Author's Preface
The next day.
"Great One, we are ready!" One declared, the newly born goblin stepping forward to meet Lyssandra whilst she strode through the damp arena.
"That was incredibly fast," she replied, genuinely surprised, "It has only been a day, yet you claim to have mastered the technique I taught?"
"It is the truth, Great One," Two added, his voice steady and filled with newfound confidence. "We will show you now."
"Very well, let me see your progress, if you dare wasting my time..." Lyssandra commanded, stretching her final word into a chilling threat, her blue eyes narrowed onto the third goblin.
Three's eyes darted away, his gaze fixated on the muddy feet while swallowing down his fear.
The trio then lined up before her, moving in a synchronized rhythm to perform the CQC strikes they had been drilled in. Each movement was a blur, each strike fast, strong, and precise, as if they had spent lifetimes honing the art of close combat.
Lyssandra crossed her arms, a flicker of wonder crossing her mind. 'Are these little monsters actually geniuses?
"Either way, since you have passed with flying colors, it is time for the next phase," She praised their rapid learning abilities before signaling for the entire force to assemble.
Luna rippled forward to join the ranks, followed by the towering, spider-like form of Morgana, completing the legion of thirty-one warriors.
Lyssandra stepped forward, cleared her throat. “Everyone, listen up! Today, we march into the jungle! This is not just another mission, and it is not just another battle. Today, we step into a place that has resisted every force that came before us. But we are not like those who failed. We are not here to wander, and we are not here to fear. Today, we prove who truly rules this dungeon!”
“Every step we take will fill with purpose. Every strike we land will carve our name into this land itself. They will remember who came here and they will remember who left victorious. And when the sun sets, this place will no longer stand divided.”
“Today, we unify this land, not as strangers, not as scattered fighters… but as one force, one will, one future!”
For a long heartbeat, nothing moved. The words hung heavy in the air, unshaken by the damp breeze of the arena. Then, like a dam finally breaking, the silence shattered into a cacophony of sound.
A roar rose from the sea of warriors, sudden and overwhelming, crashing through the stillness like a clap of thunder. Voices collided in a deafening chant, weapons lifted high into the air as the stone ground trembled beneath the surge of their collective energy.
What had been a quiet gathering a moment ago was now alive, burning with a fierce purpose and a unified will.
Lyssandra watched her army, a smirk playing on her lips, she could feel the power in those voices.
Raising her hand high, she pointed ahead. "Then let us go!"
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Inside the dense jungle biome, a pack of many lightning wolves occupied the clearing, their static filling the humid air. Some were sleeping in piles of fur, others stood guard with twitching ears, while a few engaged in rough mating rituals deep in the bushes.
Their howls echoed through the vast trees, a reminder of the power dwelled within this wild sanctuary.
A single lightning wolf rushed straight into the pack, stopping in front of a huge red-furred beast - the pack leader which was covered in many scars of bloody battle, one eye missing from the socket, replaced by a milky blind spot spoke of hard-fought wars.
"Alpha, a stray one wishes to rejoin our pack and brings with it many contributions," the scout panted, bowing low.
The Alpha lightning wolf, who had been mating with a female just moments ago, stood up on its hind legs. It forcefully withdrew its huge, 60 centimeter long, red-knotted shaft from its partner's vaginal sheath. "What kind of contribution?" it growled, the voice like grinding stones while rubbing the dripping flesh against its thigh.
"Meat!!!" the scout replied quickly, pointing its snout behind. "Monster meats, a lot of them!! It seems a battle has erupted among the Green Monster tribe, the Many-Legs, and the Round Ones."
"The result? They were all perished together!" the wolf added. "That stray happened to pass through the battlefield and dragged some of the corpses back."
The Alpha snorted, licking a drop of saliva. "Is that so."
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"You sure this will work? Can we rely on that dog?" a hobgoblin muttered, his voice barely audible from his hiding spot under a thick patch of camouflage grass.
"Are you stupid?" a swift goblin snapped, scratching his mosquito-bitten leg with frantic, jerky movements.
"No, wait, are you spectacularly, astonishingly, historically stupid, you dumbwit? Are you seriously—seriously—doubting the great mind of the Great One?" the swift goblin screamed, his voice cracking.
"The Great One! The one who is great! The greatest of the great! THE Great One!!!" he hissed, staring wide-eyed at his comrade.
"Well, I don't know," the hobgoblin grumbled, shifting his weight to avoid the bugs biting his exposed skin. "We have been waiting here for a very long time, but I didn't see any yellow dogs. Not even the small prey."
"Just shut the fuck up and believe in the Great One!" the swift goblin whispered harshly, his eyes burning with a fervent, almost religious fire. "She will lead us to victory no matter what!"
"Hey you two, be quiet!" a nearby hobgoblin warned, his finger pressed firmly against his lips and signaled them to the clearing.
And it was true, for the bushes parted to reveal a sleek, black head with yellow markings peeking out. Another one emerged, followed by a third, until the number reached a few dozen within the span of minutes.
"Shit, they were too many, can we really pull this off?" Luna asked in a whisper, anxiety rippling through her form.
"Silent, pet! are you doubting me?" Lyssandra glanced down at the water slime, her eyes icy and calm.
"No, master, I was just being cautious, I am sorry, I never doubt you even just a little bit," Luna replied with a trembling voice, watery eyes fixed on her master.
The wind drifted steadily against them, carrying their scent away from the wolves’ territory - an advantage Lyssandra had already taken into account.
"Hey you, the stray one, where is your contribution?" The Scout Lightning Wolf barked arrogantly, then sniffed the air.
"There, right in there, inside this valley," Sparky said, bowing its head and fluffing its tail in a show of flattery. "They were so many that I could not drag them all out, only some, but you can go and check it."
The scout wolf grunted and flicked its tail dismissively, dropping its guard even further before disappearing into the green embrace of the valley. Just as it passed by Sparky, the beast leaned forward and Sparky spoke up again. "I hope after this, you can have a few words with the Alpha so I can get a better position in the pack."
"We will see," the scout grunted.
Some of the wolves dragged the monster corpses to the Alpha lightning wolf. It immediately started to feast, tearing into the flesh with savage glee.
After a while, the scout lightning wolf rushed out of the valley with a face full of ecstasy while saliva dripped uncontrollably from its hanging tongue.
"A-Alpha…" it stammered, gulping loudly every few words.
"Grrk," the scout swallowed. "The stray one… spoke true… inside the big rocks… there was so much meat… I mean—SO MUCH—" it swallowed again, its yellow eyes shaking. "—it just piled up so high…"
Blood stained the Alpha's mouth. It barked a command, sending the pack into the valley to claim the spoils. One by one, the Lightning Wolves entered the narrow valley, leaving only the Alpha and Sparky outside.
Suddenly, a shout erupted from above the clearing.
"NOW!!!"