Variable #028: The Goblin Onslaught
Crunch! “Keruk….”
With the sound of bones shattering, the last remaining goblin collapsed powerlessly.
“Fuuu….”
Exhaling a long breath as he retrieved his spear, Gaon wiped the blade clean on the rags from the goblin that had met a relatively clean end.
It had been three weeks since he'd arrived in this world, and three days since he'd shared his body with Yi Cho-rin.
In that time, they'd roamed the goblin territory, hunting here and there.
They were living a nomadic life, annoying but necessary, always seeking out new spots each day.
Not long ago, they'd even spotted traces of Shin Segye near the neutral zone, so it was time to properly sow discord between the two sides.
Gaon roughly searched the goblins' pouches, found nothing worth taking, and stood up, brushing off his hands.
Water skins were barely useful anymore. Drifting from place to place every day, what good were too many of them? They each already carried four, so more would be overkill.
While Gaon searched, Yi Cho-rin climbed down from the tree and approached, scanning the area.
“Gaon! Any wounds?”
“None. I'm fine. More importantly, it's time to put the plan into motion.”
“...Right. I'm ready!”
“Then let's go.”
They'd spent the last few days mapping the rough terrain.
Now it was time to engineer a clash between the two sides.
First up: hunting. Second: dismantling traps.
The reason goblins could hold their own against orcs was those illusion-enchanted traps.
But if someone arbitrarily wrecked them, that would be a major problem.
Especially since the goblins had set up camp near the troll dungeon.
The site sealing the troll was a delicate matter, tacitly agreed upon as off-limits even by the orcs.
Learning that some unknown ruffians had taken root there would naturally breed anxiety.
And that anxiety would turn into an obsession to eliminate the threat.
Whether the goblins handled it alone or dragged the orcs into it didn't matter—the key was that Shin Segye would face a monster wave because of this.
Of course, rivers of blood would flow, but they'd started it first.
Had they not dispatched extra forces to pursue him, Gaon might have let it slide.
But they showed no signs of backing off, so he'd force them to.
Even back in his first timeline, when he'd been part of Shin Segye, there weren't any truly good people among those clutching their privileges.
The outright evil were one thing, but many more corrupted over time by the perks they held.
In other words, those who'd bleed in the fight against monsters weren't exactly innocents.
Of course, he had no intention of letting Cheon Jae-hee die.
Park Gyu-wan wouldn't place her in harm's way either, if he had any sense.
No room for variables in the plan.
Gaon mentally reviewed it once more, confirmed no issues, and headed deeper into the territory with Yi Cho-rin.
And three days later, the goblins began to move.
“Ahh, feels refreshing.”
Kim Min-jun shuddered as he pissed against a tree root in a half-asleep daze.
The urge to urinate had jolted him awake in the late dawn.
These past few days, dreams of that bastard Hyeo Ga-on had kept him tossing and turning, and now that he'd finally gotten some sleep, this happened. His condition was shit.
“Fuck… when the hell do we catch him?”
Three days ago, he'd heard Hyeo Ga-on and Yi Cho-rin had headed into goblin territory.
Just two people—they'd have to return to the neutral zone soon enough. But no word yet.
And the day after Kim Min-jun returned, Cheon Jae-hee came back alive, exposing his lie. Park Gyu-wan beat the crap out of him.
His cheek still throbbed from it. One molar cracked, and a tooth had gouged the inner flesh, giving him canker sores.
Every swallow brought stinging pain from the wounded cheek.
“Fuck, it hurts like hell. All because of that bitch Cheon Jae-hee…”
And now he'd been sidelined from tracking.
Something about not knowing what reckless shit he'd pull.
Sure, his skills were a bit lacking, but they had others with tracking ability, so it made sense.
Now he spent his days haunting the brothels. Good or bad? Ambiguous as hell.
“Ah, fuck— if the trackers catch her, they'll fuck her once before killing, right? That slut. Dirty, but damn tasty.”
Licking his lips at the thought of Yi Cho-rin, Kim Min-jun shook off his rock-hard dick and adjusted his belt.
As he turned to leave, he froze, catching an unfamiliar pheromone scent.
“What the fuck is that?”
Beyond the dense woods, the ground glittered with footprints like fluorescent paint.
Countless tracks—too many to number—sent chills down his spine.
Sure, the area was crawling with human traces; it was their living zone, after all.
But that made it worse. These weren't human.
Half the size of human prints.
Goblins!
Details aside, goblins were prepping an assault. Clear as day.
No idea why the highland bastards had come down here, but alerting everyone fast was priority one.
Kim Min-jun swallowed hard, feigned sleepy ignorance, and staggered toward the tent-filled camp.
Once the tents blocked the goblins' view, he bolted for the central barracks.
Two combat squad guards stood out front, yawning sleepily. They straightened at the sight of him rushing over.
“Kim Min-jun? What the hell at this hour?”
“Goblins. Tons of them around.”
“What? For real?”
“Yeah. Tell the boss quick. Gotta be stealthy—don't let them catch on.”
Kim Min-jun couldn't fully hide his anxiety.
Hundreds of goblins—nearly matching Shin Segye's full numbers.
Individually, they had the edge, but casualties would be brutal.
No guarantee he'd be safe.
Prep was essential for survival.
He spilled it all in a rush, but got suspicion in return.
“You sure?”
“Fuck! Why the hell would I joke? Just relay it to the boss! I'll wake the rest.”
“...Sorry. Didn't mean to doubt.”
His outburst convinced them of the gravity. One rushed inside.
Seeing that, Kim Min-jun spun around to rouse everyone who could fight—combat and scout squads alike.
He wanted to bolt, but that'd brand him a traitor.
Couldn't side with goblins either. No choices left.
Damn it!
Kim Min-jun swallowed a stream of curses rising to his throat and hustled.
“They're gathering now.”
“You sure it'll be okay? I trust you, Gaon, but there are so many monsters.”
“No problem. Shin Segye's strong. They won't crumble easily.”
From a tall tree overlooking the scene, two figures watched.
Yi Cho-rin, nestled in Gaon's arms, gazed worriedly at the swarming goblins below.
She'd steeled herself, but it still felt wrong—like something humans shouldn't do.
Gaon felt no guilt at all, unlike her.
He was confident he could handle this much.
If anything, he hoped it'd escalate further.
Be great if the orcs joined in…
Time was tight; no chance to check the orcs.
The tree was tall, but not enough to see the far side.
As the goblins formed their encirclement and advanced slowly, movement stirred in Shin Segye's tent cluster.
“Looks like Shin Segye spotted the goblins.”
“Good training. They're assembling fast. When do we step in?”
“We'll watch. If one side starts getting crushed, we'll sneak in from behind and whittle them down.”
A one-sided slaughter wouldn't do. Both sides needed to be battered for true safety.
Yi Cho-rin nodded at Gaon's words, then tugged his collar hesitantly.
“But really, I don't need to help?”
“No. It's fine. You might not realize, Yi Cho-rin, but I've never gone all out.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Using the forest's advantages, I could take down hundreds of goblins alone.”
Gaon's Indomitable unique ability made him stronger the closer he pushed to his limits.
After three weeks, he'd gauged his physical growth. Intense confidence filled him.
But Yi Cho-rin hit him with the unexpected.
“I see… but why do you keep getting hurt till now?”
“Pardon?”
“Your right arm's injured every day. You did it on purpose, right?”
Tough question.
Gaon struggled for an answer.
As he pondered, he turned her head toward the charging goblins.
“...Yi Cho-rin. Looks like the fight's starting.”
“Ah! Dodging again!”
“Focus.”
Yi Cho-rin shot him a pouty glare for the deflection but curled her lips up anyway.
The talk—or maybe his warmth—eased her tension.
She nestled deeper into his embrace and watched the battlefield.
The humans-versus-goblins war for survival was about to erupt.