Chapitre 56: Goblin Chieftain Plan
As the party arrived near the goblin's camp, they hid, not wanting to be seen by any monsters lest their life go from alive to dead.
As they remain hidden, this allows them to see what the goblins are planning, at least they hope they can see some of it anyway, with how hard it is to see behind a giant stone pillar.
Unfortunately, none of them possess the skills that allow them to see things at a far distance, though Ian at least possesses one that could help them at the moment.
"Mana Scan," he uttered, allowing him to sense the inhabitants of the goblin's camp without moving away from the spot.
The second he did that, he almost fell to the ground, though Kell managed to hold him before he hit the ground.
"What happened?" Kell whisper-asked him.
"The goblins," Ian said with great shock,
"There are more than 2000 of them,"
-x-
"Move out!" the head ordered. The number of adventurers was 300 while the guards at a staggering 500, half of the defenders of Thrine Town.
Hopefully, it is enough against a force of 1000 or more goblins.
-x-
"More than 2000! The force here will not be enough to handle them!" Ana exclaimed though she kept her voice down in case they were heard.
"It's possible, but the casualties will make it hard for anyone to escape from the forest," Lisa corrected her.
Still, it is a sobering thought, to be facing more than 2000 goblins.
"I thought our hunting did some difference, especially our charge to the depth of the forest," Kell said. To be honest, Ian thought the same as well.
"So, what's the plan? Should we continue to wait until the army arrives or should we make our move now?" Fiona asked.
"For now, we wait. I am not sure if am sensing it right but I believe the goblin chieftain had some plan to make the incoming force weaker," Ian decides.
The others nodded before they went back into hiding, setting up shifts as they waited for the army to come.
-x-
The army marched in full force. The last obstacle is a large wood barricade, erected on the road to the goblin's camp. The scout had told them that the distance between the barricade and the camp was a mere 50 meters, so it would be the last defense before they reached the camp.
Then, they will clash with the goblin's force and hopefully end the threat for good.
Yet, why did he feel some kind of unease in his old bones?
-x-
As they waited for whatever plan the goblins came up with to be sprung, Kell heard something from the road.
"I think I hear the army coming," he whispered. Lisa closed her eyes and opened it.
"I hear it as well," she said. While they become slightly excited, Ian becomes more apprehensive. A foe that managed to make an intricate defense while being likely the strongest monster with the largest force inside the forest is definitely not simple.
So, he keeps his vigil even as the army comes close. As they waited for the army, he decided to cast Mana Scan once more.
As he detected a lot of things, he found a large concentration of goblins by the side of the road, with several large mana pools, almost half of a regular untrained mage.
What it lacks in quality, is made up of sheer numbers. He realized what the goblin's chieftain was planning. But not all the bad news he managed to gather.
There are several hobgoblins he detects near several large rock formations, towering even above the rock pillars they are hiding behind. While he was not sure what they would do, he could make a guess.
"Crap," his curses caught the attention of his group.
"The goblin chieftain had us trapped. There are large groups of goblins at the side of the road, with goblin shamans casting illusions, so they will not be seen when it's too late," Kell reacted as he did when he found out while the girls were more worried.
"And that is not all," he pointed to the four large rocks that towered the landscape. "I think they planning on breaking the rocks and making it fall, both killing a large number of adventurers and guards as well as trapping those that managed to get to the middle,"
The worried look turned into a fearful one. "To think the goblin chieftain is this smart. He might have been in the forest longer than the guild think,"
While monsters tend to act on their instincts, humanoid ones like werewolves, goblins, orcs, kobolds, and lizardmen will get smarter the longer they live. For the goblin chieftain to come up with such a plan, and preparation, it is possible it is 10 years old.
"What are we going to do?" Fiona asked.
"It's simple," he said.
"We are going to wreck the plan,"
-x-
Considering they did not have much time before the army arrived, the plan was simple and suicidal.
"I will blast the two rocks early on. It will cause it to fall preferably on the goblins but with its weaker foundation, it might not work that way, so expect for us to be trapped with thousands of goblins," Ian exclaimed.
"And so, after making sure the rocks fall, our next objective is to survive. We will use the fallen rock to make our back more secure and hope that the army will keep the top clear of goblins.
That is the gist of it. Everyone ready?" Everyone nodded.
"Then let's get going,"
-x-
They waited until they could see the army. After all, if they go too early, they will be trapped longer than they could hope for and their chance of survival will be lowered.
So, they waited for the right time. Soon, they spot the vanguard of the army, getting closer to the rocks. The party jumped forward as Ian cast Arcana Blast to the two rocks, causing the entire thing to fall.
The army was surprised but the screaming goblins near the rocks made them realize what happened.
"Retreat and get around the rock!" Kell managed to say before the rocks crumbled, falling on the roads and trapping them with the goblins.
At that moment, the hidden goblins emerged from the illusion, all growling at them. Though some gaze lecherously at the girls.
Seeing the large goblin's force, Ian gulped slightly.
"I hope we survive this,"
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone