abcnovels
Chapter 57: Petricia
Chapter 57: Petricia
Alex clicked his tongue in annoyance. He wondered why he had to wait until later to find out.
Just like in the novels he usually read, where the MC had a cheat-like system, why couldn't they just directly tell him what really mattered?
This would allow him to avoid many pitfalls and ensure the journey was smoother.
But then he remembered how some authors justified this by saying that higher-level beings would find out if they were mentioned or talked about.
'That still doesn't make sense; Vesa never warns me about talking about the Progenitor.
Tch… I'll try to find some information from the hunter archive later,' Alex decided in his mind.
After traveling for a bit longer, Alex and Emily started lowering their movement speed; they were close now.
Based on the information he got from Vesa, the goblins had made a makeshift stronghold, but he underestimated its size.
Even from a distance, he could see the silhouette of a tall building.
He wanted to move closer, but Emily pulled his hand.
"It's not time to joke; tell me what you know," Emily said in a serious tone.
She had been to this dungeon before and read many reports from other hunters, but none of the goblin settlements were as big as what she was seeing.
"Based on Vesa's detection and my calculations, there should be 734 monsters inside that stronghold.
504 goblin civilians, 216 goblin soldiers, 14 ogres, and 36 high goblins, not counting the High Goblin Lord."
("Goblin soldiers" refers to a mix of goblin archers, warriors, and riders.)
Hearing the numbers, Emily's lips twitched.
"And you still walk there nonchalantly like this?
Normally, a settlement only has a hundred goblins at most; even in the reported cases where a high goblin is seen, it should only increase the number by half.
You think we can take them all?"
The usual strategy to clear Goblin Hollows was to locate the settlement first and then start hunting the goblin combat force one by one.
As the scout located the goblin lord, if possible, they would go for a quick assassination to clear the dungeon quickly.
The goblin warriors and the rest might drop some useful loot, but there was no value in hunting the normal goblins, and the biggest reward came after clearing the dungeon.
Alex had thought the allure of clearing dungeons came only from the monster loot and exotic resources inside it.
But that wasn't true. Every hunter who participated would gain a reward after killing the final boss.
"Why do we need to take them all? Since we know this place is another planet, I want to try to communicate first."
"Communicate???" Emily asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes."
"With goblins???"
"Yes, why do you need to ask again?"
Emily facepalmed herself.
"Even if you can somehow communicate with them, do you think they will just say, 'Sure, let's talk'?
Other hunters have tried this before, but none have succeeded, bro.
Don't think you are the only one who thought of this."
"Oh... Really? I never read any reports on that, but it's different, Emily.
I'm not talking about negotiating for a truce or anything like that; I just want more information.
And we are not the same, Emily."
Alex, with a smirk, took out an Awe Cube. "Come out, Petricia."
Light emerged from the cube, materializing into the High Goblin he had captured earlier.
The moment she appeared, Petricia knelt on one knee. "Yes, King, you called me?"
____________________
Name: Petricia
Species: High Goblin
Power Level: 3.5
Lifeforce: 50/80
*
Needs:
Hunger 78/100
Stamina 48/100
Bond: ????? (2/5)
Notes: Hopes for the King to free her species.
*
Ability:
Cunning Plan
____________________________________
Emily's eyes widened. "What? She can talk?"
Emily wasn't surprised Petricia had healed now since her wound wasn't severe; a normal potion could easily help mend her body. But teaching a high goblin to talk fluently in just a few hours should have been impossible.
She then quickly connected it to Vesa.
With eyes filled with envy, she said in a sweet tone, "Brother, good things should be shared with the family, right???"
Alex raised his eyebrow, seeing his sister raise her hand in a gesture asking for something. "What do you want?"
"The system, I want it."
Alex's lips twitched. "I cannot give it; you should know that. Why do you even want it?"
"Didn't you say you could make these monsters loyal because of Vesa? I want to capture some monsters."
Petricia frowned. She didn't like being called a monster by Emily, but she didn't say anything out of respect for Alex.
Inside the Awe Cube, Vesa had given her some information she needed to know, including Alex's language.
When Petricia first awoke, her soul felt like she was in the presence of some higher-level being; instinctively, she knelt on the ground and prayed to the sky.
"Ukkaa uka… umaana umaa…" She spoke in the Goblin's language, which meant, "Praise the Celestus… Finally, you answer our race's prayer."
Before she could continue her prayer, Vesa's voice appeared in Petricia's mind.
Since a wisp of her soul was now within Alex's inner world, it was easy for Vesa to do this.
If not for Vesa, Petricia would have already been kneeling and calling Alex God Celestus, a deity that the whole goblin race prayed to, when she came out.
Alex felt curious about his sister's wish; it had been a long time since she asked for something from him.
"What monster do you want to capture? The best I can do is order them to be loyal to you."
Alex had thought before if it was possible to make a similar system for his mom and sister.
The answer? It could be done, but only for non-intelligent beasts, utilizing the beast bond contract.
But if they tried it with other intelligent species, there was a risk they could get enslaved in reverse, and Alex didn't want to take any chances with his family's safety.
So, he scrapped the idea.