Chapter 385 - 315: Bro, From Now On You’re My Bro (2)

Chapter 385: Chapter 315: Bro, From Now On You’re My Bro (2)

Over thirty goblins, shouldering black tubes, shouted, "Ah Pi Chicken! Ah Pi Chicken!" and aimed them at the sky. Before the Flying Goblins could even get close, the sound of WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH filled the air as a volley of small black dots shot skyward, followed by muffled explosions.

With every explosion, a few Flying Goblins plummeted from the sky. Shire’s men, looking like they were having the time of their lives, continued to reload and fire. The Flying Goblins couldn’t even get near the airspace above the squad.

"Bro, from now on, you’re my big bro. I’ll follow your orders, as long as you don’t make me work insane overtime. Of course, if there’s enough Light Beer, a little extra work is no big deal." Pazani’s fleshy tendrils quivered as he stared up at the sky, occasionally glancing down at Shire, who was only 1.3 meters tall. Though he was used to setting his own schedule, after witnessing the capabilities of the Goblin Race, Pazani was already starting to prepare himself mentally for a new reality.

After all, the Petrifying Lizards and Flying Goblins had caused the Naga Race a great deal of trouble. They were difficult creatures to handle. Water Magic alone wasn’t enough to easily kill them, and once a Petrifying Lizard got close, the Naga had no choice but to retreat, scrambling to get out of range of its Petrifying Gaze.

Furthermore, these two pesky creatures could even dive underwater and had threatened the Naga Race’s hatcheries on several occasions. But today, on dry land, he’d seen weapons that could counter them directly.

’What Shire’s goblins are using is definitely not Magic,’ Pazani was certain. He hadn’t felt the slightest fluctuation of Magic Power. ’Besides, what kind of Magic could be cast so continuously? And they’re even laughing and joking while they do it!’

’What I can be sure of is that those black tubes are weapons, just like swords or spears. That means they can be mass-produced, and many of the Naga Race could be equipped with them!’

"Bro, what’s our next move?" Pazani asked, bowing his head. A hint of fanaticism gleamed in his eyes. ’If I bring weapons like these back for the elders to see,’ he thought, ’I wonder how long they’ll be holed up in the council hall this time.’

"What... did you just call me?" Shire asked, lowering his telescope and frowning at the Naga Prince beside him.

"Bro," Pazani repeated. "How are we fighting next? Are we charging straight in?"

’Not another one who calls me bro,’ Shire muttered. Back at the Fortress, Mountain Xi’ao was already enough of a headache, always telling everyone "my bro this" and "my bro that." And now he had another one—a Prince destined to inherit a throne, no less.

"We wait a little longer. For news," Shire said, brushing off Pazani’s choice of address and explaining calmly. After all, the battle was far more important.

「Meanwhile, in the forest.」

Upon hearing the report from several goblins, he shot to his feet. "What did you say? They blocked them all?"

He moved so abruptly that he didn’t even notice the grouse-feather crown fall from his head. ’How could they have blocked them? Even if they focused all their strength and somehow managed to hold back the big lizards, the Flying Goblins I sent to press the advantage should have been able to finish them off!’

He frowned, unable to understand why the battle wasn’t proceeding as he’d planned. In Bald Hide’s world, the Feathered Serpent God was supreme, humans were untrustworthy, and all other goblins were useless. But now, a group of these "useless" goblins had once again left him completely stunned.

’No, that’s not it. They must just be barely holding on,’ Bald Hide quickly rationalized. He habitually reached up to touch his bald head, then froze, realizing his feathered crown was gone. His eyes darted around furiously, searching for whoever had dared to steal it—an act tantamount to stealing his very status within the tribe. Only after scanning his surroundings did he spot his "treasure" on the ground.

PAT, PAT. Bald Hide picked up the crown and dusted it off. He then slowly placed it back on his head, adjusting its position a few times. The goblin messenger watched this "performance" in a daze. "Military Leader, what are our orders?"

"Don’t be anxious. Let them tire themselves out," Bald Hide said with a magnanimous wave of his hand. "The enemy has already used every trick they have; they’re barely holding on. Now, we just have to wait for the inevitable result. I’ve already made other arrangements. They won’t be able to make any waves."

He sat back down on the tree stump as if he were perched atop one of the stone towers of the Goblin Kingdom. "Just wait quietly," he said. "Wait for the sounds of the enemy’s wailing. Wait for them to rout."

He had absolute trust in his own tactics, firmly believing that his "minor" arrangements demonstrated a "wisdom" the rest of the Goblin Race could never hope to possess.

......

「On the other side of Nightmare Forest.」

Several Dongtou were huddled together, arguing. Military Leader Bald Hide had previously ordered them to lead their men on a detour to attack Shire’s group of goblins from another direction.

However, it was now almost noon, and the Dongtou were torn between continuing the advance to launch their attack and stopping to find food to fill their bellies.

It was in a goblin’s nature to prioritize eating above all else. Finding food, cooking it, and stuffing it down was more important than anything. But the Military Leader had also said, "This operation is critical. It must be completed by all."

This left them in a dilemma. After arguing for a while, their stomachs started to GRUMBLE in what sounded like a contest.

"Forget it! I’m taking my men to find food. We won’t have the strength to fight if our stomachs are empty." A Dongtou hefted a large wooden club from the ground, threw out those words, and left. He was going to lead his men to find food first.

With one taking the lead, the other Dongtou immediately began clamoring to lead the goblins from their respective caves to forage. Soon, all the goblins were doing the same.

They weren’t idiots. Attacking could get them killed, while having a full stomach was the most important thing. Besides, if the others beat them to it, there might not be any food left for them to find.

Just as they were about to scatter in search of food, a warning cry echoed from the distance. A group of goblins was squawking chaotically, alerting all the others that they were under attack.

This was no mere squabble over food; it was an attack by another race.

"Quick, release the big lizards!" one of the Dongtou yelled. He completely ignored the fact that the forest was crawling with goblins—not just enemies, but their own forces, too. Releasing the Petrifying Lizards now meant they were more likely to devour goblins from the Feathered Serpent Kingdom.

But they weren’t thinking that far ahead. Their own safety was more important. A loud RUSTLING of leaves and snapping twigs erupted from the undergrowth as more than twenty Petrifying Lizards charged toward the loudest sounds in the distance.

"Petrifying Lizards!" Broken Tooth yelled from his perch in a tree, simultaneously pointing his flag in the direction of the attack.

Meanwhile, Nine-finger brandished the Magic Staff in his hand as he slowly advanced.

This was the same Magic Staff that Little John had bought in Torch City. It was suitable for a Basic Magic Apprentice, but in Nine-finger’s hands, it didn’t seem to do much. He could control three Firebirds before, and he could still only control three now—no improvement whatsoever.

However, the chief had said that a Mage needed a Magic Staff to show off. "Otherwise," he’d argued, "I carried a wooden stick before I learned Magic, and I’m still carrying a wooden stick after? Then I learned Magic for nothing!"

With a loud RUSTLE, the grass up ahead trembled, and a Petrifying Lizard charged out. There were stone fragments around its mouth—a clear sign it had just eaten a goblin. Its eyes immediately locked onto Nine-finger and his long staff. With a vicious glint in its eyes, it rushed straight toward him.

"In such a hurry?" Nine-finger said calmly. He raised his arm, and a flicker of fire rapidly condensed and pulsed. From the coalescing fireball, a massive, crimson wild boar burst forth and charged the Petrifying Lizard.

The Flaming Wild Boar weaved swiftly through the forest like a "flame tank," leaving burning hoofprints in its wake. Before the Petrifying Lizard’s terrified eyes, with a resounding BOOM, it slammed into the creature and sent it flying backward.

The Petrifying Lizard, now wreathed in crimson flames, writhed on the ground with a desperate HISS before it quickly fell still.

"Oh, another Petrifying Lizard," Nine-finger said, signaling for the goblins behind him to press forward. At the same time, he reached out his hand and began to form another fireball.