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Chapter 30: At the Forbidden Grounds, The Beginning of the Journey (3)

Arzen followed the party, crossing the northeast path.

The early morning mist that had faintly brushed against their noses gradually lifted as the crimson dawn emerged.

It wasn’t exactly peaceful.

Jerome kept grumbling every time the cart got stuck on a root or rock.

“Ugh, a road like this in the 16th century is beyond ridiculous. It’s enough to make you curse. My hometown had paved roads everywhere more than a hundred years ago.”

Without turning around, Sia, who was walking at the front with Kitan, replied,

“This whole area is designated as a restricted zone, so a lot of places are inconvenient to travel through.”

“Why is that?”

“If everyone could easily come and go, it wouldn’t be called a \'restricted zone,\' would it? The idea is to make it as inaccessible as possible, starting with the surroundings.”

“Knowing that, and still accepting a job in this kind of place... if this was your way of taking out your anger on me, then I have to say I’m impressed.”

“How should we deal with this Dwarf?”

The party took six breaks each day.

One for breakfast, snacks, lunch, snacks, dinner, and more snacks.

Arzen narrowed his eyes.

“Why are there three snack times?”

“They’re important to me, Arzen!”

“Don’t be surprised. I already cut it down from the original six snack times.”

The food consisted of field rations—corn and jerky.

For lunch, they managed to cook an oatmeal stew, but from dinner onwards, as they entered the operation zone, they couldn’t light any fires.

Sia sniffed the air and scrunched her nose.

“There’s a smell of blood nearby. Let’s camp here for the night and go hunt goblins at dawn.”

Arzen, chewing on some jerky, glanced at Sia.

‘What Kitan said is bothering me.’

Apparently, her former party leader had been either a priest or a paladin.

He wanted to ask her which miracles were better.

But he held back, worried he might come across as too pathetic.

‘All I need to do is start showing them the overwhelming worth of Arzen from now on!’

Arzen was on the last night watch.

Thus, he curled up in his blanket and quickly fell asleep.

It must have been a long day, for fatigue weighed heavily on him.

“Arzen, Arzen, wake up.”

He had only just closed his eyes, or so it seemed, when Sia shook him awake with her foot.

He squinted. It still appeared to be the middle of the night, and he was annoyed.

Arzen’s watch didn’t begin until 4 a.m., and with the moon high in the sky, it was far too early.

Plus, if he remembered correctly, Sia was supposed to take the first watch. So there was only one reason.

“Do you want me to go to the bathroom with you? That’s a bit... I’m really tired. Can I be excused from this waste-related duty?”

Smack!

Arzen rubbed the large lump that had appeared on the top of his head as he sat up.

With the sleepiness shaken off, the surroundings came into clearer view.

Kitan and Jerome were already up, gathering their equipment.

“Can’t you hear that sound?”

Sia, sensing Arzen’s confusion, jerked her chin toward the eastern forest path.

“Sound?”

Arzen tilted his head and listened, then jumped in alarm.

“Heard it, faint but clear.”

It was the sound of screams.

Though the other noises were too far to make out, the varied pitches suggested a sizable group.

“Could it be goblins...?”

At Arzen’s muttering, Sia nodded.

“If they’re causing this much havoc, it’s probably not goblins, but if we help in a raid like this, the contribution payout is 1.8 times the usual.”

“!”

“Let’s hurry before someone else gets ahead of us.”

Arzen whistled softly to himself.

‘As expected, this woman’s ability to manipulate is on par with mine—maybe even better!’

In a world where it’s easier to trust those who are straightforward, it\'s often people like her who earn trust in this field.

‘The contribution system was originally created to distinguish adventurers from mercenaries.’

It was supposed to measure if adventurers were genuinely helping others… but in reality, it\'s become a tool for people like them to exploit.

‘Honestly, this is nothing compared to what the Divine Guillotine gang used to do... They’d deliberately lure monsters toward villages just to stage a situation like this.’

The system certainly needed reform. However, since the benefits outweighed the negatives, no one dared touch it.

In short, it was easier to trust someone who’s honest about their instincts than someone who pretends to be altruistic with empty ideals.

“Hold on.”

Kitan, who was leading the way, suddenly crouched down. The rest of the group immediately followed suit, lowering their shoulders.

“There’s a fort ahead. Goblins inside.”

“A fort?”

“That’s interesting. It’s my first time seeing one.”

By human standards, it was a pitiful excuse for a fort.

It was about as tall as Sia, and barely large enough to fit the four of them inside.

It was more of a watchtower than a proper fort.

Still, it was shocking that goblins had constructed something like that at all.

“What’s the deal? Are they blocking the path? What about going around?”

At Arzen’s question, Kitan pointed to either side of the fort with his dagger.

“They’ve set traps. See? The dirt isn’t the same as the surface soil—it’s from underground. Plus, the way the leaves are scattered looks off, like they’ve been deliberately placed. Step there, and the ground will collapse.”

How would anyone notice that, you crazy fool?

Still, if he said so, it was true.

Kitan wasn’t the type to lie or exaggerate.

“So, basically, we just need to destroy it, right? Let’s show these goblins, with their primitive construction, that Dwarven engineering is the best in the world.”

As Jerome began assembling his rifle, Sia raised a hand.

“Wait, let’s take it slow. Gunfire’s too noisy.”

“What do you suggest?”

“Ahem, ahem, hmhm, heh-hrm!”

Arzen cleared his throat theatrically, drawing everyone’s attention.

“You? You’re going to handle it?”

Sia’s gaze held a knowing look, as if it was obvious that Arzen would step up. He felt a thrilling sense of superiority.

‘There’s no way she would’ve asked her old party leader for something like this.’

What mattered more than the request itself was establishing a distinctive image.

‘Little by little, I’ll make sure that no one can be satisfied without me, Arzen!’

There’s only one healer in the world who can wield the Power of the Void—*me*, Arzen!

“I don’t know your name, I don’t know your face, but I’ve definitely won this round!”

Engulfed in overwhelming superiority, Arzen cheerfully chanted the words of the Void\'s invocation.

“Kaz tu Arcturas! Come forth, my worker bees!”

At his command, the Void tore through dimensions, summoning entities from the depths of oblivion.

‘A fort like that… three will do just fine.’

He called forth exactly three void bees and closed the dimensional rift.

“Handle it.”

The worker bees, trained for battle, commanded their swarm from the air, moving into a vertical dive unseen by the goblins below.

Kitan and Jerome whistled in admiration.

“Wow, they attack like that?”

“They seem intelligent.”

It wasn’t long after the Void creatures infiltrated the watchtower when a silent scream reverberated across the area.

Kitan, sensing something, suddenly straightened up.

“They’re all dead. The presences vanished instantly! Arzen, that’s incredible!”

The worker bees returned to Arzen, landing delicately on his outstretched finger.

With the combat still ongoing, he decided to maintain the summoning.

“What in the world…”

Meanwhile, Sia squinted at the decimated remains of the watchtower.

She wasn’t surprised by the void creatures consuming flesh—it wasn’t the first time she’d seen it.

But there were no goblin corpses left behind, only their weapons remained.

Sia picked up one of the weapons and tossed it to Jerome.

“This… is a sword, right?”

“Bronze. Pricier and rarer than iron.”

“Exactly. There’s no way they stole this. And judging by their armor, even though it’s shabby… were they wearing fur armor?”

Goblins lacked any semblance of culture, let alone forging capabilities, so they typically used stone weapons.

Even when variants wielded iron weapons, those were usually stolen from humans, not something they crafted themselves.

But these… these weapons and armor were perfectly suited to goblin hands and bodies, as if custom-made. That shouldn\'t be possible.

“The other weapons are obsidian. They aren’t designed for killing but for wounding. The bronze must have belonged to a commander.”

“A commander? Goblins don’t have commanders.”

“And goblins don’t normally build watchtowers either, do they?”

The party realized something was off.

Without a word of instruction, their pace quickened.

Every time Kitan spotted a watchtower, Arzen’s void creatures silently massacred the goblins within.

By the time they had cleared three watchtowers, a village came into view.

Flames were rising from several parts of it.

“The number of goblins seems about the same as last time,” Kitan observed.

Sia placed her hand on the hilt of her executioner’s sword.

“Yeah, but there weren’t any wearing armor and wielding weapons like this last time, except for the three variants.”

In the village’s center stood a glowing blue barrier.

Goblins surrounded it, repeatedly striking at the shield.

At the center of the barrier stood a figure dressed in blue robes and a pointed hat.

A witch.

The Yellow Witches enter the political scene.

The Red Witches handle national defense and law enforcement.

Unlike them, the Blue Witches serve in rural areas, tending to everyday life—healing the sick, assisting with childbirth, and teaching children to read. This is the duty of a Blue Witch.

“Hard to believe… are those really goblins?”

Arzen raised an eyebrow.

“Maybe they’ve only just started to gain power? There don’t seem to be any variants. Still, with those numbers, this should be entertaining.”

Sia, licking her lips in a mix of madness and anticipation, looked strangely captivating even in her bloodlust.

Her sword scabbard had been modified with a hole on the side, making it easier to draw and swing in one fluid motion.

Using this design, Sia unsheathed her executioner’s sword in an instant, charging forward.

The goblins’ reaction to the uninvited guests was distinctly different from that of ordinary goblins.

“KieeeeeAkkkKKKKKK!”

It wasn’t a panicked shriek.

It was a commanding cry from a goblin who appeared to be their leader, one distinguished by its superior armament.

At its signal, the goblins moved with precision and coordination.

“Kiiiiii!”

“Kieeee!”

Jerome calmly and swiftly assembled his gun, aiming it at the approaching goblins without needing to say a word.

Arzen, a veteran who had served under the Divine Guillotine, was already prepared.

‘Pathetic, worthless goblins, witness the brilliance that once ruled the heavens of the adventurer world!’

With hands clasped in fervent prayer and an incantation whispered in desperation, a heavenly echo descended upon the battlefield.

“《Dawn’s Touch》.”

This ability had a smaller range than the 《Shield of Radiance》 but made up for it with the speed at which the barrier moved, making it ideal for protecting a single target.

‘The target for protection is… Sia!’

Once Jerome confirmed the golden barrier enveloping Sia, he pulled the trigger without hesitation.

Drrrrr… tatatatatatata!

No matter how heavily armed they were, these goblins could not withstand the rain of bullets, a pinnacle of modern technology.

Goblin troops were shredded apart, reduced to flesh, brains, and blood as they fell in a cascade of death.

Sia stormed into the frenzy, her executioner’s sword slicing through ten goblins in one swing.

“One! Two! Three! Ahahaha!”

With each slash, several goblins were ripped apart, screaming as blood spurted into the air. The splattered blood evaporated the moment it touched the surface of the golden barrier.

The barrier moved in tandem with Arzen’s hands, following Sia’s every step.

Though her movements seemed linear, they were deceptively dynamic, making it more difficult than anticipated to keep up.

“They’re coming from the side. You see them?”

Jerome called out.

With a nod from Arzen, the worker bee split the void creatures into two groups.

‘One worker bee handles the left, while the remaining two cover the right!’

Even with just that number, the void creatures, natural predators of life, would slaughter dozens of goblins effortlessly.

“I’ll need to reload,” Jerome remarked as steam hissed from the overheated barrel of his Gatling gun.

But reloading seemed unnecessary—most of the goblins had already been taken care of.

As the worker bees returned, Arzen finally dispelled the barrier.

All that remained were bloodstains and ragged loincloths scattered across the ground, marking the goblins who had been erased from existence.

"Two Void Bees disappeared during the battle? Well, they’ve done more than enough."

Kitan commented while slashing through goblins with his dagger, replacing the Void Bees that had been handling the right flank.

“They’re trying to escape.”

Sia spun in midair, blocking the path of the goblins fleeing into the forest.

Her hair and face were slick with goblin blood and flesh, yet she giggled darkly—an absolute nightmare incarnate for the goblins.

“Where do you think you\'re going? We’re not done playing yet. I’m still not satisfied.”

Sia’s maniacal laughter and the dull sound of her beheading sword cleaving through bodies echoed through the night, as the goblins’ sorrowful screams mixed with the bloodstained moonlight.

---

“Everyone! Are you safe?”

Seizing the opportunity, Arzen rushed toward the barrier, breathless.

\'These guys in Sia\'s party are just stepping stones!\'

Now that the witch had appeared, he needed to get ahead of them and make a strong impression—raise his contribution.

“I-I’m so relieved… I thought it was dangerous, so I came as fast as I could… It’s a relief, truly…”

Arzen feigned tears, and the people inside the barrier started sniffling.

“To think we have such a brave young man!”

“He’s an adventurer at that age?”

“No, no, he’s a priest! I saw him perform a miracle!”

Around fifty villagers had survived.

“No need to cry, we’re grateful just for you showing up.”

The witch finally lowered the barrier and collapsed onto the ground.

“Thank you… If you hadn’t come…”

\'This is too easy…\'

By the time Arzen had finished his little performance, the battle was also wrapping up.

Sia approached, wiping off the caked blood and grease from her beheading sword with an oil-soaked cloth.

“We’re from the Adventurer’s Guild. I’m a Silver-tier adventurer. Is this the village that submitted the request?”

Once the villagers and the witch saw Sia’s silver-tier badge, their attitudes completely changed.

‘Do I need a rank upgrade?’

Arzen puffed out his cheeks in frustration.

‘She doesn’t even use honorifics with the witch, and yet she’s instantly trusted!’

Since Sia wasn’t from the Republic—she was a Westerner—there was no need for her to speak formally to the witch, and the witch didn’t seem to mind.

But the way trust and rapport built without any effort rubbed Arzen the wrong way.

“What’s going on? Why start those fires? It’s a complete misstep.”

Sia questioned, and the witch sighed heavily.

“We didn’t set those. The goblins did…”

“Come on, goblins attack in the dead of night. They don’t use fire tactics.”

“These weren’t just any goblins. I’ve seen it in books… They’re Elder Goblins.”

Sia raised her eyebrows and looked back at her companions, then suddenly burst out laughing.

“Elder Goblins? You must be really tired, or maybe you’re trying to lighten the mood with a joke. Elder Kitan sounds scarier.”

Jerome stroked his beard.

“Why waste that title on someone like Kitan? From now on, call my gun the Elder Gatling Gun.”

“Elder Gatling Gun? That’s awesome! I want to be Elder Kitan!”

Arzen stood with his arms crossed, deep in thought.

‘Elder? Elder Void Bee? Whoa! That’s a pretty cool name!’

He made a mental note to give the “Elder” prefix to any future powerful Void creature he came across.

“This isn’t a joke! I’m serious!”

The witch suddenly snapped, causing the group to stifle their laughter and fall silent.

“Those creatures came out of the Forbidden Zone. Something’s definitely happened inside… We need to investigate.”

“You want to go in? Isn’t that dangerous? It’s the Forbidden Zone!”

“Of course. I’m a witch. Back in my apprentice days, I used to run errands for ‘Him,’ delivering necessities and food there.”

“Who’s ‘Him’?”

“I can’t tell you. It’s classified information regarding the Forbidden Zone. But how did you all get here? The goblins had completely fortified the area around this village. One person who tried to go to the guild for help returned mortally wounded and is barely hanging on.”

“The two kids in my party handled it together.”

Sia gestured toward Arzen and Kitan with her chin.

“They’re good at navigating, quick at setting up barriers, and the duration is long. You can tell quality when you see it.”

“So, every Silver-tier adventurer is reliable, huh?”

“What’s there to say? They’re in my party.”

“Alright then, I’m issuing you a special request. Escort me to the Forbidden Zone. Just point out the route you took to my villagers; it should be safe. I’ll request your success fee from the Witch’s Association.”

Arzen almost drooled in excitement.

‘Yes! A major job just landed in our laps!’

Sia, just as pleased, snapped her fingers with a grin.

‘See? Whenever this right arm starts tingling, it means we’re about to land a big catch.’

She pulled out a contract form from her pouch.

“Jerome, hand me the pen.”

“Here you go.”

“Alright, sign the contract, please.”

The witch accepted the pen and paper with an exasperated expression.

“This is a serious emergency, and you’re still doing this by the book?”

“These things need to be clear. We earn our keep this way. Also, you wanted us to show the villagers a safe path, right? That means Kitan needs to mark the map. There were traps all over the place.”

“What?”

“Look, Kitan’s already working on it. All you need to do is hurry up and sign.”

The witch bit her lip and pointed towards the outskirts of the village.

“Fine. Let’s head to my hut first. That’s where I keep a map of the Forbidden Zone. I just hope it’s still intact…”