Good.
They really were full of energy.
The Goblin just now had pointed northwest.
It was roughly three kilometers away.
Zhao Chi's territory currently covered only ten square kilometers.
Three kilometers northwest would put them almost at its edge.
Hauling the supplies back would be a little troublesome, given the distance.
But that was fine.
These women all had six points of strength and could carry quite a lot each trip.
They would not be slow about it.
An ordinary person would need around thirty-five minutes to walk three kilometers.
These women would probably need twenty to thirty minutes.
At a jog, they could definitely get there in under twenty minutes.
Running flat out, they could cut that down to under twelve.
But... Zhao Chi could not.
Zhao Chi had never expected that, among these female subjects, he would actually have the lowest stats.
Chapter 20: Attacking the Goblin Camp
"Slow down, slow down. Whew..."
Tang Ruan hurriedly said, "Everyone, slow down a little. Our lord can't keep going."
"All right." The women slowed down.
Gu Qing even came over to support Zhao Chi.
Zhao Chi felt something warm and soft against his arm.
It was a feeling he could have lingered in forever.
But he could not possibly let Gu Qing keep supporting him like this.
Zhao Chi panted, "Whew... who... who said I can't keep going? We're heading into battle... we can't use up too much stamina. Run slower and conserve your energy... whew..."
Tang Ruan asked in confusion, "But we haven't used up much stamina?"
She had eight points of Constitution, so of course she was not tired.
Gu Qing gently pulled Tang Ruan aside. "Our lord cares about us, and... he thinks further ahead. Whatever he says goes."
Tang Ruan nodded. "Oh."
The women nodded as well.
They were indeed a little out of breath.
But Gu Qing and Tang Ruan, who had eight points of Constitution, were barely even winded.
Zhao Chi wiped the sweat off his forehead.
I should have brought some water.
Although three kilometers was not far, there was grass underfoot and woodland all around.
They not only had to watch their footing to avoid tripping or twisting an ankle.
They also had to keep changing direction to dodge the trees, making this something of a light trail run.
Running like this was exhausting.
After a short rest, everyone recovered their stamina.
Zhao Chi said, "We're very close now. No more running. Walk slowly from here and watch your step. The Goblins might have set traps."
The women immediately looked around, carefully examining the surrounding ground.
Grass still covered the area, and the trees were relatively sparse.
"Keep moving. Report anything you hear or see."
"Yes!" the women answered quietly.
Tang Ruan walked at the front.
Gu Qing stayed behind Zhao Chi to protect him.
The other women followed farther behind.
They walked another hundred meters or so.
Through the gaps between the trees, they could see a pure white wall ahead.
It was not a real wall, but the Fog Wall, formed from white mist.
The Fog Wall towered into the clouds, stretching out of sight in both directions.
That was the edge of the territory.
Zhao Chi's entire territory-or rather, every lord's territory world-was surrounded by a Fog Wall like this.
The fog was very thick.
It was as white as clouds.
But it was dangerous inside.
Anyone who entered would lose their way.
Chief Instructor Li Ruanyu had repeated this warning many times.
Entering the fog would affect people's senses.
Sight, hearing, and sensation would all go haywire.
A sound that clearly seemed to come from ahead might actually come from the left.
Even if someone was certain they were walking in a straight line and had left markers, they might actually be going in circles.
What felt like someone tapping their left shoulder might actually be their calf bumping against a rock.
These were all things people had personally experienced in the Fog Buffer Zone.
So anyone who truly entered the fog would be trapped inside for good, completely unable to find their way back.
And it was not safe in there, either.
Rumor had it that there were magical beasts, too.
But that was only a rumor.
After all, no one had ever made it back out.
The Fog Wall was extremely dangerous.
But there was a buffer zone several dozen meters deep.
Anyone who wandered in by mistake and immediately turned back could still escape unharmed.
As for exactly how many meters that buffer zone extended, no one knew.
Anyone who knew could no longer get out.
In short, staying away from the Fog Wall was always the right choice.
But strangely, the refugees who spawned in the territory each day all emerged from the Fog Wall.
Yet they had no memories whatsoever of being inside the fog.
"My lord, there are some structures ahead. They probably belong to the Goblins."
Tang Ruan hid behind a tree and pointed ahead.
Zhao Chi looked up.
There was a clearing ahead, its ground bare dirt.
Garbage littered the ground, leaving the place filthy and chaotic.
Two low tents stood there, built from animal hides and wood, so crooked they looked like illegal shacks.
Beside them stood a low wooden shed, which seemed to hold supplies.
There was a fire in the middle.
More than a dozen Goblins sat around the fire, roasting meat.
The savory smell of charred meat drifted over.
Most of a skinned wild deer lay nearby.
The deer had simply been tossed onto the dirt.
Its blood had stained the soil reddish brown.
Two mongrels were tethered nearby, sniffing this way and that.
It was hard to tell whether they were sniffing the meat or something else.
"My lord, do we charge?" Tang Ruan looked eager.
She was completely different from how she had been just moments ago.
Zhao Chi whispered, "There are seventeen in the camp, and there may be more inside the tents. Everyone, be careful."
The women nodded without making a sound.
They did not want the Goblins to hear them.
Gu Qing added, "Fight without worrying, everyone. If you get hurt, I'll heal you right away."
The women nodded again.
Zhao Chi continued, "Goblins have very poor morale. Once they're at a disadvantage, they'll rout quickly. We can take prisoners then. Those two mongrels are tethered, so don't attack them. Capture them too. Understood?"
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