Chapter 23: The Raid
The last word was still in the air when the scream came.
"GIIIIII!" Another followed.
A Goblin lookout stumbled from the wall and crashed into the dirt below. An arrow protruded from his shoulder. A second voice picked up the alarm from the opposite wall. "HOBGOBLINS ARE HERE!"
The settlement exploded into chaos.
Children screamed.
Hunters grabbed their weapons.
Goblins rushed to the walls.
Arthur immediately rushed up one of the ruined walls, and then he peered over. Thirty Hobgoblins marched toward the settlement carrying axes, clubs, and crude spears. After he shouted the numbers down to Gruk, the eldest goblin went pale as he stumbled back.
"Impossible..."
Athena’s eyes narrowed. "The Great One is finally launching an attack."
The old Goblin slowly nodded.
Arthur had never seen Gruk look like that before. The old Goblin looked defeated.
"We should go meet up with the others quickly. They will be here in four minutes at best." Arthur said as he dropped down to the ground.
"Right..."
Two minutes later everyone stood together. They had only two minutes left to either create a defense or a plan that could save everyone.
The goblins turned toward Arthur. Toward the terrifying human. Toward the dragon beater. Toward the monster who apparently treated dragons as sparring partners.
Arthur chuckled before pointing at Vedas. "Ask him."
Everyone froze.
Vedas froze.
Arthur grinned.
"He’s your Chief... and my partner."
Every head in the settlement shifted.
Vedas found dozens of eyes on him filled with fright, expectations, and hope. His heart nearly stopped.
What was he supposed to do?
Arthur appeared beside him and set one hand on his shoulder. "Lead us," he said gently. He pointed at the incoming Hobgoblins. "Tell us where to go."
Vedas wanted to run.
Instead...
He looked at Suri.
She was standing three feet away, looking at him with a hopeful expression. But what really left him a bit dazed was the trust in her green eyes, like she believed he could help them overcome this.
Slowly, Vedas took a breath. "The hunters take the walls!" The Goblins immediately moved. "The children stay inside!"
More movement. "Suri, stay with me."
The young Goblin immediately nodded. "Yes, Chief!"
Arthur’s grin widened.
...
The first ladder hit the barricade with a boom that shook the nearest section of wall. Three Hobgoblins were already climbing. It reached the top, only for a spear to burst through its chest.
Vedas ripped the weapon free and kicked the corpse off the wall. "Next!"
The hunters roared back.
This time, there was confidence in their voices.
Arthur smiled. "There you go!"
A Hobgoblin rushed him but Arthur stepped forward.
One thrust.
The spear punched straight through its shoulder.
The Hobgoblin stumbled before Arthur spun the shaft and swept its legs out. It crashed into the dirt. A Goblin hunter finished it.
Arthur grinned. "Nice teamwork!"
Below the walls, Mithra moved through the Hobgoblins with her iron sword. A Hobgoblin charged towards a group of goblins, but Mithra’s sword flashed as she moved past it.
The creature froze.
Then collapsed from its chest being cleanly split.
Goblin children pressed against the walls of the nearest hut and watched with wide eyes.
"The angel is amazing," one of them said.
"No wonder she can stop that demon," another agreed.
Mithra laughed without looking away from the next threat. "Stay behind me."
Melo expanded.
The transformation drew its own moment of silence from the Hobgoblins nearest to her. Her three tails rose, all three eyes opened and lit, and the illusions she projected into the field did what illusions did best.
One Hobgoblin swung at empty air.
Another crashed into an ally.
The hunters didn’t waste the opening.
Spears struck.
Axes fell.
The Hobgoblin line started breaking apart.
Melo’s illusions threw the Hobgoblins into confusion while Athena and Athy fought together with perfect coordination. Every warning from above became another fallen enemy, and every illusion became another opening for the hunters.
Meanwhile, Suri was fighting her own battle. Nearby, a Hobgoblin had targeted the cluster of Goblin children that Mithra’s position did not cover.
The young Goblin froze with the spear in her hands, shaking.
Suri tightened her grip. "I can do this."
With a deep breath, she screamed and charged. Her spear struck the Hobgoblin’s leg. It didn’t go fully through, but it was enough to make it fall to the ground and allow two hunters to quickly finish it off.
Suri looked at the result. Then at her hands. "I did it."
The nearest hunter grinned at her. "You did."
The young Goblin practically glowed.
...
The eastern wall cracked.
A section gave way entirely, and through the gap came Hobgoblins in a rush. Panic erupted.
"We’re surrounded!" One Goblin screamed.
Arthur looked at the breach.
"Good," he said.
A Goblin hunter nearby turned toward him. "What?!"
"Now they can’t run."
The settlement froze.
The Hobgoblin army froze.
Even Athena paused.
Several Goblins looked at Arthur. Then at the breach. Then at Arthur again before realization hit them.
"He knew," one hunter said quietly.
"He knew they would attack," another agreed.
"Then why didn’t he stop it before they got inside?"
A third Goblin’s eyes went wide. "Because he wanted to wipe them all out at once."
The whispers spread immediately. Within seconds, the Goblins nearest Arthur were looking at him with even more awe and fear.
Arthur continued speaking. "Besides." He glanced toward Vedas. "This is something you all needed."
The settlement nearly collapsed.
"A test..."
"He gave us a test!"
"The raid was planned!"
"He’s evaluating us!"
Arthur blinked. "...Evaluating?"
"Could it be for the Chief as well!? That’s why he pointed to him at the start!"
Gruk started sweating.
Suri started sweating.
Several hunters started sweating.
"What are they talking about?"
"No idea," Mithra said, without looking at him. "They’re having Arthur problems."
Arthur accepted this and stepped toward the breach.
A Hobgoblin warrior rushed him, but Arthur swung his spear. The spear swept through the air before sending the Hobgoblin flying backwards.
Another charged from the right and Arthur sidestepped. Then he slammed the spear shaft into its throat. The creature crashed into two others before all three were stabbed swiftly.
The Goblins watched in horror.
The terrifying human was treating the raid like an exercise.
Then Arthur paused, with a grin.
"Oh."
Vedas immediately recognized the look. "...Arthur."
Too late.
Arthur inhaled and shouted. "FORWARD!"
The battlefield shook.
The Goblin hunters froze before power surged through their bodies, their fear weakened, and confidence exploded. Even Vedas felt stronger, and the entire settlement erupted. All of them roared and fought even fiercer than before while the Hobgoblins had flinched from the shout.
The counterattack began.
Athena hurled her shield forward to smash another Hobgoblins down. Then, as she evaded an Axe coming from behind, she held out, and the shield came flying back. Athy caught it in the air and hurled it back with her talons.
Arthur’s eyes shone at this before he said. "Athy! Help me out, too!"
Arthur hurled his spear through a stumbling Hoblin near Athena, and then he sidestepped a greatsword being swung down at him. He saw Athy swooping over to pull out the spear from the dead beast and kicking it back to Arthur, who grabbed it before piercing the Hobgoblin with the greatsword. "Thanks, Athy!"
The owl puffed her chest out. "Hoo." She looked ridiculously pleased with herself.
Athena’s expression moved briefly toward something between impressed and resigned. "I am not sure whether to be impressed or offended that you found uses for my beast."
"We’re all partners," Arthur said, and moved toward the next cluster.
...
The captain arrived through the breach.
It was larger than the others, armored in overlapping sections of metal. The captain swung its hammer and sent four Goblin Hunters flying. Then it blasted its fist towards one of the watched towers, smashing through it.
The Watchtower shook before it began falling, and screams echoed out.
"Damn you!" Suri shouted as she thrust her spear towards the captain’s neck. But the Captain quickly puffed its chest out, and the spear hit the chest piece. The Hobgoblin Captain swung its hammer downwards to crush Suri.
Bang!
The ground trembled.
Suri blinked before realizing she was being held by Arthur, who had his feet on the hammer. The Arthur lashed out with his leg and sent the Hobgoblin captain skidding backwards.
"You, okay?"
"Y-Yeah! Thank you."
Arthur looked at the captain. "Let’s try something different."
He let go of Suri as he gripped his spear. "Throw your spear at its chest after me."
Armor Pierce.
The skill activated and Arthur felt magic drain from his body. Suri’s eyes widened before she quickly hurled her spear at the same time as Arthur.
CRACK.
The armor exploded apart from Arthur’s spear, and then Suri’s spear rushed through its body. The Hobgoblin captain stared in confusion before it collapsed with a groan.
Suri’s jaw dropped.
"Good work, Suri!" Arthur grinned. "Also, it’s definitely dangerous."
"N-no, it was all-"
"You killed it, and so the credit is yours. Now let’s keep going."
Suri stood frozen as her hands trembled around the shaft of her spear. Just this morning she had been afraid to even hold the weapon.
Afraid to leave the settlement.
Afraid whenever the Hobgoblins were mentioned.
Yet now...
She slowly looked toward the armored Hobgoblin captain lying motionless on the ground. The strongest enemy in the raid was dead because of her.
She smiled.
Then looked toward Vedas.
And ran to help.
...
The Hobgoblins that remained saw their captain on the ground and made decisions about their immediate priorities. The retreat was fast. The hunters covered the distance, and the Hobgoblins covered the forest.
The celebration wasn’t loud at first as everyone was still lost in the moment.
A hunter slowly sat down while another laughed. One Goblin looked around as though he couldn’t believe he was still alive.
Then the realization spread.
They had won.
The Hobgoblins were retreating, and the settlement still stood. None of them were captured or had been killed.
Children rushed out from the huts before they quickly surrounded Mithra.
"The Angel won!"
"We’re alive!"
Mithra blinked and then laughed as three children grabbed her arm.
Nearby, Gruk stood silently and stared toward the battlefield. Then the old goblin looked at the dead Hobgoblins, standing walls, and then at the settlement that should have fallen.
Gruk wiped his eyes.
For the first time in years...
The Goblins had defended their home.
Not survived but defended it.
...
Notifications appeared in Arthur’s vision in sequence.
[Level Up]
[Level Up!]
[Goblin Warrior ]
[Level 13 —> Level 15]
Arthur blinked and then smiled before glancing toward Vedas. He saw a Goblin hunter approach Vedas first. "Chief, should we pursue them?"
Before Vedas could answer, another hurried over. "Chief, should we focus on rebuilding the eastern wall?"
Then a third. "Chief, what should we do with the wounded?"
Vedas froze, and Arthur could feel the emotions rushing off him. Confusion then quickly shifted to pride and joy.
For a moment, Vedas didn’t know what to say, and then he straightened. "We’ll do both."
The hunters immediately nodded.
Not a single one questioned him.
[Requirement Progress Updated]
[Vedas has gained two more Goblin subordinates]
[Current Loyalty: 8/10]
Two more.
Arthur’s eyes lit up. "Eight."
Vedas looked over. "...Already?"
Arthur laughed. "I told you it was only a matter of time." He pointed toward the hunters. "That you prove you are someone they can follow."
"Good job, Vedas." Mithra praised him while Melo nodded.
Vedas smiled and nodded.
Then Athena frowned and said. "We have a problem." Everyone turned. "We only have an hour left for the entrance exam."
"We’ll be teleported out," Arthur said, for the ones still catching up. "And forced to leave."
The settlement froze at their words.
Gruk’s face went pale while a panic swept through the rest of the Goblins.
"And there is a big chance we would be leaving the Goblins to their fate against the Hobgoblins..." Athena finished with a frustrated look.
No one said anything. Just the dead bodies of the Hobgoblins around were enough to know this settlement would be wiped out once they left.
Vedas looked at Arthur.
His partner.
...
Arthur looked toward the distant ruins, where the Hobgoblins were fleeing.
He opened his mouth to speak—
Then a roar echoed through the forest.
Every Goblin shivered.
Gruk’s grip tightened around his staff. "The Great One knows what we just did... And you guys have to-"
Arthur grinned. "That’s perfect!"
Everyone turned toward him, and he pointed toward the ruins.
"We were planning to meet it anyway." Then he looked toward Vedas. "Isn’t that right, partner?"
Vedas blinked at Arthur before realizing it appeared on his face. Then he stared toward the area that the Hobgoblins had retreated to. The place where the monster that had stolen hope from countless Goblins resided.
His grip tightened around his spear.
Then he nodded.
"...Let’s end this now."
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