Chapter 187: Conquering Force: The Hunt

"Goblins…goblins…I see no damned goblins," said Arav, leader of the Coiled Serpent, a five star adventuring team based in the Sundan empire in the realm of Terra. His black pupils were rimmed in striking, glowing white as he trudged through a tree-flanked path through the hills bordering lake Aska.

"Is this really worth the detour at this point?" said Ais, a small, slender woman with long black hair tied back into a ponytail. She was recognizable by glittering, iridescent faerie wings that sprouted from her back and the leafy green robes characteristic of the realm of Foraoise.

"I agree," said Federic, a sizable specimen of a man clad in thick, gleaming metal from head to toe, marking him as a man hailing from the United City States, specifically the city of Metallo known well for their Coresmithing techniques and their high affinity with Metal magic blessed by their patron god Ilmar, the Eternal Hammer and smith of the gods.

In Federic's hands were a large mace and a massive greatshield, and his every step loosed heavy clacks as his armor moved with his heavy and bulky frame. "I have never experienced one myself, well all should know from our basic teachings that in an Undead emergency, time is of essence."

"Aye," said Erik, a Fjallan native. A broad shouldered man that stood a head taller even than Federic with tribal blue tattoos mimicking serpents etched into his pale body. He wore fur skin armor and held a massive battle axe in both wide hands. "Arav, I understand your weapon needs blood to work, but we cannot waste more time here. Are seven hobgoblins not enough?"

"Not even close," said Arav. He held up his right arm where a strange weapon that looked comprised of liquid muscle wrapped around it. It was shaped like a tendril that curled around his arm, ending with a four petaled tip surrounding a solid, crystalline red claw. The entire weapon almost seemed like it was alive, gleaming with crimson energy. "I need twenty at the least for another two hours of usage."

"That thing still disgusts me," said Ais as she floated in the air, turning her head away from the tendril.

"It would be a sacrilege to the Coresmiths of Metallo," said Federic. "Working with cores and flesh from those of the Common Body seems…distasteful."

"Not the Common Body any longer," said Arav with annoyance. "The Vampyrs and Daemons are excommunicated. Did you forget this because Metallo was safe behind their towering walls when the Red Night hit?"

"I meant no offense," said Federic. "I understand how much Sunda lost at that time. It simply feels wrong to gaze at such a weapon, especially as the son of a Coresmith. It is as if you took a Faerie's heart and turned it into a weapon.

I understand that the coresmiths of Sunda are willing to be more experimental, but it does unsettle me."

"Why am I being made an example here?" said Ais.

"Or any other Common peoples, you get my point," said Federic.

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"I don't like it because it doesn't seem practical," said Erik. "It is strong, aye, but it needs to blood to feast upon to work, and it is greedy. While this here-," He twirled his Coldsteel battle axe – so called because it was created by tempering Everfrost into the Folding process of normal metals. "Is reliable at any time."

"Remember that the only reason our team is ranked at five stars is because of me and this weapon," said Arav. There was pride in his voice, but it was measured, relatively rational. "I do not put down your skills, but I am the only five star adventurer here. Most of you are at three stars.

Yes, our teamwork plays a part in everything, but my raw power coupled with Bloodspike is why the League assigns this star rating to us.

If I am not at 100%, then our ability to hunt stronger monsters goes down significantly. Were it any other contract, then I would be fine not having Bloodspike drink to its fullest, but this is an Undead Alert that called for adventuring teams five stars and up because the League deemed any teams below to be a liability waiting to be turned into more Undead.

We are on the cusp of being five stars: a risk. If we do not want to end up infected, then we need to be operating at all our strength. Not only for the tempting coin award, but also for our safety."

"He is right," said Yua, the archer of the team. She was of slender and tall build that exuded grace and agility. She wore long red, orange tinted robes from her home of Honno in the realm of Xia. As a Karasi, black feathered wings emerged from her back, and her orange eyes held split pupils in them reminiscent of the piercing stare of a falcon.

"We will hunt the goblins, but Arav, do not let this take more than another half hour. Time and further lives are of essence, and our presence is needed at the Westward Boundary."

Yua was also an experienced four-star adventurer, easily the second strongest on the team. A recent addition serving on a hired contract, but the rest of the team deferred to her decisions as much as they did with Arav due to her experience and sharp wits.

"Got it," said Arav, a little peeved that someone else was telling him what to do on his team, but necessary. Yua was much stronger than their past archer and well worth the coin used to hire her. Still, that she impeded on his authority as the leader did irk him a few times.

"How is the trail?" said Yua.

Arav's white rimmed pupils dilated. This was the Inhera of the Sundans called Far-Seeing Eyes; a blessing passed down by their patron god Ajna that granted certain Sundans incredible capacity to perceive the flow of mana around them.

"The trail is still cold, but this is the path the villagers told us to take," said Arav.

"Maybe they were lying to us?" said Ais with a shiver. "I'd like to head to the Outpost soon, please. This place is far too cold for a fae like me to be in."

"Beautiful bodies, you fae lot have, but so fragile! Perhaps I will visit your realm and show them what real men are like!" remarked Erik as he puffed out his muscled chest, completely immune to the cold as a Fjallan native.

"Oh please, a musclehead like you would really not be the popular type in Foraoise," said Ais.

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"Why in the name of the gods would the villagers lie to us about the goblins?" said Arav. "One would think they would be all too happy to see their goblin pests exterminated."

"Perhaps the goblins have struck some form of peace with them," said Yua. "In Xia, it is not unheard of. Oni, though not quite goblins, have been friendly with farmers, hunters, and villagers that live in the outskirts of our territories."

"Trust me, you do not know the goblins here," said Erik with a grunt. "They are foul, savage creatures that know nothing but the next meal, regardless of whether they tear it from a child's throat or from a rotting corpse."

"Is not the leader of these goblins rumored to wear armor? Wield a sword and shield?" said Yua. "That displays intelligence. Bartering and trade, too, it would seem."

"More like he looted it off a corpse," said Erik.

"…" Arav remained silent as he kept forwards at the head of the group, passing tree after tree. They had been on this cold trail for ten minutes now, making good ground, but they had not encountered a single goblin.

Arav's Farsight eyes could only track magical energy, and energy above a certain threshold at that, but it was enough to perceive the movements of hobgoblins, especially the mana sensitive ones.

So why were there no goblins?

He felt a distinct sense of unease, but he ignored it, because he knew that they were far above the point of needing to worry about goblins. The Undead were a much more pressing threat to think about.

It was then that Arav stepped out from the trees and stepped into water. Before him was a large basin of shallow water dotted with trees. The basin was flanked by towering hills that surrounded it, making it a complete dead end were it not for a group of three hobgoblins at the end, huddled by a rocky hill wall with no way to escape.

"They must be goblins that ran from us. They have cornered themselves here," said Federic.

"Stupid lot, the goblins are," said Erik as he raised his battle axe.

"Alright, let us make this quick," said Arav as he flicked his hand out, the tendril of Bloodspike lashing out and gleaming, ready for blood. "

"Wait, look at this area," said Yua. "Closed off on all sides with the hobgoblins so far in. They may be luring us into an ambush."

"This does not feel right," agreed Ais.

"An ambush of what?" scoffed Erik. "More goblins? We could slaughter a hundred with no issue."

"Erik is right," said Arav. "Petty goblin ambushes are a thing to be feared for lesser starred adventurers, but we are far beyond that point."

Yua withdrew her bow, a slender construct of ebony wood with a drawstring of bright red, and narrowed her eyes, her pointed, feathered ears pricking up. "I still do not like this."

"We move forwards. We kill the goblins and drain their blood. If an ambush hits us, we kill them too," said Arav. "If the numbers are such that they waste our time, Federic can create platforms for us to scale the hills with."

"Understood," said Federic as he raised his enormous shield.

"Prepare some area of effect magic in case, Ais," said Arav.

"…Alright," said Ais with some hesitation as she held her hands out to her sides, faint green magical circles emanating from them.

"Now, we hunt," said Arav as he dashed forwards, his team in tow behind him.

==

"Now, we hunt," said Thragg as he heard confirmation from the elder that the adventurers had left to attack the hobgoblins left in the basin as bait.

Thragg and Drogan both broke out into a sprint, leaving the elder and two champions behind by the edge of the treeline. The two other champions were hidden in the hills, ready to drop down and defend the hobgoblins.

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