Chapter Seventeen: Arrival

My mana bottoms out well before I arrive back at the valley.

Instead of taking it easy and waiting for the energy to return, I push through the feeling of weakness left behind by my empty mana pool and instead continue at a brisk jog. My breath comes in and out heavily and a fine coat of sweat clings to my skin from the continuous exertion, but I do not bother slowing down to take a break.

At this point, my clothes are nothing but burnt tatters with the rubber soles of my shoes being partially melted due to the immense heat that surrounds me.

I ignore all of it though as I trudge forward. I have finally connected all of the dots in my head and the realization that came from it is enough to keep me running as fast as I possibly can back toward the valley.

The carnage surrounding the old goblin camp, the lines drawn into the bordering trees, and the fear in the goblin’s eyes upon hearing the rumblings of the Train. It is clear that for whatever reason, the Train is hunting the goblins. I don’t know why it’s happening or how long it has been going on, but I am almost positive that by me destroying the goblin’s home, I just sped up the timetable of their inevitable demise.

There are still some factors I haven’t fit into the puzzle. Why did the goblins have two prisons, one in the cave and one in the clearing? Why were there no guards at the cave but three at the clearing? Why were low leveled goblins running around alone in the woods when I first came out of the cave?

None of it makes sense to me just yet, but I’m hoping that these extra questions become unimportant at the end of the day. If I can manage to use the distraction of the Train mowing through the goblin camp to slip past their guard and get to the valley, none of these other puzzle pieces will be worth thinking about.

Time passes and I finally arrive at the entrance to the new goblin camp. I am almost back to a full mana pool, but I am rasping for air and sweating bullets. Before I get to the edge of the field, I dive back into the woods and quickly find my previous hiding spot. I am happy to see that I arrived before the demolition of the goblins, so I sit back and gather myself while I take in the new preparations the monsters have constructed.

Say what you want about the goblin’s intellect, but when it comes to facing the extermination of their entire race- The goblins are surprisingly well prepared.

A wall of wood spikes and compacted mud has been erected around the main tents. The cooking pits are set off to the side of the tents, where a nearby guard shack consisting of uneven stones overlooks their labors. From the angle I am sitting at in comparison to the shack, I can see random weapons and gear stored inside.

There are monsters still running around putting up more defenses, but my focus is set on a small group of wrinkly goblins with manes that extend down their backs.

The motley group consists of three hunched figures with skin much darker than the normal goblins I have come across. They all hold some sort of metal staff that they use to dig intricate lines in the dirt.

I want to see what the wizard goblins are doing up close, but I settle for climbing up a tree to get a better angle. Once I am high enough to get a better look, I can see that the wizards have drawn similar lines around the majority of the base already.

I already know what they are doing, as I easily recognize the inscriptions in the ground as the same ones I saw in the bark at the old goblin camp. I wonder what makes the lines so special, as they don’t seem to be treated with any spooky voodoo materials like kid’s bone marrow or goat’s blood.

The wizards themselves don’t seem to be doing anything special either, as I watch them use the butts of their staff as a pseudo-carving tool to replicate what I am guessing to be as some sort of barrier.

Maybe it’s some sort of ward or concealing diagram? I’m really just making stuff up in reality, as I barely just discovered what mana is, much less whatever type of magic they are attempting to enact. Part of me really wants the Train to remain absent so I can observe the wizards for longer and see what exactly the lines achieve upon completion.

Knowing that it is not likely, I even debate whether or not to engage the goblins myself to see if the staves themselves are some sort of magical artifact.

I am already almost halfway out of my seat leaning toward the wizards when one of them finally gets close enough that their level appears.

< Goblin Enchanter – Level 26 >

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I immediately sit my ass down.

How the hell am I supposed to clear this floor myself? A level 26 magical geezer? Not just one, but three? What kind of sick fuck made the ‘Death is Certain’ difficulty?

I now dub thee as “DIC” difficulty.

Whoever made this crap now has a fitting name for their creation that perfectly reflects the nature of its creator.

I let out a huff of frustration before wiping any ideas of attacking the goblins from my mind. It looks like I will be waiting on the Train after all. With this new information in mind, I sit back and just continue to watch the goblin enchanters.

Since I have nothing better to do, I absently focus on the thermal radiation coursing throughout my body. It doesn’t really achieve anything or gain me any levels, but I feel like it helps me gain familiarity with the feeling of a tangible energy coursing through my physique.