The Monster King's Legacy

Chapter 57 Another Goblin Tribe

As they group pressed on, their short travel didn't get any better. They had escaped the wolf pack only to encounter a new threat, a pack of boars blocking their path. These creatures were larger than normal, their tusks twisted and their eyes glowing with an unnatural light.

"This isn't normal for boars, is it? Why do they look so ferocious?" Lance asked out of curiosity if nothing else. A single look at these beasts and he could tell just how big of a problem they would be for them to take on.

"This is certainly strange, their energy... it doesn't feel right either," Lia murmured, her tone grim.

"We'll handle them," Rynne said, stepping forward.

The boars charged, their massive bodies shaking the ground as they thundered toward the goblins.

"Brace yourselves!" Rynne shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos.

The warriors formed a shield wall, absorbing the impact of the charge, several of the, knocked back a few metres.

'Yeah, there's no way they can stop that.' Lance thought to himself, seeing as their shields had taken quite the damage. "Split up!" He shouted, rushing to the downed goblins. As he passed by each, he used his ability, and with a single touch, they were all back to their feet.

Under a few seconds, he had healed everyone. These beasts looked to be even fiercer than the wolves, there was no need to stay back and rely on strategy alone. Lance took the sword on his hip off and tossed it to Lia. His observation was that he needed speed the most against such a foe, at least, taking his current capabilities into consideration.

Bringing his hands to his lower back, he pulled out two large daggers specially crafted for him by Kaeli, gripping them tightly in his hand.

"Dran, Zarra, Rikka!" Lance called as he rushed to Rynne who was already ahead.

Rynne darted between the boars, her spear finding its mark again and again as she targeted weak spots like the throat, but their thick skin and tough hide made it impossible to penetrate, even more so when compared to the wolves.

"Rynne! Fall back!" Lance called out as he leapt several metres into the air towards the midst of the boars.

"It's nothing. Let's take care of this and get back to our journey."

...

After travelling for a bit more, they came before a different part of this forest that was unlike anything Lance had seen. As they watched from a higher vantage point, they could take in the beauty of it all in the middle of the day, the sun providing adequate light.

"That's where we're headed." Zarra said, pointing down towards a part of the ravine below.

As they got closer after descending from their high ground, they found the tribe huddled in a shadowy ravine, their camp hidden beneath a canopy of gnarled trees. The goblins here were smaller and thinner than Lance's tribe, their clothes ragged and their eyes filled with suspicion as Lance and his group approached. Their number was around thirty.

'They're severely malnourished, that's certain, but their eyes... it's a different colour.' Lance thought to himself.

Rynne, ever the warrior, rested her hand on her spear, her gaze scanning for any sign of hostility. Rikka and Zarra stood close to Lance, while Lia stayed at the back.

A scrawny older looking goblin stepped forward, his voice wary but firm. "What do you want?" His deep eyes gave a fiercer edge to his words.

"We're not here to fight," Lance said, raising his hands in a gesture of peace. "We're here to help."

The goblin narrowed his eyes. "Help?" He asked, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the bunch. "From a human?"

"Yes," Lance replied. "We've built a tribe not far from here—a safe place, where you can live without fear of starvation or death. We've faced the same challenges you're dealing with now, and we've found a way to survive. I am their chief, Lance."

"You expect me to believe that? To believe a human? I don't know why those behind you follow you the way they do, but I will not be a slave to a human." the scrawny goblin said, his tone challenging.

'This won't be easy.'