The Infinite Bk. 01 Ch. 05

Succession

Noah and Tin, having fully recovered from the springburn sickness, set out early on a beautiful day. Summer was upon them, so the mornings had lost much of their chill, though everyone paid for it in sweat later in the day. Unlike before, when they roamed aimlessly through the woods to hunt monsters, they had a specific location in mind. Noah had heard rumors of an abandoned mine that was taken over by goblins. A hive, a nest, a colony, whatever it could be called, it spelled trouble for the village. Goblins ate and bred like rats, so if they managed to find a good place to dig in, they could bolster their numbers in very little time. They had claimed the area several times before and had to be flushed out, and while attempts had been made to seal or destroy the mine, the goblins always found a way back in.

They were following one of the maps Noah had bought, with several pieces of advice written down that he had received from other adventurers. It would take a day to reach the mine, so they exercised restraint and avoided fighting monsters whenever possible. Hopefully this mine would be a great source of revenue in scavenged weapons, meaning it would be best to travel light and not gather along the way.

They arrived at the mine early in the morning of the following day. Finding a safe place to set up camp had been difficult, for this was the territory where the goblins roamed. The mine was carved into the base of one of the small mountains. At one time, it might have been a fairly decent operation. There were plenty of signs of the buildings that would have stood around it, now reduced to piles of kindling. There had once been a wooden shack built around the entrance, sort of like an airlock, perhaps to keep the rain out some time ago, but it was just a rickety skeleton now. Many of the materials and abandoned equipment were harvested to construct weapons and barriers for use against intruders, with a handful of goblins keeping a constant watch.

Noah and Tin were hiding nearby, scouting the entrance. "You wait here and I'll take out the guards. I'll wave you over when it's all clear."

"Yes, Master."

Noah concealed himself and advanced towards the mine. He counted seven goblins in total. One was on the roof of the shack erected around the entrance, perched like an owl with a bow in hand. Two more were sitting on the wooden walls at the perimeter of the camp. The remaining four were at the entrance, though they were preoccupied with a game of dice.

Noah went for the one no one would notice, the sniper above. He approached the entrance without a care in the world, invisible and inaudible to the goblins keeping guard, but that would change. The only way to the sniper was to climb up onto the roof of the shack, but it was so weathered and fragile, it looked like it couldn't support more than the weight of one goblin. However, it was worth taking the risk. He reached the side of the shed and began the climb, using the mossy cliffside as a secondary ladder to help minimize the weight he put on the old wooden boards.

He was careful with every placement of his hands and feet, so as to disturb as little as possible. His illusion would conceal the marks he made, but only within a certain range. He had experimented with Tin's help, finding that footprints would be revealed after ten steps, so he had to stay within that range to keep them within his illusion. Besides, if he ended up ripping a board right out of the wall, his illusion might not be able to conceal it. The climb was difficult. The wood of the shack had frayed over the years and riddled his hands with splinters, while the hard clay on the cliff crumbled and made it difficult to get a solid hold. Regardless, he managed to climb up onto the roof.

The roof itself was like thin ice, and if he ended up breaking through or snapping any of the beams, the goblin would surely feel it, even if he couldn't hear it. Noah pulled a rock out of the cliff and threw it into the foliage in the distance. The goblin perked its head at the noise, and in that instant, Noah closed in and stabbed it in the back with his short sword. It died before it could even voice its pain.

Noah left it sitting there and climbed off the shack, then snuck over to the two goblins sitting away from the entrance. They looked bored as can be, struggling to stay awake. Noah approached the first one, leaning against one of the wooden walls. He dispatched it with his knife, striking the base of the brain stem. The wound was small and the goblin simply went limp, never feeling a thing. To its friends, it would look like it had simply dozed off. Noah slew the other goblin the same way, without creating any noise or disturbances.

Finally, he approached the entrance, where the four were still gambling. He stood over them, the sun passing through him perfectly and its rays illuminating their game. He selected his longsword for this, even doing a few practice swings to figure out the reach and force required. When he was satisfied, he gave a mighty slash, beheading all four beasts at once. Their bodies dropped to the ground and Noah released his spell, then waved Tin over.

As he stood guard, she searched the bodies, and for each one, cut off their right ear. Most monsters had some useful body part that could be sold, like their hides for clothing or their meat as food, but aside from collectors of grotesqueries like skulls and other things to put on display, nothing about the goblin was sellable. However, since they were such a nuisance, their species had an ongoing bounty. The local baron would pay adventurers for every goblin they killed, and their right ears were the proof. The goblins also sometimes carried valuables, such as weapons, candles, and even coins. Tin searched them all, and whatever goods she collected went into her backpack.

"Ready to go in?" Noah asked.

Tin nodded. "I'll follow you wherever you lead, Master."

From her pack, she drew a lantern and lit it. Noah would lead, but she would provide the light. This meant that he couldn't simply disappear and leave her at a safe distance while he picked off the goblins one by one. He needed her right beside him so that he could see what he was doing, and would have defeat the goblins drawn to the light.

They entered the mine, and were immediately assailed by the stench. This was the first time Noah or Tin had ever seen a goblin nest, so the smell was new to them. It reeked of sewage and rotting meat, much of the latter probably human.

"This air might be toxic. Tell me if you start getting dizzy, because if one of us loses consciousness, we're both doomed."

They delved into the mountain with Tin lighting Noah's way. Everywhere, there were the remains of animals that the goblins had eaten, picked down to the bone. In a way, the goblins provided a valuable service to the ecosystem. Because monsters and animals spawned both organically and through magic circles, the landscape should have been buried under all of their corpses. Instead, the scavenging beasts would take their finds to their den, continuously sweeping the forest clean.

They soon came upon the first branch chamber, just like in an anthill. It was small, about the size of an average bedroom. Inside, several goblins were sleeping atop a mountain of pelts. Most of them were female or younglings. It wasn't proper sport to kill such prey while they slept, but this was an extermination job, so things like honor held no meaning.

"It would probably be better if you didn't watch this," Noah whispered to Tin. "Look away and listen for any approaching."

She did as ordered, a mournful look on her face as she averted her eyes while keeping the light of the lantern focused into the chamber. Noah drew his short sword and began stabbing the monsters in their sleep. Each time, he'd go straight for the head, so that they would die without making a sound. He was steady, methodical, taking them out one by one with none of his victims even suspecting a thing. It was unnervingly easy, and when he was done, he harvested their ears.

"Master!"

Noah heard it with a monstrous shriek. He ran back out into the tunnel as a goblin charged from deeper within, armed with a wooden spear. Noah pushed Tin out of the way of its first thrust, then sliced off the top of its head with a strike to the temple. More must have heard its cry, because another two goblins came running at them.

The first that tried to approach swung at Noah with a large dagger. He stepped out of its range and kicked goblin in the chest, nearly sending it flying. The second blocked the swing of his sword with a wooden club, but he forced it against the wall and drove his knife into its chest. Leaving it to die, he returned to the first, struggling to breathe, and ended its life with his sword.

"Master," Tin said, handing him a damp rag. He used it to wipe the blood off his hands while she looted the corpses.

They moved further on down into the tunnel, finding it expand into a larger chamber and fork out. There was still plenty of mining equipment, but much of it was being used to hang food from. The bodies of both humans and animals had been skinned and were being cooked over bonfires. The goblins were jumping around and squealing in delight as the smell of their feast wafted through the mine. Human flesh cooked over a fire, it was a smell that took Noah back to some dark timelines.

Tin gasped in horror at the sight and one of the goblins spotted them and squealed something in the goblin language. The dozen or so goblins in the chamber turned their attention to Noah and Tin and began to approach, armed with the blades used for butchering their food. They chanted the same squeal, probably something along the lines of "more meat!"

"Tin, stand back."

He summoned his clone and sent it running to the right side as if to flank them. The goblins paid no attention to the fact that their prey seemingly just split into two, and were drawn to the movement of the clone. With that opening, Noah attacked from their exposed side with his longsword and beheaded three of the beasts. The goblins, sensing the deaths of their comrades, turned their attention back to Noah and swarmed in. He kept them at bay with wide swings, while leaving his left side open to taunt them. One by one, they tried to attack from the apparent blind spot, but he would dispatch them before they could actually reach him. Any that got in close enough to attack found their weapons blocked by Noah's shield, and then his sword would slash at them from below and split their stomachs open.

Once their ranks had been cut in half, they began to retreat back to the bonfire. As this was their den, they didn't show their backs and instead tried to ward Noah off with threatening screeches. Their guard was raised, and while they were stupid, they wouldn't fall for the same tricks as the others.

Noah cast both of his spells, and while he had his clone remain where he was and pretend to be standing his ground. He snuck past the goblins and attacked from behind. He slaughtered three before the remainders noticed, but as they couldn't see him, they could do nothing but scream in confusion. They made it too easy for Noah to finish them off. Even though the chamber had gone quiet, he several moments before releasing his spells.

"All clear."

Tin went to work, gathering up valuables. The blades might be worth something to the blacksmith, but they'd had to wash the dried blood off them first. As Tin searched the goblin corpses, Noah looked around at the other bodies being stored here. There were plenty of freshly killed humans and animals that were waiting to be cooked, so it was possible that their pockets hadn't been picked yet. Noah dug through the pile of bodies, ignoring their stench, but one of them caught his attention.

It was a boy, a bit younger than him, and unlike the others, his limbs were bound. He wasn't cold like the others. Noah checked his neck, and while it was weak, he found a steady pulse. Wait a second, he had seen him before. Noah had gotten to know plenty of people around the town in the past month, and learned to recognize others. He often saw this boy with Beth and Mira, carrying a sword and dressed as an adventurer. They frequently ate together at the Old Wineskin. Noah assumed they recruited him to join their party.

"Tin, I found a survivor."

He retrieved a health potion from his pocket and poured it down the boy's throat. As it took effect, Noah examined him. His clothes were good quality, but still the kind used by outdoorsmen. He had a decent physique, showing signs of training and hard work, but while there were calluses on his hands, there were healing blisters from wielding a sword. He was probably a farmer, but came from money.

He at last woke up and looked around, struggling to see. Even with a bonfire nearby, this wasn't exactly the best place to wake up in.

"Where am I?"

"You're in a goblin den. I'm guessing they must have struck you in the head, giving you a nasty concussion. I gave you a healing potion, so your vision should probably clear soon. Hold on, I'll cut you loose."

He severed the boy's binds and helped him to his feet. For a moment, he seemed back in good condition, but as he looked around, he began to panic and hyperventilate, and Noah had to catch him before he could fall back down. Either this was entirely new to him, or he was realizing how close he was to the most gruesome of deaths.

"Calm down, everything is fine. I'm Noah and this is my subordinate, Tin."

"Did... did my father send you? Are you here to rescue me?"

"Your father? No, we're just here to kill goblins and steal their loot. How did they capture you?"

The boy seemed to be able to stand upright on his own, so Noah let him go, though he was struggling to remember. "I... was being trained in hunting by a local adventurer that my father hired. I had just shot a boar with my bow... then I felt a massive pain in the back of my head and blacked out."

"Your father, is he a noble?"

"Yes, Ivan Fault. The baron in charge of the town. I'm Oath Fault, the next head."

"Well, Oath, we'll help you get back to town as soon as we're done with this mine."

"This mine? What are you talking about? We have to get out of here! The goblins will be arriving any second!"

"I just finished taking care of a good number them, see?" Noah pointed to the bodies of his victims. "I'm confident in my abilities. Besides, it took a lot of effort to get here, so we're not leaving until our pockets are filled with goodies and we can barely walk. Tell me, do you have any talents? Can you use magic or any weapons?"

"I... I have some skill with a sword."

"Some, huh? So best case scenario, I can expect you to hold off a goblin that might sneak up on us from behind." Noah took off his backpack and forced it into Oath's hands. "Otherwise, you're my new pack mule."

"You can't be serious!"

"You have to pay off the potion I used on you, and consider it a down payment for us getting you back to town. There is food and water in the bag, you can eat while you walk. Tin, give me a sword." She handed him a chipped hand-and-a-half sword, taken from one of the goblins, and he gave it to Oath. "And I'm renting this to you, unless you would prefer to go unarmed. So, what do you say? Either do some work, or I can knock you out, steal your clothes, and sell them to cover the cost of that potion. Which is it going to be?"

"Fine, I'll help you," he muttered.

"Smart choice."

The three proceeded deeper into the mine with Noah taking point. Every few minutes, goblins would attack, desperate to defend their home. Noah dispatched each of them with a flurry of slashes and stabs, leaving Tin to collect the goods. Oath was understandably nervous, but it left him unable to even touch the slain gargoyles, so Tin ended up doing most of the work and just putting the finds in his bag. At the very least, he wasn't complaining. Noah eventually tasked him with collecting goods found in the tunnel, while Tin would stick to looting corpses.

"I've seen you with Beth and Mira at the inn. Aren't you an adventurer like them?" Noah asked.

"I used to be a farmer, I just started fighting monsters recently. I'm still not used to it. But this is incredible. I've never seen someone kill so many goblins singlehandedly."

"Well I can see how they might be able to get the drop on someone if they ambush with superior numbers, but when you face them head on, it's like fighting a group of ugly, feral children. Oh, speaking of which, I see another breeder."

The sight before them was nauseating, as what appeared to be a big green pig was nursing a litter of pint-sized little gremlins. While the male goblins went out into the forest to gather, the females would tend to the younglings. Despite being less than half a foot tall as newborns, they would reach full-size in just six months, hence their voracious appetites. Noah dispatched the breeder and stomped out the younglings, much to Oath's horror.

"They were just babies! They couldn't even fight back!"

"They wouldn't have been babies very long. In just a few months, they would be roaming the forest, killing whoever crossed their path and dragging them back here to be devoured. You and Tin are carrying packs full of the possessions of their victims. I'm not judging them for doing as nature commands them to, I'm simply dealing with a threat before it can become a threat." A thunderous roar made the three teens cover their ears and wince. "What the hell was that?"

"A hobgoblin," said Oath, "otherwise known as a goblin chief. They're a rare breed. I hear that only one out of ten thousand goblins can grow to become a hobgoblin. They're much bigger, smarter, and stronger than a regular goblin and can even learn magic. We need to get out of here, right now! It's heard the deaths of the younglings and is coming for revenge!"

"Perfect. He's probably hoarding the best stuff. Let's go."

"This is insane! The regular goblins may be weak, but hobgoblins are stronger than humans in every way!"

"Your issues are duly noted. I'm going after that chief, and if you run, you'd better hope that he kills me. Let's go."

Oath turned to Tin, hoping that she might speak up, but her expression was completely blank, as if she was daydreaming.

Noah set off towards the search of the noise, but they need not travel far, as their foe came to greet them from the depths of the mountain. It stood over six feet tall with a far more muscular form than the lower goblins possessed. Like them, it wore a loincloth, but it was also garbed in pieces of stolen armor, including a metal helmet. Looking over a pair of boar-like tusks protruding from his mouth, he glared at the intruders with indescribable hatred.

"You will suffer for the deaths of my kin!" he snarled.

"Huh, so it really is smarter. Oath, you remember your job, right? If any other goblins come, you have to deal with them."

He didn't bother waiting for a reply and stepped forward with his longsword in hand. The chief was armed with the same type of sword, though with a larger blade. On the battlefield, it would likely be used against cavalry, killing both riders and their horses with one slice. The chief thundered towards him with his sword raised high. His speed was certainly faster than a human's, and with the strength he was probably wielding, Noah didn't want to try his luck by blocking or parrying. He sidestepped when the cleave was made and attempted a sideways swing towards the goblin's head. It raised its hand, blocking with a metal arm guard, then forced him back.

It immediately closed the distance to make the same sideways swing Noah had, and with the sword's greater length, he didn't have the time or room to get out of the way. Instead, Noah rushed towards the sword to block it with his own. As the goblin straightened his arms, his swing would become more powerful, so he had to intervene at the earliest possible moment.