Green Monster Epic

Chapter 662: Martial Law

Amidst the icy mist, Kerr breathed a sigh of relief. After gulping down a potion, she plunged into the ground, using the mist as cover to escape into the distance.

Kerr wouldn't be foolish enough to continue tangling with the attackers before her. Firstly, they were well-prepared and had almost managed to restrict her movements, implying further tricks up their sleeves. Secondly, the three enemies present might not be all of them. If one or more enemies emerged, wouldn't she be in even greater danger?

Of course, there were other reasons that were unfavorable to Kerr. Remembering her teacher's teachings, she immediately prepared to flee upon realizing the situation was amiss, never lingering in battle.

Fortunately, her strength had surged after reaching the Legendary High-Tier, allowing her to forcefully break free from the frost-freezing effect of the enemy caster. Otherwise, the situation would have been truly perilous.

After a brief exchange, Kerr roughly assessed that the assassin fighting her was at least a Legendary Mid-Tier, the caster was a Legendary Low-Tier, and although the archer was only at the High-Tier Peak, each arrow from a sniper-style marksman was as lethal as an attack from a Legendary Low-Tier warrior.

Such a well-coordinated team could ambush any unprepared Legendary powerhouse, catching them completely off guard. Weaker individuals might even be severely injured or killed from the start. Clearly, they were a professional assassination squad, working together seamlessly. Even Kerr had her scales pierced by the enemy's dagger, leaving a wound.

"She got away!!"

"Mission failed, retreat!!"

The three assassins had no intention of pursuing either. Having failed to restrain the Legendary powerhouse from the start and lacking methods like a 'Mithril Lock' to seal the space, chasing a Legendary powerhouse determined to escape was more difficult than their previous assassination of a goblin target.

The three assassins disappeared as silently as they had come, leaving behind a few scattered bonfires that gradually sent plumes of smoke drifting into the sky, extinguished by the encroaching cold.

Kerr mustered her fastest speed, surging through the mountains. Before the 'Rage' skill's burst ended, she had flown over twenty miles. Only when she sensed no pursuers behind her did she revert to her original flying speed, continuing her flight north.

As for the mission she had accepted from the Assassin's Guild, she had already chosen to abandon it. The sudden appearance of the assassins made her feel uneasy. Someone was clearly trying to kill her, but she couldn't figure out who would target her, no matter how much she pondered.

"Humph!"

A faint, numbing sensation emanated from her left abdomen, spreading inwards. The poison smeared on the assassin's dagger after it struck her was taking effect, corroding and damaging her body. The weakness brought on by the waning effects of the 'Rage' skill also made Kerr very uncomfortable.

While gulping down antidotes, she pulled out an 'Anti-toxin' scroll and cast it on herself. Only when the numbness stopped spreading did Kerr breathe a sigh of relief, continuing her rapid flight into the distance.

… … … …

In the bustling fortress of Na'Muhl, the entertainment district was brightly lit, showing no signs of decline with the arrival of night. Instead, it was even more lively and boisterous.

Swala finished his day of duty and, upon the enthusiastic invitation of several colleagues, attended a lavish and extravagant banquet. Since being promoted to Legendary and beginning to wield real power in the tribe, Swala had faced all sorts of flattery and invitations every day.

Swala reveled in these enthusiastic invitations and flattery, but fortunately, he still maintained enough reason and clarity. Although he enjoyed the feeling of being praised and lifted up, he never accepted extravagant gifts from others or invitations to invest in a store or business, aside from eating and drinking.

Occasionally, Swala would use his power to facilitate things for these acquaintances, but he would never cross the line when it came to matters involving the tribe's interests.

Most of the time, Swala focused his energy on training his city guards or on working with the several females he had recently taken in to diligently reproduce and expand his family.

After decades of effort and two or three changes of partners, Swala's family had begun to take shape. Although the population was just over a hundred, half of them were young goblins, which could be considered a remarkable achievement.

"…Commander Swala, about the matter we discussed last time…"

"Hey, Vonbree, we agreed tonight was just for leisure, no business talk!!"

Swala, who was enjoying himself, immediately frowned when the host of the banquet, a man named Vonbree, suddenly leaned in to speak, interrupting him before he could finish.

"My good sir, I'm forced to do this. My merchant guild's goods have been detained…"

The middle-aged human dwarf, Vonbree, changed his expression slightly, but quickly regained himself, continuing to wear a flattering smile.

"It seems Mr. Vonbree doesn't want me to have a good time. In that case, I won't disturb you. I happen to have matters at home. Goodbye."

Swala's expression turned stern, and he got up to bid farewell.

The human's request was simply too much, and his background was too ordinary. He was an object with no investment value who dared to think he could get Swala to help him with just one dinner. Wouldn't that make Swala look incompetent if word got out?

"Ah, please stay, sir, it was my fault!! I'll apologize to you!!"

Vonbree hadn't expected that this earth goblin legend would turn his face so quickly, without the slightest hesitation. By the time he wanted to apologize and persuade him to stay, Swala had already stepped downstairs.

"…You, sigh, you've ruined me!!"

A short goblin who had introduced Vonbree and invited Swala to the gathering also looked ugly. He wished he could tear Vonbree apart. He resentfully watched Swala's departing figure, worriedly starting to think about how to remedy today's predicament.

Swala felt no burden about offending a human merchant. He walked home with a light step, both pleased with himself for resisting a temptation and sneering at Vonbree's delusions.

Occasionally, people on the road recognized Swala in his gorgeous chainmail and respectfully saluted him. This was his favorite scene. For this reason, Swala had given up his legendary flying ability, or riding a horse or taking a carriage, and instead walked home, just to feel the sense of being in a high position and respected by his people.

Even more impressive was when a team of a dozen patrol guards saw Swala and not only stopped but also saluted in unison, immediately attracting the attention of countless onlookers, making Swala feel indescribably pleased.

It wasn't until passing through the high city walls of the inner city that pedestrians became almost nonexistent. Except for high-ranking members of the tribe like Swala, the inner city, with its numerous important facilities, was generally under curfew at night, prohibiting pedestrians.

Although there were few people, there were fluorite stones placed at intervals to provide light, allowing the goblin race, with their dim vision, to clearly see objects and the road without any problems.

Humming a little tune, the smug Swala proceeded towards his castle as usual. The familiar road and the occasional passing patrol made him feel very secure and relaxed.

Crack!!

A cold light suddenly flashed across his neck, blood splattering. In his intense pain, Swala instinctively retaliated with a headbutt, the back of his head seemingly hitting something. Then, two inches above his heart on his chest, another wave of excruciating pain assaulted his brain.

His heart pounded violently. Sensing the threat of death, Swala used his Misty Steps repeatedly, his left hand covering his leaking throat, spraying blood and foam, as he crashed headfirst into a building to his right.

Bang!!

Thump!! Thump!!

Swish swish!!

The harsh sound of metal scraping came from behind, and the heavy force made Swala's forward momentum even faster, smashing through several more thick walls.

"Who?! This is a key area of the city! How dare you trespass!"

A squad of a dozen goblin warriors, clad in neat, standardized armor, pushed open the door from outside the demolished building. Before they even arrived, their majestic voices echoed through the silent night sky.

In the distance, there were also chaotic footsteps and the clanging of iron armor, approaching from afar. Seeing the tribal warriors appear ahead, Swala, whose breath was gradually weakening, breathed a sigh of relief. He wanted to shout a warning, but the leaking wound in his throat only produced gurgling bubbles.

"…It's Commander Swala!!"

A sharp-eyed goblin warrior, using the flickering lamplight in the room, vaguely recognized the figure at the front from the blood-stained face of the large goblin and shouted loudly.

"Protect the Commander!!"

Swish swish swish!!

The orderly formation quickly created a gap, allowing the swift, desperate Swala to pass through. Then, the warriors on both sides coordinated with spears and battleaxes to kill the attacker in front.

Puff!

The assassin, only half a beat slower than Swala, was torn into pieces by several heavy weapons, but no blood flowed out. The dozen guards, realizing something was wrong, looked around anxiously, trying to find the assassin's踪迹.

Ding! Ding!!

Swala had suffered a severe injury from the start, greatly reducing his strength. Moreover, he hadn't mastered many legendary feats, so his actual combat power was somewhat weak. However, he was still a legendary powerhouse after all, and his mental perception and combat instincts were still intact. Just as the assassin's shadowy figure leaped out from behind his own shadow, he ignored the wound in his throat and directly tore the shadow into countless fragments with a pair of thin swords.

The assassin failed to strike, and the footsteps on the surrounding streets became denser. Knowing that the assassination had failed, he used Shadow Leap again, causing the goblin warriors in the field to lose track of him once more.

"He's over there!!"

Faint shouts came from several hundred meters away, indicating that some of the goblin patrols in the city had discovered the uninvited guest.

The commotion quickly spread into the distance. At this time, Swala, who had narrowly escaped with his life, relaxed his mind, his eyelids becoming as heavy as a small mountain, and his body softened and collapsed.

"Quick, find a priest!! Find a druid!!!"

"…Does anyone have a potion to heal serious injuries? Bring it quickly!!"

Originally in the building where the Inner City Security Bureau was located, shouts rose and fell. The goblin warriors in the field did not dare to be careless, fearing that Commander Swala would die in their garrison if they were not careful.

Fortunately, Swala had chosen well when he fled for his life, directly crashing through several buildings and arriving at the location of the Security Bureau. Even at night, the Security Bureau had soldiers on duty, who ultimately helped him block the assassin's attack. Otherwise, the Green Field Tribe's newly promoted legendary powerhouse would have fallen here today.

By the time several priests, druids, and clerics arrived late, squeezing through the tightly packed protective circle, Swala's life was truly hanging by a thread.

His throat was completely cut open, and the main artery was also pierced. In the short few minutes of the chase, Swala had sprayed out at least 1/4 of his own blood.

The stab to the chest, which should have directly pierced his heart, was shifted upwards by two inches because he had instinctively retaliated with a headbutt.

But it was this two-inch difference that ultimately saved Swala, relying on the goblin race's not-weak vitality and recovery to finally persevere until he reached his tribal companions and received their rescue.

When Oliver heard the news of Swala's assassination, he was half scared out of his wits. The chieftain had just gone to Mansa City to participate in the Alliance's ten-year meeting, and then the only legendary commander in Moor Fortress was assassinated and on the verge of death. The implications of this had to be carefully considered.

"Send someone to quickly report to the chieftain, and also send a message to Little Creek over at Green Lake Town, telling them to be careful and guard against attacks!!"

Various precious medicinal materials and the healing spells of the healers finally dragged Swala's soul back from the River Styx, but due to excessive blood loss and serious injuries, Swala was still unconscious.

"Also, have Terris go and request Master Oscar to see if he can come here and treat Commander Swala."

"Yes!!"

After all, he was the most precious legendary powerhouse in the tribe. Even if it cost any price, they had to save his life. Otherwise, Oliver could hardly imagine the chieftain's rage upon hearing the news.

At the same time, before knowing the other purposes of the assassin, Oliver also urgently needed a legendary powerhouse to help guard the city. The tribe's only people they could trust now, besides the human legendary Eric, were Oscar, the natural healer master who was most friendly to the tribe.

"Carry Commander Swala back to the City Lord's Mansion, and choose the most elite guards in the city to guard his room. If any problems occur again, I will offer your heads along with mine to apologize to the commander!!"

The deputy commander, Rabari, wearing heavy armor, arrived and saw his old friend and superior unconscious. He roared angrily at the other leaders of the city guards.

"Yes!!"

Several capable and stern goblin leaders responded in high-pitched voices, their eyes also filled with flames.

"Rabari, from now on, Moor Fortress is under full martial law. Except for those holding a pass issued by my council seat, all other adventurers and lone merchants are temporarily prohibited from going out or entering!!"

"Leave it to me!!"

Rabari's heart was full of anger, and he eagerly accepted the task, his fists clenched and his aura fierce.