Decapitation Operation

However, the party encountered no unexpected incidents along the way. They occasionally ran into a few wild beasts, but the creatures wisely fled at once, not daring to provoke these fully armed adventurers.

After traveling for a little over two hours, Hill suddenly appeared ahead of the group.

"We're almost there."

Hill tilted her head. "Misty Cavern is at the foot of the mountain ahead. There are three Goblins guarding the entrance."

Everyone in the party immediately sharpened their focus and entered a state of combat readiness.

They began moving as quietly as possible, avoiding any loud noises.

After passing through a barrier formed by a huge patch of ferns, the view before them suddenly opened up.

A range of towering, majestic mountains ran through the middle of Graywood Forest, creating a spectacular sight.

At the base of the steep cliff directly ahead of them stood a massive opening—the entrance to Misty Cavern.

Misty Cavern lay in relatively low terrain, like a natural basin. An underground river flowing from deep within the mountains converged nearby.

The river water evaporated and mixed with the moisture from the surrounding forest, creating a hazy scene like drifting clouds and mist.

"Fog again..." Zeliel waved a hand.

The familiar sight before him gave him an inexplicable sense of déjà vu, and the image of the Mist Demon inevitably sprang into his mind.

Just as Hill had said, three hunched creatures holding crudely made clubs stood before Misty Cavern.

They were only around a meter tall, far shorter than ordinary humans.

<Adventurers' Association General Monster Compendium>

[Sequence 1]: Goblin

Individual Threat Rating: [Easy]

Appearance:

Small humanoid creatures whose skin is usually a filthy green or earthy yellow. Their limbs are thin, and they possess long, pointed ears.

Habits:

Individual Goblins are extremely cowardly and sit at the bottom of the food chain. However, once their numbers reach a certain level, their cruel and greedy nature becomes unmistakably apparent.

They prefer occupying dark caves, though settlements resembling small villages occasionally appear as well.

Goblins possess a strict internal hierarchy. Unlike disorganized beasts, they understand how to use tools and fight in groups.

Core Weakness:

Every part of a Goblin is a weakness. No special targeting is necessary; even a farmer with a hoe can easily kill one.

Association Note:

The first lesson for novice adventurers, and also the most important one: never let your guard down against any monster.

Although Goblins are very weak, every year there are still adventurers who die at their hands because they underestimated them. Always remain vigilant!

Addendum.

Stop adding those bizarre Goblin variants to the compendium! Especially the Galloping Horse Town branch!

The group retreated a little and began quietly discussing their strategy.

"Looks like there are only three sentries outside."

Marcus swept his gaze over his teammates. "The White-Haired Goblin, the Orc Goblin, and the rest of the Goblins' main force are all inside the cavern."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's charge in and kill them all!" Gak said excitedly.

"Charging in openly is suicide. Goblin nests are usually a maze inside, and any random trap would be enough to make you suffer. Do you want a dung-smeared wooden spear through your stomach?"

Vales said, "Don't forget that Rod's Party died at their hands."

"How about fire? We block the entrance and blow smoke inside. Once they can't stand the smoke anymore, they'll naturally come out, and then we kill them."

Gray patted the pack on his back. "We brought torches, after all."

"Not a good idea. We don't know whether this cavern has other exits. What if we alert them and let them escape?"

Marcus shook his head. "As long as the White-Haired Goblin is alive, it can quickly build another small Goblin settlement."

The party fell into brief silence as everyone considered their options.

"Draw the snake out of its hole," Zeliel suddenly said.

"How do we draw it out?" Hill looked at Zeliel.

"Marcus, you go with Gray and Gak. Head over first and draw their attention."

Zeliel picked up a branch and traced lines on the ground. "Rod's Party only died at their hands recently. When they see only three people appear, they'll definitely let their guard down and send everyone out."

"Then all you need to do is hold them off, gradually lure them out, and lead them in our direction. Vales and I will lie in ambush in the bushes. Once the White-Haired Goblin appears, we'll snipe it in one stroke!"

Marcus thought for a while, then nodded lightly.

"I think it could work. What do the rest of you think?"

"A settlement with a White-Haired Goblin really does require decapitation tactics. Otherwise, it'll be troublesome." Vales voiced his agreement.

Moreover, after advancing to an intermediate ranger, he was confident he could handle this sniping task. No Goblin could stop his arrows.

Gray and Gak nodded as well.

"Then you three draw their attention from the front. I'll provide support from nearby. If anything unexpected happens when the White-Haired Goblin appears, I can carry out the assassination too," Hill said.

"Good. We'll proceed with that plan." Marcus finalized the strategy.

At the entrance to Misty Cavern.

A Goblin squatted bored atop a moss-covered boulder, teasing a dung beetle with its finger and making it repeatedly change directions as it crawled.

When it finally grew tired of playing, it simply grabbed the dung beetle and threw it into its mouth, crunching twice before swallowing it.

The other two Goblins were communicating in their peculiar language.

"Jigu..."

One of the relatively scrawny Goblins rubbed its belly and made a weak sound. "Wagaga..."

(I'm so hungry. Do you have anything to eat?)

"Waga! Aguruguru!" the other Goblin replied impatiently.

(I don't. Endure it yourself!)

"Gululu... Gagaga, jiyigawa." The first Goblin revealed a dejected expression.

(I miss that feast from two days ago. Human flesh was so delicious.)

"Gawawa! Gua!"

(Stop complaining and stand your watch!)

Goblins assigned to guard the entrance generally held relatively low status within the settlement. They never got any benefits from anything, yet still had to go hungry every day.

Even during the rare feast of human flesh two days ago, they had only barely received a piece of meat and two mouthfuls of soup.

A light breeze passed by, carrying the mist along. The Goblin on guard suddenly widened its eyes.

It saw three dark figures appear ahead, rapidly drawing closer!

"Gagu waka! Gagu waka!"

(Alert! Alert! Something's happening!)

That shout immediately put the other two Goblins beside it on high alert.

"Move!" Marcus said in a low voice.

The three men broke into a high-speed run and charged straight toward the cave entrance, throwing the three Goblins into a momentary panic.