My Style
War was inevitable, but battles could arise by chance.
The goblins' movements were no different.
The goblin matriarch had long been aware of the Iron Will Guild's base camp on the southern shore of Sanjeong Lake.
As her tribe grew in size, she had braced herself for an eventual clash with the humans.
With war looming, she had devised plans for when they would strike and how to counterattack.
But even a monster's patience had its limits.
Endlessly scouting without attacking had worn thin against the humans who kept needling her nerves.
In the end, she unleashed her mentally dominated monsters for a preliminary skirmish.
At first, it yielded decent results.
She confirmed that the humans battling the field mice weren't as formidable as feared.
But.
The human facing the watusi snakes was different.
It sent chills down her spine, as if she were staring at an ogre rather than a human. Hell, could that even be called human? A monster that made dozens of watusi snakes tremble in fear? Even an ogre would struggle with that.
The matriarch realized she couldn't win without luring that ogre-like human into a perfect trap.
"To the tribe's nest. Deceive them."
Judging that luring it to the village and trapping it was the path to certain victory, the matriarch pondered how to draw in that ogre masquerading as a human.
Just then, perfect bait rolled in.
Humans wandering separately in her territory, for reasons unknown.
A decent number of them. Capture them and use them as lures.
Shortly after dispatching a goblin squad on her cunning ploy, fresh news arrived.
The humans had dared commit the atrocity of killing her tribe's offspring.
The matriarch flew into a rage.
All goblins were her children.
The young ones were especially precious.
The future of the goblin tribe.
That future would make her even stronger.
Taking it as a direct challenge, she issued her command.
"The humans as sacrifices. Revenge in blood."
The goblins' elite squad departed the village.
For bloody vengeance.
Lee Dong-soo's crew was a party of freelance hunters.
They had formed a proper regular party after years of freelancing, their teamwork honed to a fine edge.
A few extras joined when needed, but the seven gathered today were the core members.
"Damn, mobs are plentiful here and levels are just right—everything's great except hauling all this crap. Ugh, it's such a pain."
"Taxes are brutal too. Feels like we're hunting for someone else with our own money."
As the party members griped, the obvious reason North Pocheon hunting grounds didn't get much hype was simple.
Low profits.
Diverse monsters in good numbers, yet the biggest money sink was the loot haul.
"If we could just use cars freely, but lugging harvests in backpacks or carts? What a grind. Tsk! Hey, party leader, maybe we should've stuck to DMZ gate gigs."
Due to North Pocheon's special activity zone nature, vehicles without engine protection mana cartridges couldn't operate in the dense-mana northern areas.
Even in the milder central zones, cars needed mana humidity covers on the hoods for sustained driving.
It all boiled down to costs and efficiency.
Too extravagant for freelancers.
To hunt profitable monsters without spending, they stuck to North Pocheon's southern fringes or parked vehicles and went on foot.
In the end, it meant relying on their bodies.
A handcart helped with loot somewhat, but only on flat terrain.
The real money spots were in rugged hills, limiting even that.
"Things might improve once Iron Will sets up."
"Improve how?"
"They're making it their base, right? Word is they'll buy monster byproducts and gathers. At rates lower than the special zone tax. Good prices? Hell yeah for us."
"A base isn't a magic fix-all."
"Other bases offer zilch on taxes, but special zones are different."
"Huh, you're right."
The nodding party member's head lolled forward as if his neck bones had dissolved.
Lee Dong-soo spotted the arrow embedded in his neck faster than the victim reacted.
"Ambush!"
His shout sent the party scattering for cover behind trees and rocks.
Dong-soo flattened himself and dragged his gasping comrade by the collar.
He fumbled for an ampoule at his belt for a low-grade potion, but dozens of arrows rained down right on cue.
"Guh…!"
"Krrk!"
The defenseless, critically wounded member couldn't dodge and perished.
Dong-soo, trying to save him, took an arrow to the shoulder.
With his comrade dead, he hefted the corpse as a shield.
A ruthless choice, but the best for survival.
Using a fresh corpse when the owner was beyond saving wasn't even frowned upon in hunts.
Arrows kept targeting the huddled party, who couldn't even peek out.
"Fuck! Where are they?!"
"Front, 50 to 60 meters—tons of 'em!"
"How many is 'tons'?!"
"Over twenty, easy!"
The supporter with detection skills answered.
Low proficiency meant limited range and accuracy, but it was vital intel nonetheless.
Dong-soo scanned left and right for retreat paths.
Spotting a party member peeking through rocks, he asked,
"See anything from there?"
"Hidden in bushes—humanoid, probably."
"Who doesn't know that? Arrows mean humanoid. Think it's a dragon?"
Frustrated by the vague report, Dong-soo debated ditching the rest and bolting.
As the highest rank here, he could use them as bait to escape.
'Twenty archer mobs? I could solo-run. …Shit, if even one survives, my rep tanks. Rumors spread, freelancing's done.'
Freelancers lived by reputation. Labeled a thug? No party would take you.
Solo hunts meant guild app quests—low pay, maybe a scout if lucky.
So freelancers couldn't bail unless the situation screamed "no choice."
Many died misjudging that line.
Those who nailed retreat timing became minor names among freelancers.
'When do these arrows stop? Stuck like this…'
Suddenly, a chill hit Dong-soo like ice water.
Suppressive arrows from afar.
If meant to pin them down and prevent flight…!
"Hey! Rear! Check behind!"
The supporter couldn't obey.
He thrashed, clutching the dagger hilt in his heart.
Dong-soo warned,
"G-goblin assassin!"
A goblin warrior specialized in stealth kills.
An evolved form he'd only read about.
"Fuck!"
Dong-soo shouldered his corpse shield.
Thud, thud!
Arrows thudded home clearly.
The body bristled like a porcupine in seconds. That bought Dong-soo the gap to reach the supporter and swing.
"Dwarf shits, die!"
The goblin assassin, yanking its dagger from the chest, couldn't dodge. Its head split, body crumpling.
With the killer down, Dong-soo turned and ordered,
"Everyone retreat! Stay and we're—"
An empty echo.
No one left to hear.
Goblin assassins rose slyly from the shadows of the party's covers.
"Fuck it, should've stuck to gov quests."
Dong-soo's curse was his last words.
"Mark the confirmed goblins."
Gong Du-ri's hands flew at Kang Moo-hyuk's order.
Shapes labeled with numbers popped on the massive monitor.
Circles for soldiers, squares for warriors.
Triangles for.
'General-grade goblins outside the village?'
Two of them, no less.
Recon wasn't 100%, so more lurked unseen.
Over 300 confirmed already.
Generals usually led squads of about 100.
Undiscovered ones dotted the field for sure.
"Hobgoblins? Any sighted?"
"No reports yet."
"Captain, new intel. Marking now."
Some squares shifted colors as the operator relayed from scout teams.
"Green, red?"
"Assassins and riders."
Joo Se-ah, entering the ops room, clocked the shapes instantly—pre-agreed markers.
"Emptying the village to deploy that many warriors? Unexpected. This goblin tribe's stronger than thought."
"Split forces for piecemeal strikes?"
"Even you couldn't chase down scattering goblins solo, guild master. Waste of energy for nothing. Better form assault teams. Members ready?"
"Ready as they'll get. Whether they fight that well…"
Her uncharacteristically grim face showed tension.
A red gate veteran, even black gates under her belt.
No way mere goblins spooked her, evolved or not.
'Classic one-man guild flaw showing. Dragged down by members. And not ruthless like her 'witch' rep. First time with a guild master like this—hard to gauge if good.'
Kang Moo-hyuk glimpsed her core.
Rips monsters and villains without hesitation, but can't stomach allies hurt.
More hero than witch.
His conclusion from a decade of secret Slayer investigations.
Maybe why she left Slayer—clashing beliefs.
"Why suddenly mobilize the main force? Totally off my prediction."
Kang figured the matriarch spotted Joo during the watusi snake hunt, gauging her power.
Like the Amazon case, matriarchs linked to dominated monsters, seeing/hearing through them.
"Yes. Saw you, so I expected traps over direct fights. Brazil guild fell that way. But this pattern's new. Not sure if trap or ploy yet. Tighten defense, gather more intel. Strategic retreat possible."
He moved cautiously. Non-hunter in unpredicted chaos meant testing every step.
Joo Se-ah thought differently.
Frontline vets had a unique nose for it.
Instinct, gut—call it what you will.
She sensed now was the moment.
"East entry to Sanjeong Lake?"
"Route 78? Why…"
"Goblins clustered west, no idea why. South's us. West?"
Kang got it.
"Raid them?"
"Never seen the matriarch, but mind-magic bosses usually suck at direct combat, right?"
"Yes. Weak otherwise, specialized in tribe control."
"Raid's just kill the matriarch, no? Without her, standard goblin clear."
Inspiration flashed.
Kang eyed the Sanjeong Lake monitor.
'Lake perimeter, terrain—generous estimate, under 1,000. Half with food limits? Big, but small for a matriarch village. Yet two generals mean not weak.'
Sending two generals out meant higher ranks inside.
Non-combat matriarch prioritized her safety.
Food constraints limited numbers.
"This tribe focuses on evolution over quantity. Maybe fewer goblins than the village size suggests. Not certain."
He suspected the matriarch hid her village's true scale.
Too many scouts, huge village—easy to overestimate.
She was that smart.
"If numbers low, even elites—we pierce with elites, behead the matriarch."
Joo stated firmly, leaving final call to him.
Kang pondered long, then sighed, ruffling his hair.
"Hoo! Not my style to go along like this, guild master."
"I know. My style this time."
His half-approval lit her up.
First raid leading as guild master.
Solo monster hunts aplenty, but guild-led? New.
Her heart pounded with anticipation.
"Plus some spice."
"Spice?"
"Prep needed. Just a hunt won't cut it."
Joo eyed his sly smile warily.