While Thorin and his party were escaping the clutches of the goblins with Gandalf’s aid, Roland found himself in a much grimmer situation.

"Damn, where did so many goblins come from?" Carlos exclaimed, astonished at the swarm of goblins pursuing them.

Roland grimaced, realizing that Thorin and his group had likely stirred up the goblins in the Misty Mountains. "Damn it, Thorin! You all ran away and left this mess for me!" Roland muttered, feeling the weight of the situation.

"Retreat, retreat! Move quickly!" Roland ordered. He knew fighting back wasn't an option; their only hope was to outrun the goblins.

In the eastern foothills of the Misty Mountains, a remarkable sight unfolded: about 400 heavily armed humans raced through the woods, pursued by thousands of screeching goblins. It was a desperate marathon of survival.

"Fall back!" Carlos suddenly shouted. Some of the goblins were gaining on the slower infantry. Under his command, the knights and archers turned, firing arrows to slow the goblins down. The initial volley struck true, felling dozens of goblins. The second wave of arrows from the Batanian archers was even more effective, dropping scores of goblins with precise shots to their throats and hearts.

"Good shooting!" Roland thought, impressed by the archers’ accuracy.

"My lord! The infantry can't keep up!" Reynold yelled.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Roland looked back and saw the exhausted faces of his men. "We can't keep running like this," he thought grimly.

"Everyone, form up!" Roland shouted.

Reynold looked alarmed. "Is he mad?" he thought. But Roland had a plan. He had noticed the goblins were scattered and disorganized from the chase.

"Prepare for a rapid charge formation!" Roland ordered.

The infantry quickly formed a defensive line. The first row set their spears and shields, while the second row angled their shields to provide gaps for their own spears and readied their maces.

"Carlos, cover us with your archers! Reynold, take the knights and look for an opening to attack!" Roland commanded.

"Yes, my lord!" Reynold replied, leading the knights to circle around.

"We should be near the edge of Mirkwood," Roland said to Carlos.

Carlos checked the map. "Yes, my lord, we're at the edge."

Roland nodded, drawing his sword and moving to the front. "Soldiers! We can't run anymore. We must fight back! Stand with me and show these goblins the strength of the Lagrand Empire!" Roland shouted.

"For the glory of the Lagrand Empire! Long live the empire!" the men roared in response.

"Charge!" Roland ordered as the goblins closed in. The first row of infantry thrust their spears, impaling the goblins who charged. The second row struck with maces, crushing any goblins that broke through.

"Carlos, more arrows!" Roland yelled as more goblins tried to flank them.

The Batanian archers unleashed a torrent of arrows, cutting down hundreds more goblins. The ground in front of the infantry was soon littered with goblin corpses.

A horn sounded, and Reynold’s knights charged from the flank, breaking the goblins’ resolve. Seeing their comrades fall, the remaining goblins fled in disarray.

"Forward!" Roland commanded, leading a charge to finish off the stragglers. The infantry and archers advanced, pushing the goblins back. The Batanian archers, no longer needing their bows, drew their short swords and joined the melee.

"Is this really a battle?" Roland mused, surveying the aftermath.

"Over 2,000 goblins lie here... Can we call this a victory?" Reynold asked, wiping blood from his sword.

"Numbers count," Roland replied, though he was still unsure.

"Congratulations, host, on an excellent battle! The ratio of casualties between the enemy and our forces is 2457:0. The reward is 100 infantrymen."

"System, well done!" Roland thought, thrilled at the much-needed reinforcement.

"All units, prepare to move out! Our target is the Lonely Mountain!" Roland commanded, feeling a surge of determination.

As the 100 new infantrymen joined his ranks, Roland looked towards the horizon. The final battle awaited, and he intended to face it head-on.