“Goblins also have professional archers?”

 

“Naturally.”

 

Keltan felt it necessary to explain to these outsiders, so he elaborated, “Those who don’t know think that goblins are only divided into three types: common goblins, goblin shamans, and goblin berserkers. But in fact, goblins have strict hierarchical and occupational divisions.

 

In terms of racial hierarchy, there are Green-skinned Goblins, White Ghost Goblins, and Purple Demon Goblins.

 

Goblin shamans are a special profession that only Purple Demon Goblins with purple skin can become. Additionally, Purple Demon Goblins have three other special professions: Goblin Priests, Goblin Scholars, and Goblin Commanders.

 

White Ghost Goblins also have more than just berserkers as a profession, but almost all White Ghost Goblins are too stupid to train themselves in any profession, and eventually become the most straightforward berserkers.

 

Green-skinned goblins have the most professions, with a variety of them. Once they have chosen their occupational direction, their future abilities will be closely related to this profession. Goblins skilled in a particular profession can also cause us considerable trouble.”

 

“Goblins actually have such divisions.”

 

The guards murmured in surprise, realizing that this mission was much more challenging than they had imagined.

 

In the direct territories, noble lords have their own collections of books and sometimes teach them some knowledge. However, there are few descriptions of goblins, such lowly and filthy creatures, in books.

 

The first time they heard the terms “Purple Demon Goblin” and “White Ghost Goblin” was when Lady Lila mentioned them here.

 

In the kingdom academy where Lady Lila studied, there were books that mentioned advanced individuals among goblins. However, Lady Lila didn’t talk much about it at the time because even the books in the kingdom academy rarely record information about goblins.

 

The books mostly talked about powerful races such as dragons, elves, angels, and dark races.

 

“We have entered the goblin area on the outskirts of the Misty Forest. Goblins are accustomed to trapping for hunting. During hunting, as long as there are advanced individuals among the goblins, they will abandon their solitary hunting habits and instead engage in group hunting led by the advanced individuals.

 

Based on your description, the organizational ability of the goblin shaman you encountered is strong. With this goblin around, besides the goblin archers and warriors you have seen, there may also be goblin knights, goblin scouts, and other professional goblins.

 

We must be cautious at every step from now on. If there are further casualties due to triggering traps, subsequent rescue operations may be compromised.”

 

Keltan made the seriousness of the situation clear, injecting a sense of caution into everyone.

 

However, the deputy chief guard had another concern.

 

“Is it possible that there are more goblins in this area on the outskirts of the Misty Forest than the ones we encountered?”

 

“That’s alright.”

 

Keltan shook his head and said, “The vast majority of goblins live in scattered groups, just like wolf packs. Each group has its own leader, they are hostile to each other, and they guard their own territories.

 

The goblin group you encountered is probably the most threatening in this goblin area, and the estimated number is quite large.

 

Following the traces they left behind, we have roughly determined the approximate territory of this goblin group. As long as we don’t trespass into the territories of other goblin groups, we won’t provoke them.”

 

“I see.”

 

The deputy chief guard nodded and asked again, “So, how do we find their caves next?”

 

“It’s simple. I’ve marked out an area on the map, and we’ll look for elevated terrain within that area.”

 

Keltan, an experienced adventurer, took out a pre-prepared sketch and marked out a section on the map.

 

“Goblins, like most ferocious beasts, prefer to live in caves with dark surroundings and natural barriers. Once we block the entrance, it will be safe for them to face migrating predatory beasts.

 

When digging caves, the location must be sufficiently high to avoid being easily flooded by rainwater, while also providing a better vantage point to be alert to intruders.

 

By confirming this, we can greatly narrow down the search area and locate their nest within an hour.”

 

Keltan’s descriptions were straightforward and easily understandable, quickly impressing everyone with his experience, which was impeccable to say the least.

 

Many veteran adventurers do not easily share their experiences when leading teams.

 

He seemed to be intending to showcase himself in front of Count Earl Rogerson, and if he could rescue Lady Lila, he would undoubtedly be the hero of the hour.

 

With Keltan’s clear instructions, everyone began to act more purposefully.

 

Taking advantage of the keen vision of the goblin archers, Chen Le noticed every move of the old adventurers.

 

Although he couldn’t hear their conversation or see clearly what was written on the paper, even in the face of losing one person, they could still quickly stabilize the emotions of the others and make them eager to try. This man with stubble might be a bit tricky.

 

If they were to kill them, with the many goblins in this area, it was not impossible to rally them all against the humans. However, if they all died here, it would undoubtedly alert more people.

 

The team sent out on the second day would be the first, but certainly not the last. A count couldn’t possibly have such limited resources, and humans wouldn’t simply ignore rampant goblins.

 

Driving them back while minimizing the threat level of the goblins in the eyes of humans was essential to avoid attracting more attention and to buy more time for respite. That was the key.

 

Guards and adventurers, huh…

 

Chen Le pondered briefly.

 

“Let the archers lure them into the abandoned cave and fight there!”

 

The human rescue team followed the terrain, gradually approaching the goblin cave.

 

Suddenly, wooden arrows flew from afar. The prepared team immediately went into a defensive stance, blocking and dodging the incoming arrows.

 

“It’s the goblin archers! They’re trying to stop us from approaching that direction. Their cave must be there!”

 

A hint of satisfaction appeared on Keltan’s face. They were lucky. They didn’t spend too much time before pinpointing the direction of the goblin cave.

 

“Charge and kill them all!”

 

The deputy chief guard was overjoyed, his eagerness to save himself and his rescuer causing him to momentarily forget who was in command here. He ordered the guards to advance.

 

“Wait!”

 

When Keltan realized what was happening, he immediately shouted to stop them. However, it was already too late. One of the guards rushing ahead stepped into a pit full of sharp sticks, and his agonized scream abruptly ended as he fell.

 

On the other side, a young adventurer inadvertently disturbed an irritable venomous snake and was bitten on the ankle.

 

Everyone stopped in their tracks, afraid to make any further movements.

 

“Quick, treat his wound and administer the antidote.”

 

Keltan’s expression turned exceptionally grim. The quality of these noble guards was lower than he had imagined, and the danger here was also greater than he had anticipated.

 

Chapter 8: “She Will Drain Us Dry”

 

In various sudden situations, the ugly side of human nature and the flaws of adventurers became apparent. The noble guards seemed no different, driven by impatience and greed.

 

In fact, the disdain that noble guards held for adventurers and their respective lifestyles over the years was the main reason for their disagreements with adventurers.

 

Adventurers were always in danger, so they tended to be more cautious. However, these noble guards, who were usually held in high regard, made thieves flee at the mere sight of them, leading them to be even more arrogant than adventurers.

 

Once unexpected situations arose, chaos was bound to ensue.

 

The deputy chief guard’s expression also turned grim. They hadn’t even reached the goblin cave yet, but they had already lost two people. One was severely weakened by poisoning, far beyond his expectations.

 

Keltan didn’t blame the deputy chief guard. Creating more friction at this moment would only hasten the team’s collapse.

 

Keltan crouched down beside the panicked young adventurer, comforting him while locating the snake that had bitten him.

 

These snakes were common in the area, but encountering so many of them from just now until now was unusual. This was where goblins often roamed, so these snakes shouldn’t be densely distributed here. Moreover, these snakes were mostly active at night, yet they were out during the day now.

This situation was like someone was driving their actions, and indeed, there existed a special individual among the goblins who could achieve this: the Goblin Commander!

 

It was a special profession among the Purple Demon Goblins.

 

However, the conditions for the appearance of a Goblin Commander were extremely stringent, and it had already been confirmed that the leader of the goblins here was a shaman. Furthermore, the snakes hadn’t actively attacked them, so the possibility of a Goblin Commander’s presence here was slim.

 

It was probably just an accident.

 

But whether it was an illusion or not, the goblins here hadn’t given them a chance to break through. Not a single advanced goblin had appeared to stop them once they entered their territory. This was somewhat unusual.

 

“Deputy chief guard, if you still want to save Lady Lila, I hope you can control yourself.”

 

Keltan warned sternly.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

The deputy chief guard didn’t argue.

 

The situation was grim now, with the deaths of two people severely dampening their morale.

 

If it weren’t for Keltan being a bronze-ranked adventurer and the deputy chief guard being an intermediate warrior, with their combat skills and prowess surpassing those of the other guards and iron-ranked adventurers, plus having a mage in the team to counter the goblin shaman, this rescue mission would have ended right there.

 

“Use long sticks and stones to clear the road of weeds, probe for traps, and make sure we don’t fall into any traps again. If we need to escape from here, we won’t be in a dilemma!”

 

The team continued forward, and the further they went, the fiercer the resistance from the Green-skinned Goblins became. It wasn’t until the goblins realized they couldn’t gain any advantage in the open terrain that they all retreated into the cave behind them.

 

The entrance to the goblin cave led directly underground, with a passage about the size of a cart, large enough for the goblin berserkers to come and go.

 

One of the men, who had been bitten by the snake, stayed outside the cave to guard, while the others entered with torches, beginning the final rescue operation.

 

Before entering the cave, Keltan reminded them, “Since they’re huddled in the cave, our goal is to quickly find the goblin shaman and the two goblin berserkers, kill them together, and then crush these goblins.”

 

“If their leader still hasn’t shown up, then we can prioritize clearing out those goblin grunts first, which will actually be advantageous for our operation. However, I must remind you all that there may be more than two goblin berserkers here. There may be open underground spaces in the cave, but don’t think about bypassing them to rescue the people. We must unite and quickly defeat the advanced individuals among the goblins. Only then will we have the chance to rescue the captives!”

 

After determining the action plan, everyone began to move.

 

However, just at that moment, a faint light appeared in the cave and rapidly approached, accompanied by the sound of roaring flames.

 

“Quick, retreat… No, raise your shields!”

 

When Keltan realized what was happening, it was already too late.

 

Boom!

 

There was a sudden explosion at the entrance of the goblin cave.

 

An elderly, skinny Purple Demon Goblin held a wooden staff taller than itself and danced happily in the  dim cave, seemingly celebrating its own cleverness.

 

Behind it, there were two huge, bulky white goblins, their figures overlapping.

 

They weren’t afraid of the human team; instead, they came out to confront them directly.

 

In just an instant, the flames directly burned the two guards and one adventurer warrior who were at the front.

 

With such powerful magic, it was undoubtedly of at least second-level magic depth. They had underestimated the capabilities of this goblin shaman.

 

In that moment, Keltan understood that they no longer had the necessity to continue this rescue operation.

 

“Retreat!”

 

The humans fled from the goblin cave, not even sparing a glance at the bodies of their fallen comrades in the pit.

 

The first battle against the goblins ended with the humans retreating, declaring victory for the goblins.

 

But it seemed like this was only the beginning.

 

…

 

Night was always quiet, but those in the midst of it were anything but calm.

 

Wearing a hand-knitted sweater, Lila sat on the crude wooden bed provided by the goblins, staring blankly at a freshly roasted rabbit, devoid of appetite.

 

Chen Le sat beside her, one hand resting on her shoulder, which felt as soft as boneless compared to the goblins around them.

 

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

 

“Le, why haven’t they come to rescue me yet?”

 

Chen Le smiled faintly and replied, “Give them a little more time to prepare. It’s only the second day; perhaps your father has just received the news.”

 

“Le, can we really leave here? I’m scared.”

 

“We can, we definitely can. But before that, we need to endure a little longer.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Lila leaned her head against Chen Le’s chest, seeking a bit of comfort.

 

Lila’s current Hope value: 23

 

Individual name: Human Noble ( Rogerson Lila Pregnant)

 

Chen Le gently stroked Lila’s head as he watched her finish the entire rabbit, her appetite seemingly returning. Then he got up to continue cooking, ensuring there was enough food for her.

 

For the ugly goblins, they could only reproduce once every seven days, with seven offspring each time, under the condition of absolute food abundance. Therefore, it was necessary to provide Lila with sufficient food.

 

Until Lila’s appetite was satisfied and she fell asleep peacefully, Chen Le sat down with the old Purple Demon Goblin, contemplating in the dim light of night.