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Goblin Chapter 32: Smooth Cooperation
🕑 Added 2025-07-17 19:44:28 +0000 UTCHidden in the brush, Gauss had already quietly activated Mage Hand.
Because of concerns about scent detection, the rest of the party had hidden further away.
Only Gauss remained within ten meters of the bait due to the range limitation of his spell.
Fortunately, Meva had helped him find a hiding spot and masked his scent, so the six goblins now drawing near hadn’t noticed anything unusual.
When they reached the wounded hare, one of the goblins cautiously tossed a stone toward it.
Thud!
The rock landed next to the rabbit, and nothing happened.
Seeing this, the goblins visibly relaxed.
After scanning their surroundings and seeing no threats within a few meters, they eagerly approached the tree.
The largest goblin—the apparent leader—grabbed the bleeding hare with both hands.
An excited, savage grin stretched across its face, and thick drool dribbled from its cracked lips.
With its yellowed claws tightening, the barely breathing hare was choked to death.
"Wah wah wah!"
The other goblins crowded around, bouncing and squealing in celebration.
It was a lucky find. Being omnivores, goblins rarely got to eat meat.
But before they could enjoy the moment—
Clack!
A quiet snap rang out as a trigger mechanism activated.
The goblins glanced up just in time to see a large net drop from above.
Triggered by Mage Hand, the trap was released, falling rapidly thanks to weighted magnets attached around the edges.
In a flash, it descended directly onto the goblins.
Realizing something was wrong, the goblins tried to flee—but it was too late.
Bunched together and caught off guard, they were all ensnared at once.
The weighted net snapped shut like a drawstring pouch, trapping them inside.
"Wah wah wah!"
"Wahhh!"
Barbed spikes woven into the net pierced their bodies, making them screech in agony.
The more they struggled, the worse it got—
the net tangled and twisted tighter, embedding the spikes deeper.
And to make things worse, the barbs had been coated in poison.
"That was way too easy," Gauss thought.
As the one closest to the trap, he had the clearest view.
Meva’s trap design worked even better than he expected.
This small group of goblins—which could’ve been a moderate threat—was completely neutralized.
But it wouldn’t last forever.
Gauss noticed a few goblins already gritting through the pain and using their weapons to cut at the net.
The rest of the Night Owl party began emerging from their hiding spots—but none of them were closer than Gauss, who had triggered the trap.
While they made their way over, Gauss was already striding toward the trapped goblins, rapier in hand.
This was the perfect chance to snag some kills—he wasn’t about to let it slip.
He reached the net and began driving his blade mercilessly into the goblins' vital points.
Precise, calculated stabs.
Each thrust left a bloody puncture wound, thick greenish blood spraying like a geyser.
He felt no pity for goblins. None at all.
His blade was as cold and detached as a fishmonger’s fillet knife.
[Goblin Slain ×1]
[Total Monsters Kills: 13]
...
[Total Monsters Kills: 14]
[Total Monsters Kills: 15]
...
[Total Monsters Kills: 18]
All six were slaughtered in quick succession.
Just like that, Gauss moved closer to his milestone of 50 total kills.
And maybe it was his imagination, but his rapier suddenly felt more natural in his hand—like he’d been practicing it for days.
By the time Gauss finished his lightning-fast "execution," the rest of the team had only just arrived at the trap.
Seeing that Gauss had already cleaned up, no one seemed in a rush.
“Gauss, just so we’re clear, rewards aren’t divided based on kill count,” Laevin joked.
“Even though you triggered the trap, you’re not getting the entire payout for these six.”
“Understood,” Gauss nodded, pleased regardless.
He’d already gotten what he really wanted: the kills.
The monetary reward was just a bonus.
“I just wanted to sharpen my swordsmanship a bit.” He offered casually.
Internally, he was thrilled.
Compared to the effort it took to kill goblins in the Birchwood Village incident, this felt practically free.
All thanks to a properly prepped trap.
Gauss made a mental note: if he used traps wisely, he might even be able to wipe out a goblin group solo.
Sure, the animal traps he knew were small-scale—but these kinds of large-scale tactical setups?
He definitely needed to learn from Meva.
Clearly, this rogue apprentice knew her stuff.
No wonder she was always quiet and kept to herself, yet held such a firm position within the team.
She could scout, lay traps, brew poisons, and offer support from the flanks with daggers and a hand crossbow.
Honestly, she might be the true backbone of the Night Owl.
Gauss snuck a glance at her silently rejoining the group under her hood.
"One day, my own team is going to need a strong rogue like her," he thought.
Just imagining it—sneaky takedowns, headshot setups, free kills—made him grin with excitement.
That grin didn’t go unnoticed.
Doyle, who happened to be watching Gauss, shivered involuntarily.
“He’s smiling? After stabbing six defenseless goblins to death?”
“...Is this guy normal?”
Was Gauss some kind of sociopath?
Or did he have a dark backstory involving goblins?
Doyle’s imagination began to run wild.
“Alright, everyone,” Laevin suddenly called. “Get ready—we’ll be engaging the main group soon.”
“Got it!”
“Understood!”
“Copy that.”
Gauss snapped back to focus, pushing aside stray thoughts.
That trap, the footsteps, and the goblins’ agonized screams had definitely alerted the others.
Meva had estimated 15–22 goblins in total.
With 6 taken out, that left 9–16 remaining.
The team formed up in battle formation.
Moments later, the sound of stomping feet reached them.
A full goblin war band arrived at the scene.
Five goblins with wooden shields and clubs took the front line.
Behind them came three with stone spears and two with steel knives.
Four archers hung back, searching for a good vantage point.
Fourteen in total.
No mutated goblins this time, unlike Birchwood Village, but these goblins were much more disciplined—with clear roles and positions.
Especially those archers—they could not be ignored.
This was what a well-formed goblin tribe was supposed to look like.
Laevin quickly issued orders.
“Meva, Oliver—you two focus on the goblin archers. The rest of us will handle the front line.”
“I can support with Magic Missile if needed,” Gauss added.
He still needed real combat practice with the spell.
And he wouldn’t pass up a few kill steals.
After all, his role in the party was technically a free agent until Magic Missile came into play.
Who said kill-stealing wasn’t a form of support?
“Much appreciated,” Laevin said.
“Alright, everyone—get ready!”
“Let’s wipe them out!”
With a loud slam, Laevin planted his oak shield into the ground.
The Night Owl party snapped into position.
Combat was about to begin.
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