Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Half-Goblin Mass Production Plan (1)
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"Hmm..."
Celia tilted her head as she read the report.
"What should we do with this?"
It was good that they'd dealt with the adventurers.
For those guarding the dungeon, stopping intruders was the whole point.
In that sense, everyone had performed their duties admirably.
The Banshee's method of using the Holy Knight to lure the enemy adventurers into the dungeon had been brilliant.
Thanks to her, seven adventurers had been controlled alongside various offerings.
If handled right, they could even form a unit made up of adventurers.
The response from Skoll, the orc leading the 'Red-Headed Tribe' dungeon, had also pleased her.
He'd crushed their every will with overwhelming momentum, or so the report said.
A true warrior needed that kind of spirit and conviction.
He'd fulfilled his role perfectly.
And the Slime's approach had been excellent too.
According to the report, they'd lured the adventurers to the hot springs.
Where the Banshee had used the Holy Knight to draw them in, the Slime had stimulated primal desires.
For weary adventurers, nothing could be more tempting than a place to rest.
It was a strategy only the Slimes could pull off.
But there was a problem.
"This leaves us with hardly any adventurers left, doesn't it?"
Too many had already died.
Way too many.
Of course, it wasn't a total wipeout.
A few were still wandering nearby, fleeing for their lives.
But this mission wasn't just about blocking adventurers.
It was to evaluate four dungeons under their control.
Two were done, but two remained.
With so few left, evaluating the others would be tricky.
"Should I request more adventurers?"
Celia pondered.
Truth be told, these adventurers had come to the mountains for a specific reason.
A Sail Kingdom noble had hired them on his own initiative, defying royal orders and doing it in secret.
Princess Irena had vowed to root out those involved, but Celia had stopped her.
She couldn't pass up the rare chance of them marching in on their own.
Celia had planned to use them to uncover weaknesses in her own dungeon and the others.
But it had been for naught.
"The adventurers are just too weak."
She clicked her tongue and shoved the papers aside.
Then she turned to the Goblin Lord nearby.
"I read your report, Goblin Lord. You need adventurers to form the Royal Guard?"
The Goblin Lord nodded at Celia's gentle words.
"That's right, keh."
The Goblin Lord nodded and pulled out a long object.
It was a mana gun.
Celia had been the one to first give the Goblin Lord this mana gun.
She'd obtained it herself from Azmo on Earth during their first meeting.
Mana gun.
A weapon used by Earth's hunters.
Similar in principle to crossbows used by adventurers and mercenaries, but the key difference was that it could be fired easily just by recharging mana.
In short, with enough mana, it was an infinitely firing weapon.
And naturally, higher mana grades meant greater power.
"This is the key, then."
Celia picked up the mana gun.
She gripped it and infused her mana.
Celia's magic power stat was S-rank.
They'd already tested that injecting her mana into a mana gun produced tremendous power.
After learning that, Celia had personally charged the Goblin Lord's mana gun.
If the power was too low, the weapon lost its purpose.
But she couldn't do it every time.
So they'd considered alternatives.
A way to let the goblins charge their own mana guns with full power.
"A Royal Guard made of half-goblins."
Celia handed back the fully charged mana gun as she spoke.
Goblins weren't a race adept at mana.
Even the Goblin Lord lacked prowess in it, relying on Celia's power.
Of course, some goblins could use mana.
Goblin Shamans were prime examples.
They wielded various spells with mana, but they were still goblins.
They couldn't max out a mana gun's power.
A breakthrough was needed.
The Goblin Lord's proposal addressed that.
Mass-producing half-goblins using adventurers.
To create a Royal Guard that could wield mana guns.
Half-goblin.
A goblin mixed with non-pure blood.
Here, mixed with human blood.
Celia didn't view it negatively.
After all, she'd been the one to give the goblins a human girl.
Coincidence or not, that girl had mana too.
And soon, the first child would be born.
Celia tapped the desk a few times with her finger before speaking.
"We'll capture all surviving adventurers alive. Hopefully, some have mana."
The goal of half-goblins was to breed goblins with strong mana.
To boost the odds, the humans needed mana too.
High-grade mana, at that.
The resulting half-goblins would inherit higher mana grades.
Repeat the cycle, and eventually, powerful mana-wielding goblins would emerge.
That would raise the goblins' overall strength and make forming the Goblin Lord's Royal Guard easier.
Ultimately, it strengthened the dungeon itself.
A stronger dungeon would advance Master's plans.
Thinking that, Celia rose from her seat.
Most adventurers were already dead.
The survivors weren't enough to evaluate the other dungeons.
She decided to end the evaluation here.
But she had no intention of letting the survivors go.
They had to pay for invading the great one's domain.
"Capture the rest alive."
She planned to make good use of them.
Not just for the Goblin Lord's plan, but if time allowed, she could even run an adventurer unit via the Banshee.
Master would rule vast territories ahead.
For that, more strategic cards were needed.
"Relay to everyone: no injuries allowed."
At Celia's command, a waiting shadow vanished.
Her orders would reach everyone in the domain.
Celia stepped out of the dungeon slowly, the Goblin Lord in tow.
"Haa... haa..."
Nariel and Isrin were crossing the forest.
They were out of breath, but they couldn't stop here.
"If we just escape this place, we'll be fine! Let's push a bit more!"
Isrin encouraged her, mustering more strength.
Their reason for running was simple.
This place was hell.
There were no safe spots left.
Until moments ago, they'd been in the Slime dungeon.
Was it a moment of carelessness that did them in?
The adventurers resting in the dungeon's hot springs had been wiped out.
At first, the Slimes had seemed friendly, so the adventurers let their guards down.
In other words, they'd grown complacent, but who could blame them?
After seeing their comrades slaughtered by the orcs, everyone's will had shattered.
Factoring in travel time since accepting the commission, they hadn't rested properly for days.
In that state, which adventurer would pass up a chance to rest?
Especially with the Slimes acting so welcoming.
But they weren't friendly at all.
'Such cunning tactics.'
The Slimes had lured them to the hot springs and annihilated them in one go.
The adventurers' flesh began melting from the acid.
Faces that had been laughing in joy twisted into screams of despair and agony in an instant.
Their flesh dissolved, leaving only bones.
Most met pointless deaths.
The survivors scattered, choosing flight.
This was hell.
A place they never should have entered.
So they figured scattering increased survival odds over sticking together.
'We never should have taken this commission!'
Now they understood why the Sail Kingdom and Adventurers' Guild had banned entry.
Something was wrong with these mountains.
Isrin shook her head.
First, they had to escape.
Other thoughts could wait until they were out.
Penalty fees?
She wasn't even considering them.
Survival came first.
"C-can we rest... just a bit? Haa..."
Nariel stopped, gasping heavily.
She'd pushed herself to the limit.
"Yeah. Let's do that."
Isrin had run too hard herself.
They needed a break.
The two settled under a nearby tree.
"Hah, I can breathe now."
Isrin lay flat on the ground.
She stared up quietly.
Darkness had fallen.
The forest was silent.
The branching trees overhead blocked even moonlight.
"...Do you think we can make it out alive?"
Nariel said weakly.
"Meeting you, Isrin... was the best thing. You're the only one who saw me for who I am."
"......"
Nariel kept going.
"I've always been grateful. You never discriminated, even after learning my secret."
Nariel removed her deeply pulled-down hat.
"Sorry for only saying this now. I was too ashamed before."
Her hair cascaded down as the hat came off.
"From now on, I won't hide. I'll live boldly, like you said."
Above all, her ears caught the eye.
They weren't human ears.
The tips were pointed and elegant.
Nariel shook her hair and addressed Isrin.
"So, if we survive this, will you team up with m—"
Huh?
Nariel shut her mouth mid-sentence.
"......"
Something was off.
Isrin, who should have been right there, was gone.
Vanished without a trace.
"Isrin...?"
Nariel frantically looked around.
But there was only darkness.