Deep within the dense bushes of the eastern region, Ka’z sat with his back resting against the rough trunk of a tree, staring silently at the translucent panels floating before him. The faint light from the moon filtered through the leaves above, casting shifting shadows across his golden scales as the distant sounds of insects filled the otherwise quiet night. His expression remained unusually serious as he read through the messages again, paying particular attention to the newest mission that had appeared before him.
[New Quest: Destroy the Ashmork Clan]
[Sub Mission Completed: Compromise their food source]
[Reward: 100sp]
[Name: Ka’z]
[Race: Kobold]
[Aether Core: Iron] [Low]
[Elemental Affinity: Blood, Sacrificial, Earth & Fire]
[Bloodline: Draconic Lineage]
[Bloodline Tier: High]
[Bloodline Purity: Dormant] [5%]
[Soul Stage: Awakened]
[Status: Healthy]
[System Points: 150]
His eyes eventually moved downward until they settled on the newest notification.
[New Submission: Destroy the Ashmork clan livestocks and grains storage within the Village]
[Time limit: 5 hours]
[Reward: Unknown]
Ka’z had been staring at that particular mission for several minutes, yet the longer he looked at it, the less comfortable he became. Until now, every mission he had undertaken had been difficult, but there had always been something within his reach that he could exploit.
This was different. The Ashmork village was the enemy’s home. It was surrounded by walls, guarded by warriors and now, after everything his team had done over the past few days, the goblins would undoubtedly be expecting another attack.
"Can I really do this?" Ka’z muttered quietly, the hint of uncertainty in his voice surprising even himself.
This was the first mission since arriving in the Evergreen Forest that he genuinely did not feel confident about completing. It was not because he lacked the courage to fight, but because the mission demanded something far more dangerous than fighting.
He had to infiltrate the heart of enemy territory, destroy two major sources of food and somehow escape before hundreds of goblins realized what was happening. The five hour time limit only made things worse. Ka’z lifted his gaze toward the crescent moon hanging above the trees and made a rough estimate of the time. If his guess was correct, the mission would expire sometime before dawn.
That meant he could not afford to sit around and think forever.
[Analyzing Statement ... 80% ... 90% ... 100%]
Ding!
A new panel immediately emerged before him.
[While it is difficult, it’s not completely impossible. Using darkness magic and combat module two, you can understand the layout of the village and sneak into it using the night as cover. It’s risky, but it could become the game changer of this war.]
Ka’z stared at the message for several seconds before his expression slowly twisted into something between irritation and reluctant satisfaction. Ever since he awakened the new AI module, the system had become significantly more useful. It responded to his thoughts, analyzed information and occasionally provided suggestions before he even finished asking the question. Compared to the silent system he had dealt with before, this version felt far more alive and responsive.
Unfortunately, that did not mean it understood fear.
"The risk is exactly why I’m worried about entering the village in the first place," Ka’z muttered under his breath. "If anything goes wrong, I’ll be trapped inside enemy territory with hundreds of goblins around me."
There would be no escaping through brute force if the entire village surrounded him. Ka’z was confident in his abilities, but he was not arrogant enough to believe he could fight an entire settlement by himself. He had seen what happened when a powerful warrior became surrounded. Even Grash, a monster powerful enough to devastate entire sections of a battlefield, had not been invincible.
Huff.
Ka’z let out a slow breath and leaned farther against the tree, allowing his gaze to wander toward the rest of his team. A short distance away, Drak, Gruk, Luk, Mi’ya and the others sat around a small concealed fire, speaking quietly amongst themselves while keeping their voices low enough not to carry through the forest. Their weapons were within arm’s reach, and every now and then one of them would glance toward the darkness surrounding their camp. They were tired, but no one was foolish enough to completely relax while operating this close to Ashmork territory.
Several of them occasionally glanced in Ka’z’s direction as well. They had clearly noticed that he had been sitting alone for some time, but after everything they had experienced together, they had begun to understand that Ka’z occasionally needed moments to think. None of them approached him.
His gaze returned to the glowing panel.
Despite his concerns, Ka’z could not deny that the system’s suggestion made sense. His combat aid module II could mentally reconstruct an environment into a three dimensional holographic model based on information he had collected. The night he dumped the mutilated bodies outside the Ashmork village, he had used his earth magic to create a temporary elevated platform that allowed him to observe the settlement from a distance.
It had been reckless.
If the guards had been more alert, they would have noticed the disturbance immediately. Ka’z would have been discovered before he could gather enough information, and everything that followed would have become significantly more difficult. Instead, the carelessness of the guards had allowed him to study portions of the settlement and identify important structures. It was also the reason he had been able to approach the walls closely enough to dump the corpses near the entrance before disappearing into the darkness.
That small mistake by the enemy was now giving him an opportunity.
As for darkness magic, Ka’z knew it was possible. He had watched Tu’ka use the element repeatedly, often blending with shadows so naturally that it became difficult to determine where his body ended and the darkness began. Ka’z had paid close attention every time he saw it. With his ability to assimilate knowledge, combined with his natural affinity for magic, he felt increasingly certain that he could replicate at least a basic version of the technique.
The problem was that Ashmork was no longer unsuspecting. They knew someone was targeting them and they knew their enemies were close.
Ka’z rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he stared into the darkness.
"It really is the risk I’m afraid of."
After remaining silent for a few more moments, he finally raised his head and spoke quietly.
"Show me the information assimilated on the Ashmork settlement."
Buzz!
The bushes around him remained still, but immediately before his eyes, a translucent holographic model began to form. Only Ka’z could see it. Lines of faint light expanded outward before gradually shaping themselves into buildings, walls, roads and defensive structures. Within seconds, a miniature three dimensional representation of the Ashmork village floated before him.
Ka’z leaned forward immediately.
The settlement was relatively large for a beast settlement, designed to accommodate nearly five hundred goblins. Thick wooden walls surrounded the main settlement, and four watchtowers stood around the cardinal points of the perimeter, giving guards elevated views of the surrounding terrain. There were two major gates, one positioned to the north and the other to the south. Near both entrances were military outposts capable of housing several dozen warriors, allowing the defenders to respond quickly if an attack came from either direction.
Ka’z’s eyes narrowed as he studied the layout.
"Walking through either gate is impossible," he muttered while rubbing his chin. "If I’m going in, I’ll have to scale the walls."
[Correct. Using the cover of the night, it is recommended that you use the darkness element to approach one of the four watchtowers and scale the wall before entering the village.]
The holographic image shifted, and a miniature representation of Ka’z appeared at the western edge of the settlement. The model showed him moving through the shadows before approaching the western watchtower and climbing toward the wall from a position with fewer visible guards.
Ka’z watched carefully.
The strategy made sense. The watchtowers were designed to allow guards to observe the terrain below, not necessarily to defend against someone climbing from the outside. The gates were heavily protected because they were the obvious points of entry, but the towers depended heavily on visibility and early detection.
If he could remain hidden in the darkness and prevent the guards from noticing him, the walls themselves might not be the greatest obstacle.
"Hmm."
Ka’z continued studying the model. The system had even reconstructed portions of the surrounding terrain, showing where trees, rocks and natural elevations could provide concealment.
"Go on," Ka’z said.
The holographic image shifted again.
[Once inside the village, you must avoid detection while making your way toward the village barn in the northwestern area of the settlement. Set the barn on fire to draw attention away from the ranch. Once the guards respond to the fire, use the resulting confusion to move toward the livestock enclosure and release the animals.]
The miniature Ka’z moved through the holographic village, stopping near the barn before the structure suddenly became engulfed in flames. The model immediately displayed groups of goblins rushing toward the disturbance while the miniature figure slipped in the opposite direction.
[After releasing the livestock, move toward the southern gate. The chaos caused by the fire and the stampeding animals should disrupt the village’s defensive coordination. Force your way through the southern exit before the defenders can fully reorganize.]
Ka’z watched his miniature representation continue moving through the model as the system completed its explanation.
[This will eliminate or scatter a significant portion of their remaining livestock while simultaneously destroying their stored grain. Combined with the harvest already destroyed near the stream, the Ashmork clan will lose multiple reliable food sources. They will either be forced to remain within their walls and face increasing shortages or mobilize their forces in an attempt to locate and eliminate your team.]
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