In "The Last Bastion," monsters are split into seven distinct ranks, ranging from the lowly F-Rank to the cataclysmic SS-Rank.
F-Rank monsters, like standard goblins, are considered the absolute weakest of the weak and usually do not pose a serious threat to a prepared player. These bottom-tier monsters mainly appear in the early waves and introductory tutorial missions, serving as basic fodder.
D-Rank monsters, such as hobgoblins, are superior to F-Rank monsters in every single way. Their overall base stats are significantly higher, and they boast a much wider variety of active combat skills.
Because of their relative strength, D-Rank monsters almost never appear in the early stages of the game. Even when they do show up as rare spawns, they never possess any specialized skills or traits.
Yet, against all odds, two top-of-the-chain D-Rank monsters appeared before Logan.
The first was a towering "Hobgoblin Warrior" clad in reinforced leather armor, its thick hands gripping a massive iron blade. It was considered one of the most well-rounded and dangerous D-Rank monsters in the game, possessing a robust toolkit of physical skills that allowed it to fight toe-to-toe against a three-star hero.
Standing right beside it was a small-statured goblin wearing tattered robes, its face hidden behind a crude white mask painted with striking red markings.
A "Goblin Shaman."
In a standard one-on-one confrontation, a shaman was commonly considered a low-tier D-Rank due to its low stamina and even lower hit points. But those paper-thin defensive stats only mattered in a duel.
In a chaotic battle where there was a massive crowd of bodies to act as meat shields, that’s where the shaman’s terrifying crowd-control and magical utility truly shone.
The shaman suddenly raised its gnarled wooden staff, pointing it directly at Logan. The red paint on its mask flickered with a sickening, pale purple glow.
[Slowness]
Logan felt a sudden, heavy pressure slam into his chest. A translucent purple aura wrapped around his ankles like thick, dragging chains. He felt his body become heavier, as if he were dragging dead weight.
"Watch out, Commander!" Maeve yelled out.
Through the rising smoke, a goblin drew a heavy iron crossbow and aimed it at Logan. Despite noticing the immediate danger, Logan’s body refused to listen as he sluggishly dragged himself and the elven captive out of the cage and back toward the relative safety of the group.
Whoosh!
The heavy crossbow string snapped, launching a black-tipped bolt straight toward Logan’s chest.
Giles, who had been busy fending off a swarm of low-level goblins with his shield, saw the trajectory. Ignoring his own safety, Giles lunged forward, throwing his entire body directly into the path of the projectile.
The bolt ripped through the damp air and lodged deep into Giles’s shoulder. The force of the impact sent him to his knees, his shield slipping from his hand.
"Giles!" Captain Iron roared, stepping forward to cleave a goblin in two.
What do I do? We are surrounded; the enemies are not small fry either...
Logan’s mind raced, calculating possible escape routes as the slowness debuff slowly ticked down. Suddenly, something in his mind clicked; the solution to his problem had been standing right in front of him all along.
Logan didn’t hesitate. He grabbed the elf’s arm, pulling her up. Though she was heavily bruised and exhausted from the goblins’ abuse, he looked her directly in her remaining eye, his voice slicing through the chaos surrounding them.
"Robin, my name is Logan Winters. I am the Commander of ’Evergarden,’ humanity’s final bastion. I would like to enlist you as one of my ’Protectors.’"
A glowing, translucent blue prompt materialized in the air directly between them.
==============================================================
[PROTECTOR INVITATION]
- Recipient: Robin Wood [High Elf]
- Sender: Commander Logan Winters,
Protector, will...
[Accept the invitation?] [ YES ] / [ NO ]
==============================================================
"I accept." Robin’s voice was faint; she didn’t even take a second to read the system prompt before agreeing, almost as if her subconscious were urging her to trust this human.
Whoosh!
An explosion of pure green and gold light erupted around her. The deep cuts on her pale white skin knit themselves together, the dark bruises fading away.
The fatigue vanished from her muscles as her maximum health bar shot back up to a full, glowing 100%.
The moment she stood on her own feet, her demeanor completely shifted.
She rolled across the dirt floor and snatched up a discarded bow from a fallen goblin. Her movement was fluid, easily dodging the barrage of arrows flying toward her. She drew the string back to the side of her cheek; taking a deep breath, she aimed her bow toward the shaman who was busy casting a spell.
Yes! Finally, a hero I can rely on! Logan thought to himself, his eyes glued to the graceful movements of the elven marksman.
The arrow sliced through the air; as if defying gravity itself, it violently curved at a bizarre, impossible angle, veering completely away from the Shaman.
"Ehh?" Logan couldn’t help but question the arrow’s trajectory.
Thwack!
A heavy thud echoed across the clearing. The stray arrow had sailed wide and plunged directly into the narrow helmet slit of the armored Hobgoblin Warrior who was standing yards away.
The massive warrior gasped, its eyes rolling back as it crashed face-first into the dirt, instantly killed.
"Wow! She’s even better than I thought!" Logan cheered. Throughout his years as a high-ranker, he had yet to witness such a powerful attack from a three-star hero.
The surrounding goblins froze as they stared at their fallen leader in utter confusion.
Logan let out a long, exhausted sigh. Swiping his fingers through the cool air, he opened his system interface to officially inspect their new recruit’s stats.
He scrolled down to her character sheet, expecting to see a powerful three-star sniper that would turn the tide of the upcoming waves.
As the blue text materialized in front of his eyes, his face twisted.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
[HERO PROFILE ]
- Rarity: 1★ (Cursed: Formerly 3★)
- Class: Sniper (De-ranked)
- Title: First Protector
- Passive Skill: [Unstable Piercing]
Effect: Piercing power is increased by 100% but accuracy is reduced by 80%
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Logan stared at the hero profile in absolute, dead silence.