Chapter 44: Goblin Raiding Party

In Wang Yu’s imagination, the road to the Royal City should not have been very far, as Mira and Avia had always described it as being near the estates outside the capital.

Thus, he assumed the journey would be brief; after all, if it were merely "the estates outside the Royal City," it should be close enough to reach in half a day or so.

Only after boarding the Goblin Chamber of Commerce’s caravan did he realize that "nearby" was a relative term. Alastair was a vast kingdom, and the concept of "vicinity" had expanded accordingly.

It was roughly eight hundred kilometers. Given the caravan was hauling a long line of heavy wagons, Wang Yu calculated it would take at least three days to reach the capital—not an eternity, but certainly a long haul.

Life with the caravan was simple. The merchants had taken on only Wang Yu’s party for this trip, and his payment of over two thousand gold coins was equivalent to the Chamber’s entire monthly turnover.

They made no further trades along the way, sticking to the route toward the Royal City to deliver the funds to the headquarters before heading out for new business.

Wang Yu was a man who could endure solitude. With nothing to do on the wagon, the journey was monotonous, so he spent his time researching wizard runes.

Time passed quickly. Two days slipped by with little progress; Wang Yu’s talent was what it was, though he did manage to optimize the casting rune for his double-jump, allowing for two extra uses.

On the second night, the caravan traveled under the moonlight. The radiance of the magical moon was far brighter than the moon of his previous life. Wang Yu couldn't tell if this blue orb reflected sunlight, but it was undeniably luminous.

Considering this world harbored vampires, the magical moon likely operated on some specific mechanism; otherwise, it made no sense for vampires to fear sunlight but remain indifferent to moonlight.

The brightness was a blessing for night travel. The horses were rotated, with one team resting in the wagons while the other pulled.

Emon was already snoring thunderously on the floor of the carriage, while Elliott slept soundly, half his body hanging off the wooden bench as if he were deaf to the racket.

Avia leaned against Wang Yu, two small, round objects visible in her ears—earplugs Wang Yu had fashioned for her out of Void energy. Her soft breathing brushed his shoulder; she seemed to be sleeping well.

Wang Yu emerged from his meditative state of rune study and sniffed the air, catching the comforting scent of Ling’er grass incense.

It quickly dispelled his mental fatigue and tension, easing him into a relaxed pre-sleep state. He had to admit, despite Elliott’s stinginess, he was a decent employer.

The caravan moved without a driver; the trained horses followed the road instinctively. Wenna was nowhere to be seen, likely out on patrol.

Wang Yu adjusted his posture to be more comfortable, shifting Avia slightly so she wouldn't be awkward.

He closed his eyes. He could easily ignore Emon’s deafening snores; as long as it didn't concern him, he could fall asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

The world of dreams gradually enveloped his consciousness. Before drifting off, his internal ripples sank into his heart, pulsing outward like radar in rhythm with his heartbeat.

Wang Yu had always tried to emulate the protagonists of cultivation novels, who could drive their bodies to pulverize enemies by instinct even while unconscious. He was still far from that level.

However, he could manage simple tasks, like letting the ripples pulse outward naturally with his heartbeat—his best form of perimeter defense.

With his guard set, Wang Yu sank into slumber. Sleep was his only way to recover; since his mental power was not tied to his mental state, having a full reserve didn't mean he wouldn't feel exhausted. Sleep was indispensable.

The caravan, led by the lead horses, rolled along the trade route. The pace was steady, and the long line of wagons moved like a quiet, giant serpent, the sound of wheels scraping against the earth constant.

The surrounding forest remained still, a silent spectator maintaining a tacit agreement to leave the passing serpent alone.

...

In the darkness, Wang Yu’s eyes snapped open. The feedback from his ripples had signaled an anomaly, his body’s instinct jolting him awake.

Fragmented images flashed through his mind as he woke, his thoughts still hazy. Because he wasn't fully conscious, the ripple reconnaissance was intermittent.

In the broken images, small figures appeared in the roadside grass. Still groggy, Wang Yu only caught glimpses of their silhouettes.

"Goblins?" Wang Yu muttered to himself. Without waking anyone, he settled Avia against the wall, silenced his ripples, and vaulted out of the carriage, climbing onto the roof.

The moment he reached the top, he saw a cloaked figure standing on a distant wagon. Though beyond the range of his omnidirectional ripple vision, the clear eyes beneath the elven hood caught the moonlight and locked onto his.

Wang Yu glanced at the grass, then back at Wenna. The elven ranger nodded, pulled back her hood, and moved her lips silently.

"Gob... lins..." Wang Yu mimicked the shape of her mouth. He narrowed his eyes. Indeed, goblins.

As expected of the best ranger Elliott could hire, Wenna had detected the movement early and confirmed the target.

But why were there goblins here? Wang Yu felt a flicker of doubt. This area was close to the Royal City, mostly noble fiefdoms.

Private armies would never allow these ugly, savage creatures into their lands. So where did they come from?

He scanned the surrounding grass. The bright moonlight provided decent visibility. Though beyond his ripple range, his keen senses caught the subtle disturbances in the brush.

The road cut through a wilderness area with a few small villages—likely the fief of some lazy lord. It was neither farmland nor hunting ground, and the grass grew thick, tall enough to hide an adult’s waist.

This waist-high grass was swaying unnaturally, bowing and rising in waves.

Wang Yu focused. Protected by the green camouflage, figures with deep-green skin were sprinting alongside the wagons.

The grass, which offered little cover for humans, was perfect for these short creatures—their ideal disguise.

"They know how to hide instead of just charging in? A goblin raiding party? Where did so many come from? This is hellish," Wang Yu thought, surprised.

Goblins were usually dim-witted. Alone, they would just scream and swing whatever they held until they were easily killed due to their frail constitutions.

But in large numbers, intelligent variants like goblin brutes or mages could emerge. With a leader, these idiots could employ crude tactics like camouflage, becoming a true raiding party.

But that required a significant number. There were no goblin habitats within Alastair; any camps were usually wiped out by adventurers.

A raiding party needed at least a hundred. Wang Yu was puzzled.

Regardless, it wasn't his concern. The goblins were clearly targeting their caravan, and preparing for battle was the priority.

Under Wang Yu’s gaze, the swaying of the grass on both sides of the road accelerated. These small creatures were frail, but their speed and agility were impressive; keeping pace with the wagons was no challenge.

More and more grass began to sway unnaturally under the moonlight. A few tattered helmets flashed through the brush, caught by Wang Yu’s eyes.

"Helmets? How? Where did they get equipment?" More questions flooded his mind, but he didn't slow down.

The horses grew restless, sensing the change in scent and sound. They slowed, snorting and trying to steer away from the grass.

Wang Yu leaned down and hammered on the carriage door. The snoring stopped instantly. A rugged orc face poked out, looking up at Wang Yu. Wang Yu didn't speak, simply pointing to both sides of the road. "Goblin raiding party..."

Emon glanced at the grass. Orcs had better night vision than humans; he likely saw what Wang Yu saw.

Seconds later, the orc nodded and ducked back inside. A flurry of commotion followed. Elliott’s shriek erupted from the carriage but was cut short—likely smothered by Emon.

Then, Avia’s worried face appeared. Wang Yu gestured for her to stay put. She nodded and retreated.

A few seconds later, the carriage shook as the massive orc climbed onto the roof, clutching Elliott under his arm. The goblin was now clad in a full suit of iron armor that fit his small frame perfectly; he looked like a heavy, iron statuette.

The orc placed his boss on the roof. Elliott immediately pulled several scrolls from a bag on his armor, tearing them open and casting them on Wang Yu, Emon, and himself.

"Mana shields. These aren't cheap..." Wang Yu noted the thin film of light shimmering over his body. These universal mana shield scrolls were indeed pricey—about forty gold coins each—and were in high demand.

"Life is worth more than money," Elliott’s voice echoed inside his iron shell, sounding muffled. The greedy goblin was surprisingly open-handed when it came to survival.

Wang Yu nodded and looked toward Wenna. The elf was leaping between wagons, touching the horses.

The horses seemed to understand the ranger, slowing down under her touch. The lead horses followed suit, naturally dropping their pace.

The caravan, once a crawling serpent, slowed down. Elliott and the others were adjusting their speed to one suitable for close-quarters combat.

As the caravan slowed, the goblins no longer needed to sprint and grew manic.

They began to jump, abandoning their cover. Or perhaps they still thought they were hidden—which was exactly what Wang Yu wanted. He needed these dim-witted creatures to believe their "camouflage" was still working.

The goblins' movements became varied as they slowed down. One could see green, short figures leaping from the waist-high grass, some even wearing blood-stained iron helmets.

"They're getting excited. Get ready; they won't hold back much longer," Wenna’s cold voice came from behind them.

Though Wang Yu had already sensed her arrival with his inner eye, he couldn't help but marvel at her stealth. Without his ripples, he never would have detected her approach.

"Damn it, Wenna, you're still as ghostly as ever! You scared the life out of me! But these damned goblins are even worse—they have the same build as us goblins, but they're as savage as a pack of hell-imps!"

Elliott, startled by Wenna, began to curse, his vitriol directed at the goblins darting in and out of the grass.

Indeed, some people confused goblins with gnomes due to their size, which explained why Elliott hated these little green-skins so much.

Aemon remained unmoved by Wenna’s sudden appearance; the burly orc possessed a caution and wariness that belied his rugged exterior.

He unslung a massive bludgeon from his back, his eyes—larger and far more ferocious than a human’s—sweeping the surrounding tall grass.

Wang Yu braced himself as well, drawing his longsword and weaving a spell; an invisible barrier shimmered into existence over his magical shield: Sorcery: Barrier.

Against a swarm of these small, weak-limbed creatures, the best strategy was not a protracted exchange, but to maintain a solid defense and carve a path of destruction straight through their ranks.

"Awoo! Gak-gak!" A chorus of shrill, piercing shrieks erupted; the goblin raiding party, long held in check, could no longer suppress their innate cruelty and madness.

They burst from the weeds on both sides of the road, howling nonsense into the dark night.

Ugly, green faces twisted into hideous, grotesque grins as they charged in a chaotic, disordered mass, surging toward the caravan under the moonlight. The horses panicked, neighing wildly and straining to bolt.

Yet, as a melodious song drifted from the lips of the elf, the panicked steeds calmed, maintaining a steady pace along the trade route—a speed that forced the goblins to run just to keep up.

Wang Yu scanned the horde; there were many, already over a hundred surging from the brush.

He noted some goblins clad in ill-fitting, oversized iron armor, topped with blood-stained helmets too large for their heads. These military-grade armaments made Wang Yu’s brow furrow.

More concerning, however, were the blood-soaked shirts and notched, gore-streaked pitchforks and hoes clutched by others.

He glanced back at Aemon and Wenna; the caravan guards’ eyes burned with disgust and murderous intent. Wang Yu understood: these items proved the goblins had just ransacked a village, and everything they wore had belonged to the villagers.

As for the villagers themselves, goblins were never known to be picky eaters. Wang Yu sighed; he could not save them all, and he felt little sentimentality, only a growing curiosity about where such a large force capable of sacking a village had emerged from. Perhaps the military gear held the answer?

He tightened his grip on his sword, waiting for an opening—an opening that would soon be created for him.

The green tide of goblins surged from both sides of the caravan. Though small as children, their sheer numbers and hideous visages were enough to chill the blood. Yet, their disorganized, tightly packed formation offered the perfect canvas for a mage.

As the goblins charged with glee toward the four figures they deemed as weak as the villagers they had just slaughtered, two searing fireballs erupted from the carriage, flying toward either flank.

The violent explosions instantly tore through the dense formation. Goblins near the blast were shredded into charred fragments, while those on the periphery were sent flying, vomiting green blood before dying of ruptured organs.

Those further out were either knocked flat by the shockwave, struggling to rise, or clutched their ears, screaming in agony as the thunderous detonation left them dazed and disoriented.

Before the goblins could recover, two figures descended from the carriage roof: Wang Yu to the left, Aemon to the right.

The longsword sliced through the goblins’ fragile frames with effortless ease; to Wang Yu, these green-skinned runts were no different from ragdolls. A single swing could cleave two or more into heaps of gore.

Goblins that recovered or had been unaffected rushed forward, swinging a chaotic assortment of weapons at Wang Yu. There were many, and their combined force was not to be ignored—a direct hit would certainly draw blood.

This was the goblins’ favorite tactic: the ant devouring the elephant. But they could not reach him; their frantic strikes were blocked entirely by the barrier shimmering over his skin.

A short axe joined the slaughter in silence. As the blade fell, gaunt limbs flew through the air and severed heads rolled across the ground. Until his barriers were shattered, Wang Yu would continue to cull these goblins as easily as slaughtering chickens.