Wildness and Masks

"Foucault, can you give me the spear?"

Just before the attack, Ogre suddenly thought that perhaps he could switch weapons in this village environment.

A spear might indeed be more useful than his small hammer.

"Sure."

Foucault didn't waste words, reaching into his Void Pocket and pulling out a spear, which he had prepared specifically for Ogre.

Ogre took the spear and twirled it skillfully.

His first impression was good, both in terms of weight and design.

The only downside was that the spear's ornate and exquisite design was too eye-catching, which wasn't necessarily a good thing.

It was the first time Ogre had seen a weapon with gold inlays even on the shaft, but after glancing at Foucault's attire, he kept his mouth shut—it should be fine, there were two others even more flamboyant than him.

Ogre then bent the spear shaft slightly.

The spear's body bent under Ogre's strength but quickly rebounded.

'Good, it's not just a rigid spear.'

A bit of flexibility would better allow him to utilize his martial skills, and Ogre was quite satisfied with that.

"Thanks, I like it a lot."

Ogre planted the spear in the ground, unhooked the small hammer from his waist, and placed it in the bag behind him, tying it securely before drawing the spear again: "Adjust your state, we'll charge in directly with me soon. Lange, just protect Foucault."

"You don't need to tell me, I'll do it," Lange grunted through his helmet.

Thrandic rubbed his hands eagerly, "I can't wait any longer."

...

"%@lu, Goda Nunu."

(Goblin language: Why stay here, I want women.)

The original lookout point at the village's rear entrance was now occupied by goblins, but it was clear this goblin didn't like the position much.

It preferred looting, it wanted women, and if they were elves, even better.

"Goda...lu#..."

(Goblin language: No women, but it's safe here. I think it's pretty good, grazing in the village, learning human farming isn't bad either. Why must we kill and fight? Once we learn enough human language, we can blend in with the goblins.)

(Note: Goblins are smaller than goblins, often wearing red hats and lumberjack clothes, usually organizing underground with signs of industrial civilization. They can also be distinguished by skin color, with goblins having darker skin and goblins being purely green. Undoubtedly, they share a common ancestor.)

This goblin's response left the other goblin in the watchtower silent.

"Lu...Go..."

(Goblin language: But I want a child.)

"Go...#Da..."

(Goblin language: A child, have you seen your father? Do you know your mother? If you don't care for them after birth, what's the difference? If having a child means it becomes a marauder and dies at the hands of adventurers, I'd rather not have one.)

This goblin was born from humans, and compared to other goblins, it was clearly more thoughtful and intelligent.

"Go..."

Just as the two goblins argued across the watchtower, two whistling sounds suddenly came.

Whoosh, whoosh—!

The two sounds landed one after another.

Both goblins had a pebble deeply embedded in their eye sockets.

The time difference was less than a breath.

'So smooth...' Lange once again admired Ogre's throwing technique, then tightened his grip on his single-handed sword.

"Let's go," Ogre said, spear in hand, moving forward.

If there were fewer goblins, he wouldn't mind picking them off one by one from a distance.

With Ogre leading the charge, the rest of the team followed closely.

A massacre ensued.

"It seems a bit strange..." Foucault expressed doubt after seeing Thrandic punch a patrolling goblin to death.

He noticed the village seemed to have signs of reconstruction, not appearing abandoned.

"It doesn't quite look like a goblin gathering place..."

If it weren't for the goblins baring their teeth at them, Ogre might have suspected they were in the wrong place.

If he hadn't seen it wrong earlier, some goblins seemed to be farming?

"Why bother thinking so much, just kill them. These disgusting creatures occupying our village aren't good for anything," Thrandic said.

"Golu!" As they slaughtered, a horn suddenly sounded, echoing through the village.

"We've been discovered!"

Ogre quickly scanned around and found the source of the sound—a small goblin with a horn hiding on the rooftop.

"Just charge in, it's not like they'll spare us if we stop. There's no reasoning with monsters, if you ask me... I'll go."

Lange, holding his sword, said as the ground beneath them began to sink.

Ogre, quick-eyed and quick-handed, grabbed Foucault nearby and leaped, narrowly avoiding the collapsing ground.

Thrandic reacted swiftly, jumping away.

As for Lange, he wasn't as agile, his heavy armor severely limiting his movement.

The ground turned into a swamp after softening.

"It's magic—Swamp Spell," Foucault quickly realized.

Ogre reacted even faster, snapping open a small wooden box at his waist, and a nail appeared in his hand after a mechanism clicked.

Step, bow, then—throw!

Whoosh!

The nail flew from Ogre's hand, quickly turning into a black line in the air, darting through gaps toward the goblin shaman casting spells.

"Go..."

The short, incomplete scream was the goblin's last words before death, its second spell only half-uttered.

It couldn't have imagined being killed from such a distance.

"Luhong!" Another goblin's shriek followed.

This time, a human-sized fireball appeared!

'There's another goblin shaman!' Ogre realized as he turned around, spotting the attack.

It was clearly timed to exploit the moment he moved Foucault away.

He wasn't afraid of taking a hit, but Foucault was.

But at this moment, no matter how agile Ogre was, it was difficult to twist his body and take Foucault away in such a short time.

'Damn, I'm really not suited to taking care of people...' Even as Ogre's thoughts raced.

It was hard to reverse the situation.

But, Ogre forgot one thing—he wasn't alone.

"Ha!" A familiar shout came.

A knight in heavy armor jumped out, crashing into the fireball.

The firelight quickly dissipated.

As the flames cleared, the heavily armored knight was revealed—it was Lange with a shield!

"I'm here!" Lange lowered his raised hand, panting slightly.

He had blocked the attack.

To break free from the Swamp Spell's grip, Lange's legs were now visibly covered in a faint red Battle Qi.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have left you with mana. Foucault, you better put up a shield," Ogre apologized, realizing his mistake.

"No worries, this attack can't hurt me."

Foucault replied calmly, having emergency life-saving mana items on him, naturally unafraid of such attacks.

His robe wasn't just for show.

"Ogre, go kill that goblin caster, I'll protect the young master here," Lange urged.

In just a short while.

Goblins from various houses and cellars emerged, likely surrounding them soon.

Goblins had a habit of resting during the day, but their sleep wasn't deep. With the horn's sound, they woke quickly. Even if some weren't woken by the horn, they were likely disturbed by the surrounding goblins.

As for Thrandic.

Seeing everyone was fine, he charged straight into another group of goblins, his pale golden Battle Qi covering his exposed parts in an instant.

"Alright." Ogre nodded, drawing another nail, scanning the emerging goblins.

Soon, he found the caster hidden among the goblins.

Without hesitation, Ogre began to gather strength.

If nothing unexpected happened, his next throw would surely kill the goblin shaman.

But, an unexpected event occurred.

A short spear flew through the air, heading towards Ogre from the side.

'Where did that attack come from!'

Ogre glimpsed the attack from the corner of his eye, abandoning his attack, releasing the accumulated force in his legs, and leaping to dodge the flying spear.

Ogre dodged because his body instinctively sensed the impending attack was dangerous, capable of seriously injuring or even killing him!

Sure enough, as Ogre leaped away.

The short spear embedded itself deeply in the ground where Ogre had stood!

Only a third remained visible.

Even in soft soil, the force was evident.

"Who!"

Ogre looked in the direction the spear came from, spotting a tall goblin, more proportionate than normal goblins, standing on a treetop.

That wasn't the main point.

The main point was that Ogre, with his enhanced vision, noticed a faint white energy enveloping the goblin!

This meant the goblin was a knight!

And a professional knight among goblins!

Because the goblin's Battle Qi covered its entire body!

"Not good!"

Ogre never expected that besides the Goblin King and its tribe, other goblin settlements could produce a goblin of professional level.

And in this small village.

As Ogre was still shocked, the goblin knight drew another short spear from its back.

It was also surprised—the target dodged its attack and spotted it, even though it had specifically chosen a green tree.

"Lightning Web!"

Foucault, who had been preparing, launched his attack at this moment!

A wrist-thick lightning ball burst from Foucault's staff, expanding into a web of lightning as it flew toward the goblin archer's tree.

Seeing this, the goblin archer could only abandon its next throw and face the electric web.

By normal human logic, it should jump away, but clearly, this goblin thought differently.

It infused its short spear with white Battle Qi, thrusting it into the electric web!

Crackling electricity scattered and splashed, and with one thrust, it broke through the electric web magic.

The electricity was isolated by its Battle Qi, causing no harm.

"Junior Brother, leave that goblin shaman to you! I'll handle this one!"

Ogre had already dropped the nail in his hand, charging with his spear toward the short spear goblin.

He knew delayed throwing attacks wouldn't work on this opponent, only close combat had a chance.

'Time to see how far I am from a professional!'

Ogre still had some tricks up his sleeve.

This was the best time to test his strength.

...

"Goblin professional!"

Foucault was momentarily stunned, not having Ogre's vision, he didn't expect the attacker to be a professional-level goblin.

'Should I use this?' Foucault instinctively reached for the pendant on his chest.

"Junior Brother, leave that goblin shaman to you! I'll handle this one!"

At this moment, Ogre's shout came, making Foucault lower his hand.

"Lange, if things go wrong, go help Ogre," Foucault instructed.

"Young master, what about you?" Lange asked after cutting down a fast-running goblin.

"Don't you trust your young master's strength?" Foucault smiled, then turned his gaze toward where the fireball had come from, then turned back: "I'll handle the small fry in this direction."

Foucault raised his staff toward the goblin gathering area.

"O dancing spirit of lightning, show your dance—Chain Lightning!"

As the chant ended, a bowl-thick yellow lightning bolt shot out like a thunder snake, biting into the gathering goblins.

In an instant, it electrocuted a nearby goblin, but the damage wasn't over.

As if alive, the lightning bolt danced wildly among the goblins, like a lightning spirit dancing.

In a flash, it took down a group.

Only a few particularly strong great goblins stood with clubs among the goblins.

Lange scanned the area, seeing it was safe, then charged at the great goblins.

...

'Bloodlust...'

Thrandic recognized the power enveloping the goblins.

His slaughter, like a meat grinder.

Was slowed by the bloodlust-enchanted goblins.

"There's a third goblin caster!"

Thrandic wasn't a brainless brute.

On the contrary, he was perceptive, just not fond of thinking.

But now, with his slaughter hindered, he realized he had to eliminate the hidden goblin casters first!

This range of Bloodlust wasn't something a single goblin caster could manage!

Two goblins were alternating the spell!

'Where are they hiding...'

Thrandic crushed a charging goblin, using its body as a weapon to clear the way.

As he slaughtered, he analyzed the density and direction of the goblin Bloodlust.

With another group of goblins enchanted, Thrandic's lips curled into a smile.

'Found you, filthy creature!'

...

"Humans, why do you disturb our home even after we've left so far!"

To Ogre's surprise, after a probing exchange.

The goblin professional who threw the short spear spoke in human language!

'This place... is not simple!'

Ogre's eyes narrowed beneath his mask.

Narrowing his eyes focused his vision on the enemy, allowing Ogre to better face close-range foes.

"Isn't it..."

Ogre was about to speak to distract the opponent for a sneak attack.

But the goblin steadied itself, scrutinizing Ogre.

Noticing the pattern on Ogre's mask, its expression changed, turning green with red—it was furious!

"You, are, that! Damn it! Goblin Butcher!"

The roar was almost a shout.

Following the Battle Qi-infused sound wave was a storm of stabs.

Seeing this, Ogre knew it wasn't good, raising his spear to block repeatedly.

Luckily, he had upgraded his weapon, and with his skills, he used the weapon's length advantage to avoid falling in the chain thrusts.

His plan for a sneak attack was thwarted by his mask...

Ogre wore the mask to protect the disguise on his face, not expecting this habit to cost him a sneak attack opportunity.

'I should have killed more thoroughly earlier...'