Chapter 27: Trace

After exiting the village, Kelan lead the teams 14 and 15, to the place Kargan has told him the fight with the human kid had taken place, they only took 1 hour to get there but what they saw when they arrived was something they were not expecting at all.

It was not uncommon for dead goblins to be devoured by the wild beast of the forest and only a trace of blood to all that remained, most of the goblins were already prepared to gore sight, but this was by far, something they had never seen before in their short lives.

Kelan himself was stunned for a moment, nevertheless, he was the fastest to recover because in this forest there is no time to be wasting standing there like idiots.

What the goblins were seeing was a half of boar body hanging of a rope and the body of Keltan buried under a pile of small stones, with his sword marking his grave, as sing of respect to him, this was all arranged so the wild animals didn't eat his body or the wild boar half body, nevertheless the goblins had arrived relative fast and no wild animal was near or even close.

Kelan snapped everyone else from their dazed stated.

[Kelan]: “What are you guys standing there without doing anything for, did you think wild beats wouldn't come anymore lure by the smell of blood? Had all of you forgotten our mission? Go now and take Keltan body back to the village together with the boar body”

All the goblin nodded, they are here to do a task, so they started to move very fast, team 14 and 15 were experts in recollection of food and… of the fallen goblins.

In the other hand, Kelan felt something was wrong, even if they had arrived here very fast, this place should be overrun by wild bests attracted by the smell of blood, nevertheless he could not feel a thing, not a single presence in the surrounding area, after a while he understood why, the smell of blood was missing, that's why he felt the scene was so outplace before, but that was not important right now.

After the goblin finished recollecting everything they were preparing to leave when…

[Kelan]: “You guys head back to the village, but don’t touch the boar, let the elder examined it first in case is poisoned check the inside very well too"

The goblins cringed over the thought of poison, they were blinded by hunger, and they never thought it could be still poisoned, as expected of their leader, their goblin pillar.

[Kelan]: "If there isn't any poison, give a good part of the boar to Kelgan family, and give him a proper funeral, Kebel, Kanta, you with me, we are going after the human, he should not be that far”

Before Kelan could move, another goblin stopped him.

[Kenta]: “Wait Kelan, what are you saying, you should go back with us, at least let take more with you”.

Kelan could only shake his head.

[Kelan]: “Two it is already too much, if I pick one more, I would put all of you in danger, the road back is still not safe, and I can’t risk all of your lives”

[Kenta]: “Then just come back with us, you can chase that human other day, he is still inside this forest we will meet him again eventually”.

Kelan could only shook his head again.

[Kelan]: “The chance of finding the human again is too small, and he still have the other half of the body, he is still alone and should be moving slowly while dragging that half body, but if it gets to dangerous I will just head back, I will never put my life in risk for being too greedy and there is also… no, forge it, now, go”

Kenta could only follow orders, he could not go against Kelan commands, he was not strong enough to do so, he could only turn around and guide the rest of the goblins, while softly whispered to Kelan “you better return alive you stupid older brother”

Kelan could only let out a sigh, his direct familiar were always the most difficult goblins to deal with, but in the end, every goblin in the village was his brother, his sister, his father and his mother, he would think of all of them like that, nevertheless, goblin blood was always ticker between families.

Turning around he commanded to Kebel and Kanta

[Kelan]: “Let’s go”

The tree goblins disappeared into the dark forest.

[Back when Cyan has just defeated the goblins]

‘Mana please, make this sword as shard and long as you can, I need to cut this horned wild boar body in two

Cyan felt mana chuckling with a coquis' laugh while doing as he asked her to do very easily, after taking a lower mana potion he could properly talk with mana again, he just had realized that the less mana he has the less he could talk with Mana.

After following Arlom for 4 hours around the forest Cyan mana was depleted to the bottom, this was because he did a lot of wasted movements trying to keep up with Arlom speed that was going ‘slow’, nevertheless, Cyan has wasted a lot of mana just to keep up with him, and after the fight with the horned wild boar and then the goblins he felt like fainting, if not for the recovering potions Cyan would be in unconscious on ground or even death.

The green potion forcedly used his food reserves, the blue one recovered half his mana, and the red one fixed his broken bones, internal organs and externals wounds in a rate visible to the eye.

Even if Cyan wasn't back to top condition, it was not problem to fight with goblins if they show up themselves again, but he felt regret, he has taken a life today, even if it was a goblin life, it was still a life and he still went and did it without thinking.

Taking a life made him felt so empty, has he done the right thing?

No, he had to do it, mercy to the enemy? Are you joking with me? One arrow to the head or the heart and he would be the one in the ground.

Never mind the fact that the goblins were walking, thinking and feeling creatures, and with enough intelligence to be recognized or even to be compare to a human being. Cyan did not care about the race of the goblin, they were the ones that had come attacking him,

When Cyan had just arrived here, the thought killing somebody was something he would never do in a million years, and yet, here he was, 4 days later and he has already killed someone without feeling anything, was he really feeling regret?.

The horned wild boar was his first kill but it was a difference, it was obvious that the goblins were smart enough to communicated and form a party and feel pain with the death of their friends. He could also understand them.

Would you kill a plant that you can communicate with? As well to share your feelings of happiness and sadness with?

This was the crucial difference between killing the horned wild boar and the goblins, it was obvious he could not communicate with an animal, but the goblins, he felt like he was fighting with a human.

Letting out a sigh, Cyan swing down the sword he was still holding, splitting the horned wild boar in two halves, he will leave one half for the others goblins when they come looking for the body of their fallen teammate, Cyan knew they will come back for sure and in no time he need to hurry.

After hanging the half of the horned wild boar to a tree with the help of his [Mana Armor], looking around Cyan realized that this will surly attack more predators, so he took out a powder that his Master had given him, this should remove any trace of blood and prevent any predator for coming any closer to this area, Cyan was very impressed with all the items Arlom has gave him, he felt he was prepared for almost everything, now he just need to take care of the goblin body.

Looking around he could see floor was filled with rocks.

As a final touch Cyan let the sword behind to mark the grave, for something he remembered Serah face, Cyan thought some words to say before leaving.

[Cyan]: “Kelgan, may you rest in peace”

Doing a prayer, Cyan was preparing to leave after splitting and putting the other half of the wild board into his inventory, the whole process, has taken him, a little more than a 1 hour, his [Hunter instincts] where warning him about incoming danger, and it was growing by the minute, the goblins were coming back, so he choose not to waste any more time and just leave.

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After running at top speed using his [Mana Armor] and following the path his master has teach him for one hour, the alarm in his head was still growing louder as danger come closer to him.

[Cyan]: “This is impossible”

This feeling, it was like he was being chase by the tail, but how, he should be pretty far away by now, and the goblins should slower than him after he used his [Mana Armor], nevertheless, the danger he feels only keeps growing with each step…. Like instead of being chase, he himself was running to the enemy trap.

‘what the h…. how is that I am the one going after the enemy and the one being chase at the same time’.

Cyan chose hit the brakes and to stopped on the spot.

When he did that the danger he felt stopped growing.

[Cyan]: “So I am really running directly into a trap”

How was this possible, he should be running away, why he felt that he was running to the dungeon boss by himself, was he suicidal? Has his skill gone bad?

Turning around a look over the traces he has left behind he started to picture the path he remembers, the path that Arlom has teach him to follow and not very away from it.

The path was like an inverted S curve that ended in the mountain, then the only way for him to be running to his enemy was, that he was already waiting for him at the end, but that’s impossible, he would have to guess where he was going, and what was the path he was taking, and then he should take a short cut right to the destination, he would have to know the hidden dangers or the forest and overcome them, this was truly something ominous for cyan.

This was not any run of the milk goblin, this was veteran hunter, some that knew this forest like the palm of his hand, and could predict Cyan destination only by using the traces he had left, this was truly something he should be very afraid of, he was just looking down the other party because they were just goblins and now this was coming back to bite him.

And what's worse, he could not do anything about it, he only knew one path and that was it, he can’t turn back either, the other party should had also put tracks to prevent Cyan for turning back, taking another path was also suicidal, Arlom has steamily warned him to always follow this path, and never to leave it, he was not joking when he made Cyan promise it, even if not in his name Cyan still would keep the promises he has made, he could only grit his teeth and… move forward.

As soon as he started to run again, the alarm in his head grew louder again, he was right, the other party has predicted his route using the traces he has left and now it was waiting for him at the end of the path, Cyan could only let out a sigh and prepare for battle while he tried to understand this skill of his.

Just before, his skill has activate against someone that was very afar from him, they never had meet before, nevertheless it started warning him since the beginning and only grew in time.

But when the goblins appeared from the bush his skill did not show any sign what so ever until the goblins took out their sword, the danger was not immediate, the goblins were shocked to had crossed the path of Cyan, they were no expecting to find him, nevertheless, the took action as soon as possible, that’s when his skill activated.

The only clue that Cyan has now, is that the other party needs to be aware of him so it can work.

That’s is to say if some was targeting Cyan with bad intentions his skill would activate, but if the other party was not targeting, even if it was dangerous to cross their path, his skill will not activate until it was too late.

Looking the bright side, it means the goblins still don’t know Cyan was aware of the incoming trap and was getting ready for it, but he still couldn’t prepared for hidden dangers until it was too late.

Knowing that he could not turn back of leave the path, Cyan could try to put a counter attack, nevertheless, just in a single day, this was going to be his third battle already, he could not help but to feel tired already.

‘Is this how Arlom experience every day? Fighting over and over again, even allowed to take a rest’

Cyan has just go out to gather some food, and he was already in the path to his third death battle of the day, and the day was not even half over, he could only grit his teeth and slow down his speed to conserve his strength and mana, but not too much to not alert the other party that he was aware of his presence.

While running Cyan started to trace a plan of escape and If necessary he will use ‘that’, the thing his master has gave him for last resource, he only has one and it was use only so he can’t miss, this thing, is a sure to kill weapon, and Cyan last option just in case.

Cyan was very grateful to his master, he could charge at the enemy, knowing that some has his back, his always dependable master. The same one that has left him to fend for himself in this forest of death, he was not stupid.

Arlom disappearing coincidently after Cyan had killed the horned wild boar and the goblins show up?

All the items he had gave him “just in case they get separated”?

The most stupid and predictable path he could think of, that was so easy to predict and he needs to follow no matter what?

Of course this was all Arlom plan, how could Cyan don’t get mad at him, he understand now why Arlom has not given him any poison today, if he were to be under the influence poison returning alive would be a miracle, this… this was the true training that Arlom was talking about, Cyan could only left another sigh, ‘stupid master, wait for me you will see’

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Kelan started to follow the traces left for the human kid, it has his suspicious at first but after following the traces he was certain now, not a trace of the other half of the body could be found, then that could only meant that… this human kid was carrying an inventory bag with him.

Kelan eyes glee with greed, this item was even more precious than 100 boards meat, but he has took notice of other things too, this human kid was an amateur, as it did not hide his tracks nor was leaving any traps behind, and above all, even If he was traveling a lot faster than Kelan has calculate, he could still know exactly what path the human kid was using, this was truly gift send to him by the gods.

How could he let this opportunity past, an inventory bag filled with hidden treasures, a weak human kid that doesn't know even the basics of running away, he needs to take this chance no matter what.

[Kelan]: “Kebel, Kanta, go back, this human is too much for you two, go back and tell the elder that I am going to the lava mountain”.

Kebel and Kanta were stunned, theirs faces were saying like ‘are you crazy? Did you think we will leave you behind and go back? Did you think we are so despicable to do such a thing? Or it is that we are so weak that we really can be of any help to you’

Kelan could read their faces like an open book, he could no help to sigh,

[Kelan]: “This is an order, now go back, and tell the village elder what I tell you to”

Kebel and Kanta could only grit their teeth, because they were so weak they couldn’t follow behind Kelan, Kelan was their pillar, but who was the pillar to their pillar? Wasn’t there any other goblin strong enough to support it? Are the two of them too weak for that?

Nevertheless they could only obey as they turned around and returned.

After they left, Kelan could finally let out a real sigh after all this time, his frozen face loosen out, as a smile could finally being see reflected in his face.

Finally, he was all alone, he could stop being a pillar for a moment and go back to being just a goblin, all the weight over his shoulders started to disappear, as a blue mantle started to cover over all of his body.

This human kid look very promising he could release some of his accumulated stress now.

Even if Kelan has loosen up a little, he still had not forgotten his life mission, make the goblins prosper, but if keep his frozen face all the time, he would explode like a ticking time bomb, it was good to loosen out once in a while, and this time, the target was Cyan.

Putting out his mana shield, Kelan dashed out in a blue light to where he thought, Cyan would be waiting for him, yes, he has this feeling that this human kid will be waiting for him in that spot, ready to fight him, he didn’t how to explain it, but he didn’t care, he will just enjoy the moment.

[Kelan]: “Wait up for me kid, let me have some fun today”