Alpha Reborn!

The kobolds were a proud and ancient race; their society was built upon a foundation of honor and tradition. They lived in sprawling underground lairs carved out of the very rock by their skilled craftsmen.

They looked like small humanoid creatures, standing no more than two and a half feet tall. Their skin was a dark, reddish-brown color, almost like dried blood. Their bodies were thin and wiry, with bony limbs that ended in sharp claws. Their eyes glowed with a fierce, yellow light, like that of a cat.

As Evan and Lirian crept through the shadowy tunnels, they came face to face with a group of six kobolds, their glowing eyes fixed upon the intruders.

The kobolds were clad in rough, homespun fabrics, their bony limbs adorned with intricate tattoos that hinted at their rank within the tribe. Four of them wore amulets of polished metal, passed down through generations as symbols of strength and courage.

Those very four carried swords, signifying their status as warriors among their kind, while the remaining two clutched bows tightly in their hands. A quiver filled with nearly a dozen arrows rested upon their backs, hinting at their skill in ranged combat.

Lirian scanned the group of kobolds, taking in their lack of armor. "Looks like they're not much for protection. Swords should do the trick," he said.

Evan agreed, "I'll lead the charge. You've got my back, right?"

Lirian grinned, "Of course. Wouldn't want to miss out on the fun."

With the magic sword held in his right hand, Evan rushed forward towards the three kobold warriors who were leading the charge in the enemy group. Lirian was hot on his heels, his eyes ablaze with the ferocity of a beast.

The kobold warriors uttered a cry and rushed towards the intruders.

As the distance between them closed, it seemed like Evan was going to engage four kobold warriors in fierce close combat, but then something changed.

"They fell for it," a smirk appeared on Evan's face as he suddenly halted in his tracks and stretched out his left arm towards the kobolds. He never intended to engage all four of them in a head-on clash. From the very start, he just wanted to bait them into rushing towards him!

The air around him crackled with energy, and icy tendrils of energy crept out of his palm, gathering in a single point above his forefinger where they fused into one, creating a frosty bullet.

It was the size of a nail, and its sudden appearance caused the temperature to plunge rapidly by a few degrees. It was as if winter had approached suddenly.

With a sudden jerk of his hand, Evan released the frosty bullet.

Whoosh!

The shimmering blue frosty bullet took off like a rocket towards one of the warrior kobolds at the front of the pack, whizzing through the air with such speed that the entire group of kobolds didn't have a moment to react before it struck its target in the temple.

It drilled a perfect hole through the Kobold warrior's head.

Blood gushed out from its wound and ran down its face as it crumpled to the ground in a heap, its body twitching like a fish out of the water as its life force slowly drained away.

A chilly breath came out of the hole in its head, coating its hideous face in a layer of ice. This not only showcased that the nature of the soul skill changes based on the type of soul energy used to power it up but also cut the kobold warrior's breath short.

[Ding! You have slain a level 5 Kobold Warrior by catching it off guard! You get five experience points and a 3 points increase in your Stamina!]

The system notified Evan. The transparent notification popped up in the corner of his eyes, not disturbing him in the slightest. It was easily ignorable, and he overlooked it as he was embroiled in battle.

Lirian's eyes widened to the size of saucers in disbelief as Evan took down one of the kobold warriors with a single, icy blast. As far as he knew, Evan wasn't good at fighting, but what he had just witnessed contradicted what he knew about him and surprised him.

"That was...incredible," Lirian was an experienced fighter himself, so his initial shock quickly turned to appreciation as he recognized Evan's talent, "I didn't expect you to take one out so quickly."

Evan grinned, "It's all about strategy. You just have to know how to catch them off guard and hit them where it hurts the most."

Lirian nodded, looking thoughtful.

"I'll have to remember that." Lirian's eyes flicked towards the remaining five kobolds. "But I better step up my game if I want to keep up with you. I don't want to embarrass myself in front of my best friend." Lirian said with a laugh before charging towards them.

Enraged and furious, the kobolds were filled with indignation at the sight of one of their brethren lying lifeless on the ground.

With a resounding roar of anger, they charged towards Lirian with their swords drawn and ready to strike, ready to avenge their fallen comrade.

As they closed in on him, their eyes glinting with malice, Lirian's figure suddenly vanished in a swirling puff of smoke.

The kobold warriors and archers were shocked by his sudden dissapearece and wondered where he had gone.

In the next instant, Lirian reappeared behind one of the three warrior kobolds, a malevolent grin crossing his face as he prepared to strike.

Puchi!

With a quick and decisive movement, Lirian plunged his fist deep into the chest of the unsuspecting kobold, his fingers curling around the creature's heart.

As he withdrew his hand, the organ still beating in his grasp, the remaining kobolds recoiled in terror, their eyes filled with a mixture of horror and disbelief at the horrendous sight before them.