Chapter 23: The Plan [1] - The skills are no joke. Handicaps? More like, diamonds in the rough.

Grub stood near Rumble's unconscious body. A drop of sweat dripped from his forehead, not out of anxiety but due to the excessive humidity in the area.

In reality, Grub was surprised by Rumble's wit. 'He isn't just all fat, I mean, muscles...', Grub thought to himself.

Observing Rumble, he noticed Rumble's eye was completely open. Rumble winked once before closing it, acting as if he fainted.

Grub couldn't help but come up with the best reason as to why Rumble did it.

The six goblins beside Bozo, Rumble, and Grub, though lacking outstanding abilities, were crucial units for the struggle and the devised plan.

If Rumble and Grub suddenly handed authority to Bozo out of fear, questions would arise. Doubt could grow into a destructive force. The seed that sprouted could end up as a gigantic tree tomorrow While Grub hadn't thought of a solution, Rumble took the lead and initiated the act. Grub realized Rumble's intention midway, after which Bozo's punch landed on Rumble.

Someone else in the cell also noticed this.

Bozo was the second to acknowledge the act.

He hadn't used his berserker skill, simply mustering all the power in his normal physique. It wouldn't damage Rumble, let alone make him unconscious. When the act concluded, Bozo couldn't help but internally chuckle. The insults lingered, but his understanding seemingly expanded.

"S-such strength! Such a terrifying punch! You didn't even put your entire strength, yet you knocked him out with just one hit! Y-you... you are just too strong! You are great! You deserve to be our leader!" Grub began his bootlicking and a complicated set of compliments.

Bozo calmed down a little as he noticed everyone, except the unconscious Rumble, bowing in front of him.

Although his position was suddenly promoted, he had yet to hear about the plan.

"So, what's this plan about?" Out of nowhere, Bozo asked, as it seemed to be of utmost importance.

Bozo moved his gaze from left to right. Other than the eye-less Rumble, half-cut ear Grub, the other six had similar disabilities.

Whork didn't have his right hand.

Raant didn't have a single canine, and all his fingertips had been chopped off.

Drex's nose had been chopped away, leaving his face disfigured.

Naya and Kaya, the only two female goblins here, had their spines broken in the most brutal way. They couldn't steady themselves and sit upright. Even now, the bowing seemed like a reward to them while asking them to stand would be the cruelest punishment.

Finally, an old goblin, Kokho, seemed completely fine externally, but the sad fellow had nothing but blurred vision and weakened hearing that came naturally with age.

Could all the goblins here be any useful? While the question lingered in Bozo's mind, he simultaneously desired to know what the plan was.

Grub didn't hesitate to reveal it, but not too loudly.

"Sir, may I come closer? Even the walls here have ears," Grub added as he moved his eyeballs left and right, trying to see if anyone was spying while making Bozo aware of his intentions.

Bozo nodded in agreement. Grub then approached him and leaned close to his ears, whispering the plan. Not too much in detail, but enough for him to understand the basics.

"Elder Naska's next target is probably the Fang Village, which is the next closest. Our best option is to escape and inform them about Naska's actions. With their help, we might be able to wipe out the goblins here and even deal with the humans cooperating in the process."

Grub took a deep breath and continued, "You might be wondering how we'll escape, right?" Bozo gave a gentle nod.

Grub smiled and continued, "They are the key," pointing at the goblins in the cell. He further commented, "While these goblins may seem handicapped and useless, each one of them has an important role, possessing very useful skills."

Bozo started to check their skills with the help of the system, paying attention to Grub's explanation.

…

[Name: Whork] [Level: 7]

[Skills:]

1. Ignite Fear (E):

- Frightens the target and decreases all stats by 10%.

- Condition: Works only on lower-level targets.

2. Blank (E):

- Able to teleport a meter ahead.

- Condition: Can be used only once in 24 hours.

…

[Name: Raant] [Level: 8]

[Skills:]

1. Shield of Invisibility (D):

- The host can cast a shield around themselves or the target with an additional invisibility as a side-effect.

- Condition: Can use only one shield at a time.

…

[Name: Drex] [Level: 7]

[Skills:]

1. Sleep (E):

- Makes the target sleepy.

-Decreases perception by 10%

...

[Name: Naya] [Level: 4]

[Skills:]

1. Telekinesis (D):

- Uses psychic power to control the target.

- Condition: Can only be used with a partner who has a similar skill.

[Name: Kaya] [Level: 4]

[Skills:]

1. Telekinesis (E):

- Uses psychic power to control the target.

- Condition: Can use it only on one target.

…

[Name: Kokho] [Level: 16]

[Skills:]

1. Actor (S):

- An actor capable of misleading others' expectations.

- Can change the appearance of the host depending on the target chosen.

- Can use 1 skill of the target that will be given randomly.

- Condition: Can use for 1 hour in a day.

2. Future Sight (E):

- The host can see 10 seconds into the future.

- Condition: Consumes 50% of HP.

…

[Name: Rumblebelly] [Level: 15]

1. Fatty Cushion (C):

- Absorbs the shockwaves of the attack and protects the vital organs.

- Condition: Can only be used by a Fatty.

2. Goblin's Might (E):

- Raises strength, agility, and perception by 5 points.

- Condition: Consumes 50% MP.

3. Punches of Infinity (B):

- The more the host consumes, the stronger the strength Stat will get, and more the critical damage will be dealt to the opponent.

- If a set of combos is delivered to a target, with every attack, the strength Stat will increase by 1 point.

- Condition: Consumes 1% Stamina and 2% MP every second.

…

[Name: Grub] [Level: 6]

1. Intuition (E):

- Able to make the right decision at the nick of the time despite being morally, emotionally, and physically confused.

2. Analysis (E):

- Can take a peek at the condition and skills of the target.

- Similar to the system screen, it can display the stats of the target.

- Condition: Can use only once on a target in a day.

[Note: Since the system is superior to the skill, it will be useless if used on the host.]

3. ??? (???) - unable to see description due to the host's low level.

...

'Interesting…'

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