Silence

"Doll?" He Xi's heart sank. "How could one end up in a place like that?"

"The town's been cut off from sound... Could it have something to do with that creepy Mud Doll?"

"Goblins may be weak individually, but there are as many as ants, and they fight without fear of death! Charging in recklessly would be suicide! And from what we've seen, there's probably some kind of spellcaster behind this."

He forced himself to calm down and stopped dwelling on it.

Finding Baron Ul was the most urgent thing.

"Bruce, stay close! We're heading to the manor!" He Xi barked, then turned and sprinted along the shadows at the edge of town, toward Eagle Claw Manor.

Thanks to the +4 physique from [Mora's Blessing], He Xi could clearly feel the changes in his body.

His steps were light and strong as he ran, and his breathing remained steady.

Even after sprinting several hundred meters, he was only slightly winded—not like before, when a few steps were enough to make his head spin and his vision blur.

"This feeling... is great!"

"I just don't know if I'll still have this much stamina after my Bloodline Power is drained."

They followed the western edge of town north.

When they rounded the northernmost corner, the sight before them made He Xi suck in a sharp breath.

The entrance to town was packed with green-skinned, pointy-eared Goblins.

Like a churning green tide, they let out soundless roars and waved their rusted daggers, wooden clubs, and crude stone axes!

Facing this horde of green-skinned dwarves were the guards of the Eagle Claw family, just over a dozen in all.

He Xi recognized them. They were the guards stationed at the manor.

The Eagle Claw family's territory was small and far from the major monster mountain ranges. The entire town of Plint had barely more than two hundred residents.

They kept only twenty or thirty guards on duty. Most were scattered throughout the town, with only one small squad standing watch at the manor each night.

At that moment, Baron Ul stood slightly ahead of the guards.

He wore a half-suit of leather armor and held a broad-bladed longsword. Blood and dirt smeared his face.

Several guards were desperately thrusting with their spears, knocking down Goblins as they charged. At the same time, they formed a human wall around the baron, protecting him as they fought and retreated.

But there were too many Goblins.

They surged in from all sides, trying to surround the small squad.

He Xi was about to charge over and help when Bruce suddenly tugged hard at his trouser leg again.

"Woof!"

He Xi stopped at once.

Just as he thought!

The sound had vanished again!

"The soundless zone fades gradually... You don't notice you can't hear anything until it's too late..."

"Judging by the route we just took, this soundless zone seems to be a huge circle. At least here on the west and north sides, its boundary is curved!"

He didn't dare risk charging into the soundless zone.

At this distance, he couldn't throw [Light Spell] far enough, either.

He could only keep following the perimeter, circling around until he was closer to Baron Ul.

With Bruce at his side, He Xi carefully searched for the soundless zone's boundary.

At last, behind a clump of bushes near the manor, the sounds became clear again!

"Lord! We can't go any farther!" a young guard cried anxiously, his voice full of fear. "There's... not a sound to be heard inside the town! Anyone who goes in loses contact!"

"Damn green-skinned vermin!" Baron Ul cleaved an oncoming Goblin in two. Its foul-smelling blood splattered across him as he roared, "No! Kadan must be in town. He'll gather the remaining guards!"

"But, my lord! With so few of us, charging in—"

"Silence! This is my town! Letting those green-skinned vermin run rampant on my land is a disgrace to the Eagle Claw family!"

He swung his sword again, killing two more charging Goblins.

But more Goblins, like flies drawn to carrion, immediately filled the gaps. Waving their weapons and shrieking, they swarmed toward the guards.

He Xi raised his hand.

[Light Spell]!

A dazzling ball of white light streaked through the air and exploded in the middle of the Goblin horde.

"Gaaah—!"

"Gurok!"

The Goblins struck by the blinding light let out shrill screams. They clutched their eyes and writhed in agony on the ground.

The sudden burst of light made the guards squint instinctively, too.

Seizing the moment of confusion, He Xi shouted, "Lord! Fall back first!"

Startled by the sudden light and shout, Baron Ul froze for a moment. But he reacted quickly and seized the opportunity to bellow, "Retreat!"

The guards shielded the baron as they quickly broke free of the Goblins and retreated to a safe distance.

The Goblins seemed wary of the burst of light and didn't pursue them immediately.

Baron Ul panted and wiped the blood and grime from his face. Only then did he see who had come to their aid.

"You?" A trace of surprise flashed in his eyes, followed by a hint of embarrassment.

He remembered how he'd once wanted to drive this young man out of Plint...

Though Cyril had insisted that the young man was the one who'd helped him master the ability to command mosquitoes, and Baron Ul had even sent someone to invite him to the manor that morning.

"He Xi?" Baron Ul's voice was hoarse. "It's dangerous here! The manor is safe for now. Go there first..."

Then he realized something. "That spell just now... Was that you?"

"Yes, my lord," He Xi replied calmly. "I can help. These Goblins seem to be afraid of bright light."

Baron Ul looked at He Xi's young but remarkably composed face, his heart a tangle of emotions.

"He Xi... about what happened before..." He opened his mouth, seeming to want to explain.

He Xi cut him off. "My lord, there's no need to bring up the past. I'd planned to leave Plint anyway."

"No! You can stay!" Baron Ul hurriedly said. "The Eagle Claw family welcomes you! Cyril—"

"None of that matters," He Xi interrupted him again, looking toward the town. "The most urgent thing is to rescue the people inside."

Baron Ul drew a deep breath, suppressing his complicated feelings, and nodded.

"You're right!" He pointed at the Goblins milling about at the edge of the soundless zone. "These green-skinned vermin are no match for us one-on-one, but there are too many of them! They're like locusts! If my guards were all together and we could form ranks, we'd still have a fighting chance!"

"Kadan, my captain of the guard, is a seasoned warrior. Most of the guards live in town, too. Kadan must be trying to gather them. He may be waiting for us to attack from both sides."

The more he spoke, the angrier he became. He punched a nearby tree. "Damn it! The moment we get near the town, we can't hear anything. There's no way to communicate, let alone coordinate!"

He Xi pondered for a moment, then asked, "My lord, you said... Captain Kadan is waiting for you to attack from both sides?"

"That's right!" Baron Ul affirmed. "Kadan's served me for twenty years! He knows me! In a situation like this, he'll find a way to gather the guards.

He'll create a disturbance in town to draw the Goblins' attention, then wait for me to lead men in from outside. We've practiced that maneuver!"

"But now... we have no idea whether he's ready! We don't even know where he is!"

He Xi's gaze settled on the tallest building in town: the bell tower, looking especially ominous beneath the moonlight.