Chapter 48: Army Training
Gobledo sat in the corner of his cave, a private room given to him by the Lord to befit his station as commander.
The goblin boss stared at his suit of chitin, web, and bone, the armor a gift from the Great Yellow One. He, one of only twenty to receive this glorious gift.
However, unlike the rest of the trusted, Gobledo had a pristine iron helmet to complement his armor and a cape made of fine spider silk woven by the Grand Guardian.
Gobledo bowed, saying a prayer before donning his armor, fastening himself in before taking up his sword, another gift from the Yellow one that sat in an iron scabbard.
He turned and walked out of his cave, entering into the pristine and smooth tunnel system that were once part of the Spider Monarch's nest.
With constant excavation, and lots of slimes moving about, what was once a jagged corridor was now a smooth evenly sized square hallway lit by glow stones.
From the parallel room, Gobeldee, the two making eye contact with each other before nodding and walking in step through the tunnel.
Before long, the pair was in a large room, a place the Yellow One dubbed the “DFAC”.
Dining Facilities Administration Center, as explained by the Great Yellow One.
A large chamber with neatly aligned entrances coating the walls.
Inside the chamber, dozens of tables, each meticulously chiseled out of stone by slimes, spiders, and the large lizards known as capruxas.
Gobledo walked over to a nearby counter, a trustee goblin behind the table giving a half-hazard salute as taught by the Lord.
The two commanders returned the salute, a custom they both found odd but by their Lord’s order, they gave it their all.
Standing there, a spider from a nearby entrance walked in with a bundle of crystals.
Dinner, food for both goblins. It wasn't actually the most tasteful thing, but by the Lord's order, they graciously accepted the manacysts.
After lunch, the pair entered the throne room where Lady Slimey sat, the Champion of the Yellow One sitting on the throne with her usual soft smile. In her hands, their Lord, the rubber being’s immoveable gaze staring Gobledo and Gobledee down.
The twin goblins rapidly approached the throne, walking through the centerline of the crowd of armored goblins kneeling before their Lord.
“Our Lord!!” The pair let out, bowing to the throne.
Slinking from the stone chair, Lady Slimey descended from above, the woman now towering over the pair of goblins who couldn't help but shiver.
Not only was the Champion very beautiful, but she was also very tempermental. One wrong move… and Gobledee and Gobledo understood that she would have them fed to the composters like so many of the new kin were.
Gobledo suppressed his goblin urges, the fear he felt from the woman's touch on his chin more than enough to clamp down on his spore production.
Not to mention the Great Yellow One was right there! Right in front of him!
“Rise. Lieutenants,” Slimey said, her voice intruding into their mind. “Our training begins now.”
*****
Hiro****
Twenty screams. Twenty thrusts. Twenty goblins in my chambers all moving in concert. Another training session. My days filled with organizing my army.
Oh, and dying over and over and over again.
Between training the first twenty and Gobledee and Gobledo in sword techniques, I would dominate skeletons, sacrificial pawns that I would use to fight my mirror self.
Now, with my skeletal skull currently flying once more, you may be wandering, why am I constantly getting myself decapitated?
The answer?
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Simple.
I plucked my skull out the air, pivoting on my boney foot to jab at my doppelganger with a knife.
Shadow clone me reacted swiftly, bringing his sword back to lean right and knock the weapon out of my hand.
A disarming technique, one I knew quite well that used the base of the blade to dig into an opponent’s fleshy wrist.
The problem was however, I had no flesh, combined with the lack of power in the maneuver I simply dropped my dagger out of my right hand and caught it with my skull in my left hand.
Immediately the clone backed away, retreating just as the knife between my teeth nicked his armor, cutting through it like butter.
Yeaaah. My original armor wouldn't be caught lacking against a regular iron dagger. But the results of this bout told me two things.
One, the defensive power of the clone was low, and two, the doppelganger possessed a sense of self preservation.
The doppelganger shot off the floor once more, attempting another Blink Strike. But this time, I was actually prepared. Unable to fully see the attack, I relied on the seconds before he build up, the split moment that the clone took the stance before preemptively dodging.
I couldn't react when it happened, so I needed to counter just as the attack began.
Simply enough right?
Wrong.
The blade shaved a bit of my skull as I side-stepped right, slashing the arm, cutting through it with my dagger before attempting a pick-ax maneuver to my stupidly chiseled jaw face.
The doppelganger reacted swiftly, raising his left hand, the gauntlet catching my wrist.
Ah… quacks. Alright, que Dark Sou-
[Your Minion has Died!]
Great. Back in my rubber shell, Slimey gently stroked my head as my vision returned, the Dragon Slayer floating in a circle around the throne.
Ugh…
“Welcome back my Lord. How was today's training session?”
Great. I replied sarcastically, casting my attention on the twenty goblins in my chambers doing spear drills.
“That's wonderful Lord Hiro! Please! Tell me all about it!”
No, I… I began, but stopped as Slimey's radiant smile seemed to cause the background behind her to distort, the cavern walls becoming a forest with flames from a campfire reflecting off…
As quick as it came, it disappeared, the background behind Slimey returning to what I knew it was.
What was that? What did I just see? Questions began to rise up but just as quickly they did… my mind seemed to somehow avoid them.
“My Lord? Is everything ok darling?” Slimey asked, sensing my distress, her skin tone shifting to an orangy-yellow tone.
Yes. It’s fine. Are you ready to learn sword techniques? I sent, pivoting the question, not wanting to delve into my champion’s inquiry.
“o-O-OF COURSE! It would be my honor to learn from you my lord!!” Slimey replied exuberantly, lifting my mood as I eyed my pylon counter.
[6/8] Pylons
Next Pylon Creation 3:23:00
Three hours until my next pylon. Eleven Hours before my next attempt at fighting my doppelganger.
I turned my attention to my minions, Chloe was still on the mend in her hole, Zorin was sleeping curled up hugging her tail while Ayaka was busy being… well, actually, I wasn't sure what she was doing.
The massive arachnid was just sitting there in the corner of the throne room, doing… nothing? Almost as if catatonic.
Her Juggernaut on the other hand was pacing back and forth, the armored bug more active than usual.
I opened up Ayaka's menu, noticing nothing unusual.
“My Lord?”
Hm?
“Shall we begin training? I am very much eager to be soaked with your knowledge.”
Why… why are you saying it like that? >...>
The slime wiggled in response, smiling at me.
Let's just get this done.
As Slimey descended from the throne with me on her head, Gobeldee barked out an order, the goblin lieutenant calling the twenty troops to halt their maneuvers.
Like a well oiled machine, the Trustees snapped to, straightening their posture and splitting off to two sides of the cave, forming into an honor guard that flanked Slimey and I.
Give us space. I ordered, the entire group simultaneously taking several steps back.
It had taken a few days, a couple dozen fumbles, but after repeat beati-ehem. Errr. Motivational speeches from Slimey and my goblin Officers, the twenty were now a well oiled machine.
But not battle tested. Yet.
With space given, Slimey stood within the chamber with me on her head.
Slimey. Imperial Form One. I ordered.
The slime stood straight, her hand reaching out to wrap around the handle of the impossibly massive blade. It had taken days of constant use, and thanks to the mana given from my mana heart, Slimey was able to upkeep Telekinesis 24/7.
Next, I willed the image of specific footwork to the forefront of my mind, what I wanted Slimey to imitate.
The Slime moved in accordance to my will, center of mass lowered, feet spaced, blade held at her side to her hip, striking a stance known as a plug guard stance back where I was from.
And then… we began to dance.
Lifting, striking, thrusting, slashing. Slimey using Telekinesis on the dragon slayer to re-enact my memories of a friend.
The original owner of the Dragon Slayer, a black armored knight who was nothing short of a raging berserker. Gaining his trust had been hard, getting him to fight for me howver, not too much.
Glory was… an odd one. He didn't talk much, but he hated demons. So point him in the right direction and he became unstoppable.
At least, I thought he was as I focused on his weapon.
I recalled his fighting style, wild, obtuse, full offense with little regard to one's safety. For a normal human, suicidal techniques that would see the user dead from injuries sustained. Injuries Glory should have dropped dead from but his tenacity always saw him through.
Slimey had the benefit of not being human though, her cores constantly shifting underneath her “skin”. Throw in the added fact she could heal herself, any damage done to her became negligible.
All she needed was armor.
Hmm. Maybe the treasury would have something we can use.
**** Elsewhere.
“Finally.” Lhikan said, standing at the entrance of the Demon Lord’s castle.