Chapter 28: Hunter Hunted
The area encompassing the entire territory of the hobgoblin village that the trio had razed was now under their control. Dylan had even used the terrain to his advantage to trap the first enemy scouts who had carelessly ventured onto their land.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say Dylan now knew the area like the back of his hand. Even though he hadn’t been there long, he had made it a point to memorize every corner, every slope, to improve his chances of survival.
Perched on a branch, he stared ahead, silent as a shadow. He watched the group of hobgoblins pass right underneath him. There were about fifteen of them, tense, hyper-vigilant, moving in a well-drilled tactical formation.
The biggest one brought up the rear, the loot carriers protected in the center, and their main force led the way.
Dylan had been observing them for nearly half an hour. He had even witnessed their hunting method, which allowed him to grasp the broad strokes of their combat strategy.
He blended into the foliage like a shadow among the branches. Every step the hobgoblins took, every whisper, every clink of a weapon was etched into his mind.
He knew their pace, their level of fatigue, their behavior in unfamiliar terrain. And more importantly: he had spotted their Achilles’ heel. Two of them lagged slightly behind, breathing heavily, one of them injured — probably from a clash with another group.
Dylan slowly repositioned on the branch, his hand tightening around the handle of his axe. He wished he had a sniper rifle. From where he was, taking out those fifteen hobgoblins would’ve been child’s play.
Too bad — he hadn’t even brought his assault rifle because of the noise. Besides, if the others had known what he was planning, they probably would’ve stopped him. Or at least, that’s what he told himself.
He had no choice but to make do with what he had.
Their rigid advance and obsessive focus on the ground betrayed their habit of only watching what lay below. They knew the terrain, after all. So did Dylan. And that one detail... would make all the difference.