Chapter 316 Necessary Evil

The guards, growing bored with their sadistic fun, decided to finish off the broken goblin. One of them, sneering with cruel delight, pulled his wooden club from his belt and aimed a devastating blow at Timbo's head. But instead of Timbo's skull shattering, the guard's head twisted grotesquely around his neck, and he crumpled to the ground. Behind him stood Suzuka, her eyes blazing with impatience.

"For heaven's sake," she muttered in an annoyed tone, "we don't have time to lallygag with these fools. How long will they beat this goblin? Finish it already. Jeez!"

The other goblin guards froze in bewilderment and confusion, their tiny minds struggling to process the sight before them. One of them rubbed his eyes as if hoping to erase the reality of what he saw. Their eyes bulged, mouths gaping open in sheer shock. Before they could recover from their stupor, Suzuka pulled a sword from her magic item storage and, with a swift, deadly motion, cut them all down. Blood sprayed in arcs, and the guards dropped like flies, their screams cut short by her blade.

Larry and the rest of the team jumped into action, their movements a blur of speed and precision. They rushed towards the breeding farm, weapons drawn and ready. Suzuka stormed the front gates, her presence a whirlwind of destruction. Goblin guards fell before her like wheat to a scythe, their pitiful defenses no match for her prowess.

Meanwhile, Hermit scuttled towards Timbo, his heart pounding in his chest. With trembling hands, he grabbed Timbo's crumpled and beaten body, dragging him towards the closest ditch in a desperate attempt to shield him from the impending carnage. Timbo's eyes fluttered open briefly, and he recognized Hermit's face. His voice, weak and broken, rasped out a pathetic thank you.

"H-Hermit... thank... you," Timbo whispered, each word a struggle. 

"I... I thought I was... done for. You... you saved me."

Tears mixed with mud streaked down Timbo's gaunt cheeks as he tried to muster a smile. His body shuddered with pain, every breath labored.

 "I... I owe you... my life. You... you're a true... friend," he stammered, his voice cracking with emotion.

Hermit, his own eyes brimming with tears, clutched Timbo's broken hand tightly.

 "We... we fellow gobos, Timbo. We friends," he choked out, his voice barely a whisper. 

"You rest now. I'll... I'll protect you."

Timbo's fingers weakly squeezed Hermit's hand in a gesture of gratitude. 

"I... I can't believe it... you risked... everything... for me," he muttered, his voice fading. 

"Thank you... Hermit."

As Timbo's eyes closed again, Hermit felt a pang of sorrow. He would do everything in his power to keep his friend safe, no matter how broken and desperate their situation seemed.

Suzuka rushed in, her reckless actions had put every goblin slave in grave danger, and the weight of that realization fueled her fury. With her eyes blazing and her body tense, she charged at the evil goblins with all her might, her focus laser-sharp. Every muscle in her body screamed with the effort, but she didn't care. 

Unleashing her full arsenal, Suzuka wielded her powers with deadly precision. Gravity magic crackled from her fingertips, crushing goblins where they stood. She conjured gravity whirlwinds to hurl them through the air, their screams of terror echoing in the chaos. Each step she took left a trail of devastation, a testament to her unmatched prowess. The ground itself trembled beneath her wrath.

Despite her formidable strength, she took hits, allowing blows to land on her to create openings. She strategically let herself get struck to free the goblin slaves used as meat shields by their captors. Her body absorbed the pain, her mind unwavering. Each hit was a calculated sacrifice, a necessary evil to achieve her goal.

The slaves, cowering and terrified, watched in awe and confusion as Suzuka fought with a ferocity they had never witnessed. Her actions seemed driven by deep-seated compassion, but in reality, she saw them as valuable resources. Each goblin slave was an asset. The loss of any one of them was a setback she couldn't afford.

Her movements were a blur as she tore through the enemy ranks. She disarmed goblins, shattered their weapons, and dispatched them with ruthless efficiency. Blood splattered her clothes and face, but she didn't falter. Her eyes were locked onto the slaves, her mind calculating each step to ensure their safety.

But luck was on her side. Most of the goblin slaves were laboring in the crop fields at that moment, away from the epicenter of the bloodbath. Most of the evil goblins, in their panic, failed to use the slaves as meat shields, sparing many from cruel fate. The hatchlings, too, were mostly safe, thrown into pens and out of immediate danger.

As Suzuka and her team fought their way through the farm, the air filled with the sounds of battle: the clash of steel, the cries of the wounded, and the shouts of the liberators. Larry and his team cut down any goblin guard that crossed their path, their movements a coordinated dance of death.

Suzuka, her sword a blur of motion, carved a path through the chaos, her magic crushing everyone in her path. Her eyes burned with a fierce light, and the goblins, seeing her coming, could only scream in terror before meeting their end.

During the chaos, Olivia, Larry, Jake, and Mia worked with deadly efficiency. Olivia's blade arced through the air, striking down goblins with pinpoint accuracy. Larry's agility and skill cleaved through the enemy ranks, his sword a blur of deadly steel. Jake's massive battle axe reshaped the battlefield, creating piles of dead evil goblins. Mia, with her dual daggers, danced through the fray, her blades finding their marks with lethal precision.

Max, from his high ground, rained down arrows on any goblin who tried to flee, his aim unerring. Each arrow found its mark, and the goblins fell in droves, their escape routes cut off.

The battle raged on, but the outcome was clear. Suzuka and her team were unstoppable, their combined strength and skill overwhelming the goblin guards. As the last of the guards fell, the goblin slaves began to realize what was happening. Tentatively, they emerged from their hiding places, their eyes wide with bewilderment.

The goblin slaves, still clutching each other in disbelief and joy, slowly turned their gazes towards the fallen evil goblins who had tormented them day and night since they hatched. Their wide eyes took in the sight of their tormentors, now lifeless and sprawled in pools of blood on the cold ground. The transformation in their demeanor was immediate and intense.

At first, there was a collective gasp, a sharp intake of breath that echoed through the clearing. The sheer shock of seeing their once-feared captors reduced to nothing more than lifeless corpses sent ripples of astonishment through the ranks of the freed goblins. Their bulging eyes reflected a mixture of awe and disbelief as if their minds struggled to process the scene before them.

One of the elder goblins, a frail figure with trembling hands, cautiously approached a fallen guard. His eyes, usually filled with gentle kindness, now reflected a mix of disbelief and tentative hope. He nudged the body with his foot, half-expecting it to rise and lash out at him. When it didn't move, he let out a shaky breath, his knees giving way as he collapsed to the ground in a mixture of relief and shock.

Other goblins soon followed, tentatively stepping closer to the bodies. Some of them stared in silence, tears streaming down their faces, while others clung to each other, their small frames shaking with sobs of relief. They had never imagined a day like this would come, a day when their oppressors would be powerless, lying lifeless at their feet.

One young goblin, his eyes large and innocent, approached a particularly brutal guard who had often tormented him. He looked down at him, his tiny hands balled into fists. But instead of striking him, he whispered, "Why did you hurt us? Why do us so? We did nothing to you." His voice was filled with a mixture of sorrow and confusion, unable to comprehend why anyone would be so cruel.

The goblins' innate gentleness and inability to harbor hatred or seek revenge became evident. They did not kick or spit on the bodies; instead, they wept for the pain they had endured and for the twisted souls of their tormentors. They began to help each other, comforting those who were more deeply affected, holding each other close, and sharing their strength and love.

Larry and the rest of the team tended to the injured slaves, including Timbo, mending wounds and applying healing salves. The atmosphere was one of intense focus and compassion, with each team member driven by the sight of the suffering goblins. Larry's strong, reassuring presence was a calming influence, his gentle words of encouragement helping to ease the pain and fear in the eyes of the injured.

Nearby, Hermit stood before the gathered crowd of goblin slaves, his heart pounding in his chest. The sight of so many of his kin, beaten and broken but filled with newfound hope, filled him with joy. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. The goblins looked up at him with a mixture of awe and anticipation, their eyes wide and hopeful.

Clearing his throat, Hermit began to speak, his voice shaking at first but growing stronger with each word.

 "My fellow goblins, my brothers, today is a day we will remember forever. We have been saved from a life of suffering and pain, freed from the chains that have bound us for so long. Look around you, see the faces of our friends and family, and know that we are no longer alone."

A murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd, and Hermit continued.

 "We owe our freedom to Master Helen and her brave companions. They have risked their lives to rescue us, and they will help us build a new future. We are no longer slaves. We are free! Free to live, free to hope, and free to dream! You are free now. No more suffering, no more pain. You are free to live your lives as you choose."