Discovery

Running back, arrows were claiming lives left and right with both sides shooting fiercely. The goblin shaman was particularly deadly, using something like air spears to travel and attack anyone in its path.

Surrounding the shaman was the goblin fighter, whose job was to protect it. Together, they made it very difficult for humans to get near. The fighter had a few arrows in its chest, but they didn't seem to be deeply embedded or show any signs of distress.

The fight continued at range, but then it suddenly stopped, allowing everyone to rest. The shaman turned to look at the humans before letting out a shrill call, summoning the goblins back to their base. They too had suffered heavy losses, having lost one hundred of their soldiers.

Lucius' group found refuge at the abandoned mine area, using rocks as makeshift chairs and taking a moment to calm down. There, he saw many of them heavily injured, with their allies applying bandages to their wounds.

Unfortunately, some were in so much pain and their injuries so severe that they had to be put out of their misery. Despite their pleas and cries, deep down, they knew that escaping the suffering was the kindest option.

With his shoulder dislocated, Lucius asked Lily, who had some goblin blood on her, to put it back in place. He told her to do it on the count of five, mentally preparing himself for the pain.

''One, Two, Three...'' On three, Lily swiftly pushed the shoulder back in place, causing a surge of pain to shoot through his arm and into his brain. He turned to look at her, and she only smirked, seeming to enjoy the experience. After she finished, she left him to sit on a rock, allowing him to recover from the ordeal.

''This was tough'' Tom walked by and sat next to him ''We lost 200 people and the goblins lost 100, if we keep up we will win no doubt but, I doubt anyone will continue.'' He sighed.

Lucius remained silent for a moment, then turned to Emilia and Charlotte. They had given everything they had in the battle, and their efforts had paid off, with Charlotte reaching level 3 and Emilia levelling up as well.

They had gone far beyond their comfort zones, especially Emilia, who was now panting with bandages wrapped around her hand. Yet, her determination had only grown stronger after witnessing the harsh reality of the outside world.

"The opening you made helped us a lot," Fred said, addressing Lucius. "I'm Fred, and I already know who you are, Lucius." He spoke straightforwardly, acknowledging their previous introduction.

Before Lucius could respond, Fred changed the topic, his curiosity piqued by something they had found during their mining expedition. "Come, I have to show you something," he continued, pointing towards the deep mining areas.

Standing up, a bit curious, Lucius followed him. He knew none would attack him; after all, they were no idiots. Fred, their leader, walked ahead with two others, nodding to the guards as they were allowed to enter the mine.

The dark and musky environment welcomed them, and the dusty smell filled the air. Guided by the dim light of a torch Fred held, they reached an area where the sound of multiple chains clinking grew louder.

As they moved closer, they arrived at a dimly lit space with flickering torches mounted on the walls. Fred pointed toward the source of the sound and asked Lucius, "Go see and tell me if you have encountered this creature before."

Curious but uncertain, Lucius approached the area to investigate. What he saw was neither a goblin nor a human; it was something he had never seen in this place. There, in front of him, stood a [Kobold LvL2]. He learned its name from the system prompt.

The creature was a small reptilian humanoid, measuring about 2 to 3 feet in height, full of scars and weak to the point it would fall down, it was mining the stone with a dull-like vision chained from the neck in a collar and wrist and legs.

After mining some stone, it put it on a metal and wood cart before continuing. Lucius looked past it and saw others in a similar situation, with a few fainting from overworking.

"No, I have never seen a creature like this before," Lucius replied to Fred. "It's unlike anything I've encountered in these parts."

Taking out his sword, Lucius used the skill of covering the blade and slashing at the chain, cutting it in half. However, the Kobold didn't react to its newfound freedom and continued to behave as it did before.

Lucius positioned himself in front of the Kobold, effectively blocking its path. The creature, with its limited understanding, looked at Lucius, mistaking him for a goblin due to his appearance.

With a screech of fear, the Kobold swung its pickaxe at Lucius, but the strike was swiftly met with the sword, cutting the pickaxe in half. The severed metal head fell to the ground with a metallic 'ding', causing the Kobold to grow even more terrified as it stepped back, eventually bumping into the mine wall.

Lucius approached the Kobold, holding his sword, and questioned, "Do you understand me?" The Kobold, unsure of what he wanted, used its nail to scrape the wall as if trying to dig its way out.

Lucius pointed the sword down and drew a sign on the ground before pointing at the Kobold again. Unfortunately, it became apparent that the Kobold had a low intelligence level, similar to brainless goblins found at lower levels.

Seeing it trying to escape, he knew there was nothing else he could do, so he made the difficult decision to just slash it, ending its miserable life, and making its body fall to the ground with the sounds of chains falling.

"This should be a Kobold; the system does not lie, that's for sure," Fred said walking next to Lucius, affirming his trust in the system's accuracy. Despite being transported to this unknown place, the system had been a reliable source of information.

"Yes, it's not a goblin; it's another race. It has lizard scales, but it likely follows the same intelligence pattern as the goblins. If we manage to capture a higher-level Kobold, we might have a chance to get some answers," Lucius added, sharing his observations.

Fred pondered for a moment before asking, "Where do you think they are located? I haven't run into any yet, so they must either be farther away from the goblins or have a smaller population."

"We don't know for sure, but this discovery is valuable. It means that in this place, called the Meadows, the goblins are not the only inhabitants," Lucius replied, acknowledging the importance of this new information.

Lucius replied, acknowledging the importance of this new information. "About the next attack, I want to strike at night. The goblins and the people they captured are likely at the heart of their camp," he said, his anger rising as he thought of the people who had been taken prisoner.

"They should be, at least in a prison-like area," Lucius nodded, but he didn't provide any further information.

Fred understood that Lucius was holding back some details, but he wasn't upset as he knew he would find out sooner or later.

"What about the rest of them?" Lucius asked, pointing at the group.

"I will take care of them personally and reach level 5. The rest will be given to Tom and others who contributed. I know you acquired a skill, and we managed to acquire some skills in this fight that will be divided and given to those who can make the most use of them," Fred explained.

"Picking up the book, we learned that something about a self-created skill existed too, apart from the consumables," Fred said, turning to look at Lucius.

Lucius remained silent, not revealing anything about the knowledge he possessed. Fred accepted the silence and decided to focus on making plans with the rest of the group.

He knew there were questions he wanted to ask Lucius but now wasn't the right time. They had a mission to fulfil, and he respected Lucius enough to give him space.

Walking out with the rest of the group, Fred continued to strategize and coordinate their next steps. They needed to be well-prepared for the night attack on the goblin camp and the rescue of the captives.

Meanwhile, Lucius rejoined his group, his mind filled with thoughts and unanswered questions. He knew he held valuable information, but he also understood the importance of keeping some things to himself for the time being to have an advantage.