The forest outside the cave.
I don't think this will work, but I can take the risk.
Fanzell now ran some distance from the cave.
Even if I don't follow the kid's plan, I can storm into the cave and extract the clue I seek from the prisoner.
I don't care whether the goblins kill the slaves with magic cuffs or not.
But let's try the kid's plan first.
Fanzell stopped at a spot full of trees.
A wind blade formed in his hands.
"Wind Magic: Infinity Cuts."
He slashed the blade; the trees, the leaves, the branches—everything started to fall apart, separated into pieces.
"I don't understand how this plan works."
He used his grimoire again, conjuring another wind spell. The wooden pieces slowly shifted into the shape of humans.
Branches covered with leaves and some ground bound to the wooden torso, making it look like a dummy.
"Well, I did this. Now I have to make many of these," Fanzell sighed.
From far away , Some goblins climbed the hills and observed from a high point above the forest.
The leaves and bushes in the distance began to shake. They put on golden glasses and looked at the forest, where hundreds of colorful flames appeared.
Since goblins have poor eyesight, they developed a pair of glasses that can detect mana signatures from a distance.
The goblins quickly retreated into the cave.
In a large, dark room lit by several torches, the flickering light filled the space.
A goblin with a sturdy body and a rough, scarred face, large tusks, and taller than any other goblin, sat on a big throne. He wore a necklace made of skulls and clothing similar to that of noble humans.
Three figures stood in front of him.
Two fat twin goblins, dressed in similar noble human clothing, had normal tusks but sharp teeth.
The third was a slim goblin with a fierce face, wearing only body armor.
The two goblins who used the golden glasses quickly approached and knelt before him.
They muttered something.
"As I thought," the chief on the throne spoke in the human tongue.
"So that red-haired human brought some company, huh?" one of the fat goblins said.
"Why? Didn't we propose another deal with the Clover Knights of this area to avoid disturbing our activities?" the other fat goblin asked.
"Yes, sirs, but the man is not a Magic Knight of the Clover Kingdom, not even a Clover citizen. He carries a diamond-shaped grimoire, probably from the Diamond Kingdom," the slim goblin explained.
"If he is, how did he bring that many men to the hideout in such a short amount of time?" the fat goblins asked.
"They were prepared," the chief said in a deep voice.
"They didn't know our hideout's exact location. They used one of their own to sneak into our territory and find it."
"Now they know, and they're coming here from their main camp nearby," the chief explained his theory.
"Then why are they doing this?" the fat goblins asked.
"Chief… for that thing, I think..." The slim goblin glanced at the chief.
"I heard the Diamond Kingdom has some shrewd scientists who regularly conduct experiments on people. They may have information on the item we have," the chief said calmly, resting his head on his palm.
"But… we spent so much to retrieve the item. We even came to this backward area!" the fat goblins screamed.
"Then we must be prepared. Gather all the goblins and regroup them at the entrance," the chief ordered.
As soon as the chief gave his orders, another goblin rushed in and kneeled before him.
"Chief, two humans escaped from the cells... the magic-cuff-less cells."
The chief's anger flared at the news. He turned to the slim goblin.
"Gobo, find those slaves before they escape the cave, and don't let any of them get away. They're here for a reason," the chief ordered.
"Yes, Chief," Gobo bowed and quickly left.
Gobo, along with a few goblins, entered the prisoner cell area, following the ice trail.
At a crossroads in the cave, they faced two paths. Gobo heard a sound coming from one direction and quickly ran toward it.
"Damn, that kid, leaving me like this..." Oli cursed.
Suddenly, a green hand grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up.
"Hey, you. Are you the one who escaped?" Gobo questioned in a deep voice, and Oli nodded.
Damn! Caught again. How can I understand what he's saying?
"Where's the other one?" Gobo asked.
Wait... if I give up the kid's location, maybe they'll show mercy.
"Uh... yes... that kid told me he would be hiding among the slaves, and... and... he's waiting for some army... outside."
"What?! He mentioned an army?" Gobo's mind raced. I should catch that kid and report this to the chief.
Gobo scanned the area. Most of the goblins had gone to the entrance, as ordered by the chief. Only a few remained.
He turned to one of them. "Hey, gather every slave we have. Everyone, understand?" he muttered.
"Hey, you. You can recognize that brat, right?" Gobo swung Oli around, and Oli nodded.
After some time, in the deepest part of the cave, all the human slaves were gathered. There were more than 300 of them, most held in magic cuffs.
He looked at Oli, who, sweat beading on his forehead, began searching for Marcus.
But Marcus was elsewhere, moving in the opposite direction, surveying the cave. Finally, he found the spot he was looking for.
In a dark room illuminated by several torches, several goblins were frozen in ice.
A large box stood in front of Marcus. He held a magic cuff and brought it close to the box. A small gem on the box began to glow.
"So the magic cuffs are all connected to this box. Well, then this is the only way to release them, I think. Oli must have reported what I told him to the chief—or someone."
"And now, they're all gathered in one place."
Marcus smashed the box and destroyed the mechanism,while searching the room his eyes fell on a system he recognized.
"A mic... here it is, just like the ones on Earth." Marcus moved closer to the mic.
"Well, let's test it out."
Meanwhile, in the deepest part of the cave, Gobo was still searching for the brat.
Suddenly, the magic cuffs on the prisoners shattered. As Gobo and the other goblins looked on in confusion, a voice began to echo through the cave.
I know that once these people are freed, they'll fight the goblins to gain their freedom. Even so, let's push them further.
"Hello... mic... testing..."
The voice rang out clearly through the cave.
"I know all the magic cuffs are broken, and I'm the one who did it."
"I don't know you, and you don't know me."
"But we're all fighting for one thing: freedom. Whether we fight or die, we stand for the same cause."
"Let your controlled anguish spill over them! Break through for freedom!"
With a roar, the prisoners cheered.
The prisoners began attacking Gobo and the other goblins. Of course, Gobo was strong, but with 300 people casting offensive spells—and more than 30 of them wielding grimoires with advanced spells—he and the remaining goblins were quickly overwhelmed.
Meanwhile, at the entrance, the chief ordered the goblins to dig trenches, positioning many of them to wait and ambush the attackers from behind.
The chief also sent a party of goblins to lure the prisoners into traps.
Fanzell, watching nervously at the cave's edge, waited for the signal. Then, it came.
A barrage of ice spells flew out from inside the cave.
The chief and the other goblins turned toward the source.
At the front, Marcus stood with the three hundred freed prisoners behind, all glaring fiercely at the goblins.
"Now, the counterattack begins."