Chapter 101
The [Goblin] is to make it easier to CTRL+F
[Goblin]Gi Ga
The goblin in that estranged group that was with the protagonist when he defeated an orc. He is currently a n.o.ble cla.s.s, the highest amongst the protagonist's subordinates. He prefers to use the spear.
[Goblin] Gi Gu
The former leader of the village. He was pressured by the protagonist in his goblin n.o.ble form, and was added to his subordinates. He uses the long sword, and is relatively smart for a goblin rare. Became a goblin n.o.ble in chapter 39.
[Goblin] Gi Gi
He evolved while hunting spear deer with the protagonist.
He prefers to use the axe. His goblin cla.s.s is rare.
[Goblin] Gi Go
A goblin with many wounds on his body. The food of his horde was stolen by the gray wolves, so he made a decision to follow the protagonist. He is the most experienced amongst the goblin rares. His weapon is a curved katana. He acts like a samurai.
Recently became a n.o.ble, and received the divine protection of the Sword G.o.d, Ra Baruza.
[Goblin] Gi Za
The druid goblin rare that recently joined them.
[Goblin] Gi Ji
A goblin rare. He evolved in chapter 37 after hunting with Gi Ga. He has the skill which makes him great for scouting.
[Goblin] Gi Do
Druid. Uses wind magic.
[Goblin] Gi Jii
Goblin Rare. From Gi Gu's Faction. He is known for his which allows him to see his opponent's weakness.
[Goblin] Gi Da
Goblin Rare. From Gi Ga's faction. Notable skills are and.
[Goblin] Gi Zu.
Goblin Rare. The goblin favored by the Mad G.o.d (Zu Oru). Has the skill.
[Goblin] Gi Zo
Druid. Water magician.
[Goblin] Gi De
Beast tamer.
[Goblin] Aluhaliha
Leader of Paradua, one of the four goblin tribes and are known for their use of rider-beasts, which are essentially giant tigers.
[Goblin] Rashka
Leader of Gaidga, one of the four goblin tribes and are known for their valor and brutish strength.
[Goblin] Gilmi
Receiver of the t.i.tle, The First Archer. He is the second in command in Ganra, one of the four tribes known for their rare ability amongst goblins to use bows.
[Goblin] Narsa
Spoiler Inside: Other Characters SelectShow
Humans
Res.h.i.+a Fel Zeal (17 years-old)
The priestess known as the saint. As the Healing G.o.ddess' follower, she lives to spread the word and teach righteousness. She has the divine protection of the G.o.ddess, and can heal others.
Lili (21 years-old)
She studied the famous sword style, Zweil Style, in the capital. She has sworn fealty to Res.h.i.+a. And while she may have lost to the protagonist in one hit, she has proven herself strong enough to easily defeat three normal goblins.
Mattis (26 years-old)
The second son of a farmer. He's largely responsible for drying the meat to preserve them.
Chinos (24 years-old)
The third son of a farmer. He plows the fields and is close to Mattis.
Keifel (28 years-old)
An adventurer who took on a request to escort Res.h.i.+a through the Forest of Darkness. He's strong enough that he could easily wield a steel great sword, but the protagonist still managed to kill him.
Zeon (32 years-old)
A follower of Ativ. He specializes in fire magic. In his battle against the protagonist, he used his fire magic, but still lost. In the end, he tried to blow himself up along with the protagonist, but the protagonist's words agitated him, causing him to lose the opportunity.
Tinra (23 years-old)
A villager. She is one of the women used by the goblins as a breeding machine that the protagonist killed.
Ashtal Do Germion (59 years-old)
The king that rules the western region of the continent in which the Forest of Darkness and the connecting borders are included. He is a powerful ruler with seven holy knights under him. He has recently ordered three of those holy knights to search for the saint.
Gowen Ranid (45 years-old)
The feudal lord that rules over the region next to the Forest of Darkness. As one of the country's strongest powers, he is renowned as the Iron-Armed Knight. He is currently leading his soldiers in a quest to find the saint.
Gulland Rifenin (31 years-old)
A former adventurer. As one of the country's strongest powers, he is renowned as the Storm Knight. He'd been stationed in the northern mountains, but the king called him back to send him off in a quest for the saint.
Gene Marlon (24 years-old)
As one of the country's strongest powers, he is renowned as Lightning-Fast Knight. He was previously stationed at the south, but the king called him back to send him on a quest to search for the saint. Killing is his favorite past-time. Whether it's a man, a demihuman or a monster, they're all just pieces of meat to be cut down before him.
Herculean Wyatt (40 years-old)
A member of the Blood Oath of the Flying Swallow. He specializes in handling great s.h.i.+elds. He has a gentle personality, but beware for his anger isn't one to be taken lightly.
Mage Killer Mill (19 years-old)
A member of the Blood Oath of the Flying Swallow. She is an a.s.sa.s.sin that favors the use of talons. Renowned as the mage killer, she is a mage's worst nightmare.
Wand of Destruction Bellan (37 years-old)
A member of the Blood Oath of the Flying Swallow. He wields a fire staff. As a former knight, he cares a great deal about honor.
Hawk-Eyed Fick (31 years-old)
An adventurer with two names. He has exceptional perception and skill. He is currently searching through the Forest of Darkness under Gulland's lead.
The White Hand of Life (Previously translated as divine hands) (Age Unknown)
A priest robed in white. She specializes in healing and support. Her age, name, and origin are all unknown.
Vitz (25 years-old)
A talkative sword-wielding adventurer. He's actual strength isn't bad, but he's still far from being deserving of a second name.
Yugil (26 years-old)
An adventurer and an unwilling s.h.i.+eld bearer. He might appear old, but he is actually still young.
Yoshu (26 years-old)
The younger brother of the slaves Gene purchased. The collar of obedience around his neck keeps him from going against Gene's orders. Healers are rare, so he's been made into a s.h.i.+eld bearer.
Shumea (28 years-old)
The older sister of the slaves Gene purchased. The collar of obedience around her neck keeps her from going against Gene's orders. Contrast to her brother who bears a s.h.i.+eld, she uses a spear.
Altesia.
The G.o.ddess of the Underworld and the G.o.ddess of Valor. As the G.o.ddess the snakes serve, she has given her blessing to the protagonist. She is a dangerous woman with her deep jealousy and fierce temperament.
Zen.o.bia
The G.o.ddess of Healing. She has given her blessing to Res.h.i.+a. She has also warned the protagonist to protect her. Altesia might hate her, but she doesn't feel the same way toward Altesia.
Pitch Black (Verid)
A one-eyed red-eyed snake that belongs to the G.o.ddess of the Underworld.
Twin-Headed Snake
Known to the goblins as the Lord of Decay. He is one of the snakes that fought the world with the G.o.ddess of the Underworld.
Selena
The elven woman Gene purchased. She became a slave after running away from her tribe.
Hasu
The protagonist managed to tame her by giving her orc corps and other meat as bait.
She is a fortuitous kobold who somehow managed to become the leader of her pack.
Cynthia
As the pup of the gray wolves, she has been given the elven name that means lady of the lake. Res.h.i.+a, Lili, and other children and women are quite taken by her lovely fur.
Gastra
As the pup of the gray wolves, he has been given the name of a wise human monarch that means sovereign of the wind's howls. His uninhibited personality leads him to battle Hasu for ranks on a daily basis.
Bui
A timid orc. Gol Gol had taken a liking for him despite his small body. After Gol Gol died, he led the orcs to the west, but the protagonist managed to capture them.
Gol Gol
The orc king that attacked the village. He is a berserker who can use skills. He was defeated by the protagonist.
Volume 2: Chapter 89 – The Night is Long Status Race Goblin Level 21 Cla.s.s King; Ruler Possessed Skills Ruler of the Demon Children of Chaos; Defiant Soul; World Devouring Howl; Swordsmans.h.i.+p A-; Dominator; King's Soul; Ruler's Wisdom III; Household of the G.o.ds; One-Eyed Snake's Evil Eye; The King's Dance at the Edge of Death; Magic Manipulation; Soul of the Berserk King; Third Impact (The Third Chant); Instinct; Blessing of the Underworld G.o.ddess Divine Protection G.o.ddess of the Underworld (Altesia) Attributes Darkness; Death Subordinate Beasts High Kobold Hasu (Lv1); Gastra (Lv20); Cynthia (Lv20); Orc King (Bui) (Lv40) Abnormal Status Blessing of the One-Eyed Snake; Protection of the Twin-Headed Snake
From time to time, the beasts would howl, and the soldiers would jump awake. The atmosphere was so tense, the humans could not peacefully sleep. In time, however, the
Dark shadows weighed heavily under the soldiers’ eyes. Every one of them was alert, not even a mice could get past them unnoticed. They knew that fiendish monsters lurked just outside the village.
Those same monsters had attacked last night. Fortunately, they were able to fend them off, but their viciousness was such that they reminded them of the devils of the underworld. All the soldiers that came with Gowen thought so.
The soldiers that could fight now only numbered 250.
If the injured were to be included, that number would increase, but it was still a worrisome figure.
"If we withdraw now, the losses will increase…" Gowen pondered to himself.
Before the break of dawn, in that moment when the dark of the night grew even blacker, Gowen turned to the Forest of Darkness. The soldiers were cowering and horrified, all because of that goblin king’s attack.
Gowen didn’t know this, but of the forces that were battling against them, the orcs numbered 40, the goblins 50, and the kobolds 20.
"But…"
Despite the various platoons suffering so much, they couldn’t be given the opportunity to rest. The option of "waiting" to allow morale to recover was simply not feasible. The longer they waited, the greater their losses would be. And even if they attacked, the forest was not something they could develop. The soldiers were too fearful of the few powerful among the goblins’ ranks.
"It seems… there’s no choice but to forcefully withdraw."
There weren’t many choices from the start, but now they have no choice but to retreat. They would have to run at full speed to the cavalry waiting outside the forest.
"To that end…"
If they do choose to run, the goblins would surely give chase. If so, then they might as well take the initiative. The one leading the chase… that would be none other than the goblin king himself. If they could bring the fight back to them to slow down their momentum, they would be able to quickly withdraw.
Gowen grit his teeth and hardened his resolve.
As the reign of the night G.o.d finally came to an end, the bright light of the sun returned to the forest. Soldiers all around heaved sighs of relief, and Gowen left to decide the formations. It wasn’t until when the sun was at its highest that Gowen finished. Yuan would lead the retreat, while Gowen would watch the back.
Healthy soldiers were positioned in front to clear the way of monsters, while the wounded were placed behind them. Protecting the rearmost were Gowen and a group of soldiers he had specifically picked out.
After forcing down their meals, they hastily departed. On either side of the road were soldiers wielding long swords who served both as scouts and escorts for the wounded. In the middle were soldiers with spears, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.
By foot with the wounded, it would take a day or two until their destination. It would also depend on how fierce the goblins attack, but regardless, because of the road, they had no excuses not to bring the wounded.
The roads were still defenseless, however, and they had no intention of spending the night on it. Thus, they would walk be it night or day until they reach their destination.
"Kobolds behind us!" A soldier yelled, almost screaming.
Gowen looked up. A pack of kobolds led by a bigger kobold than the others watched them from behind. They didn’t seem to have any intentions of attacking, but neither did they seem to have any intentions of leaving.
"…Ignore it. Proceed," Gowen said.
At the same time, he thought of how detestable of a move this was. Enough to almost make him start wondering whether a crafty human was actually pulling the strings behind these monsters.
Kobolds weren’t a problem. They could easily deal with them anytime, but the problem was that the goblin king was probably the one who sent them. If they careless chased the kobolds, they might just run and lead them deep into the forest, allowing the main force burdened with the wounded to be attacked.
But they didn’t need to chase the kobolds for them to have an effect either. Just their very presence was enough to pressure them. It was a simple pressure, but given time, even the simplest of pressures could pile up to become something heavy. And once the sun sets, that pressure would slowly sap their strength.
Gowen knew all these things, but he had no cards left to respond with. In fact, beads of sweat even started to appear on that ever expressionless face of his. Still, he kept his mind calm.
If he were to break now, the soldiers would fall into chaos. In that case, the soldiers might just scatter and run, making them easy pickings for the monsters to take.
—Total Annihilation.
It could happen.
The enemy was that strong of an adversary.
"Platoon leaders don’t let your guards down! I am watching the back. Those of you on the flanks, keep sharp!"
He didn’t know how much of an effect that would have, but he truly had no other cards left to play.
All that was left now was to trust in his strength and proceed.
When the humans departed, I ordered Hasu of the kobolds to watch them. I won’t let them rest even for a moment. The humans shouldn’t be able to stand against this pressure forever. They’ll eventually break. And when they do, our attack will have that much more of an effect.
"Don’t make a sound. We’ll be in trouble if they see us."
We were also desperate. There might not have been much casualties on our side last night, but the continuous battles have been extremely taxing. Especially, since we had to travel a long way away from the fortress to get here. Not to mention the goblins of the Gi Village.
Many of the goblins are heaving and puffing just following the humans. Even the legs they use regularly to traverse the forest freely are heavy now. And even though the injured are at the back, the archers of Ganra all had to work to treat them.
Princess Narsa had to stay behind with the rear group to lead them, leaving only a handful of archers with Ra Gilmi as our archery.
The rare and n.o.ble cla.s.s goblins are still healthy, but everyone else is suffering.
Looks like I’ll have to step up.
"King, when will we attack? The fatigue is piling up… Wouldn’t it be better to attack now?" Gi Za asked as he stood beside me.
I shook my head. "Not yet. We have to tire out the humans first. It will take a little longer before the hunt begins."
Gi Za must’ve thought I was being too cautious, as in a rare show of disagreement, he said, "If we don’t hurry, they’ll make it to the entrance of the forest."
That’s true. Which is why, we’ll have to carefully choose the timing.
"I know," I said.
"…If you’re worried about incurring losses, just use the orcs," Gi Za said in a hushed voice.
I shook my head again. I won’t be using just our strength, I’ll also use the others. It seems Gi Za has picked up the ability to read my thoughts to some extent ever since evolving into a shaman.
"I still have plenty of uses for the orc. There’s no reason to throw them away here."
Looks like there’s still a considerable difference even in war between how much the goblins trust their fellow goblins and how much they trust the orcs.
"We’ll be pursuing them for time then?"
"Yes."
Gi Za nodded and then returned to his subordinates to encourage them. Do you think you’ll be able to avenge Gi Zo like that? I heard him say.
Right…
I have to teach them…
That conquerors have no need for compa.s.sion and indecision, only destruction.
As the march went on, morning turned to noon, and then noon to dusk. The soldiers carried the wounded along the road, wordlessly resting for an hour from time to time. Everyone quietly walked.
They were tired, so tired that even with the kobolds following them, most of the soldiers seemed about to fall asleep. The only reason the army had yet to collapse was because of their faith in Gowen’s strength. As long as Gowen was here, they would surely be able to come home. Those were the thoughts of the soldiers. Which is why they were able to save their comrades despite the harshness of this whole trip.
Somehow, they could still act with humanity.
"We’re moving!" A platoon leader said.
At his words, the soldiers stood up.
Everyone looked ready to be crushed from the fatigue and anxiety, yet they managed to keep their minds cool and gather together as an army.
"Just a little bit more! Four more hours and the entrance will come to view!" A platoon leader said.
The soldiers raised their heads. It was already past midnight, and after a few hours, the light of the sun would return. The monsters haven’t attacked either. Perhaps they’ve already given up and won’t be chasing anymore. Such thoughts gradually took root within the soldiers’ hearts.
Because of that they failed to realize the kobolds slowly closing in. Not even Gowen himself noticed. As far as he was concerned, the kobolds were just there to pressure them. The ones they should really pay attention to were the goblin king’s goblins, and then the orcs.
By the time he realized what was going on, it was too late. The kobolds had vanished in the darkness and was now biting at their heels.
"Ku…"
"Uoon!"
"Gyaa!?"
As the soldiers were pulled down, their screams resounded under the embrace of the night G.o.d.
"GURUuuuAaAAa!!"
At the same time, a howl bellowed. And in an instant, the figure of the devil illuminated by the light of fire flashed through everyone’s mind.
"O-O-ORCS BEHIND US!" A soldier screamed.
Gowen knit his brows.
They’ve been had. That was the goblin king’s howl, but he was nowhere to be found.
Where is he going to come from!? He’s clever, so he will surely aim for their weak point. And as far as weak points went…
—The flanks are going to be crushed!
"Platoons, protect the injured and proceed!! Don’t let the monsters approach!" Gowen said in an almost angry voice as he brandished his long sword and positioned himself at the rear to defend against the orcs.
The various platoon leaders all yelled at Gowen’s orders to calm down the panicking soldiers. "Draw your weapons! Don’t falter!"
They kept a watchful eye out for their flanks even as they marched forward. All the feelings of wanting to run were suppressed by courage.
"Kill them!!"
But the force that hit the flanks was overwhelming. The n.o.ble cla.s.s, Gi Gu Verbena, the ferocious Rashka of Gaidga, and the adherent of the mad G.o.d, Gi Zu.
In no time at all, a hole was chewed out of the humans’ defensive line. The injured picked up their weapons to fight, but the goblins easily wiped them out. They were only three goblins, but their fighting power was devastating.
Gi Gu worked exceedingly well with his subordinates to eliminate the humans. Rashka trampled on everyone with his overwhelming black power. And Gi Zu fought savagely with the Mad Dog skill he received from the Mad G.o.d. Under their fierce attack, the defensive lines of the humans was quickly broken.
"d.a.m.n it, at this rate!"
When the platoon leaders realized that the defensive lines wouldn’t recover, they decided to prioritize those who haven’t been hurt. At the very least, the injured should escape.
As the platoon leaders came to that decision, they implored the soldiers to walk ahead. It started to look like they would have to split off from the rear, but if they didn’t hurry and quell the confusion, they would suffer even more losses. The platoon leaders clenched their fist at the callousness of their decision, and went to fight the goblins themselves at the rear.
It was a praiseworthy decision, but the soldiers that ran off were greeted only by an even worse h.e.l.l.
"Onwards!!"
"They came again!!"
Attacking the soldiers that left the rear were Alashd of Paradua and his rider-beast cavalry, Gi Gi and the beast tamers, and Gi Za and the druids.
"Vengeance for our brethren!" Gi Gi yelled as he broke through the defensive line with his triple head. The person he and his subordinates were looking for was none other than Bellan. As they cut down the humans, their eyes darted to and fro, looking for a man wielding a sword of flame.
"Put to rest Gi Zo’s regrets here!" Gi Za ordered his subordinate druids before looking around him. "And so, the board is set."
In the battlefield, in the center of the onslaught of flying heads and gus.h.i.+ng blood, where the blood dyed the land red, Gi Za laughed. All that was left was for the king to add the finis.h.i.+ng touches.
The stimulation from the battle rising up from his chest caused Gi Za to smile.
The night was yet to end.
Tl Note: Third Chapter of the week.