Chương 54: Chapter 47: Goblins

Ember and Zea stood before a looming opening of an underground cavern system. After collecting their spoils, they had gone back to the Marewood Toads' dwelling and discovered that there were a number of gloomy crevices along the rugged hills. Many of those toads had already scattered deep into the underground paths due to the earlier disturbance, not to mention the sun was on the verge of peeking over the horizon. Most of those toads weren't highly active during the day, after all.

"Ember, we shouldn't venture in," said Zea. And Ember agreed wholeheartedly. The only reason he was able to contend with those amphibious monsters was due to his agility and freedom of movement. Much of that would be cut off if he had to venture into a crevice that seemed to go deep into the earth. He rolled a rock down into the yawning opening and heard it rolling down for several seconds, indicating he'd have to make far better preparations if he were to dive into the dark cavity.

It was certainly not sensible to venture in alone, or with just the two of them. Hell, Ember didn't think it was a good idea even with his party, either. Even if their own capabilities would suffice, their attitude would perhaps be the biggest contributor to their failure. Benny certainly didn't know how to lead, or care to. Elin seemed to be steadier now, though how much she could regulate her cousins and their group was still unknown. The sun peeked over the hills by the time they cleaned themselves.

With them running rampant through the muddy bog, it was practically impossible to cleanse all the dirt and grime off their forms without bathing and washing their attire. But they didn't intend to, considering they would be out hunting within a few hours.

"Should we report about the cavern to the others?" Zea asked. Ember shot her a look.

"We can tell them," he said after a thought. It was quite refreshing that someone was actually asking his opinion. Benny definitely didn't ask for anyone's opinion, while the others treated him like a kid, despite his abilities.

"Maybe after a few more days." He was already getting some good practice with those toads. Although he had only seen skill gains a few times, Ember could detect visible improvement in his coordination as well as his mindset. His combat style was still a mixed bag, overly reliant on external items. With his low physical attributes, his swordsmanship could only be used offensively, mostly in ambushes.

The Tier 4 wand made the impossible possible for him, whereas his protective ward was the only reason he could still walk on both feet and enjoy the cool breeze on his cheeks. Ultimately, this was how most unclassed ascendants fought. Well, those that came from some wealthy background at least. Ember had nothing to complain about regarding his artefacts, but there was still room for improvement in himself. If only I had an attunement like wind or any other element, Ember lamented.

He could have learned to cast spells without the help of a wand, even if it took a lot of practice to gain mastery. Regrettably, nobody in the clan knew any spells related to Mind. He had tried various ways to apply the mental mana to use, but he had gained no success outside of improving his extrasensory abilities a little. Whenever his mind wandered into topics like this, Ember had an urge to acquire Kinetic Release. A distinctive cry cut through his train of thought, and his eyes swiftly darted to the source.

Zea was the same, standing ahead of him with an arrow nocked on her bow.

"It seems to be..."

"Goblin," Ember muttered at the first sight of them. Their figures were as depicted in the books. Thin, sickly figures with greenish skin tones, some paler than the others. There were several of them; Ember counted seven. The tallest among them was merely a metre and a half tall, while most were a head shorter, wearing shabby rags, though the weapons they bore were in much better shape by comparison.

Along with crude bows, arrows, and axes, Ember even caught sight of a fine spear and a machete—probably stolen from some human parties. More significantly, these goblins were more agile than he imagined, and they seemed to have noticed their presence. While Zea deliberated whether she should shoot, Ember brandished his sword and wand, mana flooding into his lower body, ready for a scuffle. Yet to his surprise, the small pack of goblins changed direction and darted away into the hilly sides of the bog.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. He exchanged a look with Zea.

"Don't," she said. Ember had stilled his mind, waiting for a battle to unfurl, only to see the green hideous creatures moving away. Calculating the pros and cons of going after them, he ultimately released his hold on the mana.

"They seem to bear some injuries." Still, he had at least hoped these menaces would charge at them, thinking there were only two of them. After all, goblins were borne of the Abyss. Although these forsaken creatures dwelled upon Zion, their savage nature was uncleansable.

"People discount the intelligence of these goblins," Zea explained, noticing his expression.

"Also, they are known for being wimps, an existential trait perhaps from being lower in the food chain."

"Have you fought them before?"

"Once," she said, as they moved down the track.

"They can be more difficult than those toads, especially those that advanced to Iron." By the time they reached a couple of miles within the vicinity of the camp, Ember noticed thick fog in the direction of the camp. Ember exchanged a look with Zea before dashing straight into the camp, which was now in a far worse state than when they left it. Many of the youths lay frozen with listless expressions, their shoulders slumped, nursing their wounds.

Dozens of goblin corpses, severed limbs, and beheaded hideous heads were strewn across the camp, with dark greenish blood smeared all over. It seemed they weren't the only ones who had encountered the goblins. They had already put out the fire, though there was a heavy odour of acrid sulphur lingering in the air. Goblin bombs? Ember had read about goblins being able to craft crude explosives, but looking at the wreckage, he wasn't sure if they were that crude.

"Where were you two?" asked Elin, inspecting them with narrowed eyes.

"We were just..." Zea hesitated, glancing at him.

"What happened here?" Ember asked, though he could already guess.

"A pack of goblins ambushed us under the cover of night," Elin said, crossing her arms.

"The night watch failed to alert us in time, leaving us utterly unprepared to deal with them." Well, looking at the result strewn across the camp, Ember didn't believe they were completely unprepared, though some of the youths seemed to have suffered heavy injuries. Elin didn't bear any, while he noted a few with deep lacerations that even healing potions were unable to recover swiftly. The worst of them were the two in charge of the night watch.

They were targeted first, and with nobody to support them, they might have already lost their lives. Looking at the deep burn marks and stained bandages barely covering their wounds, Ember's heart lurched inside his chest. They would need full bed rest for a week or more, even after taking intermediate healing potions to recover, unless, of course, some Silver Healer came to their aid. Well, considering their protector hadn't shown up during the fight, Ember wasn't certain if they'd even allow for a genuine healer.

Still, goblins were supposed to be one of the weakest of the Forsaken Races. Well, individually, that was. They were agile, capable of strategising, and always moved in packs, but they weren't stronger than any toads in physical capabilities, nor were their defences as tough. But it seemed their weaknesses weren't all that relevant against unclassed Ascendants.

"Those two," Benny said, pointing at the unconscious figures, "were completely useless." His anger was very evident in his tone.

"Not only did they fail to alert us, they almost died if not for Elin rescuing them."

"You two haven't mentioned where you were during the attack," Elin asked again, peering towards them. Before Ember could come up with a good excuse, someone else barked from the side.

"Where else?" Erling sniped.

"That foul-mouthed wimp had likely fled at the first sign of the explosion."

"Well, I expected that from the twerp," Erming said, supporting his sister.

"But not you, too, Zea. Spending more time with him has already made you a sissy."

"We were scouting for some monsters," Ember said without even giving the siblings a glance. It took a little effort with Mind Wall to quench his anger, but thinking the protectors might be watching, he decided not to make a scene.

"We even killed a few frogs and met a pack of goblins on the way," Zea supplied.

"They were probably remnants from the pack that ambushed the camp," added Ember.

"Liars," Erling snapped.

"If you had fought those goblins, then you wouldn't be in such a fair state."

"No, you misspoke, sister," Erming cut in.

"They only met a group of goblins. It isn't like they—" Before he could finish, Ember's figure appeared before him, causing the boy to take half a step back. It really seemed like these two siblings wouldn't stop bickering with him unless he taught them a lesson.

"You were saying something?" If the boy was intimidated, he didn't show it.

"So what if I was?" Ember stared at him icily, but with his stature and juvenile face, he seemed to have failed at appearing intimidating.

"Then say another word," Ember said, "and you'll be lying on the floor beside those goblins."

"You think you can intimidate me?" He tried to push Ember away, but Ember batted his arm aside, pondering if he should hit him with some kinetic force.

"Enough, you two," Elin interjected.

"We have more things to worry about than your petty squabbles."

"Pardon us, my lady." The Huan siblings were quick to make excuses. The others looked at him expectantly, waiting for his apology, but Ember merely withdrew without giving one.

"If you stopped making these lousy mistakes," he sneered at the siblings, "you wouldn't have to apologise all the time."

"You—" Erming almost shouted, but collected himself in time under the stern gaze of the high noble girl. Elin's gaze darted to him, ruminating on something only she was privy to. Ember felt his scalp tingle, worrying that she had likely noticed what he was up to during the nights. But since she kept her peace with no condemnation or rebuke, Ember didn't bother explaining himself.

"So, what do we do now?" he asked.

"What else?" Benny said, kicking a severed head off the track.

"We go find more of those goblins and slaughter them."