Big G, Coffee Machine and Goblin

Chapter 12 Stiff-bristled Brushes, Sheep, and the Castle

Traveling in this world is clearly not as safe as in modern society.

In fact, even in the 21st century, there are many countries and regions on Earth that are not recommended for travel.

However, if you are driving, the risk is still within an acceptable range.

With its rugged appearance and sheer size, the G300p should be able to deter most monsters and robbers. As long as it doesn't encounter a behemoth like the giant bear from last night, Ma Li feels that its safety is relatively guaranteed.

At least it won't be lower than those small and medium-sized chambers of commerce and groups of travelers and farmers. If all else fails, you can always step on the gas and escape.

However, what truly made him decide was another important piece of information revealed by Charles.

Animal communication agents have a limited usage period.

It will expire after one day.

Naturally, a remote village like Whitewood Village doesn't sell magic potions. If Ma Li doesn't plan to revert to sign language, then a trip to Eagle Beak City becomes essential.

Since we're going to leave, the sooner the better.

Firstly, we can bring back reinforcements before the goblins elect a new chieftain to resolve the crisis in Whitewood Village. Secondly, it would be best to enter Eagle Beak City before the animal communication potion wears off, ensuring a seamless transition.

With that in mind, Ma Li didn't delay any longer. He quickly finished the remaining coffee in his thermos and started his work for the day.

He and Charles each grabbed one of the goblin chieftain's legs and pulled the corpse out of the cattle pen. Afterward, Mali checked the chassis and tires.

The half-elf girl then fetched a bucket of well water and began cleaning the bloodstains from the front of the cart.

Perhaps because he had just eaten a lot of canned food, Shire was working very hard, wiping the bull bar and then taking the initiative to wipe the car body.

However, she used a stiff-bristled brush. The bristles were plucked from a wild boar she had hunted before, tied with rope, and combined with her considerable strength, she put all her effort into each stroke.

Fortunately, Ma Li noticed it early and stopped it in time.

While bumps and knocks are inevitable when driving in the wild, the G300p was chosen because it is not delicate and is relatively durable, but there is no need to artificially increase the strength of the paint.

After a quick preparation, the two set off again.

Compared to when we arrived, since it was already daytime, the streets were noticeably more bustling.

Smoke drifted from the chimneys of many log cabins, and every now and then you could see a farmer carrying a hoe, preparing to go to the fields, or a woman heading into the woods to gather firewood.

Three days ago, Aunt Miragros was attacked by goblins from the Wolf Fang tribe. Although the militia arrived in time to rescue her, the atmosphere in the village became quite tense.

Many people dared not approach the forest anymore, and when their firewood ran out, they had to eat cold bread. Now that the crisis has temporarily passed, the first thing to do is to collect firewood.

They also encountered shepherds on the road, driving their flocks across the ridges of the fields. The four-legged creatures with horns on their heads were not afraid of the cars and continued to graze leisurely on the nearby wild grass, occasionally stealing a bite of the wheat seedlings in the fields when no one was looking.

A few even curiously approached and surrounded the car.

Fortunately, the shepherd knew that the two had important business to attend to, so he quickly cracked his whip and drove the goats to the other side of the road, making way for the off-road vehicle.

Charles leaned out of the car window and waved goodbye to the shepherd. "Uncle Pavar, we're leaving now. We'll be back soon with some men to wipe out those nasty goblins!"

Ever since the girl learned how to roll up and down the car windows under Ma Li's guidance, she would roll down the window and shout this every time she saw someone.

At first, Ma Li thought the half-elf girl was encouraging the villagers, but he gradually realized that she probably just wanted to show off. Otherwise, there would be no need for her to roll up the car window every time she finished shouting.

She insisted on performing the entire process of raising and lowering the car window in front of her fellow villagers, just to see the look of shock on their faces.

Although Charles himself refused to admit it.

Soon the forest and villages gradually receded into the distance in the rearview mirror, with rolling mountains and hills stretching ahead, and above them, a sapphire-blue, pure and ethereal sky and an endless sea of ​​clouds.

Ma Li also saw an abandoned castle on the hill to his left.

The half-elf girl said it was founded by one of the ancestors of the Morales family. At the time, he was expanding his territory to the south, which angered a troll clan in the Endless Forest, and a war that lasted for nearly ten years broke out between the two sides.

Trolls are not like goblins. Although they are not numerous, they are generally tall, three to four times the size of humans, and have rock-hard skin and terrifying regenerative abilities.

Ordinary swords and knives can only leave shallow scratches on them, which can usually be repaired in the time it takes to eat a meal.

These guys are also good at night combat and will retreat back into the forest before dawn.

This stone castle was built to defend against their sneak attacks.

In short, this protracted tug-of-war left both sides exhausted, yet unable to extricate themselves.

Finally, enraged, the trolls swarmed out and surrounded the small castle.

They fought from dusk till dawn, smashing through the castle's stone walls with huge wooden clubs (actually nearby trees that had been uprooted).

The ancestor of the Morales family led six knights and more than twenty militiamen in a desperate battle against the trolls, relying on the ruins, and vowed to defend this newly opened territory.

Ultimately, most of them died in battle.

However, the trolls were blinded by hatred and bloodshed, determined to exterminate these detestable humans, so much so that when dawn arrived, they did not retreat into the forest as usual.

But Morales family reinforcements suddenly arrived on the battlefield!

The leader was none other than the patriarch of the Morales family. He was clad in mithril armor, wielding an elven sword, and exuded a divine aura. Wherever he went, the trolls paled in fear.

But for them, the greater crisis actually comes from above.

As the first rays of sunlight fall in the morning, their rock-hard skin quickly begins to soften, and their proud self-healing ability is greatly limited.

The situation on the battlefield changed drastically. Human warriors regained control, while the trolls scattered and fled. However, their enormous size became the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Their slow movement couldn't shake off the pursuers. One by one, the trolls fell, their heads severed, their chests ripped open, their hearts pierced, never to return to their forest home.

The war ended in a resounding victory for the Morales family.

However, the high price they paid, and the subsequent lukewarm reception when recruiting subjects for the new territory, led many in the family to question whether it was truly a worthwhile deal.

After all, most people wouldn't want to settle near a monster-infested forest, especially since it's the southernmost part of the duchy, far from any town. Even with tax breaks and the Morales family's promise to regularly exterminate monsters, few are willing to go.

Even the knights did not want to accept this place as their fiefdom.

Ultimately, the Morales family's ambitious southward expansion plan had to come to an abrupt end. Although they did not give up on conquering the vast and wild forest behind them, they had already turned eastward.

(End of this chapter)