Lance barely had time to nock his arrow before the monster hit Sarah. The woman had thrown herself at the monster on instinct, managing to get under the swinging sword that came at her body from upabove, but still took a painful blow as it cracked down on her shoulder. Still, inside the monster’s guard, she could not be hit as easy.

Watching as the Boss raised its sword again to pommel strike Sarah’s back or neck; Lance felt time slow. His arrow was drawn all the way back, his breathing focused as he looked down the shaft. His target seemed so small in his sight, as though he could see even the pores of his opponent’s skin.

Then he released the arrow, watching as it moved through space to meet the moving target. It struck true, burying itself into the tiny edge of the underside of the hand that he had aimed for, explosive arrowhead triggering a moment later.

Weird dungeon creation or not, the Dungeon Boss still felt pain. It’s fingers still needed tendons and muscles to hold. And having an arrowhead exploding in the palm of its hand, it was enough to make the creature open reflexively, dropping the weapon.

It bounced off Sarah’s body, clattering to the ground, even as the woman; hugging the creature tight kept pushing at it, shoving it further back. Shield, at first resting on her shoulder now rose as the monster angled itself to attack her.

Only for an Ice Bolt to strike the falling shield, pushing it sideways and making it glance off Sarah’s armoured back. It still made her grunt, but without a proper base and surprised; the monster’s blow lacked its usual oomph.

“About time…” Lance snapped, loosing his arrow before looking back. It missed – or well, it hit but only the breastplate on the top of the monster’s chest, just above Sarah’s body and glanced off high before it exploded and peppered the pair with shards.

“Watch where you’re shooting!” Sarah cried.

Cursing, Lance began to manuevering sideways for a better and less risky angle to loose from. In doing so, he also managed to flick a quick glance at Yanesh who was nocking his own arrow. His own assailant was finally down, face burned and an arrow in its knee.

“I was healing!” snapped Yanesh.

As though to punctuate the man’s aid, Neil limped back into the frame. He had shed the remnants of his broken shield and purchased a new, larger one. “I got this Sarah. Let him go!”

Almost gratefully, Sarah released the monster. She took another pounding blow from the monster’s fist to the side which pushed her back, but Neil stepped in before the monster could follow up. Catching edge of shield on the top of his own, he struck back as Sarah staggered away, light lines of blood from the active Thorns skill across her face.

“Need… spear.” She panted, falling back far enough to avoid Neil’s active skill while she flicked through the Shop.

Lance ignored the woman, finally finding the angle he wanted. Patiently he waited, until he was certain of his shot and then he loosed the glowing arrow. Mana Object, arrow. Making arrows was easy for him, probably because he had manipulated so many. And this one lodged right in the armpit of the Boss as it raised its shield to strike again, the monster’s greater height and Lance’s own crouch allowing him to shoot upwards.

Roaring in pain, the Hobgoblin spun around to stare at the archer. A strike to its side by Lance’s armour just glanced off its body, causing it to dismissively slap at the armoured tank. He sucked up the blow, cursing as he staggered back; even as the Boss began to glow, a red mist seeming to escape its body.

“Shit! Boss has a second stage,” Yanesh cursed. A Fire Bolt flew out a second later, striking the monster as it began to change, doing little damage even as it impacted bare arm. “Magic’s stop being useful.”

“Then stick to healing!” Sarah snapped, hefting a new spear in hand. There was a yellow sheen to the top of the weapon, as though it burnt with a hot flame. Then, she rushed forwards, jumping at the last second as she extended into a full thrust at the monster’s unarmoured face.

The Boss tilted its head to the side, moving faster than ever and dodged the attack. It grasped the shaft of her spear and heaved, tossing the woman aside and forcing her into a roll. She had barely hung into the weapon, the hobgoblin releasing it at the last second rather than tear its own arm off.

A trio of arrows struck a moment later, only one lodging in the flesh of its arm. The other two bounced off the breastplate as Lance cursed. He could have sworn he had a good angle, but the arrows seemed to curve away at the very last second.

“What the hell?” Neil, swinging his own weapon felt the same change in his weapon and watched a good strike glance off.

In retaliation, the monster brought its fist down, pounding Neil nearly to his knees. Raising its fist, it brought it down again, this time forcing their tank to collapse as he reinforced his blocking arm. Again, the monster threw a punch downwards, and the pounding blow was accompanied by a shriek from Neil.

Yanesh gestured, healing magic infusing the tank, before he began waving his hand again, pulling an Ice Bolt from the air on automatic. Like his Fire Bolt the attack splashed off the monster, doing no real damage.

Heart pounding, the iron taste of too much adrenaline on his tongue, Lance forced himself to breathe. He watched the attack glance off, the next one by Sarah returning to the battle skim off the armour. He judged the angle of the attacks, then nodded to himself.

The shift of the attacks was almost the same each time, by a few degrees. Not much at all, not really, but when it meant the difference between a good hit or bad; a few degrees was everything. But he was an archer and a damn good one.

Shifting angles? Errant breezes and the curve of an arrow? That was all part of the job.

Drawing another breath, he jumped, twisting slightly in the air. For a brief moment, his target came into sight and that was all he needed. He loosed on instinct, letting the arrow make its way forward and downwards, aimed for the monster’s cheek initially.

Last moment change of angle, the monster’s unconscious defensive red mist altered the arrow. Just a few degrees as it passed the last couple of inches near its body. Just enough that it moved a few inches to the side, right into an ear canal.

The explosive arrowhead went off, peppering the monster’s face and inner ear with shards of metal while deafening it. Balance lost, it staggered backwards.

Neil, on his knees already shot forward in a straight lunge, using the edge of his shield to smash into kneecap. It didn’t matter that the monster’s defense shifted his attack to the side a little – the shield was wide enough that it still struck like a hammer.

The massive hobgoblin fell, crashing to the down. Another arrow, this time from Yanesh buried itself in an arm. In the meantime, Sarah stepped forward and thrust forwards, aiming her spear at its face. The point veered at the last second once more, but sheer dint of strength, she kept it from moving too far.

Spear point embedded in neck with a deep squelch and the monster thrashed, even as Lance hurried forwards, sending a tightly spaced trio of splitting arrows into its head. Event then, it was alive.

Not for long though, for while it was held down by the spear point held by Sarah, the rest of the group peppered it with attacks. Hammer blows into legs and limbs to help it stop thrashing, arrows and spells embedded into its body and even more arrows.

Eventually, the Boss stopped moving, leaving the group panting and looking at one another as the bodies dispersed.

As Sarah pulled her spear point upwards, Neil stood up with a sharp crack in his back. He winced, holding the position and waved at Yanesh.

“Heal please.”

For some reason, that set everyone off and they began laughing uproariously as tension broke. Even holding his back, Neil laughed too.

Eventually, they managed to stop laughing. Only for Neil to wave his arm, leaning over as he was over his knees.

“Seriously. Heal…”

Only for Sarah to giggle and set them all off again.