Starting with the goblin extermination

Chapter 133 Target: Goblins

In the year 3563 of the Arlando calendar, Logan and his three companions from Greystone Village rode in a horse-drawn carriage towards Greystone, leaving the rushing river behind. In the darkness, they passed through forest after forest, listlessly leaning back in their seats as the carriages bounced up and down, making Ellis rub her buttocks.

It was another long commute, but compared to the two days it would take to cross the forest, Logan thought that sitting in this bumpy carriage wasn't so bad.

The outline of Greystone Village gradually came into view. The driver urged his horse across a clearing that had been almost completely cleared, and across an ancient stone bridge. The pale moon hung far in the sky, as if it would not cast a shadow.

The air was thick with the smell of charcoal and cow dung. The village was rapidly approaching, its low houses unfolding before him. The wind rustled through the bushes, creating black, swirling waves.

Just like last time, Logan and his group arrived at the village nestled deep in the forest at night.

As you drive into the village along the marked dirt road, the low stone houses on both sides are dotted with lights, and most people are already asleep.

The militiamen, carrying torches, stepped forward to question him.

After confirming Logan and his companions' identities as adventurers, and recognizing Logan as the same adventurer who had come to slay the sucking monster last time, he respectfully let Logan and his companions leave and told them the location of the inn.

A gray stray cat darted around the corner, climbed the wall like a ghost, and then disappeared from sight.

Where Logan couldn't see, a tall and a short figure were carrying a stray cat, quietly making their way towards the abandoned sawmill.

The boy named Chimius turned around, looking thoughtfully at the slowly moving carriage, then gripped his wooden sword and walked towards the secret base.

Inside the carriage, Ellis was asleep again, leaning against Sylvie and drooling.

Sylvie rolled her eyes in disgust and slapped her awake again.

Finally, they came to a slow stop in front of a two-story building with a tattered wooden sign hanging above it; they had arrived at the hotel.

The shopkeeper said that Soma's paladin squad was also staying in the village, but they had already rested.

They booked two rooms to conserve their energy for their early morning raid into the forest.

The room was run-down and smelled strongly of mildew. The bed was as hard as a rock, and Logan couldn't sleep.

He had been resting with his eyes closed on the carriage, which made him incredibly energetic. Moreover, his thirst for killing made his body stiff, but he didn't want to release this excess energy in any way other than killing.

"How about we go for a walk?"

He kissed Elsa. The half-elf girl's rosy lips emitted a sweet breath, and although she was somewhat reluctant to part with Logan's body, she still obediently nodded.

Leaving the inn, Logan led Elsa by the hand as they strolled through the dusty village. The stars cast their soft glow across the sky. Greystone Village, true to its name, was built mostly from locally sourced, hard, grayish-white rock. From a distance, the entire village resembled a pile of grey stones scattered across the wilderness.

The entire village unfolded before Logan and Elsa. Most of the places they passed through were unremarkable.

The square in the center of the village is somewhat desolate, but every barricade and fence is clean, tidy, and full of life.

The familiar red windmill stood still in the night breeze, the wind whistling through its towering blades, creating a dark wave in the distant woods.

The leisurely walks extinguished the fire in Logan's heart. Sometimes he and Elsa would gaze at the long, narrow shadow cast by the moon that stretched all the way to the horizon, feeling as if they were walking in a deserted wilderness, even though they knew they were in a village.

Before they knew it, they had arrived at a remote sawmill.

As Logan and Elsa approached, they heard faint sounds coming from the sawmill. Slight firelight flickered dimly in the night through the gaps in the wooden planks.

"There's someone inside," Elsa whispered, her hand already reaching for her dagger. "Who would be hiding here so late?"

They were questioned by two groups of militiamen during their walk, but since the first group of militiamen they encountered had already given them a heads-up, they did not encounter any trouble along the way.

In theory, it is currently curfew time.

Who is inside?

Logan and Elsa pressed themselves against the wooden wall, peeking through the cracks. When they could see what was inside, Logan loosened his grip on the sword hilt.

It was the boy we rescued earlier, and his sister.

A boy named Cimius was sweating profusely as he wielded a heavy wooden sword. His previous short sword had been reduced to pieces, and he could only make do with this unbalanced piece of wood.

His sister Alita was reading a book by the firelight. Even though his best friend was gone, life had to go on. The boy's desire to become an adventurer had not changed; on the contrary, it had become even stronger.

Cimius clumsily practiced his combat skills, following the illustrations on the tattered pages of the book. However, lacking the proper technique, his movements were unsteady and erratic.

Logan saw a reflection of his past self in this stubborn boy.

That was the prototype of the [Thrust] combat technique.

It was incredibly crude, riddled with flaws. Just like myself years ago, wielding a long sword and stabbing around aimlessly.

But the difference is that he had a strict father to guide him, while this boy did not. Logan walked in without thinking too much.

The two were startled. Almost instinctively, Cimius took a step to the side, using his wooden sword to shield his sister behind him.

But after seeing who it was, he put down the wooden sword in his hand.

He opened his mouth, but due to extreme nervousness and awkwardness, he couldn't utter a single word. Of course, he remembered Logan, and the half-elf behind him—their savior.

Before the boy could speak, Logan walked to the center of the open space and slowly pulled out the Emerald Fang from his waist.

"Watch closely."

Based on his understanding of thrusting and the teachings of his father that he remembered, Logan deliberately slowed down his originally extremely fast sword strike and demonstrated his combat skills to a boy in this dilapidated sawmill.

The boy froze for a moment, then his eyes lit up. He gritted his teeth, gripped the wooden sword tightly, and began to correct his movements again and again, mimicking Logan's posture.

Meanwhile, his younger sister was quickly jotting down every word Logan said on a piece of paper.

Elsa leaned against the wooden door, quietly watching over the three people.

After an unknown amount of time, when the boy finally collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted, he gasped for breath and mumbled "thank you" in broken sentences.

But when he looked up, he realized that the couple had quietly left sometime during the night. Only the dim light of the brazier remained in the sawmill.

On the way back.

Why teach him?

Elsa looked at Logan, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

Logan looked up at the night sky, but he couldn't come up with an answer either.

It was like when he was on the verge of death and was saved by the paladins of the Soma Temple. He also wanted to ask why they saved him.

Does helping others even casually require a carefully calculated reason?

If one had to find a connection, it might be that he saw his past self reflected in this boy, and was reminded of his deceased father.

that's enough.

early morning.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated in Greystone Village when the four-person team, fully prepared, left the village as the sun rose.

Following the road west of Greystone Village, which was covered by weeds, a dense forest soon appeared before them, its leaves covered with gray and white spots.

Upon entering, the light dimmed instantly.

This is the depths of the forest.

Following the directions marked on the map and the effects of Sylvie's combat skills, they successfully avoided the other two wandering level one monsters and arrived at their destination in just about two hours.

As they drew closer, a nauseating stench began to fill the air.

Dried entrails began to hang from the branches of trees lining the road, and the number of human and animal skeletons on the ground increased. Looking down through the gaps in the tree trunks ahead, they gradually made out the outline of the massive stronghold.

It was a makeshift fortress tightly enclosed by thick, sharp wooden stakes. Compared to the goblin camps of the past, this camp even had four crude watchtowers.

It seems the rumors about elite individuals like goblin shamans might be true.

Inside the wooden walls, one could even see some tents made of tattered animal hides. Countless small, green figures darted back and forth between the wooden walls, chattering away, accompanied by several extremely heavy, dark red figures moving slowly through them.

This is the next battlefield.

at the same time.

A woodland on the outskirts of Ash Forest.

Old Bones and the black-haired young man, Kadi, were traveling through the forest. Their destination was also a goblin camp, but a medium-sized one located on the outer edge of the forest.

Old Bones felt his legs starting to ache again. He subconsciously rubbed his fingers together, trying to activate the ring that was imbued with the [Lightness Spell].

But when he reached for the empty ring, he realized it had been given to him as a reward for saving Logan's life.

Thinking of Logan, this northerner, the old man sighed silently. He was still grateful for Logan's help that time. In his many years as an adventurer, he knew all too well how precious kind-hearted people like Logan were in this forest.

He silently prayed to the Valkyrie Selene, asking her to bless Logan so that he would make a fortune in this joint expedition.

Of course, he also fervently prayed that she would bless him and that young boy Kadi, so that they could have a smooth and successful campaign and return home alive.

"Old man, how much longer until we get to that lousy camp?"

Kadi impatiently hacked at the thorns blocking his path with his scimitar.

"Shut up!" Old Bones said in a low voice, tapping him on the head. "How many times have I told you? Adventurers should never be impatient in the forest! It will not only get you killed, but it will also kill me!"

Just as the old man was lecturing Kadi, several figures flashed by on the forest path not far away.

A strange group of adventurers was heading in another direction.

Five human adventurers dressed in different styles were leading a half-elf adventurer deeper into the forest.

Such a configuration is rare in a place like Riverwood, where multiple races coexist.

But that's not why the old bones felt strange.

Most importantly, there's a sense of oppression.

There are six people in total, and each of them is a professional.

In that instant of intersection, the six people opposite them clearly saw Old Bones and Kadi, who were frozen in place.

They stopped in their tracks, and one of the blond men stared intently at the old man and the young man in front of him.

Time seemed to stand still.

Old Bone's back was instantly soaked with sweat, while Kadi looked at Old Bone with a puzzled expression.

He felt that the other party was judging whether to kill him and his two ants.

But in the end, they turned around and continued walking into the woods, soon disappearing from sight.

Only after the other person had completely disappeared did Old Bones take a deep breath. He felt as if he had just brushed shoulders with death.

"What's wrong, old man?"

"Go! Go quickly!"

The old man suppressed his fear and grabbed Kadi, pulling him away from where he stood.

The two of them continued toward the goblin camp.