Shas took the Healing Potion Gall handed him and chugged it all in one go.
"Captain, what was with those goblins? I heard they rarely gather in such large numbers." Shas took out a bandage and began wrapping his arm.
"I don’t know. I’ve run into large groups of goblins before, but these were different." Gall leaned on his hip, panting heavily. "Forget the exploding black orbs for a mont. The goblin I fought was just... weird. Its wounds healed incredibly fast."
"Healed?" Shas asked in astonishnt.
"Yeah. And it was stronger than , and just as agile."
"Sounds like Bear Goblins," Shas said.
"But its build was nothing like a Bear Goblin’s," the Dwarf, Guremang, said, slumping to the ground dejectedly.
"That’s why I said they were weird." Gall straightened up and glanced into the distance, confirming no goblins were following them. "I think they’re even tougher to deal with than a Fearso Claw Bear."
"I’d rather face a Fearso Claw Bear than deal with any more of those black orbs. Who knows how many more they have." Shas clutched his injured arm, still shaken.
"Maybe this group of goblins perford so kind of evil ritual and gained strange abilities," Gall said.
"Yeah, that must be it! Who knows what ancient power those bugs from the deep forest have stirred up," the Dwarf shouted. He had been rolling around on the ground earlier, and the frustration was eating at him.
"We need to report this to the Association right away." Shas looked at his teammates. "I think these goblins are worthy of the Association issuing a promotion quest."
Gall thought for a mont, then nodded. "I agree. But we should retrieve Balrog’s body first."
"Forget it. That damned clean freak has probably been chopped up and boiled by the goblins by now." The Dwarf tossed his head, his dislike for the Mage obvious.
"No, Guremang. He was our teammate," Gall said firmly. "Besides, if we search for him, we might also be able to pinpoint where this horde of goblins is gathered."
Seeing the Dwarf didn’t respond, Gall sighed and said, "Alright, then. Old rules. Let’s vote. Hands up if you agree to search for Balrog."
Only Gall raised his hand resolutely. Then, Shas slowly raised his as well.
The Dwarf looked at the Ranger, whose arm was covered in bandages, and his tone was slightly mocking. "I never realized you were so loyal."
"Co on, Guremang, the Captain’s right. If we find the goblins’ den first and then report it to the Association, we’ll have a head start when the promotion quest is actually posted," Shas said loudly.
"It’s much more efficient than playing hide-and-seek with a Fearso Claw Bear alongside those other idiot teams," Gall added at the perfect mont.
"Fine, you’ve convinced ." The Dwarf sprang up from the ground like an overturned barrel bouncing upright.
"Let’s move. Shas, stay on high alert." Gall adjusted his pack and weapons.
"No problem, Captain." Shas made a fist with his uninjured hand.
The three of them quickly headed back. They hadn’t gone thirty ters when Shas warned his teammates, "Soone’s coming."
RUSTLE, RUSTLE. A tall, slender young Female Mage with black hair and violet eyes approached from the distance.
"Miss Sebastian," Gall cried out in surprise. He couldn’t believe his eyes, seeing her here.
’Who is she? How does the Captain know her? His dream girl?’ Shas nudged the Dwarf’s helt with his elbow.
"Idiot." Guremang straightened his helt. "She’s the specially appointed promotion proctor for Plantagenet City, Miss Agatha Sebastian. A genius Warlock."
"You know ?" Agatha asked as she gracefully approached.
"I had the honor of accompanying a friend to his promotion, and you were the proctor for that test." Gall’s attitude was reverent. "What brings you to the forest?"
"I ca to..." Agatha hesitated for a mont, then changed her words. "I ca looking for a group of goblins."
"Goblins?" Gall and his companions exchanged a quick glance. "We’re very familiar with this area. We can help you. What kind of goblins are you looking for?"
"Ah, just so ordinary goblins," Agatha said casually, as if discussing the weather. "They use things that explode."
"Aren’t those the ones we just ran into?" Shas blurted out.
Agatha let out a soft "Hm?" and began to properly size up the three n before her.
"To be honest, we did indeed just have an encounter with those goblins," Gall explained, taking a step forward.
"Excellent. Take there." Her smile blood, beautiful and striking, like a rare flower blossoming in the dead of winter.
The three n exchanged glances and eagerly led the way. Agatha even overheard their quiet muttering: "If we help her, maybe we can get promoted directly." "It’ll be easier to get promoted to Bronze later." "Shas, you big-mouth, don’t go blabbing about this."
The four of them quickly searched along their previous path, and it wasn’t long before they found Balrog lying in a pool of blood.
"Sigh. I knew it," Gall said regretfully. "Shas, look for tracks."
The Ranger, Shas, searched the area and finally returned. "The footprints are too scattered. I can’t track them."
The Dwarf, Guremang, took off his helt, muttered a Dwarven slang phrase, and then started digging a grave nearby, preparing to bury Balrog.
"Salman Tulu." Agatha recited a Spell. SWOOSH. A pitch-black rift, its edges shimring with blue light and its interior speckled with points of starlight, tore through space and appeared before the trio.
Then, a semi-transparent blue Giant Snake as thick as a water bucket slithered out of the rift.
"Go find them," Agatha said.
The Giant Snake raised its head, flicking its dark blue tongue. A few seconds later, it returned to Agatha’s side.
"The scents are too mixed to follow?" Agatha frowned.
The trio stared blankly at the Giant Snake. Shas even let out a loud GULP as he swallowed. He finally understood the weight behind the Dwarf’s words, ’genius Warlock’.
"We can help you search," Gall volunteered, stepping forward.
Agatha didn’t even look at him. With a casual wave of her hand, Shas, who was behind Gall, was sent flying backward into a tree trunk.
Imdiately after, Agatha said, "Magic Energy Burst."
A flash of green light, and a shockwave of energy exploded out of thin air between Gall and the Dwarf, knocking them to the ground.
Gall reacted quickly, rolling over, only to see the Giant Snake coiling around his legs. Soon, he was being squeezed so tightly he couldn’t breathe.
BANG! BANG! Several more Magic Energy Bursts detonated around the Dwarf. Guremang, covered in blood, lay on the ground, apparently motionless.
"Miss... Sebastian?" Gall managed to force out a few syllables before the sound of breaking bones drowned him out.
Agatha said with a blank expression, "Can’t even beat goblins. What a bunch of losers."
She beckoned, and the Giant Snake tossed aside Gall’s limp, ragdoll-like body. It ca to her side, and Agatha straddled its neck, holding on tight as the beast slithered rapidly away.
In the clearing, the ragdoll-like Gall, the bloodied and mangled Dwarf, Shas with a thick branch piercing his throat, and the mud-covered Balrog were all dead.
After a long while, a few Forest Grey Wolves, drawn by the scent of blood, arrived. One of them stepped on a Waterproof Bag, pushing it into the mud.
......
In the lush forest, a flock of birds was startled into flight.
In a clearing in the woods, a three-ter-deep pit gaped in the center.
Agatha jumped off the Giant Snake. "This is the place."
She had followed the guidance of her Soul Link to the spot where the Fearso Claw Bear had died.
The surroundings were unnaturally quiet, and the sll in the air was indescribable. Agatha covered her nose and mouth, moving away from the deep pit in disgust.
"Go to the bottom of the pit and bring back a bone," she ordered the Giant Snake casually. She planned to use a Secret Technique to find clues.
The Giant Snake slithered into the pit. Before long, white smoke began to rise, accompanied by pained HISSES and the sound of a massive body slamming against the pit’s walls.
Agatha rushed to the edge of the pit. To her shock, she discovered her Summoned Beast was engulfed in the bodily fluids of three Slis, its surface already severely corroded.
"Quick, co back!" she said hurriedly.
The Giant Snake tore open a rift and quickly slithered inside. All that remained in the deep pit was a large plu of white smoke and the foul stench of corrosion.
"Those damn goblins," Agatha seethed, gritting her teeth as veins popped on her forehead. "You dare set a trap for ."
"When I get my hands on you, I’ll tear you to shreds."
She roared, startling another large flock of birds into flight.
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