Lance nocked an arrow, moving sideways so that he could get a clear line of sight to the center. The rest of the group spread out. Rather than use an arrow, Yanesh conjured a Fire Bolt in his hand, waiting for whatever was about to appear to do so.

“Should we shoot it, before it appears?” Neil asked, his voice tight and tense.

“Might not work but…” Lance shrugged and loosed his arrow. It flew through the air, the explosive arrowhead hammering into the glowing field and exploding. The air cleared after a brief moment, nothing seeming to have happened. Already, Lance had drawn and nocked another explosive arrow.

“Don’t think it did anything,” Sarah said.

“No cheese attacks then…” Yanesh said, lips pressed tight.

As they spoke, the central column of light diminished to reveal a trio of hobgoblins in their usual garb and the pictured mosaic monster in the center. The Boss Hobgoblin stared at them all and grinned, only to find both a Fire Bolt and an explosive arrow winging itself to its face.

A casual swing of its sword caught the explosive arrow, peppering its own people with the shards of the arrowhead but leaving itself untouched. The Fire Bolt slammed into its armoured body, singing flesh and hair on its arms and face but leaving it untouched.

“Neil – you’re on the boss. Sarah, take the adds! We’ll take them down as fast as we can and concentrate on the boss last,” Lance snapped even as he drew a splitting arrow and fired it into the group, targeting the other hobs now.

The hobgoblins were not waiting around to be killed though, having charged the pair of melee fighters and Lance himself. Neil counter-charged his own hobgoblin, ducking low at the last moment and then surging upwards such that he hit the opponent just below the waistline with his shield. Using the defensive tool as a lever, he flipped his opponent over his head to send the monster sprawling before he kept moving to the Hobgoblin Boss. Crashing to the ground behind, the tossed hobgoblin lay there, stunned for a second even as Sarah maneuvered to stab it, all while tearing strips of flesh off her own opponent.

As for himself, Lance cursed. He waited for opponent to near him, wishing he had grabbed a high explosive arrow himself. Instead, he timed it such that when he loosed the arrow, aiming for the monster’s chest, it split at the last second to pin the creature with all three arrows.

The damage and pain was only enough to stagger his own opponent, giving Lance a brief moment to snatch another arrow from his quiver. Then, he waited, swinging his bow to block and twist his opponent before slamming the arrowhead into the side of the hobs neck.

The explosive arrow triggered, sunk into the flesh of the monster’s neck as it was and sending goblets of flesh and blood into the air. Cursing a little, his opponent still standing for some reason, Lance dodged a swing of the monster’s claws. He scrambled for another arrow, half-drawing and firing, the splitting arrow he had accidentally grabbed too close to actively trigger.

Still, another arrow punched into the monster’s chest was enough to slow his opponent down; allowing Lance to retreat even further. He kept drawing and firing as he backed away while Yanesh cursed and bellowed all their thoughts.

“Their tougher than normal!” Another conjured spell, this time an Ice Bolt. The fast moving arrow of ice hit a hob, digging deep into the side before disappearing, leaving a gush of blood to replace it. Yet, the hob was undettered as it and its friend kept rushing the beleaguered Sarah.

“Just die already!” Snarling, Sarah spun her spear around her head to cut the blade across a neck. A last minute duck by the targeted hob meant her attack tore open the side of its jaw and whipped its head to the side, concussing the monster but not fatally injuring it.

Then, on the other side the other hob jumped, arms open wide to grab Sarah. Its suicidal attack which managed to get it pinned by the spear as it fell also pushed the weapon out of her hands as the spearwielder had insufficient time to set herself. Together, the pair and the twisting head of the spear, embedded deep in the hobs body fell to the ground. The spearshaft let out a loud crack as it twisted and jammed, splitting in half as the two grappled.

Thankfully, even dungeon monsters could be puzzled. Unable to grab at Sarah easily, the first, concussed hob stared at the struggling pair on the ground; visibly debating the best method to aid its friend. Another arrow plunged into its side, as Yanesh loosed his own arrow, making the monster turn; bleeding from multiple cuts on Yanesh.

“Shit… bad idea. Bad idea…” Yanesh cried, backing off as the monster charged him.

In the center of the room, Neil continued to keep the Boss occupied. Mostly by staying hidden behind his shield, shedding attacks and dodging whatever he could. Only occasionally would he swing, managing to score light hits with his hammer that annoyed the Hobgoblin Boss. Still, his Thorns managed to hurt the monster, leaving thin trails of blood all across its face and arms.

“Damn it, we should have concentrated fire…” Lance cursed. Not that he knew how they were supposed to do that, what with there being more hobs than front-line personnel. Thinking fast, he shifted aim and put an arrow into his own opponent’s knee, watching the monster stagger and fall over.

“Take their mobility!” He shouted.

“What?” Yanesh shouted.

“Arrow to the knee!” Lance replied.

“I still wanna be an Adventurer!” Yanesh cried out, but he understood. Except, since his cooldown was over; he threw a Fire Bolt instead, tearing a hole in the monster’s leg, leaving it to stagger after him. It wasn’t enough to cripple it immediately, but they had a chance.

Lance grinned, skimming back as he drew his arrow and watched as Sarah finally levered her own opponent off her. The monster, bleeding out as it was and weakened own struggled had slowed down, allowing her to push it off her. One side of her body was filled with green blood, but more alarmingly, she was squinting around the blood pouring from her left side, her ear on that side and scalp torn open by the hobs tusks.

“Shit…” Drawing and firing, Lance put another explosive arrow into his own hobs face. The explosion tore its face open and finally dropped him, leaving him able to help Yanesh.

Of course, that was when Neil failed a dodge; the massive Hobgoblin Boss managing to hit him in the side and send him skipping across the floor, clutching his wrecked shield and side.

“Oh hell…” Sarah said, looking up as the Boss barreled right at her.