On the other side, the Undead Incarnation led the undead army, tailing the elves all the way north to the Goblin tribe’s lair.
The elves were hiding in a distant forest, while Qilin was even farther away, using specters along the way only to scout the situation.
After such a long march, this was the first time the other side had stopped to rest, and the information they obtained was that the elves had found the goblin lair.
At present, the enemy was still recuperating, seemingly making final preparations for the upcoming war.
The goblin gathering place lay on a flat grassland, where a massive fortress stood, with goblin soldiers stationed all along the city walls.
Arrow towers stood tall, and fire oil outside the gates—everywhere revealed the fortress’s tight defenses.
Strangely, although they were a group of green-skinned monsters, not only did they want to build a city, but they even imitated some of the human race’s methods.
Because specters could fly, the intelligence inside the fortress was laid bare.
Countless goblin mages, towering goblin giants, humanoid goblins, and some strange-looking aberrants—all were inside.
But judging by their expressions, they seemed oblivious to the imminent war.
Qilin rested her hands behind her head, lying on the ground in boredom, waiting for the elves to attack.
Anyway, with specters scouting around, there was no harm.
But soon, an hour passed, then two, then three…
Qilin’s face was almost covered in cobwebs, yet the other side still hadn’t moved.
She suddenly stood up.
“So, they’re not resting—they’re waiting for reinforcements. In that case, let me help you out.”
She gestured with her eyes to the specter beside her.
The specter immediately entered stealth and flew forward.
Sweeping past the forest, it headed straight for the goblin fortress.
At that moment, a goblin standing guard on the wall held a spear, dozing off.
Its daily task was to stand on the wall and watch the distance—a boring and tedious job.
But for the chance to breed, they could only endure.
Suddenly, the drowsy goblin felt a chill, and a shiver snapped it awake.
Turning its head, it spotted a black-robed, ghostly figure beside its companion. Instantly, it stabbed with its spear.
But the weapon passed right through, causing no harm.
“Something’s wrong!”
The proper response to something strange was to shout an alert immediately.
In an instant, all the goblins on the wall were startled and looked over.
The specter, seeing its moment, unleashed a curse, killing the goblin beside it.
“Enemy attack! Enemy attack!”
The goblins panicked.
Just a moment ago, the figure seemed harmless—they’d thought it was some odd creature.
The area turned chaotic, and goblins below began rushing toward the wall.
At this point, the specter didn’t continue its assault but turned and ran.
How could the goblins tolerate such humiliation? They were the ruling race of the island, after all—and being provoked on their own turf was unacceptable.
Upon receiving orders, a goblin squad beneath the gate immediately chased after the fleeing specter.
“Stop! Pray we don’t catch you!”
“I’ll make you bear our goblin children!”
The specter actually moved much faster than its pursuers but deliberately slowed down, giving them the illusion they could catch it with a bit more effort.
There were ten goblins in this squad, now chasing through the forest under the specter’s lead.
Hidden among the trees, elf scouts soon noticed the incoming goblins and hurried back to report.
“General Vian, bad news! A goblin squad is heading this way—we might’ve been discovered!”
In the forest, at the scout’s words, all the elves tensed, gripping their weapons and preparing for battle.
“In that case, let us take the vanguard!”
The speaker was a tall, handsome, golden-haired man clad in simple armor and wielding a longsword—the commander of the elves.
Now, they could only seize the initiative before the enemy fully discovered them.
No idea what those two were doing—why are reinforcements so slow? No matter.
If the losses were too great, the king would hold them accountable.
“All troops, form up—attack!”
At the general’s order, the elves sprang into action, darting through the forest in silence, their figures weaving quickly toward the edge.
Meanwhile, the goblins had chased the specter into the forest.
But the moment they entered, the specter’s figure vanished, forcing them to search in all directions.
Shasha~
Figures flickered past them.
The goblins spun around, scanning the area, but saw only trembling leaves.
Turning back again, an arrow was already flying toward its head!
Then, a rain of arrows poured from all directions.
Within moments, the ten goblins in the forest were pierced like hedgehogs, unable to even scream.
Outside the forest, General Vian stood before the army.
Behind him, elves streamed out of the woods, quickly forming a massive phalanx.
At the front, elves in heavy armor held large shields, with long spears jutting from the gaps.
Behind them, every elf gripped a longsword, longbows hanging at their waists.
The army was orderly and exuded murderous intent—they were the island’s most elite warriors.
“Forward—slay them all!”
The general raised his sword skyward with a shout, and the army advanced toward the goblin fortress.
On the city walls, seeing the sudden elven army, the goblins panicked, immediately activating the highest alert.
A piercing horn echoed through the fortress.
In the center, a bonfire flared, sending thick smoke skyward.
Just days ago, they’d only just responded to a lord’s assault, and now, all the elites had gathered nearby.
They had no fear of another attack.
The chaos stemmed only from the fact that reinforcements had yet to arrive, leaving them uneasy.
Farther away, Qilin pressed a hand to her forehead and gazed into the distance, a smile on her lips.
“Now that’s more like it.”