Chapter 159: The Stand 1

Four enormous figures stood upon the towering walls of the Burrow Kingdom, their eyes fixed upon the distant horizon as they awaited the arrival of the enemy. Behind them stretched a vast kingdom filled with towering buildings, fortified gates, and countless goblins who had gathered from different lands, all preparing to fight in a battle that would determine the future of their entire race.

The first Goblin Emperor possessed crooked teeth, a massive body covered in scars, and a gigantic club resting upon his shoulder. His appearance was terrifying enough to make ordinary goblins tremble, and every movement he made caused the ground beneath his feet to shake slightly.

Beside him stood another Emperor dressed in dark red robes, his enormous body floating several meters above the wall while the fabric fluttered in the wind. His eyes were narrowed as he observed the distant plains, and the magical energy surrounding him distorted the air like a heatwave.

The third Emperor looked nothing like a conventional goblin, possessing a fat and round body covered in a strange, slippery substance that made him resemble an enormous slime more than a member of their race. His small eyes constantly shifted toward the horizon, and every time he moved, the stone beneath him creaked under his tremendous weight.

The fourth Emperor, meanwhile, remained silent, his arms crossed over his chest as he observed the preparations taking place below. Although their appearances differed greatly, all four possessed the same status, each having reached the SS-tier and earned the authority to rule over millions of goblins.

They were not the only Emperors in existence, but they were among those who had gathered first after receiving the emergency signals. The news of the Mother Goddess’s defeat had spread through the goblin kingdoms like wildfire, forcing even the most stubborn rulers to abandon their disputes and gather beneath a single banner.

The sun had not yet risen, and across the distant lands, the darkness of night still covered the mountains and forests. A faint line of light gradually emerged beyond the horizon, illuminating the vast plains where the goblin armies had established their defensive positions.

Different kingdoms had gathered beneath their respective banners, with some having traveled from distant mountains while others had crossed enormous plains to reach the Burrow Kingdom. Although their rulers had spent centuries competing for territory and resources, the news concerning the Mother Goddess had united them in a way that ordinary political disputes never could.

They were here to avenge her.

But more importantly, they were here to settle this conflict once and for all.

"The enemy will arrive soon, right?" the Emperor with the massive club asked, his crooked teeth showing as he spoke.

"They will," the Emperor in dark red robes replied, his voice calm despite the tension surrounding them. "The Mother Goddess wouldn’t lie about something like this."

"The other kingdoms have reportedly fallen into ruin as well, haven’t they?" the slime-like Emperor asked, his round stomach wobbling slightly as he shifted his weight.

"Based on the information I’ve received, five kingdoms have already fallen," the fourth Emperor answered. "Their messengers reported enormous flying creatures, unfamiliar races, and armies that appeared from nowhere."

The first Emperor tightened his grip around his club, his expression becoming increasingly grim as he considered the implications of those reports. Even if the messengers had exaggerated some of the details, the destruction of five kingdoms was already enough to prove that their enemy possessed terrifying strength.

"Just who is this enemy?"

Nobody answered immediately.

None of the messengers had managed to identify the invaders, and the Mother Goddess herself had returned with injuries severe enough to alarm the entire goblin race. For beings who had spent their lives believing themselves to be the rulers of their own world, the existence of an unknown enemy capable of defeating their strongest protector was difficult to accept.

"It doesn’t matter who they are," the Emperor with the dark red robes eventually said. "We need to kill them here, once and for all."

He looked toward the vast army assembled behind the walls, his eyes narrowing as he observed the countless soldiers preparing for battle. Their numbers were impressive, and the combined strength of the four Emperors should have been enough to make most enemies reconsider an invasion.

"Our armies have gathered. At this moment, there shouldn’t be anyone capable of defeating us so easily."

The other three Emperors nodded, although none of them appeared completely convinced by his words.

Behind them stood hundreds of thousands of goblin soldiers, their weapons and armor reflecting the faint light of the approaching dawn. Thousands of tamed beasts waited alongside them, ranging from enormous wolves and armored reptiles to creatures whose bodies had been modified through magic.

The magicians had established their formations across the fortified districts, preparing defensive barriers and long-range spells that could strike enemies from several kilometers away. Meanwhile, goblin knights occupied the highest sections of the walls, their weapons raised as they waited for the signal to begin fighting.

It was an army unlike anything most goblins had ever witnessed.

Yet even with such overwhelming numbers, the atmosphere remained heavy.

Among the soldiers were countless B-tier goblins, individuals who had spent their lives training to become stronger and protect their families. Many had never fought in a real war, and although they tried to conceal their nervousness, their trembling hands and uneasy glances revealed what they truly felt.

"Do you think we can win?" a young goblin asked the soldier standing beside him, his fingers tightening around the spear he had been issued only a few hours earlier.

"Of course we can," the older soldier replied, although his eyes remained fixed upon the horizon. "Look at how many of us there are. Even if the enemy is powerful, they can’t defeat hundreds of thousands of soldiers."

The young goblin nodded, attempting to convince himself that those words were true.

He had a wife waiting for him in the capital, along with two children who had cried when he left home that morning. He had promised them that he would return after the battle, bringing enough money to buy them new clothes and better food.

Now, he could only hope that he had not made a promise he would never fulfill.

Similar conversations took place throughout the army, with some goblins praying to their Creator while others sharpened their weapons repeatedly, unable to calm their nerves. The stronger soldiers tried to reassure their comrades, but even among the A-tier warriors, there were individuals who had begun questioning whether their strength would be enough.

After all, the Mother Goddess herself had been defeated.

And none of them knew how powerful the enemy truly was.

Suddenly, one of the guards standing atop the western watchtower shouted at the top of his lungs.

"THEY’RE HERE!"

Every conversation stopped.

The four Goblin Emperors immediately turned toward the horizon, their eyes widening as an enormous formation emerged from beyond the distant plains. At first, the approaching forces appeared as little more than dark specks against the rising sunlight, but their numbers soon became clear as they advanced across the landscape.

It was an army from another world.