Chapter 237 - 158: The Maidens in Distress
Chapter 237: Chapter 158: The Maidens in Distress
Under the Adventurers’ coordinated attack, the Goblin Guards were completely routed. Only a few lucky ones managed to escape, leaving behind a floor littered with bodies.
"Let’s deal with these bodies on our way back."
Torren stopped the Adventurers, who were about to habitually collect their spoils. "Don’t forget our purpose here is to rescue people. A few Goblins just escaped and will surely report back. We need to press the chase and not give the Goblins any time to recover."
Landon nodded as well. "Although there might be more dangers ahead, this is the time to press the attack with everything we’ve got."
Since the two leaders had spoken, the others naturally had no objections.
As for the other Level 4 Professional, Lute, he was the opposite of his usual cheerful self. When it came to business, he rarely spoke, dedicating most of his attention to the fight.
The group pressed forward. The path ahead grew wider, revealing what could only be described as a small, underground Goblin village!
They had used mud and loose stones to construct a crude bunker within this massive underground cavern. This was, in fact, a medium-to-large-sized Goblin Settlement!
There was no telling how many Goblins lived here, and even the weakest among them were nearly Professional Level!
’These guys have probably been hiding here for more than a day or two...’
Likely because of the few that had escaped earlier, these Goblins were already fully armed, watching them warily with weapons in hand.
Others hid behind walls, also armed, their gazes vicious.
Compared to the ones outside, there was a greater variety of Goblins here. They weren’t limited to just Type II Goblins; there were also some Mutated Goblins, and occasionally, even a Quasi-Bronze Level Goblin could be seen.
Here, the surrounding walls were hung with numerous torches and oil lamps. One could even spot the occasional broken and aged Magic Energy Lamp, flickering faintly due to a lack of Magic Energy.
Further ahead, they could faintly see many more of these lights, but it was impossible to tell how deep the underground cavern went, or how many more Goblins lay in wait.
’Pessimistically speaking, the ones we just killed were most likely just guards at the gate, and these ones before us are just ordinary "civilians."’
’The real challenge of this trip probably still lies ahead!’
"Anyway, let’s get rid of these guys first!"
Torren acted decisively, striking out and lopping off a Goblin’s head with his blade.
No matter how many Goblins there were in this place, killing them one by one couldn’t be wrong.
The Adventurers also sprang into action, working in pairs and trios to kill every Goblin they encountered along the way.
Lin Mo moved out as well, and because he was alone, he was even faster.
Inside a crude "house" built from a pile of loose stones—in truth, it couldn’t be called a house at all, just a space enclosed by rocks.
In any case, in this place the Goblins called home, Lin Mo discovered some human skeletons.
They weren’t piled in a corner like trash, but displayed like decorations in the most conspicuous spot.
It seemed they had even been crudely polished.
There was even a piece of dried, flayed skin hanging on the front wall, the first thing anyone would see upon entering.
Clearly, to the Goblins, this was a kind of honor, a symbol of status.
The owner of this "home" was a Goblin Guard. It was clear its status was higher than its neighbors; it even wore a decent set of clothes and a piece of Leather Armor that seemed to have been cut and tied to its body with rope.
"HISS—!"
The Goblin let out a threatening hiss. Lin Mo’s expression turned to ice as he darted forward and slammed a [Punching Fist] into its face.
The immense Strength of the blow flattened the Goblin’s nose, covering its face in blood. It continued to curse, swinging its weapon and hacking wildly in front of itself.
After a few moments, its body suddenly stiffened, and it slowly collapsed to the ground.
[Punching Fist] Skill Level +10!
It had to be said, Lin Mo truly hated creatures like Goblins.
It wasn’t like the revulsion he felt toward Slimes; this was genuine loathing and hatred.
Greedy, evil, filthy—almost any negative adjective you could think of wouldn’t seem out of place when applied to these monsters.
Every year, countless innocent humans were brutally murdered by these green-skinned monsters. Lin Mo might not have the power to change the status quo, and it wasn’t his place to manage everything, but he had always believed that killing every single Goblin he laid eyes on was something that could never be wrong.
Now, he was feeling this conviction more deeply than ever.
They advanced, slaughtering as they went.
Just as these monsters had once done to innocent villagers, the Adventurers killed every single Goblin they saw along the way.
It was a necessary task, but it was also clearly draining their Physical Strength. After all, their opponents were far from weak and seemed to be growing stronger the deeper they went.
Similarly, as the group pushed forward, the items found in the Goblins’ "homes" finally became more and more "High Level."
From broken bone fragments, to whole limbs, to complete skeletons...
Until finally, they found someone who was still alive.
Alive, but there was little difference from being dead.
The young woman who appeared before Lin Mo was eighteen or nineteen at most. Her body was covered in dirt and Goblin claw marks, a chain fastened around her neck. Many of the wounds on her body had festered and were infested with maggots; one could faintly see insects crawling within them...
A relatively new-looking scar was visible on her stomach, and her lower abdomen was still slightly swollen. It was likely she had been forced to give birth to a Goblin’s offspring not long ago.
Her right arm was gone, and her eyes had been gouged out. There were even signs that these grievous wounds had been treated, likely to prevent her from dying too quickly.
She lay motionless in a corner, showing no signs of life aside from the faint, weak rise and fall of her chest.
Standing before her, a Quasi-Bronze Goblin holding a Curved Blade stared at him with an infuriated expression, screeching something incomprehensible.
Lin Mo’s expression was as cold and still as ice.
He took a slow, deep breath. In that instant, his figure vanished, reappearing the next moment behind the Goblin.
[Invisibility] Skill Level +15
[Shadow Assault] Skill Level +15
’This was letting it off too easily, but there were more, equally evil bastards waiting for me up ahead. So, I could only let its head roll for now.’
Lin Mo glanced at the young woman on the ground. Her remaining left arm seemed to twitch once, and then her breath ceased completely.
With a somewhat heavy heart, Lin Mo quickened his pace, left the area, and continued forward.
Similar scenes were playing out for the other Adventurers as well.
Whether it was Quasi-Bronze Level Goblins or the stronger Goblin Guards, dying girls were often found in their "homes."
Most of these young women were beyond saving. On the rare occasion one was found who still had a chance, they were brought to Feney, which immediately brought the kind-hearted girl to tears.
Although this was something they had anticipated before coming, no one could remain calm when truly faced with it.
Landon clenched his fists tightly. ’I wish I were a Warrior right now, so I could just smash my fist in a Goblin’s face. That would be way more satisfying than Magic.’
But he calmed himself and reminded the others, "Everyone, be careful. These Goblins are getting stronger..."
The Goblins in whose homes they found human girls had a Threat Level of at least Level 2, with some reaching Level 2.5 or even higher.
Opponents like these were not so easy to deal with.
It often took several Adventurers working together to take one down.
And...
Landon looked farther ahead.
’Our true opponents haven’t even shown up yet!’
"You motherfucking bastards, die!"
A well-known and powerful Adventurer, having just finished a fierce battle with the help of his companions to behead a Quasi-Bronze Goblin, was about to go stomp on the corpse to vent his anger when an Arrow suddenly struck him, making him cry out in pain.
"Watch out!"
His companions looked toward the direction the Arrow had come from, only to see a grayish-green creature holding an exquisite Wooden Bow, a second arrow already nocked.
The next moment, the Arrow flew toward them with terrifying speed. Even though they saw it coming, they didn’t have time to dodge.
"SWISH—!"
Accompanied by the whistle of the Arrow cutting through the air, another Adventurer was hit. The Arrow struck him square in the chest, piercing straight through and pinning him to the wall behind.
"Get out of here!"
The injured Adventurer broke out in a cold sweat. "This Goblin’s Threat Level might be as high as Level 4!"
Meanwhile, Torren, who was slaughtering Goblins on the front line, had also met his match. An incredibly muscular Goblin had appeared before him.
Unlike a typical Mutated Goblin, this one’s skin was noticeably darker. It wielded a massive Curved Blade, and its tusks, over ten centimeters long, gave it a savage and terrifying appearance.
"A Giant Goblin!"
Torren recognized his opponent at a glance and instantly became serious, preparing to go all out.
’This one’s strength is probably no less than my own!’
Landon was about to step in and help when he suddenly looked up and to the side.
The next moment, a huge Fireball came flying toward him.
[Wind Blade Skill]!
Landon immediately raised his Magic Staff, unleashing a Wind Blade Skill to intercept it.
The Wind Blade collided with the Fireball, locking them in a brief stalemate. In the end, the Wind Blade barely managed to slice through the Fireball before dissipating completely.
The magical clash resulted in a stalemate.
’The opponent is also a Level 4 Caster!’
Hidden in the center of the group, Lute gazed into the distance with his sharp eyes. In the faint firelight, he could vaguely make out numerous figures rushing toward them.
The real battle was about to begin!