NOVEL NEXT Chapter 74
Through the feedback from the Iron Earthworms, Lynn learned that there were five disturbances on the ground after the corner ahead.
However, Lynn also realized that he had been exposed. The shattered illusion not only informed him of the malicious presence ahead but also alerted the five individuals ahead of his existence.
Five disturbances meant five individuals.
On his side, there were only four units with combat capabilities, including the Iron Earthworms and Lauren.
If he could train the goblin wanderers, he would have an additional group of scouts to go ahead and gather intelligence. They could launch surprise attacks to disrupt the enemy’s rhythm and buy time.
Lynn quickly formulated a plan after pondering for a moment. He created another ‘Minor Illusion Spell’ and sent it forward while preparing his ‘Earth Ring’ spell. The range of the ‘Earth Ring’ spell was much farther than that of the ‘Terror’ spell.
Using the ‘Terror’ spell might not be able to scare all of them at once.
As the illusion turned the corner, it was immediately met with an extremely thin beam of electric energy. From the side, there was a splash of acid and a sharp arrow pierced through the illusion. Finally, there was a dazzling flash like a lightbulb, illuminating the stone wall brilliantly.
The illusion was shattered in an instant.
Faintly, Lynn heard voices coming from around the corner, saying things like “Another illusion?” “Unbelievable.” “Dirty tricks.”
Seizing the opportunity, Lynn leaned out and exposed half of his body, throwing his ‘Earth Ring’ spell.
The chains of the ‘Earth Ring’ pierced through the bodies of the five individuals and then disappeared into the ground.
The thick, translucent chains of illusion restrained the five individuals.
Lynn quickly scanned the area. There were three individuals dressed as wizards, as well as an entourage dressed as an archer and another as a swordsman.
After identifying the positions of the five individuals, Lynn retreated, narrowly avoiding an arrow that flew past him.
The ‘Earth Ring’ spell could only restrain their positions, but it didn’t affect their actions like spellcasting or shooting arrows.
“Damn, this seems to be a one-ring spell. It will take time to break free,” one wizard apprentice recognized that the spell under him was completely different from the zero-ring spell.
Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet collapsed, and a gaping mouth opened, spewing out from the soil. The Iron Earthworms leaped out of the ground, swallowing the lower bodies of the two wizard apprentices directly into their bellies.
Their lower halves were devoured in one bite, leaving the two wizard apprentices with only their upper bodies lying on the ground. Their hands clawed forward, trailing long streaks of blood behind them.
The other three, witnessing this scene, turned pale. Finally, they understood how to break free from the chains—as long as they had no legs, they could escape.
Lynn summoned one of the goblins he had subdued earlier from the Alchemy Laboratory. “When I signal you, run out, but remember to evade,” Lynn instructed the goblin.
The goblin, whose name Lynn didn’t know, nodded tremblingly.
Standing beside Lynn, Lauren hesitated for a moment before volunteering, “Master, I can also go out. I’m tough and can take a beating.”
“Not necessary yet,” Lynn replied succinctly.
Lauren quickly nodded and turned back to keep watch behind them. In this maze, they had to be cautious not only ahead but also behind.
After preparing a new spell, Lynn gave the goblin a nod.
The goblin caught on quickly and rushed out, clutching its head. But soon after, a sharp arrow flew out from the corner towards the goblin.
Following closely behind was a rolling glob of acid.
Feeling a weight on its shoulder, the goblin was hit on the arm by the arrow, causing it to stumble and fall to the ground while running forward.
The acid flew a distance before landing not far from the goblin.
Lynn turned and stepped out, aiming a ‘Minor Fireball’ spell at the last remaining wizard apprentice.
The apprentice, bound by the ‘Earth Ring’ spell, became an easy target in the brilliant explosion of flames, reduced to ashes.
With no more wizard apprentices, only the last two entourages remained.
The swordsman among them continued to struggle. His longsword was covered in a thin layer of energy as he swung it continuously, trying to cut through the chains on his feet, managing to create some small nicks.
However, considering the thickness of the chains, it would still take him some time to break free.
The injured goblin approached slowly, clutching its arrow-pierced arm.
“Not bad,” Lynn said, tossing another goblin engineer’s inheritance token to the goblin.
It was a well-deserved reward.
The archer was about to continue shooting arrows, but he was swallowed up by the ground as an Iron Earthworm emerged from the earth.
Lynn felt that the tactic of combining the ‘Earth Ring’ spell with the Iron Earthworms was quite effective.
Lynn’s gaze fell on the last swordsman.
This swordsman seemed to be quite mature, perhaps nearing forty. He had a circle of beard on his cheeks, a sturdy build, and was clad in finely crafted leather armor. His gaze was steady.
Noticing Lynn’s gaze, the swordsman paused his futile actions.
There was no fear in his brown eyes.
“Please allow me to choose a dignified death,” the swordsman said calmly.
“Very well,” Lynn agreed without hesitation, positioning himself behind Lauren.
The swordsman raised his longsword high and slashed it across his own neck.
A spray of blood splattered, and the swordsman fell.
These entourages were all part of noble estates, carefully trained from a young age as servants. Their loyalty to the nobles was unparalleled, and under normal circumstances, they would not surrender.
Looking at the bodies strewn across the ground, Lynn felt like something was missing. He looked around and suddenly realized that he hadn’t seen their goblins yet.
There should have been at least three goblins with the wizard apprentices. Even if something unexpected happened midway, it was unlikely that they would all die, unless they had some spatial items to carry the goblins.
Narrowing his eyes, Lynn inspected the bodies of the three wizard apprentices.
He instructed the Iron Earthworms to regurgitate the swallowed bodies of the wizard apprentices.
The bodies, covered in mucus, fell to the ground.
“You two, search the bodies and take off all their ornaments and belongings,” Lynn instructed Lauren and the injured goblin.
Then, Lynn turned to look at the nearby entrance.
Inside should be the monster lair.
It was likely that these people were planning to explore this monster lair, or perhaps they had just finished exploring and were coming out, only to run into Lynn’s illusion.
Lynn instructed the Iron Earthworms to continue burrowing underground. The Iron Earthworms could sense ground vibrations, making them adept at detecting footsteps. They were perfect for surveillance.
“Master, here’s everything,” Lauren said, having stripped the wizard apprentices of all their belongings and neatly arranged them on the side, not even leaving out their clothes.
One of the items immediately caught Lynn’s eye, resembling a miniature house model. It looked like a forest cabin, about the size of a palm, and appeared exquisitely crafted.
Beside it lay a sheet resembling an instruction manual.
Lynn glanced at the contents.
The name of this wooden house model was “Goblin Cabin.”
By channeling mental energy into it, the goblin cabin could be activated. It would then expand proportionally, allowing goblins to enter and live inside. Inside, there was also a simple workbench for the goblins to engage in handicrafts. Furthermore, each goblin cabin could accommodate up to 20 goblins living inside, but it was best to have around 10 goblins for the healthiest living conditions.
In addition to the goblin cabin, there were also two bundles of materials stored in leather.
These were precisely the materials Lynn had been longing for, the ones needed for the goblin wanderer transformation ritual not long ago.
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