Chapter 54: Giant Monster

BOOM!

BOOM!

The earth trembled beneath the massive bear’s paws.

Small trees and saplings were crushed flat in its wake, while thicker trunks cracked and splintered as it barreled through the forest like a living avalanche.

Compared to this thing, the Giant Horned Wolves seemed more like harmless kitties.

Then it swiped

A nearby tree exploded apart..

BOOM!

The thick trunk shattered instantly beneath its claws, sending splinters and chunks of bark flying in every direction!

The goblins ducked just in time, narrowly avoiding being torn apart.

But the bear wasn’t done.

With another furious roar, it raised one massive paw and slammed it into the ground.

BOOOOOOOM!

The sound was thunderous!

The earth cracked beneath the impact!

A visible shockwave blasted outward in a violent ring, tearing through the surrounding undergrowth.

All four goblins were caught in it.

They were blown off their feet and sent crashing across the forest floor, rolling through mud, roots, and broken branches like rag dolls!

*****

Meanwhile, even from our high perch, I felt my vision shake violently through Gopuran’s eyes. For a moment, I honestly thought the sheer force of the shockwave might even knock her off the tree.

Shit! What the fuck?!

Is this a skill?

It has to be a skill!

Damn, this bear is way too strong!

I immediately tried using [Vassal’s Eyes] to assess its stats, but the skill failed to activate.

Turns out, I could only use it to observe creatures within my territory.

The situation was bad.

Really bad.

Fuck.

If Gopuran goes in, she will definitely die too!

And yet, I could already tell what she was thinking.

Her body shifted forward, ready to leap from the branch, but even she hesitated at the last moment and pulled back slightly.

That alone made my nonexistent heart sink.

"Puran! Think this through!" I shouted in panic. "You are no match for that bear! Leave them!"

Yes, saving those goblins could potentially mean gaining four new citizens, which would be incredible.

But the odds of actually defeating that thing, or even escaping alive, were so slim that risking Gopuran’s life for them felt insane.

It was basically a suicide mission.

Theoretically, we could try to lure the giant bear back to the castle. If I dropped hundreds of units of wood on its head, maybe I could kill it.

Maybe...

But even that plan sounded far too dangerous. Gopuran could be caught and torn apart before she even made it halfway back to the castle!

And yet...

The final decision was still in Gopuran’s hands.

And it didn’t take her long to make it.

She reached into her ponytail and pulled out the leaf-wrapped poison mushroom she’d hidden earlier.

Using the blunt side of her sword, she crushed it against the blade.

SQUISH!

Thick purple liquid oozed from the crushed mushroom, glowing ominously in the dim forest light. Gopuran quickly smeared the venom along the edge of her short sword in one swift motion.

Right! Poison!

We can definitely use it!

If what Gopuran had told me was true, and the [Purple Cap] could paralyze a Horned Wolf, then maybe, just maybe, it could work on this bear too.

"Big Boss, I..." Gopuran muttered.

Her voice trembled, choked with tears.

"I want to save them..."

"Please... "

She was asking for permission.

Because she knew exactly what it meant if she jumped down there.

I hesitated for only half a second before making my choice.

A difficult choice.

"Go, Puran."

"If things go bad, you run first. Save yourself."

The words came out much harder than I’d expected. And even though I didn’t have a real heart, it still felt incredibly heavy, like every single brick and stone of my castle had suddenly tripled in weight.

I really, really didn’t want to lose her.

But even though she was my citizen, she still had her own free will. If she was truly determined to save her friends, then who the hell was I to stop her?

All I could do now was give her permission and then do everything I could to help everyone get out of this dangerous situation alive.

Hearing my words...

"YES!"

Gopuran’s reply came out firm this time, sharp with resolve.

The fear was still there.

But so was her determination.

****

Below, the evolved goblin finally put the smaller female down.

He turned toward the giant bear, let out a desperate roar, and suddenly lunged forward.

He pushed off the ground and leaped with everything he had, a stone dagger raised high above his head. His face was twisted with fear and fury, yet there was a fierce, desperate determination in his eyes.

"YARRRRRR!!!!"

For a split second, it almost looked heroic.

Then the blade came down.

CLANG!

The stone dagger struck the bear squarely on the side of its massive skull...

...and bounced right off.

The evolved goblin’s eyes widened in disbelief.

There was not even a single scratch.

The blade hadn’t even managed to pierce the thick hide beneath the dense fur, as though he’d just struck solid iron.

The bear didn’t even flinch. Instead, it slowly turned its monstrous head toward him.

Then it roared.

"ROOOOAAARRR!!!"

The sound exploded through the forest like thunder!

The shockwave of its roar hit the goblin point-blank.

The poor dude froze instantly.

His entire body locked up, his ears flattening against his head as the dagger slipped from his trembling fingers. The evolved goblin stood there completely helpless, his face drained of color.

Even without words, I could read the terror in his eyes.

He knew... that this was the end.

The giant bear raised one enormous paw, its curved claws glinting beneath the dim forest canopy.

The goblin’s body trembled violently, but he couldn’t move an inch.

Then, just as death was about to come crashing down...

Gopuran dropped from above.

WOOSH!

She came down like a green meteor, crashing straight through the branches and slamming into the bear’s shoulder with all the force of her fall!

Leaves and splinters burst into the air as she drove her poison-coated short sword toward the bear’s neck!