Vera looked at me with cold eyes as she brushed away my hand.

"Don't misunderstand," She said. "I'm not expecting you to kill him."

"Fair enough," I replied.

I wouldn't believe it either in my shoes. If someone claimed he was going to kill a King of a thousand strong, then he was looking for death. But I wasn't going to die here in the Wild Forest. I still needed to try and atone for what I've done. Though that didn't mean I wasn't going to try and stop this monster continuing unabated.

My vision went back down the river bank and to the Goblin encampment. There were too many Goblins gathered here. Even under the cover of night, I don't think I could sneak past them all. I didn't know why they were here, but I had to get rid of their leader. I tried to focus on the terrain and see what I could do.

The river they camped near wasn't large by any means and you could easily cross it. Then I watched one of the Goblin guards fetch water from the river. This river wasn't being used for defense but as a resource. I realized that they had camped near the river for the water itself and knew what I could do.

I looked over to Vera.

"Is there any Red Valerian here?" I asked.

Vera looked at me puzzled for a moment but then discerned my thoughts. Red Valerian was a flower that induced sleepiness. It worked almost as quickly as it was consumed but I wouldn't know its effectiveness being diluted in a river. As long as we can get the river filled with some Red Valerian the Goblins could fall asleep.

Vera seemed to be thinking where there might be some in the Wild Forest.

"No, there are some further away but I don't think it's enough for a thousand."

"Damn."

Then I remembered something and I pulled out a pouch from my belt.

"I think I can make due, but we're going to have to dam the river downstream," I said.

"Why?" Vera asked.

I showed her the contents of my pouch and she looked worried.

"Don't worry, as long as we dam the river no one else will be affected," I said.

I tried to convince her with my demeanor but Vera looked a little hesitant.

"This is the best way to cause a distraction and lessen their numbers," I said.

"Fine, as long as I can save my people." She said.

Vera gave a worried sigh.

My pouch contained a variety of mid-level poisons, I usually use them for my blade but that wouldn't have worked in killing a thousand Goblins. If we poisoned the stream, we can effectively be rid of many obstacles. I wanted to use Red Valerian as it was a safer alternative to the environment. This was a last resort and I knew it. I wasn't sure that they would all drink the water either.

First, we needed to dam the river downstream to try and prevent any needless causalities. Then I would slowly introduce the poison upstream from the encampment. Vera was going to message the Elven prisoners to not touch any water after I do. I hope that she doesn't alert any Goblins when she does.

I moved away from the cliff and Vera followed. We moved a long way around the Goblin encampment and got downstream. We moved logs, rocks, and any heavy object we could find. I wanted this finished before sunset so I could get into position. The sun was still at its highest point in the sky but time wasn't in my favor.

After we finished, I coordinated with Vera at what I was going to do. After I poison the river, I was going to set fire on the opposing side of the encampment. For whoever didn't die from drinking the water, they would have to deal with the fire. Hopefully, this would cause enough commotion for Vera to make her move. I would use the chaos to find and eliminate the Goblin King.

I prepped myself and waited until the darkness started to reclaim the skies. Fires started to light up from the Goblin encampment and I made my move. Slowly I introduced the poison from upstream as I watched the encampment. I used up almost all my poison in contaminating the river. Soon a peculiar thing occurred as I looked down the river.

I saw Goblins going into the river in order to clean themselves. I had never seen that before and it was a strange thing to behold. Goblins always had a terrible smell to them. I never expected them to think about hygiene. Yet this worked in my favor as more and more of them rotated in washing themselves in the river. There were hundreds of them going into the river to clean themselves.

Contact by skin or digestion, the poison will work all the same. As long as they used this contaminated water uninhibited. The Goblins were going to go into a never ending sleep. I watched as one of the earlier Goblins in the river start to convulse and spasm over. The Goblins tried to react to their fallen comrades until an increasing number of them started to die.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

I hurried and ran to the opposite side of the encampment. I needed to start a fire in the forest and cause an uproar. I already prepared areas in the forest to be ignited. When I got to the area, I started a fire which roared and alerted the Goblin camp. The state of the encampment was in pure confusion. I could hear the screams of Goblins and the ringing alarm of bells.

One side of the encampment had a mass of dead bodies from the contaminated water. The other had a raging inferno that devoured into the camp. As long as more Goblins tried to stop the fire, the death toll would increase. Their water source was gone and I doubt these monsters could use magic. Trying to stop the flames by grabbing poisoned water will only kill them. Now they would only choose whether to die by flames or poison.

I pulled my hood down and moved through the camp in the confusion. The commotion of the fire and poisoned water allowed me to move through easily. I only hoped that Vera was able to do her tasks just the same. These monsters did well in resembling human organization. I could tell that they separated their areas by different functions and compatibility. So that means I would only have to look for an extravagant tent to know where the King was.

My vision wandered around the camp quickly and I found what I was searching for.

A giant tent near the center of the encampment. It looked cleaner and bigger compared to the rest. I made it to the side of the tent and looked around. I made sure that no one was watching me and I drew my sword. I cut through the side of the tent and moved through. There in the center of the tent sitting at a long table filled with maps was a Goblin.

I gripped my blade close and silently approached him.

The Goblin looked to be studying what was on the table. He seemed unconcerned about the commotion outside. As soon as I raised my sword to strike him, the Goblin moved away. The Goblin moved quick like lightning and faced toward me with a thin sword in hand. The sword he carried wouldn't do much harm cutting but it was meant for stabbing.

His appearance looked like any other Goblin except that he wore clothes like a noble human.

I lunged at him with my blade but he easily deflected it. This Goblin had some skill with his thin sword. I attempted to try and rush him only for him to maneuver around me. A flurry of pokes from the Goblin's sword began to pierce my body. I felt my blood leak out from the holes he created. The way he fought me was almost like that noble-style I'd seen once before.

The Goblin seemed to look at something in the air before smiling and pulling his sword up.

"You're alone, who are you?" The Goblin spoke.

My eyes sharpen, I had never heard a Goblin speak coherently before.

"You speak the common tongue?" I said.

"Yes." He replied.

This Goblin was definitely abnormal.

"Are you the Goblin King?" I asked.

"Yes, you can call me Grux and your name?" He replied.

I looked for a way to kill him but I could feel no holes in his defense.

"Demitri," I said. "How can you speak the common tongue?"

"I learned," Grux said.

The Goblin King produced a book from his shirt before tucking it back.

"And you were able to read it?" I said.

"Yes, more or less." He replied.

This Goblin was truly abnormal.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"To kill you."

I gesture my blade towards him.

"Are you with those Elves?" He asked.

"No, not really," I replied.

"Then why?"

"Because you're a monster," I said.

The Goblin King gave out a sigh.

"No matter what world I'm in, people only judge by appearances."

His words seem to attack my senses and I remembered what Dante told me.

"You act like you've come from another world," I said.

The Goblin King scratched his head and gave out a snort.

"Well, this is my second life but you wouldn't understand even if I told you."

He only confirmed my suspicions and I knew that this Goblin King was a Reincarnator.