The Discarded Son's Skill Market
Chapter 20: Ambush

Chapter 20: Ambush

"Don’t stop—giving an Assassin Goblin a moment’s respite is a death sentence!"

"Attack with more ferocity!"

"Strike at its flanks, sever its veins, and prevent it from casting its assassin abilities!"

"You must stop it from moving—if it breaks free of your control, we’re done for!"

"Hurry up!"

The shouts of direction came from Alice and Zaid, who had a better view of the fight.

Thanks to them, John, Robert, and Landon were able to find openings to strike it directly.

The High Goblin’s biggest mistake was leaving its hall. Getting into a fight with them in such a confined space significantly limited its abilities as an assassin, since it couldn’t jump back to create distance and attack from weak spots.

But it was so powerful that even with this disadvantage—and the huge advantage of having Alice’s magic—it still made the fight difficult for them.

The sound of impacts, explosions, and clashing weapons echoed throughout the hallway. It was so loud that they feared it would spread throughout the entire dungeon.

VROM!

The High Goblin was shoved against the back wall, and Robert seized the moment to jump on top of it, trying to block its line of sight.

He forgot that his shield... wasn’t a real shield.

"Watch out!" John shouted, trying to help him, but the High Goblin struck first.

"Agh!" Robert’s body flew backward, taking John with him.

Suddenly, Landon was the only one left face-to-face with the High Goblin. He didn’t back down; he thrust his spear forward, but the High Goblin’s strength was far superior to his own, and he ended up dropping the spear.

’Shit...’ Zaid clenched his fists and drew his dagger from its sheath. ’Will I have to step in?’

He looked at Alice... she was already at her limit.

He was reluctant to attack. He knew he couldn’t trust anyone.

The Zacharys are experts at bribery. They don’t just have money—they also have power. They’d find out about his strength far too quickly.

However, he couldn’t just let them die either.

Robert and John tumbled to the ground; they wouldn’t be able to get up in time.

Landon was left unarmed, face to face with the High Goblin.

’There’s no other choice.’ Zaid gripped his dagger and prepared to attack...

Suddenly, however, Alice ran to the front and hurled her scepter into the air with all her might.

Although she wasn’t particularly strong, her staff reached the High Goblin before it reached Landon. The blow to the head didn’t cause any magical effect, but it did momentarily distract it, giving Landon enough time to back away and Alice enough time to close in.

She came up from the side and attacked it head-on.

BOOM!

The magical explosions rocked the enormous, 2-meter-tall goblin. Although Alice had no experience with boxing, she had no other choice, since she didn’t have much energy left to cast spells from a distance.

’That’s right—these are physical attacks; she doesn’t need a weapon...’

Zaid’s eyes sparkled, but just then, he was forced to turn around.

CLANK!

His dagger clashed with an oncoming dagger, and his body was thrown backward by the impact.

"You..." Zaid looked at the man’s clothes... he wasn’t an assassin.

Not the one attacking him.

"Luke Shawn!" he roared.

"Heh. How are you doing today, you little piece of trash?"

John and Robert looked at him, puzzled.

"Boss?"

"Do it!" Luke Shawn ignored their pleas, and at his command, several shadows flitted around them.

The Assassins.

"Alice, watch out!" Zaid shouted as he tried to break free from Luke Shawn’s grip.

Although he wasn’t going to use his talent just yet, his mastery of the dagger was still exceptional for his level.

Luke Shawn was forced to jump backward.

Zaid wanted to gather the team, but with John and Robert dazed, Landon standing at a distance with his spear, and Alice busy with the High Goblin, everyone was too scattered.

And the assassins had already made their way through their ranks, closing the distance.

He focused his attention on the assassins running toward them, and to him, time began to slow down, even though his mind was racing.

One assassin was heading toward Landon, and another toward Robert and John, probably to hold them back.

Two assassins were running toward Alice.

Without hesitation, he turned his attention to the person looking for Alice. If Luke Shawn was here, it was surely because of her.

He didn’t worry about the others. He figured they’d be fine.

His body moved at full speed and slipped in between Alice, who couldn’t afford to be distracted while fighting the High Goblin.

CLANK!

The clash of daggers sent him reeling backward. At the same time, he threw himself to the side to block the other assassin’s path.

With one of them detained and the other rolling on the ground, he figured that would give Landon enough time to grab his spear and Robert and John enough time to get back on their feet.

’I just hope they aren’t with this bastard...’

"Oh. You’re good." One of the assassins whispered as he swung a horizontal blow at his neck.

Zaid leaped backward, managing to dodge it by a hair.

On the other side of the battle, Landon grabbed his spear and looked behind him. The assassin coming toward him was too close, but he was one of Luke Shawn’s men.

What should he do?

He looked at John, but noticed that John was harboring the same doubt.

’Should I stop him?’ he wondered...

"You should have done it... if you wanted to live a little longer." The assassin seemed to read his mind.

Stepping before him, a cold, deadly dagger pierced his chest with precision, shattering his heart in an instant.

"Don’t you remember me? I was the one you bullied in school..." A cold smile flashed from beneath a hood.

White teeth gleamed... Landon froze. Not just because of the pain and his broken heart, but because he recognized that face.

"You..." His mouth filled with blood; he couldn’t speak. He began to spit up blood.

On the other side, the killer had managed to slit Robert’s throat... only John was barely able to defend himself, though he nearly lost a hand.