North of Starfall Forest.
The kobold tribe.
Inside the simple, ancient stone temple, thick sacrificial incense drifted through the air as low, heavy prayers echoed for a long time.
“Lord Shaman.”
Hasty footsteps echoed from outside the temple, interrupting the old Shaman's prayers.
The old Shaman slowly turned his head and saw a burly kobold warrior striding in. The warrior knelt on one knee and spoke respectfully:
“Lord Shaman, seven hundred warriors of the tribe have assembled. We are ready to set out at any moment.”
Hearing this, the old Shaman's withered face showed not a hint of joy for the campaign, only a heart full of gravity.
These seven hundred young and strong members were the very foundation of the kobold tribe's future.
This expedition to Starfall Forest was fraught with danger; they would likely face certain death.
At this thought, bitterness welled up in the old Shaman's cloudy eyes. He then remembered the divine artifact his Father God had bestowed upon him along with the oracle, and his expression instantly became incredibly complex.
Seeing the old Shaman remain silent for so long, the kobold assumed it was time for them to set off immediately. Just as it was about to stand up and leave—
“Wait.”
The old, hoarse voice suddenly rang out, carrying a trace of struggle and reluctance that was hard to detect.
The kobold froze, turning back in confusion. “Lord Shaman?”
The old Shaman hesitated for a moment before finally reaching behind his back and pulling out an object.
It was a dark, disc-shaped object, its surface carved with intricate patterns.
The entire object radiated a faint, unsettling aura.
“Dogtooth, this mission is fraught with peril. This is a divine artifact bestowed upon us by His Crown. Remember, do not use it unless you have absolutely no other choice!”
With those words, he let out a silent sigh, pain and worry swirling in his eyes.
Dogtooth did not notice the old Shaman's unusual behavior at all, its face filled with excitement and fanaticism. “A divine artifact bestowed by His Crown?!”
It took the item reverently with both hands and held it tightly against its chest, as if cradling the ultimate treasure.
“With this divine artifact, we will surely fulfill His Crown's mission perfectly!”
The old Shaman's lips trembled, but in the end, he only sighed and remained silent.
After a long while, he suppressed all his emotions and ordered in a deep voice, “Pass down the order: take out all the tribe's stored beast meat. Let all the departing warriors eat their fill before setting out.”
Dogtooth was somewhat puzzled by this. They had eaten not long ago, even if it was a simple meal. Moreover, the food in the tribe was always rationed and distributed by the Shaman, so this behavior was highly unusual.
However, it did not think too much about it. It knew this mission was to go to Starfall Forest to crusade against some humans, and it had heard from the Shaman that those people were not very strong.
But it had never heard of any human settlements in Starfall Forest. Could it be newly established?
It was highly likely. After all, Dogtooth remembered that their kobolds had an outpost in Starfall Forest. It was probably in conflict with those humans.
Thus, the reason the Shaman was gathering them this time was to wipe out those humans.
Indeed, humans were truly detestable. They clearly had rich lands of their own, yet they still insisted on fighting over theirs.
Furthermore, it had heard from the Shaman that the troll tribe on the outskirts of Starfall Forest would also set out at the same time. The difficulty of this mission was likely extremely low.
As for why His Crown had bestowed a divine artifact, it was probably because he was worried about his weak believers. The Dragon Lord was simply too benevolent.
Thinking of this, Dogtooth's faith in Mosator grew even more devout.
Little did it know, its reasoning was entirely wrong.
And it would cost it its life.
“Yes,” Dogtooth replied respectfully, then turned and left.
The old Shaman stared blankly at its departing back. In the end, he could not bear to tell it that this mission was likely a one-way trip.
He had received the dragon deity's oracle earlier and had naturally been granted the memories concerning Boka, the God-Favored.
Humans who could resurrect, an unknown True God, a powerful God-Favored...
Moreover, combined with the fact that Bladefang, the strongest warrior of the tribe, had not returned last time, it was already clear how perilous Starfall Forest currently was.
Now, sending seven hundred people... the old Shaman did not believe it would make any difference. Yet, he still did it. After all, this was His Crown's oracle...
But...
The old Shaman thought of the kobold tribe's total population of only one thousand and sighed softly.
After this, how many people would be left in the kobold tribe?
No, I cannot think like that! Everything is for His Crown!
The old Shaman brainwashed himself.
Yes! Every sacrifice is worth it!
...
Divine Kingdom of Light.
“Mother Goddess! They have set out!”
Mikael's voice came through the channel of faith, carrying a trace of urgent gravity.
Upon hearing this, Iluvia immediately connected to Mikael's vision. Instantly, the scene of the kobolds marching toward Starfall Forest appeared before her eyes. A rough sweep showed there were about several hundred of them.
“They couldn't hold back any longer, huh...”
Iluvia narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze quickly sweeping over the kobold warriors.
Some were Bronze Rank, a few were on the verge of Silver Rank, but most were non-Class Holders. Furthermore, there was not a single Gold Rank among them.
Something was wrong.
Last time, the scouting party Mosator sent had at least two Gold Ranks leading them, plus a God-Favored hiding in the shadows.
Now, he was actually only sending a group of ordinary kobolds?
With Mosator's personality, it was absolutely impossible for him to do something so meaningless.
“Mikael, did you detect any anomalies near them?”
“No, Mother Goddess,” Mikael answered truthfully. “I watched them the entire time and didn't detect any other presence.”
“None?”
Iluvia frowned.
Either Mosator had other arrangements in secret and had hidden a stronger trump card, or he was certain that these few hundred kobolds alone would be enough to achieve his goal.
No matter which case it was, it indicated that what was visible on the surface was only the tip of the iceberg.
She pondered for a moment and decided to act with caution.
“Mikael, return for now.”
“Yes, Mother Goddess.”
Once the arrangements were in place, Iluvia mobilized her divine power, preparing to issue a main quest to the players so they could test the waters and see what was going on.
But suddenly, her movements froze.
She felt a wild, murderous aura barge into her range of perception.
“That is...???”
Rate on N.U.
