Illusion

"He is a goblin-like you," The orc coughs out vermeil blood while shakingly raising his head to have his last glance at my blank face.

"Alk White-the goblin was the only one who has heard our voices, gave us hope, and freed my people. He was far from anyone else that treated us monsters as scum,"

The angered beast maintains his gaze while spitting out his saliva one more time. His breaths become a burden to him as I continue to observe his chest.

'He will not live long,' I told myself while listening to the next few sentences he utters.

"We just want to live our lives peacefully, yet adventurers and soldiers keep purging us like pests that do not belong in this world like you!"

"You destroy crops, murder villagers, and rape men and women out of boredom! What should I expect from the likes of you?" I exclaimed, remembering the distant memory where I saw the victims of humans trapped inside their cells like toys for their satisfactions. "Saving you would be the last thing I want to do."

"It is because you deserve it!" The orc claims while laughing to himself, amused by what I have said. "You lot deserve our hatred. So suffer in pain!"

"I have heard enough of you, monster," I concluded our conversation and aimed my finger at point-blank range.

The orc crept closer, baring his claws at the sunken soil. He leans his head forward beside my ears and whispers.

"Look at your reflection in the river and ask yourself who is the actual monster between us,"

I have already forgotten that I am not a human in this world, but a goblin. The surrounding people didn't like me because I was a hideous sprite, but I share their culture of helping each other as if I was an intellectual being.

If it is not for my previous knowledge, I would have knelt with the orc, begging for my life or explaining my side.

"I know. But that doesn't affect me for who I am," Thus, ending my sentence with a hole inside the orc's dead. "I have a family to find. None of these matters to me."

I turn my back away from the scene, never feeling pity out of the poor soul. Even Elanor Natalia, who had arrived late in the setting, widened their eyes and witnessed the stiff corpse of the impenetrable beast.

"I should feel some remorse for this guy," I told myself, thinking that I felt nothing from killing a creature.

However, as I glanced behind, I saw the dead bodies of soldiers and villagers caught by the battlefield. Those who were still alive desperately fend off the beasts away from the evacuating villagers, with the monsters attacking us one-sided.

"I have made the right decision," I assured myself with flowery words, thinking if I let the beast live longer, then there would be more casualties than the ones I am presently seeing.

"I have always thought you were an incredible goblin, but that is just absurd!" Natalia leaps and wraps her arms around my body, carolling a cheerful tone out of the blue.

Soon, lukewarm water slides on my shoulder. It is also where Natalia had buried her face, hiding her face, continuously showering me with tears.

"Don't do something stupid," She warns me while tapping my back. "Or something rash."

"I'm not sure about that," I answered while gazing at the more approaching monsters stampeding towards a distance. "Don't thank me yet, Natalia. There are a lot of them coming for us."

"Way to go, ruining the atmosphere," She retorts and gradually releases me from her brace.

Natalia wipes away her tears, hinting to us she will gradually be better, eventually. Elanor and I silently watch her recover while aiming our shots at the adjacent monsters, still striking us with their numbers.

None of them poses a threat to our existence, but their quantity is not something we can laugh about. Every soldier standing on the battlefield has an exhausted look to conjure more arcane. Even I, who have ended the life of the orc, do not want to enervate myself for any longer and yearn for complete rest.

But that's not the case for now. The horde had finally shown itself to us, attacking the village with its full drive. I could even see the silhouette of a towering, humanoid-individual standing at the back, commanding all the creatures at its will.

"That guy must be their leader of some sort," I stated, sharing my insights with my comrades.

"I'd bet he is," Natalia seconded my opinion.

"We'll see about that," Elanor calmly picks his recurve and nonchalantly fires his arrow in the figure's direction-before we could even react.

As the arrow flies at an extreme speed in mid-air, the fog from above dissipates itself, disabling the illusion cast upon us. Once the mist has died out, all the monster vanishes from sight, together with the figure behind.

Like dust trails getting blown by a vacuum, the beasts gradually disappear into plain sight, as if they were nothing there. Only the orcs and few ogres have their bodies lying on the ground and did not evanesce from this world.

"The boars, trolls, and gnomes disappeared!" The cries and cheers of the Elven soldiers reverberate through the woods as they raise their recurves and knives, signalling their victorious feat.

Everyone who had noticed the occurrence joins into the fray, and blaringly sings the song of their native music that feels new to my ears.

However, I knew that everything that is happening right now is only the beginning, as I discern an obsidian figure with its cape fluttering at its side.

"I hate it when I'm right," Elanor reverts to his stance, with cold sweat soaking his tunic and face. "Better stay behind me, you two."

I can perceive his strained face while he runs his hands over to our bodies, pushing us back to somewhere safe. He conjures a gust of wind and surrounds it with the leaves on the ground, creating a barrier made of condensed arcane magic.

[Elanor envelopes Natalia and you inside his [Wind Dome]]

[Wind Dome]- Spell confirmed

-Creates a shield made of wind and the hemming in nature. The spell can take any form and can deflect most elements tier levels 1-5.

"Tier levels? Now that's a new thing I have never heard of," I mumble to myself while brushing away the windows ringing in front of me.

The complete detail of the Tier list-where I can evaluate the spells per category that appeared before me. But with these urgent matters, I need to hold that matter for later and focus on this baleful figure.

"You there, shade!" I asked. "We come in peace!"

"I bring death to all non-monsters!" Its response was nothing compared to the orc-both menacing to discern. "Elves and goblins are not an exemption!"

"I was never a part of your cult,"

The phantom could only stand in silence, unsure of what we were both conversing.

"Enough of this idiotic chit-chat! You shall never underestimate the power of us, monsters you have neglected!"

"Master, I am sorry we are late!" Shadow and Imra arrived at the nick-of-time, providing us with more back-up against this shade.

"It's fine. How are the villagers?"

"We settle all of them inside the shelter, with food and drinks like a party!" Imra answered without a hint of hesitation or anxiousness in her words.

"Hey! Don't you dare ignore me, you rascals!"

"Where have you been all this time?" I quizzed the grey wolf.

"We've been killing those trolls and boars, together with the Elven archers,"

"They were tons of them, like a bunch of these ugly trolls!"

I let the two of them explain their hunt while I listen to their stories. However, somehow, I have felt that there was something prominent I have already forgotten.

"You're the one that Alk warned me about!" The quavering voice moves closer to our eyes despite the shade not moving an inch from its location.

"Oh, right? You. I almost forgot about you," I rest my head on my palm while embarrassingly shaking my head. "What exactly do you want from me?"

"I am a necromancer! I thirst for your soul!" His screech gets louder than his shadow hovers closer in our direction.

Suddenly, thousands of undead monsters make their way out from the ground with only their rotten flesh and bones as their vessels. Their eyes do not show any hint of life or intelligence as they mindlessly wander in the field with the puppeteer controlling their movements.

"Elanor, please give us your wisdom and explanation!" I called forth to the ancient elf who knows a lot of things like the internet.

"Do I have to?" He utters while heaving out a sigh, peeved out from my curiosity.

"When a person dies, people tend to bring the dead back to life. Mages who have lost their loved one would experiment on different things, and that lich is one of those failed experiments."