In the distance, the goblin lair finally came into view. Contrary to what Adam had expected, the lair actually seemed very secure and properly structured, taking him by surprise.
The boundaries of the village were constructed from the thick stems of the mushroom tree. In some places, an entire mushroom tree was dug in. Atop these mushroom caps, armed goblins stood, acting as sentries.
Adam stopped in his footsteps and made some distance away from the group he was following. He looked at the tight security of the village and frowned. This is going to be tougher than I thought.
He hesitated momentarily, Is the treasure inside really worth all the trouble?
The next moment, however, his eyes shone with resolve. He mocked himself, Since when did I become so indecisive? Heh, this place has really got me on edge.
Being constantly on guard for the past week was really beginning to test his mentality. This was different from the time he was being spied on by those assassins in Hannes City.
Back then he was in a city full of people. Moreover, he also found comfort in knowing that his friends were with him. But now, he was in a strange place with no one around him. He had to constantly be on guard against goblins and other magic beasts.
This is a test of my mental fortitude. Adam encouraged himself. I must not waver.
He knew that none of the inhabitants of the secret plane had strength exceeding that of a Rank 2 Magus. If that was the case, then he had nothing to worry about.
Furthermore, even if he was somehow cornered, he was confident in his ability to escape. Before leaving the academy, he had spent a great amount of money to purchase a Rank 1 spell that aided his mobility.
Having resolved his mind, Adam took out a crystal vial containing dust. He looked at the contents in the vial and smirked. This unassuming dust was a product of herbalism and was called Traceless.
The youth uncorked the vial and sprinkled the dust all over his body. This dust made it difficult for others to track his scent.
After waiting a minute for the effects of the dust to kick in, he stealthily made his way around the village walls, trying to look for a way in that had the least amount of resistance.
He didn't want to alert anyone. Not before he had his hands on the treasure anyway.
After making a couple of rounds around the village, he finally found his way in. He hid behind a small mushroom and gazed at the gate that the goblins used to transport supplies.
However, when he learned this fact, Adam's face turned quite solemn. He thought to himself, Goblins are very low-intelligence creatures, to begin with. So I found it quite surprising that they managed to come together and form such a cohesive village…
The more he thought about it, the more serious his expression became. And now there's this gate specially made for bringing in supplies. This could only mean one thing.
Adam's hands balled into fists and his eyes narrowed. These goblins are being led by someone… someone smarter and stronger than them. And there's only one such being that comes to mind!
The youth took a few deep breaths and made sure he had everything ready. If it was as he speculated, then things would turn out to be quite difficult for him.
Regardless, he welcomed this challenge.
Two goblin guards were guarding this gate. They were much less vigilant compared to the guards at the other three gates. After all, there was very minimal traffic here. Throughout the day, only one maybe two groups of goblins carrying food and supplies would enter.
After creating a distraction, Adam was able to effortlessly enter through the gate and make his way inside the village. After finding a relatively secluded spot, he carefully observed the goblin society.
He found that this village was very tribal by nature. The strong goblins became warriors and carried the best weapons and the weaker ones did the menial tasks and were ordered around.
At the center of the village was a large hut guarded by dozens of menacing-looking goblins armed to the teeth. Seeing this, Adam's eyes narrowed. That's most likely the place where the village leader resides and also where the treasures might be.
Adam's gaze then shifted to other areas within the village. He learned that these creatures had very little understanding of privacy. The vast majority of them slept out in the open and in other communal areas.
The youth even saw a goblin couple go at it in public, while a few other goblins stared at them while helping themselves.
Adam was repulsed by this. Truly barbaric.
Suddenly, he sensed that a goblin was coming his way. So he hurriedly changed locations. After coming to another quiet place, he continued to observe.
The defenses inside the village were neither too strict nor too laidback. However, Adam could tell that should anything happen, the goblins would be ready for battle at a moment's notice.
He involuntarily glanced at the large hut in the middle of the village. My guess should be right…
Adam continued to look at other areas inside the village, a plan of action slowly beginning to formulate in his mind. But all of a sudden, from the corner of his eyes, he caught sight of people being imprisoned inside metal cages and tortured by a few goblins.
Upon closer inspection, Adam was taken aback. These guys… It's barely been a week and they're already caught! What in the world?
The people who were being imprisoned and tortured were none other than the Magi who had entered the secret plane! Among them were humans, elves, dwarves, and even gnomes.
These guys are pathetic! Adam shook his head. Then, his lips curled up into a sneer. But I can make good use of you.
A few minutes later, a series of explosions went off outside the village. This caused great panic and chaos amongst the goblins. At once, many goblin warriors rushed out to deal with the impending threat.
While most of these goblins, including the ones that had been guarding the prisoners, had gone out, Adam sneakily approached the cage where the prisoners were being held.
He found out that the dozen or so Magi were drugged and their hands were tied. Seeing this, he thought to himself, No wonder, they weren't able to cast spells.
Adam took out healing potions and antidotes and force-fed them, then he untied them. When the Magi came to, they saw that a human youth was heroically standing in front of them, stars shining in the depths of his eyes.
"Did you… save us?" An elf asked, on the verge of tears.
"I did, but now is not the time for celebration," Adam clenched his fist and spoke with passion, his words carrying a certain charm. "I have managed to lure the goblins out, but soon they'll be back. We must be ready!"
The Magi got up to their feet, gnashing their teeth in fury. Anger was evident in their eyes after having been humiliated by the goblins. They couldn't wait to go out and exact revenge.
Adam took advantage of this and hammered down while the iron was still hot. "Those despicable goblins! How dare they look down on us Magi?!"
He looked everyone in the eye and spoke with great fervor. "My brothers! My sisters! Let us teach these bastards the consequences of messing with us!"
"OHHHH!!!" The Magi were filled with courage as they rushed out of the cage one by one, attacking any goblin they saw.
Seeing them so riled up, Adam's lips curled up into a smirk.