Green Goblin clan border.

  Sallow, Jack, Araneida and Greth had all left the camp, with Sallow leaving the generals in charge of security and safety of the goblins back at the clan. They were on their way to the Red Goblin clan now, to play out the plan that Sallow had thought of – which was to bring it under Sallows rule, just like he had done with the Green Goblin clan.

  With Greth having instigated a conflict with the Red Goblin clan's ruler, an invasion was a great possibility – and while fending off only the Red Goblins was an absolutely possible and even easy task, since they were more than likely to attack together with the Black Goblin clan and not alone, they were in a dire situation.

  The Green Goblin clan didn’t have all that powerful army nor was it very big.

  And while they had managed to take a lot of the Grey Goblin clans territory, that was purely because they had struck them by surprise, not because they were stronger than the Grey Goblins.

  With the Red and Black Goblin clans teaming up against the Green Goblin clan, defeat was very much guaranteed — at most being postponed by a day or two.

  As the group walked, slowly approaching the border of the clans, which was now in sight, Greth just threw a nervous gaze at Sallow. “My Liege…. Are you certain you wish to do this? You may have evolved, but the Red Goblin clan's leader is by no means weak…”

  Jack eyed the Goblin.

  She had changed her attitude quite a lot in the short time that she’s been in this new form. Be it because of her defeat or the fact that she swore her life to Sallow, it is impossible to know the reason for her change in attitude. Jack was simply taken back by the fact that this was the same goblin who had acted quite cocky when they first arrived at the Green Goblin clan.

  Sallow didn’t turn his attention to Greth and simply kept moving forward.

  “It’ll be alright. The Red Goblin clan's ruler may not be weak, but he certainly isn’t very strong. His strength comes from his brains.”

  “So he’s a tactician of sorts?” Jack asked from the back.

  Sallow threw his gaze over his right shoulder to look at the Tamer, before nodding. “You could say so. Among the clans he is known as the ‘Crimson Mastermind’.”

  Interesting nickname…

  Then he really must be quite intelligent and a big planner if he has managed to earn himself a title like that.

  Jack scratched his chin lightly, thinking for a bit before looking back at Sallow. “If he is quite intelligent, then perhaps it is smart to approach this fight you are going to challenge him to with more care and caution,” He slid his hands into his trousers pockets under his cloak, sharpening his eyes. “Take it from a veteran war mercenary – those with brains are always the ones you should be the most careful around.”

  Sallow snickered lightly at Jack's warnings, before looking away. “I know, my Lord. I am not a fool.” He narrowed his eyes onto the border in front of them, before stopping. The others followed suit, before looking over to where he was looking.

  There, at the border, stood a small group of heavily armed red goblins. They were on the shorter side, with crooked almost hunched over builds, with tails that made them look more like little demons than goblins dragging on the ground.

  The Goblins had bright yellow eyes and long ears, as well as absolutely enormous noses — like most goblins did in old folktales.

  Jack narrowed his eyes on the goblins.

  [ CREATURE ]

  Red Goblin (Warrior)

  Rank: C

  Level: 41 (2)

  A trained variant of the Red Goblins. Though their appearance makes them look like demons, they are not related to any demonic beings. Their tails often contain a special toxin that can paralyse.

  [ CREATURE ]

  “Not much stronger than the ones at the Green Goblin camp, however they are higher level than even the Generals of the Green Goblins… Guess Sallow had a good reason to fear a potential invasion.” Jack commented in his mind, while Sallow walked forward a bit more.

  “Why are the Red Goblin clan members gathered at my border?” He asked with a loud, roaring voice. His question, however, was met with dead silence from the goblins. At first, Sallow appeared to be a bit irritated by the lack of response, but then one goblin stepped through the rest — a much, much shorter one who was dressed in a fancy red robe.

  The goblin cleared its throat, taking in a deep breath before…

  “On the behalf of the Red Goblin King, we have come here to request that the new ruler of the Green Goblins come to the Red Goblin clans camp at once!”

  …

  Jack felt a brief moment of his blood boiling. What an absolutely rude and unprofessional way of asking a meeting. It sounded more like the Red Goblin King was trying to order the ruler of the Green Goblins to appear before him.

  However, his brief moment of blood boiling was replaced by intrigue.

  “New Ruler? So they already know that Sallow defeated Greth… That must mean…” Jack's expression grew more serious while also becoming a bit sour. “....They had some moles in the Green Goblin clan at some point.”

  Sallow narrowed his eyes, standing tall above the Red Goblins at the border, towering over them like a predator. “That would be me.”

  The Red Goblins visibly shed a nervous sweat, before gathering their composure again. “Then, I ask that you come with us….” Sallow threw his gaze over at Jack, who simply shrugged and then nodded. Sallow nodded back and then looked back at the Red Goblins. “Lead the way for us.”

  “Of course…” The Red Goblins all turned around, before quickly creating distance between them and Sallow. Afterwards, the others joined the Great Goblins side, before following the Red Goblin group.

  For individuals who were as heavily armed as them, they were quite the cowards if Sallows mere presence was enough to cause them to shake in fright. However, at the same time — it made sense. Compared to them, Sallow was at the very least at least four times taller.

  Any normal being with a survival instinct would have been afraid.

  As they followed after the Red Goblins, moving deeper into the Red Goblin clans territory, Jack couldn’t help but keep throwing his gaze all over the place. Something felt off – as if there were eyes everywhere watching them. Jack was far too experienced with entering enemy territory to know that it was best to always have your guard up, as you never knew where the enemy may be hiding or what they may have planned.

  Eventually, after a short walk, the clan camp of the Red Goblins came into sight.

  “That wasn’t that long of a walk.”

  “Going by size, the Red Goblin clan had the least territory — well, before the Green Goblin clan invaded my old clan and took over most of its territory.” Sallow explained a bit, before throwing his gaze over at the tall watch towers that had several archers stationed, all ready to unleash fire.

  Jack also noticed the archers, taking note of them before crouching down a bit and leaning closer to Araneida. “Be careful with your behaviour. They have their guards up.” He whispered to the arachnid, which simply nodded in response.

  As they reached the main gates, the guards standing in front of them quickly gestured to the Red Goblins at the top to open the gates. Then, after a moment, the gates slid open, the ground shaking lightly as they did.

  Unlike the Green Goblin clan or the Grey Goblin clan — the Red Goblin clans camp walls and gates were made of stone, with some wood and even a little bit of metal reinforcement littered all around the thing.

  It was clear that this clan was more advanced.

  Thud — crash.

  The gates finished opening. The group of Red Goblins in front of them headed in first, with them four following after them. After they were all inside the camp border, the goblins signalled to one another, before closing the gates once more.

  Surprisingly, the gates closed faster than they opened – which seemed a bit strange at first, but Jack didn’t care enough to stand around and question it. Instead, he moved his gaze away from the camp's outer wall and started to scan the inside of the camp. The buildings were also made with stone and wood, and generally appeared to be built a lot closer to how humans would construct their homes, as well as the Red Goblins themselves looked a lot more civilised than the other two clans that Jack had been to.

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  “Guess they’re advanced in more ways than one.” Jack commented in his mind, before moving his gaze over to the building they were headed to.

  A giant palace-like building stood in front of them — made entirely using some kind of white stone and metal. It very much showed off who this building belonged to. “Guess he hasn’t changed at all…” Sallow commented. Jack raised an eyebrow, before Greth leaned in closer to the tamer, whispering to him.

  “The Red Goblin king, despite not being very greedy, has a bit of an inflated ego because of his high intelligence.” Jack looked at Greth with a judgemental look, as if saying that she had no place to speak, however Greth ignored his look and backed up from the man. Once they made it to the large building, the Red Goblins leading them stopped, before turning to face them.

  “Please wait here.” The robe wearing goblin said, before running off inside the large building. The guards that remained in front of them also quickly dispersed, leaving the four alone.

  Immediately, Jack could notice stares and gazes fall onto them.

  They all stuck out like a sore thumb — And it was clear as day. Everyone in the clan either eyed them with fear or curiosity, some even threw judgemental glances of disgust – like the four of them were some kind of garbage.

  “So many stares…”

  “The Red Goblins aren’t a welcoming clan – especially towards those that look different. This idea comes from their history, where the Red Goblins were often hunted and killed just because humans mistook them for demons.” Sallow said, looking at the gazes that were piling up on them, followed by whispers and faint conversations that were being exchanged among the clan members.

  “For this reason, they’ve become quite resentful towards anyone who isn’t one of their own.” Jack narrowed his eyes and looked at the goblins.

  Makes sense.

  Just like accusing someone of witchcraft and then burning them, these guys have had to endure horrible treatment from others, just because their appearance makes them look like dangerous spawns of satan.

  “Then I suppose their judgemental glances are understandable.” Jack replied, looking away. Sallow and Greth remained silent, while Araneida threw her glare at the staring goblins, her eyes shining like she was staring down at her next meal.

  After a small while, the Red Goblin dressed in robes ran out of the large building, before clearing his throat. “Attention, the Great Red Goblin King is making his presence! Make way!”

  After a moment of this roaring announcement, a much larger goblin walked out of the large building. Unlike the other Red Goblins, this one was larger with a more ‘human’ build. His tail was a lot longer and wasn’t dragging on the ground, instead shooting around the place — a small dart-like point on its tip.

  The goblin had a pair of large goggles on his face, or rather on his eyes, and he was dressed in long drooping clothes – that screamed a monarch and a scientist.

  It was clear that this very much was the King of this clan.

  The large Red Goblin walked up to Sallow, stopping just about three meters away from him, before eyeing Sallow from top to bottom and then back. Afterwards, he smiled lightly. “I assume you’re the one who became the new king of the Green Goblins?”

  Sallow stood tall, glaring down at the Red Goblin. “That is correct.”

  The small smile of the Red Goblin then grew into a larger grin, as he took in a deep breath and pointed his right hand index finger at Sallow. “I issue a Conquerors Challenge to you, King of the Green Goblins!”

  Greths eyes widened, while Jack smirked and Araneida turned her head towards the Red Goblin King. Sallow remained silent, while the whispers of the Red Goblins grew louder.

  “Is our king serious?”

  “Challenging the ruler of the Green Goblins?”

  “He’s the smartest of us all, he must know what he is doing.”

  “He’s a genius, obviously he knows what he’s doing!”

  The Red Goblin King kept a firm, confident glance on Sallow, who remained silent. After a bit, Sallow exhaled lightly — then, he looked at the Red Goblin before sharpening his eyes. “...I accept.”

  “Good.” The Red Goblin grinned widely. “Then allow us to commence this fight immediately.” The Goblin stated, before turning around. “Gather at the arena! The show shall begin at this moment!”

  “Sire!” A group of guards behind the Red Goblin King bowed towards him, before running off into the large building. Then, the Red King turned back to look at the group, or more specifically Sallow. “Come. I’ll show you to the arena.”

  The Red King stated, before leading the group into the large building that stood in front of them. Greth looked nervous about moving inside, however after seeing Jack, Sallow and even Araneida fearlessly move after the Red King, she simply threw her gaze around confused, before running after the trio, shedding a cold, cold sweat.

  Are we going to be okay…?

  Perhaps the Grey King is getting ahead of himself…

  Greth eyed the trio from the back as they all entered the large palace-like building, her eyes filled with uncertainty. She couldn’t help but feel frightened, but at the same time, curious. Terrified — but curious.

  How can those three show absolutely zero uncertainty or fear?

  I don’t get it…

  The group was led through the palace, passing by many, many armed guards, as well as goblins dressed in what looked like scholar clothing – as if they were students at this building. “Researchers perhaps?” Jack noted in his mind.

  Eventually, they were brought before a pair of large gates on the other side of the palace. Then the Red King turned to face them. “Go on, beyond these gates is the arena. You can enter already.” He then walked past Sallow, whispering to him quietly. “But do remember that your companions cannot get involved.”

  “Of course.” Sallow responded instantly, eyeing the Red King with a judgemental glare. “I would never want to disrespect the tradition of the Conquerors Challenge.”

  The Red King just smirked, before leaving the group and walking off. After he left, Sallow pushed open the gates, letting the light from beyond them to fall onto them. On the other side, was a massive open field, with Red Goblin spectators all gathered and cheering — it once again felt like and looked like a gladiator colosseum.

  Jack couldn’t help but feel a bit impressed by the arena, examining it.

  “Quite the looker.” He commented, while Greth shed a shiver. Jack looked at her, snickering before hitting her on the back lightly, moving farther into the arena. Sallow moved in front of the group, eyeing the spectators, before stopping and looking down at his opponent — the Red King, who somehow was already in the Arena, standing in the center.

  Sallow narrowed his eyes, before looking at Jack.

  “Go to the side, my Lord.” Jack nodded.

  “Alright. Have fun — and try to not break his body apart, alright?” Jack smirked, before walking off to the side with Araneida following after him, while Greth was just left behind. She exhaled, before running after Jack – unable to even say anything.

  Then, Sallow moved closer towards the Red King.

  Each one of his footsteps was heavy and carried a great weight — a great presence. The Red King kept a wide smirk across his face, while his eyes were sharp and narrowed onto the Great Goblin.

  Despite the loud roars of cheers, the arena seemed to grow more and more silent as Sallow got closer to the Red King. It felt like a great pressure was being exerted onto everyone else in the arena. While the beginning of the fight hadn’t been announced yet, it already felt like it had begun.

  Step…

  Step….

  Step…..

  Step.

  Sallow stopped.

  Then, the Red King raised his right arm — looking like he was about to announce the start of the fight. “One…”

  The single word that came out of his mouth echoed through the arena.

  Sallow tensed his entire body up. The Red King narrowed his eyes more. “Two…”

  Sallow prepared, slowly taking a more battle ready position.

  Then, the Red King showed a sinister grin, before revealing a small round stone, which he had gripped in his palm. The stone was green in colour and had a small rune engraved on it, which shone as soon as the Red King pressed his thumb onto it.

  “Three.”

  Then, from above Sallow a massive black beam was fired, which engulfed the Great Goblin almost instantly, sending a wave of dust across the arena as it incinerated the area around it. Greth shed a cold sweat. “A sneak attack before the match has been announced?! B-But that’s against the Conquerors Challenge rules!”

  The audience laughed, while at the same time cheering on the Red King, who sighed heavily and turned around. “Did you expect me to actually fight you? I am not a fighter – I’m an inventor. I may have issued the conqueror's challenge, but it doesn’t mean I have to honour it.”

  He snickered to himself, before slowly moving away from the arena's center. “What a waste of time — well, at least with you gone, taking over the Green Goblin clans territory will be a breeze for me and the Black King.”

  As the beam dissipated, leaving behind a dust and dirt cloud, Greth furiously clenched her fists. “How dare he—!” Jack snickered, smirking. Greth looked at him confused and then turned infuriated towards him. “How can you laugh now?!”

  Jack shrugged.

  “When I first heard that the ‘Red Goblin King’ was a smart one, I thought he may actually pose a threat.” Then, Jack leaned against the wall of the arena, closing his eyes. “Oh how dead wrong I was. Sallow will easily wipe the floor with him.”

  “What are you talking about?! He’s—!”

  “...Four.”

  A voice echoed through the arena. The Red King froze, before turning back around. Through the dust cloud that covered the area, Sallow pushed through with a pair of shining red eyes – a powerful aura surrounding him.

  Greths, the audiences and the Red King's eyes widened as Sallow stepped out in the opening again. The Red King backed up with shock and fear. “How… How are you even—!?”

  “Four seconds.” The Red King looked at Sallow confused.

  “It took you four seconds to use that worthless trap. Not impressed.” He stated, before cracking his knuckles.

  Jack sharpened his eyes on Sallow.

  Despite looking unscathed, he had taken some damage from the beam — however the damage was so insignificant, that it may as well have been none. The Red King scoffed, before smiling. “Well this will be interesting… Seeing as you lived that, I suppose I can spare this fight some effort.”

  The Red King stated, before reaching behind his back and taking out a gauntlet which had several runes engraved onto it. Placing it onto his left arm, the Red King snapped it into place, before gently touching the runes, lighting them up, before taking a more battle ready position.

  “Then show me what you can do.”

  Sallow tilted his head.

  “My pleasure to do so.”

  Then, Sallow vanished from sight, surprising the Red King, before he flipped around to try and block a potential strike from the back, but to his surprise Sallow appeared above him, before landing in front of him and kicking him in the stomach and sending him flying across the arena and into the gates.

  The audience gasped in shock.

  The guards immediately gripped their weapons, about to interfere before the Red King gestured to them to remain in place, climbing out of the rubble. “This will be worth my time.”

  He grinned, while Sallow glared at him, with bright shining eyes and a murderous aura surrounding him.