Hour after hour, the Aegis squad cut down the endless waves of goblins. Arla, Mane, Jian, Beni, and Hera showed no sign of being overwhelmed — yet something about the battle felt… off.
Mane frowned.
"Hey, guys… don't you notice something weird? We've been fighting the same kind of goblin over and over. I mean—these are just the regular ones, right? Where are the other types?"
Beni blinked, realizing it too.
"Huh… yeah. Wait, don't tell me this is just a distraction? Maybe the real attack's happening somewhere else! We need to report this to Commander Valeria!"
Mane raised a hand.
"Hold on. Let's confirm it with Arla first. What do you think?"
Arla answered firmly.
"Hmmm… you're right. We should report it. Mane, check the surrounding area for any anomalies!"
Mane nodded with determination.
"Alright, let's see... Hmm... oh—wait… yeah!"
His eyes widened.
"You're right! Just as we thought, multiple goblin types are heading west! But that's strange... why the west?"
Arla didn't hesitate.
"Alright! Jian, Beni, Hera — head there now! Jian, I'm putting you in charge as captain for that sector!"
Jian was taken aback, but after a deep breath, he shouted:
"R-right! Huhhhh… alright! Come on, everyone — we're from the West! We should know our own land best!"
Beni and Hera both responded with fiery resolve.
"Let's go!!!"
From afar, Valeria watched them move.
"Hmm… interesting. Seems the southern sector's situation is under control. Now, let's see how those three handle things."
She grinned slightly before shouting,
"Broom Aegis — let's move out!"
SWING!
When they arrived in the western region, Jian, Beni, and Hera barely managed to get there before the goblins did. The problem was—they were alone.
The three looked at each other, silently panicking.
What do we do...?
They slowly began retreating, unable to launch a proper counterattack.
A goblin with an unnaturally quick and agile body crept toward them. Its grin widened, drooling thick saliva as it licked its lips and slithered closer, confident that the trio—who relied on long-range weapons—couldn't stop it.
Hera screamed in disgust.
"Eww! Gross! Super Shot—FIRE!!!"
BOOM!!!
The attack missed completely. The goblin dodged with ease and leapt forward, grabbing one of them.
Beni shouted in panic.
"HELP!!! Jian! Hera!!!"
Cornered and terrified, Jian and Hera froze. Their weapons had no effect.
From a distance, Valeria watched, her expression tense.
"Looks like I'll have to help them... But maybe—just a little push."
Suddenly, a faint sound of crying echoed in the distance, drawing some of the goblins away. But even with fewer enemies, the trio was still in serious danger.
As one of the goblins lunged forward, Jian screamed — a loud, raw cry that shook the air.
To their surprise, none of the three felt any pain, but the goblins did — clutching their heads as blood poured from their ears. The one holding Beni stumbled back in agony.
Hera's eyes lit up.
"Jian! Keep shouting! Don't stop!"
Jian yelled again, pouring all his energy into it. The goblins roared in pain and tried to cut him down — but before they could reach him, Beni's heavy gear suddenly shifted, morphing into a massive shield that blocked the blow.
Beni blinked in disbelief.
"What the—since when could I—? Ugh, whatever! Let's do this!"
Then, as if following his instincts, the shield reshaped itself into a massive sword. With one furious swing, Beni cleaved through several goblins at once.
"Jian! Hera! Stay back!"
As they moved away, Beni spun wildly, slashing in wide arcs — blood spraying through the air as the goblins screamed and fell back.
One agile goblin managed to slip through, but before it could strike, Jian fired a precise shot, then swiftly switched his weapon into a light sword and pierced it clean through.
Jian's eyes widened with realization.
"I get it now! Our weapon types—each of us—light, medium, and heavy... they're not fixed! They can change!"
He pointed to his own gear.
"Mine's Light Type."
Hera grinned, raising her weapon.
"Medium Type."
Beni nodded.
"And I'm Heavy Type."
Jian smirked.
"We never used them to their full potential before!"
With that, the three unleashed their full power. Their attacks grew fierce, synchronized — tearing through the remaining goblins like a storm. Within moments, the tide of battle turned. The goblins began retreating.
Back in the south, Arla and Mane noticed.
Arla smiled.
"Looks like they did it. Come on, Mane, let's go meet them."
Mane chuckled.
"Alright, hop on. Let's move."
SWING—
They teleported to the western front.
Jian waved excitedly.
"Hey! You guys made it! Come on, look at us — notice anything different?"
Mane tilted his head.
"Hmm... Did you all get haircuts?"
Jian, Beni, and Hera yelled together:
"NO!!! LOOK!"
Arla blinked in surprise.
"Wait… your armors—your weapons—they've changed!"
Jian grinned.
"Exactly! And not just changed — we can switch between different forms depending on our type! Look—light sword, light armor!"
Beni lifted his massive weapon proudly.
"Same here!"
Hera added with a confident smirk.
"And me too!"
Mane looked amazed.
"Wow… not only did you evolve, but each of you has a different combat style now. Fascinating!"
From a distance, Valeria clapped her hands slowly, walking up to them.
"Good… very good. Impressive."
Then, without warning, she tapped each of them lightly on the shoulder — and all three immediately collapsed to the ground.
"Ouch! What the—?! Why did a light tap hurt so much?" Jian groaned.
Valeria smirked.
"Based on my analysis — even though you can switch between forms, it drains a lot of mana. So use that ability wisely."
The three nodded, rubbing their shoulders.
"Alright… got it."
Valeria straightened her posture and looked at them all.
"Alright, everyone! Time to report this victory and claim our rank-up. And Arla—"
She smiled knowingly.
"—this promotion should make it easier for you to pursue your own goal."
Arla met her gaze, determination shining in her eyes.
"Got it, Valeria. I'll make sure to use this chance well."