Damon would have liked to explore the new system mechanic, but there was no time. He wanted to activate any new powers he had gained, but unlike skills, this wasn't something that directly affected his body—it was a change to the system panel as a whole. That meant whatever benefits it provided wouldn't be immediately useful in battle. He pushed the thought aside, raising his hand and unleashing several magic bullets toward the goblin mage. The goblin reacted swiftly, waving its staff to conjure a translucent barrier. Damon clicked his tongue in frustration. "Smart," he muttered. Magic bullets weren't effective against barriers. As if it wasn't troublesome enough that this thing was a redcap, it just had to be a magic caster on top of that. Flames rose behind the goblin mage, the glow reflecting in its frantic eyes as it scanned the battlefield, realizing its allies were already dead. Damon sneered. "You may have reached first-rank, but a low-level mage without much in their spell arsenal is still weak. Not to mention, my party is close to their own first-class advancement. We're more than capable of killing a rank-one monster." The goblin snarled in defiance, raising its staff before slamming it into the ground. Three orbs of fire shot forth. Xander immediately moved in front of the team, his spear crackling with gravitational magic as a few floating barriers formed around him. The flames struck, but his defenses held firm. Damon's voice rang out. "Leona! Close the distance—he's a magic type, he can't handle melee combat!" Leona was already on the move. Her heavy sword crackled with arcs of lightning, the energy snapping through the air as she charged. The wind caught her combat uniform, making it billow around her. Her golden eyes gleamed, her beast-kin ears twisting slightly as she adjusted her focus. She swung her sword. [Thunder] A deafening shockwave erupted from her blade, sending a pulse of sound crashing toward the goblin mage. The goblin hastily erected another barrier, its magic barely holding as the force cracked the ground beneath its feet. It sneered triumphantly, thinking it had successfully countered the attack. Leona wasn't done. She leapt high into the air, raising her hand as mana surged into her palm, coalescing into a swirling vortex of storm clouds. [Storm Call] A furious downpour of lightning descended upon the goblin mage, hammering against its barrier. The creature's expression shifted from confidence to horror as cracks splintered across its magical defense. Leona landed with a heavy thud, gripping her greatsword tightly before bringing it down in a devastating overhead swing. CRASH! The barrier shattered. The goblin mage swung its staff in retaliation, striking Leona's shoulder with a concussive blast of mana. She staggered, gritting her teeth as pain flared through her body. Before the goblin could retreat, Xander lunged forward. His spear thrust with pinpoint accuracy, gravity magic enhancing his strike as a concentrated blast shot toward the goblin's chest. The attack should have blown its torso apart— But at the last second, the goblin twisted, sacrificing its left arm instead. Blood splattered the ground as the limb was torn away, yet the goblin endured the pain, its teeth bared in a vicious snarl. With its remaining arm, it launched a desperate blast of magic at both Xander and Leona. The explosion sent them tumbling back, crashing into the trees. Before the goblin could regain its footing, an arrow streaked through the air. It struck the goblin's shoulder—its tip glowing with lunar energy. The moment it made contact, moonlight exploded outward, spreading like wildfire. The goblin roared in agony, its body briefly engulfed in the radiant burst. Just as it tried to recover, several beams of light rained down upon it. The goblin twisted and dodged, barely evading, only for Evangeline to descend from above, her rapier flashing in a precise arc. Her blade sliced through a small portion of its robe, severing the strap of a hidden pouch. The bag tumbled to the ground. The goblin reached out, its expression twisted in desperation as it tried to grab the fallen bag. However, before it could, Damon kicked the bag backward toward Sylvia and immediately fired a round of Magic Bullet at the goblin's chest. The shots hit their mark. The goblin reeled back slightly, coughing, but its body showed little sign of actual damage. "Tch." Damon clicked his tongue, irritation flashing across his face. Without hesitation, he reached for his daggers and lunged forward, slashing at the goblin. The creature swiftly backpedaled, then retaliated with a sharp kick aimed at Damon's midsection. Damon barely dodged— And in that instant, the world seemed to slow. His focus sharpened. This was his chance. He twisted his body and drove his dagger toward the goblin's leg. The blade pierced flesh. The goblin shrieked in agony, immediately rolling backward before launching a desperate blast of fire toward Damon. But Sylvia was already in position. Before the goblin could fully unleash its attack, arrows whistled through the air, forcing it to raise its staff defensively. Matlock followed up, trembling but determined. He waved his hand, releasing spikes of ice that spread across the battlefield, freezing the ground beneath the goblin's feet. The goblin snarled. In a sudden motion, it reached into its robe and flung a hidden blade— Straight at Matlock. The fairy gasped as the dagger buried itself in his shoulder. A sharp cry escaped him as he collapsed, clutching at the wound. The goblin moved to finish him off— But Evangeline intercepted, her light magic gleaming as she slashed toward it. The goblin barely rolled away in time, retreating toward the trees, its gaze flickering as if waiting for something. Damon's eyes narrowed. It's stalling. "Damn it," he muttered. "We need to end this now. It's buying time for reinforcements!" The goblin seemed to smirk, and in a blur of movement, it lunged— Slamming its entire body into Damon, sending him crashing into Evangeline. The impact knocked the wind out of both of them. In the same moment, the goblin raised its hand, preparing to throw a dagger at Sylvia, who was still at the back— A spear came flying. THUNK! Xander, bleeding from a head wound, had hurled his weapon with all his strength. The spear struck the goblin's side, pushing it back. The creature snarled and began chanting, preparing another spell— Leona came crashing down on it with a dropkick. CRACK! "That's for throwing me into the damn trees!" she shouted. The goblin barely managed to grab her by the throat, choking her before slamming her into the frozen ground. Leona gasped, struggling as it loomed over her. Its hand grabbed one of the ice spikes protruding from the battlefield. It raised the jagged shard, eyes burning with killing intent—ready to slice her throat open. Matlock, still on the ground, blood pouring from his shoulder, stared in horror. Trembling. Frozen. Terrified. But in that moment— Something changed. Tears streamed down Matlock's face as he clenched his shaking hand, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. His mana surged, raw and desperate, coalescing into a single, shimmering spike of ice. It hummed in the air. Vibrating. With a choked roar, Matlock threw everything he had left into it— And fired. The ice spear tore through the battlefield with a whistling sound— And struck the goblin square in the chest. The creature coughed, stunned, its glowing red eyes flickering. Slowly, it looked down at the gaping hole in its torso. A guttural roar of fury erupted from its throat. Ignoring Leona, it staggered forward, gripping the ice spike embedded in its chest, its body trembling from sheer willpower. It refused to die. With one final burst of strength, the goblin charged at Matlock— It would not die without taking at least one of them with it. Matlock scrambled back, his limbs weak, his breath coming in terrified gasps. His fingers clawed at the dirt, trying to push himself away, but his body refused to move fast enough. The goblin leaped, its remaining arm raised for the kill— A flash of black. A clean, ripping sound. The goblin's head flew from its shoulders. Blood sprayed in an arc before the body crumpled lifelessly to the ground. Matlock gasped, staring wide-eyed at the scene before him. Damon stood there, his dark eyes unreadable, his arm cloaked in armored shadows. A dagger gleamed in his grip, dripping with fresh blood. A low chime echoed in Damon's mind. [You have slain Redcap Goblin Tooth.]