The Goblin in the ornate outfit once again let out a roar.
Immediately after, the horde of Goblins frenziedly charged forward, shielding themselves with the wooden maces they carried.
Some were struck by arrows and fell, yet more and more Goblins managed to reach the wooden barricade.
Once they got close, with their muscular arms and sharp-tipped fingers, the Goblins began clinging to the fence, striving to climb over.
In truth, their climbing speed was terrifyingly fast.
Thus, from behind the barricade, the villagers strained every nerve to resist, determined not to let the Goblins break through.
With hammers, axes, sickles, spears, and any crude weapon they had, the brave villagers fought to bring down every Goblin daring to infiltrate.
"Die, you bastards."
"Keep stabbing, don't stop."
Some villagers took advantage of the gaps designed in the barricade, striking effectively from within.
Yet when one Goblin was pierced, others would even use the body of their fallen comrade as a shield to climb more easily.
"Move aside, boiling water coming."
From behind the barricade, scalding water was poured straight down onto the Goblins' heads.
This was followed by a chorus of agonized screams as the creatures were severely burned.
"Quick, bring more water."
"Keep attacking, don't stop."
Urgent shouts rang out without pause. Outside, a group of Goblins continued to hurl stones with slings to support their kin.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! …"
The sound of stones slicing through the air echoed relentlessly.
Though their aim was poor, one young man was unlucky enough to be struck. A stone smashed into his head, and he collapsed instantly, his fate uncertain.
"Watch out, they're throwing stones."
"Get him down quickly."
"Defend that spot now."
At the place where the youth fell, exploiting the gap in defense, several Goblins managed to climb atop the barricade. Villagers rushed to fill the breach.
"Die."
One man swung his axe down hard, cleaving the head of a Goblin that had just climbed up.
The powerful strike ended the creature's life instantly.
But before he could rejoice, another Goblin leapt up, seizing the man's wrist before he could withdraw his axe.
Yanked forward suddenly, he lost balance, his body slamming against the edge of the barricade.
Dazed and breathless, he barely regained awareness when he saw a wooden mace about to crash down on his skull.
"Not today."
Another villager rushed in, knocking the Goblin down and pulling the man back to safety.
"Thank you."
Still trembling with fear, the man rasped his gratitude.
The villagers' desperate defense raged on.
Yet, in their exhaustion and focus on battle, none noticed that the Goblin in the ornate outfit, along with a small group, had already vanished from the front of the village.
. . .
Standing afar, observing the overall situation, the elderly village chief silently broke into a cold sweat at the sudden turn of events.
Had there been even the slightest lapse in vigilance, the Goblins could have already stormed into the village.
Fortunately, thanks to the defensive advantage, they had so far managed to hold the creatures outside.
Yet, judging from the current state, everyone is growing weary, and the barricade could be breached at any moment.
'We must prepare for the worst.'
Thinking so, he immediately ordered the village women to prepare what was necessary.
In the worst case, they would have to evacuate the children through the rear exit of the village.
But of course, if there were any other choice, they would not resort to that.
For a group of women and children moving together would be far too vulnerable to ambush, easy prey for the Magical Beasts roaming the wilderness.
Escape could only be considered the final option when the village was truly beyond defense.
"There's a small group of Goblins appearing on the left side of the village."
Suddenly, an unexpected warning rang out. Sensing the danger, the chief urgently pressed:
"How many are there? Quickly, send more men to defend if needed."
But his words were drowned out by a loud explosion. The blast came precisely from the left side of the village, where the warning had just been raised.
"A section of the barricade has been destroyed."
"The Goblins have entered the village."
"One of them can use magic."
Terrified cries followed one after another. Soon after came the chilling screams of villagers being mercilessly slaughtered.
"This can't be!"
The chief whispered in despair, his face pale, drained of blood.
No one could have imagined that the frontal assault was merely a decoy to draw defenders there.
Nor could they have foreseen that among the Goblins was a Mage, capable of shattering the barricade with magic.
The result: a sudden flank attack that collapsed the village's defenses with alarming ease.
With elite Goblins now inside, striking from within, it was clear that even the front defenses would soon crumble.
"Evacuate the women and children through the back gate, immediately!"
The chief shouted until his voice broke. His cry was choked with grief, tears streaming down his wrinkled face.
He knew that after today, their village would cease to exist. And whether any villagers could escape to survive remained a fragile hope.
"O divine beings, please save us."
No one knew who began the prayer, but soon, countless voices joined in desperate supplication. Yet no miracle appeared, only the sight of towering Goblins charging forth, intent on encircling the defenders.
Some villagers raised their weapons to block them, striving to prevent the Goblins from striking the fighters still engaged outside.
Several arrows flew toward the Goblins. However, each arrow was either blocked or swiftly dodged thanks to their quick reflexes.
Mounted on ferocious wild boars, the Goblins laughed scornfully at this final resistance.
To them, these humans were nothing more than prey struggling in vain before death.
The Goblin in ornate attire lifted both hands.
From his palms, a massive fireball formed and shot forward, aimed directly at the defenders.
The fireball exploded, effortlessly blasting away and killing the frail, helpless humans.
Their courage to protect their families meant nothing against the overwhelming might of the enemy.