Chapter 388: Goblin Encounter [Part 1] Alex, Lumi, and Mark headed deeper inside the Ashenbark Forest. Mark was going to guide them to the location where many Hobgoblins had been spotted the past week or so. The Hunters of Oak Village concluded that this group of goblins had been defeated in a territorial war. To avoid clashing again with their victorious enemies, they had been forced to head outwards. This was a very common thing when it came to monster territories overlapping each other. There were times when these monster colonies would form an alliance, but if cooperation wasn’t an option, a turf war would start. The defeated monsters would be forced to leave if they wanted to survive. Just an hour after leaving the village, the three encountered Hobgoblin Riders riding on Dire Wolves. Alex believed the six riders to be either a hunting party or a scout party. The Hobgoblin and the Dire Wolves were both Rank 2 Monsters, which was a lethal combination because they both had speed, power, and some semblance of intellect. Although Alex was confident that he, Lumi, and Mark could defeat them, he decided to be cautious and remain hidden for the time being. "Lumi, can you scout the surrounding area to see if there are more than one group of Hobgoblin Riders?" Alex asked. "We’ll wait for you here." "Okay," Lumi replied before turning invisible. Since she had agreed to cooperate with Alex, she decided that she would follow his orders and play her part as a team member. ’It’s not because he treated me well in his dream that I’m doing this,’ Lumi thought as she passed through the trees in her ethereal form, making sure to check if there were any other Goblins nearby. In Alex’s subconscious, they had gone on a date. ’I’m doing this so that Latifa wouldn’t be sad if Alex got hurt,’ Lumi mused. ’He’s such a nuisance.’ As the young lady continued making excuses in her head, she came across a second group of Hobgoblins about a kilometer away from the first party. Continuing her scouting mission, she came across a third party. Luckily, that was the last sign of goblins in the vicinity. Nearly half an hour later, Lumi returned to Alex’s side after double checking the surroundings. She knew that if the goblins called for reinforcements, the battle might be disadvantageous to them in the long run. "So there are three Hobgoblin Rider Parties, each about a kilometer apart." Alex rubbed his chin. "I think we can manage." The young man was no longer the same person who had run away from goblins in the Floating Forest. He was now strong enough to deal with a group of Rank 2 Hobgoblin Riders with Dim Dim’s help. "Are you sure?" Mark asked. "Maybe we should just let them be." Alex shook his head. "I believe that it’s only a matter of time before the village is compromised. The fact that they have Hobgoblin Riders instead of regular goblins patrolling the area is proof that they are aware that there are humans in the forest. "Not doing anything in this situation might give the villagers a few days or a few weeks of safety. But once the Dire Wolves catch the scent of your Hunters, they can follow it all the way back to Oak Village. By then, it will be game over." Mark’s expression turned more grim because that was indeed the worst case scenario that they wished to avoid no matter what. "The best way to deal with this matter is to either eliminate the Goblin Nest or evacuate the villagers. If you give the goblins time to increase their numbers, they will be a greater threat than ever before." Alex understood that if there were Rank 3, Rank 4, or even Rank 5 or higher Goblin Types in the nest, a subjugation party from the Adventurer’s Guild was needed to deal with all of them. Unless Alex, Lumi, and all the able-bodied fighters of Oak Village worked as a group to raid the monsters’ camp, they would stand no chance of winning. This was why it was important to find the location of the Goblin Nest as soon as possible so that they could determine their next course of action. "Dim Dim, support us from above the trees," Alex ordered. "If you see any Goblins from that group that plan to escape, eliminate them at once." "Aye!" Dim Dim saluted and jumped off Alex’s head towards a tree branch. It then made its way towards a good vantage point and waited for Alex, Lumi, and Mark to initiate combat. "Lumi, attack them from the rear while I distract them," Alex said. "Mark, prioritize targeting the Dire Wolves instead of the Goblins. The Goblins will be easier to deal with without their mounts." The two nodded in understanding. Lumi once again turned invisible and headed to where Dim Dim was, ready to strike the moment Alex came charging in. As Alex and Mark moved closer, the young man summoned Everguard and Sacrament in preparation for battle. When they were close enough, Mark moved a good distance away from Alex so that he could snipe the enemies from a safe location. Once everyone assumed their positions, Alex activated his Shield Charge to close the distance between him and the leader of the Hobgoblins. "Shield Charge!" The moment he took action, the Hobgoblin Riders were immediately alerted. When Alex was only a few meters away, he activated another skill that would make his Shield Charge hurt more than ever before! "Shield Spike!" Steel spikes sprouted on Everguard’s surface, giving additional damage equal to 100% of Alex’s Strength Stat. The shield then slammed against the head of the Hobgoblin Leader’s Dire Wolf. The wolf cried out in pain before slamming into a nearby tree and falling forever silent. Its rider fell from its back, only to get clobbered by Alex’s Warhammer. This was just the beginning. As the other Hobgoblins charged at Alex with the intention to kill and avenge their fallen comrade. He, on the other hand, held his ground, ready to face these ugly creatures and eliminate them as fast as he could.