Chapter 21: Close Quarters Combat

The three hurried through the forest, and when they neared the trap's trigger point, William raised his hand to signal the two. They quickly stopped, each hiding behind a tree trunk at a distance where they could support one another, inching forward cautiously. When they were less than a hundred meters from the triggered trap, they finally saw a goblin paralyzed and collapsed after stepping on a scout trap, and behind it, hundreds of goblins appeared densely in the forest.

Bulande and John hastily pulled back the parts of their bodies that had protruded from behind the tree trunks, their hearts pounding. For the two ten‑year‑old children seeing such a terrifying formation for the first time, their whole bodies tensed with nervousness, and they dared not make any movement that might produce a sound.

Fortunately, the training they had undergone these past months had been ingrained into their bones; otherwise, they would have immediately started shouting and running toward the village, likely being spotted and killed by the goblin army right away.

Compared to the two, William appeared much calmer, for in his previous life he had also witnessed the Demon King leading the demon army on a campaign; a few hundred goblins were not enough to frighten him, yet his mind was still complex at the moment.

At that time in his previous life, William was just an ordinary child who had awakened the magic of extinction; when the goblins first attacked the village, he fled together with the villagers toward Mobius Town.

His father David chose to stay behind alone in the village to cover the villagers' retreat, buying them time to escape; later David fell in battle, and his mother Helena was killed by goblins while working in the wheat fields during the goblin attack, leaving only William alive of the three.

Later William heard that after the goblin army looted Bigen Village, it continued toward Mobius Town; fortunately, a passing adventurer whom they thought strong repelled the goblin army, sparing Mobius Town from disaster.

He never imagined that in his previous life, his father would face a goblin army of hundreds alone, choosing to fight to the death instead of fleeing.

William gritted his teeth and thought: 'This time I will definitely change my father's fate!'

"William... hey... William!"

Bulande called William softly, but seeing William dazed and not hearing him, he repeatedly lowered his volume and called William a few more times before William finally turned his head to look at him.

He pointed toward Bigen Village and said, 'We should head back!'

William nodded at the two, but suddenly he saw Bulande's pupils dilate as he looked at him; before Bulande could speak, William realized something, drew his iron sword from the leather sheath at his waist, and as he dove forward in a forward roll, he swung a sword strike behind him.

"Watch out!"

"【Sword Strike】!"

The two actions were completed almost at the instant Bulande shouted.

The goblin that had been sneaking up behind William to ambush him, upon seeing that William and his companions were human children, had not intended to go all out; moreover, being an ambush, it was already off‑guard, and in an instant William's strike, carrying sharp sword qi, severed its head.

"Run!" William shouted at Bulande and John, not worrying about whether the distant goblin army would be startled.

Bulande and John were still stunned by William's instant counter‑kill of the ambushing goblin; upon hearing William's retreat order, they instantly regained their senses and, summoning their utmost speed, sprinted toward Bigen Village.

At that moment, the body and head of the goblin William had just cut down landed with a soft thud; the distant goblin army heard the humans' shout and looked over, seeing the fleeing silhouettes of the three human children and the fallen goblin scout's head and body after it had been split apart, and only then realized what had happened.

At the forefront of the goblin army, the Goblin Chief,

He immediately pointed toward the direction William and the others were fleeing and said, 'Ribbit, chirp‑chirp ribbit!'

From the goblin army emerged about ten gaunt goblins wielding daggers and without helmets, who pursued William and the two.

Ahead, John, who was retreating toward Bigen Village, asked William, 'Big brother William, what was that fast goblin just now? How did it get so close to you without us noticing?'

William replied while running, 'That is a goblin scout. Although goblins look similar, they have various divisions; that kind of scout is not good at frontal combat, but is fast and skilled at concealment, assassination, and traps.'

"Isn't that similar to the thief class among adventurers?" Bulande said.

"Exactly." William nodded, then suddenly sensed someone behind them giving chase; he looked back and indeed saw a dozen or so goblin scouts pursuing the three of them.

"Damn it."

William thought, 'At the moment I am taking Bulande and John's speed into account, I am not using my full speed.'

If he used his full speed to retreat, he would certainly not be caught by the goblin scouts, but he could not abandon Bulande and John; thus he made a quick decision and told them, 'Constant flight won't save us—prepare for battle, form a three‑person defensive stance!'

Upon hearing William's command, Bulande and John immediately stopped, drew their long swords, and the three stood back‑to‑back, raising their swords to guard ahead.

William faced the goblin scouts coming after them, his back to Bigen Village.

The dozen or so goblin scouts that had pursued them had not seen the strength revealed when William earlier felled a goblin scout with a single sword strike; now, seeing these three human children halt to fight them head‑on, they all sneered.

The leading goblin scout tilted its head slightly to signal its subordinates; immediately two dagger‑wielding goblins stepped forward, one taking position directly in front of William, the other moving to his rear.

Once the rear goblin was in place, the two goblins attacked William and his companions simultaneously.

Generally a goblin's strength is somewhat less than that of an adult human, but it is certainly far greater than that of a ten‑year‑old child.

Bulande and John, positioned at the left and right rear of the combat formation, now entrusted their backs entirely to William; facing the goblin scout charging at them, they both unleashed the sword technique William had taught them with full force:

"【Sword Strike】!", "【Sword Strike】!"

The force generated by swinging a sword exceeds that of waving a dagger; Bulande, who was slightly stronger of the two, blocked the goblin scout's dagger strike with his long sword, the impact resonating firmly, while that goblin scout was sliced in two at the waist by John's sword qi.

William, stationed at the front of the formation, did not meet the goblin's attack head‑on with his sword; instead, he waited for the right moment, thrust his sword and traced a circle with his arm, using skillful strength to deflect the goblin's dagger‑wielding hand, then seized the opening when the goblin exposed a flaw and thrust his sword through its heart.

William's reason for not choosing Bulande and John's all‑out killing method is entirely a habit from his previous life, when facing enemies more numerous than himself, he subconsciously conserved his magical power to the greatest extent.

The two goblin scouts collapsed at once, and Bulande and John exclaimed excitedly, 'William (big brother William), we've successfully killed a goblin!'

William immediately shouted loudly, 'Don't be careless! The enemy still has many numbers!'

Upon hearing that, Bulande and John's hearts jolted, and they instantly resumed their defensive stance.