by John Nest
They were joined by Stark and Jinggu shortly afterwards, as the severely-injured Rasant and Weise also withdrew to recover their wounds.
Ledur and Vijaya arrived seconds later. Ledur had also issued the retreat order to his fellow Tikbalangs.
Adder could feel the tension in the air. Their entire group at full strength had trouble dealing with three of these monsters. Now they had to face two more of them.
They steeled themselves and readied their weapons. Without a plan, Adder couldn't fathom how they could defeat the goblins with just the six of them. Only Ichaival, Jinggu and Vijaya had full life bars, and they were their ranged attackers.
THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP
The members of Smoke's private army watched with anticipation as the goblins were slowly making their way towards them, gripping the wooden spikes they used to climb out of the trench tightly.
THUD
A blurry figure fell from the sky and landed in front of the goblins. As the dust settled, it revealed Smoke's ragged cloak fluttering in the wind.
He had stunned the monsters for a whole second. With Chain and Sickle of Dasende in hand, he swiftly performed his deadliest attack.
His perlite weapon turned blurry as sixteen afterimages of chains, sickles and iron balls appeared around him. The ends of his weapon slashed and bludgeoned the two Gargantuan Goblins.
The monsters tried to break away, but the speed of the chains forced them to remain in place. The goblins took a beating which lasted for ten seconds.
As soon as his attack was finished, Smoke switched weapons and took out his white metallic staff. He wanted to create a Manatl but couldn't make it in time, as the Gargantuan Goblin on his right tried to swat him away.
Smoke barely dodged the attack by jumping backwards. He was now in between the goblins and his men. He turned around, jumped up and glided until he reached where Adder and others were.
"Glad you could finally make it. What happened to Crucibelle? Is she coming here?" asked Ledur.
"She's been dealt with." quickly replied Smoke. "Where's everyone else? Don't tell me they all..." Smoke couldn't finish his sentence as he didn't want to imagine such a dreadful scenario.
"No, no. The survivors are all inside the emergency shelter." answered Adder.
Smoke and his men returned their attention to the two monsters moving towards them. They observed their life bars and saw that both were at 85%.
"I think we should fall back to the third wall." suggested Ichaival.
"No. We will kill the goblins here." said Smoke calmly. "Adder, Ledur and Stark, hold your ground. Vijaya, Ichaival and Jinggu, aim for their eyes." ordered Smoke as he took out his Digger's wand.
The Gargantuan Goblins charged at Smoke and his men. The monsters were sixty meters away when arrows and bolts struck their heads.
Smoke noticed the lack of falcons going in to attack the goblins. Vijaya no longer ordered them to go near the monsters, as she feared that they might grab one of the falcons again. Ichaival did the same, fearing for Ichai's safety.
Multiple shots to their faces forced the goblins to cover them with their arms. Smoke sneakily created a ten-meter-deep trench in front of the goblins.
Both monsters fell into the newly-dug hole. However, it took less than ten seconds for one of the goblins' massive hands to grab a hold of the surface.
"They must have gotten used to this kind of traps." thought Ichaival out loud.
Smoke saw Ichaival look at him with a worried face. He could tell that the black-haired Hunter wanted him to issue an order to retreat to the third wall.
Suddenly, more than two hundred water arrows fell into Smoke's freshly-dug trap. Thirty-five mounted Elemental Knights bolted through the opening in the second wall, followed by two hundred twenty Bowed Fishermen riding on the backs of aardwolves.
Smoke had known that he would only have to keep the monsters occupied until Mamelon and her regiment arrived. He manipulated the farther wall of his trench and turned it into an inclined plane. The Gargantuan Goblins were now clearly visible to the charging Elemental Knights and Bowed Fishermen.
Aqua Knights, Flame Knights, Electro Knights and Terra Knights unleashed their elemental spike attacks. The goblins were forced against the wall of Smoke's trap.
Mamelon and her mounted regiment continued with their ranged attacks. They fired a total of four volleys, but the goblins still had 40% left on their life bars.
As soon as their attacks let up, the Gargantuan Goblins darted towards Mamelon and her men. However, Adder and Ledur had also been waiting for that moment and jumped down from the top of the trench. Adder stabbed his double-bladed sword into a goblin's nape while Ledur drove both his hooves straight into the other goblin's head.
The duo's surprise attack, coupled with the goblins' forward momentum, made the monsters fall to the ground. Their faces smashed against the inclined plane.
Mamelon and the rest of the Elemental Knights rode in and stabbed the downed monsters with their lances while Adder and Ledur kept them pinned down. Thinking of their fallen comrades, both leaders relentlessly attacked the monsters.
Smoke and the rest of his private army members watched from above, except for Vijaya. She fired her poison arrows whenever she saw an opening, alternating between the two goblins.
As Smoke observed his private army slaughter the monsters, he could feel the pain of Adder, Ledur and Vijaya. The three obviously suffered the most during the previous battle. In a matter of minutes, the last two Gargantuan Goblins were eliminated.
* * * * * *
Multiple bunk beds were arranged neatly inside the great hall of the emergency shelter. Injured Warriors and Tikbalangs were being taken care of by the Shamans of Mamelon's regiment. Smoke and Igniz were doing their best to cheer up their comrades.
Smoke visited all of them one by one. He either fed them medicinal soup or changed their bandages. Despite their wounded state, the injured still gave him a welcoming smile and asked about his own condition. Their concern for Smoke's safety had always been touching, even though he kept telling them that he would be fine because of his Sonstwelter abilities.
After he made sure that his private army members were stable and properly taken care of, he strolled outside alone. Igniz stayed behind and kept cheering up the injured. Once outside, Smoke enthusiastically took out the items he got from vanquished Crucibelle.
Excitedly, he first inspected the ability tome entitled 'Translation - Gobberish'. Since he fulfilled the tome's requirements, he immediately consumed it.
+ Learned Ability: Translation - Gobberish
Passive
Level: Beginner Level 1
Experience: (10/1,000)
Gives one the ability to communicate with the goblin race. Eloquence in the language depends on the ability's level.
Effects:
*Can converse with a goblin on a child's level of speech
*Can read documents written in Gobberish
WARNING: A low level of this ability might prompt a misunderstanding that could even lead to war.
Smoke's lips curled into a smile. Zectas ended up fulfilling another one of his desires; he had always wanted to learn a different language back in the real world. With the same level of enthusiasm, he took out the rare hand accessory, Berserker's Ring of Flames.
He quickly scrutinized his newly-acquired ring.
Berserker's Ring of Flames
A rare hematite ring created by one of the Witches of Wysteria, Crucibelle. It has the color of blood. It was crafted to instill fear and anger into her minions.
+50 Intelligence
+30% Fire Affinity
Equipment Ability:
*Ring of Flames (Active)
+ Creates a circular firewall
+ Targets caught in the firewall are inflicted with Berserk status
+ Range and duration depend on the caster's total Mana
+ Consumes 240,000 MP per use and additional 1,000 MP per second after activation
+ Once you've used this ability, you cannot use it again for another two hours
Notes:
- The Berserk status can only be inflicted on non-Sonstwelters.
- Cooldown decreases significantly if more than 600,000 MP is used.
Smoke's happy demeanor instantly vanished. His maximum Mana was still at 224,813 MP. Nevertheless, he equipped the ring on his right middle finger, right next to the Horse Ring of Domination. As fortune would have it, the increase to his Intelligence boosted his mana to 249,935 MP. This enabled him to cast Ring of Flames once and hold the spell for nine seconds if he had full mana.
'Just how much Mana did Crucibelle have?' he thought to himself while looking at the huge numbers written in the description. He remembered how she was able to keep the firewall up for several minutes and even cast it twice in succession.
Lastly, Smoke took out his final piece of loot from the red Witch...the goblin parchment. He satisfactorily found that he could now read it.
Goblin Recruitment
Dear Gobble Goblins,
My sisters and I have witnessed a most disturbing omen.
The bones of a dragon told us
that the rise of the dreaded Reptilian race is soon upon us.
We urge you to move to Wysteria and build your homes here.
The Reptilians have cleverly disguised themselves as other races.
We must cleanse the land of them.
Join our cause and ensure your survival!
- Crucibelle of the Magietrois
His eyes widened. 'The Witches of Wysteria were the Magietrois?' thought Smoke as he couldn't believe what he had just read.
He had hoped that if he were to find the Magietrois, he could make them into strong allies, but didn't think he would end up killing two of them. He read the note over and over again.
He thought about what was written in the book "The Saviors Tested by Fate: Part One". He also remembered Alteria, the matron of Virile lizards, who had enslaved the Condortlians before Smoke freed them. As a Fecund lizard, she had the special ability of transforming herself into the person she ate.
'Maybe the Witches have become so jaded over the ages that they no longer trust anyone but themselves?' Smoke surmised.
He wanted to quickly show the goblin parchment to the inner circle of his private army when Sot, the village chief of Banal, came out of the emergency shelter and briskly walked towards him.
"Smoke! A word." stated Sot crossly.
Before Smoke could greet the stout bald man, he was pulled forcefully to one of the destroyed houses.
"So, you think congratulations are in order?" asked Sot sarcastically.
"Well, I wouldn't say that. Many of my men died defending your village, and a life lost is never a win." said Smoke.
Smoke saw Sot's face become calmer. It took some time before Banal's chief spoke again.
"I'm truly thankful for their valiant sacrifice. I pray that Xolotl may safely guide their souls to Mictlan." said Sot sincerely.
After a few seconds of silence, Sot resumed talking in a serious manner. "Regrettably, this does not change the fact that you have failed this village."
Smoke raised his eyebrows. "Huh? What do you mean 'failed this village'?"
Immediately afterwards, a notification popped up.
- Failed Quest: Defense of Banal
The residents of Banal village found your defensive efforts to be lacking. Many of their houses were destroyed during the goblins' invasion.
Penalties:
* Intimacy with most of the Banalites has decreased by 50
* - 500 Fame
Smoke tried his best to quell the anger welling up inside him. "How could you say this? Aren't all of the Banalites still alive? Your emergency shelter is still intact!" he said with a raised voice.
"What you say is true, but our homes were destroyed. Those stone houses were over three hundred years old. Even if we restore them, they won't be the same." explained Sot. "You and your men can stay here until morning. After that, I will insist that you leave." he said as he walked back to the emergency shelter.
Smoke wanted to argue with Sot. He couldn't believe how ungrateful the residents of Banal were. However, he stopped himself from doing something he would most definitely regret later on.
Inside the ruined Banalite house in front of him, Smoke decided to calm down by doing some Manatl exercises. He sat on the ground, crossed his legs, held his white metallic staff horizontally in his palms and tried to clear his mind.
Ten minutes into his meditation, he heard footsteps outside the house and opened his eyes. Ichaival and a female Banalite came in through the broken door. She looked to be about the same age as Ichaival. Her short black hair and tanned skin gave her a sporty appearance.
"Oh, there you are." said Ichaival.
"What's the matter? Did something happen?" asked Smoke with concern as he stood up.
"I just heard the news that we only have until morning before we're kicked out of Banal." said Ichaival, "And she insisted to speak with you."
"Hello, High General Smoke. I am called Sympa. Master Ichaival has told me stories of your many adventures throughout Wysteria." said the young woman as she stepped forward.
Smoke extended his hand and Sympa shyly shook it. "Nice to meet you, Sympa." said Smoke politely, "What can I do for you?"
Despite his bad mood, he spoke to Sympa cordially. Ever since he became aware of his bursts of anger, he made a conscious effort to channel it only towards the individuals who properly deserved it.
"Well, it's true that some of the less understanding villagers believe that you failed to defend us properly. But the twenty-seven volunteers who fought with you all know the truth." said Sympa.
"Thank you, Sympa. That means a lot." replied Smoke with a smile.
"That is why all twenty-seven of us would like to be part of your private army. Will you accept us?" said Sympa as she bent her knee and bowed her head.
'At least one good thing came out of this quest.' thought Smoke.
"I would be honored to have you by my side." answered Smoke as he helped Sympa to her feet.
Smiling, Smoke watched as Ichaival and Sympa were on their way back to the emergency shelter. Thinking about what he was doing before Sot approached him, he called Ledur. He wanted to ask him where the imprisoned goblins were.
Ledur immediately flew to where Smoke was and the two of them began to walk along the ruined houses. As Smoke observed the destruction goblins caused, he realized that Sot had a point. It made sense why he failed the quest.
While the two of them walked in silence, Smoke wondered if he should tell Ledur about the goblin parchment right away. However, he decided not to do so just yet. He thought that his winged friend might take it the wrong way if he were to tell him that the princesses he wanted to ally with were, in fact, the Witches who cursed him and his brothers.
Before he knew it, they were standing in front of the house where the goblins were being kept. With his Earth Manipulation ability, Smoke opened a small window so he could look into the earth prison. He peeked through the window and found around twenty Gobble Goblins inside.
"Name mine is Smoke. Is good to know you." said Smoke in Gobberish. He could tell that the way he said it was definitely wrong but couldn't say it any better.
Surprised to hear him speak in a different language, Ledur stared at him. Smoke noticed that and quickly whispered that he'll explain everything later.
"Ayii. ayiiii. You're butchering our beautiful language. Ayii ayii ayi." replied one of the goblins inside.
"Sorry me is. Me is learning your pretty words." apologized Smoke. He needed to raise his Intimacy with these goblins, and risked it by using this fledgling ability. "Wrong understanding you have. We are Lizardites not."
After the goblins inside the prison heard this, they raised their voices in panic. They ran around and huddled in the center of the room. "Ayii ayii yiii yia ayi. He's a Lizardite. Ayii yii ay
iii. He's here to eat us! Ayyii ayii yiii."
Smoke couldn't make out most of what the goblins were yelling, but he could tell that he was only making things worse. He wanted to ask them about Crucibelle, but after seeing their reaction, he knew that he needed to raise his Translation ability first.
Suddenly, Espion arrived and tapped Smoke on his shoulder. He was startled by the young Spy's arrival as he was still deep in thought on what to do with the goblins. "Oh. Sorry about that." apologized Espion, "I just wanted to inform you that the Lioumereans have arrived."
"Alright, tell everyone to prepare for departure. We'll leave as soon as everyone is fully healed and ready to go. I don't want to wait until morning." said Smoke.