Chapter 24 – You Cannot Plan for Everything

“Boss, should we leave soon? We don’t have much time left.” A tall, buff, red-haired man with a missing eye said, his voice edged with urgency.

“Yes, Brock. We only need five days to reach the Bastion of Hope, and I don’t doubt that we can gain a few more levels in the remaining days before you two need to move on to the second plane. We might also gain quite a few skill stones by hunting participants around the last village in preparation for crossing the Wildlands,” the white-haired man said calmly.

“I don’t like it.” A woman clothed as an assassin muttered, a dagger dancing playfully over her fingers.

“Why the fuck should I care, Amy? You made the deal. Nobody forced you.” The boss snapped.

“Oh, save me from your outbursts. I don’t care that you are the Guildmaster’s cousin. I’m still stronger than you.” Amy bit back without hesitation.

“Amy, calm down…” Andre stepped in, shadows squirming over his form like something alive.

“Whatever…” Amy waved it off dismissively and left the large cavern without another word.

“What happened?” The boss asked as he noticed Andre’s unusually dark mood.

“That project of mine. Someone wiped it all out. Not a single one survived.” He muttered, his tone low and tight.

“They had just arrived here, so that’s not impossible,” the white-haired boss said with a careless shrug.

“I think a big cat is behind it,” Andre said coldly.

“Hahaha, a cat?” Brock burst into laughter, his voice echoing off the cavern walls.

“Yes, a big green cat. I left them to deal with it, and now they’re all dead,” Andre muttered grimly.

“Maybe, or maybe someone else,” the boss shrugged, then asked, “What level did you hit?”

“I passed twenty. We should be ready now. I got the skill you asked for,” Andre replied.

“Good, good. We leave tonight, then.” He ordered.

***

Half a day later.

Maximus and his group made their way through the steppe, which slowly transitioned into a woodland area, thick trees covering the horizon as far as the eye could see.

“This world is very strange. Nature shouldn’t switch so abruptly like this,” Maximus muttered as they walked.

“Well, this is a special place,” Felix said with a frown, glancing around warily.

“Indeed, it is. The longer we are stuck here, the more amazed I get by all of this,” Maximus nodded, his gaze scanning the shifting terrain.

“Oy, stop your blabbering,” Oscar whispered from a bit further ahead. “Check this out.” He pointed toward a large settlement surrounded by a tall wall of wooden palisades.

“This is it, right?” Oscar whispered.

Maximus nodded. “That should indeed be the location of the goblins’ camp. Though I hardly believe it was built by goblins,” Maximus said.

“What do you mean?” Felix asked, narrowing his eyes at the structure.

“Goblins aren’t usually known as builders. They live in caves and simple camps, never such large, well-built settlements,” Maximus explained.

“How the hell would you know that? Bloody hell!” Oscar asked incredulously.

“I’ve read about it,” Maximus replied simply.

Felix shook his head and ignored them both. “How do we attack?”

“First, we need to scout the inside, and I’ve got just the friend for that,” Maximus smiled faintly.

“It’s not the croc, is it?” Oscar gasped.

“How would Silex be a good scout?” Felix asked, amused, as he pointed at the white monstrosity lying lazily next to Maximus, who chuckled at Oscar’s reaction.

“Sprout is our scout.” He pointed at the spirit growing from his upper back.

Sprout detached himself from Maximus’s armor and rustled his leaves softly.

“Sprout, can you get up there and scout the inside? We need to know the numbers and the strength of the inhabitants,” Maximus asked.

Sprout nodded and jumped, opening a small portal and appearing almost instantly atop the walls. As he did, Maximus linked their vision and observed what stood beyond the tall palisades.

Within the simple-looking settlement, a large number of goblins lived. From what Maximus could see, there were at least a hundred, and even worse was the number of taller, bulkier beings, hobgoblins. There were at least twenty of them, and each seemed to hold a high position within the village’s social structure, their homes being the biggest and sturdiest.

Alright, Sprout, come back, Maximus ordered, and Sprout opened a portal back to him.

***

“Sooo?” Oscar asked impatiently, dragging out the word.

“We should leave. There are at least a hundred goblins and twenty hobgoblins. This place is beyond what we can handle,” Maximus said gravely.

“Typical, innit? Story of my life. Why don’t we just jump into a pit of snakes and be done with it?” Oscar muttered, kicking at the dirt in frustration.

“It cannot be helped. We will find something else to hunt. Let’s go, before something bad happens,” Felix said firmly.

“Indeed, we must move before anyone sees us. Let’s keep heading toward the last village. Hopefully, we will pass at least level twenty by then,” Maximus said, his voice carrying a faint tinge of hope.

“Silex, get up. We must move.” Maximus turned to the croc, who kept ignoring him and continued lazily resting.

“Silex, you spoiled lizard, get up. I don’t have time for your stubbornness right now.” Maximus raised his voice just enough to show he was serious, but kept it low to remain mindful of their position.

“Oy, mate. He isn’t getting up,” Oscar chuckled under his breath.

Maximus felt his blood pressure rise and sighed as he shapeshifted his head into that of a crocodile. “Silex, you damn spoiled child, get up and follow me, or else!” he growled.

Hearing Maximus growl at him, Silex opened his eyes and saw a head like his own staring back at him in fury. He immediately scrambled up and started swinging his tree-topping tail like an excited pup.

Cursed lizard. If I have to shapeshift into this every time, I need him to listen, I’ll lose my damn mind, which is already stretched as it is. Maximus cursed inwardly while Oscar and Felix snickered beside him.

“What are you two chuckling about? Want me to bite your heads off?” Maximus snapped his jaws. Even my temper gets affected when I shift into this. The strangest of things, Maximus noted as they finally started moving, taking a wide arc around the settlement through the thick foliage.

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***

Felix walked first, slashing through the branches and tall grass before them, while Silex and Maximus remained at the rear of the group, making sure nobody followed them from the goblins’ side.

Oscar, on the other hand, walked in the middle with his hands behind his head, enjoying the faint smell of roasted meat drifting through the air. “Wait, why does it smell like roasted chicken in here?” Oscar paused, frowning.

“What kind of fool is cooking food in goblin territory?” Maximus cursed under his breath.

“Let’s follow the smell and find out,” Felix added as he changed course and started cutting a path toward the northeast.

They moved for some time until they reached the location from which the smell originated.

Before the mouth of a large cave, a massive five-meter-tall green humanoid figure sat before an equally massive bonfire.

The creature’s skin appeared scaly, its face wide and grotesque, adorned with a log-like nose beneath which a sharp set of teeth protruded outward like small white stakes.

Its clawed hands were currently ripping flesh from a humanoid roasted corpse, just one of many bodies skewered and stabbed into the dirt around the bonfire, slowly cooking.

Seeing this, all three men paled, even Silex froze in place, staring at the monstrosity.

“Remember when I said we should’ve jumped into a snake pit instead? Proper regret not doing that now,” Oscar muttered, his shirt clinging to him with sweat as bile rose in his throat.

“It’s a troll, but a kind I’ve never heard of. They are usually gluttonous by nature,” Maximus explained, his voice low.