"What is this- oh." Urginok was confused for a moment as he opened his inventory and found the new armor set waiting for him. The tank recalled Rydr taking the armor set off Spectre but had completely forgotten about it until now.

It wasn't entirely Urginok's fault. A lot happened between the launch night and his party venturing back into the mine.

Despite, and maybe because of his surprise, a small jolt of adrenaline shot through the tank as he read the stats for the armor.

Hermes nudged the tank, "What did he give you?" Ever curious, the teen couldn't contain himself. Syrna and Niko voiced similar opinions, waiting for the tank's response.

After a few moments, Urginok accessed the message interface and shared the armor's stats with the team.

(Rare) Ether-Guard Pauldron Level 5

Remnants of an ancient order, charged with protecting the Ether-Ways power. Complete the set to unlock its full potential.

· Bonuses:

o +80 Defense

o +5 Strength

o +5 Constitution

o +5 Dexterity

· Weight: 6 kg.

· Durability: 145/150

· Ether-Ways Set Bonuses:

o (2p) Innate skill: [Ether-Sense]

o (3p) +20 Dexterity

o (4p) +5% Magic Damage Reduction

o (5p) +10% Magic Damage Reduction

(Rare) Ether-Guard Vambrace Level 5

Remnants of an ancient order, charged with protecting the Ether-Ways power. Complete the set to unlock its full potential.

· Bonuses:

o +100 Defense

o +5 Strength

o +5 Constitution

o +5 Dexterity

· Weight: 6 kg.

· Durability: 170/170

· Ether-Ways Set Bonuses:

o (2p) Innate skill: [Ether-Sense]

o (3p) +20 Dexterity

o (4p) +5% Magic Damage Reduction

o (5p) +10% Magic Damage Reduction

(Rare) Ether-Guard Cuirass Level 5

Remnants of an ancient order, charged with protecting the Ether-Ways power. Complete the set to unlock its full potential.

· Bonuses:

o +200 Defense

o +5 Strength

o +5 Constitution

o +5 Dexterity

· Weight: 8 kg.

· Durability: 190/200

· Ether-Ways Set Bonuses:

o (2p) Innate skill: [Ether-Sense]

o (3p) +20 Dexterity

o (4p) +5% Magic Damage Reduction

o (5p) +10% Magic Damage Reduction

(Rare) Ether-Guard Cuisses Level 5

Remnants of an ancient order, charged with protecting the Ether-Ways power. Complete the set to unlock its full potential.

· Bonuses:

o +100 Defense

o +5 Strength

o +5 Constitution

o +5 Dexterity

· Weight: 6.5 kg.

· Durability: 145/150

· Ether-Ways Set Bonuses:

o (2p) Innate skill: [Ether-Sense]

o (3p) +20 Dexterity

o (4p) +5% Magic Damage Reduction

o (5p) +10% Magic Damage Reduction

(Rare) Ether-Guard Greaves Level 5

Remnants of an ancient order, charged with protecting the Ether-Ways power. Complete the set to unlock its full potential.

· Bonuses:

o +150 Defense

o +5 Strength

o +5 Constitution

o +5 Dexterity

· Weight: 6 kg.

· Durability: 160/170

· Ether-Ways Set Bonuses:

o (2p) Innate skill: [Ether-Sense]

o (3p) +20 Dexterity

o (4p) +5% Magic Damage Reduction

o (5p) +10% Magic Damage Reduction

Syrna complained, "Holy crap, dude. Slow it down a little." The archer failed to read any of the stat blocks.

Urginok laughed, "I'm just a wee bit excited, is all."

In the meantime, Hermes let out a wolf-whistle, "Damn, dude. These are awesome. Wouldn't have another set, would you, big guy?" The teen sidled over to Rydr and clasped his hands together like a beggar's child.

Rydr snorted, "As if. I got them off Spectre, and he got them from hobgoblins." So far, hobgoblins were the only other creatures he'd seen sporting the armor set.

The Titan originally thought that the armor was directly crafted by the goblin clan, given that they lived inside an ore-rich mine. He was somewhat relieved to learn that the goblins weren't capable of making the sleek armor sets.

However, after he saw the stat blocks, Rydr began to worry. If his team and the other locals failed to keep the goblin clan in check, the hobgoblins might evolve again. Coupled with the armor sets, the goblin clan would quickly become a bigger problem than the plant elemental.

The destruction of their camp would set them back, but they needed to be dealt with, and soon.

For the first time in a while, Niko spoke up, "So, are we done in the mines?" Since she was a temporary member, Niko felt that it wasn't her place to ask for handouts that she couldn't pay for.

She and Rydr hadn't even discussed the cost of her commission yet.

Her question reminded Rydr of the other reason their group came back to the mine.

The giant turned to Syrna, "Did you get what you needed?"

Syrna held up her hand, palm down, waggling it, "Sort of. I gained five new Runes, but there is a lot I can't grasp yet." The archer was more than a little annoyed.

She was able to glean the purpose of a few Runes, but there were dozens more carved into the tunnel walls that she couldn't read. It wasn't for lack of trying. Even the goblin chicken-scratch failed to translate the massive enchantment placed on the tunnels fully.

The blonde decided to take pictures of the wall with her system, saving the unknown Runes for later. Once she gained a firmer grasp of the Runic language, their meaning would reveal itself to her.

Rydr turned to face the group, "Does anyone else still have something they need to do down here?"

The others shook their heads except for Hermes, who stuck his hand in the air, "I've got a question," the teen looked at Urginok, "What are your stats like after equipping your new armor?"

Urginok blinked at the teen. He'd been absorbed in the party's ongoing conversation and forgotten to equip the new armor.

The tank quickly amended that problem, donning his new armor directly from his inventory. Misty light coalesced around Urginok's body before it dissipated to reveal the sleek, black armor on his body.

Most of the armor was fairly form-fitting, molded to the wearer's body of the built-in padding. Although the set lacked a helm and a few other pieces for a "complete" suit of armor, its stat bonuses more than made up for it.

The party admired Urginok's new, killer look before Syrna wolf-whistled at the tank, "Come on, sexy, give us a spin."

Urginok laughed and decided to do her one better. The tank walked away from the group and back, sashaying his hips as if he were a model on a runway.

Once he returned to the group, the tank sent his character sheet to the group.

Name

Urginok

Level

6

3200/16413

Race

Human

Class

Profession

Fame

30

Infamy

0

Health

1160 (1.5/s)

Mana

200

Stamina

100 (7.75/s)

Free Points

0

Strength

45 (25)

Intelligence

20

Dexterity

63 (45)

Wisdom

20

Constitution

116 (25)

Charisma

10

Luck

0

Will

10

Skills:

· [Crescent Charge] (Lvl. 5 Beginner)

· [Tempt Offense] (Lvl. 6 Beginner)

· [Brace] (Lvl. 2 Beginner)

· [Third Eye] (Lvl. 1 Beginner)

· [Over-Flowing Vigor] (Lvl. MAXED)

Passives:

· [Kinetic Intuition] (Lvl. 3 Intermediate)

· [Iron Skin] (Lvl. 2 Beginner)

Feats:

· Masochist - Rare

· Solo Defense – Uncommon

· Against An Army – Epic

· Tempt Offense – Rare

· Crescent Charge – Uncommon

· Brace – Elite

· A Flexible Mind – Monumental

*****

As it turned out, the innate skill from the armor set, [Ether-Sense], essentially defaulted Urginok's "Flexible Mind" feat. The tank gained the feat as soon as he donned the armor.

The combination of other feats were mostly his skill creations and tanking-related feats. Urginok promised to tell Rydr how he gained his Epic feat later.

Then the party agreed to leave the mine. Hermes led the team back to the alternate entrance, winding through tunnels quickly until the team surfaced at the bottom of a hill roughly half a kilometer from the mine's earthen swell.

At that distance, not even Rydr could peer through the trees to spy the goblin camp. Still, for the sake of stealth, they agreed to use the chat interface before leaving the mine.

[Syrna: Should we head straight back to town?]

[Rydr: Why? Everything is closed, and the demon can wait until tomorrow night.]

The Titan was aware that he basically had nothing to do until Lynn was at his shop again. Plus, his concern over the goblin clan was more immediate.

Thankfully, he wasn't alone in that opinion.

[Urginok: We need to take out some of the goblin patrols- try to limit their growth. Fewer goblins mean fewer hobgoblins in a few days.]

[Niko: He's right. The majority of the weaker goblins have reached level 11. Pretty soon, there won't be a goblin in that clan. What if another Warlord evolved?]

Rydr shuddered a little at the thought. He already had one Hobgoblin Warlord waiting for him in the Wellspring.

[Hermes: I'm down to hunt some goblins.]

The teen grinned at the team. He was ready to do some leveling now that he wasn't on his own. He would be fast enough to go anywhere independently one day, but he was painfully aware that he wasn't there yet.

Rydr saw that Syrna was still on the fence. He was certain that at least one feat waited behind the demon quest, but saving Grotto in its entirety was still the goal.

On top of everything else, Rydr promised to perform a shuttle service out of the region. He didn't know how big the area actually was or how many trips he might have to make.

However, the shuttle service couldn't wait another day. The forest monsters were still recovering from the plant elemental's assault. Any longer than tomorrow morning, and it may not be possible for the Titan to safeguard his dependents.

[Rydr: Have you tried to make runic traps out of more than chalk?]

Syrna turned and blinked at the giant before she raised her fingers to her eyes, gesturing back and forth between her face and Rydr's.

But, she sent one more message.

[Syrna: Let's recreate some horror stories.]

*****

Hermes lightly jogged through the dark forest half an hour later, holding a torch high over his head. In addition, the teen was wondering aloud, at the top of his voice like a loon.

"Man, it sure would be a shame if some fuck-ugly goblins found me all aloooone." The teen clasped his torch with both hands as if it were an umbrella.

More nonsense dribble mixed with goblin insults spewed from Hermes' lips as he continued through the woods. The longer he spoke, the more shrill his voice became until he practically screeched the words.

As it happened, the young diver's path barely crossed with that of a goblin patrol. A trio of goblins, and a hobgoblin, heard the shrieking teen's nasally voice echo through the trees.

And they were on the hunt.

Soon the patrol found Hermes wanding in circles, looking like he'd lost his mind.

As soon as the goblin patrol broke into the clearing, Hermes heaved a sigh, coughing and beating on his chest.

"Oh, thank god you're here. I thought I was gonna pass out if I went any higher." Hermes continued to beast his chest, coughing lightly as the small gaggle of vicious green-skinned children screamed at him.

The three goblins sprinted forward, their beady yellow eyes gleaming against the teen's torch as they pulled serrated knives out of their belts.

Behind the charging goblins, the hobgoblin held back. More intelligent than its lesser-evolved kin, the hobgoblin found it strange that one of the humans wasn't trying to run away.

However, the hobgoblin snickered to itself as it watched the wastes of space rush forward. It was more than willing to let them test the waters.

Unaware of their cousin's misgivings, the goblins glared at Hermes' smiling face. The teen appeared not to have a care in the world.

Three meters from Hermes' spot in the clearing's center, the goblins blundered straight over a strange arrangement of twigs and wild grass, invisible against the forest floor.

Splattered with blood.

The lead goblin crashed to an abrupt halt, its feet glued to the forest floor. Its brothers crashed against its back, spilling forward onto the dirt.

Directly into another rough circle formed of more twigs and twine.

The first goblin felt cold begin to climb its legs as the biting chill invaded its nether region. However, it was too frightened to care.

Before its eyes, the first goblin watched in horror as a bright red light flared against the forest floor, briefly highlighting the shape of the magical trap.

Then its brothers screamed as a pillar of flame spiraled to life at the circle's edge. Then, the two goblins quickly fell silent.

Unlike the first, simpler trap, the second trap in front of Hermes was designed to suck the oxygen out of the trap's center rather than burn the goblins to death.

The stupid creature's unwittingly huddled in the middle, fearing for their lives before they passed out and vanished into motes of light.

As soon as the targets were dead, the trap died, the twig and twine circle burning to cinders instantly.

The first goblin finally came to its senses, but it was too late. Only its upper shoulders, neck, and head were still unfrozen. It looked past the ashen mark on the ground, screaming at Hermes as the ice continued to climb.

Behind the goblin, the hobgoblin backed away from the clearing in horror. However disdainful it was of its dumb kin, the taller goblinoid was still a coward.

It took a step to turn around, stopping when Hermes waved his hands at it.

The hobgoblin turned back to watch the teen.

For his part, Hermes was trying to warn the monster, gesturing above the creature's head. He at least wanted to give the evolved monster a fighting chance.

Hermes gave up, hiding his face before anything too gory happened.

Above the hobgoblin's head, Rydr fell through the air, his [Alpha's Pelt] flaring around him. Within his hood, the Titan's eyes glowed with the light of a single, crimson rune.

Then the giant's bulk came crashing down on the hobgoblin's shoulders, crumpling the monster under Rydr's feet.

*FATAL CRIT -2,000 HP*

It wasn't dead, but its legs were forced into the monster's lower abdomen, preventing it from screaming or drawing breath. The creature's black armor folded against its body, now wearing its cuisses over its greaves.

Rydr stepped off the hobgoblin's shoulder, avoiding the creature's desperate grabs as blood dribbled out of the monster's lips.

From the shadows of nearby trees, the rest of the Titan's team gathered to witness the monster's death.

Since this was the only patrol within the area, they felt it safe to talk.

"Holy crap. Is it even fair to use Syrna and Rydr in the same party?" Niko couldn't help herself. Seeing a level 14, [Uncommon] monster, reduced to a choking stump in one move, felt unfair.

Rydr shrugged at her, "I wasn't expecting Empower to be so effective with Syrna's traps." When they set up their kill-box earlier, the Titan was genuinely concerned that his spell wouldn't have an effect.

"What about you? You basically just one-shot a low-level boss." Niko groused at the giant while the rest of the team laughed at the situation.

Urginok tried to help her out, "Try not to treat this world as a game. Past a certain point, physics seems to take over. The system is more like a translation system. Your attack was worth 'X' damage, and so on."

In the middle of the group, the hobgoblin burst into a spire of light, spilling items on the ground.

Hermes chose that moment to run to the group, dodging traps on the forest floor, "Did it drop any of the Ether-Guard set?"

The teen's mind was one-track ever since he read the item's description. He salivated as he [Inspected] the dark items in the dirt.

Hermes let out a happy gasp, crowing, "Yes!"