We descended the valley slope as lightly as possible, trying to blend in with the shadows of the towering trees.
I led the way, the Glock 17 gripped firmly in both hands, its barrel pointing straight ahead, piercing the darkness. My body leaned forward, knees slightly bent—a combat stance I learned from action movies and FPS games back in my world. Every muscle was tense, my eyes scanning every corner of the dimly lit forest with vigilance.
"Hey, Liam," Dina whispered from behind me, her voice almost swallowed by the rustling of the night wind.
"Why are you walking hunched over like that? Does your back hurt?"
I turned slightly without stopping my pace.
"Using this weapon requires this, Dina. Especially for stealth attacks. It's a technique taught in my hometown to minimize body profile and increase shooting stability."
"I see..." she murmured, her tone sounding curious.
"Why do you ask?"
"Nothing, it's just... your way of walking is unique," she replied, her eyes looking at me with a sparkle of interest.
"I've seen many fighting styles from various adventurers, but I've never seen one like that. It looks weird."
Hearing that, I just smiled faintly and refocused my mind on our objective. The goblin lair was only a few meters away now. The smell of burning wood and something fouler—the stench of unwashed goblin bodies—began to waft faintly, carried by the humid night breeze.
Luckily, the footing here was quite friendly. The ground beneath my boots was covered in thick grass that muffled footsteps, not gravel that could make a crunch sound.
"Liam, hide behind that big tree," Garren whispered, pointing to an old tree with massive roots jutting out of the ground.
I nodded and gave a hand signal. We moved quickly and silently, pressing our backs against the rough, mossy tree trunk. From behind this natural cover, we peeked toward the goblin settlement.
"It looked small from up above," Tom muttered, his eyes observing the rows of rickety shacks in front of us.
"I didn't expect it to be this big up close. Their numbers must be higher than our estimate."
I slowly took off my mountain pack, opening it carefully so the zipper wouldn't sound too loud. I took out my black poncho raincoat and handed it to Tom.
"What's this for?" he asked, confused, feeling the slick plastic material.
"Use it to hide yourself," I explained. "It's black, it will help you blend into the darkness. Garren can't possibly carry you into the middle of a fight with that leg, right? You have to stay here and hide until we get back."
Garren patted Tom's shoulder gently. "He's right, Tom. You're not fit. Your priority is to stay alive and unseen."
"True enough... thanks, Liam," Tom said sincerely, taking the coat and starting to cover himself among the tree roots.
I refocused on my weapon. I pressed the magazine release, caught the falling magazine with my left hand, and pocketed it. From my bag, I took a spare magazine I had just bought on the way here. The bullets inside gleamed coldly.
I slid it into the pistol with a click.
Preparedness is key, I thought. I don't want to die a stupid death just because I ran out of ammo in the middle of a battle.
I stared at the black pistol in my hand. Somehow, the weight didn't feel heavy anymore like the first time I held it. It felt like an extension of my own hand now.
I pulled the Glock's slide back with one quick motion, click-clack. Then, I twisted the suppressor attached to the barrel tip, removing it for a moment. I blew into it to ensure no dust or dirt was clogging it—then reattached it with a twist until it locked perfectly.
I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with the cold, earthy forest air, trying to calm my rapidly beating heart.
Dina and Garren looked at me. In their eyes, I didn't see doubt, but trust.
"Liam, don't be nervous," Dina whispered softly, her hand touching my shoulder for a moment. Warm.
"We're right behind you. I'll protect you as best I can with my magic. You're not alone."
"I've got your back, Liam," added Garren, his voice low and steady as a rock. He drew his sword, the blade reflecting the faint moonlight.
"We're getting out of here alive."
I nodded, feeling my courage rise. "Thanks. In that case... let's start."
I turned from our protective tree, staring at the rickety wooden fence surrounding the goblin lair. The fence was made of sharpened wooden stakes tied haphazardly, gaps large enough to peek through.
In the right corner, a simple watchtower stood crookedly. Atop it, the small silhouette of a goblin guard was visible, nodding off, his head bobbing occasionally.
We have to avoid his line of sight, I thought.
I raised my right hand, giving a simple tactical signal: forward, keep low.
We moved like ghosts, sneaking through the tall underbrush. My hands were sweating cold, gripping the pistol handle so tight my palms were slick. Every rustle of leaves felt tense.
I looked left and right, ensuring no patrols were passing. Clear.
I crawled closer to the wooden fence, pressing my face against one of the gaps. A pungent stench immediately assaulted my nose—the smell of feces, rotting meat, and something sweeter and more disgusting.
From behind the gap, I could see and hear the hustle and bustle of goblin nightlife. The sound of harsh, shrieking laughter, growls of arguments over food, and... other sounds. Sounds of stifled moans and weak sobbing.
My blood boiled. My eyes narrowed, cold and sharp as ice.
Dammit. These short bastards...
Cold rage crept into my chest, replacing the fear. I'll kill you all. Won't leave a single one standing.
I looked back at Dina and Garren. I nodded once, firmly.
They nodded back.
On a silent cue, the three of us climbed the wooden fence simultaneously. Our movements were fast and efficient. We landed on the other side with a soft thud that was instantly swallowed by the lair's noise.
Without wasting a second, we immediately slipped into the shadows behind a stack of wooden crates.
"What should we do, Garren?"
Garren knelt beside me.
"We can't just storm in. Their numbers are too great," he murmured, his rough index finger drawing a tactical pattern on the ground.
He looked at me and Dina in turn, making sure we were listening.
"First, we clear out the goblins inside those houses. Do it silently. One by one. Then we move slowly to free the prisoners, to create chaos."
"After that, find the Leader of this Goblin Lair."
"Leader?" I asked.
"Correct. Goblins are basically monsters with low intelligence. They live mostly on instinct rather than logic. But remember, they are definitely not stupid creatures," Garren explained with a serious face.
"However, as smart as goblins can be, they couldn't possibly create a settlement of this scale and order without a strong figure uniting them. Whether it's a Hobgoblin, a Goblin Shaman, a Goblin Lord... or something far worse."
He stabbed his finger into the ground, right at the end of the line. "We kill the leader, and their command falls into chaos. Without a leader, they are just a bunch of panicked rats. After that, we can easily kill them all one by one."
Dina, who had been silent while gripping her staff tightly, finally spoke up. Her face looked pale under the dim moonlight.
"Then... what if the leader of this goblin lair is a Goblin King?"
The question hung heavy in the air. A Goblin King. A C-Rank monster possessing physical strength and intelligence far above ordinary goblins. Fighting one in prime condition was already difficult, let alone with a battered team like this.
Garren fell silent for a moment. He stared at the largest shack in the center of the lair, his eyes narrowing.
"Then we have no other choice," he answered, his voice hardening.
"We can only run while causing as much chaos as possible. Burn these shacks with those torches. It so happens their buildings are entirely made of dry wood and straw. Dina, you can also help with *Fireball* to speed up the fire spreading."
I gasped.
"Wait a minute!" I cut in, my voice rising slightly before I realized and restrained it back to a sharp whisper.
"If we do that, burn this lair... we can't save the people inside! They'll burn too!"
The image of the women being herded earlier flashed in my mind. Their desperate faces. If we burned this place, we might as well be killing them with our own hands.
"Listen, Liam," Garren turned his body, gripping my shoulder with his large, heavy hand. His gaze pierced my eyes, serious and uncompromising.
"Our main goal is not to save them! Our goal is only to create chaos so we can get out of this Black Forest and return to the city safely! Saving them is secondary!"
I tried to pull away, but his grip was too strong.
"If it turns out we can exterminate these goblins without burning everything, great, we can save them," Garren continued, his tone softening slightly but remaining firm.
"But if the situation worsens... if we face a Goblin King... we burn this place, wipe them out, and go home safe. The lives of the four of us are the top priority. Don't be a hero who dies a stupid death."
I gritted my teeth, my jaw hardening in frustration. It tasted bitter. Very bitter. I knew he was right. This was a cruel world. Survival was everything. But my heart refused to accept it.
Is there really no other choice?!
"Liam..."
Dina touched my left arm. Her touch was gentle, contrasting with Garren's rough grip. I turned to her. Her green eyes looked at me with a mix of guilt and pleading.
"I know you're a good person. I know you want to help everyone," she whispered.
"But please, listen to Garren's advice. You don't want us to die here, do you? If we die, no one survives. At least, if we survive, we can report this to the Guild so they send stronger adventurers."
Her words cleared my mind. Dina was right. Dying alongside them wouldn't change anything.
I closed my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, trying to swallow the anger and helplessness stuck in my throat. The night air, smelling of smoke and filth, felt suffocating.
Slowly, I nodded.
"Alright," I muttered, my voice hoarse. "We follow your plan, Garren."
I opened my eyes, staring straight at the noisy Goblin Lair. My hand tightened its grip on my weapon handle.
"Good," Garren said, releasing my shoulder. He picked up his sword lying on the ground.
"Last piece of info." Garren looked at me, locking eyes with me.
I stared back at him, annoyed. *What now?*
"Liam," his voice dropped lower, becoming a sharp warning.
"Don't show them mercy. Kill while you have the chance! Goblins aren't just weak monsters you can underestimate. They are cunning, cruel, sadistic, cowardly, and extremely lustful. One individual might not be a problem, but if their numbers are many... it can be a disaster. So don't hesitate. Pull your trigger and kill them."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.
"One more thing," he continued, pointing towards the flickering torches in the distance.
"Goblins are sensitive to light. They have excellent vision in the dark, and unfortunately, they can also smell metal. Your weapon... its smell could invite them."
He brought his face closer, his expression dead serious. "So we have to move fast. Very fast. And if we get caught... don't think, don't hesitate. Kill as many as you can before they have a chance to scream."
I inhaled deeply, feeling the cold night in my lungs.
"Thanks for the info, Garren."
I leaned forward slightly, peeking through the gap in the wood. About twenty meters ahead, beside a crooked wooden shack, stood a single goblin guard. He looked bored, his head nodding as if fighting heavy drowsiness. Flickering torchlight illuminated his dull green skin and the rough leather armor wrapped around his small body. A rusty iron sword hung carelessly at his waist.
"I'll kill him," I whispered.
"After that, we move fast. Drag his body behind that shack. Douse the blood with dirt so the smell doesn't attract others."
Garren and Dina nodded in unison.
I raised my pistol, bracing it with both hands for maximum stability. I took a deep breath.
Click.
My index finger pressed the trigger gently.
PFFT!
The muffled gunshot sounded like the hiss of an angry snake.
Ahead, the goblin's head snapped back with sudden violence. He didn't have time to scream. His small body convulsed for a moment, hands clawing at empty air, before finally collapsing onto the muddy ground with a wet thud.
"Let's go, fast!"
I hissed, immediately rising from my hiding spot. With a low crouching posture, I sprinted across the short distance. Garren and Dina followed behind me.