élise advanced with feather-light steps, striving to suppress any sound that might betray her presence. She crouched low, almost crawling against the earth, her gaze sweeping through every thicket and shadow with the razor-sharp precision of a long-time predator. At this moment, the Northern Hills were so perilous that the slightest noise could draw out something to tear her flesh—or anything capable of killing in the blink of an eye.

  Faint sounds echoed: the thud of blades hacking into flesh, the whistle of arrows slicing the air... They stirred a hint of doubt in her. The presence of people here wasn't entirely unexpected, but who would dare risk venturing into a place shrouded in such unresolved mysteries?

  Not to mock herself, but the thing she felt most confident in fighting wasn't powerful magical beasts.

  Certainly not.

  The closer she drew, the clearer the sounds became. As she crested the far side of the hill, she realized it was a group of people—a four-man adventurer party locked in combat with a horde of goblins. These small, gaunt, humanoid creatures with pallid gray skin resembled a degraded subspecies of orcs—their appearance wasn't much different from ordinary goblins, yet they were significantly uglier and noticeably larger than others of their kind.

  élise lowered herself further, removing her hat to keep her profile level with the reeds, avoiding exposure or being misidentified. Even so, this posture was equally prone to misunderstanding. She watched the adventuring party intently.

  "It looks like they are..."

  She froze, staring at the four faces. Involuntarily, memories surged back—something that seemed long forgotten, though she couldn't be entirely certain.

  From élise's vantage point, the group was in serious trouble. Their formation was a mess; their movements showed they weren't focused on any specific tactic. This was clearly a novice party—likely Iron-rank—who lacked any team coordination experience.

  She hesitated, caught in a dilemma: should she help them? Her mind spun like a grain mill, wasting time weighing whether to interfere in others' business.

  She furrowed her brow, still wavering. She hated being seen as a busybody like in the past, even if they were of the same rank.

  "Kael! Circle to the rear flank!"

  "I'm trying... stop rushing me! Lorne, help me...! Charg!!"

  The large man swung his warhammer to repel the goblins, the whole team struggling to maintain distance. élise reached a point of unbearable restlessness and stood up.

  She counted fifteen goblins—an average number, yet completely inappropriate for a novice group like this.

  Raising her staff, she whispered an incantation: "Fulmen Catena."

  élise pinpointed every goblin in her sight with absolute precision—striking the wrong target or mistiming would easily injure the novices. Her eyes widened; the wind began to shift, and the sharp scent of metal stung her nostrils.

  From the head of the staff, even before the incantation fully formed, a flash of lightning erupted. Almost instantly, a deafening explosion roared, leaving a long, high-pitched ting ringing in élise's eardrums. She clutched her head, momentarily losing her balance.

  "I must not have eaten enough today."

  She looked back: about seven were dead. The pressure of numbers on the adventurers eased immediately, and they seized the chance to finish off the remaining goblins.

  *****

  Mira tracked the slaughtered goblins and the recent burst of light and thunder—the source of which she hadn't yet seen. But right now, there were still goblins in front of her.

  She raised her bow, red hair whipping in the wind, and loosed an arrow at the farthest one, striking it square in the chest. Mira slung the bow behind her, drew her short sword, and charged toward Kael.

  Kael drove his sword through a goblin's chest and kicked it down, blood gushing like a fountain. He spun to slash another's chest but missed, immediately retreating to keep his distance. Seeing this, Lorne from behind chanted a spell to save his comrade.

  "Ignis Globus Minor!"

  A small fireball shot from Lorne's finger; the goblin couldn't evade and was engulfed in flames. Its screams echoed between Mira's commands and Kael's battle cries.

  Lorne adjusted his glasses, constantly scanning the surroundings while sustaining his support spells. But he didn't notice the goblin slowly approaching from behind. Lorne was in a daze, thinking only: I have to help them...

  Charg swung his warhammer and lunged, but the goblin dodged, grinning with a mocking sneer.

  Mira loosed another arrow, finishing it off.

  There were still goblins. She thought to herself, drenched in sweat, checking the remaining count. The situation was too dire to check carefully until now.

  Mira swept her gaze around, her breath coming in heavy gasps. Four left. They were small but cunning and fast; one slip-up meant losing a life.

  "Kael, hold the left!" she barked, bolting to the right.

  Kael hesitated for half a beat but managed to raise his sword against the goblin's crude spear; sparks flew. He gritted his teeth and pushed back, feeling his strength sap away.

  Charg bellowed, his hammer sweeping like a cyclone, crushing half of a goblin's head; blood and brains sprayed everywhere. But immediately after, another goblin burst from the brush, its spear aimed straight for Charg's back—he couldn't turn in time.

  "Danger!" Mira screamed.

  Lorne was in a panic, hands shaking, spell unfinished...

  Then a violet-green flash rent the sky. Another lightning bolt struck down, hitting the goblin behind Charg—its body convulsed, charred black, and collapsed.

  The whole group spun around. On the hillside stood a figure in a dark cloak, their staff glowing softly. Long hair cascaded down; their eyes were as cold as a detached bystander.

  Mira froze. "Who... who is that?"

  No one answered. élise didn't approach, nor did she speak. She simply nodded and lowered her staff—as if signaling, "Keep going, the rest is yours."

  The three remaining goblins snarled, as if trying to suppress an invisible fear. They charged simultaneously.

  Kael tightened his grip on his sword and roared, "We can't lose in front of a stranger!" before charging straight in, slashing one. Mira moved shoulder-to-shoulder, stabbing her short sword into its hip.

  Lorne finished his chant in time: "Ignis!" A larger fireball exploded between the last two, blowing up dirt and sand. When the smoke cleared, only charred, shriveled corpses remained.

  Silence. Heavy breathing, the faint clinking of metal. The group of four staggered, exhausted, but no one was dead.

  Mira wiped away sweat, her eyes still fixed on the hillside. That person still stood there, isolated, as if they had nothing to do with it. But Mira knew well: without those two lightning strikes, they would have lost at least one person, maybe the whole team.

  She looked toward the original source of the sound; the tall grass flickered with someone in mud-brown clothing. The whole team turned that way, raising their guard at the appearance of the stranger.

  élise slowly approached the novices. It was clear they were on alert; Mira and Lorne had already taken combat stances. Seeing this, she raised her hand high and waved—a signal for "I'm a good person."

  Though she couldn't be sure if they would attack, stepping forward without proof would be dangerous.

  Knowing this, élise shouted, her voice ringing in a high-pitched tone: "I am the one who helped you; I am not a bad person."

  Kael snorted, planting his sword in the ground, looking at the approaching figure with a sense of familiarity. He narrowed his eyes, uncertain because of the distance.

  Charg—who had the best eyes—quickly recognized élise as the one they met two days ago in Dune City. In a deep voice, he announced:

  "That's the person we met two days ago in Dune City; don't attack."

  "Huh...? Is it that shady merchant or the one from the library?"

  "It's the mage... Alle... something, right?"

  Mira lowered her bow and slapped the back of Kael's head without mercy, her voice reproachful:

  "élise Allerian... it's that strange girl..."

  "Oh, so it's the one who takes the good missions. Sorry, I don't usually remember people I've just met."

  "You...!"

  Lorne adjusted his glasses, clutching his book: "So this is where her mission is?"

  "Presumably. Let's go ask." Mira nodded, bow in hand, walking quickly toward élise. She wanted to thank the young woman who saved their lives and also to learn from her. An experienced mage was a precious resource.

  Mira took a few steps, still breathing hard, her shoulder stained with filthy black goblin blood. She raised her hand, holding the bow without nocking a string, showing both caution and goodwill.

  "Thank you... thanks to you, we didn't become food for those things." Mira began, looking straight at élise.

  élise gave a slight nod, her gaze still cold. "You lack coordination; if you met another pack, you'd hardly escape." Her voice was flat, stating an obvious fact rather than critiquing.

  Kael grimaced, leaning his sword on the ground, muttering, "She talks like she's our commanding officer or something."

  Mira glared and dug her elbow into Kael's side, silencing him. She gave élise an awkward smile: "Sorry, he's just childish. Honestly... we're still just novices. But everyone wants to test themselves, so..."

  "So you almost died," élise cut her off, her eyes blinking. Every drop of goblin blood clinging to the grass gave off a rancid stench, bringing back vague memories that made her heart sting for a moment.

  Charg propped up his hammer, his voice deep and steady: "At least we tried. Without help, maybe... I would have been the one lying there. I'll remember this debt."

  Lorne had been silent from the start but finally spoke in a small but clear voice: "The way you use magic... it's precise. Not a single deviation. That's... true knowledge, isn't it?"

  élise tilted her head, looking at the thin, bespectacled youth. The question wasn't just curiosity; it was like a hunger for confirmation. She replied briefly: "Yes. To survive, magic cannot be something you just memorize by heart."

  The four froze. They didn't fully understand, but élise's firm voice seemed to weigh them down.

  The wind blew through, the grass swaying to clear the burnt smell from the charred goblin corpses. Mira took a deep breath and held out her hand—her palm still trembling slightly from the fading adrenaline:

  "Anyway... thank you. I'm Mira. Archer. This is Kael, Lorne, and Charg."

  Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

  élise looked at the outstretched hand. A brief silence felt like an eternity. Then she took the hand in a light, brief shake, leaving almost no sensation. "A pleasure to meet you all again, I still remember..."

  Kael scratched his head, laughing awkwardly.

  "Being noticed by someone better is good enough. You're truly strange. You appeared just like in a story."

  "Stories never mention how nauseating the stench of blood is," élise replied dryly, pulling back her hood.

  The atmosphere grew heavy. But Mira laughed softly to dispel the weight: "Well then... lucky for us, because in stories, there's always a mysterious character who saves lives just in time."

  élise turned away, her eyes toward the distant treeline. Shadows were still moving there, as if something was watching. She knew this goblin pack hadn't appeared by itself—someone had lured or controlled them.

  "Don't stay here long," she said lowly. "Something else is watching."

  The four novices tensed up instantly. Kael pulled his sword from the ground, Lorne flipped his book, Mira nocked an arrow. Only Charg stood still, his eyes scanning élise's shadow.

  "Will you... come with us?" Mira asked.

  "Perhaps... I have a rather important mission, mainly investigation. If possible, could you tell me your mission...?" élise was expressionless, looking at each of them with a hint of tension.

  "Do you want to go with me? If you're busy, I won't bother you..."

  "No, no. We're also doing a mission here; doesn't it overlap with yours?"

  élise hesitated, glancing toward the hill. It didn't exactly overlap, but the nature of both sides might be different—or the Guild was still being bureaucratic and clunky. Regardless, it was hard to go together without it being a hassle, but there was no reason not to expand her connections.

  "Perhaps we can cooperate a bit. It'll only be until evening."

  Kael stepped forward, smirking as if he'd caught a break: "Works for us! We're just investigating a bit too, right? Only bandits or goblins, nothing to worry about."

  "Then do you want to start with your mission? I'll teach as we go to make it easier to understand."

  "Um... then let's start with ours." Mira nodded, her voice calm but her eyes showing fatigue. "Our mission this time is to investigate goblin tracks around the Northern Hills. The Guild said their numbers are increasing abnormally."

  élise raised an eyebrow slightly. "Increasing abnormally...?" She looked toward the woods where she saw the shifting shadows; the corner of her mouth twitched. "Then we're stepping on a nest of thorns."

  Charg planted his hammer, his voice steady: "The Guild said they were just scattered, not in these numbers. Fifteen at once just now... something is clearly wrong."

  "The Guild is always a step behind," élise said softly but audibly. Her voice wasn't contemptuous, just stating a plain truth.

  Lorne adjusted his glasses cautiously: "I think so too. Reading the reports before, goblins usually gather in threes or fives, at most seven. But fifteen... even an ambush. There might be a leader."

  "That situation is rare; it's not something they'd normally follow. Goblins aren't smart, but they still have enough awareness and strong instincts to control their own behavior. Unless... they're being driven by something."

  élise's words silenced the group. The tension became suffocating. The wind hissed through the trees like a whisper of ill omen.

  Mira bit her lip, narrowing her eyes at the forest. "You mean... there's something bigger, stronger, forcing the goblins out?"

  "Yes," élise replied, cold as steel. "Either a Hobgoblin, or something beyond it. Either way, it's not something a novice group can handle alone."

  Kael scratched his head, trying to laugh off the tension: "Then... it makes even more sense to have a 'Big Sis' with us. What's there to worry about with a lightning witch in the squad!"

  Mira shot Kael a look as sharp as a blade. "Stop joking. If it's a leader, it's no joke."

  Charg took a deep breath, speaking slowly: "If that's true... then the Guild didn't just get it slightly wrong. They've underestimated the entire threat."

  élise tightened her grip on her staff, her eyes narrowing. "Or they know and aren't saying. Often the Guild purposely omits details, using novices like you as test bait."

  Lorne froze, his hands trembling as he flipped his book as if seeking a denial. "No... impossible... They wouldn't... do that..."

  "You're too trusting," élise cut him off bluntly. "No organization is completely clean. You'll understand once you're used to it."

  A low, guttural roar echoed from deep in the woods, making everyone spin their heads. It wasn't a goblin; it was resonant, thick, and filled with primal power. Leaves drifted down, and branches shuddered as if something massive was moving.

  It wasn't just the sound of a monster. It was more dangerous than that. The wind rose, the sound died, leaving the novices in a state of dread. Charg looked at the forest, extremely wary of the dark shadow fading from sight. The unease grew with every heartbeat.

  The large man in heavy armor sweated behind his plate. His instinct told him that what just looked at them wasn't normal—extremely abnormal for not attacking frantically. This was an ambush waiting for its moment: waiting for the prey to get into position and let its guard down. He just didn't know the time or the place.

  "I don't think we're leaving here in one piece."

  Charg's words caught Kael's attention. Even with trembling legs, his mouth remained brash: "Oh boy, Uncle's too worried. If it's really like that, what kind of monster could it be?"

  As soon as Kael finished, the air turned thick. The grass leaned, and an unnaturally cold wind blew from the forest, carrying a rancid, damp smell of long-rotted meat.

  élise frowned, her hand tightening on the staff. Her instinct screamed: that thing wasn't something an Iron-rank group could withstand.

  From the darkness, several pairs of glowing yellow eyes appeared. A shrill "khack khack" sound, and then from the trees stepped a form twice the height of a human, broad-shouldered, with thick, scaly gray-green skin. A Hobgoblin—but not a normal one: its head wore a fragment of rusted iron armor, and its hand held a crude weapon made of bone and metal.

  "Crazy..." Mira muttered, her arrow ready. "A leader... and equipped?"

  "It's not just one," élise replied coldly, tilting her head as a signal. "Look closely."

  Behind the Hobgoblin, small bodies slithered out from the forest. Pair after pair of yellow eyes, needle-sharp teeth. Dozens of goblins appeared, forming a crescent to block their retreat.

  Kael swallowed hard, not pretending to be carefree this time: "Well... I take back what I just said."

  Charg pulled his hammer onto his shoulder, his face grave: "We're surrounded."

  "No," élise said softly, her eyes locked on the Hobgoblin. "This isn't an encirclement. This is a hunting ritual."

  The air stank of blood. The ragged breathing of the goblins synchronized with the rapid heartbeats of the group.

  The Hobgoblin growled lowly, slowly striking its weapon on the ground three times—a decisive movement like a command. The goblin pack howled in unison and lunged toward the group of five.

  Mira wheezed, lowering her bow. "No choice left. Either carve a path of blood, or die here."

  élise pulled her hood low, a chant humming on her lips. Lightning flickered in her cold gray eyes.

  "Fine. Let's see who the prey really is."

  An arrow flew, hitting a charging goblin. Kael was about to rush forward when élise stopped him instantly.

  "Don't! Without a formation, you'll die easily. Everyone, follow my lead!" Her voice was as sharp as ten thousand arrows piercing the mind: "Lorne, get behind Mira now! Kael, hold your position, don't rush. Charg, move up to support Kael, I'm behind you. Try to maintain long-range fire as long as possible. Do it!"

  Everyone nodded; there was no time to delay. Team H?a Di?m awkwardly moved into élise's formation—wondering how she could lead a raw group without losing the distance advantage. élise herself found it hard to lead when she didn't frequently direct groups in specific combat.

  This is going to be tough for me... I can handle myself, but they...

  "Mira, try to shoot the ones with ranged weapons—that's our priority."

  "Got it." Mira nodded, firing an arrow toward the back to find the ranged units.

  The goblins charged with war cries of rage mixed with fear. élise's intuition felt it clearly: they weren't here because they wanted to be, but because they were driven. This possibility couldn't be ignored—even if it was pointless if the thing driving them was something they couldn't handle.

  Kael and Charg gripped their weapons; Kael swallowed while Charg exhaled slowly. Eyes unblinking, they waited for the next command.

  "Lorne, attack! Use any spell, just kill as many as you can."

  "Huh? But... shouldn't we save mana?"

  élise snapped: "Save mana for what! You won't live long if you depend on that. Just do it and..." She threw a dagger onto the ground near Lorne. "...don't let my command stumble for any reason."

  She turned to the Hobgoblin. Its massive gray frame with scattered armor pieces showed it was close to maturing into an Orc—extremely dangerous when leading such a large pack. With over twenty of them, there was no room for error. She whispered another spell, avoiding the two in front.

  "Fulmen Globus."

  A sphere of lightning formed at the tip of her staff, growing larger and shooting out small lightning tendrils like tentacles. Before it was even finished, élise fired—because once complete, the sphere wouldn't show mercy to anything within a 15-meter radius—not a small distance, she had to be extremely careful.

  Mira watched élise's movements, steady and without a moment's hesitation—making the red-haired girl marvel at such thick experience. Yet, with a face that looked only a few years older than them, not even thirty, Mira didn't know if this girl was a genius or what she had gone through to survive alone.

  It all seemed simple: a small collision, an apology, then never meeting again. It was as if it had been arranged.

  Maybe this is fate...? Like the Priest said when I came to Anrak? Mira bit her lip, tightening her grip on her bow. She turned to Lorne and whispered:

  "We have a lot to learn before we become real adventurers."

  "Yeah, I know, but this girl is too weird..."

  "People like her are hard to find. Everyone, give it your all."

  "I get it. I'll try to learn as much as possible from her."

  On Kael and Charg's side, things were tense, but seeing the lightning sphere fire and form perfectly, drifting slowly through the air and shooting blinding bolts faster than anything, the goblins in range were struck down decisively. From over ten meters away, they smelled a mix of scents—a terrible symphony for the senses.

  Lightning tore through the air, leaving a sharp smell of ozone mixed with scorched flesh. Screaming goblins were swallowed by the crisp explosions. Each one fell, convulsing a few times, their eyes bulging as if they were about to pop out.

  Kael swallowed hard, his hand tightening on his sword hilt. Charg didn't take his eyes off the sphere, sweat rolling down his temple. They knew if it drifted even slightly off course, the next one convulsing could be them.

  "Is an elemental mage always this strong?"

  "Not necessarily..." Charg replied, turning toward élise. "...More accurately, it's talent. I've never been to a real magic academy, but I understand a bit. To put it simply, this girl has vast knowledge and rich experience to use it so smoothly."

  "Damn, and she looks so young." Kael's face fell, shocked by the info. Not jealousy, just hard to imagine with his limited knowledge—he could barely write and couldn't read everything; that was why Mira was often annoyed with him.

  The lightning sphere vanished, leaving scorched earth and rising smoke mixed with the smell of rotting meat and heated metal. Eight goblins lay flat, their bodies twitching feebly before going still. But the rest didn't waver—their howls grew fiercer, as if the slaughter of their kind sparked a new ferocity. The Hobgoblin standing behind narrowed its yellow eyes, giving a deep, muffled command. The remaining goblins split into two groups: one charged straight ahead, the other circled around to block their escape.

  Mira raised her bow, her second arrow piercing the throat of a leaping goblin. She screamed: "They're cutting us off! Lorne, hurry up!"

  Though flustered, Lorne flipped through his book, his shaking fingers focusing. "Ignis Sagitta!"

  A bright red streak shot out, hitting the chest of a goblin sneaking up behind Charg. The monster screamed, rolling as the fire swallowed it.

  "Good job, kid!" Charg roared, his hammer spinning to crush the skull of another goblin. Blood and brains sprayed, but his eyes remained sharp, fixed on the distant Hobgoblin. "But that big guy is the real problem!"

  élise didn't answer. She stood still, her staff humming faintly, violet light flickering at the tip. She was calculating. The common goblins weren't a huge problem, but the Hobgoblin... It didn't act like a normal leader. The rusted armor, the solid crude weapon, that cold, patient observation—waiting for the right moment. It wasn't an animal that just roared and charged. It had intellect.

  "Don't let yourselves be split up!" élise barked, her voice sharp as a blade. "Mira, keep up the range—target the stragglers! Kael, Charg, form a wall in front! Lorne, support from the back, watch your own rear!"

  The team moved clumsily. Kael and Charg stood shoulder-to-shoulder, sword and hammer ready. Mira retreated a few steps, accurately taking down sneaking goblins. Lorne chanted more steadily now, his small fireballs pushing back the monsters.

  But élise knew this was just buying time. The Hobgoblin hadn't moved yet; the pressure from its gaze was like a predator waiting for its prey to exhaust itself. She whispered slowly: "Ventus Murus."

  A swirling wind circled the group—not strong enough to blow enemies away, but enough to deflect the crude spears being thrown at them.

  "We can't fight forever!" Mira screamed, her voice hoarse with fatigue. "Their numbers keep growing!"

  "They aren't growing," élise replied, her eyes glued to the Hobgoblin. "They're being driven. Something is controlling this battle."

  Her words sent a chill through the group. Charg gritted his teeth, his hammer crushing another goblin. "You mean the big guy isn't the one in charge?"

  "Maybe it is, maybe it's something else," élise answered icily. "Goblins don't gather like this naturally. And even a smart Hobgoblin doesn't have the tactical sense for an ambush like this."

  Lorne stopped his chant: "So... you mean something bigger is behind this?"

  Before élise could answer, the Hobgoblin let out a massive roar that echoed through the woods. It raised its weapon and slammed it hard into the earth with a thunderous boom. The goblins stopped, howled together... then backed away to form a wide circle.

  Kael frowned, his sword held high: "Are they... running away?"

  "No," élise said flatly. "They're moving into a defensive stance."

  "Defending against what?" Lorne asked.

  Before he could ask more, a deep, heavy, gravelly roar erupted from a colossal throat. The Hobgoblin turned its head. Charg caught a glimpse of the creature's face—it was terrified, a horror deeper than any nightmare.

  "Rrrrr-UMMMM...!"

  The sound died down, and the Hobgoblin gripped its weapon tight, bracing for a fight. élise guessed what was in the shadows based on that roar.

  "This isn't good..." Her voice was thin but Mira heard it. The red-haired girl swallowed hard; she didn't fully understand, but the danger was clear.

  Without a second to react, the Hobgoblin roared again—and charged straight at the enemy. Continuous growls followed, signaling a brutal battle.

  Kael saw the goblins weren't paying attention to them and was about to move in for a sneak attack when élise barked: "Why are you so bloodthirsty? What are you standing there for? Run!"

  With that, she ran West, away from the hill. No clear explanation from élise, only the urgency in every step. The novices looked at each other in confusion, but the roars coming closer from the forest left no time to hesitate. Mira gritted her teeth, grabbed Kael's arm, and pulled him after élise. Charg and Lorne followed close behind; no one dared look back.

  They ran through low brush, branches tearing at their clothes and leaving small scratches on their skin. The roars behind them didn't stop, now mixed with the sound of clashing metal and snapping bone. Clearly, the Hobgoblin was fighting something—and it wasn't winning. élise led the way, her staff gripped tight, eyes scanning the shadows of the bushes. She didn't stop, her voice sharp with command:

  "Don't slow down! If you get stuck, no one's coming for you!"

  Mira panted as she ran, shouting: "You know what's back there, don't you? Tell us!"

  "I'll tell you later, just focus on staying alive first!"

  *****

  Back at the battlefield, the goblins with their crude weapons turned inward—the battle stopped until only roars remained. "Rrrrrr-Rrrragghhh!" A massive silhouette stepped out, wearing sea-blue attire with a breastplate, holding a massive longsword in its right hand; its left hand held the remaining half of the Hobgoblin's torso. From its body, black fungal roots grew out of its eye sockets.

  The goblins shrieked and scattered in panic at the sight of it. It swept its blood-red eyes over every pallid gray creature, raised its sword high, and let out one last roar before attacking—marking the final end of the goblin pack.

  "Rrrrr-UMMMM...!"