Seeing the enemy's attack flying toward him, the commander did not falter but calmly advanced.
If he were alone, facing a Goblin Mage would still carry great risk.
Yet he was not alone. Their numbers completely overwhelmed the Goblins ahead.
A volley of arrows was released by the soldiers, all aimed straight at the Goblins.
The Goblin Mage, in particular, was targeted with an especially heavy barrage.
Its magic was greatly hindered by the rain of arrows. Only a few flames managed to reach the commander, but they posed no difficulty for him.
With his sword and agile movements, he easily cut them down.
Spurring his horse faster, the commander pressed forward toward the Goblins.
After using magic to block the arrows, the Goblin Mage quickly turned and urged its boar mount to flee.
The other Goblins, slower to react, failed to retreat in time. They were swiftly surrounded and struck down by the soldiers.
Leaving those Goblins to his men, the commander led a few mounted soldiers to pursue the dangerous Goblin Mage.
Their horses were faster than the boar, and soon they closed the distance.
Realizing escape was impossible, the Goblin spat curses while hurling more magic at its pursuers.
"BOOM"
A massive Fireball exploded, smoke and dust billowing thick to cover a wide area, obscuring all vision.
But before the Goblin could rejoice, it saw the commander charging through the flames and haze atop his steed.
Raising his sword, he cleaved apart the hastily conjured barrier the Goblin Mage had erected. His blade did not stop there; it swept onward in a graceful arc, cleanly severing the Goblin's head.
As the head flew through the air and rolled upon the ground, its twisted face remained frozen in disbelief, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
"Commander Luke, the remaining Goblins have all been dealt with.
One soldier suffered a minor wound to the arm, but there are no other casualties. Also, the villagers are pleading for us to aid those still fighting inside the village."
A subordinate quickly reported to the commander.
Luke: "Good. Any further information? Numbers of Goblins, villagers still inside?"
Soldier: "They said all the elderly and nearly all the men are still trapped. As for the Goblins, they first saw about a hundred."
Luke: "If they're only ordinary Goblins, that number we can handle. But if there are more Goblin Mages or too many Elite Goblins, it will be dangerous."
After pausing briefly in thought, he raised his voice to command:
"Leave ten men to guard the villagers here. The rest, follow me into the village."
"Understood!"
The soldiers responded in unison.
* * * * * * * * * *
Dan panted in exhaustion, then collapsed to his knees.
'This must be the end.' He thought despairingly.
Dan's ankle was badly bruised, the result of twisting it while frantically fleeing from the Goblins' pursuit.
His stamina had never been strong. Having fought against the Goblins earlier, then forcing himself to keep running despite the injury, his meager strength was quickly drained away.
From behind, Dan could hear the vile laughter of the Goblins.
Turning his head, he saw three of them advancing, each wielding crude wooden clubs, one of which was still stained with fresh blood.
Thinking of old woodcutter Sam's fate, Dan could not stop the tears streaming down his face.
"Stay away!"
Terrified of the death approaching, he cried out in despair, though he knew it was useless.
The Goblins, of course, paid no heed, nor did they understand his words. Instead, seeing his expression only made them more excited.
As the Goblins drew near and raised their weapons, Dan squeezed his eyes shut, clenched his teeth, and braced for the inevitable.
But the pain never came. Instead, he heard the Goblins groaning in agony.
Opening his eyes, Dan saw the Goblins lying on the ground, their bodies pierced with arrows.
"There's a survivor here!" A voice rang out.
Startled, Dan turned to see a squad of fully armed soldiers approaching.
Realizing that rescue had arrived, Dan broke down in tears once more, this time tears of joy and relief.
* * * * * * * * * *
The Goblins fled in fear.
Not long ago, they had been the hunters chasing their prey. But once the fully armed soldiers entered the village, the situation immediately reversed.
The scattered Goblins were easily hunted down in groups, one after another.
With the vast difference in skill, experience, discipline, and equipment, the ordinary Goblins stood no chance.
Especially since their strongest had already been surrounded and slain outside the village.
Seeing no special Goblins left within, Luke quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Yet when he saw the countless corpses of villagers scattered everywhere, he could not help but frown.
'In the end, we were still a little too late.' Luke thought bitterly.
At that moment, the anguished scream of a Goblin cut through his thoughts.
Pulling his spear from the corpse of the Goblin he had just slain, a soldier turned and reported: "Commander, this was the last group."
Luke: "Split up and check if any villagers are still hiding. Gather everyone quickly so we can leave at once."
"Yes, sir."
. . .
"This is the report from the evacuation teams, sir."
Captain Marcus took the paper from his aide and read it.
The report was brief; he quickly finished and passed it to Bishop Peter and Guildmaster John so they could also see.
Reading the contents, both Bishop Peter and John frowned.
John: "Just as we feared. Many nearby villages have been attacked by scattered Goblin forces."
Thinking of the villages reported to be completely devoid of survivors, Bishop Peter silently clenched his fists.
Captain Marcus: "In any case, the evacuation is complete. Dwelling on it further will do no good. What we must do now is focus on the greater threat approaching."
Bishop Peter and John nodded. The three of them began to discuss in detail what needed to be done next.