Chereads / Knight and Wand / Chapter 8 - King of the Forest

Chapter 8 - King of the Forest

Here's the translation of the provided text into English:

"Crrrk!~ Crrrikaa!!" The wild goblins swung their crude weapons, screeching as they charged at the prey in the camp.

Screw you—!

Seeing these puny, goblin-like creatures, Leon felt his initial shock fade, replaced by resolve. Stepping forward steadily, he thrust his three-pronged pitchfork toward the nearest enemy.

The leading wild goblin, quick and agile, sidestepped and raised a rusty, broken blade to parry Leon's stab. Although it blocked the attack, the force sent it staggering. Meanwhile, two other goblins flanked Leon from both sides, brandishing their weapons toward him.

Unlike beasts hunted in the wild, these savage, cunning creatures understood the power of weapons and could counterattack intelligently.

Despite his initial attack being blocked, Leon remained calm. This formation barely exceeded the limits of his spear techniques from his past life. Against these small creatures, his larger stature and longer reach gave him a clear advantage.

Taking a quick step back, Leon retracted his pitchfork to reset his stance. With a swift diagonal thrust, he caught the left goblin off guard, impaling it.

The sharpened iron prong pierced straight through the goblin's eye socket. It shrieked as its eyeball burst, blood gushing out. Leon didn't pause to watch; he steadied himself and swiftly swung the pitchfork horizontally with both hands. The sweep forced the middle goblin to retreat and knocked the weapon from the right goblin's grasp.

After narrowly breaking free of the encirclement, Leon felt a surge of adrenaline. Without hesitation, he tilted the pitchfork upward, driving its prongs into the unguarded belly of the goblin on his right. The small creature shrieked, clutching the pitchfork embedded in its abdomen. With a loud yell, Leon dragged the pitchfork forward, flinging the injured goblin at its approaching kin.

The goblin collided with its comrades, falling to the ground and wailing as blood poured from the three gaping wounds in its belly.

Seeing his chance, Leon retreated several steps back to the campfire, catching his breath and steadying his rhythm.

Glancing to his side, he saw Lohak, clad in chainmail, wielding a torch in one hand and a longsword in the other, slashing and thrusting fiercely.

In the span of a few swings, several goblin corpses already lay at Lohak's feet. His chainmail and iron helm rendered the goblins' crude weapons ineffective. Any goblin daring to face him was felled within two strikes.

Compared to Lohak's brute strength, Azerian was more cautious. He stayed close to Leon, holding a round shield and pitchfork. Azerian had deflected multiple attacks from the left flank, steadfastly guarding his comrades.

Lohak's bloodlust was evident as he charged deeper into the goblin horde, hacking and slashing without pause. His chainmail was soon soaked with blood.

Suddenly, a weighted stone snare hurled from the shadows wrapped around Lohak's ankle. Caught off guard, he stumbled and fell.

From the darkness, goblins who had been lying in wait began pulling him toward the dense brush.

Though Lohak immediately swung his sword to sever the rope, two goblins leaped out, their short spears and daggers poised to strike him.

"Get lost!" Azerian shouted, rushing to his fallen comrade. His shield bashed one goblin aside, interrupting its attack.

Leon noticed the danger as well. Without hesitation, he abandoned his own skirmish, shoving back his opponent and dashing to aid his companions. Together, they shielded Lohak as he scrambled to his feet.

"Fall back! Keep away from the bushes!" Leon shouted, guiding them as they retreated toward the campfire, narrowly avoiding being overwhelmed.

Shouts and cries pierced the forest as the skirmish continued. In just a few minutes, another ten goblin corpses littered the ground.

The bloodthirsty goblins were ferocious, but the three battle-hardened youths proved just as tenacious.

The stench of blood thickened in the clearing, causing the surrounding goblins to hesitate. Though they still circled and howled at the trio, none dared to charge recklessly anymore.

Thinking quickly, Azerian lifted a still-breathing goblin on the tip of his pitchfork and brandished its writhing body toward the others.

"Crrrak!~ Crrraka…" The goblins brandished their weapons, visibly enraged by the provocation. Some stepped forward but quickly retreated when met with the trio's steel.

The deterrence began to work. The goblins, though bloodthirsty, showed signs of faltering. Their leader, hidden in the shadows, reluctantly made the call to retreat. The cost of continuing the assault outweighed the benefits.

Shrieks echoed from the forest, signaling a withdrawal. One by one, the goblins melted into the shadows, leaving the camp behind.

For a few moments, Leon and his comrades remained on guard, ensuring the goblins wouldn't return. Only when the area fell silent did they relax, breathing heavily.

The outcome was the best they could hope for. Though they had fended off the goblins, they were physically exhausted. Any prolonged fight would have been disastrous.

"Stay vigilant," Azerian warned. "These goblins are cunning. They might return before dawn."

Gathering near the campfire, the trio kept watch, waiting for morning while recovering their strength.

Time dragged on. Just as they felt certain the goblins had retreated for good, Leon heard faint rustling in the forest.

"...Do you hear that?" he asked.

Before anyone could respond, the sound grew louder—branches snapping, followed by the unmistakable cries of goblins in distress.

The ground began to tremble. Suddenly, a deafening roar shattered the night.

The trio's faces turned ashen.

"Run! Drop everything and run!" Leon shouted without hesitation, tossing aside his pitchfork and grabbing a torch. Together, they bolted into the forest, fleeing the source of the monstrous roar.

There was no time to consider other dangers in the dark forest. Leon recognized the sound and knew what it meant.

It wasn't an ordinary bear.

"W-what was that? A tiger? A bear?" Lohak gasped as they ran.

"Don't stop to ask! Just run!" Leon urged, his heart pounding.

The roar belonged to a Mountain Terror Bear, a beast as large as an African elephant and impervious to ordinary weapons. Even armies would think twice before facing one.

Behind them, trees fell with thunderous crashes as the beast pursued. The ground trembled as its roars echoed closer.

Then they saw it—a river glistening under the moonlight.

"Jump into the river!" Leon yelled.

Without hesitation, they leaped into the raging waters, letting the current carry them away.

On the riverbank, the Mountain Terror Bear let out a furious roar but stopped short. Even the king of the forest feared what lay downstream.