From Goblin to God

Chapter 7: Capturing the Elf Scout

The massive tree, with a trunk about 50 feet wide and towering over 300 feet high, housed the Elven Matriarch, Leah.

A slender elf in black stealth attire leaped to the front door, knocking anxiously. “Mother, it’s me.”

“Kasana? Come in,” a warm, mature voice replied from within.

Kasana pushed the door open and saw the matriarch, a mature elf woman, nursing a baby. The sight was overwhelming.

Leah’s long golden hair cascaded down her back, and her fair, delicate face, with sharp golden eyes and pointy ears, radiated maternal tenderness. Her sensual figure exuded the elegance of maturity, making the younger, slender Kasana look almost childlike in comparison.

Smiling gently, Leah glanced at the baby. “This little one is always hungry, no matter how often I feed her.”

The infant greedily suckled, milk spilling from its tiny mouth. This feeding amount wouldn’t be enough for most, but Leah seemed to have an endless supply.

Kasana, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, stammered, “M-Mother, I came to report something.”

“Go on, child,” Leah said softly.

“We found a dead black-brown bear in the eastern forest. Magical creatures nearly devour it,” Kasana explained. The discovery was alarming. A black-brown bear could easily wreak havoc on their village. Its death suggested a far more dangerous presence.

“There’s something like that? In this enchanted forest, only one creature stronger than a black-brown bear exists, and it lives in the West. Did you find any other clues?” Leah’s tone grew serious.

Kasana hesitated. “The site showed signs of battle, but there was no trace of the victor. We did, however, find goblin footprints. Could they be responsible?”

“Goblins? Impossible. Those lowly creatures could never defeat a black-brown bear, not even if a hero-level goblin appeared. The goblins here are weak and insignificant,” Leah replied, disdain clear in her voice.

Still, the lack of any trace from the victor puzzled her. Leah finally said, “It was probably humans. They’re the only ones cunning enough to leave no trace after killing such a beast.”

“Maybe,” Kasana agreed. “I’ll watch for more signs and report back.”

Kasana smiled and departed.

The following day, she returned, rushing into the room. “Mother! I’ve found a goblin!”

She burst through the door, only to freeze at the sight of Leah, accompanied by two male elves. Startled, Kasana shrieked and quickly backed out, her face flushing red.

The two male elves hurriedly gathered their belongings and slipped out of the window in a panic.

“C-Come in,” Leah called, her voice hoarse.

Kasana peeked inside and, seeing the room now empty, stepped in. Leah’s face still glowed with a deep blush, revealing what had just occurred. The bed was a mess, and undergarments lay scattered across the room.

Awkwardly, Kasana greeted her, “Mother... your bed...”

Leah, equally embarrassed, quickly grabbed some clothes to cover herself. “Kasana, my dear, don’t worry about that. Tell me, what did you find?”

Regaining her composure, Kasana explained, “I spotted a goblin lurking near the edge of Elf Forest, acting suspiciously.”

“It dared come this close? Why didn’t you kill that disgusting creature?” Leah asked, surprised.

She knew goblins were obsessed with elves, often sneaking around mineral sites to spy on them. But none had ever dared approach Elf Forest. This was a first.

Kasana lowered her head, ashamed. “I don’t know how I missed... it managed to escape.”

Elves rarely missed their mark, and archery mistakes were almost unheard of. But even they weren’t immune to failure.

Leah wrapped Kasana in a soft, motherly embrace. “Child, it’s not your fault. It was just a small goblin. Don’t worry about it.”

“Yes, Mother,” Kasana felt reassured, preparing to leave.

As she reached the door, Leah called out again, her face flushed with a hint of embarrassment, a look that made her all the more endearing.

“But next time, child, remember to knock before entering.”

“I-I understand, Mother!” Kasana's face flushed crimson as she quickly rushed out.

Goblin Tribe.

“Boss, there are about thirty elven treehouses in the Elf Forest, and they’re all high up!” a goblin reported to Oliver, struggling to count on his fingers and borrowing others’ for help.

Oliver nodded. “Good job. I’ll reward you with two elves when the time comes.”

“Two elves?! Gahaha! Thank you, Boss! Long live the Boss!” The goblin shouted excitedly, the same one Kasana had spotted earlier, his face twisting into a grin. The arrow hadn’t missed him—it had struck his armor but failed to penetrate.

Oliver began calculating. Thirty treehouses, with an average of two elves per house—since some likely lived alone—meant at least sixty elves. The ten or so guarding the mining site brought the total to around seventy.

Each elf had an overall combat power of around 200, which Oliver had confirmed from his observations at the mining site. This was lower than the power of his goblin subordinates. However, the elves’ homes were well-defended, and their quick movements would make a direct attack challenging under normal circumstances.

But now, after killing numerous first-tier Ghost-Face Monkeys, his goblins had learned the “Climbing” skill, allowing them to scale the trees quickly. A nightly surprise attack would let them take down the elves in one swift strike.

At that moment, Goblin Moon asked, “Boss, are we going to attack the elven village?”

“That’s right! We attack the elves tonight, and we’ll breed stronger goblins afterward!” Oliver shouted, rallying the tribe’s morale.

The entire tribe erupted in cheers! Goblins eagerly sharpened their weapons and prepared their armor for the impending raid.

Meanwhile, Oliver used the Life Simulation System to anticipate potential surprises.

“System, start Life Simulation.”

[Life Simulation System Initiating, Current Scenario: The Night Before the Raid]

After killing the Goblin Priest, you seized control of the small tribe, significantly increasing the strength of your goblin forces. Confident in your growing power, you eagerly planned to attack the elven village to strengthen your tribe and exact revenge on the bearded man and his group.

At night, you led your army silently into the Elf Forest. You had your forces swap their iron spears for daggers to ensure stealth. Confident in your advantage, you moved swiftly, knowing your forces outmatched the elves and counting on the element of surprise.

However, upon reaching the forest and scaling the treehouses, you found them empty. Turning around, you realized too late that the elves had anticipated your plan. Hidden among the treetops, they rained arrows down, decimating your goblins. You were also captured by the Elven Matriarch and hanged from the trees as a warning to other goblins.

Summary: What you thought was a flawless plan was already under their control.

Score: 0/100.

Reward: None.

Simulation Complete. Time Progressed: 0 Days.

“What?!” Oliver snapped back to reality, stunned by the total failure. How had the elves anticipated everything so perfectly? He had thought his plan was foolproof, but it had all been for nothing.

A possibility hit him. Someone must have been watching them!

His eyes narrowed as he cautiously scanned the surroundings. Finally, he spotted a humanoid figure dressed in black stealth attire hiding in the treetops. It had to be an elven scout.

He had been outmaneuvered!

“I need to capture her—fast. If she gets away, this will all be over!” Oliver’s mind raced, knowing he couldn’t allow her to return and warn the others.

Elves were skilled at leaping between treetops, and his goblins weren’t fast enough to catch her. The only option was a stealthy attack from below.

Knowing how sharp the elf’s senses would be, Oliver ordered his goblins to dance around the campfire, drawing the scout’s attention. Meanwhile, he stealthily crept beneath her tree, bow in hand. The arrow he prepared was coated with his paralytic poison.

A confrontation would be too risky. He needed to take her down silently and from a distance.

Taking careful aim, he pulled the bowstring taut and fired with all his strength.

“Agh!”