Chapter 95: The crimson tide part 1

And this time, when the horns were sounded behind the tree line, the resonance lasted for a very long time. It was totaly different from previous times when the horns were blown in a certain sequence as signals to command the previous army. Back then, the sound originated from all directions along the entire perimeter of the clearing, but this time, it was strictly concentrated at only one point. The girls did not act rashly or come to any premature conclusions. Instead, maintaining a tactical composure then Velvet issued a clear order: "Okay, let’s retreat back to the settlement and see what this guy has up his sleeve."

?With that strategic withdrawal, the girls knew they couldn’t separate themselves for a very long time away from Smith and Sarafina. After all, they had initially charged toward the destabilized goblin formation because they knew it would eventually collapse on its own, but now, seeing the enemy trying to make another coordinated move, they retreated so that no unforeseen danger would befall Smith and Sarafina. Yet even as they fell back, the horns were still blaring relentlessly, their deafening echoes reverberating across all the forest.

?At that moment, while Velvet was still contemplating what their next move should be, the source of the horns suddenly began to shift position. Although it was not moving rapidly, the horns became progressively louder and louder, signaling that they were actively advancing towards their direction, At the same time, from the far tree line, the girls who were standing on the wooden wall observed that figures had started to emerge from the forest. This time, it was not an encirclement, but clearly an organized formation coming from only a small section on the front.

?As the figures stepped out into the open, the girls saw that they were clearly different from their previous foes. On their first encounter, there was a mixture of ordinary goblins,big goblins and hobgoblins in the ranks; their equipment was not advanced, with the hobgoblins wearing simple leather armor and the goblins wearing almost none at all while holding makeshift spears. But this time, the formation that came out was completely different. They were all hobgoblins, judging by their imposing size, and although their armor could not be said to be brand new, it was of a much higher quality while they all wielded standard spears.

?They marched in tight, disciplined order. Although because of the dense tree line they couldn’t maintain a pristine line initially, when they entered into the clearing, they snapped straight into formation. The girls now realized that this new group of goblins was truly an elite unit. Even as they marched, it was done in an orderly manner. Although it was not a flawless formation and a few individual goblins could still be seen drifting slightly out of line, they still exuded an elite aura—a clear signal that it was a hardened squad.

?As they continued to move forward, accompanied by the blaring horns, files of those hobgoblins came out of the forest, followed immediately by another group responsible for blowing the massive war horns using large apparatuses. The horns were enormous—the size of a full-grown hobgoblin—carried by one while another blew into it, surrounded by an escort of elite hobgoblins escorting them as they moved forward. Just behind the horn-blowers came another group of hobgoblins who had slightly darker skin. Their equipment was superior, featuring hardened leather reinforced with metal parts across vital areas like the heart, shoulder guards, and bracers, and they carried finely crafted spears instead of crude ones.

?As the rest of the soldiers emerged, another figure stepped out from among the elite hobgoblins. He did not wear heavy armor like the others, but was clad only in simple black robes and wielded a tall staff. When Velvet and the other girls saw this figure, even though they didn’t know his exact identity, judging from his attire it was clear that he was someone very special. They immediately thought of the Calamities that had been mentioned previously, wondering if they had somehow crossed paths with another major threat. However, they didn’t want to jump to any hasty conclusions, choosing instead to observe after all as Jacob had said meeting a Calamity is usually in the higher ranks and for their case it was a matter of bad luck.

?After all the hobgoblins had finished coming out of the forest, Velvet stood her ground, closely observing the opposing party the group of hobgoblins only about a five hundred in total and it may seem many but compared to their earlier Enchantment it was only about one tenth in numbers but in terms of lethality it was still unknown. Suddenly , the horns on the other side stopped playing, and the clearing became quiet once again. A heavy stillness settled over the battlefield, creating a tense silence between the two forces that lasted for a very long time and only a faint breeze carrying the stench of blood from the nearby carnage area blew across the battlefield, making the scattered corpses look like silent witnesses to the sudden termination of active hostilities.

?Seeing that the psychological tension was building up to a critical point, Velvet decided to dissolve the anxiety. "Okay girls, you don’t have to worry about it being a Calamity. Judging from the description we had been given about Calamities, we can certainly be sure that this guy in front of us is not a Controller by any means. We know those guys flawlessly control their own species to become a deadly, mechanical, precision-machine-like single entity. By the formation arrangement, the way they move and the horn signals they send , we can be certain that he is not a Controller. Also, we remember the terrifying scale of such a Calamity creating a perfect army, having experienced it ourselves and seen how those things operate as a silent, deadly entity. But looking at the hobgoblins in front of them, their formation was clearly lacking at first sight."

?Continuing her tactical breakdown to steady the minds of her comrades, Velvet added, "And judging by the characteristics of an Accumulator, it is clearly impossible for him to be one either. As we know, an Accumulator usually fights on the very front lines, while this guy is hiding safely in the back. So it can’t be an Accumulator. Even if he is another type of Calamity, how dangerous can they really be at this stage? We all know that now we are much stronger than we previously , so I don’t think any Calamity can deter us."

?Clearly, her speech was a deliberate way to boost their morale, and it proved to be really effective. Although the girls were not inherently scared of fighting another Calamity, the emotional trauma they had suffered from fighting the black snake man was no small matter. Even if they were seasoned fighters used to brutal battles, that past experience was truly terrifying, making this psychological reassurance deeply comforting.

?After seeing that the morale on her side was fully restored, Velvet relaxed slightly and said, "Okay, now let’s see what they really got."

?No sooner had she finished speaking than the enemy’s horns—which had fallen silent—suddenly sounded again with renewed vigor. Hearing the horns resume, the girls became even more vigilant, bracing themselves to see what trick the enemy was about to pull off next.

?Then, sudden agony screams shattered the air. All around them, loud cries of desperation and unbearable agony erupted across the environment. Judging from the voices, it was the sound of not just one goblin, but many goblins emitting heart-wrenching screams all over the forest. It sounded as if they were being skinned alive simultaneously. Because there were so many overlapping cries, it created a massive wall of sound and echoes, as if the opposing party was attempting to deploy a psychological sound weapon to intimidate the girls.

?It must be said that if it was meant to be a pure sound weapon, it was remarkably effective. Even the girls themselves were forced to hold their hands over their ears to block out the overwhelming noise echoing all around them. On the other side, however, the hobgoblins did not react very much, behaving as though they were completely accustomed to the racket.

?Just as the girls were struggling against this sudden auditory assault coming from all around the forest, figures carrying those horrific sounds started to break out from the tree line. As the figures came into view, it was revealed that they were goblins, but their entire bodies were stained bright red, their eyes burned with a wild crimson glow, and they shrieked at the top of their lungs while charging forward. They carried no weapons whatsoever, running on all fours like rabid, multi-dogs in a haphazard formation, charging relentlessly toward the settlement while emitting those heart-wrenching, agonizing cries. They advanced with an almost unstoppable momentum, resembling an overwhelming tide of blood surging forward in massive waves towards the settlement.