Chapter 427: Visitors
Back at the Clan
Zarah and Caius walked side by side through the settlement, discussing everything that still needed to be done before the King’s Games began.
They had just finished meeting with Doro and Bundi.
Neither of them had been given the luxury of slowing down.
Doro had been ordered to continue expanding the settlement’s infrastructure, with his next priority being the construction of proper storage buildings. Food, healing potions, weapons, clothing, and every other essential supply needed to be stockpiled. No one knew how long the King’s Games would last, but if they dragged on for days or even weeks, running out of necessities could prove just as deadly as facing an enemy.
Bundi’s orders were no less demanding.
He was to continue improving the clan’s defenses while inventing new ways to kill, whether through traps, siege weapons, or anything else that could give them an advantage on the battlefield.
In a contest where survival mattered more than honor, there was no such thing as an unfair weapon.
After leaving them to their work, the two continued walking through the bustling settlement.
"I think we should start looking at bringing in more numbers. I still don’t think we have enough."
Her gaze swept across the goblins training in the distance.
Compared to when Eli had first taken over the clan, their strength had increased dramatically. Their numbers had grown several times over; they had Chosen warriors, proper leadership, walls, supplies, and discipline.
By any normal standard, they had become a formidable force.
But the King’s Games weren’t normal.
Every clan that survived long enough to participate would have spent months expanding and preparing just as relentlessly as they had.
Thinking they were special simply because of how far they’d come would only get them killed.
From Zarah’s perspective, no matter how much stronger they became...it still didn’t feel like enough.
Caius slowly shook his head.
Having survived the King’s Games once before, he understood far better than anyone else in the clan what awaited them. Over the past few weeks, he had also come to understand the clan’s current strengths and weaknesses, and from his perspective, their biggest problem wasn’t their numbers.
"I don’t think increasing our numbers is necessarily the right move," he said after a moment of thought. "Most of the trials we’ll face in the King’s Games aren’t obstacles that can simply be overwhelmed with more bodies. If anything, bringing in too many inexperienced fighters could become a burden rather than an advantage."
He glanced toward the training grounds, where groups of goblins were sparring under Gobbo’s watchful eye.
"Instead, we should focus on improving what we already have. Our combatants need to fight as one. Better coordination, better communication, and a clearer understanding of each other’s roles will accomplish far more than adding another fifty warriors who don’t know how to work together."
Zarah followed his gaze.
After a brief silence, she nodded.
His words made sense.
She had gradually come to appreciate just how valuable Caius’ experience was. Unlike the rest of them, he wasn’t making guesses about the King’s Games. He had lived through them.
That alone made his perspective worth listening to.
Of course, the final decision still rested with her. As Combat Commander and second-in-command of the clan, it was her responsibility to decide which path they would take.
Even so...she had learned that a good commander didn’t ignore sound advice simply because the authority to choose belonged to them.
"How do you propose we do that?" Zarah asked. "Improve what we already have?"
Caius didn’t answer immediately.
He took a moment to organize his thoughts before speaking.
"We should meet with the Chief and discuss organizing an expedition. The fastest way to strengthen the clan now is to help our goblins level up. Higher levels mean better stats, stronger skills, and greater chances of surviving whatever the King’s Games throw at us."
Zarah considered it for a second before nodding.
"It makes sense."
She immediately turned.
"In that case, let’s go find him now. The sooner we get started, the better. We don’t have much time left."
She had barely taken a few steps before Caius called after her.
"Wait."
Zarah stopped and glanced back.
"I heard the Chief isn’t in the clan."
Her brows immediately knitted together.
"...What? Where did he go?"
Caius gave a slight shake of his head, a faint frown settling on his face.
"I don’t know. He didn’t inform anyone before leaving."
Zarah let out a weary sigh, rubbing her forehead in frustration.
"He really shouldn’t be doing anything dangerous with the King’s Games this close," she complained. "At this point, every unnecessary risk matters."
"I’m sure he’ll be fine," Caius replied.
His voice was calm, but inwardly he wasn’t nearly as confident as he sounded. There was one person he couldn’t stop thinking about: Raghul.
Knowing his former shaman, Caius found it impossible to believe the goblin would simply disappear after everything that had happened.
Raghul had always been driven by his own ambition. He hated being beneath others, and he never let go of a grudge.
Someone like that wouldn’t quietly accept defeat.
If anything, he would be waiting for the right opportunity to strike back.
That uncertainty had bothered Caius enough that he had attempted to use [Foresight] several times over the past few days, hoping to catch even the smallest glimpse of any danger approaching the clan.
Each attempt had ended the same way.
The future appeared, then dissolved into a blur.
The visions weren’t empty. They were simply impossible to make out, as though something was obscuring them before they could fully form.
He still didn’t understand why.
At first, he’d suspected the interference was caused by Eli. As one of the Chosen carrying a fragment imbued with divine power, Eli could naturally exist outside the reach of certain forms of divination.
But the more Caius observed the phenomenon, the less convinced he became that Eli alone was the cause.
Something else was clouding his visions, something he couldn’t yet identify, and that uncertainty lingered at the back of his mind, refusing to leave.
It worried him, especially now that Eli was away from the clan, but he kept those concerns to himself.
Nothing had happened yet, and until it did, there was no reason to let uncertainty cloud his judgment.
The two continued through the settlement, exchanging a few more thoughts about training schedules and supply stockpiles, when they spotted a goblin running toward them.
Both of them stopped.
It was Gork.
As the Scout Commander, Gork was responsible for monitoring everything that happened beyond the clan’s walls. If he was rushing over like this, it usually meant something had been spotted long before anyone else became aware of it.
More importantly...
His face was tense.
Seeing that expression immediately put both Zarah and Caius on guard.
"Is everything alright?" Zarah asked.
Gork slowed to a stop, taking a moment to steady his breathing before answering.
"I’m... not sure."
The uncertainty in his voice only made the atmosphere heavier.
"Some goblins are approaching the clan."
"Enemies?" Zarah blurted out, her hand instinctively moving toward the weapon at her waist.
Caius frowned.
An enemy clan launching a direct assault on another King’s Game candidate didn’t make much sense. Unless the opposing leader was unbelievably ignorant and reckless... or possessed overwhelming confidence born from strength on Eli’s level.
He silently hoped it was the former.
"The strange part..." Gork said, his expression growing even more complicated, "...is that I can’t tell whether they’re enemies or not."