NOVEL WEB Chapter 22
My heart’s racing a bit.
I’ve not only ruthlessly slaughtered a demon that looks somewhat human but also laid into it with inhuman brutality. If this were Earth, goblin rights activists would be coming to beat me senseless.
“Hoo.”
The sensation of piercing the goblin’s lower back with my sword felt like it was seeping out from the blade into my body.
“Dammit.”
Not exactly a pleasant feeling.
I’m not some blood-crazed berserker, after all. Why would I feel good about killing something? I was just trying to calm down this battle excitement while focusing on my breathing to keep up with my companions.
“Heh… impressive skill. To take down a goblin in one blow. Guess I should show off my skills soon.”
While I was lost in thought, the gloomy Jaemi Son snickered beside me, petting his weird weapon.
“When did you start using that weapon?”
“A few months ago…”
I’d thought it was a few years.
Still, I was curious. How would this bizarre weapon-wielding man fight? Could he surpass the Sphere man with his skills?
I was lost in those thoughts when—
*Thwoosh.*
Mr. Song, who was leading, quietly raised his hand.
Three fingers extended, signaling we had found the goblin village.
We immediately crouched and moved toward Mr. Song to assess the situation in the village.
*Kerreck! Kekkek!*
The goblin we had smashed was running and screaming as he neared the village. He had finally arrived home after being thrashed by some rather bad, or more accurately, very inhuman shoulder brothers, so it was time to spill the beans.
“Now, we must strike.”
Mr. Song suddenly declared.
Now? Shouldn’t we watch for signs first?
“The goblins still don’t know they’ve been attacked. If we go out now, we can take advantage of the ambush.”
“Oh…!”
Indeed.
I had underestimated the situation. It was undoubtedly more perfect to ambush before the goblin could alert the village.
I was about to draw my sword and get ready when—
“Wait! We need to assess the situation!”
Gu Jumang yelled, and I lowered my voice.
“Gu Jumang, please speak more gently. And right now, we should follow Mr. Song’s orders.”
“But I’m the leader!”
Really, this jerk?
“And I have experience! We should wait and observe before attacking!”
Who yells so loud in front of the enemy?!
Frustration made me want to punch something, yet what could I say?
“I think so too. It’s better to gauge their numbers first and then proceed.”
Has he developed a bond? Oh Gisoo, who used to argue with Gu Jumang, chimed in to support him.
But I thought differently. Following Mr. Song’s lead, we could rush in to kill the visible goblins, and if their numbers seemed overwhelming, we could back off then. If we wait, we’d only give them time to form ranks.
That would lead to a dead end.
“…”
Mr. Song saw this and briefly closed his mouth.
“It seems it’s too late. They’ve heard us.”
“What?”
And he was right.
*Kerreck, Kerreeek!*
*Keruyaaaack!*
*Kerreck!*
Goblin warriors armed with weapons poured out from dwellings like they were spilling out of a cave. There were more than ten of them!
Crap!
“If we had ambushed, we could have reduced their numbers by half…!”
It’s that dumb Gu Jumang yelling loudly that caused this!
“Gu Jumang! You made this mess by yelling!”
“I-I just…!”
I was chewing down my disappointment!
Right now, we had to fight!
“Mr. Song! What should we do? Give us orders!”
“Form ranks and fight.”
“Got it! Jaemi Son! Protect Mr. Song, our strongest fighter, from the sides!”
“Understood…!”
Thankfully, Jaemi Son was someone who could be communicated with.
“Gu Jumang! Oh Gisoo! You two join the formation!”
“Uh, uh oh!”
“Understood!”
Thus, the five of us huddled together to form ranks. Everyone drew their weapons. One bizarre spear and four swords.
“Keruuhh!”
“Keruyaaaaack!”
The goblins, seemingly intoxicated with madness, charged at us with wild screams.
“Huh…!”
Watching them rush at us made my limbs tingle with tension, dizzying my vision.
Over ten goblins were charging at us, wielding spear and stone axes, ready to kill invaders in their territory!
*Bang!*
I gritted my teeth and gripped my sword tightly to not lose it. Their momentum was fierce, but we were five. We had formed ranks, and our individual strength surpassed those reckless goblins.
We won’t lose!
We’re winning!
Don’t be scared!
Picture the GOAT in your mind!
If I get scared by this, how will I survive in this martial world?
Fight and win!
“Kiieeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!”
I roared with all my might.
*Kerreck!*
I faced the oncoming goblins.
“Charge!”
“Attack!”
The first to score a hit was Mr. Song at the front. He deflected a spear hurled at him with the side of his sword and vertically cut down a goblin. Next, Jaemi Son, with the longest reach among us, plunged his spear into a goblin’s collarbone.
And then I—
*Kerreck!*
Like a madman, I leapt towards a goblin swinging a stone axe and sidestepped just in time to evade the attack.
*Thud!*
But I got lightly injured!
Its stone axe grazed my forearm.
Ow! That stone axe really hurt like hell!
“You bastard!!”
As I landed, I stabbed the head of the goblin beneath me with all my might, but—
*Splat!*
It was unreasonable to expect to pierce its skull with my strength. The blade that slashed through the goblin’s scalp lodged itself into its shoulder instead.
*Keruuhh!*
The goblin started to go wild, throwing away its axe and leaping to tackle me.
“Damnit!”
I quickly reached out and grabbed its neck as it jumped to my height.
*Kerreck! Keereeeek!*
This guy is insane!
So frenzied and violent!
It kept swinging its arms wildly and kicking around to kill me. Facing such raw savagery, I was momentarily stunned but—
“Die!”
*Thud!*
I shoved my sword deep into its gut, dispelling the fear.
*Gehk…!*
The goblin, skewered in the stomach, drooped. The battle unfolded in the blink of an eye, yet the tension and release were overwhelming. Just one goblin made me feel so scared…!
Is this what war is?!
“Uaaah! Uuuh, uaaah!”
“Dieeeee!!!”
The situation had turned into utter chaos.
Reinforcements of goblins poured in from the cave!
“Damn!”
What had started as just over ten goblins had swollen to twenty, and we five were now surrounded.
*Slap!*
Thankfully, Mr. Song handled his sword well, and Jaemi Son effectively pierced goblins, so we hadn’t been breached yet.
“Uuuaaaaak!”
“Uuugh!”
Gu Jumang looked like he was about to collapse, and Oh Gisoo seemed like he was about to break ranks.
I can’t let this happen!
“Oh Gisoo!”
I tossed a goblin corpse at the one charging toward Oh Gisoo.
*Thud!*
“Kerreck!”
“You can’t fall out of the formation! You’ll definitely die! Stay close!!”
*Ggah…!*
I wasn’t sure, but the moment our ranks collapsed, we wouldn’t escape fatal wounds.
Of course, this knowledge came from watching war movies where the formation would get swept away the moment it broke. That’s why I felt I must protect the formation.
*Kerreck!*
Seeing the goblin thrusting its spear at me—
*Thud!*
I raised my sword and parried, sending the spear upward!
“It worked…!”
The sword technique I learned from the white sword master worked! If I followed it up with the next technique—
*Slash!*
The diagonal cut of my sword split the goblin’s body.
“Ooooh…!”
My martial art worked perfectly!
But there was no time to admire. We systematically eliminated the goblins, but alas, a hole broke through our formation.
“Uwaaaah!”
“Save meeee!”
Gu Jumang fell, and Oh Gisoo strayed from his post!
“Crazy! Oh Gisoo! Come back!”
“Ahhhh!”
Panicking, Oh Gisoo fled.
“Mr. Song!”
“Geunhyeop! Jaemi Son! Surround Gu Jumang! Hold until he gets back up!”
“Got it! Jaemi Son!”
“Heh…!”
Jaemi Son was the cheerful type who never lost his smile, even in these extreme situations. I too vowed to maintain my calm and positivity, no matter the circumstances.
“Gu Jumang! Get up!”
“My, my leg…!”
Has his leg been injured?
“But still!”
The goblins dwindled to less than six. There seemed to be no more reinforcements. Everyone had been too blinded by the thrill of battle to notice the real numbers of the goblins.
*Kiieeeeeeeeeeeeeek!*
Realizing this, I immediately screamed like a madman and broke from our formation.
“Kim Geunhyeop?!”
I kicked at the goblin wielding the stone axe ahead of me.
*Thud!*
“Gak!”
The goblin hit by my kick flew away, creating a bizarre sound as the sudden event caught the attention of the others that were about to engage with my companions.
I had turned around in the middle of the fight!
“Hurry and kill him! They’re the last ones!”
“What? Hah!”
“Right…!”
With the distraction I caused in the heat of battle—
*Thud!*
“Gak!”
*Kerhakk!*
The capable attackers quickly dispatched the distracted goblins.
Mr. Song’s sword cut off a neck, and Jaemi Son’s spear pierced through a goblin’s torso. Even Gu Jumang, half-risen, mounted one goblin and began to rain down punches.
With that, all the goblins were incapacitated.
“We won! We actually won!!!”
I shouted energetically as I knelt down…!
We won!