The adventurers were frozen, eyes wide, faces pale. They couldn’t seem to process what they were seeing.
“What… what is that thing?” one of them whispered, his voice shaking.
“Hell if I know!” another said, his voice high and cracking with fear. “I’ve done Goblinwood Grove more times than I can count. It’s supposed to be low-level—just a handful of goblins and maybe a Hobgoblin if you’re unlucky. But this? This isn’t supposed to happen!”
A third one gripped her weapon, her knuckles white. “This thing’s… huge. No Hobgoblin I’ve seen even comes close. And what’s with that… that hut on its back? What the hell is going on here?”
They exchanged terrified glances, each of them gripping their weapons as if holding on for dear life.
“Why are there so many goblins?!” one of them cried, his voice breaking as he stumbled. “This place is supposed to be a quick farming spot. Just a few goblins—not... this!”
Their voices were thin and panicked.
The Goblinwood Grove, in this kind of goblin empire state? It wasn’t something anyone expected. It was rare, deadly, and very real.
I looked back at the approaching wave of goblins, my gaze locking onto the Goblin King and the hulking goblin beast carrying him, stomping forward at the front of the horde.
They weren’t right on us yet, but they were close enough to be a real problem.
If I could keep my focus and push my [Slime Propel] skill to its limit, I might make it to the portal before they got here.
At least, that’s what I was telling myself.
A scream tore through the chaos. “W-WATCH OUT!” someone shouted.
I barely had time to register the warning before I saw the massive goblin mount move, its enormous arm reaching out to a tree.
With terrifying ease, it tore the tree right out of the ground, the roots snapping free with a horrible crack that echoed through the forest.
The creature lifted the tree like it was a twig, positioning itself as if it was going to throw it right at us.
My stomach sank as I realized what was coming.
The Goblin King grinned from his perch, his gold crown glinting in the light, clearly enjoying the show.
Then, with a bellow that shook the ground, the giant beast hurled the tree like a spear.
The tree came spinning through the air, a massive projectile tearing through the space between us. Leaves and dirt whipped up in its path, and I felt the wind rush past me as it hurtled closer.
“MOVE!” Lila’s voice snapped me back, and I dove to the side just as the tree slammed into the ground with an impact that felt like an earthquake, sending chunks of dirt and stone flying in every direction.
I pushed harder, adrenaline burning through me, as [Slime Propel] gave me just enough speed to dodge the worst of the impact.
But the others—well, they hadn’t been so lucky.
The tree had landed dead center in their group. One of them was crushed instantly, not a sound escaping him.
The other two were flung aside by the force, crashing into the ground. They struggled to get up, dazed and bloodied, but they looked helpless, too shaken to move.
I glanced back at them, and my blood ran cold.
Goblins were closing in fast, their eyes gleaming with sick excitement. The two adventurers looked up, horror written all over their faces.
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“Help us! Please! Don’t leave us here!” one of them screamed, his voice breaking in pure desperation.
The other one, barely able to lift herself, cried out, “Wait! Don’t go—please! We can’t—oh god, NO!”
But their cries were drowned out by the frenzied goblin horde that surged forward, their shrill, twisted voices chanting in their guttural language.
They were done for, and there was nothing I could do.
I saw the way they grinned, eyes wild with bloodlust, yellow teeth bared as they closed in on the helpless adventurers.
The young man clawed at the ground, his fingers digging into the dirt, trying to drag himself away, but the goblins were too fast.
One lunged forward, sinking its jagged blade into his leg. He let out a blood-curdling scream, flailing as they began to swarm him.
Another goblin grabbed his arm, twisting it back with a sickening snap, a fresh howl tearing from his throat.
“No! STOP!” he shrieked, his voice breaking, but it only seemed to fuel their twisted joy.
The goblins laughed, slicing, tearing, their filthy hands yanking his limbs apart.
The woman backed away, her eyes wide with terror, her breaths coming in shallow gasps. “No… no, please… not me, not me!” She crawled backward, sobbing as the goblins closed in, surrounding her.
One reached out, gripping her by the hair and yanking her head back, exposing her throat.
Her scream was cut off as they dragged her into the fray, their knives flashing as they descended on her, mercilessly tearing her apart.
I forced myself to turn away, heart pounding, every nerve screaming for me to run. The portal was my only chance. I had to keep moving.
Ahead, the portal shimmered, close now—so close I could almost feel its pull.
I pushed myself harder, lungs burning, legs aching as I raced toward the portal.
Every second counted, but dodging the massive trees being hurled at me was costing precious time.
My heart sank as I felt the effect of my [Slime Propel] fade, leaving me to my normal, exhausted pace.
My speed plummeted, and in that moment, the realization hit me—I wasn’t fast enough.
Ahead, the portal shimmered, just within reach… but the goblins made it there first.
Horror creeping over me as I saw over twenty goblins forming a tight circle around the portal, sneering, their eyes glinting with malicious delight.
They were guarding it, waiting for me to stumble into their trap. Was this really the end? Was it over?
No. I clenched my fists. Think! My mind raced, and an idea snapped into place.
I took a deep breath and ordered my slimes to shoot, each of them releasing an arrow at the goblins closest to the portal.
The arrows flew, striking four goblins—two went down instantly, their bodies collapsing to the ground.
[You’ve Defeated a Goblin. Exp +1]
[You’ve Defeated a Goblin. Exp +1]
While two others staggered back, clutching their injured shoulders, snarling in pain.
Without hesitating, I charged forward, using the brief opening I’d created.
My heart pounded as I closed the gap, the portal practically glowing with salvation just beyond the wall of goblins.
But I wasn’t in the clear yet. Goblins lunged at me from all sides, their jagged weapons raised, eager to tear me down before I could escape.
In a split-second decision, I ordered my slimes to shift their quivers into shields, a burst of mana draining from me as they shifted, each shield forming with a translucent, gelatinous gleam.
“Protect me!” I shouted, as I threw myself into the chaotic fray.
The goblins screeched, piling in from all directions, their blades and clubs aimed at my head, my sides, anywhere they could reach. My slimes held the best they could, their shields intercepting blows, deflecting attacks left and right.
I could feel each impact reverberate through my own body, the force of their strikes pressing in on me, but my slimes kept pushing them back, each shielded block creating just enough of a buffer for me to keep moving forward.
It was chaos. Goblins jumped at me, screaming with rage, their teeth bared and weapons swinging wildly.
My slimes worked hard, blocking, parrying, each one absorbing blow after blow, keeping me upright. I was practically drowning in the surge of goblins closing in.
I gritted my teeth, forcing my way closer. Every step felt like a battle on its own, but with every goblin that leapt at me, my slimes forced them back with their shields, clearing a path, inch by agonizing inch.
The portal was just there, mere feet away, but it felt like an eternity, like I’d never make it through. Gasping for breath, my arms trembling as I fought off goblins from every side, their shrieks ringing in my ears.
They clawed at me, some slipping past my defenses, nicks and cuts opening up on my arms and legs, but I couldn’t stop. Not now. Not when I was this close.
With one final burst of strength, I lunged forward, throwing myself into the last stretch of open ground.
A goblin leapt toward me, its knife glinting inches from my face, but my slime’s shield intercepted the blow, knocking it back.
Using that split-second of freedom, I surged forward, leaping with all the strength I had left.
I felt the cold, electric pull of the portal as I dove headfirst into it, my vision blurring as the world around me shifted, the enraged goblins screams fading into silence.