Return of the Fallen Vol1 Ch37
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Author: Blue_Rat
ch37
After traveling for nearly 2 hours, Rust at the front led everyone through mountainous terrain into a swampy muggy landscape. The land was a bit difficult to trek through in the beginning because of the quagmires scattered about in every direction. With the boggy footing giving way with nearly every step the muddied soft ground impeded movement and they would momentarily be mired in place from a misplaced foot in the mud.
The air was humid and thick with a sour foul smell, similar to rotting food or animal excrement. No matter which way you looked there were always small movements in your peripheral vision, caused by small animals scurrying about in fear of the foreign human invaders. Constant noises echoed in the distance from every direction. Some of the sounds came from the skittering of insects and normal whistles of the blowing wind, while other, more sinister, noises were from the roars of territorial magic beasts battling it out with one another.
Rust had a few soldiers scout ahead so their group could avoid the more dangerous creatures should they spot them.
Kimi and Danny were a bit fidgety as they looked around at their eerie surroundings. Asuna wasn’t fully clear on what Garn meant when it came to space magic but after teleporting she was starting to see a path for herself and her doubts were slowly fading away.
Shin was brimming with excitement, just itching to try out his moves, while Sam just looked bored. Kazuki, on the other hand, was determining how much skill he should show and when exactly he should hold himself back. With the training he had received from his Master back on Earth, besides Master Garn and Rust, Kazuki had no doubt that he could take every person here with ease.
The soldiers had inscription tattoos which enhanced their bodies physically with magical energy but Kazuki was faster, stronger and had the superior fighting technique. Even the Mages wouldn’t last against him if he got in close. The only person he was unsure of was Alice, Garn’s pupil. Besides Garn, she was the only other person who could take to the skies. If she were to fly out of reach and then rain down some lightning upon Kazuki, the results would be obvious but if Kazuki could get to her before then, then the opposite would be true.
Kazuki thought about this not because he was planning on attacking them but rather this was something he usually did. He would regularly measure himself against others and play out scenarios in his mind so he could plan ahead if things took a turn. Of course no matter how much he thought about what could happen there was no actual way to determine what would happen.
A few minutes later and the scouts returned one by one.
“Sir Rust, I report no activities to the west, all is normal.”
“Commander, there were two magical beasts to the north fighting but they were the lowest rank, that is all.”
“Commander Rust, all is normal to the south.”
“Sir Rust, there is a large swarm of Lodian Wasps gathering from the east but they seem to be moving away from us.”
Rust and Master Garn consulted with one another.
“Hmm, we’ve only just arrived but our entrance has already been cut off by those annoying wasps. Rust, what do you think?”
Rust rubbed his chin in thought.
“Well, the wasps are annoying but they don’t seem to be headed in our direction. If things get too difficult ahead of us, as long as the swarm isn’t too big, you or even Alice can burn right through them in a matter of moments. The danger shouldn’t be too bad but if worst comes to worst we’ll simply go around them. For now, I say we head south and avoid all the dumb shit. I know of a small goblin nest to the south anyway, and it’s still on the outskirts as you wanted. What do you say, old man?”
Garn thought about it.
(If it’s just a small swarm all should be fine, but it’s better to be on the safe side.)
“I’ll follow your suggestion, Rust, we’ll head south towards the goblin nest.”
Rust smiled wide.
“Haha, good good. I’ll keep a few scouts on constant patrol just in case.”
Rust sent a few scouts back out and the group headed south.
As the group traveled through the boggy landscape Danny was curious and asked.
“Sir Garn, what exactly are Lodian Wasps and why do we need to avoid them like this?
Garn’s face twisted slightly.
“Nasty little bastards. Lodian Wasps are a wasp an inch or so big. individually they are not particularly dangerous, but when gathered in a swarm they can easily kill. Those little freaks have sharp teeth like metal and their bites are strong enough to tear into flesh. Which for them is perfect because they are carnivores and tend to attack anything that moves. Not only that, they’ll also sting you and poison you a little, the wound from a sting turns slightly purplish red, swells up, and causes muscle tissue to slowly decay. Without proper preparation, it’s better to turn tail and flee if you come upon them.”
Danny’s shoulders trembled hearing Garn describe them. Garn thought for a moment and thought to inform them of the other dangerous in the Mirian Swamp.
“The dangers don’t stop there. When it comes to the Mirian swamp death lurks everywhere. Whether it be large Numachi lizards 7 feet in length, venomous snakes, Goblins, Crocodiles, Yari bats, Kroto Birds and more. These are just the ones on the outskirts, it doesn’t even cover the Magical beasts further in. Oh, and I’ve already mentioned poisonous gas, right. There are pockets of gas trapped deep underground but every now and again they escape to the surface through the ground and water. The properties within this gas can render you unconscious in a matter of minutes, maybe even give you a slight fever and make you sick. This might not sound too bad but being unconscious in this environment is as good as dead.”
The already terrified Danny and Kimi squeezed their weapons tighter and tighter in their hands as they unconsciously got closer and closer next t Garn.
About 20 minutes later and the group stopped and peered out from behind some trees. About 50 feet away they spotted a dozen huts made from nothing more than sticks and mud.
Outside of a few huts, 13 or so goblins hung around either eating or making the odd grunting noises as they communicated with one another.
Asuna and the others stared curiously at them. The image they had in their heads and what they saw in front of them was both on point and off at the same time. Typical to a fantasy game or anime, the goblins were a pale green. Their heights were around 3 to 4 feet and their frames were small. They had pointed ears and sharp protruding teeth but that was basically where the similarities to anime and the like ended.
Their eyes resembled something more akin to cat pupils, suggesting night vision. Their arms were thick for their small frame and hung all the way to the ground like an ape. Their necks hunched forward heavily, almost hiding the fact that they had necks in the first place. Their skin was scaly and appeared rough like leather. The noses that one would expect to see elongated or hooked were instead nonexistent. Like a skull, there was simply two small slits in the face for a nose.
Kimi covered her mouth and whispered.
“Disgusting.”
Although she was quiet, a few of the goblin’s ears twitched and they grew alert. That’s when one of the goblins spotted something and emitted a low roar.
*Euroar*
All eyes focused in the direction of Kazuki’s group and the goblins began to scramble as they grabbed their weapons and charged forward.
Garn stepped out from behind cover.
“They’ve spotted us. Young heroes, you will take the lead. Mages spread out but remain in cover, soldiers, you each guard a hero. Now fight.”
With 3 scouts patrolling the swamp the remaining soldiers with Rust included totaled 7. Rust stood back and watched which left just enough soldiers to guard the heroes man for man.
Kazuki and the others stepped out and waited for the enemy to come to them. With their short stubby legs, it took longer than expected which brought a sense of relief to Danny.
(Thank god, they’re slow.)
Not only were they slow but the weapons they used were all the same, thick clubs made from wood.
With these simple thoughts, Danny prepared to swing his sword at the approaching goblin. The goblin appeared before Danny and lifted its heavy club. Danny stepped in and slashed his sword down diagonally. The goblin, though, was prepared and with its low center of gravity, it pivoted and ducked out of the way of Danny’s slash.
“What, how!?”
Danny had missed and the goblin was in striking distance.
*Thud*
The goblin swung with its full power and its heavy wooden club smashed into Danny’s side like a sledgehammer.
Danny’s body was blown back several feet and he crashed hard on his back.
Everyone saw this, and Asuna and the others wanted to immediately rush over and help, but they were dealing with their own opponents. The goblin ran over to lay another strike when a solid kick came from the side.
*Thud*
The soldier in charge of defending Danny kicked the Goblin back before yelling at Danny.
“Get your ass up! I’ll protect your life and prevent you from being too wounded but everything else is up to you. Now get up.”
Asuna and the others were stunned. They thought that with the soldiers here protecting them, that that meant everything was guaranteed for them but the reality was harsher than they imagined. With this sudden proclamation from Danny’s protector, it seemed the guards would only protect them up to a certain point, for everything else they were on their own.
Asuna and Kimi swallowed hard but there was no room for complaint right now. All they could do was fight.
Danny grunted painfully as he rolled over on his stomach. In his mind, he continually repeated.
(This is real, this is actually real.)
Hearing his guard’s harsh words, Danny forced himself to get up. His side hurt tremendously but other than that he was OK. His breathing was steady and he could still feel plenty of strength in his body. Picking his sword back up he stared the goblin down hard.
(This is the real thing.)
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