Facing the Lizard Men Once Again

Gray took the paper from Gobusuke and scanned the list. "Mhm... Good work, this is a pretty solid team for the investigation," he said, nodding in approval. "But I do suggest you bring Gobun with you. Gobun's barrier sphere will ensure the group's safety, especially for Gobmir since his profession is not for fighting."

Gobusuke looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. "You're right, my lord. I will make sure to include Gobun in the team."

"Good," Gray said. "And make sure to give them all the necessary equipment and supplies they'll need for the mission."

"Yes, my lord," Gobusuke replied with a deep bow. "We will need approximately half an hour to gather supplies and prepare for the mission."

Gray replied promptly, "Okay, let me know when you guys are done preparing." He gave a small nod, indicating that their conversation was over.

Gobusuke bowed once more before turning to leave.

"Sounds like a win-win situation," Gray said. "Gobun will gain more experience and level up, making his barrier sphere stronger. He will also be able to boost the team's safety with his ability."

Gray stood there, watching as the construction continued to progress. He had been waiting for Gobusuke and the rest of the goblins to arrive for quite some time now. Finally, they appeared in front of him, and all of them bowed respectfully.

Gobusuke stepped forward and spoke, "The team is now ready, my lord."

Gray looked at the goblins behind Gobusuke and took a deep breath. "You are all chosen for this task," he said, his voice ringing clear. "The purpose of this team is to investigate whether there is a mine in the lizard men's territory."

He paused for a moment, making sure that the goblins understood his message. "Once have you guys checked if there is a mine, and confirmed its existence. Set up a basic station to prepare for mining operations. I will send more goblins to help extract all the valuable minerals from the vein once you've confirmed it."

Gray then turned to Gobun and called out his name. "What is it, my lord?" Gobun quickly replied.

"Gobun, your main job in this mission will be ensuring Gobmir's safety," Gray said, pointing at the goblin he had in mind. "Gobmir will be one of the keys to our mission, as he is the perfect fit for finding the iron and steel mines, if there are any.

Gobmir grinned at Gray's praise, "You flatter me, boss," he said.

Gobun replied quickly, "Got it, my lord. I will do everything in my power to protect Gobmir."

"Very well," Gray acknowledged, pleased with Gobun's readiness to fulfill his duty.

"Take note, everyone," he said, addressing the whole team.

"As I have always said before, you guys will prioritize yourselves over the mission. Your life cannot be measured and can't be compared with anything, and we cannot afford to lose any of you unnecessarily."

As Gray's message was relayed to the group, the goblins quickly responded.

"Understood, my lord."

"Got it, boss!"

"Thank you, boss! We will do our best to make it home safely."

As the goblins reached the gate of End Forest City, Gobrielle, the Beastcaller Goblin stepped forward and summoned seven normal horses. The horses looked strong and sturdy, ready for the long journey ahead.

One by one, the goblins mounted the horses. After that, Gobun, the Barrier Master Goblin quickly cast his barrier sphere around Gobmir, the Miner Goblin, and his horse, enveloping them in a protective shield. Gobmir looked visibly relieved as the barrier quickly enveloped him and his horse, providing him with a sense of security.

The goblins kicked their horses, and the animals took off into a run. The horses' hooves thudded against the ground, causing dirt and grass to fly up in their wake. The forest's trees whipped past the goblins as they went deeper and deeper into the woods.

As the goblins continued their journey towards the lizard men's territory, they encountered a pack of Stone Tail Monkeys. The monkeys were small and had short, brown fur.

[ Stone Tail Monkey ]

: A small primate that has a spikey tail made of hardened stone, which it can use to attack its enemies. These monkeys travel in packs and can be quite aggressive towards intruders in their territory.

The monkeys were vicious and had spikey stone tails that they could use to attack. Gobusuke, the Lightning Samurai Goblin, charged forward first, his sword crackling with electricity. He dodged the first attack of the monkey's tail and sliced through its neck with a swift motion of his katana.

Goburus, the Scythelord Goblin, followed with a spin attack, taking out three monkeys at once. Gobbie, the Scout Goblin, used his bow and arrows to take out the monkeys from a distance, while Gobius, the Shadow Sniper Goblin, used his sniper rifle to snipe the monkeys that were out of range. The goblins took care of the rest of the monkeys in a flash.

As the goblins continued on their journey, they came across a Giant Poison Tarantula.

[ Giant Poisonous Tarantula ]

: An arachnid that is a large spider with a venomous bite. It has the ability to spin sticky webs that are coated in a potent toxin. Its venom is highly toxic and can cause paralysis or even death. It is a solitary creature that prefers to live in dark, damp places.

The spider was massive with dark black fur that can blend easily with the shadows. Its body is covered in thick hair, it has eight long and hairy legs, and had the ability to cast a poisonous web.

Goburus charged forward and used his scythe to deflect the spider's web. Gobun instantly cast a barrier around Goburus and his horse, protecting them from the spider's attacks.

Gobusuke then leaped into the air, his katana glowing with lightning, and sliced off one of the spider's legs. The spider retaliated by spraying its poisonous web towards Goburus, but the barrier protected him from harm. Gobius took advantage of the spider's distraction and sniped it in the head with his sniper rifle. The spider fell to the ground, dead.

The goblins breathed a sigh of relief and continued on their journey. They now traveled faster on their horses, which allowed them to cover more ground in less time.

As the goblins finally arrived at the lizard men's territory, they were surprised to find ten lizard men waiting for them, one of whom was a giant lizard towering over the others.

"Looks like this must be the team that's protecting the mine or the team that's exploring for the lizard men," Gobusuke said, eyeing the creatures warily.

With their horses unmounted and unsummoned by Gobrielle, the goblins charged forward towards the lizard men. The giant lizard immediately thrust its massive trident towards Goburus, but he swiftly defended himself by swinging his scythe.

Gobbie fired a couple of arrows towards the lizard men, hitting a few of them. Gobius positioned himself and quickly fired two consecutive shots, killing two more lizard men. The rest of the lizard men, aside from the giant one, were swiftly annihilated by Gobusuke's lightning-quick katana slashes.

However, Goburus was still fighting with the giant lizard, which seemed to be in a rage mode as its body bulged and turned red. Suddenly, Goburus leaped high into the air and spun forward, holding his scythe in front of him. The sound of his spinning scythe echoed through the air.

The giant lizard charged its trident and thrust it towards Goburus, but the impact pushed the lizard back. Undaunted, Goburus and the giant lizard ran towards each other, but as they closed in, Goburus took the giant lizard by surprise, sliding his body down and spinning his scythe in a lethal slash that cut off the lizard's legs.

Not content with just that, Goburus dashed sideways and charged his scythe from his back, slashing it towards the giant lizard's head. His blade meets the lizard man's neck and severed it cleanly. The scythe sliced through the thick scales and flesh, and green blood sprayed out from the wound.

The giant lizard's head flew off its body and landed with a thud on the ground, while its body convulsed and twitched in its death throes. Goburus landed gracefully on his feet and swung his scythe in an arc, removing the green blood from his blade, which splattered onto the ground in a grotesque pattern.