Chapter 448: Chapter 348: The Grand Commander’s First Stage, Part 2

"I don’t know what you’ve been through, but I can tell you’re probably not a bad person," Diana said, beckoning with her hand. The Flying Sword she had just thrown instantly returned to her grasp. "But you are an idiot. How could goblins possibly be noble? They are wicked, greedy monsters. Even if one helped you for a moment, it was only with the intent to deceive you."

"You’re the idiot," Little John retorted, gripping his Longsword and getting to his feet again. "People used to call me dummy number one, but I can still tell the difference between good and evil. I can tell whether these goblins are good or bad."

"If it were really like you say, this place would be littered with gnawed human bones. They’d be playing with human skulls in their hands, or even throwing them at you." Little John raised his Longsword and pointed it at the girl opposite him, roaring. He knew what goblins used to be like, and he knew what these goblins who followed Shire were like now.

Before he became an Adventurer, he had also grown up hearing of the goblins’ fearsome reputation. Adults would say, ’If you don’t stop messing around, the goblins will rush out of the forest, grab your legs, and drag you into the woods.’

But after getting to know them, he realized that goblins had feelings, thoughts, and their own sense of right and wrong. When they were well-fed and warm, they would search for wildflowers in the forest, pick them, and weave them into crowns to wear on their heads. They would also gather in laughing groups, waving sticks around to play a game of "bat the stick."

’At least they’re much better than those nobles who devour people whole, bones and all. They at least stick the skulls on pikes around their territory to warn off intruders.’ That had been a joke of Little John’s, but it seemed rather fitting now.

Diana held her twin swords at the ready, her eyes scanning the goblins in the distance. They were cowering but hadn’t fled. Just as Little John had said, there were indeed no human remains to be seen. Though some skeletons were scattered near a collapsed wall corner, they were clearly the bones of beasts. Some of the goblins even wore well-fitted clothes, obviously custom-made and not stolen from humans.

These goblins were acting abnormally. Usually, in a situation like this, they would have let out a huge cry and vanished without a trace. Yet now, not a single one had fled. They were clearly still afraid, but even as they hid behind the crumbling stone walls, they continued to throw stones.

"Hmph," Diana snorted. "I don’t know what’s going on here, but Third Uncle is the most astute Swordsman there is. I’m sure he’ll bring that goblin back soon."

"When he does, I’ll get to the bottom of this. As for you, you can take a nap." As she spoke, she spread her arms, lowered her body, and charged straight at Little John.

Seeing her charge at him, Little John hastily raised his sword to block. But with a BANG, a huge hammer smashed down between them, kicking up a cloud of dust.

...

Shire scrambled through the undergrowth, pulling another Scroll from the back of his waist. It was a Magic Scroll of [Slippery Feet].

The Flying Sword had given up trying to follow him through the bushes. Instead, it was now hovering in the air, waiting for an opening to stab at the exposed goblin.

Shire had been relying on his agility to dodge the blade every time, but he knew this wasn’t a long-term solution. One mistake and he’d be wounded. His agility would be greatly reduced, and the Flying Sword would quickly gain Control over him.

He planned to use another Scroll to boost his running Ability. The [Ability Overdraft] would last for an hour. By then, the others should have managed to subdue the Grand Commander of the Saintly Army. After that, this Flying Sword would be no big deal.

He dove into a thicket, grabbed the Scroll with both hands, and with a RIP, a flash of green light enveloped him. Shire could feel his feet become much more nimble.

But during the moment the Magic took effect, his body froze. For less than a second, his movements ceased. The Flying Sword seized the opportunity and shot straight toward him.

The Flying Sword was incredibly fast, much faster than any of its previous attacks. It was like a Swordsman who, after a few probes, patiently waited for an opponent’s opening, then seized the fleeting moment to strike a decisive blow.

"Fuck me." Shire’s eyes went wide. He kicked off the ground with all his might, but while he was fast, the Flying Sword was faster. The Longsword was about to pierce the goblin’s body.

CLANG! With a ringing of metal on metal, the Flying Sword was deflected, and a Longsword was now stuck diagonally in the ground beside the thicket.

"You’re so dead!" Red Eyes roared, running over and snatching his Black Sword from the ground.

"You’re here?" Shire said, looking at his subordinate. A sense of relief washed over him.

"They told me," Red Eyes said, gripping his Longsword and watching the Flying Sword warily. Shire had previously sent them to clear the southern part of the city, which was now a massive construction site where a large portion of the tribe’s manpower was concentrated.

This was why Diana’s aerial ambush had caught Shire completely off guard.

"Where’s Caocao?" Shire asked warily, standing back and drawing his two Short Blades.

"Headed that way." Red Eyes lifted his chin and pointed into the distance, toward the battlefield where Little John and the Grand Commander of the Saintly Army were.

...

"A Giant?" Diana stared, stunned, at Caocao charging toward her. The creature was three meters tall with powerful muscles. Although he wore no Armor, his body was like that of an enraged Giant Beast.

"Caocao smash you!" the Giant bellowed, rushing between the two and snatching up the hammer from the ground with one hand.

The hammer looked like a tool from a construction site, used for driving stakes, only much larger. In the Giant’s hand, it didn’t look out of place at all.

The enraged Caocao was bare-chested, his pant legs rolled up to his knees. He looked exactly like he’d just rushed over from a construction site.

’Just as I thought. These guys are up to no good. They even have a Giant with them.’ Diana tightened her grip on her Longswords, her eyes fixed on Caocao. He was a much greater threat than Little John, especially because of a Giant’s [Regeneration]. That Ability was very troublesome. Moreover, a three-meter-tall Giant was clearly as large as a Little Giant, and the force of his attacks would be difficult to defend against.

The moment the thought crossed her mind, she advanced instead of retreating. Kicking off the ground, she charged the Giant, just as Caocao’s hammer came smashing down.

Unfortunately, the hammer was unwieldy, and the impact of it hitting the ground sent a shockwave back up, causing Caocao’s movements to falter for a moment.

Diana, having dodged the blow, closed the distance in a flash. Her twin Longswords became a blur, and in an instant, she had slashed and stabbed several times.

Blood sprayed. Caocao was forced to shield his body with one arm. Several wounds had already appeared on him, while Diana, at his side, swung her Longswords even faster.

CLANG! A Longsword thrust in from the side, forcing Diana back. Little John shook his stinging hand, his eyes locked on the retreating girl.

"You are truly incorrigible." For the first time, a hint of anger crept into Diana’s voice.

She hadn’t displayed such emotion before, but from her perspective, Little John was a lost cause, refusing to see the error of his ways.

"Caocao is a good kid," Little John said with a smirk, holding a hand out to the Giant beside him.

A faint red mist was rising from the Giant’s body, and his wounds were already beginning to heal. But when he saw Little John’s outstretched hand, he looked down at his own stomach and mumbled, "Food. No food."

Without Fulu nearby, Little John couldn’t understand what Caocao was saying. But seeing the apologetic look on his face, he just smiled and patted the Giant’s body. "It’s okay. After we take her down, I’ll buy you something new."

Diana frowned at the pair opposite her, about to say something, but a voice from the distance cut her off.

"Surround her," Shire shouted. "She’s very strong! You have to attack together!"

Before his voice had faded, a red-eyed goblin as tall as Diana herself violently knocked the airborne Flying Sword back with a single strike. Then, carrying his Longsword, he advanced on Diana, shouting gibberish.

"Another goblin?" Diana murmured, as her Flying Sword drifted back to hover behind her.

"The numbers are a bit high, but it doesn’t matter," she said. "The word ’retreat’ doesn’t exist in Diana’s dictionary." She spread her arms, and a wave of Magic instantly radiated from her.

"[Defense Against Evil]! [Devout Shield]! [Shelter Technique]! [Sacred Weapon]! [Anti-Magic Shield]!"

As Shire watched in shock, the Grand Commander of the Saintly Army cast several buffing Magic spells on herself in rapid succession. Pulses of white light flashed around her body.

Once Diana finished casting her Magic, she lowered her head slightly. When she opened her eyes, her gaze swept over the goblin, the Giant, the Naga, and the human before her.

"Now, it is I who have you surrounded."

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