Chapter 11

The support adventurer, Solus, ran through the forest, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The arrow in his back burned with every step, the pain radiating through his body. Tears streamed down his face as he stumbled forward, his mind a whirlwind of fear and guilt.

"I have to let everyone know," he muttered, his voice trembling. "Ronald and Cray… they might already be dead. No one knew a goblin could be that smart. If a normal goblin is that cunning, what will the others be like? I have to warn the guild."

He glanced over his shoulder, his heart pounding as he saw movement in the trees. Goblins—dozens of them—were on his tail, their bows drawn and arrows flying past him. Solus panicked, his legs moving faster despite the pain.

"I'm sorry, Serlina," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

An arrow whizzed past his ear, and Solus stumbled, his vision blurring. The pain from his wound was overwhelming, and his consciousness began to fade. He collapsed to the ground, his body too weak to continue.

The goblins surrounded him, their yellow eyes gleaming with curiosity and malice. Zog stepped forward, his club raised, ready to finish the job. But an elder goblin, his face wrinkled with age and wisdom, stopped him with a sharp gesture.

"No kill," the elder said, his voice firm. "Take prisoner. Smart Lok… might use him."

Zog hesitated, his grip tightening on his club. "But… human bad. Human hurt goblins."

The elder shook his head. "Lok smart. Lok and chief decide. We take human to village."

Zog grunted, reluctantly lowering his weapon. The other goblins nodded, their expressions a mix of confusion and respect for the elder's authority. They bound Solus's hands and feet with vines, then hoisted him onto a makeshift stretcher.

As they carried him back to the village, the elder goblin smiled to himself. "Lok… clever. Lok make village strong. This human… maybe help."

Luke arrived at the village gate, the wolf pups cradled in his arms. The guards stared at him, their expressions a mix of confusion and suspicion. The other goblins gathered around, their yellow eyes fixed on the small, trembling creatures.

"Lok… what this?" one of the guards asked, pointing at the pups.

Luke didn't answer immediately. He walked straight to the chief's hut, his mind racing. The chief was seated on his throne, his sharp eyes narrowing as Luke entered.

"Lok," the chief said, his deep voice carrying a tone of authority. "Why you bring enemy's kids?"

Luke felt the weight of the chief's gaze, the pressure almost tangible. The wolf pups, sensing the tension, buried their heads in Luke's chest, their small bodies trembling. Luke took a deep breath, his mind scrambling for an explanation.

"Shit," he thought. "I hadn't thought of an excuse for these pups."

He straightened his back, meeting the chief's gaze. "Chief, if we raise these wolves to be our own, our village will be stronger. If they grow up recognizing and knowing our village as family, they will fight for us. And when they reproduce, they'll give us even more power."

The chief leaned forward, his eyes never leaving Luke's. The silence in the hut was deafening, the weight of the chief's scrutiny pressing down on Luke. He could feel the chief's skepticism, the unspoken question hanging in the air: How can we trust the pups of our enemies?

The chief finally spoke, his voice low and measured. "What if… they grow up and attack village?"

Luke swallowed hard, his mind racing. He knew he had to make a convincing argument—one that would satisfy the chief and the rest of the village. He took a step forward, his voice steady despite the pressure.

"Then, Chief," Luke said, his tone firm, "you can have my head. I hope my death will be enough to atone for my mistakes."

The chief's eyes narrowed, his expression unreadable. He leaned back on his throne, his massive frame casting a shadow over Luke. The silence stretched on, the tension in the hut almost unbearable.

Finally, the chief let out a deep sigh, his frustration evident. "Fine. You keep pups… for now. But they leashed. You watch them. You responsible."

Luke nodded, relief flooding through him. "Thank you, Chief. I won't let you down."

The chief held up a hand, his expression stern. "I observe. If village like pups… they family. If not… they die."

Luke's relief was tempered by the chief's words. He knew this was a conditional acceptance—one that came with a heavy burden. He looked down at the wolf pups, their small bodies still trembling in his arms.

"I'll make sure they become part of the village," Luke said, his voice filled with determination. "You'll see."

The chief nodded, his expression softening slightly. "Go. Rest. Tomorrow… more work."

Luke left the hut, the wolf pups still cradled in his arms. The other goblins watched him as he walked through the village, their expressions a mix of curiosity and wariness. Luke ignored their stares, his mind already racing with plans.

"Alright, little ones," he muttered to the pups. "Let's find you a place to stay. Although, it'll be hard for you to trust the village."

Luke stepped out of the chief's hut, the wolf pups still cradled in his arms. As he walked through the village, he noticed something was off. The usual bustling activity had diminished, and fewer goblins were around. His sharp eyes scanned the area, and he spotted a nearby goblin staring at the pups with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

"Where's everyone?" Luke asked, his voice tinged with concern.

The goblin blinked, then pointed toward the forest. "Grut say… humans. Others attack human party."

Luke's heart skipped a beat. "What?!"

He had completely forgotten about the goblin reinforcements. If the support adventurer had survived and the goblins chased him too far, they might stumble upon a human town or settlement. The consequences would be catastrophic—more adventurers, stronger enemies, and the potential destruction of the village.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Luke muttered under his breath, his mind racing. He quickly leashed the four wolf pups to a post near the wall, securing them with sturdy vines. He turned to the nearby goblin, his tone urgent.

"Don't let the kids near them," Luke said, pointing at the pups. "I have some use for them, so don't kill them. Understand?"

The goblin nodded, though his expression was still wary. "Lok say… no kill. Goblins listen."

Luke didn't have time to explain further. He sprinted toward the village gate, his sharp eyes scanning the forest for any sign of the hunting party. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, each one more alarming than the last.

"If they've gone too far, if they've been seen… this could be the end of the village," Luke thought, his chest tightening with panic. "I have to stop them."

As he reached the gate, he activated his Scan Enemy skill, the holographic wave spreading out to detect any nearby threats. He didn't see anything immediately, but he knew the goblins could be miles away by now.

"Damn it," Luke muttered, his hands clenching into fists. "I should've been clearer. I should've told them to stay close to the village."

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Panicking wouldn't help. He needed a plan—and fast.

Luke sprinted through the forest, his heart pounding as he followed the trail of the goblin hunting party. His mind raced with worst-case scenarios—what if the goblins had been spotted by humans? What if they had led an enemy force back to the village? The thought made him run faster, his sharp eyes scanning the trees for any sign of danger.

But as he neared the general location where he had encountered the adventurer party, he stopped in his tracks. In the distance, he saw dozens of goblins walking toward him, their voices raised in a guttural chant of victory. They were dragging something—or someone—behind them.

Luke's confusion grew as he approached. "Uhhh… what?"

The goblins noticed him and cheered, their excitement palpable. Krug, the elder goblin, stepped forward, his wrinkled face breaking into a grin. "Lok! We bring human. And… dead mage."

Luke's eyes widened as he saw Solus, the support adventurer, bound and unconscious, being dragged by two goblins. Behind them, Rok and Grut carried Serlina's lifeless body while Zog held her staff, looking unsure of what to do with it.

Krug gestured to Solus. "Human hostage. Krug think… Lok have use for it. If not… we kill."

Luke nodded, his mind already working through the possibilities. "No, you're right. I do have a use for him. I'll question him for information. As for the mage…" He glanced at Serlina's body, his expression somber. "Just burn her body. And give the staff to the chief."

Krug nodded, barking orders to the other goblins. They quickly set to work, preparing a pyre for Serlina's body while Rok carried the staff toward the village. Luke watched for a moment, his thoughts a whirlwind of plans and concerns.

When they returned to the village, Luke was surprised to see the kids playing with the wolf pups. The pups, now more comfortable, were chasing the goblin children around, their tails wagging. The goblin who was supposed to guard them looked frazzled, trying to keep the kids and pups under control.

"Lok!" the goblin guard called out, relief in his voice. "Kids… too much!"

Luke chuckled, tying the pups to a post again and feeding them some smoked boar meat. "It's fine. Let them play for now."

As he worked, he noticed the chief standing on his porch, leaning against the railing and observing the scene. The chief's sharp eyes flicked to Luke, then to the bound human being dragged into the village.

"Lok," the chief said, his voice low. "Why you bring human?"

Luke walked over, his expression serious. "I'm going to ask him for information. If there's a human city or village nearby, we need to know. We can't afford to be caught off guard."

The chief tilted his head, his brow furrowing. "You… talk human?"

Luke hesitated, realizing he hadn't thought this through. "Uh… no. I can't understand them. But I'll try to extract as much information as I can. Even if it's just gestures or drawings."

The chief grunted, his expression skeptical but not dismissive. "If human town nearby… what Lok do?"

Luke's eyes hardened. "If there's a human settlement close by, we'll reinforce our defenses. We'll prepare for the worst. But first, I need to find out what he knows."

The chief nodded slowly, his gaze shifting back to the wolf pups playing with the children. "Lok… clever. But careful. Humans… dangerous."

Luke nodded, his mind already racing with plans. "I will be, Chief. I promise."