Chapter 54 - 53

Chapter 54: Chapter 53 For the past three weeks, as expected, the wolves did not return to attack the village. The captains followed Lumberling’s standing orders: no expeditions beyond the village. For now, their focus was solely on training and recovery. One morning, Krivex arrived with a report, his expression calm but his words weighty. "My Lord, troubling news. Our golden eagles have spotted another group of monsters migrating into the forest—and judging by the scouts’ sketches, they’re bears." Lumberling raised an eyebrow. "Bears?" Krivex nodded. "I’ve already dispatched ground scouts to confirm their numbers and behavior. They should return in a few hours." "Bears, huh... that’s troublesome." Lumberling leaned back, fingers drumming on the armrest of his chair. "If they’re anything like the ones from the deep forest, they’ll have at least one Quasi-Knight among them." He sighed. "Damn it. Couldn’t they just stick with their kin?" He knew that even monsters of the same species rarely cooperated unless bound by territory, bloodline, or strength. The newcomers would likely clash with both the wolves and the goblins—unless they decided to claim the land outright. "Looks like this forest’s about to become a three-way battlefield." "Call the captains," he said. "We need a war council." In the meeting room, tension hung heavy in the air. Lumberling stood at the head of the table, while Skitz, Krivex, and the others circled around the war map. "So what if we just let them be?" Gobo2 suggested. "Let the bears deal with the wolves. Fewer enemies for us, right?" "That’s right," Gobo1 added. "Let the dogs and bears bite each other. We’ll clean up whatever’s left." "No," Skitz said firmly. "That won’t work." The chatter died down at once. "We don’t even know if they’ll clash," he continued. "What if the bears bypass the wolves and come straight for us? Or worse, what if we get sandwiched between both groups at once?" Krivex crossed his arms. "We can’t afford to gamble. The longer we wait, the tighter the noose becomes." "We need to make the first move," Skitz concluded. "Before the bears arrive." All eyes turned to Lumberling. He didn’t speak for a moment, weighing his options. "Krivex and Skitz are right. We can’t afford to let another threat settle in while we’re still dealing with the first. If we wait, we’ll be forced to split our attention—and that’s how villages die." He looked around the room, each of his captains meeting his gaze in turn. "Before the bears reach our borders, we eliminate the wolves." There were no objections. Lumberling’s eyes lingered on Skitz, calculating. ’If I let him absorb essence, he may evolve into a Quasi-Knight before the next war with the bears. That would change everything.’ Skitz, feeling the scrutiny, tilted his head. "My Lord?" "Nothing," Lumberling said with a faint smile. "Just thinking." He turned back to the table. "Make preparations. We move by afternoon. Target: Rocky Mountains." Inside his war tent, Lumberling stood alone for a moment, staring at the carved wooden tokens spread across the map. Wolves, soldiers, traps, and now... he picked up a bear-shaped piece—crudely carved, thick and squat—and set it near the edge of their forest. So few tokens for their side. Too many for what lay ahead. He exhaled slowly. "We’ll make it work," he muttered—not to anyone else, just to himself. The flap of the tent opened. Krivex stepped in. "Scouts confirmed signs near the Southern Forest. Clawed trees. Deep tracks. One scout said he heard something breathing in the fog... and ran." Lumberling didn’t respond right away. His mind flashed back to the deep forest—back when he’d trained alone. The time he’d encountered a bear monster by accident. Its roar had nearly deafened him. Its paw left a crater in the stone. "They’re not like wolves," he said quietly. "A wolf surrounds you. A bear crushes you." Krivex gave a slight nod, his eyes thoughtful. Outside, as the other captains gathered near the training field, tension crackled between them like a coming storm. But not everyone was grim. "What if we just throw Gobo1 at them?" Gobo2 muttered with a crooked grin. "He bites like a bear." "I bite harder when I’m scared," Gobo1 shot back, puffing out his chest. "But only if I don’t trip over my own sword first." A few soldiers chuckled—enough to break the tension. Skitz walked past and rolled his eyes. "Save the jokes for after we don’t die." "Noted," Gobo2 said. "So, we die first, then we joke. Got it." Even Lumberling cracked the smallest of smiles as he stepped forward. "All right," he said. "Let’s make a plan before the mountain eats us." ..... The goblin village stirred to life with the sounds of armor clinking and weapons being secured. Rows of soldiers marched out in formation, their expressions sharp with purpose. "Take care of the village for us," Lumberling said firmly. "I’ll protect it with my life, my Lord," Krivex replied with a salute. It hadn’t been an easy decision. Ideally, either him or Skitz would stay behind in case the Alpha Dire Wolves struck the village again. But with the risk of an offensive on the horizon, Krivex was entrusted with the defense—and the others could only hope it would be enough. "Also... watch over Jen while I’m gone." "I don’t need someone to take care of me, Brother. I’m already big!" Jen pouted, crossing her arms. "Still sulking because I left you behind?" "Hmph. Just be careful out there, Brother." "I will. And be good. No sneaking off, alright? Listen to Grandpa Dan." Jen nodded, eyes still wide with worry as she watched the departing ranks. Just as Lumberling turned to lead the march, Skitz approached with a report. "My Lord, urgent report—the golden eagles have sighted the wolves shifting northeast." Lumberling’s brow furrowed. "The northeast? That’s where the gnolls live." "Yes, my Lord. That area’s relatively unclaimed—few monster groups around. The wolves may be attacking for food." "I doubt the gnolls will go down easy," Lumberling said. "But if the wolves take them out, they’ll gain new ground. We can’t let that happen." He turned toward the troops. "Change of plans! We’re heading northeast—fast. The wolves are attacking the gnolls, and we need to arrive before it’s too late!" The soldiers responded with renewed urgency. What should’ve been a three-day march was nearly covered in two. ..... Back in the goblin village, Jen sat by the fire pit, hugging her knees to her chest. Grandpa Dan rubbed her back gently, but she didn’t speak. Krivex stood watch atop the wooden wall, his sharp eyes scanning the darkness. "You think they’re okay?" Jen asked without looking up. "He’s your brother," Krivex said. "If death came for him, he’d find a way to make it regret the visit." Jen gave a faint smile, though her grip on her knees tightened. ..... On the second evening, a scout came racing down the path. "My Lord! The battle has already begun. The wolves have surrounded the gnoll stronghold!" "Damn it. Faster! Move!" Lumberling broke into a sprint, the others followed close behind. As they neared the battlefield, the distant sounds of clashing and snarling filled the air. But then, something unexpected happened. The wolves noticed the thunderous arrival of a new army. Both they and the gnolls abruptly ceased fighting. For a tense moment, the two battered factions froze. The gnolls, seeing a chance to escape, immediately scattered into the forest. At the center of the battlefield, Lumberling’s gaze locked on something unusual: the two Alpha Dire Wolves were engaged with a towering gnoll—larger than the others, wielding a jagged axe and oozing killing intent. It was bloodied and bruised, but still standing. ’That one... he’s a Knight Apprentice stage,’ Lumberling thought. ’No wonder the gnolls held out this long. But he won’t last another minute.’ The two wolves snarled at the newcomers—recognizing Lumberling and Skitz instantly. Their frustration was almost palpable. "They are retreating," Skitz muttered. "If they could talk, I bet they’d be cursing us." "Too bad," Lumberling said coldly. "We’re not here to show mercy." He turned to his captains. "You know what to do. Take the soldiers—don’t let a single wolf escape." Then to Skitz: "Let’s end this." Time seemed to crawl as Lumberling sprinted toward the Alpha Dire Wolves. The battlefield around him blurred—soldiers yelling, wolves snarling—but all he saw were those two beasts. Lumberling and Skitz intercepted the two Alpha Dire Wolves before they could slip away. Without a word, each man picked his target. The wolves turned, their eyes flashing with a kind of exasperated fury—as if to say, ’We’re already retreating! What do you want from us now?’ Snarling, they whirled to meet their pursuers head-on. One Alpha turned its head, slow and deliberate. Blood from its last kill still dripped from its maw. Their eyes locked. A heartbeat passed. No sound. No breath. Then, like a coiled spring released, they clashed. The soldiers charged, steel glinting in the fading light. The wolves tried to retreat, but seeing their Alphas turn to fight, they howled and surged back into the fray. Thanks to the earlier gnoll skirmish, the wolves’ numbers had been thinned. Now, they stood nearly equal to the goblin force—fangs bared, growls rumbling, ready to make their final stand. Steel clashed with claw. The battlefield turned chaotic as goblin and kobold soldiers braced themselves, forming ranks to withstand the renewed assault. Despite being nearly equal in number, the wolves fought with terrifying unity, their fangs aiming for gaps in armor, their howls rattling the night. The captains didn’t hesitate. Aren, Takkar, Gobo1, Gobo2, Skarn, and Vakk pushed to the front lines, engaging the five elite Dire Wolves that emerged—massive, snarling beasts who had also reached Knight Page level. "You take left, I take right!" Gobo1 barked. "Why do I always get the fatter one?" Gobo2 complained, swinging his sword up just in time to block a lunging dire wolf. "Because you said you needed to lose weight." The two darted through the chaos like mirror images, crossing blades and switching targets. Gobo2 slashed low while Gobo1 jumped high, landing a clean cut across a wolf’s snout. "Still think I need to diet?" Gobo2 huffed. "Yes," Gobo1 grinned, "but you fight well for a chubby one." There were seven second evolved captains and vice-captain in total, now including Gorrak. Though strength varied even within the same stage, they had trained together, bled together, and were ready to die together. They clashed with the Dire elites in pairs and solos, each battlefield a storm of power and precision. Steel clashed with fang across the field, the smell of blood and dirt thick in the air. ..... Gobo1 gritted his teeth as he blocked a dire wolf’s charge, his shield arm trembling. "Damn mutts! I just fixed this armor!" he shouted, mostly to himself—but beneath the bluster was a quiver of fear he couldn’t quite hide. Another wolf lunged from the side—and was intercepted mid-air by Skarn, whose axe split the creature’s skull with a savage crunch. "You talk too much, Gobo1," Skarn said, panting. "Focus." Gobo1 stumbled back, breathing hard. "Yeah, yeah... just buying time for your dramatic entrance." Skarn didn’t respond. His eyes locked on a larger dire wolf in the distance, one with streaks of gray and scars crisscrossing its snout. His grip on the axe tightened. "That one’s mine," he muttered—and charged. This wasn’t just survival anymore. This was war.