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After fully devouring the Diamond Lizard, Morthar immediately rose to Level 21. Its rank raised to Epic, its HP broke past 5,000, and it even learned a new skill, Consume. It was unclear whether this ability was its natural feeding effect or if it functioned like the Diamond Lizard’s, allowing it to forcibly consume other creatures.

As for Zane, his own experience had surged as well. With just two or three more Diamond Lizards, he might level up directly.

Unfortunately, the massive beast had not dropped anything of value despite its strength.

What was worth noting, however, was that Morthar’s body had grown once again, roughly doubling in size. If it had previously been the size of a tricycle, it now rivaled a small cargo truck in bulk.

To save time, Zane had the two goblins ride along as well. Thankfully, Morthar’s temperament was mild, and it showed no signs of rejection.

“At this pace, in another ten minutes… no, seven minutes, we’ll see our temporary base!” Kanrel declared excitedly.

Sure enough, seven minutes later, Morthar strode steadily across the varied terrain until a row of chevaux-de-frise¹ more than ten meters long appeared ahead.

“Honored heroes, we’ll report to the chieftain first. Please wait here a moment,” Kanrel and Liburi said politely.

“Very well, go ahead.” Zane curiously scanned his surroundings. The place resembled the camp Lordsey had once built, with a large tent at the center surrounded by smaller ones. Crude though it seemed, such a layout was necessary.

In the event of danger, they could quickly relocate.

A few Snowfeather Goblins guarded the two arrow towers behind the chevaux-de-frise. Calling them towers was generous, they were more like watch platforms cobbled together from wooden frames. Each held two archers keeping watch over the surroundings.

At the moment, their gazes fixed firmly on Zane and his companions. Yet they did not fire, likely because they had seen the two goblins accompanying them.

‘So slow… what are those two doing inside?’

Suddenly, a commotion rose from the main tent, loud enough that even Zane could hear it clearly.

“Chieftain, have you gone mad!?” It was Kanrel’s voice, brimming with agitation.

Then, silence. Shortly after, a short but sturdy goblin stepped out from the main tent.

“;g_zんě they ん very dangerous, quickly そěㄊカ scramble!?”

Zane froze in bewilderment. What in the world was that language?

Suddenly, the goblins on both arrow towers raised their shortbows, aiming directly at them.

**Whoosh!**

The arrows sliced through the air.

“Invoke: Blazing Fire!”

A blazing wall of fire rose up, intercepting the volleys. The goblins atop the towers paled, quickly nocking new arrows. Their fingers brushed across the arrowheads, and the touched spots gleamed faintly with a layer of pale-blue light.

At the same time, more goblins poured out of the surrounding tents, each clutching a shortbow. The sight dredged up Zane’s memories of the fear he had once felt in the Underground Passage, when the Skeleton Archers had ruled the battlefield with their volleys.

When the blue-glowing arrows struck the fire barrier, the impact sparked fierce elemental clashes.

‘Elemental attacks!?’

This wouldn’t hold for long. He didn’t know why the goblins had suddenly turned hostile, but since they had struck first, they needed to be ready to pay the price of battle.

“Invoke: Frost!” The once-cool air plummeted into frigid cold as snowflakes appeared overhead, drifting down in swirling flurries. Yet within the storm, the Snowfeather Goblins moved as if nothing had changed.

“Tch!” Zane clicked his tongue. “Morthar, dig a tunnel, straight to the largest tent inside!” He had to confirm what in the world was going on.

The Sacred Scarab immediately burrowed toward the depths, and Starry stood on its back with the Autumn Moon Sword raised high. “Like shooting, do you? Frenzied Blade!”

Because the distance was too great, she could not strike the goblins directly, but cutting the arrow towers in half was well within reach. As expected, those crudely assembled wooden frames could not withstand such a ferocious sword aura. The goblins on top cried out as they tumbled to the ground.

Then the three of them—two people and one bug—plunged headfirst into the earth.　　

***

Morthar’s tunneling speed was, it had to be said, far faster than a rock drill. Its massive antennae and rapidly extending legs kept knocking down the dense clods of soil ahead.

**Thud.**

No one knew how long it had been when pinpricks of light finally filtered into the tunnel. No one followed behind either; it seemed they did not dare rush in.

They cleared the last thin layer of soil above and at last could make out the layout overhead. The surroundings were dim. A torch was fixed in an iron ring, and ahead stood a stone table laid crosswise with wooden posts beside it, looking like a place for handling affairs.

They had almost certainly dug into the right spot.

“Beautifully done, Morthar.” Zane patted its broad head.
“Hsss!!” Morthar replied.
“Stay here for now. I’ll scout the way ahead.”

Morthar obediently backed up, and Zane climbed out of the pit.

“Mmm—mm!” (Muffled cries.)

What was that sound? Zane turned and saw two Snowfeather Goblins bound in the corner of the main tent, cloth stuffed in their mouths. They were Kanrel and Liburi.

…

Noise drifted in from outside now and then, yet no one entered the main tent.

“What happened?”
Kanrel spat out the cloth and said anxiously, “The chieftain is not normal! He was never like this!”

Zane received a skill book, while Starry gained only experience.

According to Kanrel, the Snowfeather Goblin tribe had never been fond of fighting. They had long dwelled in a frigid land to temper their minds; thanks to that, nearly everyone in the tribe possessed some measure of ice control.

Under pressure from the Dark Faction, they had been forced to migrate as a whole and come to the Valley of Luminara. But just now, their chieftain had actually said something insane, he wanted to go to all-out war with humanity.

As for why the Snowfeather Goblins had fallen into such misery, with several tribesmen dying horribly in the bellies of Diamond Lizards every day, it was all because the Light and Dark Factions were locked in stalemate.

Humans, being the main force of the Light Faction, naturally became the worst offenders in their eyes. Rather than be slaughtered by Diamond Lizards here, it would be better to go to the front and fight humans.

“The chieftain must be possessed!” Kanrel said with certainty. “After we told him about you two, he insisted we were bewitched and tied us up.”
Liburi added, “Yes. The chieftain I know would never make such a decision.”
“Honored heroes, could you help us once more?”

An S-rank quest!?

Thinking it through, the system judged quest difficulty based on player attributes. Zane was confident he could wipe out the goblins here in one sweep, which hardly felt worthy of S-rank difficulty.

Could the problem lie in the note? Casualties must not exceed fifty percent… That meant they would have to withstand the firepower of more than half the tribe while forcing their way to the chieftain, or face something even worse.