Chapter 89: For The Tribe!

"Chieftain... what... what do we do now?"

The one who spoke was an elderly-looking goblin with a frail, wrinkled face. Tattoos covered nearly every inch of his body, and he was adorned with so many bone accessories that he almost looked like a walking collection of trinkets. In one hand, he held a wooden staff topped with a skull.

Throughout the battle, the old goblin had kept one hand extended toward the chieftain, continuously sending waves of green energy into his enormous body.

Under the effects of that green light, the chieftain had managed to keep fighting despite his terrible injuries.

Apparently, that old dude was a shaman.

And judging by the strength of his healing magic, he wasn’t just any ordinary shaman. He was a high-level goblin shaman with some rather potent healing and support abilities.

Unfortunately, even his magic wasn’t enough to turn the tide of this battle.

The Horned Gray Wolves continued to advance, step by cautious step.

They weren’t rushing in recklessly. Instead, they maintained their distance, watching the injured chieftain with sharp, intelligent eyes as they searched for an opening.

One wolf eventually lowered its body, preparing to charge.

But before it could make a move, the chieftain suddenly swung his greatsword.

SHING!

A powerful wave of slashing energy shot from the jagged blade, tearing through the air toward the approaching wolf!

The wolf reacted almost instantly, leaping backward just in time to avoid the attack. The slash passed harmlessly in front of it before dissipating into the distance.

Even so, that single strike was enough to make the surrounding wolves hesitate.

None of them dared to approach any further. After all, they knew that if they got too close, they might end up like the six wolves already lying dead before them.

Apparently, Horned Gray Wolves were extremely intelligent and patient hunters.

Rather than mindlessly throwing themselves at their prey, they had learned from their previous failed attacks.

They understood that the goblin chieftain was still dangerous.

But they also knew he was running out of time.

All they had to do was keep their distance and maintain the encirclement. Eventually, his strength would run out, his injuries would take their toll, and he would collapse from exhaustion or blood loss.

Then, they could finish off the remaining goblins without risking their own lives.

It was a simple but effective strategy.

And judging by the chieftain’s grim expression, he was well aware of it, too.

"Shaman."

His deep voice broke the tense silence, though his eyes never left the wolves surrounding them.

"I’ll charge into their formation and buy you some time. Meanwhile, take everyone and run."

"What?!"

A young goblin girl immediately stepped forward.

She was a skinny Hobgoblin, barely over 1.5 meters tall, with one leg badly injured and tears streaming down her face.

"No! Chieftain! We can’t! We can’t leave you behind!"

The other goblins quickly joined her, their voices filled with desperation.

"Chieftain!"

"Please, reconsider!"

Some of the Hobgoblins, along with a few regular goblins, even stepped forward with renewed determination.

"Please, let me fight alongside you! I’m not afraid!"

"Me too! I’ll fight!"

"These are just wolves! They’re not those damn spiders! We can beat them!"

For a brief moment, the goblins seemed ready to throw themselves into battle alongside their leader.

However...

"No, my warriors."

The chieftain’s voice was firm.

"If you truly have the courage and strength to fight, then use them to protect the others. When I’m gone, you must lead them away and keep them safe."

He tightened his grip around the hilt of his greatsword.

"Protect the Bright Red Nose Tribe!"

"But..." the young goblin girl was till protesting, her voice trembling. "We can’t just..."

"Silence!"

The chieftain suddenly roared, making the surrounding goblins flinch.

"Don’t make me repeat myself! The future of our tribe is at stake! Don’t throw your lives away for nothing!"

"But..."

The girl bit her lip, struggling to hold back her tears.

She wanted to say something. She wanted to argue, to beg, to find some other way out of this nightmare.

But no words came.

In the end, she turned toward the elderly shaman and grabbed his arm with both hands.

"Shaman, please! Please say something! You can’t let him do this!"

However, the old goblin remained silent.

He slowly turned his face away from the girl, unable to meet her tearful gaze, and heaved a deep sigh.

Because deep down, he knew the chieftain was right.

As the tribe’s shaman, his duty was to put the survival of the Bright Red Nose Tribe above everything else.

Even above the life of its chieftain.

Even if that decision meant abandoning someone he had served for years.

"I’m sorry..." The chieftain’s voice suddenly softened. For the first time, a hint of sorrow crept into his expression. "I failed to protect you all. I failed our tribe."

His enormous shoulders trembled slightly.

"When those monsters attacked us... I was afraid. I was so afraid that I couldn’t save everyone."

He lowered his gaze for a moment, recalling the terrible massacre.

"So many of our people died because of me..."

"No..." the young girl whispered, shaking her head desperately. "It’s not your fault! We’re not blaming you, Chieftain! Please..."

Her voice broke, and she could no longer hold back her tears.

But the chieftain did not reply.

Instead, he called out to the old friend standing behind him.

"Shaman." His voice was deep and steady once more. "I entrust my daughter to you."

The old goblin’s expression tightened.

For a moment, he said nothing.

Then he slowly nodded.

"Yes. I will take care of her."

Hearing his answer, the chieftain finally let out a breath.

That was enough.

He had no regrets about leaving his daughter in the shaman’s care.

At least now, he could fight without worrying about what would happen to her.

The elderly shaman then reached into the pouch hanging at his waist and pulled out a handful of strange red-colored dust. The particles shimmered in the sunlight like some kind of magical fairy dust.

"Chieftain," he said solemnly, "this is all I have left."

He opened his palm, revealing the mysterious substance.

"It will temporarily unleash your body’s full potential, giving you an enormous burst of strength. But the effect will only last twenty seconds."

The shaman paused, his expression growing even graver.

"Once those twenty seconds are over, your body will suffer a severe backlash. You’ll become much weaker than you are now."

"Haha... That’s enough."

The chieftain laughed, seemingly unbothered by the warning.

"Do it!" he commanded.

The old shaman closed his eyes and began murmuring an incantation over the red dust.

A faint magical glow gathered around his fingers.

Then, with a sudden flick of his hand, he scattered the dust toward the chieftain.

The particles drifted through the air before settling across the giant goblin’s battered body.

And the moment they touched his skin...

"AAAAARRRRRGGGHHHHH!"

The chieftain let out a deafening roar!

His entire body convulsed as an overwhelming surge of energy erupted from within him.

His eyes flashed a dangerous crimson.

Then, he transformed!

The muscles across his enormous frame began to swell even further, bulging beneath his skin as thick veins rose across his arms, chest, and shoulders. They looked like giant vines winding around a tree trunk, threatening to burst under the pressure.

His already massive body grew even larger.

Another meter in height!

In the blink of an eye, the towering goblin had transformed into something even more monstrous than before.

The ground beneath his feet cracked under the sudden increase in his weight.

Even the surrounding Horned Gray Wolves took a few cautious steps backward, their ears flattening as they stared at the terrifying creature before them.

The chieftain raised his greatsword.

His breathing had become a thunderous growl, and the muscles in his remaining arm bulged as he tightened his grip around the weapon.

Then he roared a command.

"NOW, GO!"

His voice shook the rocky hillside.

"I’LL CREATE A PATH!"

Before anyone could respond, the chieftain swung his jagged greatsword with all his might!

BOOM!

A massive wave of slashing energy tore across the battlefield, rushing toward the pack of Horned Gray Wolves!

Most of the wolves reacted quickly enough to leap aside.

But not all of them were so fortunate.

Two of the slower wolves were caught directly in the path of the attack.

In an instant, their bodies were bisected by the overwhelming slash, falling apart before they even had a chance to howl!

Blood splattered across the rocky ground.

And just like that, a gap appeared in the wolves’ encirclement.

The chieftain didn’t hesitate.

With a thunderous roar, he charged straight into the opening!

His enormous body barreled forward like a living boulder, his footsteps shaking the ground as he rushed toward the startled wolves.

"RAAAAAARRRR!"

"FOR THE BRIGHT RED NOSE TRIBE!"

Behind him, the other goblins finally moved, following their chieftain toward the opening he had created.