Chapter 223 Kobold
Standing in dumbfounded silence, Aleshia felt a breeze whip around her, catching the acrid scent of burning in the air. She was startled into awareness, finally grasping the full extent of the devastation surrounding her. Shortly after, Aleshia telepathically cried out, "This is insane! Why did you use so much firepower?"
Lucia flinched at the intensity of Aleshia's thoughts and the seriousness of her tone. Stammering, she replied, "I-it's for defense! Some strange things were lurking about, and I was concerned for all of you," she said, her voice filling with shame.
Aleshia felt guilty for her outburst and eventually calmed down. She began to search the devastated landscape, heading toward the area that had suffered the most damage, looking for any signs of the intruders or monsters that may have necessitated such extreme action.
Behind her, the rest of the group cautiously followed, their weapons raised but trembling in their grips as they took in the grim details of what the land had become.
The trees still stood, though many showed deep fissures within and between them, with signs of visible charring. Eventually, Aleshia stumbled on several carcasses. She saw their coats were scorched by fire, with their fur standing on end, as if they had been shocked by lightning too. Because of the scorched fur, she couldn't identify them. Aleshia cautiously poked one of the carcasses with a nearby stick to confirm whether it was truly dead.
After poking it a few times and seeing it unmoving, she determined that it was dead and rolled it over for a better look. As she did, she realized it was some form of kobold. Recalling the quest description she had received, she knew this creature wouldn't be a goblin, but she imagined it might still be worth something if she turned it in. Curious about which part would count as proof if cut off, she asked someone in her group, "Hey, since this thing is here and dead, could you tell me what part I need to cut off to make it count for whoever we turn this in to?"
Aleshia was expecting a response, but after waiting for a while without hearing anything, she turned to look back. Instead of the faces she expected, she saw the terrified look that had crossed their faces. Aleshia was confused about the cause of their fear, only understanding when Sam falteringly spoke up, "Isn't that a monster stronger than a hobgoblin? And it was defeated by whatever protected us."