Goblin Village Assault
Dorne's party was butchering five goblin corpses. If slicing open their chests counted as butchering, that is. The magic stones from regular goblins were a bit larger than those from Layer 1. The goblin warrior yielded one about half the size of a hobgoblin's. On top of that, they'd stripped iron plates from the armor it had been wearing.
"Think this'll fetch any money, Lilia?"
"Sure will. Not as much as magic stones, but... we're strong enough to haul it."
"Ah."
The strong Dorne party figured they could lug the iron plates around no problem.
-Kerrrr!
The peculiar cry of a goblin wolf rider echoed again. A goblin wolf rider with a smug grin rounded the corner, leading ten goblins.
Lilia squinted. "Should I chuck a spear at that guy first?"
"Let him be."
Facing eleven Layer 2 goblins, Dorne's party fought far more steadily than their first battle. For one, no arrows came flying—the goblin wolf rider had run out. Lilia's tactics had changed too. She no longer waited for the front line's attacks; she thrust first to keep regular goblins off the shield or check the goblin warriors' spear thrusts. Her spear outranged theirs by a mile, after all. A few taps on their flimsy shafts sent the wooden spear tips wobbling like a newborn calf's legs.
Aiming for the throat and armpit past the goblin warrior's scrap armor, she sent it crumpling in a gush of blood. The annoying goblin wolf rider was already mounted. No, it hadn't even shot this fight—probably no arrows left anyway. Seeing most goblins dead, the rider bolted again.
Lilia shot Dorne a worried glance. "You think it'll be okay? It might bring more next time."
"We'll kill it then. Hit it with a thrown goblin warrior spear, maybe? They're still manageable, and that guy's been handing us magic stones on a platter."
Raon calmly extracted magic stones, unhurried. It'd need to go farther to round up fifteen or so anyway. The party left their bags and lantern near the fight site, wiping blood from weapons before hiding near the corner where the rider had appeared. When that smug face peeked around, they'd give it a taste of kimchi stew swordplay. For insurance, they propped a goblin warrior spear against the wall. Trusty, spear-savvy Lilia would throw it. Dorne regretted the lack of an atlatl—apparently, those let you hurl javelins three times farther. With bear beastkin Lilia throwing, it'd be a bullet.
-... Tap-taptap, tap-taptap, scritch-scratch...
The sound of wolf paws and more bare goblin feet pattering grew louder. Dorne's party cut their break short and held their breath. Hugging the corner, they waited... and
-Kerrr...?
Lilia lopped off the lead rider's head. Blood fountained briefly; headless, it tumbled from the wolf. The wolf, spotting it, shat itself in terror and wheeled to flee.
-Kyaak-kyaak!
Its tail tucked so tight between its legs it practically shat on its own tail. The fifteen furious goblins, robbed of their rider's spirited command, slammed into Dorne's party by accident.
Goblins eyed the shield hungrily, warriors jabbed spears, and one barefoot goblin archer dashed up. Lilia improvised, hurling her wooden spear at the archer. It thunked home in its chest—Lilia had skills. While Dorne and Raon cleared front-runners, she readied another for a rear goblin warrior. The tip crumpled against its iron plate and dropped harmlessly. No kill, but it bowled the warrior over, shock unspent.
Dorne lunged, stomping its chest and swinging wide. Lilia filled his gap with shield and spear. Raon, gaining momentum, finished goblins and squared off with a warrior. Mimicking Dorne's spear salvage, he traded blows slowly to preserve it, bleeding the warrior out. Lilia mopped up stragglers; Dorne confirmed the rear archer, who bubbled blood around Lilia's spear and expired.
"Handy, right? That goblin rider."
"Kinda nerve-wracking, but usable for now."
"As expected of big bro!"
Having conquered back-to-back grueling fights, Dorne's party's morale soared. Massacre done, time to clean up. Raon eyed the first goblin warrior Dorne had crushed. With near-complete 【Iron Man】, Dorne's iron-plated boot had caved its chest. Slicing it open, Raon found the magic stone wedged intact amid shattered ribs.
Raon tallied earnings: four goblin warriors and archers with half-hobgoblin-weight stones, eleven regular Layer 2 goblins worth about 75 copper each. Prior fights had warriors and a hobgoblin-rival rider too... Faced with Riemann hypothesis-level arithmetic, Raon's brain felt like stew. Too tangled—head spinning. He didn't know, but Layer 2 stones neared 20 silver, pushing expedition totals past 4 gold.
"Exploring Layer 2 like this, stocking Layer 3 dragon potions isn't impossible," said Lilia, sharp merchant's daughter.
After more Layer 2 skirmishes, Dorne's group camped overnight and moved on. Dorne gulped rations and water, pocketing the hourglass. Lilia's bag held it, but combats had spilled sand; he'd flipped it during meals.
"Who to wake this time? Raon's turn?"
As leader and massive contributor in and out of fights, Dorne could've skipped watches. Raon found his watch obsession odd.
"Yes. I'm second watch tonight."
Dorne confirmed rotations, stressing Layer 2's quirks. "Goblins stirred coming down here. Dunno if patrols run sans wolf rider, but wolves have sharp noses—better stay cautious."
He eyed the resolute teen and haughty bear beastkin. "Wake hard like Lilia in emergencies. Sleep with weapons and lantern within reach."
Raon and Lilia, drilled, bedded down in the widened passage. Dorne flipped the hourglass. Peacefully, the night passed.
Labyrinth morning broke. (Pitch black, as always.) Lanterns lit, they huddled eating rations—felt like camping. Dorne missed this peace. Fueled up, stretched joints warm, gear packed—they set off.
Rounding a corner, distant wolf claws scraped stone beyond lantern light.
-Gyang!
Thud-thud, thud-thud...
Yesterday's riderless wolf still prowled nearby. Odd: terrified yet lingering. Sharp nose should make fleeing easy. Why not bolt far or fetch new goblins? Maybe non-riders eat wolves? Then safest spot: near explorers but out of sight. Timid wolf made sense.
From a world with "pet dogs," Dorne pitied it faintly. Wolves and dogs same species, right?
'Hold up.'
"Guys. Aren't we going backwards? That wolf was trailing us before, right?"
"Oh, yeah. Yesterday's path."
Realizing the wrong turn, they backtracked swiftly. More fights followed. Layer 2 mobs minimum five, with warriors. Warriors wore similar scrap armor, varied weapons. Sword- or axe-wielders best for loot—stones plus iron. Archers in ten-plus packs? Not worth it.
Gaining live Layer 2 intel, Dorne's party hit a log palisade. Taller than Dorne, lantern-lit logs blocked ahead. Uplight revealed no crossroads or clearing—just guessed open space.
"Got a gate. Rush it?"
"...Logically, retreat. Could be shamans."
Party whispered.
-Kiiik!
Three goblins shoved open the rickety gate. Patrol? -Keruk keruk! Ker...uk?
Dorne and Raon stabbed sudden-close ones. Lilia speared the farther. Thin-leather, daggered patrol dropped; inside erupted in chaos. Biggest goblin horde yet stared out.
Panicked, Dorne slammed the gate.
-Keruk! Kek! Kerruk!
-Kerrr!
-Kek keruk!
Dozens mobbed the gate, but Dorne and Raon held firm. Goblins, realizing, peeked over top—not climbing, hands free, so ladder-like inside. They hurled everything: stones, daggers, axes, even goblin shit.
"Ah, no—fuuuck, for real. Hey, push!"
Might trio scrapped barricade plan, shoving the crude wall. Goblin "masterpiece" crumbled after shakes. Dorne trampled a dozen pinned under logs, slashing atop ones that fell.
"You fucking...! Filthy shits!"
Goblin crap smeared Dorne's leather cap. Worse than startled wake-up. He'd love hosing off with goblin as bleeding faucet. Fury peaking to charge, a firebolt streaked.
-Whoomph!
"Goblin shaman!" Lilia bellowed.
Dorne shield-blocked left; shaman's fireball thudded mildly then ignited the wooden shield. No hesitation—he hurled it at frontrunners.
-Thunk! Thud, crackle-crackle...
One goblin roasted unconscious under shield; others scattered from heat. Spare shield back with bags and lantern behind palisade. The goblin "village" clearing held just a few red torches flickering.