On The Road Again

The team moved swiftly through the dense wilderness, the air thick with anticipation and the distant calls of wild creatures. The journey to the Kingdom of Uragile was no easy one, but each member was steadily finding their rhythm, their skills sharpening with every encounter.

Soon, they faced their first real test. A band of goblin monsters, their green skin camouflaged against the trees and rocks. The goblins roared as they charged, weapons raised, eyes flickering with feral aggression.

As the striker, I hung back slightly, ready to leap into action if needed. My focus was on defending Poh, the young mage, and Eldrin, the sharp-eyed archer. Eldrin moved with calculated precision, intercepting goblins that tried to flank their allies, making use of his sword and and Poh's magic crackling in tandem to hold the line.

The main focus of the range fighters was to redirect the enemy goblins to the front. Where the front attackers were controlling the battle. The armor and the flickering shadow acted as aa wall that the goblins tried and failed to get past. 

Uriko, with her imposing presence, took the front, acting as a tank. Her armor gleamed as she braced herself against the goblin onslaught, her shield absorbing blows while she counterattacked with brutal efficiency. Her strength kept the larger enemies at bay, giving the others time to plan their next move.

Vin, agile and stealthy, worked seamlessly with Uriko. She slipped through the shadows, flanking the bandit goblins with silent grace. Her daggers found gaps in the goblins’ defenses as she struck from the shadows, sowing chaos among their ranks. Her quick strikes and swift retreat kept the goblins disoriented, giving the team the upper hand.

The battle was fierce but coordinated. Poh’s magic crackled as he cast defensive wards and offensive spells, while Eldrin’s arrows flew true, taking down goblins with deadly precision. Terran’s role as a defender kept the team safe, his strategic positioning ensuring none of his allies were overwhelmed.

I flicker stepped and struck hard and decapitated a larger goblin with my fists. That decapitation put fear in the goblins, as if they lost their leader. They turned to flee, and Eldrin moved swiftly to eliminate as many as possible. 

After the fight, the team caught their breath, checking their wounds and sharing quick nods of acknowledgment. They were already adapting, learning each other's strengths and weaknesses and their teamwork grew sharper with the encounter.

Terran looked around at his companions, a sense of pride swelling in his chest. They were more than just a team. They were becoming a force to be reckoned with.

As they pressed forward toward the looming mountains and the mysterious city of Uragile, he knew the real challenges were just beginning. But with this team, with their combined strength and trust, they could face whatever darkness awaited in the shadows of the ancient kingdom.

The dense forest canopy thickened as the team pressed onward, the landscape growing more treacherous with each mile. The air was heavy with anticipation—something about this stretch of wilderness felt different, more dangerous. The subtle signs of intelligent planning—twisted branches, hidden snares, and faint footprints—began to surface.

Suddenly, the team was ambushed. A new batch of goblins emerged from the shadows, but these weren’t ordinary monsters. They were cleverer, more cunning, their eyes gleaming with a sinister intelligence. Instead of rushing blindly into battle, they had set traps, baiting the team into a deadly game of wits.

The first trap was a series of tripwires hidden beneath a layer of leaves. Vin, ever vigilant, spotted the slight disturbance in the ground just in time, warning the others. Before they could react, the goblins activated the snares, and sharpened logs swung down from above, narrowly missing Vin and Uriko.

“Trap!” Vin shouted, her voice sharp. “Watch your footing!”

Eldrin, quick to analyze, shouted back, “They’re trying to herd us into a kill zone! Be ready for anything!”

I was already in motion, dropped to a low stance, scanning their surroundings. “Stay alert. They’re not just mindless beasts—they’re playing us.” I signaled to Poh and Eldrin to cover the flanks, while Uriko readied her shield, bracing for the next attack.

The goblins then unleashed their next trick—a series of small, explosive charges hidden beneath the underbrush, designed to disorient and scatter. A deafening boom echoed through the trees as dirt and debris showered the team.

“Damn, they’re smart,” Eldrin cursed, steadying himself. “They’re setting the stage for a trap—probably to flank us or trap us in a narrow space.”

My eyes flicked around, quickly analyzing the terrain. “We need to break their line of sight and force them into open ground—then we strike. Vin, you and Uriko keep the front, I’ll take the rear. Eldrin, Poh—cover the sides.”

Vin nodded, moving with fluid precision alongside Uriko, both of them ready to face the goblins directly. I slipped into the shadows, using my agility and magic to stay hidden as I circled around to the back. My mind raced, calculating the best moment to strike and break their carefully laid traps.

From my vantage point, I saw the goblins regrouping, trying to set another trap—using the trees and rocks to create a labyrinth. They were clever, indeed. But I was cleverer.

With a silent breath, he activated Certain Death・Illumination Magic Flash Sky Shock King’s Fist, summoning a blinding burst of light and thunder that shattered the goblins’ cover. The explosion of energy stunned the enemies, momentarily disorienting them.

Seizing the moment, Vin and Uriko charged forward, cutting down goblins with swift, brutal strikes. Eldrin’s arrows found their marks through the chaos, while Poh cast defensive wards, keeping the team safe from any last-minute tricks.

The goblins, now exposed and disoriented, fought fiercely, but their clever traps had been foiled. The team pressed their advantage, fighting with coordinated precision.

When the dust settled, the battlefield was littered with defeated goblins, and the remaining ones scattered into the woods, their plans thwarted.

Breathing heavily, I looked at my team, a mix of pride and relief. “They were smarter than average, but we’re better. We adapt, we survive. That’s what counts.”

The team regrouped, their unity strengthened by the battle, knowing that in this dangerous wilderness, intelligence and teamwork were their greatest weapons. The road to Uragile was still long, but now they had proven they could face even the cleverest foes lurking in the shadows.

All the challenges that laid ahead is based on rumors. Yet, it was something that must be done. As in the time of peace, the enemies that wanted to destroy my family were hidden. Very different from open war that my father face. Felt just as dangerous as lots of things were at stake to accomplish my investigation.