Chapter 21 : Shack
Chapter 21: Shack
Bbaddeudeudeudeuk.
Robin fell to the ground, held in Felix’s arms.
Even after hitting the ground, they slid for quite a while, widening the distance between them and the King Goblin.
“Keheoeok!”
Felix spat blood from his mouth.
The moment he was struck by the King Goblin, he had thrown his spear away and wrapped his arms around Robin.
Thanks to that, the damage Robin received was not great.
“Keeeeeek!”
Thud. Thud.
The King Goblin, in a frenzy, rushed toward Felix.
Felix seemed unable to get up, perhaps because the wound from the earlier attack was severe.
“Robin, go first.”
“What are you talking about? What about you, Felix!”
“I have a plan. I won’t die, so go ahead.”
Blood was flowing down his head, and his expression was filled with pain, but there was nothing Robin could do.
If he wasted time here, Felix’s efforts would come to nothing.
‘No, there is something I can do.’
“Felix, I’m borrowing your dagger.”
“Don’t do anything stupid. Just go.”
Robin pulled the dagger from Felix’s waist.
Felix merely brought a trembling arm toward his heart area but did not stop him.
The King Goblin’s face was reflected on the cold silver blade.
Standing before Felix, Robin gripped the dagger with both hands and took a deep breath.
Chijijijik.
“Keeeeek!”
The moment he held the blade, Robin’s time slowed.
Both hands raised high, poised to stab toward the sky.
Even in slowed time, the descending speed of the King Goblin’s club was faster.
Compared to the club, Robin’s dagger moved only in tiny increments, but that alone was enough.
The creature’s attacks were simple. Without any technique—just sheer force smashing down.
He spread his left foot, shifted his weight to the left, and placed the blade just barely against the surface of the falling club.
Because the power difference was overwhelming, Robin didn’t bother exerting much strength.
He merely twisted the dagger’s angle ever so slightly.
The club that came down toward Robin’s head gradually deflected and struck the ground.
Kwaaang!
The King Goblin’s expression twisted in confusion, as if the feeling of the impact wasn’t what it expected.
Even though Robin had exerted as little strength as possible, his arms trembled as if he had lifted a heavy hunk of metal.
‘Still, it’s better than before.’
Previously, redirecting an attack put tremendous strain on his body.
And that was when he used it against opponents smaller than the King Goblin.
‘I can still keep going.’
The King Goblin lifted its club again.
When the club rose to a height that looked like it could crush him just by falling—
Shiiiiiik!
A sound slicing through the air flew toward the King Goblin’s nape.
The creature hurried to shield its neck with its club.
Robin did not miss that opening.
Sseuseuk.
Because of the monster’s massive body, he passed between its legs without difficulty.
Using the size difference, Robin slipped behind it and slashed its ankle.
He wanted to sever the tendon, but the dagger didn’t sink in deeply.
“Kegeeee….”
Thud!
The creature’s foot came down where Robin stood.
Barely dodging, he stabbed the dagger into the top of its foot.
Puoook.
This time, it sank in quite deep.
The King Goblin’s shriek echoed outward like a reverberation.
Without pulling out the dagger, Robin ran.
Glancing back to check whether it was following him, he saw Felix standing up.
Shiiiiiik!
Brandok’s arrow aimed for the King Goblin’s head.
It was blocked again by the club, but it was enough to distract the monster.
Robin ran with all his strength.
The King Goblin, looking furious, chased after him, but Brandok’s arrows interfered.
In the distance, Calimacos came running.
Now it became a race against time.
Would he hold out until Calimacos arrived, or be caught before then?
‘Just keep going like this.’
The distance between them and Calimacos was not far.
He only had to run for one more minute.
Risky, but possible.
“Robin! Dodge!”
Brandok, who had climbed a tree to shoot arrows, shouted.
There were no arrows in Brandok’s hands.
‘He’s already out of arrows.’
A massive shadow loomed over Robin from behind, and a chill ran up his spine.
“Hey, you stupid bastard~!”
Buuuuuk.
With the sound of flesh being torn, blood spurted from the King Goblin’s back.
Felix had leaped, spear in hand, and carved straight down.
‘How?’
Felix was still covered in blood, but his movements were quicker than before.
The King Goblin shrieked in pain and thrashed wildly.
“Robin, keep running toward the Captain.”
Brandok, who had approached at some point, charged the King Goblin with daggers in both hands.
Answering would waste precious time, so Robin kept running without stopping.
Leaving the two locked in a desperate struggle behind him, Robin hadn’t run far when Calimacos passed by.
“You can relax now.”
At Calimacos’s words, Robin’s tension loosened, and he dropped to the ground.
Chwaaaak!
Blood burst from the King Goblin’s ankle as the creature fell to its knees.
With every slash Calimacos delivered, the vitality drained from the King Goblin.
Cutting its ankle, wrist, and shoulder in succession, Calimacos drove his blade deep into the creature’s neck.
“Kek… kereureuk….”
Thud.
Foam gathered at its mouth as the creature collapsed.
“At least no one died.”
Calimacos wiped the blood from his sword onto the King Goblin’s body.
“We may not have died, but it feels like we’re going to.”
With those words, Felix—who had barely been hanging on—collapsed with a thud.
“Quit whining. Anyway, good work, everyone. Things over there are wrapping up without me, so let’s rest a bit before heading back.”
Calimacos pointed toward the goblin settlement.
Paul, Mirian, and Torgen were dealing with dozens of goblins on their own.
“Robin, can you walk?”
“Yes. I’m fine.”
Robin pulled the dagger from the King Goblin’s foot and returned it to Felix.
Covered in blood, he hadn’t realized that Felix’s wounds had already healed.
‘Did he drink a potion?’
There had been a reason he didn’t panic despite the severity of the injury.
Felix had kept a hidden trick up his sleeve.
“Robin’s performance was impressive.”
“What performance?”
Brandok recounted the battle with the King Goblin to Calimacos.
Calimacos listened with interest.
“So this tiny kid bought time until I arrived?”
“That’s right.”
“No wonder it cut nicely when he slashed that thing’s ankle. Good job, Robin. You weren’t lying when you said you’d fought goblins before.”
As if proud, Calimacos pressed down on Robin’s head.
“Brandok and Felix deserve the credit. Without them, I would have died.”
Robin modestly passed the praise to them.
At his attitude, Calimacos smiled, and Brandok gave him a thumbs-up.
In the goblin settlement, Paul, Mirian, and Torgen were resting and catching their breath.
Sitting atop a mountain of green monster corpses, the three looked exhausted.
Clap clap clap clap.
Calimacos applauded upon seeing how many goblins they had taken down.
“Wow, you really handled all of them yourselves.”
“Calimacos, you bastard. What were you thinking, leaving without a word?”
“Hey, things turned out fine, didn’t they? I believed in you, Paul.”
Paul looked dumbfounded at Calimacos’s smooth talking, but he was too tired to argue.
Goblins weren’t difficult monsters to kill, but when dozens attacked at once, the story changed.
The only reason they managed to fight with any ease earlier was because of Calimacos’s exceptional skill.
Once Calimacos was gone, the remaining three had no time to rest.
“What happened to Felix?”
“He got hit by the King Goblin.”
“Used a stashed potion, did he? Must not have been high-quality.”
Felix, carried on Brandok’s back, remained unconscious.
“He’ll wake up on his own. Anyway, did you find anything?”
“We just finished fighting. At least give us a moment.”
“Even mighty Paul looks half-dead.”
At Calimacos’s words, Mirian and Torgen protested.
“There were more goblins than expected. We’re not monsters like you, Captain.”
“Mirian and I even had a few dangerous moments.”
“Confident earlier, but when I’m gone you panic, huh?”
Calimacos teased them smugly, and though Mirian and Torgen’s faces reddened, they couldn’t argue.
Setting Felix down, Brandok spoke.
“How about we start searching on our own first?”
“That sounds better. You all rest. Brandok and I will check things out.”
Calimacos and Brandok headed toward the intact hut.
Robin quietly followed behind them.
Both Calimacos and Brandok noticed Robin trailing along but didn’t stop him.
It was courtesy to respect the one who had contributed in battle.
“For a goblin house, it’s pretty decent.”
“Settlements of this size aren’t common.”
The wooden hut was primitive, yet fully functional as a dwelling.
The first hut held nothing noteworthy.
Goblin-worn underwear, crude stone axes, and animal bones littered the floor.
“Nothing. Next.”
Calimacos headed straight toward the largest structure in the center.
As soon as they entered, a musty, sour smell rushed at them.
“So it was here. Brandok, Robin. Gather anything that looks useful.”
“Yes, sir.”
The hut—large enough to fit dozens of people—displayed a variety of items.
Some of them belonged to the mercenary group, having been stolen earlier.
Brandok picked up a cloak from the corner, spread it out, and piled it high with loot.
There were gem-encrusted accessories and sharp-edged weapons.
Even after wrapping the goods in the cloak and hauling them outside, plenty of stolen items still remained within the hut.
“Is this what people call a treasure goblin?”
“What? A treasure goblin? Pwahaha!”
Calimacos burst out laughing at Robin’s mutter.
“Well, with this kind of haul, you could call it that.”
“Isn’t a goblin that collects treasure a treasure goblin?”
“No, not quite. Treasure goblins are so rare that it’s questionable if anyone’s even seen one. More like something out of legend.”
While Calimacos paused to explain, Brandok continued working.
Before long, a second bundle emerged from the hut, and on the third bundle, their looting was complete.
“Good work, Brandok, Robin. Let’s take a break now.”
“We’re not done yet.”
Brandok pointed toward the huts along the outskirts.
“We already recovered all our belongings. Will searching more make a difference?”
“You never know. Something more valuable might still be there.”
“Fine. I’ll carry the bundles. Go on, Brandok.”
“Yes.”
“Robin, what about you?”
‘Those small huts probably won’t have anything else.’
Staying in the stinking huts any longer wasn’t appealing.
He was about to follow Calimacos when Brandok’s gaze fell on him.
Robin couldn’t see his expression beneath the helmet, but something felt off.
“I’ll follow Brandok. If that’s okay?”
“Go on. I’ll wait with Paul and the others.”
Calimacos lifted all three heavy bundles with ease and walked toward Paul’s group.
Brandok silently headed for the outskirts, and Robin followed.
When they reached the hut’s entrance, Brandok spoke.
“Robin, have you ever learned the sword?”
“I practiced on my own.”
“On your own… So you deflected the King Goblin’s blow through self-study as well?”
“Rather than self-study… it was instinctive. I could see the King Goblin’s attacks.”
Entering the hut, the same musty odor hit them.
But this time, the scent of blood mixed in.
“You’re saying you could see the movement of that monstrous club?”
“Yes. When I hold a sword and focus, time slows down. I call this phenomenon thought acceleration.”
“That’s quite something.”
Brandok let Robin continue searching the corners of the hut, then stepped back.
Zzzzzt.
Pulling the curtain to block the entrance reduced the incoming light.
“Brandok?”
“My apologies, Robin.”
Sreung.
At the sound of a dagger being drawn, Robin’s hair stood on end.
Brandok’s dagger shot toward Robin.