WRIK GASPED along with the others, hearing about the population of the goblins.
"So, about a few hundred goblins are remaining and about fifties among them are elites?" Wrik asked Anton for confirmation. "Is there anything else that would be crucial?"
"Well, the number should be around three or four hundred," Anton pondered before shrugging. "And apart from that, there might be some female and infant goblins."
About fifty goblins with similar or a bit lower strength than them, and there were over three hundred mobs. It would still be a nightmare if all the goblins assaulted the seven of them at once. Even if the goblins came in half the number, the only thing that they could do then was fleeing. So, the best strategy would be to break their numbers when they were not united.
"We should make an ambush, bring their number lower," Wrik proposed, looking at the others. "What do you guys think?"
"When?" Tanya barely asked with one word, even in the dim blue light her emerald eye was sparkling. It looked like she didn't want to waste any time on the goblins anymore.
Wrik looked around. It was already dark and Anton mentioned that the goblin colony was in a subterranean region with strangling darkness. So, the sooner they move, the better it would be. He opened his mouth. "How about now?"
"Let's go then. I'll kill them, I'll kill 'em all," Anton answered maniacally, pointing his blade upwards. It looked like Anton still held some hatred against the goblins, even after killing hundreds of them himself.
"It looks like a few hours of rest was enough for you," Wrik said, looking at the enthusiastic figure stretching out his muscles and joints as it made cranking noises.
"Nah, I'm still exhausted as hell." Anton shook his head. "But I won't get proper rest if those bitches are still alive."
"Language, Ton. We got a kid here."
"Ahh, sorry."
While the others were not as enthusiastic as Anton, they still didn't oppose his intention. Delaying it would only cause complications later; the goblins were an immediate threat to them. It was good that the goblins didn't have that much intelligence, if not he wouldn't be so brazen about the plan.
Davin and Evan would be fine, but Wrik had some headache thinking about the other two. The kid was still panic-stricken, while he couldn't say anything about the girl. She seemed like she could handle herself.
Evan reassured the other two, murmuring to them about something Wrik couldn't hear, nor did he try to either. He couldn't do anything for them. The more they become dependent on others, the more disadvantaged they would become. Everyone has something to worry about, it'll be even more stressful if he has to worry over someone else's problem.
"Alright then, get ready. We'll leave in five minutes." Wrik clapped his hand as he got up as well. The condition of his leg was better than before. Nevertheless, it wasn't ready for fast manoeuvres or battle. He tried a few steps in all directions before saying, "It's going to be a long night."
• • •
Anton didn't look worn out after a good rest and food. Contrary to being tired, he looked more fresh and enthusiastic, fooling around with others.
They swaggered down from the shelter. Wrik looked towards everyone's face. Tanya was expressionless as ever—she had taken in her combat mode. While Davin was something between nervousness and eagerness to prove himself; Wrik had learned from before. Although Davin was good with the sword, he was not good at killing. He was under a bit of pressure over the last few days about all the Mahasaying business, though he didn't talk with anyone about this.
Evan looked sharp. As a former trainee in the path of an Inquisitor, he knew what he was doing, while the other two looked . . . A bit unwilling. But they didn't express it out loud. So they were good.
This time the one leading them was not Tanya; instead, it was Anton; he volunteered it himself. Well, Anton was always good at tracking. He had done most of the fieldwork after Lucas left when they were at Elania. While Wrik being the brain.
"Ooh, they are quite close." the enthusiasm in Anton's face broadened. "There were above twenty creatures coming our way, it should be goblins."
"How do you know that?" Davin asked out of curiosity. The others were curious as well, including Wrik. He knew Anton was good at tracking, but it was not at this level when he could tell how many were there, or how close by they were.
"I'm an assassin. Although still not good enough, it's still easy to determine the heavy toddles of the goblins," Anton answered as he unsheathed the blade from his waist. "I didn't survive the five days for nothing."
This was what Anton was good at. And that was what Wrik liked the most about Anton's personality; Anton gets over his ordeal rather quickly. You could throw anything at him, if he survived it, he would laugh about it the next day. Something Wrik had a hard time dealing with.
Just what Ton said, they encountered over twenty goblins the next moment. They growled as soon as they found us, ready to throw themselves at us. And the figure of Anton seemed to enrage them more. They were with their usual weapons pike or club, with the crude armour.
"Man, it was just a fat king, couldn't you guys get over it! " Before even Anton finished his sentence, his legs moved towards them in a ghostly fashion. It looked like a blurry shadow. "Now look at the outcome." Anton taunted while slitting the neck of his fourth target. In just a breath of a second, he finished four of his targets. This showed how fearsome he would become after adapting thoroughly to his abilities.
"Don't just stand there, get busy," Wrik advised Davin who was bewildered, discovering Toni's butchery. He didn't have to bother Evan though as he was already in the conflict, and his two companions were beside him.
Wrik indulged himself in the tussle as well, though he was not as wild as Anton. He took care of the goblins that came in his way without moving much. Still, his wound in the leg flared up a bit, but it's not painful so he carried on.
The goblins here were only mobs. With so many companions here he didn't need to activate his innate ability, just took it as a practice for my mana application. While Tanya also seemed to practise multitasking and focus as well.
With the seven of them joining forces, the battle ended with ease. Well, Ton himself had killed half of the numbers and made it easy for others to finish them quickly.
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