Those Goblin Bastards (1)
In Babel, the maximum number of party members you can form is 20. Anything more, and you're barred from entry. Probably the constellations of Babel figure that's the sweet spot. Any larger, and it'd be hard for them to keep track.
"That's a shitton of them... and this is just floor 36."
Oh Si-yeon, who'd been assigned to scouting, muttered under her breath.
With a full party of 20, our roles were nicely specialized.
"What's their armament like, roughly?"
"The grunts have clubs or wooden spears at best. But the others? Armed to the teeth like Athenian hoplites."
We couldn't assume these were the same goblins we'd run into on floor 1. The higher you climbed in Babel, the stronger and smarter the monsters got.
"With 20,000 of them, assassinating the commander is off the table."
"They've got commanders?"
"Of course. Several, even! Physically a notch above regular goblins, but their brains? Smarter than humans."
Goblins smarter than people? The hell?
"That's why we need to take out the commanders fast."
"Huh..."
"Raid leader! We're all set! Time to move out!"
Our firepower had the edge, sure, but facing 20,000 goblins out in the open was suicide. So the raid leader had scouted ahead and picked a canyon to set up camp.
"Teleport!"
With that spell from the player who'd specced into instant movement, we warped straight to the prepared outpost.
"Machine guns?"
"Yeah, from players with the gunner trait. Way more punch than mages."
"Ah, got it."
Makes sense—plenty of folks were snapping up those massive orc-drop cannons like candy. No surprise there were players specializing in guns.
"Nice spot you found."
Machine gun nests and mortars crammed into the narrow canyon, with a retreat path dug out in the rear.
"But how do we lure the goblins in here?"
"Simple."
Ra Chae-young signaled casually, and a few players stepped forward.
Meteor Shower
Despite the name, what rained down were flaming rocks about a meter across. But landing pinpoint strikes on a goblin outpost a full kilometer away? Incredibly effective.
"They'll come. Babel's monsters instinctively purge intruders."
Come to think of it, those elves on the way had yammered about "invaders" while loosing arrows.
"We even dropped some bait on the approach so they'd track us easy. Should be here any minute."
Damn, way more competent than I figured. Good call joining this party.
"Oh, and Hyun-woo?"
"Yeah?"
"If shit hits the fan, watch my back."
I smirked and shot back right away.
"You got it."
Battle time was closing in.
"Tighten ranks! Anyone who breaks first dies by my hand!"
The players' ambush had barely scratched the goblins, but it grabbed their attention.
"Luring us into that canyon. They plan to fortify and fight."
The trap was obvious, but the goblin supreme commander's sharp mind clocked it instantly. He briefed his aides and issued orders on the fly.
"What now, sir?"
"Scout their strength first."
At his command, a goblin assault squad charged the canyon mouth. Goblins were small, weak, cowardly by nature—but the commander's trait crushed that fear flat.
"Incoming! Five hundred strong!"
Media always downplays armies of a few hundred as "small." But watch five hundred goblins marching in tight formation, and that illusion shatters.
"Goblins drilling like pros... Raid leader, when do we fire?"
"When they're in range."
"And that's when?!"
About 200 meters out, Chae-young bellowed.
"Controlled bursts—fire!"
Lightning orders, and the gunners unleashed hell. Six of them, all specced for bullet enhancement—penetration focus. Garden-variety 5.56mm rounds turned into fin-stabilized discarding-sabot armor-piercers.
"Gah! Kek—!"
Drdrdrdr—!
No way leather armor stopped tank-busting rounds. One bullet pierced five goblins clean, spraying shrapnel everywhere.
"Forward! Push forward!"
But the goblin advance didn't break...
"Thought one volley would've flattened them..."
"Commander trait, probably."
Even humans would balk charging gun barrels. Yet these goblins pressed on coolly. Organized foes beat panicking mobs every time. They lasted longer than Chae-young expected.
"This is bad. Way longer than—"
"Just four extra seconds."
"Those four seconds speed their rush."
Chae-young's gut was spot-on. The goblin commander sent a second wave.
"Goblin count! Around a thousand! Still in formation!"
"They haven't committed their main force yet..."
Any human army would call a thousand casualties devastating. Not Babel monsters. They respawned when players cleared out, so troops were expendable pawns.
We're superior quality-wise, but they've got quantity. Picking them off with rifles'll take forever...
After agonizing, Chae-young moved to switch gunners to full auto. Save the heavy MGs and mortars.
"Raid leader, leave this to me?"
"...Hyun-woo. Don't underestimate goblins—we're on commander-snipe duty."
"Doing it now."
She nearly snapped at the nonsense, then remembered: level 35.
"Fine."
A call she'd never make normally. Regret hit late.
"A thousand? Piece of cake."
As the goblins closed, Hyun-woo dropped low.
And flew.
What kind of jump height is that?!
He vaulted 5 meters up, plunging into the goblin ranks like a missile.
"Winged enemy! Encircle—no escape!"
Even with a foe crashing center-mass, the goblins stayed cool, responding like drilled troops.
But to Hyun-woo? Sloppy. Pathetic.
"Scythe...? How's he even carrying that monster?"
Amodius's Scythe lived up to legendary status—top-tier storage, absurd power. The sweeping arc diced every goblin in range.
Keep the rhythm steady.
Big swings flowed into precise slashes. A flash, and a goblin's neck or waist parted. Seconds later, the witness joined it.
This size force means commanders nearby.
Hyun-woo summoned a valkyrie. Wings flared, she rocketed skyward.
There you are, you rat bastard!
Her spear rocketed like cannon fire, impaling the rear commander's torso dead-center.
"Boss! Boss is down!"
"Retreeeeat!"
Commander trait vanished—goblin morale collapsed. Hyun-woo smirked at the self-stomping rout, then headed back.
"High five!"
"Huh?"
Hyper Hyun-woo slapped the stunned Chae-young's palm on his way by.
Fairy-tale smile... Something squirmed in her chest.
Is this love?
Meanwhile, Hyun-woo caught his breath, chugging water. He briefly pulled out his necklace.
Why make me wear this crap? Master...
Owner: Ryu Ga-eul. Return immediately if found.
It stamped ownership clear as day.
Job's done—maybe grab dinner after?
Any condoms left in stock?
Their paths were drifting further apart.