I'm not so easy to defeat," she remarked.

As the third battle concluded, something unexpected happened. Vorag received a letter parchment delivered by a messenger bird, a small tamed mana beast commonly found in these parts of the mana-dense zone. After reading the parchment, Vorag's mood shifted from boredom to excitement. "Playtime is over, human woman," he said. "I'm afraid our fun is now over." Vorag produced nine mana crystals from a crude, handcrafted sack, each gleaming with different colours. He threw them into the air, instructing the remaining goblins to grab one each and consume the mana inside. The goblins did so swiftly, undergoing a rapid transformation. The three Goblin Bruts Clarissa had defeated in her prior matches were on the cusp of evolving into hobgoblins like the remaining nine goblins she was now facing. After absorbing the mana from the Mana Orbs, their Bodies underwent a sudden transfiguration, their menacing aura intensifying.

Vorag ordered his goblin cohorts to end Clarissa quickly, promising that whoever delivered the finishing blow would be promoted to his second-in-command and claim her possessions as a trophy. Clarissa stepped back, adopting a defensive stance. "We had a deal. What happened?" she asked.

"The deal is off, human," Vorag replied with a smirk, asserting dominance.

Luto and Lizzie, the twin sword wielders who had fought and won their duels without injury, were listening to the events unfolding. They had recovered enough stamina and mana to put up a fight. They exchanged a nod and charged at the lieutenant's flanks, drawing their respective blades. "Mind if we join in, Lieutenant?" Luto remarked. "It seems our little game is now over," Lizzie added. All three were proficient sword masters, skilled in their respective combat styles. Luto and Lizzie charged their blades with mana, causing them to glow With a vivid Flaming hue. Clarissa did the same, using her speciality lightning runes engraved on her blade. The nine evolved hobgoblins charged at the three swordfighters all at once. The intense battle that followed was quick, with blows exchanged rapidly. Despite the spectacle of flashing lights, the fight was cut short as Luto and Lizzie were struck down by their respective opponents. Luto was taken down by two hobgoblins wielding short swords. Lizzie was immobilized by an ice spike that struck her torso from behind. The goblins didn't deal a lethal blow, their attention drawn to Clarissa, who had swiftly dealt with one of the hobgoblin opponents amidst the commotion.

"You two did well," Clarissa praised her fallen comrades before resuming her fight. Her battle with the remaining goblins proved intense and gruelling. The hobgoblins were Tougher and more agile compared to regular goblins. Fueled by rage at seeing Luto and Lizzie's sacrifice, Clarissa quickly took care of two hobgoblins who were charging at her. In her blind fury, she didn't realize the amount of mana she expended to deal with the spear and ice magic-wielding hobgoblins. Clarissa soon turned her attention to her fourth target, who was also preparing an attack. Not giving him a chance to complete his move, she fired a mid-range lightning spell but left herself wide open. The remaining goblins seized this opportunity, striking Clarissa from all directions. Spent of mana, she was unable to block their spells and fell to the ground, limp and defeated. The struggle was over.

Vorag approached Clarissa slowly and menacingly. The goblins surrounding her stepped aside in fear. Squatting down to speak to the still-conscious but critically injured lieutenant, Vorag sneered, "I would have enjoyed our little game earlier. Too bad the chieftain wants me back. Now that we don't need you alive to extract crucial intel, we'll have to cut you down and take all your belongings for our future excursions."

"Village..." Clarissa muttered in shock, coughing up blood. The events before now made sense. The goblins had played the charade of a game despite their numerical advantage, fooling her all along. Regardless of the outcome, Clarissa knew the Brave Seven wouldn't survive the fight unscathed. "You’re quite chatty for a dying person." Vorag mocked, charging his club with thick, dark mana of an unknown attribute. As he swung his club to deliver the final blow, he ordered his cohorts to kill the rest of her companions who lay incapacitated.

Just as Vorag was about to strike, a loud voice from the distance called out, "... Aim, fire!" A barrage of charged mana projectiles of various attributes came crackling toward him. Vorag quickly ordered his men to take cover. The projectiles hit precisely, but a last-minute evasive manoeuvre saved the goblins from injury. The shockwave from the impact threw Vorag and his men several feet away.

The day was approaching its end. A few hours and nightfall would have arrived. "Who goes there!" Vorag remarked in a fit of rage. The words uttered from his mouth became irrelevant as he found his questions answered through his blurry sight while his ears were still ringing from the earlier shockwave. The dust made it difficult to see from afar. However, Vorag could still surmise the surroundings. What Vorag did saw was a man riding on a black horseback, clad in thick black armour. Not long after, his ears regained their bearings as he slowly started to register the rumbling rhythm of footsteps of soldiers marching right behind the man. Who might this mysterious man be?

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