Chapter 9 Surrounded By Goblins

"To think that I could even store things into the space... This is rather convenient..." Lyan muttered in astonishment.

(Yeah. You don't need to bring those smelly corpses with you on your way, that's a great luck, you bastard) (Griselda)

"Why are you using a tone as if I'm doing something insolent..." (Lyan)

After succeeding in storing the giant hunting snake in the grimoire's space, Lyan managed to find out some new abilities of the summoning grimoire's space.

First of all, the grimoire could store things in its space and could summon them back to the world as well. The corpse of the giant hunting serpent that Lyan stored in the grimoire's space appeared at a slight distance from the house where the eight spirits resided. The big modern house inside the grimoire's space is the dwelling of the eight spirits. Each of them has their own room, but since they have become spirits, they didn't have any need to sleep so they spend their time watching the television that displays Lyan's sight.

Even though the spirits didn't have any need to relieve their bladder nor do they need to eat, the house also contain a kitchen and a toilet with a decent bath. But amongst every place, the place that the eight spirits are most curious about is the ninth room that exists on the top floor of the house that is locked. The door is designed specifically to look like the grimoire owner's room.

(You should try to open that door when you're back! I'm curious about what's inside!) (Lilith)

"Yes, yes. You've been repeating those words dozens of times, lady Lilith..." Lyan replied to Lilith's nagging with an exasperated tone.

(What are you sounding so exhausted for!? Anyway, could you stop addressing me so formally, master? you can just call me Lilith!) (Lilith)

"Is that so? Then I'll do so, Lilith," (Lyan)

(Fufufu! It makes us feel much closer, after all~) (Lilith)

(Me too! Me too! You can call me Azelia, master~) (Azelia)

Azelia cheerfully said as she jumps cheerfully inside the grimoire's space.

"Okay, then I'll do so, Azelia," A smile appeared on Lyan's face because of Azelia's innocent and cheerful voice.

After following Griselda's direction of heading east, Lyan had met several magic beasts in succession. After the giant hunting serpent, he met a pack of direwolves and green slimes. But just like how he faces the giant hunting beast, he composedly defeats all of them and stores their corpses inside the grimoire's space.

"I guess it's time to continue running," Lyan warm up his mana as he readied his legs to take another long run. But suddenly-

!?!?

(Master, there's something forward) (Cynthia)

Cynthia that rarely talks alerts Lyan.

"Yeah, I could sense it as well. Is it hostile magic beasts?" Lyan asked for confirmation. He could sense several presences from the distance beneath the bushes that blocks his sight, but Lyan felt that some of the presences are weird.

(Likely so, But there seem to be not just monsters there) (Arturia)

"I see... Let's see what's happening then," (Lyan)

Lyan stealthily approaches the scene as he travels by jumping from one tree to another. Because of the tree's height, Lyan could see clearly what was happening from above after approaching the presence closer.

(What are you, an ape?) (Griselda)

(Let's ignore her...) (Lyan)

"Those... Are those creatures are what they called as goblins...?" Lyan narrowed his eyes as he observe the creatures that are surrounding the three girls before him.

They have green skin, short stature, and stand with two feet just like humans. Their face is beyond ugly, and they are looking at the three girls with visible lust inside their eyes. But what catches Lyan's attention is not those characteristics of them, but the fact that their bodies are so robust and muscular, and different from the goblins that he pictures inside his head.

The goblins that Lyan had seen inside the game he played in his previous life are small, weak, and cowardly. But the goblins before him are oozing with decent pressure as if they are veteran soldiers. And some of them even have a height as tall as humans and ooze out more bloodlust than the others.

(Yes, but those are not normal goblins... They look like they're in a frenzied state... And the tall ones are not goblins, but a higher rank of a goblin, a hobgoblin) (Arturia)

(The one in the black robe is a goblin shaman, while the other ones that hold a staff are goblin magicians) (Lilith)

"I see..." (Lyan)

(The girl is getting held down by a hobgoblin and has her staff fallen a distance from herself, while the swordswoman and the thief seem to be waiting for something...) (Lyan)

(Will you help them, master?) (Cynthia)

Beneath Cynthia's calm voice, Lyan felt that her question sounded like a test rather than a sincere question.

(Her attire and personality felt like a saintess or a priestess... Virtue and Empathy, huh...) (Lyan)

(You should help them, master) (Arturia)

"It would be rude to them if I suddenly act like a hero to save them when they could fend the goblins themselves, no? It looks like they still have a chance to struggle after all," (Lyan)

(....A chance....?) (Cynthia)

(I see... Look) (Arturia)

Inside the grimoire's space, Arturia points at the monitor's screen where the magician girl could be seen.

(She's muttering something. It looks like she's going to chant a spell) (Arturia)

Right after Arturia's words, the shadow under the hobgoblin holding her down suddenly engulfed the hobgoblin as if it were eating it alive.

"Xena! Alina!" (Magician girl)

The goblins surrounding them rushed towards them, but the thief and the swordswoman gives them a good fight. Their strength is decent, but the biggest key that made them formidable is their teamwork.

"Die!" The swordswoman slashes the goblin that approached the magician girl.

(The swordswoman's focus is to quickly recover the magician girl and restore their formation, and while she moves forward, the thief guards her back... And more importantly, that thing...) (Lyan)

The hobgoblin that got consumed by the shadow controlled by the magician girl became pitch black from head to toe and is protecting the magician girl.

(It's [Shadow Servant]. It's a dark magic spell. But it seems that that girl isn't strong enough, the hobgoblin's strength ended up getting its strength halved) (Lilith)

"I see... What an interesting spell..." (Lyan)

Even though Lilith said the hobgoblin's strength got halved, the goblins are still no match for it and got blown away by its attacks. The shadow hobgoblin possesses a sword as well, so it made him easier to kill the other goblins.

Overall, they could be considered as a great party with a decent survival rate. But-

(A goblin alone is considered an E-rank monster, a pack of goblins' rank varied according to their equipment and number, but the lowest are D-rank. A goblin pack with several hobgoblins, a goblin shaman, and good equipment like those could be considered a B-rank difficulty extermination quest. Their party's teamwork and personal abilities are decent, but they're in an exhausted state, and the goblins seem to be in a frenzied state as well, Those pups won't survive) (Griselda)

Griselda's evaluation is precise.

"Tsk! Why are the goblins are so strong!" The swordswoman shouted in frustration. On a normal occasion, she could easily kill a goblin in one blow, but the goblins before her are stronger, and they need to give at least six blows before they would die.

"You're damn right. There's something wrong with them..." Agrees the thief.

Since they rushed to restore their formation and regroup with the magician, they lost most of their stamina from it.

There are originally forty-one goblins, five hobgoblins, and one shaman surrounding them. After their rush and regrouping, they've killed ten goblins and enslaved one hobgoblin with dark magic. But to do so, they've become greatly exhausted with the battle.

"Belle, do you have any remaining mana?" Asked the swordswoman

"No... *Pant!* *Pant!* The [Shadow Servant] spell had drained most of my remaining mana. *Pant!* *Pant!* If I force myself, I'll lose my consciousness and become a bigger burden for the two of you..."

"Looks like we don't have any choice... At we're no longer surrounded... We just have to try our best as usual..." Uttered the thief with a forced smile.

*******************

The goblins are about to attack them again.

"Here they come!" Xena shouted in response to the hobgoblin that started to rush towards them, but halfway, the hobgoblin suddenly stopped and avert his gaze towards the other direction from them.

"Eh?" (Alina)

"KKKIIIEEEEE!!!" The hobgoblin shouted and rushed towards their east side.

"What is..." Alina's gaze follow the direction of where the hobgoblin is rushing to, and saw a man with a black cloak slowly walking towards the rushing hobgoblin without holding any weapon in his hands.

(He didn't have any weapon? He didn't do any chantation as well, he'll die!) (Alina)

"Run!!" (Alina)

But the man didn't heed her words, he continue to walk toward the hobgoblin without showing any sign of fear towards it. Looking at him walking with full of composure provokes the hobgoblin more.

In a short moment, the hobgoblin got close to the man, and-

*Slash!*

"Ah... Opponents blinded by anger are always the easiest opponent, isn't it? Thanks for the sword, by the way,"

____________________________________________________________________________

Name: Lyan

Occupation: None

Money: None

Weapon: None

Equipment: Black leather cloak

Grimoire's Companions: 8 High Spirits