Life Reset: Human Resource (New Era Online Book 4)
Page 26
The other players quickly converged around me and the white-haired woman.
“How did you do that?” Aly asked excitedly.
I pointed at my earring again.
“That’s incredible,” she exclaimed. “You realize that could help speed up my work? I need to study this.”
“Later,” I said. “We have another issue to talk about. Our scouts got a better look into the cave, and they saw a new type of goblin: bigger, stronger, and spiky.”
“Why are there always spikes?” Malkyr groaned. “For once I’d like to see our enemies be fortified with marshmallows.”
Vic snorted.
“You’re awfully snarky for a companion,” Kyth, the gnomblin, pointed out.
“That’s enough, Vic,” I said in rebuke.
Hoshisu’s eyes narrowed in a familiar way as she studied my insolent Vicloak.
“Anyhow,” I continued, “instead of attacking head-on, Hoshisu suggested we ambush and interrogate a few isolated goblins. Figure out what we’re up against.”
Nero nodded. “Sound tactical decision.”
“It’s still an hour till dark, so our soldiers won’t be fighting at full strength, but it should be more than enough for an ambush,” I said. “Take your war parties and form a perimeter inside the forest. Far enough so we won’t be heard from their cave. As soon as we spot some of their members, we’ll converge around them so they won’t be able to escape.” I tapped my earring. “I’ll keep you posted as we go along. Everyone clear?”
The players nodded, and they each dispersed back to their squads. Our camp was quickly packed up and we set out.
Alright, I said telepathically when I estimated we’d gotten as close as we could without being spotted. Spread out and keep watch. If you see anything … I hesitated. Send a scout to let me know, and I’ll tell the others.
“Or we can just send you a message,” Hoshisu shout-whispered back at me.
I flinched. That was an obvious oversight on my part. Or … eh … just message me.
The white-haired player’s snort was audible for everyone.
I stayed back with Lirian and the Ogres as the army moved to follow my orders. We didn’t have to wait long.
Ten minutes later, Vic spoke.
I sent out my thoughts. Everyone, close in toward Nero’s squad. Make sure to cut off any possible escape routes back to their cave. Then I beckoned the others to follow me.
The maneuver had been executed perfectly by the time I arrived with my entourage. Scores of my soldiers were packed in a tight circle around eight cowering goblins. No one seemed to be injured. It looked like my soldiers didn’t even have to engage to subdue our captives.
I stepped into the circle and walked toward the goblins. A tall hunter looked at me in fear. Reaching out to the information tendrils he exuded, I learned that he was level 3, the highest of the bunch. This group posed no threat.
The goblins fell on their knees as I approached. The tall one’s eyes widened when he noticed my cougar fang necklace, and his fear turned into awe. “Big big chief, please no hurt we weaklings,” he squeaked.
I stopped to look at him. The hunter was thin and covered in bruises. His HP was at half, and he had an underfed debuff. This was not the large clan I expected to conquer. If these guys were an indication of the rest, we were staging a war against a clan of hobos.
“How many goblins are in your clan?” I asked.
The hunter looked at me vacantly.
I sighed. It had been a long time since I’d spoken to ‘uncivilized’ goblins, and I nearly forgot how dimwitted my race could be. I tried another approach. “What can you tell me about the bigger goblins with spikes?”
To my surprise, the goblin’s fearful eyes turned hopeful. “Big, bad, bad,” he spat. “Come to clan, kill chief, kill Grutta. Make we bring meat, eat we meat.”
I frowned. “A different clan took over yours?”
He shook his head. “One bad goblin kill chief, then females make more bad goblins.”
That was disturbing. It sounded like some sort of a goblin subspecies boss had taken over the clan and was in the process of converting it.
“What can you tell me about the other goblins?” I asked.
“Big,” he said. “Strong. Big teeth, big claws, Big horns. Ugly.”
That didn’t tell me much.
“Ask him if the normal goblins will fight us,” Hoshisu said.
I didn’t have to ask him. I was a goblin. I knew the answer. “They’ll fight as long as their chief tells them to fight,” I said. “If we just march in, he’ll rally everyone against us – females and children included.”
The hunter nodded. “Bad, bad chief.” He looked at me hopefully. “You kill? Be new chief?”
I looked into his scared eyes. “I will,” I said with calm confidence. I wasn’t sure where that came from. I could feel the feral goblin in me wanting to kill and conquer, but I also felt pity for these miserable creatures. They weren’t all that different from the goblin slaves I’d freed in Akzar. They were my kin, and they deserved my protection.
“Listen very carefully,” I said. “I want you to go back to your cave and start telling all the other, good goblins to come out to the forest.”
“Hold on a second,” Malkyr objected. “Won’t the other ones notice and try to stop them?”
“Doubtful,” I said. “Higher ranks pretty much ignore those beneath them. They wouldn’t care if everyone died or just went out for a stroll.”
“Still, they might become alert if they suddenly realize only super-gobs are left.”
“Probably,” I admitted. “But it won’t matter. At that point, we’ll already be in a position to strike.” I looked back at the hunter. “Will you do as I ask?”
The goblin stared at me and slowly nodded.
The hunter got up. “We go back,” he said determinedly. “Tell others come to forest, then kill bad goblins.”
“Don’t mention killing anyone,” I warned him. “Just get the good goblins over here so they won’t get hurt.”
He nodded and motioned for the other goblin to follow him.
I indicated for my soldiers to let them pass, and the goblin quickly disappeared behind the trees toward their cave.
Malkyr shook his head. “I don't know, Chief. They might just tell the others we’re here, and then we’ll lose the surprise.”
“It doesn’t matter. Normal goblins aren’t great strategists. They usually charge the enemy using overwhelming numbers. But I don’t think it’ll come to that. Let’s just wait.”
We didn’t have to wait long. One by one, then by groups of twos and threes, the goblins came streaming out of the cave and filtered through the forest to our location.
“Lirian?” I called, looking around. My daughter was nowhere in sight.
The young goblinette dropped down from a tree and landed, catlike, in front of me. “Yes, Father?”
“We’re starting the attack. I want you to stay behind and organize the goblins. Make sure they stay put and that they’re safe,” I said.
“I want to join the fight, Father.”
“No. I’m not putting you in harm’s
way. Besides, the whole idea of this campaign is to let the new soldiers see some action and get experience.”
She seemed unhappy but said, “Yes, Father.”
“Good.” I turned to the eager faces of the soldiers and players alike. “It’s almost nighttime. Our time.” I felt the blood stirring in my veins. “Let’s go kick some ass.”
16 - Raid
There were no real tactics to employ here. The forest ended about a hundred meters from the goblins’ cave, and it was all open rocky terrain up to the entrance. We would be easily spotted by the sentries long before reaching attack distance.
We’ll move up as a single force, I communicated mentally. If they charge us in the open, we’ll cut them down when they come to the entrance. Our goal is to hold the exit since it’s a natural chokehold. We’ll be able to hold against anything they might throw at us that way.
I decided not to overburden the players with details. I trusted them to direct their squads as they saw fit. They each had tanks, melee DPS, and ranged fighters.
We stepped out of the tree line and walked at a brisk pace up the hilly terrain leading to the cave. Each of the seven squads moved in unison, their tanks in front. The seven strike forces moved quickly, converging on the cave.
The enemy noticed us when we were halfway there. A ‘bad goblin’ stepped out of the cave and stopped abruptly as he noticed the combined forces heading his way.
We were close enough to see him clearly. The creature only remotely resembled a goblin. He had the general features and green skin, but that was where the similarities ended. The goblin was big. Nearly hobgoblin big. His body was inconsistently muscled, with ungainly bulges coming out of his shoulders, legs, and chest. A cluster of uneven horns adorned his head, and I could see his long, daggerlike claws even from this distance. The sight was disturbingly familiar.
Analyze.
Infernal-Touched Goblin
Level: 3
HP: 55
Attributes: P:5, M:0, S:-2
Skills: Bloodlust 5
Traits: Goblinoid (+1 Physical, -1 Social), Infernal-Touched (+1 Physical, improved armor & fire resistance)
Resistances: Fire 50%, Armor 20
Background: A hybrid demon goblin. Simple front-line assault.
“No way,” I whispered, realizing why the creature looked so familiar. He was almost identical to the foblins I’d converted using the Chalice of Infernal Energies. But my foblins only lasted a short while before exploding from the volatile energy. This goblin looked stable. At least, stable enough to improve his skills. He was only level 3, but his Infernal-Touched trait made him ridiculously overpowered for his level.
The description didn’t reveal much about the creature’s rank, but I surmised it was this clan’s equivalent of our foblins. That posed a problem.
Thanks to the Ogre Gluttony bonus I got from the Ogre totem piece, my overfed level 4 soldiers had 60 HP each. Their gear improved their armor significantly, but the Infernal goblin’s was just as high. Our weapons should give us the advantage, but the goblin’s claws looked formidable as well. The growing darkness gave my soldiers an extra boost to all their skills, and I estimated they could still overpower a goblin in a one-on-one fight. But the power gap had just shrunk considerably.
It was starting to come down to numbers and tactics. And the most important thing right now was to maintain the element of surprise. I could have easily stopped him myself, but this was to be my soldiers’ trial by fire. I needed them to learn to hold their own.
“Take him!” I shouted.
Over 20 hob scouts raised their bows and shot arrows at the retreating goblin. Half of them missed, and most of the others glanced off his thick, misshapen body, scoring only a few shallow wounds.
I cursed as it became apparent that the goblin would have time to flee into the cave.
Despite wanting to give my soldiers the center stage, I couldn’t allow the goblin to warn his friends. I raised my fist and froze him in place. Another volley of arrows came. This time most of them hit the unmoving target and pierced his naturally high armor. I felt the goblin’s mana evaporate as he fell. To my relief, the body didn’t explode.
“Quickly, get into position,” I urged. Stopping the Infernal goblin from sounding the alarm probably only bought us a moment. I was sure his shouts had been heard inside. It was only a matter of seconds before his fellows came to investigate.
The simple act of freezing the goblin, coupled with my higher level, caused me to receive the lion’s share of the goblin’s XP. I could have easily plowed through hordes of the Infernal-Touched goblins on my own, but that wouldn’t do. I stepped aside, distancing myself from the ensuing battle.
The players quickly led their squads to form a tight line five meters in front of the cave’s entrance. Two dozen shield-bearing hobs brought up the front, with a line of the melee fighters behind them. The scouts, along with the players and the two hob adepts, brought up the rear.
I stood back and watched.
Two Infernal goblins came running out of the cave, looking around wildly. Instead of retreating in fear at the overwhelming odds against them, they shouted with glee and charged. More Infernal goblins streamed out of the cave after them, pouring out by the dozens, and they all charged headlong into my awaiting army.
The two forces came together with a resounding crash, but despite being outnumbered two to one, the frontline tanks held. The hobs were still a head taller and heavier than the beefed-up goblins. They locked their shields together and didn’t budge an inch against the howling, flailing mob.
I heard the players shouting orders. The scouts started raining arrows on the tightly packed goblins while the melee fighters stabbed and slashed through the gaps in the shield line. Many goblins were wounded and several were killed, but there were plenty of others to replace them.
The goblins howled with unbridled bloodlust, throwing themselves at my warriors, disregarding the danger. The pressing bodies began to accumulate, and despite getting hit, the goblins were starting to push against the center of the line. Their toughened hide soaked up a lot of the damage, allowing them to get close enough to retaliate with their raking claws. My soldiers were starting to take damage, and fewer than 10 Infernal goblins had been killed.
The wave of goblins spilled around the shield wall, looking to engulf them. Another shout from the players and the tanks leaned forward, putting their higher weight into play. The shield line shifted and curved to contain the enemy force within a tight half-circle that surrounded the cave exit.
Then it was the adepts’ turn. The two hobs started channeling their signature spells. The first line of tanks suddenly roared with renewed vigor as the Frenzy spell took hold, bolstering their muscles with rage and power. The circle containing the goblin swarm tightened even more, packing them in like sardines, stifling their movements. The arrows and the hobs’ weapons struck relentlessly. There was no chance of missing the packed-up mob.
Then the players added their individual contribution. Hoshisu and two other players started firing bows of their own, and their arrows inflicted even more damage than the scouts. Kythareon the gnomblin kept launching ice bolts, always seeming to target and freeze an enemy before they landed a hit on one of our troops. Aly and Nero closed in on the melee and worked together to bring down one enemy at a time. The half-dragon’s claw swipes coupled with the platinum-haired woman’s martial arts made short work of their targets.
But we didn’t escape unscathed either. The Infernal goblins’ claws were formidable, often cutting through armor and scoring shields. Almost all the melee fighters were wounded and several lay dead on the ground. I had to clench my fists to stop myself from acting. A single Heal Followers spell would instantly bring everyone to full health and assure our victory. It would also bring me most of the XP, making all the sacrifices go to waste. So I held back and kept on watching.
The battle was reaching a new climax. No more goblins were coming out of the cave, an
d the ground was littered with their dead, creating mounds of corpses the enraged goblins had to scale to reach my soldiers. The numbers looked pretty even, which gave us the advantage.
We kept gaining the upper hand, when suddenly half of the hobs lurched back, looking exhausted. The frenzy spell had expired. The goblins, feeling their enemies’ sudden weakness, charged with renewed vigor. They pushed back my soldiers, increasing the gaps between the defensive lines, allowing even more of them to land a hit.
“NOW!” I heard Malkyr roar.
Several torches I hadn’t noticed before were thrown at the goblin mass. The small flame did absolutely nothing against the fire-resistant monsters, but as they fell to the ground, they ignited the dry grass and ferns that grew out from between the cracks. The small flames spread quickly, but they too did nothing against the Infernal creatures.
What they did do was raise smoke. A lot of smoke.
The players ordered my exhausted soldiers back from the cloud. They complied, followed by a small number of the closest goblins. The rest of them were still packed too closely, and they started coughing and hacking as they inhaled the smoke.
The players let my soldiers back a few more steps, staying well away from the suffocating cloud. They worked together to dispatch the dozen or so goblins that kept close.
About 10 hobs remained dead on the ground along with half of the enemy goblins. And those that were still alive were injured and coughing.
The players gave the goblins a few more seconds before the smoke started to clear, and I could tell the enemy fighters had all suffered from debilitating debuffs.
“CHARGE!” Malkyr bellowed again. The magnificent axe I’d enchanted for him appeared in my large friend’s hands as he led my exhausted soldiers’ charge.
Despite being relatively low-level, Malkyr’s axe was still a powerfully enchanted weapon, and it sheared through the demoralized goblins with ease. As it passed through the last dying flames, the runes in the blade stood out in a dim orange glow. Taking advantage of the goblins’ lack of resistance, the rest of the players joined in and, with the help of the exhausted soldiers, took them apart.