"*Shit, shit, shit, shit!!!*"
Cious cursed in panic as he and the four goblins glided through the air, trying their very best to escape the pursuit of the savage humans.
"Boom."
"Boom."
"Boom."
The sound of rocks shattering echoed as a savage human on a massive boar rode wildly, attempting to reach them at all costs.
"Uhh, Revered One? Should we, maybe, form a slightly less circular alignment? You know… so we don't get killed?" one of the four goblins, Snizzle, spoke fearfully as he watched the savage humans riding to the side.
This fat boar creature was incredibly fast, able to cover a large distance in a short span of time, but that alone wasn't the scariest part.
What really terrified them was the bloodlust coming from the tall human on its back. It felt like he wanted to eat them alive.
"You think I don't know that?" Cious cursed as he hurriedly formed hand signs in front of him.
This formation wasn't as simple as they thought; it was tasking to create and even harder to control, especially in mid-flight. Not only did it require exceptional physical strength, but it also took a massive toll on the user's mental state.
Thankfully, he was not some ordinary creature. Despite his current limitations, he could still manage it.
"*Flying Star Pentagon Formation: Arrowhead Alignment!*"
Cious called forth, causing a bountiful amount of mana to rush in from outside and push the goblins into a triangular pattern. As they slid into the sides of the triangular formation, the mana burst behind them, increasing their speed exponentially.
**Boom!**
"Wooooo!" the goblins screamed in excitement, feeling the sudden burst of wind push them forward at an incredible speed.
"Hm?" Duan frowned, still pushing his boar to its limits by pressing on its stomach.
"Move faster, dumb hog!" he cursed at his steed, watching Cious and the others put more distance between them.
This fat boar he called his companion was always so lazy. Couldn't it even catch up to a bunch of goblins? It needed to lose some serious weight.
However, in response, the boar could only grumble with annoyance. Was there any boar as well-built as him in the underground? His species was known not just for speed but also for compact muscle. He couldn't get any smaller.
"Have we lost them?" Cious raised his head, trying to confirm their situation.
He had to focus entirely on steering the formation forward so they wouldn't crash into a rock or hill at high speed.
He didn't want to end up as meat paste on some random wall—and he was sure the others didn't either.
The goblins nodded.
The savage humans were barely dots in the distance now; they had created a huge gap that would take several hours of riding to close.
"We should turn back now," Cious said, steering the formation toward Malvorrak's mountain.
…
At the base of Malvorrak's mountain,
"How are you doing, Miss Bian?" Qarc knelt next to an old Shelka woman, who held a bowl of fish stew and a saltwater drink in front of her.
"I'm fine, thank you very much," the old lady replied, looking at Qarc with some caution.
They were all happy to see him alive and well—after all, he was the son of the village chief. But his reputation was still awful. He was known as a good-for-nothing skirt-chaser who didn't understand the importance of money or family.
The kind of person mothers warned their children not to associate with. Seeing him come down here to take care of their needs felt out of place and extremely awkward for most.
But he remained steadfast, undeterred by the way they received him. This was his duty.
"Hm?" As Qarc knelt beside the old Shelka woman, he sensed a huge shadow looming over him and quickly passing by.
Raising his head, he saw Malvorrak walk toward the front of the encampment and stop, staring beyond the river.
In the distance, several shadows could be seen moving quickly toward the mountain.
It was Cious and the four goblins.
…
"How was it?" Malvorrak asked upon seeing Cious reach them.
"Bad…." Cious responded softly, not wanting to cause panic among the villagers. Most didn't even know what was going on despite the smoke cloud visible far away.
They were more distracted by Qarc's presence than anything else. Most thought the kid was a goner.
"Twenty-five elite humans at level 2," Cious said, his eyes drifting among the able-bodied lizardmen who could probably be of help if things went south.
"Hmmm, that's a lot." Malvorrak mused. Before his evolution, he might have run from such a force despite his strength; numbers were still a defining factor.
"Yeah, that's just the grunt soldiers. On our way back, we were chased by four other warriors, and get this… they had two at level 3, one at level 4, and the boss was level 5." Cious spoke very seriously.
He had never felt so oppressed since arriving in this world.
A level 5 warrior sent by the humans? This was beyond excessive; Zysera herself was merely a level 3 lizardman.
Why would they send someone at level 5? It was overkill.
Cious felt a heavy weight on his chest just thinking about it. Level 5 warriors were beyond elites, these types of people could slaughter in the hundreds and not feel any fatigue.
"I think we should rid ourselves of this trouble—it's not our cross to bear." Cious looked up at Malvorrak and spoke bluntly. He didn't like this one bit; it was far too early for them to be facing such odds, and he still needed time to grow properly.
Getting themselves killed over benefits was just stupid.
"Sigh, it's too late," Malvorrak sighed softly, then raised his head to look back at the spot where he had first sensed Cious.
There was only one reason he had come down here himself, and it wasn't to greet Cious. No, he had sensed something—a dangerous force was closing in on them.
A great distance away…
A tall, savage man with long hair and a butcher's knife rode toward Malvorrak's mountain on a boar, followed by three others, all armed to the teeth.