211 The brave gray goblin

The shaded goblin took out a vine from their waist. Then it swung the vine like a whip to move from one branch to another like a monkey swinging on vines.

Everyone could now see the goblin after the new location wasn’t in the shade. The goblin was grayish-green and wore leaves for clothes like most goblins were wearing. The gray goblin eyes were purple, and the hair grayish white.

The upper body of the gray goblin was covered by leaves, making it clear the goblin was most likely a female. All the male goblins had leaves covering their waist down to their knees, while female goblins covered their upper body as well.

Vincent became interested in seeing if the gray goblin was their leader, so he used Inspection.

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[Name] Gray Goblin

[Race] Goblin

[Age] 5

[Condition] Winded, Terrified

.....

[Traits] None

[Stats] Strength 4 || Agility 9 || Perception 9 || Mana 0

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“Is that gray goblin their leader? She is five years old, while the oldest one I saw is ten years old.” Vincent pondered out loud.

“It is a bit difficult to remember with what is happening in front of us, but my mother once told me a story about goblins she met in one of her journeys. ” Ester recalled with difficulty.

Ester didn’t look too well with the gore in front of her. It felt disturbing not to help and simply watch as if they are predators waiting for their prey to tire after using live bait, just to ambush for an easy kill like lowlifes.

However, Ester knew quite well the need to keep herself and her loved ones safe and alive. With a tear in her eyes and a ramping nightmare building to haunt her dreams, Ester had to ignore the death of the goblins and become determined to follow Vincent’s orders.

Currently, Ester needed a shoulder to lean on instead of thinking by herself, so she tried to forget what is happening by remembering her treasured past.

“My mother and aunt loved to meet people and dance. One day they met with a goblin tribe and became friends in less than an hour after performing a dance. My mother also mentioned how goblin age every three months, so one human year is four goblin years.” Ester continued after looking at Vincent with a hint of sadness swelling in her eyes.

Ester looked greatly disturbed, unlike Lupa. It was a typical day of life for her.

Vincent was surprised by how goblins lived less than humans, remained in a small defenseless child form, and stayed weak all their lives. The oldest goblin was forty years old in human years, or ten years in goblin years. The goblin looked like an ugly green child with gray hair. Furthermore, his stats were similar to the other goblins.

[I suggest we act or we leave. Even I am starting to feel disturbed looking at the goblins dying. And we are watching as if it’s a show and talking about the goblins aging...]

[It’s a good thing I can stop Wolfie and Freerie from watching what is happening. But they are still linked to Ester’s and Lupa’s feelings. Wolfie is overly excited while all the sixteen butterflies Freerie are quietly resting on the emerald grass.]

[So, are we going to act now since the gray goblin is also a weakling? Don’t tell me you suddenly became thick-skinned around death?]

-Kazumi. Sometimes I wonder if you can read minds.-

-You are right... strangely, I don’t feel disturbed, and my heart is racing right now. The old me of a month ago would have already rushed to attack with an excited grin if I am not resisting the urge to kill.-

-I think it’s happening again. My blood is pumping for a piece of the action, but fortunately, I can resist the temptation of aggression and think rationally. Even while watching a massacre of goblins and learning about them.-

[Your mutation is starting to scare me, to be honest. It is affecting you mentally as time progress. You are beginning to become uncaring of those you don’t know, but worry not, this illuminating and curvy Kazumi will be there for you twenty-four-seven.]

-The Hero power I have is weak for now. So, I can only depend on my mutation to survive.-

[...]

Vincent placed his hand on Ester’s shoulder and gently nudged with a reassuring grip. “I also feel horrible, but I know how it feels to lose important people. Because of this, I feel awful, yet I can stay level-headed because my family is right beside me, safe and sound. ”

“So Ester, believe in me and follow me. The decision to wait is on my shoulders.” Vincent added, hoping to extinguish Ester’s worries.

“Thank you...” Ester nodded. Then she wiped her tears and slightly raise a smile while reminiscing, “I remember how I asked my father about the story my mother told me, and I remember how he made me cry with what he said.”

“My father told me how bad people steal goblins for money and how they turn them into hobgoblins for slave work because the goblins here are docile compared to those in the Northern Continent. The goblin’s age becomes like humans and their bodies as well.” Ester informed of the possibility of awakening similar to animals. Goblins change their bodies, aging, and possibly their strength.

*Roar!*

The grizzly bear loudly roared to assert dominance. However, it was a short-lived roar as the bear’s head was soon met with ball of leaves.

The ball of leaves the weak gray goblin threw was too insignificant to leave a scratch. It simply might cause an itch. However, the ball of leaves scattered upon impact, and a yellowish cloud of dust covered the grizzly bear’s head.

The grizzly bear stopped and started sneezing violently. The dust might have been pollen or poison, Vincent and Kazumi estimated.

“Gobu, gobui.” The gray goblin shouted while pointing to the cave. Then she held the vine tightly and slid down the tree quickly.

The gray goblin noticed a goblin with a missing leg not too far from the grizzly bear. She rushed over and tightly wrapped a vine to stop the bleeding.

“Goba!” She exclaimed, but no one looked at her nor came over to help.

Most of them started running again. The goblins holding a pointy spear were too afraid to stab the bear as if frozen in fear, while the rest threw the spear on the ground and started running for their lives. A few ran to hide inside the cave, and others ran to the forest.

The gray goblin didn’t display a hint of anger. She instead lowered her gaze and showed a remorseful expression.

“Gaaa! Guba!” The injured goblin suddenly regained consciousness and started wailing in pain.

The gray goblin noticed the effectiveness of the sneezing powder was about to end. Not a moment later, she could feel a murderous glare locked on her. The gray goblin’s body froze in terror, yet her will seem far stronger than the fear afflicting her body.

After an unpleasant bite, red blood trickled from the gray goblin’s lips, and she momentarily regained control of her limbs. Then, the gray goblin inserted her hand in a pouch made of leaves and took out a familiar mushroom.

“Gaba, gaba.” The gray goblin said before shoving the Numb Mushroom inside the injured goblin’s mouth.

historical

As this was happening, the goblin Vincent said was the oldest ran to help the injured goblin and the gray goblin with two other goblins following behind.

The grizzly bear sneezed for the last time. The bear soon rose on its two legs, announcing a challenge to the gray goblin. However, the grizzly bear didn’t wait to have the challenge accepted.

“Gabu!!!...” *Slash!* Were the last words exiting the gray goblin’s lips as she pushed the old goblin to get hit by the bear swing in his place.

Even in such a dreadful situation, the gray goblin decided to exchange her life for another. A selfless and noble act with no good rewards.

*Thud!*

Vincent, Ester, Lupa, and Kazumi were at a loss for words. The gray goblin who looked and acted differently than the others sacrificed her life for the others. The gray goblin acted bravely without letting her terrified body freeze from terror.

Vincent started to have a good impression of the gray goblin until he saw her body fly, similar to what happened to Tula. However, this time, a trail of blood followed after her body.

The moment her body hit a tree and fell down, Vincent stood up with a fierce glare directed at the grizzly bear. If the other goblins seemed like unpredictable and dangerous monsters, the gray goblin resembled more of a human than a monster because of her brave and heroic actions.

Vincent became angry after the three-foot gray goblin who displayed such courageous actions was viciously slashed by multiple claws and flung in the air as if all she had done was futile.

“Let’s go.” Vincent started the hunt after he couldn’t continue watching death in front of his eyes. “Overheat.” He continued with a glare.

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[Overheat activated.]

[Mutation starting to alter the host...]

[Mutation process finished.]

[Race altered to mutated human for its duration.]

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Lupa nodded and shapeshifted into a combat form. She impatiently grinned and sharpened her claws together before running to hide and ambush the grizzly bear from behind.

Ester gulped and didn’t know what to do, so she followed Vincent with all her mustered courage not to look at the ground.

Ester locked her gaze on Vincent’s back to resist looking down, and a breeze of wind began collecting around her hands after activating Wind Sigil.