"Grah grah graaaah—!!!"
The goblins astride the wolves cried out upon spotting Yuki's group.
Even though Lilis's teammates couldn't understand the goblin tongue, the aggressive stance of their weapons and the wolves' crouching posture made their intent clear: an attack was imminent.
The Warrior leader immediately barked orders. "Ranger, ranged suppression! Don't let them close in!"
Almost before he finished, the Elf Ranger was already in motion. She drew her bowstring taut, and an arrow whistled through the air, flying straight towards the front of the 12 o'clock position.
Thwip—!
The sharp arrow struck the head of the snarling black wolf at the forefront of that direction like lightning.
Thud—!
A dull sound, followed by a spray of blood. With a final whimper, the massive wolf crumpled. The goblin on its back, its pustule-covered green face twisting in panic, tried to steady itself but was futile. As the wolf fell, the creature's leg was crushed beneath the weight.
Seizing the opportunity, the Warrior leader charged forward, driving his sword down into the fallen goblin's skull. The sharp blade met no resistance, piercing straight through.
In Yuki's estimation, the coordination wasn't bad. Finishing off a downed enemy was a good habit.
He stroked his chin, observing the teamwork of Lilis's party.
The remaining goblins, facing the sudden loss of one of their own, showed no panic. Instead, they maintained a cool formation and launched a coordinated assault on the group. Utilizing the wolves' agility, they closed the distance rapidly. The goblins then swung their spears or axes in attack.
After delivering a single strike, they would swiftly retreat out of range, allowing another rider to surge forward and continue the assault. This relentless, rotating attack forced the adventurers into a purely defensive stance, unable to mount any offense.
Gradually, the adventurers were compressed, their formation shrinking into a tight, back-to-back defensive circle.
"Dammit! Are these goblins for real?! They're actually using tactics!" the Warrior leader cursed, raising his iron shield to block several blows, a cold sweat beading on his forehead. He had never encountered goblins with such tactical intelligence. They showed no desire to prolong a fight; one strike, hit or miss, and they withdrew for the next to take over. This level of combat discipline was something he'd only seen in the military.
The others shared his sentiment, their expressions grim as they each responded as best they could. The Wizard and Ranger, lacking defensive capabilities, were protected in the center by the Warrior, the Monk, and Lilis.
But passive defense alone would eventually lead to collapse. The Warrior leader quickly issued new orders to break the deadlock.
"Lilis, use an area shield! Wizard, prepare a wide-range spell!"
"Understood!" Lilis nodded, raising her staff and chanting. "O Supreme Divinity! Grant us your protective shield!"
As her chant concluded, a radiant, circular light descended, enveloping Yuki and the entire party.
The goblins' weapons struck the luminous shield, creating only faint ripples on its surface without causing any damage. Lilis's barrier gave her teammates a much-needed moment to breathe.
Seeing this, the Wizard wasted no time. He quickly gathered his mana and began chanting, preparing to unleash his spell.
The goblins, finding their attacks ineffective and noticing the Wizard's incantation, reacted swiftly.
"Grah grah graaaah—!!!"
"Grah!"
At these cries, the wolf-riding goblins scattered in unison, rapidly retreating beyond a hundred meters.
Witnessing such a rapid and disciplined withdrawal once again left the adventurers utterly astounded.
"They... they just dispersed like that!"
"They've retreated beyond the Wizard's effective attack range!"
"Since when do goblins have such capabilities? This is unbelievable!" Even the usually reserved Elf Ranger couldn't contain her astonishment.
It was at this moment that the four of them abruptly remembered Lilis's earlier warnings and Yuki's remarks. They turned in unison, their faces a mixture of confusion and disbelief, looking to Yuki for an explanation.
"These goblins..."
"Surprised, aren't you?" Yuki responded calmly to their unspoken question.
All four nodded simultaneously.
The scouting, the taming of wolves as mounts, the tactical coordination... it all far exceeded anything they knew about goblins. Their confusion was natural.
But how could they possibly comprehend that this was all part of this world's rules, abilities bestowed upon these creatures by the gods?
"What if I told you," Yuki began, a faint, relaxed smile on his lips, utterly devoid of tension, "that all of this, even the entire world, is merely a game among gods? That the reason these goblins possess such intelligence is because the gods granted it to them. Would you believe me?"
"You mean... everything about these goblins exists with the gods' tacit approval?" the Warrior leader asked, his face a mask of shock.
Yuki gave a slight nod. "The goblins of today are no longer the mindless, weak race of your memories. They use tools, learn magic, employ tactics, and among their ranks exist beings with power rivaling Platinum-ranked adventurers. This is precisely why Lilis has been trying to stop you from venturing to that goblin nest."
Hearing his words, stark terror washed over the faces of the four adventurers.
Power rivaling Platinum-ranked adventurers? That was on the level of Demon Kings and Heroes!
They were utterly out of their league. And to hear that these goblins could even learn spells and use tools... they were practically an intelligent race now!
"Furthermore, look at these goblin cavalry around us. They're just the vanguard," Yuki said, his gaze sweeping the surroundings. "Haven't you noticed? One of them is already missing. Probably went back to report."
The thought sent a chill down their spines. Just dealing with this vanguard cavalry was troublesome enough. If they pushed deeper into the nest to face the main force, it would be a disaster! Not to mention the existence of a Platinum-ranked goblin.
"Does a Platinum-ranked goblin... truly exist?" The ever-silent Elf Ranger finally spoke up, addressing Yuki.
Seeing this, Yuki let out a light chuckle. "Don't believe me?"
The Elf Ranger gave a slight nod, then shook her head. "It's not about belief. It's just... too difficult to comprehend."
Her confusion was understandable. Platinum rank was exceedingly rare in the entire world, a level equivalent to that of a Hero. Finding such power in a race like dragons was one thing, but in goblins? It defied all logic.
"Fine. Since I'm here to eradicate these goblins anyway, and we have a moment... I'll let you see for yourselves."
With that, Yuki snapped his fingers lightly.
At the sound of the snap, the surrounding goblin wolf-riders disintegrated into dust as if they had never existed.
Then, with a wave of his hand, the party felt as if a pane of glass shattered before their eyes. The sensation was fleeting, and everything returned to normal and calm almost instantly.