Deception and Schemes

The branch hall was abuzz with speculation and mutters. The Guild staff had made an announcement about the forming of a scouting party that was to head into Paradise Forest and confirm a report about a goblin sighting. If true, the party would then carry on reconnoitring further goblin activity so the Guild had a better idea of their numbers, location and capabilities. It was under the frame of an emergency quest given out by the Guild itself.

Everyone knew what goblins were. They were so infamous that parents used them to scare their children. Goblins were also one of the biggest causes of newbie adventurer fatalities. People often underestimated them for their diminutive size and strength, not knowing that goblins excelled most in cunning sneak attacks, ambushes and strength in numbers. The Guild made efforts to familiarise everyone with goblins by putting questions about it on their exams so prospective adventurers would be forced to learn about them beforehand.

Hence, when the opportunity to volunteer for the scouting party came, there was no lack of applicants. 

Alice stood among the crowd, her expression still as she listened to the Guild staff outline the mission parameters. She knew the importance of the task at hand. If goblins were indeed encroaching so close to Hugh, it was imperative to gather as much information as possible to devise a strategy for dealing with them.

She was automatically added to the scouting party since she was the one who made the report, which she didn't refuse. For the sake of time and speed, the party could only be fifteen strong, not including Alice. Nine warriors, three mages, two healers and a hunter. That was ten aura users and five mages. It was an ideal ratio as mages were usually used in a backline role, supporting two frontliners at the same time. That was the standard party configuration that the Guild had come up with after decades of experience.

It didn't take long for the Guild to confirm the participants in the emergency quest. They gave out lists of recommended equipment and preparations that each participant should make to ensure maximum performance. Since this was an emergency quest, they helped provide items like potions, bandages, etc., at a discounted price. Alice didn't skimp, buying some blood replenishment potions and wound-closing potions. Although she had access to the potions from Jeanne, they couldn't be consumed too many times a day. It was better to be safe than sorry.

With her preparations complete, Alice joined the other party members outside the branch when some staff members were waiting. She looked around.

Hugh was for newbie adventurers but that didn't mean there weren't any high-class adventurers. Henry was an example, as he was a B-Class Adventurer. In the party, there were six C-Class Adventurers, nine D-Class Adventurers and one G-Class Adventurer, which was herself.

Technically speaking, Alice shouldn't be included in the battle plans. However, the Guild implicitly acknowledged her strength as they had seen her complete bounties far exceeding what her rank entailed. As a result, when they were drafting the plans, she was put into the mage formation in the back. She had to inform the party about her capabilities, which she glossed over as a D-Class offensive mage specialising in fast-moving wind magic. 

No one objected to her self-assessment since most people already knew about her bounties. In addition, it actually wasn't that strange for a person to be stronger than their rank suggested. The Guild was very rigid about rank-ups; even if you had proven you had sufficient strength, the Guild needed to see that you had sufficient knowledge and assessed these other attributes in the promotion exams.

She wondered where Henry was at this time. He'd been busy with a rare B-Class quest that was available to all B-Class Adventurers in the region. Apparently, it had an exorbitant reward since the client was a noble who wanted to capture a sea wyvern that was spotted near the coast where Paradise Forest bordered. 

'He said he'd be back in three days. He should be back by today then... Unfortunate that he won't be able to come on this emergency quest, I'm sure the Guild would love to have a B-Class Adventurer on board.'

The designated party leader was a C-Class Adventurer by the name of Luther. He was a bulky, six foot seven man with an impressive physique, heavily plated armour and an intimidating greatsword on his back. She hadn't seen him before today since he'd only just arrived at the city this afternoon with his own party before the emergency quest was sprung on him. Noticing his impressive track record and experience, the Guild assigned him as lead and put the rest of his experienced party in the emergency quest.

"Alright, let's head out! Marching formation as we discussed." Luther yelled, his voice booming across the street. The party knew the seriousness of the situation and acclimated to an unfamiliar leader. On the job, adventurers were consummate professionals. That included another member of the party, Geparl, the man who had tried to stop her and Henry not too long ago. He had taken a few glances at her when she arrived but surprisingly, he made no other moves.

Gratified by his professionalism, Alice resolved herself to not let her personal biases affect her view of him as well. Arrogant and bigoted or not, he was still a powerful C-Class Adventurer.

The sixteen men and women marched in a fan formation with the warriors walking at the front and the mages nestled in the middle and back. The warriors were positioned so they could circle around the mages at a moment's notice and protect them. #

Some of the townspeople looked on and cheered. Word had spread about the goblin sighting and a sense of unease had permeated the town. There were many stories and tales of cities being overwhelmed by goblins. The reason why they could do this was because goblins could not only procreate quickly but also evolve quickly. They could become a huge, menacing ogre that was classed as a B-Class threat, able to smash through the gates of many settlements with ease. 

"It's important we nip the goblins in the bud before they can get any stronger so let's speed up." Luther's loud voice could be heard from the front of the formation clearly. The group began to walk faster, matching the man's long strides.

As the scouting party ventured deeper into Paradise Forest, Alice couldn't shake the feeling of tension that hung in the air. The weight of their mission pressed upon her shoulders, urging her to remain vigilant and focused.

The rhythmic crunch of leaves beneath their boots echoed through the forest, punctuated by the occasional rustle of wildlife and the distant calls of birds. The party moved with purpose and determination, their footsteps guided by Luther's steady command.

"Alice! Is this the right direction?" An hour in, he called out to her.

"Yes, keep going. We're about a kilometre out."

"Alright."

Alice periodically used Wind Probe which got some glances from the mages around her. They could sense the disturbance of mana in her body and wondered what she was doing. However, because it was her Concept Manipulation, they didn't attribute the small breeze of wind to magic. After all, it was no different to normal physical phenomena.

They eventually reached the glade where Alice had slain the lone goblin. Everything seemed to be the same as when she left it. The Immortal stepped forward and led the hunter as well as Luther to the tree where the goblin's corpse lay. Before she even reached it, she realised the corpse had completely vanished. Fortunately, there was still blood left over.

"The corpse was meant to be here but..." Alice gestured to the bloodied area by the tree trunk. Luther frowned and looked at the hunter, who hummed.

"This is good enough."

The hunter, Nathan, kneeled down next to the blood splatters. He was a proficient tracker and was very knowledgeable about various monsters. For this quest, he had brought various tools used to track goblins, including a special alchemical solution that could be used to verify goblin blood.

Tipping the vial of blue liquid, a few droplets fell into the dried blood on the ground. Almost instantly, the blood and liquid mixed, turning into an interesting shade of brown that began steaming.

Nathan nodded in affirmation, "Goblin blood."

Luther wasted no time in issuing orders, his voice commanding and authoritative. "Alright, everyone, listen up. We've confirmed the presence of goblins in the area. Our priority now is to gather as much information as possible. Orace, Weir, come and cast your tracking spells. Nathan, continue to find any sort of physical tracks. Everyone else, stay in formation. Go back to formation, Alice."

Alice nodded, swiftly falling back into position within the formation. She understood the importance of maintaining their structure, especially now that they had confirmed the presence of goblins in the vicinity.

Two mages walked out from the group. While Orace and Weir began their tracking spells, Alice kept a watchful eye on her surroundings, her senses attuned to any potential threats. The forest seemed to close in around them, the shadows dancing eerily among the trees as they pressed deeper into its depths.

She glanced over at Luther, noting the furrow of his brow as he conferred quietly with Nathan. The weight of their mission hung heavy in the air, each member of the party was acutely aware of the danger that lurked in the shadows.

Suddenly, Orace's voice broke through the tense silence. "I've found something!"

The party turned to see Orace kneeling on the forest floor, his hand pressed against the earth as he focused intently on something only he could perceive. Weir stood nearby, his expression one of concentration as he assisted him in his spellcasting.

"What is it?" Luther asked, stepping forward to join them.

Orace rose to his feet, his eyes glinting with determination. "There's a faint magical residue here, likely from a spell recently cast. It seems to be some sort of illusion magic, meant to conceal something. It wasn't what I was trying to find but the timeframe matches with the time of report."

Luther's jaw tightened. "Goblins using illusion magic? That's a new one. Weir, keep casting tracking magic. Orace, try and find more traces of magic. Nathan, how's your progress?"

"I've found some tracks but none are conclusively goblin-related." The hunter called back from the shrubbery. The glade fell into a tense silence. She kept her senses sharp, scanning the area for any signs of movement or disturbance. The tension in the air was palpable, each member of the party on edge as they awaited further discoveries.

Nathan voiced out a discovery suddenly. "I've found a track. It's a piece of its loincloth, you'll be able to cast tracking magic on this." Weir jogged over and began casting his spell. He pointedly stayed a bit far away from the filthy fabric. After it was initialised, a ghostly mist emanated from his magic staff which circled around the torn cloth on the dirt ground. A few seconds later, it shot off in a random direction, leaving a lingering afterimage for the group to follow.

Without hesitation, Luther took charge, his voice cutting through the tense atmosphere. "Follow that trail! Stay vigilant, everyone, and be prepared for anything."

The scouting party sprang into action, their footsteps quickening as they followed the lingering afterimage of the mist. Alice kept pace with the group, her eyes scanning the forest around them for any signs of movement or danger. The trail led them deeper into Paradise Forest, the dense foliage closing in around them as they pressed forward.

Alice blinked as she sensed a few pings on the edge of her Wind Probe. To maximise cost efficiency, she only used it in a radius of a hundred metres with a probe being sent out every ten seconds. There was the danger of exposing her abilities but Alice didn't want her allies to be caught off-guard.

"I detect some goblins at one o'clock, ninety metres." Her voice, although not loud, pierced through the tension layering over the adventurers. Luther turned around with narrowed eyes. Orace, who seemed to specialise in magic sensing, nodded at him.

"How many?"

"Fifty. All fully armed with sharp rocks and slingshots."

"Okay, prepare for battle. Don't alert them until the last moment. Stay in this formation." He concluded.

The adventurers acted as if nothing was wrong but in reality, they entered a state of high alert. Their muscles tensed and their senses honed in on the area in front of them.

"Mages, prepare offensive spells. Prioritise destruction to scatter them," Luther whispered just loud enough for the mages to hear him.

Rustle, rustle.

Alice's heart pounded in her chest, her senses on high alert as she prepared for the imminent confrontation. The rustling of leaves grew louder, the telltale sign of approaching danger.

Luther raised a hand, signalling for the party to halt. His gaze was fixed on the dense underbrush ahead, his expression grim as he awaited the inevitable clash with the goblin horde.

"Get ready," he murmured, his voice barely audible above the rustling of leaves.

The mages began to chant incantations, their hands glowing with arcane energy as they prepared their offensive spells. Alice tightened her grip on her staff, her mind focused and her senses sharp as she awaited Luther's command.

Suddenly, the bushes ahead erupted in movement as a horde of goblins burst forth, their twisted faces contorted in rage as they charged towards the scouting party with reckless abandon. Rocks flew through the air, aimed at the adventurers with deadly accuracy.

"Mages!" Luther bellowed, his voice cutting through the chaos.

Alice released a barrage of Wind Bullets that shot towards the charging goblins. They whizzed overhead the warriors and slammed into the line of green alongside a flurry of other spells. She could count fireballs, shocks of lightning, arcane bolts and sharp pellets of earth raining on their foes.

Right after the bombardment finished, the frontline warriors charged with yells and howls as they brandished their weapons.

It was chaos.

Flesh and steel met and blood flew in the air. The cackles of goblins mixed in with the cries of men, along with the shrieking of metal as it whistled towards exposed goblin skin.

At a glance, the adventurers were winning by a landslide. They maintained a stoic line of defence as the mages behind them bombarded the goblins at the back with more offensive spells. Any goblins that got close were cut up by the waiting warriors. And any that got past them were inevitably sliced up by Nathan who had been designated as the rear guard.

Like a systematic meat grinder, the goblins ran into the blades of the adventurers and lost their lives. Although some were pelted by stones, it didn't cause many serious injuries. Most of the warriors at the front were wearing some form of armour that protected them well enough from mere rocks. The most serious injury was a warrior who had his left eye taken out.

Barrier magic was a protected magic available only to the elite, mere adventurers didn't have access to it. Otherwise, the engagement would've gone by without any casualties.

The fight lasted only ten minutes, with the majority of it spent cleaning up stragglers who tried to run away. They were promptly cut down by the mages from a far range. That entire time, Alice barely moved a step from her spot. She easily slew at least five goblins in the first bombardment and killed another four in the ensuing clash and cleanup. Her face was slightly pale from all the bloodshed.

One-on-one fights were far different from a larger-scale battle like this, where death was dispensed like water. The sheer slaughter was a bit too much for Alice. She couldn't handle the fact that life was so irrelevant, so disposable. This was a fight that included less than a hundred combatants. Some of her books spoke of a history that spanned ages, marked by great battles that pitted hundreds of thousands against each other.

While she was still in shock, she had forgotten to turn off her Wind Probe. It was because of this that she detected another group of goblins, this time almost two hundred strong and moving quickly to their position.

Her expression changed. She whipped around to Luther. "Luther! There's a-" She sensed movements behind her but before she could turn back around...

Shluk!

Alice stopped. She looked down. A sword was sticking out of her chest, stained by her blood.

'Wha-...?'

Almost simultaneously, a few other adventurers began drawing their weapons on their comrades and cutting them down without hesitation.

"Argh!"

"What are you doing!"

"Stop!"

As chaos erupted within the scouting party, Alice's mind raced, trying to process the betrayal unfolding before her. She stumbled forward, the searing pain of the sword piercing her chest sending shockwaves of agony through her body. Blood trickled from the wound, staining her clothes as she struggled to remain upright.

"Traitors!" she gasped, her voice barely a whisper as she stared in disbelief at the other adventurers.

The sounds of shouting and clashing blades filled the air as the once unified party descended into chaos. Their weapons struck out with deadly intent as they fell upon each other with a ferocity born of desperation and betrayal.

With each passing moment, Alice's vision grew dimmer, the world around her fading into a haze of pain and confusion. She tried to reach for her staff, to summon the strength to defend herself, but her limbs felt heavy and unresponsive, her body weakening with every heartbeat.

Through the haze of agony, Alice's thoughts turned to Henry, to the promise of his return and the hope of his rescue. But even as she clung to that fleeting hope, she knew deep down that it was too late. The darkness was closing in around her. With her diminishing sight, she spotted the hunched forms of goblins breaking out from the greenery and attacking the group.

'N-no...'

She fell unconscious.

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