The strategy was a huge success, the rout lasted until the 23 sub level, before the goblins reformed themselves.
They took a couple days to regroup and relaunched with the same strategy, this time they made it all the way to the bottom floor the 30th sub level and traditionally where the highest position of authority would have their personal chambers. They also sealed any mines they came across so the Goblins couldn't come from behind them.
It had taken weeks to go down a couple floors, but with Katarina they absolutely destroyed them.
But now they were in a dilemma again, the main room was blocked… not by the goblins but by themselves…
3 hobgoblins were left… these ones were special… all three had unlocked their specialization even further… A Hobgoblin King, a Hobgoblin Shaman and A Hobgoblin Marauder…
The King had an aura that seriously empowered the other two, the shaman could buff on top of the King's aura, heal them and cast devastating lightning spells that worked a lot better against the dwarven armour. The lightning spells would bounce between them, amplifying even further after each bounce between the dwarves. And the marauder was the worst, he had dual axes and being empowered by the other two, he was faster than Maro with unique Goblin accented warrior abilities…
As soon as they had entered the chamber, the lightning spell took 50 Dwarves out of commission and killed 2 immediately, they retreated right away and while sealing the room, the Marauder made minced meat of 3 of his swordsmen before the doors closed… Thankfully the room had only one exit and entrance.
Fuck they were too cocky, they were really deep down, it would take hours for his men to be escorted to the Elve's aid station… He buckled up and started healing every single one of them he could.
Luckily the lightning only really caused burns and nerve damage, no limbs needed to be frozen.
They took a day to formulate a plan and rest.
This entire time Maro had been leveling up but hadn't gotten a single new skill… He was a Paladin lvl 14 now… His attributes increased and his holy spells got significantly more powerful… but this was all marginal no qualitative change yet… he was pissed. Fucking deity gave him a shit class… a simple heal and a meh aura, nothing else.
They had been going back and forth on their strategy for a while, but Maro convinced everyone… he was a good fighter but spending decades studying and being part of military operations… he shined at strategy.
"Okay to summarize, Katarina will start a blizzard before we open the doors, as soon as doors are opened the Archers will launch two volleys through the blizzard. The blizzard will move forward, hopefully slowing down the Marauder. I will then use everything I have and run in, I will vanguard charge their shaman and hopefully kill him fast, 5 of my swordsmen with class unlocks will run in to keep the marauder and goblin king busy for a little bit."
He took a swig of wine
"Give it a minute, if the shaman is dead or too busy to help, the Dwarven lightning rods can come in, line up, separate the Marauder and King and back them into corners until they are dead"
Maro would be the one taking the most risk… it had Katarina a bit worried for real. She wanted to just siege the room and wait… but they were so close and they couldn't count on a siege… the grand room had only one entrance and exit but… they weren't completely sure… They had to strike before those three escaped. And the Dwarves were angry, they didn't want to wait.
Kadrin yelled "Get Ready! You have five minutes to get yourself together and line up"
Maro took this moment to console Katarina… she had lost all her family, all she had to remind her of her parents was ice magic… She wanted family and revenge. Maro was the only one to provide both of those for her. Nervousness and anxiety took hold of her again.
They walked around the corner for a bit of privacy
"Maro, please… I am worried, can we switch tactics where you don't charge in there by yourself first" she was gripping his hands in a cold vice.
Maro shook her grip, in these situations his Soldier side always came through "Katarina, we spent hours formulating strategy, this one has the highest chance of success with the least amount of risk to people's lives"
"Not yours Maro" she whimpered
He grabbed her hands back and then hugged her "Don't worry lady, I am Maro the liberator, Champion of Order and I shit in goblin skulls and I drink wine out of different Goblin skulls… remember" He smiled, kissed her forehead… he kinda got distracted and started biting her ear and then kissing her neck, she accidentally let out a little moan, trying to hold it in on the battlefield.
The moan snapped Maro out of it… he would reach a point where he wouldn't be able to stop himself… He kissed her on the forehead once more…
"Cast Blizzard" and Maro walked back to face the door. Maro used bloodrush and consecrated ground.
Snow started falling, Maro nodded to Kadrin who had his dwarves push the large doors inward.
"FIRE" Kadrin yelled
The 150 archers all launched a volley through the doors in unison.
Kadrin yelled "Again! and then pull back"
As the second volley was passing through the doors Maro used [Warcry] to its strongest, and ran in.
He sprinted forward, through the doors and into the blizzard. A lighting spell whizzed past him and blew up a piece of the wall behind him… he knew where the Shaman was.
He gambled by using his charge in the direction of the lightning [Vanguard Charge]
He collided into flesh and then into the wall behind him in full force, crumpling the goblin. He cut off its head to make sure no healing could help him now.
"Shaman's dead!" he yelled, faster than expected.
He heard metal clashing behind him, must be his swordsmen fighting the marauder…
Just then an axe was thrown into his back. Embedded deep he couldn't take it out in time, the Marauder jumped on his back trying to smash his axe on his head.
He rolled forward and they tumbled on the ground, the blizzard cleared up as the Dwarves were marching in… The goblin king was immediately cornered and speared so many times he almost became mush.
The marauder and Maro were rolling around too much for anyone to help him. Maro had dropped his swords as they weren't helping in the grappling at all.
This goblin was fierce and full of primal anger, he struck with the axe again this time partially cutting off Maro's foot.
The pain was immense but a weapon wasn't helpful in a grappling match, he flipped the goblin around as he was off balance from the strike… and got a rear naked choke on him. He choked him so tight the goblins blood vessels were bursting and his eyes looked like they were gonna pop.
Finally unconscious, Maro climbed on top of the goblin and started bashing his head against the floor over and over again. The back of the goblins head was mush along with its brain, he started punching the face over and over again until every bone in his fists were broken… nothing was left of the face but cracks in the solid granite beneath.
Maro yelled "You Green Piece of Shit, just fucking DIE!!!"
[Level increase - new spell acquired - Holy Judgement, you surge your weapon or yourself with holy power, unleashing said power causes a holy explosion that heals allies and blows away your enemies]
Everyone had watched his scuffle, the Dwarves couldn't have loved him any more… He was one of them… in fact he probably hated them more than any Dwarf.
Maro rolled over and passed out
Maro didn't know this, but after Katarina put him on Ice to save his foot and to stop the bleeding. Everyone in that room rushed to carry him out… 30 floors up and he wasn't put down once.