The sun was rising slowly in the sky; it felt like it took longer than ever from the villagers' perspective. Their daily work had been temporarily canceled due to an impending danger with the goblins. Boris's team had visited all the villagers' houses and warned them not to leave under any circumstances.

  Jule and Boris quietly moved toward a hill located a bit far from the village. They sought a clear view of the surrounding areas. The way to there was a bit exhausting as the wind had suddenly turned into a dust storm.

  When Boris reached the top of the hill, he looked back at Jule and said, “We can’t see anything now.”

  The blowing dust made the view unclear. However, the fire was still burning, and there were no movements around it or inside the tents. Jule concerns heightened when he didn't found them there. He realized that such an intelligent monsters that were able to make an organized tent and campfire, in addition to the bags and various items that only humans had used before, can potentially build traps that are similar to what human are capable to build.

  “Was this camp actually made by the goblins?” Jule asked, wanting reassurance.

  “Yes, I’m sure of it,” Boris answered.

  “But they’re not here now,” Jule said. The view was gradually clearing as the wind carried the dust away.

  “That’s weird,” Boris said.

  “You should go and bring more men,” Jule suggested. “I’ll stay here watching the camp.”

  “You plan to go there?” Boris asked.

  “Yes, if they didn't come back before you bring few men with you,” Jule said. He exchanged a concerned glance with Boris. “This will be our only chance to fully understand their capabilities and prepare for their attacks in case there are more of them.”

  “Yes, sir,” Boris said. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Please be careful.”

  “You too,” Jule said.

  When Boris left, Jule’s magical aura intensified unconsciously as he felt anxious and worried. He used both hands and conjured a pile of rocks. Throwing these rocks around the camp, he placed six of the biggest size, each covering one side.

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  Jule’s ability was conjuring rocks of different sizes and forms. These rocks would act as sensors, detecting movements when someone stepped on them and sending the information back to Jule. Additionally, they were designed so that when Jule deactivated them, all the magic used to conjure them would return to him instead of simply vanishing. This way, he could conserve aura and observe the battlefield clearly.

  (These monsters probably knew that Boris had been spying on them earlier, which is why they’re not here now. However, many other possibilities are arising since they’ve shown a higher intellectual capability than regular goblins,) Jule thought.

  Dealing with these monsters had become unpredictable, as if it were the first time he had encountered them. Under these circumstances, Jule decided to play it safe and keep his distance from their camp by throwing the conjured rocks there and hiding.

  Boris ran toward the village. He saw Alia leaving her house, but he was still some distance away. Not noticing the two people approaching the village from the other side, he decided to run faster before any goblins attacked Alia. Meanwhile, Zoeske and Jacob went to the nearest window to see where Alia was going.

  “Oh, this is…” Zoeske and Jacob said simultaneously.

  “Pondra!” Zoeske said.

  “Jacha!” Jacob said.

  Then they both asked simultaneously, “What?” surprised.

  “Jacha?” Zoeske asked.

  “How do you know about Pondra?” Jacob asked.

  “I met her at the village under the floating island,” Zoeske said.

  “Oh, she was probably going to visit Jacha,” Jacob said. “Wait, didn’t she tell you about us?”

  “Anyway, is that Jacha?” Zoeske asked.

  “Yes, it’s him,” Jacob said. "Don't ignore my question."

  Zoeske glanced at Jacha, who was finally arriving. He was still a bit far away, making it difficult for Zoeske to see him clearly.

  “Jacha is a weird man, actually…” Jacob said, drawing Zoeske’s attention back to him. But Zoeske’s eyes widened, and he looked terrified when he saw what was behind Jacob.

  (A goblin!) Zoeske thought.

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  He stepped in front of Jacob, attempting to defend him. Jacob barely realized what had happened, but once he turned around as Zoeske moved behind him, he noticed the goblin sneaking into the house quietly and carefully.

  A flashback about previous encounter with goblins reminded Zoeske of how cruel these monsters were. He began shaking intensely and almost fell unconscious.

  (He’s defending me?) Jacob thought. “Stupid, move away! What are you thinking?”

  Boris, who was too focused on Alia, suddenly noticed the goblin sneaking into the house, but it was too late.

  He screamed, “ALIA, YOUR HOUSE!” This caused Alia to turn back and rush into the house, although she had already moved away from it. Jacha and Pondra also heard the screaming, but their horses were already running as fast as they could.

  Jacob pulled Zoeske back and stood in front of the goblin. His aura was fluctuating like waves colliding with other waves. His fear-disturbed aura disrupted his ability to use magic. Thus, to calm himself down, he slapped his cheeks roughly and slowed his breathing. Then he postured, preparing for a combat.