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Chapter 287: 287
Malzor continued, his voice tinged with disdain. "They’ve turned the tower into a fortress, but without the knowledge to properly wield its power, they’re just sitting ducks. It’s almost too easy."
Phantom nodded, playing his part. "So, what’s the plan?"
Malzor’s eyes gleamed with malicious intent. "We’ll let the goblins think they’re safe for now. Their defenses are nothing compared to what the mages had in place. When the time is right, we’ll crush them and take the tower for ourselves. It’ll be a valuable asset—once we’ve purged it of their filth."
Meanwhile, on Ikenga and Zarvok’s side, the army continued to pour in, eroding the land. Soon, Imps in the second stage began following behind.
The progress increased as those in the second stage endured the suppression for a short time before exploding, covering more space.
Ikenga, hearing Malzor’s words, frowned. If the goblins were as simple as Malzor claimed, Zarvok would have no need to study them. Their conversation indicated Zarvok knew that his world was unique, though he didn’t fully understand what made it so.
"What if those mages were more than successful in their experiments, so successful that they were overtaken or killed by the results?"
"What if these goblins know exactly the power they wield?" Ikenga thought to himself as he glanced over at Zarvok.
Zarvok was informed of the Abyss in the world they were facing, while the gargoyles were acting based on their inherited knowledge of goblins, leading Malzor to view them as dumb and useless.
The next action confirmed Ikenga’s suspicions. The mage goblin that emerged began chanting and pointing its staff at the portal. From the mage tower, a blue bubble floated out before expanding, halting at the edge of the area that hadn’t been eroded yet.
As more gargoyles rushed to break through the bubble, they were turned to ash. The goblin, meanwhile, frowned and muttered something before walking back into the tower.
Malzor, who was watching the scene with Phantom, had his mouth slightly open in shock. "A goblin used a complete spell?"
Looking at Phantom, Malzor ordered, "Tell our armies to fall back immediately. I need all eyes on this tower and the goblin movements."
Phantom nodded, though he was surprised by the panic on Malzor’s face. As he was about to leave, Malzor stopped him. "Also, inform the outpost to be ready for a quick evacuation at any moment. The portal goes two ways; they can use it to attack us." Phantom nodded and walked away.
The view on Zarvok’s side changed, causing Ikenga to pay close attention. At first, the picture was small, but as it zoomed in, Ikenga realized it was another mage tower.
Surrounding this mage tower was a village filled with ogres and goblins. The attire, buildings, and farmland in the distance indicated that this was not the usual barbaric goblin and mage settlement.
As the invasion unfolded, chaos and panic spread through the goblin ranks on the other side of the portal. Goblins were familiar with war, but this was unlike anything they had faced before. The sky above their village darkened with the ominous presence of the massive abyssal portal, and the ground trembled as waves of imps poured through.
The goblin chieftain, a grizzled warrior with a scar running down his left cheek, barked orders to his warriors, trying to maintain some semblance of order. "Form up! Defend the village!" he shouted, his voice strained but commanding. The goblins scrambled to obey, forming a loose line of spearmen and archers, their eyes wide with fear but also with keen observation as they watched the demons approaching.
Not far from the village, at the mage tower, a message was sent to the tower master, who walked to the balcony and looked off into the distance at the portal.
The goblin mage, similar to the one observed by the gargoyles, raised its staff and began chanting. The air around it crackled with magical energy as a barrier of shimmering green light expanded from the tower, halting before the land that had not yet been eroded by the demons.
Back in the Abyss, Zarvok, seeing the light, immediately ordered, "Stop!" The imp army rushing towards the village halted before they reached the shield.
Zarvok looked at Ikenga and Keles. "There’s your answer. It seems they know about us demons."
Keles, aware of the unfolding situation, displayed genuine surprise, while Ikenga had to feign his own.
Zarvok, eyes fixed on the glowing barrier, seemed to come to the same realization. "A mage tower controlled by goblins," he muttered, almost to himself. "It’s unthinkable... unless those mages truly did lose control of their creations."
The mage goblin who had cast the barrier returned to the tower’s interior and watched the scene unfold from his vantage point. "They’ve stopped," the tower master noted, a hint of satisfaction in his voice.
"Yes, master," another mage goblin replied, bowing slightly. "But they won’t stay stopped for long. The demons are powerful, and they will find a way to breach our defenses if we don’t act quickly."
The tower master nodded, his gaze never leaving the abyssal portal. "Prepare the village’s defenses. We’ll need every resource we have if we’re to hold them off. And send a message to the other towers—let them know what’s happening here, it may already be happening on their side. We all need to stay communicated right now"
The mage goblin bowed and hurried out of the chamber, his footsteps echoing through the stone halls as he moved with purpose. The tower master remained on the balcony, his eyes locked on the abyssal portal. His mind raced, calculating the odds of survival and the best strategies to employ. The shimmering green barrier was holding for now, but he knew it was only a matter of time before the demons devised a way to penetrate it.
In the village below, the goblins and ogres, initially troubled and frantic, began to calm down as they had a chance to breathe. They all began suiting up in armor, their actions now methodical and focused, while simultaneously creating barricades. Children and elders were quickly evacuated, guided by warriors to safer areas beyond the village. Messenger birds took flight, spreading the word to nearby settlements and other mage towers, the urgency of their task reflected in their swift, purposeful movements.
Meanwhile, Zarvok turned away from the portal’s image, his expression thoughtful. "We’ve underestimated these goblins," he said, pacing slowly. "They’ve clearly gained enough knowledge from the mages that created them. This changes our approach."
Ikenga nodded, his mind also working through the new developments. "What do you plan on doing about their shield?"
"Watch," was all Zarvok said as he looked back at the image. Ikenga observed as huge, burly demons bearing a similar appearance to imps began pushing a massive, well-crafted slingshot toward the portal.
At the same time, a fifth-stage imp, larger and more menacing than the others, flew closer to the portal. The smaller imps that had retreated earlier were now drawn toward the fifth-stage imp, which began to grow multiple arms. With each imp it touched, Ikenga noticed how the energy within them became turbulent, their forms quivering with barely contained power. As soon as the fifth-stage imp made contact, the smaller imps quickly scurried to the slingshot, curling up tightly before being launched into the sky.
Ikenga watched as the imps, now turned into living projectiles, soared high and then plummeted toward the shimmering green barrier. Unlike before, when they would have disintegrated on contact, these imps managed to resist the shield’s power for a brief moment before exploding into a mist of blood, staining the barrier with their sacrifice.
Though he wasn’t in the physical world to fully sense what was happening, Ikenga understood the strategy. This was a tactic to weaken the shield through repeated, brutal force. "Quite primitive but effective," Ikenga thought to himself as he watched the scene unfold. Each impact, each explosion, sent ripples through the barrier, and though it still held, he could see faint cracks beginning to form.
Zarvok, noticing Ikenga’s contemplative expression, smiled darkly. "The goblins may have learned from the mages, but they are still creatures bound by its limitations. We, on the other hand, are bound by nothing. Their shield will fall, and when it does, their village will be ours and tower is our"
Back in the mage tower, the tower master felt the tremors in the magical barrier and knew their time was running out. "They’ve begun their assault," he muttered, his eyes flashed green as a message was relayed to the village head.
As his warriors quickly fell into line, the village head pointed toward the distant slingshots being readied by the demons. "That’s the target," he said simply, his tone leaving no room for doubt.
Archers took their positions on rooftops, spearmen formed tight ranks near the barricades. Goblin’s small holding dagger disappeared into thin air.
The village head, standing tall and resolute, raised his weapon high. "Charge!" he bellowed, his voice a thunderous command that electrified the air.
