Chapter 27: Goblin Hater
The following morning, the Summoned were full of unease and anticipation.
If they succeeded in this raid, they would get a shit ton of Aether Shards, and they knew it.
Each shard offered only a small boost, but those boosts were adding up. The greatest boon was the physical enhancement that accompanied every shard they absorbed.
However, if they failed... they would die. There was no second chance. The Obsidian Forest — this world — would never allow it.
’Well...’
’Maybe it did.’
’But nobody knows that but me.’
And it was better they didn’t.
They had decided to fight in the daylight, unlike before, when they had attacked after nightfall. Because of that, they didn’t have to wait long before Lucas gave the order to get into position.
They hadn’t been split up evenly because of the slight disparity in power between them. Claire’s group needed the most people since they would attack first and draw the goblins’ attention. She also required protection while channeling her fireball.
Axel’s group was the smallest, comprising only six people: Maks, Zayn, Connor, Ryon, Didier, and himself.
Despite their size, they were by no means the weakest. Zayn had absorbed the most shards among them — twelve — and the rest weren’t far behind.
Axel’s group was positioned on the north side of the camp. While their main objective was to kill goblins, they were also responsible for preventing any from escaping and calling for reinforcements.
Axel slammed his sword into the ground, using the earth as a sheath. Then, he pulled out two daggers.
Truthfully, he was a little excited to test the skill he’d been practicing.
They patiently waited until they saw it.
A thin wisp of smoke rose above the camp, followed by a torrent of familiar screeches.
"Kreeeee!"
"Kreeeee!"
"Kreeeee!"
Within moments, flames engulfed the entire camp, and the gates swung open, revealing the panicked goblins inside.
Axel greeted them kindly.
"Howdy, you devils."
Axel had developed a habit of talking during fights, partly to vent his frustrations and indulge his showmanship, but mostly because it seemed to calm his allies’ nerves.
Axel enhanced his body with Aether — something he’d instinctively learned how to do — and threw his first dagger, driving it into a goblin.
The pitiful green thing died with a horrified expression plastered across its ugly mug.
[You have slain a Nascent Aberrant, Goblin]
"One for the money."
The next goblin on Axel’s list saw the second dagger coming, but it wasn’t quick enough to react.
"Two for the show!"
[You have slain a Nascent Aberrant, Goblin]
The two goblins Axel killed were trampled by their companions, who remained in shock at the sudden attack. Beyond them, Axel could see the tents — and nearly everything else inside the camp — catching fire.
Axel pulled his sword from the ground and led the charge into the small horde of around twenty. He wasn’t alone, of course.
Ryon shouted as he cut down a goblin:
"Easy!"
"Keep quiet! You messed up my mojo!... Three to get ready!"
[You have slain a Nascent Aberrant, Goblin]
"Four to—"
Maks screamed over Axel as he stole his kill:
"Go!"
"What the hell, man!"
Their joking ended as more and more goblins poured through the gate, forcing them to focus entirely on the fight ahead.
Well, Axel still screamed. He’d merely reverted to the usual obscenities.
"Die, fuckers!"
[You have slain a Nascent Aberrant, Goblin]
"Die!"
[You have slain an Unseen, Goblin]
Their plan was working perfectly.
What had made the goblins such formidable opponents, despite their individual weakness, was their intelligence and coordination. Now, stripped of both, they fought like frantic, mindless beasts.
***
The rest of the fight went smoothly. Even on the other side of the battlefield, there were no complications. By the time the raid was over, the Summoned had slain one hundred and eleven goblins without suffering any significant injuries or casualties.
Hope soared throughout the group.
Before the battle, death had been an unspoken expectation. Most of the Summoned had believed the battlefield would be their final resting place. Now, it was clear that their situation wasn’t nearly as hopeless as it had appeared. They’d gotten much stronger than they’d realized.
As the flames died down, the Summoned rummaged through the goblins’ bodies, collected every Aether Shard, and divided them equally. Then, they retrieved whatever rations had survived the fire and retreated to their base of operations.
Once they were back, they partied.
None of them had expected to win, let alone celebrate afterward.
Yet while they celebrated that day, Lucas would issue an order the next that pushed some of them over the edge.
Midnight came and put an end to the celebration.
The howls of the forest overtook the howls of the Summoned.