Oh no!
A wolf lunged at her!
But the taller goblin heard his little sister's scream. He spun around without hesitation and charged back with a primal roar. He swung his crude wooden club with everything he had!
BAM!
The wood smashed into the wolf's snout!
(Damn!)
That was a solid hit!
The beast yelped and staggered sideways, letting out a sharp, pained whimper.
But of course, it was nowhere near enough!
The wolf shook its head, rain spraying from its fur. The fury in its eyes burned brighter than before.
Then, another wolf lunged from the side, claws flashing as it tore through the rain, aiming straight for them!
But the goblin brother acted just in time.
In a heroic save, he grabbed his sister and took the claws to his back!
SLASH!
Blood sprayed from the wounded goblin.
(Damn, that's brutal!)
At that point, I thought it was over, that the goblin had fallen and would become nothing more than a fresh meal for the wolves.
However, to my surprise, the brother was still able to get up.
He screamed and forced himself upright!
Despite the grievous wound, adrenaline seemed to flood his body, screaming at him to move.
He hoisted his sister onto his back.
Another wolf lunged.
But he ducked at the very last moment, twisted his body in a desperate, almost beautiful turn—
And ran.
Straight toward me!
He screamed as he ran, legs pumping like pistons, splashing through the mud without slowing down.
Seeing that, something ignited within me.
(What the hell?)
(Is this guy an anime MC or something?!)
(This is ridiculous!)
I knew I had killed countless goblins before. I had never felt bad for those guys. They were just stupid monsters to me, nothing more than a means to earn Points.
But this time… I suddenly found myself cheering them on.
(COME ON,) I urged silently. (COME ON! YOU'VE GOT THIS!)
I raised my gate.
(Get in. Hurry!)
But then, the goblin skidded to a halt.
Because there it was. That damned skull-marked stick! The danger sign that the elder goblin had placed in front of me. And now, it was blocking the way.
(Oh GOD DAMN IT!) I swore. (JUST FUCKING GET IN!)
Still, the goblin brother hesitated, rain pouring down his face, eyes darting between the warning sign and the snarling monsters behind him. His sister cried, clinging to him, her arms locked around his neck, trembling like a leaf in the storm.
Behind them, the wolves closed in.
The goblin brother stood at a terrible crossroads.
Death behind him.
Fear in front of him.
With no time left to think, what would he choose?
…
"YAAAAAARRRR!"
The goblin screamed and ran straight into my castle!
(YES!)
I slammed the gate shut immediately.
CLANG!
However, just as the portcullis was coming down, a wolf lunged forward and managed to slip through!
It skidded into my courtyard, water spraying beneath its paws. Its lips curled back, drool dripping from its fangs as it faced the goblin siblings.
Thunder boomed overhead.
The goblin siblings turned and froze in terror, their faces drained of all color.
****
Now, despite their terror, the goblin brother still stood his ground. He shielded his little sister with his body, gripping his wooden club until his knuckles whitened against his green skin. Both of them trembled as they faced the wolf. Even so, he clearly had no intention of dying without a fight.
But his body betrayed him first.
He had lost too much blood.
With a weak gasp, the goblin dropped to his knees, chest heaving as he struggled to stay upright.
The wolf answered with a low, rumbling growl and began to creep closer, step by slow step.
The goblin brother clenched his teeth, forcing himself not to fall.
The little goblin sister suddenly stepped forward and placed herself in front of him. She spread her small arms wide, her thin body shaking as if it might snap at any moment. It was as if she was saying:
"If you want to eat my brother… then eat me first!"
The goblin brother's eyes flew open in shock.
I froze.
After all… were these really the same foolish goblins I had killed before?
Even with death staring them in the face, their courage was undeniable.
The wolf did not hesitate. It lunged!
Both goblins turned away at the same time, eyes squeezed shut, bracing for the end they could not escape.
But of course, I had no intention of letting them die so easily.
They were inside my castle now. And that meant they were under my protection!
BOOM!
A massive slab of stone crashed down from above, smashing straight into the wolf's head.
It died instantly.
Just like that.
The goblins slowly opened their eyes.
What greeted them was the crushed corpse of the wolf.
The sight sent a jolt of terror through them. Both shrieked and scrambled backward, losing their balance and dropping onto their backsides.
Outside the gate, the remaining wolves reacted as well. Seeing one of their own slain so suddenly, they whimpered and edged away, teeth bared as they snarled in unease.
But fear soon outweighed their aggression. Realizing there was nothing more they could do, the pack released one final, mournful howl before retreating into the depths of the forest.
And just like that, the goblins were safe.