Leon watched as the fifteen knights mounted their warhorses, lined up in formation, and stormed out of the clearing toward the ruins.
At the front, Carlos spurred his steed forward, leading the charge with unwavering determination.
The thunder of horseshoes pounded against the ground, raising thick clouds of dust that swirled through the air like a storm. Lances leveled and glinting in the fading light, the knights cut through the open field before the goblins at the ruins could even react.
The first to fall were those caught off guard at the perimeter. Lance tips drove clean through their chests, impaling one bewildered goblin after another.
Blood sprayed into the air. None of the knights slowed down. Their lances skewered their targets like meat on spits as they plunged deeper into the tribe's camp, every strike sowing panic and confusion.
They knew their objective well—create as much chaos as possible.
"Our turn now!"
Leon's voice rang out, sharp and eager. He raised his sword high and surged forward.
Behind him, thirty barbarians followed, their swords and axes gleaming. On the flanks, forty skeletal goblins armed with crude spiked clubs advanced in perfect, unnerving unison.
Their pace was swift, almost like a sprint. Murderous intent burned in their eyes. All of them were set on seizing the ruins, the place that would become their lord's fief and their home.
"For the Kingdom of Cailux!"
Carlos and the knights roared as they pushed further into the camp. Their lances, now shattered from impact, were tossed aside. Without missing a beat, they drew their longswords and hacked through goblins that poured in from all sides.
The ambush had worked perfectly.
The goblins hadn't anticipated any attack, and the sudden assault threw their ranks into total disorder. Panic spread to the outskirts of the camp, where most goblins could only stare, wide-eyed, unsure of what was happening.
The setting sun became the knights' ally. As the goblins turned toward the noise in the west, the light hit their eyes, blinding them and delaying their response.
Gallop, gallop, gallop—
The pounding hooves grew louder, and when the goblins finally recognized the threat, it was already too late.
Carlos led the vanguard straight into their midst. Swords sliced through flesh, and blood splattered across the trampled ground.
The goblins' long noses and green skin twisted with fear as their lines crumbled.
"Maintain formation! Stay with me!"
Leon's sword flashed as he cut down goblins in his path. His expression remained hard, his focus locked on the heart of the tribe. Carlos and the knights fought like men possessed, swinging their blades in a frenzy as they spread death and panic through the goblin camp.
"Keep charging!"
Leon pointed his sword toward the ruined castle ahead and pressed forward. Behind him, thirty barbarians surged with ferocity, while thirty-two skeletons followed closely—the other eight had already been destroyed during earlier skirmishes with fleeing goblins.
The goblin tribe, thrown into complete disarray, could barely fight back. Their screams filled the air as Leon's forces advanced with overwhelming momentum.
Everywhere, goblins scattered—old and young, warriors and workers alike—running in terror.
Memories of ten years ago flooded their minds: the massacre carried out by the Kingdom of Cailux. It had been a night of slaughter that still haunted them. Those who had survived back then knew better than to resist.
"Leave none of them alive. We do not need prisoners."
Leon's voice cut through the chaos like a blade, sealing the goblins' fate.
The knights pursued those who fled toward the ruined castle, cutting them down as they tried to take shelter behind the crumbling walls.
Near the fortress center, Carlos was the first to spot it: a wooden cage containing three human captives.
Intent on freeing them, he signaled his knights and advanced. But before they could reach the cage, a fiery explosion erupted out of nowhere.
A fireball struck the knights, throwing several to the ground and filling the area with smoke.
"Cough, cough—"
Carlos emerged miraculously unscathed, protected by a faint blue aura.
Leon scanned through the haze, his eyes narrowing toward the castle doors. A goblin wearing fangs and wielding a scepter stood there, exuding a menacing presence.
"A goblin shaman… No wonder they've managed to survive despite the pranic beasts," Leon muttered darkly.
Swoosh—
Before he could react further, a blur shot out from the castle. A massive figure emerged—green-skinned, furred, tusked, with pointed ears. It stood nearly seven feet tall, a monstrous hybrid between goblin and bear.
With terrifying speed, the creature lunged straight at Carlos.
The knight captain barely had time to react before the beast crashed into him with bone-crushing force. The impact hurled Carlos through the air like a ragdoll.
Leon's eyes widened in disbelief as the ground shook from the collision. The goblin bear's raw power was overwhelming. Carlos tumbled through the air before crashing hard onto the ground.
ROARR!!
As the dust settled, the creature stood tall and triumphant amid the ruins, its presence casting a shadow of dread over the battlefield.
"What the hell is that?" Leon exclaimed, stunned by the creature that had emerged from the castle.
"Appraisal," he muttered.
[Goblin Bear]
[Tier 3 Awakened]
[The Goblin Bear is a hybrid of a goblin and a grizzly bear. The goblins hunted female grizzlies over the years to breed offspring strong enough to rival orcs and ogres. The Goblin Bear inherits the physical might of the grizzly while retaining goblin traits, making it both brutal and obedient. They are fiercely loyal and follow the orders of goblins far smaller than themselves.]