The mansion in the center of the village was the only relatively intact structure, a large, horizontal wooden building with just two floors and an extensive layout. Inside, there was a large hall with several tables and chairs, and at the back of the room, the chair where the village leader sat.
"When the attacks intensified, a curfew began to be enforced at night," said the chief. "Concentrating the population in one place makes defense easier. Houses can always be rebuilt as long as their inhabitants are still alive."
"From what you're saying, it wasn't always like this," Akemi observed.
"Indeed," the armored man replied. "I mean, there have always been small skirmishes, attacks, and kidnappings, but never such direct and organized invasions."
"Bator is right, yet we have no idea why they've changed their approach," Beldor added.
"We're going to need more information than that. What can you provide us about the enemy?" Wang asked.
The old man nodded and looked towards Bator.
"The enemy army is relatively new. A few years ago, we noticed that the goblins were becoming more organized, and we recently confirmed our theory as to why," the armored man approached a table and spread out a large map. "A Goblin King was born among their ranks, a very rare and even more dangerous phenomenon that can occur during their breeding."
Bator pointed to a location on the map north of the village.
"Since then, the goblins in the region have been gathering here. We don't know exactly how many there are, but we know that fortunately, as a new army, they only have one Shaman and one King among the tribe."
"How did you discover the Shaman?" Wang asked.
"Unfortunately... we only discovered it last night," Bator lamented. "The mana from the magic cast increased the goblins' already high frenzy; a typical Shaman trick... that's why we suffered so many casualties..."
Despite the lack of understanding, the supplementary knowledge provided by the system gave even Li, who knew the least about this world among the trio, a good notion of what they were going to face.
A Goblin King is smarter and physically stronger than a common goblin, however, among all the varieties, it's the only one with the potential to turn a small nest into a major threat. The Shaman, on the other hand, is more adept at magic and even smarter than the King but is physically weak.
"Miss, are you going to help us?" a little girl approached Akemi and tugged at her sleeve. "Are you going to make the monsters disappear?"
"Maria, don't bother them," Beldor approached and pulled his daughter close.
Akemi shook her head and knelt down to the girl, placing her hand on her face and reassuring her.
"Don't worry, soon you'll be able to play with your pet around here again..."
"Then we better leave now!" Li exclaimed.
"Are you sure? You've just arrived," the old man asked.
"We have what we need. The faster we resolve this, the fewer casualties there will be among the people," Wang replied.
"In that case, allow me to take you halfway. When night falls, I need to be in the village, so forgive me if I can't accompany you all the way to the nest," Bator offered.
"We count on you then," Li bowed slightly in gratitude.
"It's nothing, being of help to the knights of the order is always an honor."
After exchanging farewells, the group received some supplies for the journey, as well as information about the local terrain for strategic purposes, and soon set off towards the nest.
As they walked, Akemi approached Jihan, whispering.
"So, what did you think?"
"He's a bit more controlled than I thought. I expected a bratty kid, but he's actually responsible for what he's doing."
"Not about Wang, you idiot, about the village chief."
"Oh! Well... I'm not sure, he seems to care a lot about Edremit, but something is bothering me, I can't say what exactly," Li responded.
"So, it's not just me... do you think that knight is involved in this?"
"Actually, no. What do you think?"
"I haven't felt anything wrong since we left the village, but I won't rule out the suspicion. Anyway, at least we're heading in the right direction."
"How can you be so sure?"
"You might have forgotten, but my father was an elf and so am I. It would be ridiculous if I couldn't navigate a forest."
"Right..." "You talk as if I were an expert in elves," Li thought.
"Hey, what are you two whispering back there?!" a few steps ahead, Wang shouted.
"We're thinking of a plan, do you have any ideas?" Akemi replied.
"If I may, I have a proposal," Bator said.
"Sure, go ahead," Xu allowed.
"The attacks have been constant late at night; however, the Goblin King is rarely present, and the Shaman has never been there personally. My idea is for you to wait for the army to leave the nest and then attack when their guard is down."
"Sounds like a good plan to me, but doesn't that put the village inhabitants at risk?" Li asked.
Stopping to walk, the knight turned to Jihan and Akemi and, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword, said:
"Don't worry about that, Edremit won't fall so easily, not with me here," he declared. "So, I'll leave you here, I need to return to lead my soldiers," bowing slightly, the man concluded. "I count on you to help me in my mission."
"You can count on us," Li affirmed.
After saying goodbye, Bator left them and returned towards the village. With Akemi guiding them, the journey was smooth and without problems. At a certain point, lost goblins began to appear, and with her bow, the Half-Elf quickly took down the monsters. Leaving them alive would give them the chance to return to the nest and inform their kin about the nearby threat.
"Li, are you okay?" Akemi asked. Jihan was a bit sweaty and more tired than usual.
"I'm just a bit dehydrated, don't worry," he replied.
"I think we can rest here. It's still a long time until nightfall, and we're already close to the nest."
"She's right, it's better to be ready and in perfect shape when the time comes. Let's stop for a while," Wang agreed. "We'll take turns keeping watch."
"If we all agree, I don't mind," Li conceded.
After finding a covered spot, Akemi volunteered to start the watch. Li lay down under a tree, his body hot and sweat running down his forehead. His hand was burning. A few moments later, Jihan opened his eyes, but he was no longer in the forest.
"Where am I?" Jihan thought. The scene that emerged before his eyes was one of complete destruction, the red sky carried the soot and sparks from the fire that surrounded the entire forest. The crackling of burning wood carried with it a sinister voice chanting in a dialect Li couldn't understand.
"AMUM, QUI DISCEM IN TUDUS NUS, GRINDAR VEI RITURNER"
Hypnotically, the boy was drawn to the chant and unconsciously moved towards it. The being, atop a pointed rock, was addressing a massive crowd, millions of goblins writhing and screaming a single name.
"Grindar?" he questioned. After a few minutes, Jihan began to recognize a bit of the place where he was. In reality, he hadn't moved; only the scenery had changed. Taking a few steps forward to better see the ceremony, he was instantly surprised when the hooded figure performing the incantation turned quickly towards the boy.
"ONVESUR! CEPTARIM E VOVA!"
"He can see me!?" Despite seeming like an illusion, the threatening glare escaping from the darkness of the hooded figure's face sent a wave of chills down Jihan's spine. The monster reached out as if trying to grab the boy's neck, but suddenly, its fingers disintegrated into a kind of black smoke that flew towards Li.
"Li!"
"Akemi?"
"Li!"
Just as the smoke was about to reach him, Jihan opened his eyes, coughing violently. His face was pale, his mouth dry, and he was sweating profusely as if he had a fever.
"Are you okay?" Akemi asked.
"What happened?"
"What do you mean? Nothing happened. It's your turn for the watch, I came to wake you up, but you seemed to be having a nightmare."
"A nightmare... yes... I was having a nightmare," placing his hand on his head, Li confirmed, more to himself than to the woman.
"Anyway, you don't seem well, do you want me to take the next round?"
"No... no, I'm fine, rest a bit."
"Are you sure?"
"Don't worry, I've been in worse situations than a nightmare," Jihan said, getting up and smiling to disguise his fatigue.
Akemi, still a bit concerned, watched Li get up, dust off his clothes, and go to take the watch.
"Keep an eye on him. At this rate, the kid's going to become a problem," Wang, who was resting next to the girl, warned without opening his eyes. "He seems tough, but we can't take any chances."
"Li will be fine. You should worry more about yourself," the Half-Elf retorted. "Still feeling that bad feeling you mentioned earlier?"
"It's not just a feeling, it's instinct! Something doesn't smell right in this story." Wang corrected.
"Let's stay alert."
Elsewhere, Jihan parted the dense foliage to reveal a large, pointed rock in the middle of the forest.
"Is this it? It looks so... normal?" he questioned.
Beyond the large rock, nothing around seemed similar to the nightmare Jihan had. It was just a simple forest filled with tall trees and underbrush.
SWISH
The sound of something moving in the bushes cut through the air.
"Who's there!?" Li shouted.
No response was heard.
"Was it my imagination?" Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Jihan took a deep breath. "Something's wrong with me. How am I so tired after such a short walk? Last time, I walked practically all day and barely felt any fatigue."
Not finding anything unusual, Li thought it best to return to the group, which he did. From the ground, a small pair of round eyes watched the boy walk away.
When night fell, Jihan woke the others to prepare for the battle.
"The animals are agitated. The army must already be on the move," Akemi observed.
"Let's get started then," Xu announced. Stretching both arms forward, particles of energy began to materialize in the air, quickly forming into two one-handed axes.
"What did you do?" Jihan asked.
The question was met with a surprised look.
"Do you really not know? Didn't they teach you anything before coming here?"
Remembering his trainer's personality, Li thought she might have forgotten some details about the mission system.
"You can summon the equipment you have in the test center facilities. Of course, there are limits, but basic weapons and consumables are standard," Wang explained. "Try it, just visualize it mentally."
Nodding, Li extended his hands and visualized the Járngreipr Gauntlets. However, just as the light began to form, it ceased.
"Didn't work?" Akemi asked.
"No, I can do it, but I'm fine for now. If it becomes necessary, I won't have any problems manifesting them."
Akemi and Wang exchanged looks but didn't pursue the matter further.
"Alright, let's begin. First, let's review the strategy," Xu picked up a branch from the ground and started drawing in the dirt. "Bator told us that the Goblin King's nest has five exits, straight tunnels that lead to the same place. This could be a problem but also an advantage."
"Explain," Li said.
"We won't be easily surrounded, but we'll be fighting in a confined space, deep in enemy territory. We can't take that risk," the Albino explained.
"If we can't go to them, we'll bring them to us," Akemi commented.
"Correct. There's a modern way to deal with goblin nests," marking an X on four of the five entrances, Wang continued. "We'll seal part of the exits and burn them. The smoke should fill every inch of the passages, and like rats, the monsters will seek the easiest way out," circling the remaining exit, Xu concluded, "and that's where we'll be."
"Sounds like a good plan, but how are we going to create a fire strong enough to make them abandon their own home?" Li asked.
Standing and clenching his fists, Wang made the ambient temperature rise rapidly. Fire mana accumulated around the man.
"We have plenty of fuel material. We're in a forest, after all. And about the fire..." Xu squeezed the branch in his hand, and the dry wood instantly burst into flames. "Leave that to me."
The darkness of the night quickly took over the skies. Small rays of light struggled to penetrate the dense canopy of trees, and among the underbrush, three shadows moved in different directions, carrying logs of dry wood.
"I just need to block these two entrances with these old woods? Seems easy... but..." Li brought one of his hands to his face. "Why does it seem so difficult?"
Aside from a few goblins patrolling in small groups of three, no major problems were encountered. The nest seemed deserted, however...
"What a sinister energy..." Akemi thought. "What kind of monster is this Goblin King to exude such dark power?"
After a short time, the side exits were finally blocked. The trio gathered at the only remaining open exit, and both the Half-Elf and Jihan tore a strip of cloth and tied it to the end of a thick branch. Wang then extended both hands toward the improvised torches and, circling his fingers in the air, a halo of fire began to form. Once it reached the size of a fist, the Albino threw it at the tied fabrics, igniting them simultaneously.
"Ha! It couldn't be any other way; this element is perfect for me," Wang celebrated. "Now go! We don't have time to waste. Burn the farthest entrances first, then the closest ones. Don't take too long, or we'll have problems."
Both agreed and quickly ran towards their respective targets. Xu Wang faced the entrance.
"Those bastards... they're pretty smart, they've already noticed something's wrong," Xu wielded the two one-handed axes, the blades quickly heating up, an incandescent glow emanating from the metal. "I can smell this trash from afar."
A dozen eyes emerged from the darkness.
"Come on, worms."
The air's temperature suddenly exploded,