However, the party encountered no unexpected incidents along the way. The occasional beasts they came across were sensible enough to scurry off, not daring to provoke these fully armed adventurers.
After marching for roughly two hours, Shir's figure suddenly appeared ahead of the team.
"We're almost there."
Shir tilted her head. "Mist Cave is right at the base of the mountain ahead. There are three goblins guarding the entrance."
The party members immediately perked up and entered combat readiness.
They began advancing as quietly as possible, making no loud sounds.
After making their way through a dense barrier of ferns, the view before them opened up dramatically.
A towering, unbroken mountain range cut across the heart of Ashwood Forest, creating a magnificent sight.
Beneath the steep cliff directly ahead of them yawned a massive cave entrance—Mist Cave.
Mist Cave sat at a low elevation, resting in a natural basin where a subterranean river flowing from deep within the mountains gathered nearby.
The water evaporated and mingled with the moisture of the surrounding woods, producing a hazy, cloud-like expanse of mist.
"Mist again..." Zelier waved a hand.
The familiar sight gave him an inexplicable sense of déjà vu, and the silhouette of a Mist Demon couldn't help popping into his head.
Just as Shir had said, three hunched creatures holding crude clubs were stationed before Mist Cave.
They stood barely a meter tall, much shorter than an average human.
Adventurers' Association General Monster Compendium
[Sequence 1]: Goblin
Individual Threat Rating: [Easy]
Physical Characteristics:
Short, humanoid creatures, mostly with dirty green or yellowish-brown skin, scrawny limbs, and long, pointed ears.
Habits and Ecology:
Individual goblins are cowardly in the extreme, existing at the very bottom of the food chain. Once gathered in sufficient numbers, however, their savage and greedy nature becomes fully apparent.
They favor occupying dark caverns, though settlements resembling small villages occasionally emerge.
Goblins maintain a strict hierarchy within their ranks. Unlike disorganized beasts, they know how to utilize tools and fight in groups.
Core Weakness:
A goblin is nothing but weaknesses all over, requiring no specialized approach; even a farmer armed with a hoe can easily kill one.
Association Note:
The first and most important lesson for novice adventurers: never let your guard down against any monster.
Feeble as goblins are, every year sees no shortage of adventurers dying at their hands due to underestimating them. Always stay vigilant!
P.S.
Stop submitting bizarre goblin variants into the compendium! Looking at you in particular, Prancing Horse Town branch!
The group pulled back slightly and began discussing their tactics in hushed tones.
"Looks like those three are the only sentries outside."
Marcus swept his gaze across his companions. "The White-Haired Goblin, the Orc Goblins, and the rest of their main force are all inside the cave."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's just charge in and slaughter them all!" Gak said enthusiastically.
"Charging in head-on is suicide. A goblin den is usually a labyrinth, and tripping even one trap will give you hell. Do you really want a shit-smeared wooden spear driven through your gut?" Vallis said. "Don't forget Rhode's party was wiped out by them."
"What about using fire? We can seal the entrance and blow smoke inside. Once the smoke gets too unbearable, they'll naturally come out, and then we finish them off." Gray patted the pack behind him. "I happen to have brought torches."
"That won't work well. We don't know if this cave has other exits. What if we startle them and they escape?" Marcus shook his head. "As long as the White-Haired Goblin lives, it can quickly assemble another small goblin clan."
The party fell into a brief silence as everyone weighed their options.
"Let's lure the snake out of its hole," Zelier spoke up suddenly.
"How do you propose we lure them?" Shir looked at him.
"Marcus, you, Gray, and Gak go over together first to draw their attention." Zelier picked up a twig and drew lines on the ground. "Rhode's party was killed by them not long ago. If they see only three people appear, they'll definitely let their guard down and mobilize their entire force.
"Then all you need to do is stall them, drawing those bastards out bit by bit in our direction. Vallis and I will lie in ambush in the brush, and the moment the White-Haired Goblin shows itself, we take it out in one decisive strike!"
Marcus pondered for a moment, then gave a slight nod.
"I think that works. What do the rest of you say?"
"A decapitation tactic is indeed the right way to handle a clan with a White-Haired Goblin. Otherwise, it'll be a huge hassle," Vallis agreed.
Besides, having advanced to mid-rank ranger, he was confident in his ability to carry out the assassination; no goblin could withstand his arrows.
Gray and Gak nodded as well.
"In that case, the three of you draw their attention from the front, and I'll provide support from the perimeter. If any unexpected situation arises when the White-Haired Goblin appears, I can also carry out the assassination," Shir said.
"All right, then that's the plan," Marcus finalized their strategy.
...
At the entrance to Mist Cave.
A goblin crouched boredly atop a mossy boulder, poking at a dung beetle with its finger and repeatedly forcing the beetle to change directions.
Eventually tiring of the game, it simply scooped up the beetle, tossed it into its mouth, crunched down twice, and swallowed.
Meanwhile, the other two goblins were conversing in their peculiar tongue.
"Jigu..."
The leaner of the two rubbed its belly and whimpered weakly, "Wah gaga..."
(I'm so hungry. Got any food?)
"Wah ga! Ah gulu gulu!" the other goblin replied crossly.
(I've got nothing, so suck it up!)
"Gulu lu... ga-ah ga-ah, ji-ee gawah." The first goblin looked dejected.
(I miss the feast from two days ago. Human flesh is so delicious.)
"Gawah wah! Gu-ah!"
(Stop whining and stand your post!)
Goblins assigned to sentry duty at the entrance were usually of low status in the clan. They never got any perks and went hungry every day.
Even during that rare feast of human flesh two days ago, they had barely received a sliver of meat and two sips of broth.
A light breeze drifted by, stirring the mist. The goblin on watch suddenly widened its eyes.
It spotted three dark silhouettes ahead, closing in at rapid speed!
"Ga-gu wah-kah! Ga-gu wah-kah!"
(Alert! Alert! Trouble!)
That screech immediately jolted the other two goblins beside it awake.
"Move!" Marcus commanded in a low voice.
The three broke into a sprint, charging straight for the cave entrance, throwing the three goblins into an instant panic.
Chapter 44