Andeno chose the same route Yang Yu had taken two days earlier to hunt goblins.
That route was the most convenient way to reach the depths of Goblin Forest. Since the last major purge, goblins had been scarce along the forest’s outskirts, and goblin group activities were unheard of.
Two days ago, encountering twenty goblins at once, Andeno saw it as a clear sign of something significant.
In this world, various legends exist, one of which is about the Goblin Empire. Long ago, before the current three human kingdoms emerged, goblins had established an empire. They not only enslaved humans but also dragons, and their prosperity was unmatched.
However, their reign was so brutal that all races united to overthrow them. Over time, the goblin race dwindled and degenerated, scattered across several forests, their former glory lost.
Occasionally, goblins caused trouble, but ordinary D-rank adventurers could suppress them easily; they had become weak monsters.
Now, with goblins organizing group activities and causing many adventurers to disappear, they couldn’t be underestimated.
The most likely scenario was that a powerful leader had emerged among the goblins, uniting the various goblin tribes in the forest and organizing traps.
A worse possibility was that someone was manipulating the goblins. Controlling so many goblins would not be an easy task, and capturing the mastermind would be extremely difficult. Without dealing with the person behind the scenes, it was impossible to predict what further trouble they might cause.
The most dangerous scenario was the resurrection of an ancient goblin king or the loosening of ancient seals, signaling that the Demon King might soon return.
Contrary to Andeno’s thoughts, Yang Yu first considered the influence of the Demon King on the goblins.
Perhaps someone from the demon race had already crossed the seal of the Demon Gate and was disrupting this world, intending to plunge it into chaos so that when the Demon King arrived, he could easily take over before humans could react.
Small disturbances escalating was a common tactic of descending demon kings, so there was likely a mastermind behind this.
The mastermind would become one of the dark lines, but Yang Yu knew not to expose him too early. Otherwise, he would certainly be killed by the plot.
As for the plot of a powerful goblin rising to unify the tribes, Yang Yu found it unlikely.
A plain goblin leading a tribe to rise, coordinating traps, ambushes, and group hunts, and carefully planning to lure many adventurers into the forest—this was a plot only a genius with an IQ over 250 could pull off. If the goblin also found an ancient ancestor’s treasure, it would be a cliché overpowered protagonist storyline.
Would the next step be the goblin leading an army to attack cities, overthrow human rule, and restore the ancestors’ glory?
Yang Yu couldn’t believe such a plot would happen.
Walking cautiously through the forest, they saw rows of tall trees marked with cuts.
Adventurers had an unwritten rule: to prevent young adventurers from straying too deep into the forest, experienced adventurers would carve cross marks on trees with their weapons.
These marks weren’t foolproof because the forest’s ecosystem was dynamic. Occasionally, powerful monsters appeared outside the marked areas, but these were rare.
Regardless, seeing these marked trees indicated they had entered a dangerous zone and needed to proceed with caution.
“Everyone, stay alert. After entering the forest depths, stick close to the team. Never stray, never run off alone, and avoid unnecessary fights to conserve energy. These are the keys to a successful rescue. Remember them!”
Andeno’s booming voice was clear to everyone, and they immediately gathered together, following him cautiously.
Andeno wasn’t leading them aimlessly. Before entering the forest, the guild had assigned a mage instructor to use scouting magic from above. In the areas with sparse trees, no goblins were seen, leaving only the dense forest regions as potential goblin habitats.
Even now, the guild members, through the mage instructor’s crystal ball, closely monitored the rescue operation.
As the team reached a hill, the mage instructor’s crystal ball suddenly lost its image.
“Why did the image disappear?”
An onlooker grumbled, but before he finished, the crystal ball cracked and split in two.
“We’ve been discovered; someone conducted counter-reconnaissance.”
The mage instructor wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. His old face showed uncontrollable worry. High-altitude reconnaissance was one of his specialties, and few could block his vision.
But now, not only had someone blocked his view, but they had also shattered his tool, meaning…
“There is someone in the forest with magical perception equal to mine.”
Hearing this, the onlookers were shocked and silently prayed for the rescue team.
Meanwhile, Andeno sensed something was wrong, even though he didn’t know what had happened at the guild.
Suddenly, the ground began to tremble.
“What’s happening? An earthquake?”
The shaking intensified, and many adventurers struggled to stand, leaning against trees. Some scouts jumped down from tree branches to stabilize themselves, while a few others remained on guard, spotting the source of the tremor.
“A boulder larger than three trees combined is rolling towards us! Run! We can’t stop it; we’ll be crushed!”
A massive round boulder, over 50 meters in diameter, rolled through the forest, devouring everything in its path like a comet streaking across the sky.
The ground shook more violently. Some adventurers tried to run but fell to their knees once they left the support of the trees. The few determined ones used their weapons to drag themselves away from the danger zone.
Planting his feet firmly, Andeno clenched his fists, his clothes tearing to reveal his muscular body.
“Everyone, don’t panic! Those who still have strength, help me stop the boulder, or we’re all dead!”
With that, Andeno spread his arms wide. His strong back seemed to become the team’s last hope. Those who could stand joined him, placing their hands on his shoulders. Those who could cast buffs did so frantically, while others mimicked Andeno’s stance, embedding their feet into the ground to form a solid triangle.