Goblin Subjugation #5: My Heart's Pounding
My heart was thumping a bit.
These were goblins—yokai with forms eerily similar to humans—and I'd butchered one mercilessly, not stopping at outright murder but piling on inhuman brutality to boot. If this were Earth, goblin rights activists would've hunted me down and beaten me to death for this.
"Hoo."
I'd stabbed my sword straight through the goblin's lower back, piercing clean through. The sensation of it, seeping from the blade into my body and absorbing... it lingered.
"Fuck."
Not exactly a great feeling. I'm no bloodthirsty berserker; no way killing something would make me happy. I just focused on my breathing to calm the battle high and followed the group.
"Heh... impressive work. Taking down a goblin in one strike. I'll show you mine soon enough."
Then Jae Mi-son sidled up beside me, chuckling darkly as he stroked his cherished weapon and struck up a conversation.
"When'd you start using that thing?"
"A few months now..."
I'd figured it was years. Still, I was curious. How would this guy fight with that freakish spear? Could he transcend mere spearman with that I-sang Je-go?
As those thoughts swirled, we kept moving—until
Splat.
Song-ssi, at the front, quietly raised his hand. Three fingers extended—the signal we'd found the goblin village.
We immediately dropped low and crept up beside him to scout the settlement.
"Kererek! Kek kek!"
The goblin we'd smashed was wailing and sprinting toward the village ahead. Home sweet home at last. After getting his ass handed to him by some seriously nasty, inhuman big brothers, it was tattletale time.
"We charge now," Song-ssi said abruptly.
Right now? Shouldn't we observe first?
"They don't know about the raid yet. We strike now to maximize the surprise."
"Oh...!"
True enough. My thinking had been sloppy. Per Song-ssi's judgment, hitting them with a preemptive strike before that goblin reached the village and spread the word would be perfect.
I gripped my sword to rise and lead the charge—but
"Wait! We need to assess the situation!"
Gu Juman yelled, so I lowered my voice in response.
"Gu Juman, pipe down a bit. And right now, we should follow Song-ssi's lead."
"I'm the party leader!"
This bastard...?
"I've got experience! We watch and then raid!"
Yelling that loud with the enemy base right in front of us...! My fists itched with frustration, but I couldn't say shit now.
"I agree. Better to gauge their numbers first."
Had they bonded or something? O Gi-su, who'd been bickering with Gu Juman, backed him up.
But I thought differently. Like Song-ssi said, charge now, slaughter every visible goblin, and pull back if their numbers swelled. Waiting would just give them time to form up. Then we'd be fucked.
"..."
Song-ssi watched them, fell silent a moment, then
"Too late now. They heard us."
"What."
He was right.
"Kerek, kereeeek!"
"Kerayaak!"
"Keruk!"
Goblins poured out from the burrows, weapons in hand. Over ten of the fuckers already.
Damn it!
"A surprise attack could've halved them...!"
This braindead bastard Gu Juman yelling so loud!
"Gu Juman! That's on you and your big mouth!"
"I-I just...!"
Swallow the regret! Time to fight!
"Song-ssi! What now? Give orders!"
"Form up and fight."
"Got it! Jae Mi-son! Protect the expert Song-ssi on both flanks!"
"Understood...!"
Thank god Jae Mi-son was reasonable.
"Gu Juman! O Gi-su! Join the formation!"
"Uh, uh yeah!"
"Yes sir!"
With that, our five-man group formed ranks. Weapons drawn: one bizarre spear, four swords.
"Keruuuuk!"
"Kerayaak!"
The goblins charged, howling madly in frenzy.
"Hup...!"
Seeing it sent tingles through my limbs, tension exploding and blurring my vision. Over ten of them barreling down, stone spears and axes raised! To exterminate the invaders breaching their turf!
Crunch.
I clenched my molars and gripped my sword tight. Scary as their momentum was, we were five strong, in formation, each tougher than the rabble rushing us.
We won't lose! We win! No fear!
Picture the GOAT in your mind! Can't chicken out to these punks in a wuxia world! Fight and conquer!
"KieeeEEEEEEK!!!"
I roared at full volume.
"Keruk!"
And met the charging goblins head-on.
"Hah!"
"Chak!"
Song-ssi scored first, front and center. He deflected an incoming stone spear with his sword's flat, then cleaved a goblin vertically.
Next, Jae Mi-son with the longest reach jammed his I-sang Je-go into a goblin's collarbone.
And me—
"Keruk!"
A lunatic leaped at me mid-jump, swinging a stone axe. I stepped back to dodge—but
Thwack!
"Kuh!"
A graze. The axe clipped my forearm. Stone axe, that shit hurts like hell!
"You fucker!"
I thrust down hard at the landing goblin's head—but
Splat!
Impossible to pierce a skull with raw force. My sword tore scalp and lodged in its shoulder.
"Keruuuuk!"
The beast went berserk, ditched the axe, and leaped to maul me.
"Shit!"
I shot my left hand out, snagging its nape at head height.
"Keruk! Kereeeek!"
"Crazy bastard...!"
Ferocious maniac! Swinging wildly, kicking to kill me. Pure primal violence.
I froze for a split second facing raw savagery—but
"Die!"
Stab!
I rammed my sword into its gut, shaking off the fear.
"Gehk...!"
The impaled goblin slumped. A split-second clash, but the tension and drain were immense. One goblin had me this rattled...!
Is this war!?
"Uwaaa! Uwa, uwaaa!"
"Dieee!"
Chaos erupted. Reinforcements from the burrows.
"Fuck!"
The dozen-plus swelled to twenty. Our five were surrounded.
Slash!
Thankfully Song-ssi wielded his sword masterfully, Jae Mi-son skewered well—no gaps yet.
"Huaaak!"
"Eok!"
But Gu Juman looked on the verge of collapse, O Gi-su kept getting pushed, on the brink of breaking formation.
No!
"O Gi-suuu!"
I hurled a corpse at the goblin lunging for him.
Thud!
"Keruk!"
"Stay in formation! Break away and you're dead! Stick together!"
"Kkh...!"
I didn't know much, but formation collapse meant fatal wounds. War flicks always showed lines crumbling and everyone getting swept.
So hold the line!
"Keruk!"
"This fucker!"
A spear thrust at me—I
Thwack!
swung my sword upward, batting the spear high!
"It worked...!"
Baekgeom Martial Hall technique landed! Upward slice to deflect!
Next form!
Slash!
My diagonal downslash carved the goblin.
"Ooh...!"
My martial arts clicked perfectly!
No time to admire. We held ground, picking them off, but eventually a hole opened.
"Uwaaak!"
"Save meee!"
Gu Juman fell, O Gi-su broke away!
"Crazy idiot! O Gi-su! Get back!"
"Aaaak!"
O Gi-su bolted in panic.
"Song-ssi!"
"Geun-hyeop! Jae Mi-son! Surround Gu Juman! Hold till he rises!"
"Got it! Jae Mi-son!"
"Heh...!"
Even in extremis, Jae Mi-son kept his chuckle. I vowed to emulate: stay calm and cheerful always.
"Gu Juman! On your feet!"
"M-my legs...!"
Leg hit!
"Still!"
Goblins down to six or fewer. No more reinforcements. Battle frenzy blinded us to the count.
"KieeeEEK!!!"
Realizing it, I screamed like a madman and broke formation—
"Kim Geun-hyeop?!"
kicking a stone-axe goblin ahead.
Thud!
"Gek!"
It flew. The freak noise drew eyes—including goblins turning from others.
Back turned in battle.
"Kill 'em quick! Last ones!"
"What? Oh!"
"Right...!"
Aggro pulled mid-fight—
Thud!
"Gek!"
"Kehek!"
Our DPS exploited: Song-ssi's sword took necks, Jae Mi-son's pierced torsos.
Gu Juman, half-up, mounted one and pummeled.
All goblins neutralized.
"We won! We wiiiin!"
I yelled triumphantly and dropped to my knees...!
We'd won!