“Zha zha zha… zha zha zha zha zha…”
Considering how swiftly they caught up, it suggested that this goblin army had likely been lurking nearby all along. Perhaps their original target had even been that very merchant caravan.
“Leya sis… I’m scared…”
“Don’t worry. No matter what, I won’t let them get close to you.”
“Mhm…” Erica nodded obediently, then quietly released her small hand that had been clutching Leya’s cloak.
“You can do it, Leya sis… You’re the strongest, so you’ll definitely succeed!”
“…………”
Leya offered Erica a profoundly confident smile.
Her eyes perpetually radiated an intense self-assurance, a solitary pride and composure befitting a true sovereign.
Leya possessed an innate resilience, a spirit that thrived against adversity and faced challenges head-on.
This battle was one she could neither afford nor allow to lose!
“Though I’m unsure of your intentions, especially those of the goblins I just released, if this is how you repay your benefactors, then I’m afraid…”
“Th-these lights are…” Erica suddenly noticed the increasing number of small orbs of light appearing from thin air, and the clear magical fluctuations emanating from them.
However, Leya no longer had the luxury of attending to Erica. She needed to concentrate fully.
“You are about to experience… the fate of those who anger me and violate a king’s dignity…”
While the blade in her hand was not the legendary Excalibur, this King’s Sword was, by all accounts, an epic-tier holy sword. It certainly surpassed the Sword in the Stone and ranked just below the mythical Excalibur.
Therefore, unleashing the original Saber’s ultimate attack was not beyond Leya’s capabilities. What was magic, after all?
As a deity, she possessed an endless supply of it; usually, only the activation conditions were lacking.
Yet, in this moment, she was effectively King Arthur. When all restrictions vanished, everything else became trivial.
“Oh right, this sword doesn’t have a name yet, does it? Then let’s call it Calibur. It’s also a King’s Sword, my first acquired blade, and… the treasured sword that will lead me to victory!”
She raised the precious sword. As if to answer Leya’s fervent expectation, the Blade of Victory began to furiously gather the surrounding magical light particles, growing ever brighter and larger.
At this point, even the most foolish creature couldn’t fail to notice the immense power contained within the sword, or begin to ponder the bewildered consequences it might unleash.
These goblins, it must be said, were truly wretched. To escape the human expeditionary army’s encirclement, they had undertaken a lengthy migration to this very spot.
Yet, before they could even settle down, dozens of their kin were captured. Feeling utterly humiliated, the goblin army swiftly pursued the merchant caravan.
However, they feared that the despicable humans, in their desperation, might simply kill their hostages, rendering all their efforts fruitless.
So they waited, lingering nearby, nearly being discovered by humans several times. Finally, they watched as Leya defeated the caravan and released the captured goblins.
This should have been the end of it. No matter how ungrateful, the goblins shouldn’t have sought trouble with Leya after being freed. Yet, they had indeed come for her.
The goblins, with their severely limited intelligence, believed they couldn’t leave empty-handed. They felt compelled to accomplish something before retreating.
On one side, there were over a hundred retreating humans who seemed formidable; on the other, there was only one person, accompanied by an elf, a race the goblins despised.
So, who else would they attack? As for gratitude? They had none. Goblin tribes worshipped strength above all else. If you were stronger, they submitted; everything else was inconsequential.
They neither understood nor cared to understand the concept of repayment.
Of course, they would likely never comprehend what a terrible mistake they had made that day. With their intelligence, it probably never occurred to them why those seemingly formidable hundred-odd humans had been routed by a single individual before their eyes.
“EX…”
Golden light incessantly converged. With the incantation Leya uttered, an ever-increasing surge of radiance swarmed towards the King’s Sword!
“Calibur!—”
Amidst her cold declaration, a beam of golden light shot into the sky!
In that instant, the heavens were filled by a vast ocean of golden magic, transforming into a world of pure gold.
Within this golden expanse, the King’s Sword, sweeping forth an unparalleled and immense magical power across the world, became the focal point of all light.
No words could describe the sword’s brilliance, nor articulate its magnificence.
This was a blade of utter perfection, a sword that had already transcended into the divine realm.
With a single swing, heaven and earth fell silent, all creation ceased to exist. It seemed there was only this one sword, and there could only ever be this one sword.
In that split second, the goblin chieftain felt the approach of death. He desperately struggled, pushing his lifelong skills to their absolute limit, striving to escape the suppression of that supreme golden light.
But it was utterly futile!
Enveloped by the supreme golden radiance, Leya’s unending magic, channeled through the sword’s power, was drawn to its absolute peak. Amidst a deathly silence, a force named ‘death’ descended, extinguishing all vitality and causing everything in the world to vanish into illusion.
[Ding-dong – Temporary quest completed. Reward: One intermediate transformation card. Convert to character transformation card immediately? If yes, please designate character choice.]
“Hoo—” She let out a long breath.
Before her eyes lay a massive scene of devastation, stretching for several miles and dozens of meters wide. Such power likely still fell short of the genuine Excalibur, yet it was formidable nonetheless.
For the goblin leader, who had already turned to ash, it was arguably overkill.
If she had a choice, Leya wouldn’t have used this technique. But time was pressing, and it seemed the forest had suffered quite a bit of damage.
‘Well, I hope this world doesn’t have some kind of forestry protection association coming to bother me…’
“Zha zha zha zha zha, zha zha zha zha…”
How annoying! Leya’s brow furrowed, and she cast a cold gaze at the remaining goblins around her.
Since these goblins had surrounded her in a circle, Leya hadn’t managed to wipe them all out, which was her sole regret.
‘Do they only know how to make that ‘zha zha zha’ sound? It’s inexplicably infuriating!’
‘Who’s trash? You are, alright! What’s with constantly calling me that? Want to try dying a few times?’
“Leya sis, wait! They… they’ve surrendered, and they’ve promised to leave immediately. They only ask that you spare their lives.”
As Leya was pondering how to deal with the remaining goblins, Erica unexpectedly tugged at Leya’s sleeve, prompting Leya to ask, somewhat surprised:
“You can understand what they’re saying?”
“No, not really!” Erica shook her head like a rattle drum, quickly explaining, “To a certain extent, we elves can discern others’ thoughts through their scent.”
“…………”
‘That truly is a useful skill.’ Even Leya was astonished by Erica’s words. To make so many judgments based solely on scent? It completely surpassed her understanding.
“Alright, if they leave now, I can agree to spare their lives…”
Though her words were full of authority, Leya alone knew the true situation.
‘Yes, because if they continued to linger here, in less than a minute, Leya would revert to her original form. And then…’
‘She probably wouldn’t be smiling anymore!’
So they had better leave quickly. If they didn’t, she didn’t know who would end up dead, herself or them. Naturally, Leya had no reason to refuse such a universally happy ending.
“That’s wonderful! Leya sis, you’re so kind. I’m sure they’ll live good lives from now on and mend their ways!”
Erica smiled innocently, waving her arms, clearly overjoyed.
Leya: “…………”
Regardless of whether she would be as kind as Erica claimed once her transformation wore off, with the goblins’ severely limited intelligence, Leya hardly believed they would be able to live peacefully.