The moment I stepped my feet outside of my IFV with my medical bag slung against my back, I was immediately greeted by the ends of multiple gun barrels from a bunch of tactical goblins. The description wouldn’t come into my mind if you told me earlier, but well, here I was.
The whole village aimed their weapon at me, from a mere SMG held by the goblin women to the heavy weapons on the rooftops, heck, even one of those goblins aimed an RPG in my direction. Heck, it was not merely a tandem-charge RPG, but also accompanied by a BGM-71 TOW missile launcher. Whatever they wanted from me, I hope it wasn’t my death.
“Easy guys, I’m friendly, the guild master sent me,” I said, raising both of my arms, slowly approaching the goblin that aimed an M4 right at my head. “Eleanor sent me.”
“Eleanor? The little girl Ele?” One of the goblins asked me.
I nodded.
“Lower your firearms, this girl ain’t with the feds!” the same goblin shouted.
Instinctively, the entire goblin village lowered their firearms. Rifles were no longer aimed at me, and those on the rooftops redirected their RPGs toward the grasslands encircling the village. The goblin leader stepped forward, and for the first time, I took a good look at his attire.
Tactical goblins. A whole squad of them. Somehow, I’d missed the details of their clothing at first, but now it was clear: these goblins had nailed the tactical aesthetic better than I ever could. The leader’s gear was impressive—a FAST helmet perched snugly on his head, a plate carrier strapped securely to his chest, and a full set of G3 combat uniforms that frankly outclassed my own kit.
His weapon of choice was a straightforward AR-10, configured for full auto. Glancing around, I noticed that the other goblins were just as well-equipped. Assault rifles dominated their ranks, and even the women carried compact SMGs slung over their shoulders. Perhaps it was the constant threat of danger in this region that necessitated such armament, but I couldn’t say for sure.
“Name’s Albert, what’s yours?” The goblin asked, shaking my hand.
“Ain, my name is Ain,” I replied.
[Albert -- Merchant Goblin — Level 40]
“Welcome to our humble village, Ain, sorry for the rough welcome, but as you can see, it’s hard to be independent these days, especially ever since those people from Divinity start wreaking havoc here and there, and there’s the feds…” Albert commented.
“I’m just here to deliver the meds, alongside administering it,” I said.
“Oh, you’re the wandering healer she is talking about, huh, I see, I should thank her for the help,” Albert added. “Please, follow me, there’s a clinic near here, our healer is currently… injured, so you’re our best bet.”
Albert led me through the heart of the goblin village. The tactical edge of the goblins wasn’t just limited to their gear—every corner of the village reflected a meticulous and almost military-grade organization. Sandbag barriers were set up strategically, and the rooftops of most structures had mounted guns or snipers keeping watch. The heaviest armament of the bunch was the TOWs and Kornets.
Stepping into the village felt less like entering a peaceful settlement and more like walking into an insurgent compound. Almost everyone carried a weapon, yet the goblins didn’t exude the aggressive, rebellious energy one might expect. They were armed, yes, but they went about their business with a surprising sense of normalcy, as though weapons were just another part of daily life.
What caught my eye, though, was the industrial building in the village. Large and imposing, they stood out against the backdrop of smaller, more traditional structures. Parked beside one of these facilities was a military truck, its size and rugged design hard to miss. My curiosity deepened as I watched goblins methodically load crates onto the truck.
The contents of those crates left little to the imagination. Bullets—thousands of them—gleamed under the faint light, and another crate bristled with freshly packed M4 rifles. It didn’t take much to piece together what was happening here.
“So, Albert, what’s this village’s specialty?” I asked, keeping pace with the goblin as we walked through the bustling streets.
“Arms,” he replied bluntly. “We’re one of the main suppliers for both the feds and a few independent groups.” He glanced at me, his expression unreadable. “But don’t get the wrong idea—we’re not beholden to anyone. We value our sovereignty here.”
I raised an eyebrow. “That’s a dangerous line to walk.”
Albert smirked. “Sure is. That’s why we don’t make deals unless they’re worth it. The feds like to toss around promises and shove security guarantees signed by their lowest-ranking pencil pushers. We’re not biting unless they bring something real to the table.”
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“Smart,” I said.
“Here’s the clinic,” Albert pointed out.
The clinic was a small white building with the word Clinic painted above its entrance and a green cross emblazoned on its façade. At first glance, it seemed modest—nothing out of the ordinary. But on closer inspection, modest felt like the wrong word entirely. This place was remarkably well-equipped, evidenced by the black-and-red UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter parked on the rooftop.
Why they’d perform surgeries here instead of transferring patients to a more specialized facility was beyond me. Perhaps the region’s dangers made travel impractical, or maybe this village preferred to handle things on their own terms. Whatever the reason, I wouldn’t find out today.
Eleanor had mentioned she’d be sending a team of surgeons soon. Until then, my job was simple: wait, assess the situation, and be ready when they arrived. Eleanor paid me for treating the patients, nothing more, nothing less, and I suspected the huge payout was due to the drakes that I sorted out earlier.
I entered the clinic with my medic bag. The patients were already lining up, a bunch of goblins, from children to adults with a plethora of different injuries and diseases. A goblin nurse was doing her best, but it was evident she was overwhelmed.
“Are you the healer?” the goblin nurse asked.
“I am,” I nodded.
“Great, I’ll send the patient to you soon,” she said.
I headed to the examination room and began unpacking my bag, arranging its contents into the medical cabinets. The supplies inside were standard fare—nothing extraordinary. Painkillers no stronger than tramadol, basic antibiotics, and a few specialized medications like lansoprazole for acid reflux and lisinopril for high blood pressure.
Eleanor hadn’t been exaggerating when she said I’d be here for a while. The line of patients outside the examination room seemed endless. I sighed, resigning myself to the reality of the situation. Ah well, might as well settle into the role of a regular doctor for a while. It wouldn’t hurt anyone.
image [https://i.imgur.com/8qWW1iK.png]
Nightfall brought a gradual decline in the stream of patients. A few had been admitted as inpatients, while the rest were sent home with treatments or advice. Most of the children suffered from common ailments like diarrhea and fever—nothing out of the ordinary. Workplace injuries were the most frequent cases among adults, but a few stitches and a well-placed healing spell usually resolved those quickly.
I had learned a few things during the day. Sutured wounds healed faster than those left open, even with the aid of a healing spell. Interestingly, the spells had their limits—they couldn’t cure diarrhea or address stomach acid issues. Those still required conventional medicines, but the spells did excel at alleviating pain, a small mercy for the patients.
Eleanor hadn’t contacted me yet about the surgical team’s arrival. With the clinic finally closed for the day, I leaned back in the chair, propping my feet up on the desk. The room was quiet now, save for the occasional cough or shuffle from the patients who required longer-term care in the room.
The nurse stepped into the room, offering a tired but sincere smile. “Thank you for your help,” she said, her voice tinged with exhaustion. “It’s been a rough week trying to care for the whole village on my own.”
I nodded, leaning back in my chair. “It’s no small task, that’s for sure. What happened to the previous doctor?”
She sighed. “He’s being revived, but I don’t know how long it’ll take for him to return. He was always too adventurous for his own good. Last I heard, he was shot by the Divinity while searching for a missing goblin child with a group of our militia.”
I frowned. “The Divinity again. They’ve been nothing but trouble. Sounds like they’re just as much of a pain here as they were back in Solimat.”
“You bet they are,” she replied bitterly. “The Divinity is responsible for most of the chaos around here. They’ve somehow managed to attract every monster imaginable, and worse, they can turn dead bodies into husks. The increased intensity of monster attacks in this area? That’s all of them. When I was a kid, our village wasn’t this militarized. We didn’t have to be.”
“That explains why everyone’s armed to the teeth,” I said, the memory of crates filled with ammunition and military-grade weapons still fresh in my mind. “You guys are practically a well-armed, small military base. You know that, right?”
“It’s all thanks to the Guild Master,” she replied with a faint smile.
“Eleanor?”
“Yeah, that’s her,” the nurse confirmed. “I remember when we were kids, we used to play together. Things were so much simpler back then.” Her expression softened, her gaze drifting as if caught in the pull of old memories. “We both went into healthcare—she chose necromancy, and I went into nursing. The rest, as they say, is history.”
“She’s done well for herself,” I remarked, intrigued by the connection.
“She has,” the nurse said, her voice carrying a distinct note of pride. “Despite everything, I’m proud of her. She’s always been the type to get things done, no matter how impossible they seem.” She paused for a moment before adding with a curious tone, “I even heard she has more than a hundred billion UC in assets. But that’s just a rumor, isn’t it?”
I raised an eyebrow, caught off guard by the figure. “A hundred billion UC? That’s… quite the number. If it’s true, I don’t even know what I can say.”
The nurse shrugged, a slight smirk on her face. “Who knows? Eleanor always had a knack for pulling off the extraordinary. It wouldn’t surprise me if she’d amassed a fortune like that, but at the same time, rumors tend to stretch the truth.”
“Well, considering the state of this village and how well-organized everything is, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to think she’s got some serious backing,” I said, thinking aloud. “Even the clinic has equipment most cities would envy.”
“True,” the nurse admitted. “She’s poured resources into this place, that’s for sure. Whether it’s billions or just good connections, she’s made a huge difference here. Some of our village elders despise her, though. They said she sold her soul to money, or something like that. It was not until Albert took over that everything significantly improved. That’s what really matters.”
“Hahaha, yeah.”
Suddenly, a siren blared. The loud noise alerted the two of us and I couldn’t help but wonder what just happened.
“Doc, I think we have an attack.”