Variable #029: Fire!!
"Fire!!"
Pew! Pbbbt─ As Park Gyu-wan's shout rang out, bolts flew toward the goblins just vaulting over the wooden barricade. They charged in with ferocious momentum, but only for a moment—the creatures tumbled to the ground, each one pierced by five or six bolts. That single volley felled dozens of goblins, yet the survivors were still legion. Rather than falter, they grew frenzied at the sight of their kin's blood, launching a reckless breakthrough.
"Don't lose heart, everyone! Their numbers aren't that overwhelming! If each of us takes down just three, we win without a scratch!"
As Park Gyu-wan said, the goblins numbered only about 400 to 500 at most. With humans outweighing them nearly twofold, three per person was manageable.
─Raaagh!
─Kieeeek!
Soon, the front lines clashed. At the center stood a few with large shields, flanked by shieldbearers wielding one-handed shields alongside clubs or longswords, holding firm. As they braced and repelled the assault, the lead goblins bounced off harmlessly. But even weak impacts, when endless, became overwhelming. The shield wall began to yield inch by inch to the goblin horde pressing forward.
"Second row!!"
At Park Gyu-wan's next command, spearmen behind the shields thrust vigorously through the gaps.
Pfbt! Pfbbbt!
The gruesome sound of flesh impaling echoed repeatedly, giving the shieldbearers breathing room. As spears withdrew, dozens more goblins slid limply off the shields to sprawl on the ground. The battle flowed easily. Nearly 50 goblins lay dead already, with not a single casualty on Shin Segye's side. At this rate, it would end in a clean human victory.
But goblins weren't fools—at least, not their leader. It possessed intelligence rivaling a human's.
Thoom─!
Suddenly, an eerie resonance hummed through the air. At its source stood a goblin in distinctive garb. Its build matched an ordinary goblin's, but the luxurious cloak draped over it, the trinkets dangling everywhere, and the massive wooden staff in its grip marked it as extraordinary. Raising the staff, it chanted an arcane incantation. From the forest around them, jets of dark green light erupted. Black and green mana mingled murkily, forming a bizarre barrier. In that instant, every goblin's movements accelerated.
"Aaaagh! What the—?!"
"Fuck this shit!!"
Screams erupted alongside mounting casualties. Goblins wormed through shield gaps, piling corpses to crack the defensive line. Sure, their speed boost had limits—innate physical inferiority and reach couldn't be overcome. Spearmen quickly culled most, but the damage spread uncontrollably, sapping morale. Tension drained stamina, slowing reactions. The spell seemed to include berserk effects; goblins charged ceaselessly, heedless of mounting deaths.
The fight dragged on. After 30 minutes, Shin Segye finally suffered real losses. Trivial compared to the goblins', but death terrified all equally. Fearless goblins versus humans gripped by dread—the scales tipped sharply. Shin Segye, once dominant, began retreating step by step.
Kim Min-jun, sniping goblins safely from afar, sensed crisis and scanned warily.
'No way that bastard's showing up, right?'
Gaon was half-trauma for him. No connection existed, yet paranoia whispered this chaos might be Gaon's doing, haunting his mind. Pure delusion, but it pierced the truth astutely.
And then—
─GRRROOAAARRR!!
A thunderous roar boomed from the rear.
"What the hell?!"
Orcs. Towering brutes, every muscle rippling, barreled forward. Park Gyu-wan barked orders to brace, sacrificing the front to reform ranks with shields. Futile—over 200 orcs' charge scattered them effortlessly.
─Aaaargh!!
─Help meee!
Orcs showed no mercy, regardless of age or gender. A pot-lid palm smashed a face, teeth flying as the victim crumpled unconscious—then trampled to pulp by following orcs. Witnessing this, Kim Min-jun frantically sought escape. His pheromone sense spotted a gap in the orcs. Rolling across the dirt, he broke free and bolted into the brush beyond. Threats of no mercy for deserters fell on deaf ears. Ignoring stamina, he sprinted blindly, desperate to flee death's maw.
Kim Min-jun halted only upon crashing into a stone cairn, stumbling off-balance.
"Wh-what...!"
Flailing to avoid falling, he panted raggedly, then turned slowly. Grinding his teeth, he realized he'd nearly tripped here again.
"You fucking piece of shit!"
Tricked once more—thanks to that bastard Hyeo Ga-on. Probably pounding Yi Cho-rin's ass right now, laughing. Paranoia fueling rage, he kicked the cairn viciously. It crumbled with a rumble, easing his mind somewhat. Regaining senses, he heard odd noises.
Crack! Cr-aack─ Kwash!
Like thick glass shattering. Unease swelled with an oppressive presence. Kim Min-jun stiffly turned.
"Grrrlllrr─"
"F-fuck. Wh-what is this."
A cave had appeared, and a hulking green monster emerging glared at him. Frozen like a frog before a snake, predator-prey dynamic clear, he backpedaled lamely, unable to flee properly. Even in a tiger's den, stay sharp and survive. He chanted the proverb inwardly. At last, paralysis broke; turning to run—
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Fuuuuck!!"
Heavy footsteps pursued. Lacking confidence to face it alone, he retreated the way he'd come—perfectly baiting the troll toward the battlefield.
"You're here."
"Ah! Gaon. What do we do? Orcs showed up too—are you really okay?"
Yi Cho-rin fidgeted, watching orcs turn the field to pandemonium. Hundreds of brutes dwarfing grown men—it was unnerving. Oblivious, Gaon grinned brightly, delighted.
"Of course. I'll head out."
"You sure you don't need help?"
Yi Cho-rin grabbed Gaon as he moved to descend the tree. Fiddling with her crossbow, she seemed ready to provide cover fire. But that was risky—firing would expose her position, drawing monsters straight to her. No way he'd allow that.
Gaon shook his head, placing a hand on her shoulder, voice soft and reassuring.
"Having you here lets me push hard. If you're sorry, heal me later. Got it?"
"...Yes."
Yi Cho-rin blushed foolishly at his words. In this brutal fight ahead, her mana alone couldn't fully heal him. That meant ingesting semen—his phrasing sounded suggestive, understandably.
"Off I go."
"Yes. Don't get too hurt. Promise?"
"Promise. See you soon."
Gaon leaped from the tree, leaving Yi Cho-rin's smile behind. Tree to tree, agile bounds brought him lower until he dropped silently into the underbrush. No one sensed him now. In such chaos, what ambush yielded most? Disrupting command structure. Especially here, with goblins buffed by a shaman's barrier—their forces artificially swollen. Killing the caster would cripple them.
'There.'
Parting foliage, Gaon spotted the goblin shaman slumped amid ten guards, staff planted, muttering to sustain the barrier. Manageable. Reversing his grip on the spear, he deep-breathed, then burst from cover. One step, two, three—then thrust forward, channeling momentum and weight.
Whiiish─!
Karma-enhanced physique and mana-boosted strength made the spear flash like lightning, trailing afterimages. It shattered the shaman's skull outright.
Krunch!
The head tore free, rolling across the dirt.
─Kyaaak!!
Goblin roars of fury followed, but Gaon had already vanished into the brush. Next target: orcs.