Small monsters such as goblins and kobolds always gather in specific places.
These places will have water nearby and provide protection from wind and rain.
There are several caves that meet these conditions in the mountains near Azka Village.
The location of these caves is well known to villagers, and people who travel to the mountains to collect firewood and herbs usually avoid approaching them unintentionally.
The place we are heading to is also one of these caves.
It has been a week since the ban on independent practice of body strengthening magic was lifted. Today is a monster subjugation led by Mr. Zeol and about fifteen of the larger men in the village.
The targets are small monsters with strong fecundity, such as goblins and kobolds.
By the way, if we find ferocious monsters that are not usually found in the nearby mountains, we will fight against them.
Food naturally becomes scarce in mountainous areas during winter.
The season for fruits and nuts is over, and it’s time for true winter and the ground is covered with snow.
If you can plant crops, harvest and preserve food from spring to autumn like the people in the village, you can survive the harsh winter. But the goblins are not that wise.
When there is insufficient food in the mountainous areas, they are likely to come down the mountain in search of food, posing danger to the village.
In fantasy works, it is common for goblins to use human women as incubators, which is impossible in this world.
To Goblins, both men and women are equal prey and food.
Larger adult males such as werewolves and oxmen may be able to fight goblins and kobolds alone, but this is only in one-on-one situations.
If they are attacked by a group of three or four, they may not be able to deal with it, let alone children, even one-on-one.
The houses in Azka Village are not as dense as the residential areas in Tokyo.
For example, even if one family is attacked by goblins, the other families may not notice.
In fact, there have been cases in the past where families on the edge of the village were attacked and the whole family became goblin food.
To avoid this, goblin and kobold colonies near villages need to be fought.
This morning, when we were gathering in front of the village chief’s house to set out, I had a dispute with others about my companions.
The participating villagers expressed concerns about my safety, and Miguel started clamoring to come with me.
"Bringing Hua Wuming is not to let him participate in the battle. It is to let him run back to the village to deliver a message when something happens. He is very agile and often collects herbs in the mountains, so he is familiar with moving around in the mountains. Moreover, Hey Hua Wuming, show them your running."
After hearing Mr. Zeol's explanation, the villagers had doubtful expressions on their faces, but they wanted me to show how fast I could run using body-strengthening magic.
With the use of body enhancement, with 30% of the strength, the speed increased by 40 to 50% compared to the usual full-out running. Everyone's eyes widened in surprise.
"How about it? This speed is enough for you to escape from the chaotic battlefield. Of course, you must be fully prepared before taking action, but you cannot ignore the unexpected situation. Hua Wuming, we are taking him with us for this purpose."
After watching me run, the adults didn't raise any objections, but Miguel's dissatisfaction did not subside.
Why do you only take care of me and let me teach him body strengthening magic and so on? He has been complaining, but now he is hit by the lack of strength shown and can only remain silent.
It is a long-standing tradition to defeat monsters before winter comes, but it is said that there have been injuries and even deaths. However, since Mr. Zeol came to the village, there have been occasional injuries, but deaths have not happened again.
Even if you take Miguel with you, there should be no problem, but since you are not going to have fun, you cannot increase the instability, and Mr. Zeol did not agree.
The adult villagers participating in the crusade were equipped with leather armor, hand armor, and leg armor, and their weapons were spears and machetes.
When dealing with goblins, basically use a spear to attack from a distance and keep them away, but if you are approached, use a machete.
When I asked why they used machetes instead of swords, everyone said that they were used to using machetes for work such as chopping firewood, and that machetes have thick blades that are not easy to break or bend.
Moreover, the machete itself has weight, so even if it cannot cut off, it can still cause damage to the enemy's bones.
By the way, I only carry a knife that fits the body, and it seems to have zero combat effectiveness, but if it is a weapon, I can make it with null attribute magic.
For today, I have been practicing making spears and daggers in an instant, but I am afraid that Mr. Zeol will not allow me to participate in the battle.
After setting off from the village and walking for about two hours, Mr. Zeol signaled to the rear to stop.
It seemed that they were approaching the cave where goblins and other people gathered.
"From here on, don't talk nonsense, try to be quiet and don't make any noise."
Up to this point, the adults in the village had walked away happily, but now they had tense expressions on their faces.
Although they were well prepared, they were desperately trying to save their lives. If the goblins were allowed to escape, the entire village, family, and friends would be in danger.
Hiding among tree trunks and shrubs, he approached quietly. There were about five goblins in front of the cave.
Three of them looked like children.
"You are a little devil born in spring. Don't be merciful. If you don't want to be killed by them, you have to think about killing them."
Mr. Zeol took two deep breaths, and then threw out the spear in his hand. The spear pierced the chest of a goblin with a silver light.
Then, he quickly picked up the next spear and threw it, also aiming at a goblin and impaling it.
"Go! Surround them! Don't let any of them escape!"
"good!"
The villagers took up their spears and formed a semicircle to surround the entrance to the cave.
For the goblin that flew out after hearing the sound, one person stabbed it in the body with a spear, and the others stabbed it in the neck and other vital parts.
Although they are usually engaged in farm work or raising livestock, their participation in many expeditions has allowed them to master the skills.
These formations and coordination must have been guided by Mr. Zeol.
The six goblins that flew out were quickly slaughtered. There seemed to be some left in the cave, and warning howls were heard.
"Okay, let's start smoking!"
After Mr. Zeol gave the order, the men of the village lit the straw bales they had brought and threw them into the cave.
“In the name of the goddess Fatima, let the wind blow!”
Someone who can use wind magic blows wind into the cave.
"Be prepared to fight at any time."
The straw burned and the cave filled with smoke.
Soon after, coughing sounds were heard, and the goblins crawling out of the cave one after another fell victim to spears.
After the number of goblins defeated exceeded twenty, no more goblins climbed out of the cave.
Despite this, the villagers surrounding the cave entrance still kept their expressions wary.
"Okay, leave six people on guard while the others begin to disintegrate."
Mr. Zeol ordered that except for the six people who remained on guard, the others began to disintegrate the goblins. The first job was to dig holes to burn firewood.
Although during the crusade, the smell of blood filled the air, once it began to disintegrate, the smell of blood would become even stronger.
In order to prevent other monsters from being attracted by the smell, the person burning the wood will communicate that someone is using fire.
With the exception of some, monsters seem to be afraid of fire, and the smell of smoke is a basic way to repel monsters.
"Hua Wuming, do you want to try?"
"Is that okay? Then please teach me."
The centaur male who asked me for advice, I remember, was the father of Miguel's henchman Dareth.
More than just helping, I think he didn't want to get his hands dirty.
"Hua Wuming, do you have a knife?"
"Yes. Because it is a sword made of void magic, it shouldn't be obvious at first glance."
I used the magic knife to slightly cut the goblin's skin, and Dareth's father half-opened his mouth in surprise.
By the way, the upper body, except for the face, is wrapped in rubber-like soft air.
It feels like disposable gloves and surgical gowns. As long as you wear it, it doesn't matter if blood spatters.
The biggest reason for dismantling the goblins was for the magic stone. Because the magic stone is located near the heart, there will naturally be a lot of bleeding, but there is no need to worry about soiling the hair that one is proud of.
Under the guidance of Dareth's father, I continued to dismantle the goblins.
First, I made a horizontal cut at the lowest rib, reached in and took out the magic stone.
"It's right next to the heart. To pull that out is to cut it open."
"Oh, this is the magic stone"
The magic stone, which is slightly smaller than an egg, is turbid and dark green in color.
The magic stone has different colors depending on the monster. The kobold's magic stone is burnt brown.
I asked to try dismantling another goblin, and the other adults gave it to me without hesitation, since they didn't have to get their hands dirty.
I wanted to take the opportunity to take out the heart, but the magic knife attracted attention, so it seemed a bit difficult this time.
In order not to attract other monsters nearby, he washed the magic stone and rinsed off the blood on his hands, then released the air wrapping his body, allowing his proud hair to return to its original state.
In the midst of the goblins where we disintegrated, Mr. Zeol and the others had finished cleaning the inside of the cave.
The goblin who took out the magic stone was buried in a hole dug with earth magic and burned together with the fallen wood.
Although it was not completely reduced to ashes, it was burned to the point where monsters and beasts would no longer look at it, and then buried with soil mixed with absinthe powder.
The surroundings and interior of the cave were sprinkled with wormwood powder, and the crusade was over.
When we walked down the mountain and returned to the village, the sun had already disappeared over the ridge.
