Chapter 91: Gobuchai and the Pigmen
It was a new day.
On the northern shore of the Goblin River, within a certain forest.
The forest was dark, silent, and still.
However, beneath the seemingly peaceful surface, danger lurked.
Among the dense forest vegetation, a group of small, green-skinned figures moved quietly and cautiously.
Their movements were slow and deliberate.
Even as they pushed through flowers and grass, they made no sound.
They exchanged glances and communicated using hand signals.
The goblins, who had initially gathered together, dispersed to the left and right.
As they moved, one goblin at the front suddenly crouched down.
It crawled forward through the grass.
The other goblins followed its example, all creeping forward through the underbrush.
Before long, Gobuchai used its hands to part the weeds obstructing its view.
In the open forest ahead, a herd of forest deer was grazing.
The forest's flowers, grass, and trees were their food.
Gobuchai did not act hastily.
It lay patiently in the grass, waiting for the right moment.
"Coo, coo!"
Before long, cooing sounds echoed from other directions in the forest.
One coo, two coos, three coos!
One coo indicated one direction, two coos meant two directions, and three coos signaled three directions.
The cooing noises piqued the forest deers' curiosity.
They raised their heads warily, scanning their surroundings.
However, their not-so-bright minds could not distinguish the authenticity of the bird calls.
When the third coo sounded, Gobuchai grinned.
It suddenly stood up.
With its crossbow aimed at a forest deer not far away, it pulled the trigger while shouting excitedly, "Arlele!"
"Whizz!"
As the bowstring twanged, the bolt flew through the air.
Almost simultaneously, the sound of bolts slicing through the air echoed from all directions around the forest deer.
Dozens of bolts shot into the herd of forest deer.
"Ugh!"
More than ten forest deer were hit instantly.
Bolts pierced their bodies, leaving them writhing on the ground in excruciating pain.
The injured deer struggled, but the more they moved, the faster their blood flowed.
The fortunate ones that escaped the bolts panicked and fled in all directions.
Their massive bodies barreled through the forest like heavy tanks.
"Wah, wah!"
Seeing the escaping deer about to break through their encirclement, goblins armed with spears suddenly emerged from the thick underbrush.
They shouted excitedly, their faces filled with glee.
The sudden appearance of the goblins startled the forest deer.
They quickly changed direction but were too late.
The goblins hurled their spears like javelins at the nearby deer.
"Thud!"
More pitiful cries followed.
The spears deeply embedded themselves in the forest deer's bodies.
The injured deer staggered for dozens of meters before collapsing to the ground.
Out of a herd of twenty or so forest deer, only five managed to escape the hunt.
Those five were all pregnant does, intentionally spared by the goblins.
"Wah, wah!"
The goblins cheered as they emerged from the dense foliage, thrilled by their successful hunt.
Their greedy gazes fixated on the forest deer carcasses strewn across the ground.
The still-breathing deer especially attracted their attention.
"Meat, meat, let's eat, let's eat!"
Gobuchai shouted excitedly, raising its crossbow.
With their leader's permission, the starving goblins swarmed forward.
They greedily pounced on the forest deer carcasses, tearing into them.
The still-living deer were also quickly overwhelmed.
"Don't abandon your weapons!"
Gobuchai kicked a goblin minion passing by.
The goblin had been so excited it had thrown away its weapon.
The scolded goblin scrambled back to pick up its discarded crossbow before rushing back to the feast.
Gobuchai's outburst caused many goblins to flinch.
They quickly abandoned their frenzied eating to retrieve their weapons.
"Anyone who lets go of their weapon again, I'll eat them myself!"
As a goblin warrior, Gobuchai commanded authority.
Even the goblins gnawing on the forest deer paused to glance fearfully at Gobuchai.
After intimidating its minions, Gobuchai was satisfied and approached its prize—a still-breathing deer.
As the leader, only Gobuchai had the privilege of enjoying a still-living prey.
While the goblins feasted ravenously in the forest, noises arose from deeper in the forest to the east.
Large, bulky figures charged through the dim forest.
Heavy, labored breathing accompanied their movements.
It was the Pigmen, charging through the forest.
There were many of them—over thirty at a glance.
"It's the goblins! Kill them!"
The leading Pigman warrior spotted the goblins feasting ahead.
"Oink oink!"
The forest suddenly filled with the sound of Pigmen squeals.
Dozens of Pigmen warriors charged at the goblins.
The commotion in the eastern forest caught the goblins' attention.
"Not good, it's the Pigmen!"
The warning cry had barely left their mouths before several Pigmen burst through the bushes.
They raised their iron machetes and charged at the nearest goblins.
The feasting goblins had no time to react.
As they stood up, the machetes came crashing down.
Several goblins were instantly slain, their bodies nearly cleaved in two.
"Kill them!"
Fortunately, the goblins were scattered throughout the forest.
Although several dozen were easily cut down, goblins from other areas quickly regrouped.
Abandoning their freshly acquired meat, they joined the battle.
"Wah, wah!"
Goblins armed with spears rushed to confront the Pigmen, while crossbow-wielding goblins loaded their weapons.
As the sound of bolts slicing through the air filled the forest again, several Pigmen fell to the ground.
"Ah!"
The fallen Pigmen let out miserable cries, their bodies pierced by numerous bolts.
Some were killed instantly, their foreheads punctured by bolts.
A chaotic battle erupted in the forest.
While the Pigmen were individually stronger than the goblins, they were vastly outnumbered.
Before long, the Pigmen were surrounded by over a hundred goblins.
Due to their height advantage, the Pigmen inadvertently provided the goblin crossbowmen with clear shooting angles, minimizing friendly fire.
Even missed shots only lodged into tree trunks.
"Roar!"
One Pigman roared, wielding its machete against three goblins.
The goblins circled around it cautiously.
The Pigman charged forward, swinging its blade at one of the goblins.
The goblin rolled to the side, dodging the attack.
The Pigman pursued and swung its machete again at the scrambling goblin.
However, the goblins behind it thrust their spears forward.
"Ah!"
The Pigman howled in pain.
One spear pierced its hip, while another stabbed into its waist.