Eighteen Goblin Shamans were assigned to the battle, with the swiftest among them continuously darting back to report the latest from the front lines.

Not long after, fresh reports came pouring in.

“Centurion-sama! The group on the left has engaged humans! They’re fighting!” one Goblin Shaman relayed.

“Centurion-sama! In the middle, a small group has encountered humans!” echoed another.

“Centurion-sama! The group on the right has met humans as well!”

“Excellent!” Govan’s grin widened.

The Goblins continued eagerly. “Centurion-sama! The group on the left has begun surrounding the humans! Victory is certain!”

“Centurion-sama! The center group is encircling them! This time, they won’t escape!”

“Centurion-sama! The group on the right has closed in! Every last human will fall!”

Gottu, the mastermind of their ambush, watched Govan closely, grinning but cautious. He didn’t dare laugh too arrogantly.

“Well done!” Govan bellowed, pleased.

“Ha ha ha ha ha!” Gottu erupted, clapping his hands and hopping excitedly before sitting back down.

“These foolish humans think we’re stupid!” Gothry sneered, laughing.

“This time, we’ll wipe them out!” Gottu crowed.

They were powerful Goblins, after all! How could frail humans stand a chance? Just recently, four humans had dared to enter the forest’s depths. They had mobilized hundreds of Goblins to surround and kill three, with only one managing to escape, thanks to his speed.

Even if some humans possessed monstrous strength, they would eventually be overwhelmed.

But then—

“Centurion-sama! The left group moved to encircle the rear but discovered another human team!”

“What?!” Govan shot to his feet.

Gottu’s face froze in alarm.

“Could it be… have they uncovered our ambush?” Gothry muttered, realization dawning.

“Perhaps…” Gottu murmured, biting his nails, deep in thought.

“Gottu! Explain!” Govan demanded, eyes burning.

Gottu’s siege plan had seemed flawless. Now, with an unexpected human team appearing, doubt lingered.

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“Centurions-sama! The middle team has also encountered a second human team!”

“Centurions-sama! The right group reports yet another human team! The plan cannot proceed!”

Gottu’s answer was drowned out by the relentless flow of grim news.

“Gottu!” Govan roared.

“Big Brother,” Gottu ventured, voice steady. “I don’t believe our ambush was detected. Rather, the humans devised two waves—a forward team to wear us down, then a fresh team to attack while we’re fatigued.”

“It’s not our plan that’s flawed, it’s… humans are too cunning,” he concluded darkly.

“It must be human error!” one Goblin Shaman beside him cried out, jabbing a finger skyward.

But fresh reports silenced their boasts.

“Centurion-sama! The left group has lost 40% of its troops!”

“Centurion-sama! The middle group has suffered 60% losses!”

“Centurion-sama! The right group has lost half its forces!”

Gothry sprang up, unable to hold back. “Big Brother, let me fight them! I’ll deal with these humans!”

Govan’s patience cracked. “Fine! Gothry, head to the middle! Strike them down, then rush to support the right!”

Gottu, too, stepped forward. “Allow me to assist the left flank!”

“Permission granted!” Govan barked.

“Begin!”

...

Amid the melee, the Heroes struck down Goblin Shamans left and right, advancing swiftly to level 7. Now, each team could boast at least one with the skill [Encourage], which turned the tide completely in their favor. With the invigorating power of [Encourage], these Goblins and Hobgoblins became mere fodder, falling easily to the Heroes' attacks.

“Thank Sword Hero had us split into two teams; otherwise, we’d be swarmed by Goblin ambushes!” one of the Heroes called out, slicing through a line of Goblins.

“Exactly! These Goblins are more cunning than they look!” agreed another, admiration and relief in their voice. “I knew he was reputable!”

It was clear to all that if they’d attacked in a single force, the coordinated ambushes of Hobgoblins and ordinary Goblins would have overwhelmed them. The Hobgoblins’ powerful strikes, combined with the endless Goblin harassment, would have surely worn down any one group alone. Add in the evasive Goblin Shamans, who darted in groups of three with their *[Encourage]* effects, and the danger would have become lethal. As it was, fighting Goblin Shamans in groups required no less than eight Heroes at a time; otherwise, injury or death was nearly certain.

“Switch! Time for resupply!” shouted the leading team to their reserves.

“Got it!” responded the second group, surging forward to relieve the frontlines.

The reserve team had been holding back, conserving energy, while the attackers used their strength freely to thin out the Goblins. Now, the attacking team fell back, catching their breath, eating simple rations, and preparing for another round. As Anyi had foreseen, their foes had wised up, and the death toll had begun to even out.

After this initial surprise assault, they’d entered a grinding, prolonged fight. But as they fell back to resupply, a strange sound slithered through the air.

“Hissss!!”

Eight Heroes looked around, uneasy.

“Hissss!!”

The sound repeated, louder this time, echoing ominously through the forest.

“What was that?” one Hero shouted, tension mounting.

“No idea!” another replied, his face pinched with worry.

Suddenly, a deep boom rumbled from somewhere close. The ground shook with the echo, closing in on them.

“Look up! What is that?!”

An object appeared in the sky, descending swiftly from above. Every Hero on the battlefield craned their heads, witnessing the silhouette of a colossal humanoid creature plummeting toward the forest. With an earth-shaking crash, the creature landed, sending tremors through the ground.

In the next moment, a notification appeared in their vision:

[Bestiary Unlocked: Goblin Centurion

Strength: 30 Agility: 10 Endurance: 10

Durability: 10 Prana: 2 Intelligence: 3

Technique: 8]

Boom!!

The forest shook again as the massive figure leapt high into the air, ready to pounce.

“Goblin Centurion’s here!” shouted a Hero, his voice cutting through the thunderous echoes, alerting everyone to the menace descending upon them.