Goblin Horde

While we were talking, the sound of an airplane came from afar. The reconnaissance plane was returning. Thinking it best to clear the area, I spoke.

“The recon plane seems to be on its way back. Let’s wrap this up and move.”

“Let’s do that.”

As we stood, the sailors on standby hurried over and quickly cleared the table and chairs set out on the flight deck. Soon after everything was stowed, the recon craft approached and touched down, adjusting its wings slightly for balance, and landed safely—a small relief after the previous flip-over incident. From the now-stopped aircraft, the two pilots disembarked.

They started to move at once, then, seeing Ian, Admiral Derian, and even the carrier’s captain waiting nearby, they ran over, halted at regulation distance, and saluted.

“R-reporting, sir.”

Unsure whom to address first, the pilot took the hint from the carrier captain’s glance and made his report directly to King Ian.

“During reconnaissance we observed a pillar of light rising from an island.”

“A pillar of light?”

“Yes, a strong column of light—we returned urgently to report.”

“Hmm. To the operations room, then. Only there can we pinpoint which island it was.”

Everyone agreed and moved out. They filed through the ship’s passageways and soon reached the operations room, where all present rose and saluted as the king entered.

Ian returned the salute and looked to the large table where a map of the Marin Archipelago lay spread, with a model marking the 10th Fleet in the northwest.

“Which island was it?”

The pilot scanned the map, pointed, and answered.

“This one.”

“This is…”

“An island called Bebero—quite a large island. There’s a single village, with a small population of about two hundred.”

As the operations officer explained, Ian already knew the place—it matched the island suspected to hold ancient ruins. Princess Adrina had sailed there. If a pillar of light had appeared, something had indeed happened.

“A pillar of light—ominous.”

Ian feigned ignorance even though he knew the island, and Admiral Derian, face grave, nodded along.

“Something unknown may have occurred there. Luckily we’re close; we can arrive quickly.”

Given the fleet’s position in the northwest of the Marin Archipelago, the island wasn’t far. They had planned to linger nearby to rendezvous with the survey team anyway. In any case, the pillar of light meant events were well underway.

‘Did it happen while they were retrieving the treasure?’

Frustrated by the uncertainty, Ian decided they would know on arrival. The fleet went to alert. Fighters began launching from the carrier; first get eyes on the ground.

The ships turned toward Bebero and made way. After three hours they arrived. As they drew near, the pillar of light stood out clearly; many in the 10th Fleet stared in awe.

‘It really is a pillar made of light.’

At this magnitude, people across the Marin Archipelago would soon notice. No matter how they tried to hide it, the world would learn. News would spread globally.

‘Aside from the Magnia Empire, most won’t act immediately—but this will be a nuisance.’

Other nations’ ships might intrude into Polian waters; he would need to expand the patrol force. For now, his concern was the island’s only village and its inhabitants.

The islanders would already have seen the pillar and were likely in confusion by now.

“First, evacuate the residents to another location.”

“Yes, with our transports, a single ship can move all ~200 residents elsewhere.”

“Keep the fleet at heightened readiness; we don’t know what other threats there may be.”

“Of course. Fortunately, we still have about half our training ammunition stockpiled—enough to fight.”

“What about island reconnaissance? Anything found yet?”

The operations officer, ready to brief, stepped forward.

“The fighters we launched earlier scouted the island, and apart from the pillar of light, they found no specific threats.”

“With the island covered in jungle, thorough scouting must be difficult.”

“Yes, the jungle is dense; we haven’t confirmed anything beneath the canopy. So, shall we dispatch some survey troops to check?”

Ian considered, then shook his head. They didn’t yet know Princess Adrina’s location or status; sending troops inland risked friendly fire. Better to delay sending forces.

“We’ll hold off a bit longer before dispatching survey units.”

No one pressed the point. It was the king’s call, and soldiers obeyed. Even Admiral Derian nodded assent.

At that moment, the operations room door burst open. Faces tightened at the breach of protocol, but the newcomer blurted out a report.

“We’ve got a situation! The village is under attack!”

“The village is under attack?”

“By whom?!”

“I—I don’t know. Small-bodied… whatever they are, they’ve swarmed into the village and are attacking and killing the residents indiscriminately.”

“Land troops immediately and rescue the villagers!”

At Ian’s order, Admiral Derian moved at once. Ian’s expression hardened at the mention of unknown attackers.

‘What? What’s happening?’

Perhaps the Magnia side had seized the treasure first. The pillar of light followed—and then these creatures? He thought of the Kraken.

Were they monsters like the Kraken? If so, perhaps the ruins’ power had unleashed them. He resolved to dig through the records once back, to see if phenomena similar to a “pillar of light” had been noted before.

If the pillar vanished quickly, however, there might be few witnesses and little record.

The island of Bebero, the only village in the north.

Bang! Bang-bang!

Villagers fired their old guns. Each muzzle flash dropped a charging goblin. But there were always more goblins than bullets. Naked, armed only with crude sticks, they were still deadly in numbers.

“Die!”

“Hold them!”

“Get the children and women out—now!”

The younger men fought with whatever they had—sickles, kitchen knives—because firearms were scarce. Close combat was unavoidable.

Individually, goblins were not strong—smaller and weaker than an average adult man. But the sheer press of numbers was overwhelming. Even at a glance, there were hundreds.

Fear gripped the people, but with families to protect, they fought for their lives. Amid the chaos, some women were seized; clothes were torn, and the goblins moved to rape them.

“You filthy animals!”

“Die, you bastard!”

A man, frenzied—perhaps he knew the woman—drove a kitchen knife into a goblin’s torso. Blood spattered; the goblin died screaming. But others piled on, clubbing the man with their sticks.

Whack! Thud-thud!

“Gah! Ah!”

He curled up and thrashed, but the blows kept coming, and soon even shielding himself became impossible. He would die any moment. Then—vrrrrm!—aircraft roared overhead.

Polia Kingdom Dragan fighters streaked by and raked the goblins with machine guns. Drrrrrrrrr—! Goblin bodies at the village edge were shredded.

There were multiple aircraft; the streams of bullets were many. Goblins caught in the fire were torn to rags. Still, more remained alive than dead.

Even so, the villagers’ morale rose. Fighters had been flying since the pillar appeared, and now, attacked by unknown monsters, they were getting help. Relief spread.

They also had hope: before the attack, they had seen warships approaching the coast. If they could hold on a bit longer, the army would arrive. They did not give up.

Landing boats splashed down quickly. These were not standard landing craft with organized landing troops, but each ship had mustered men, and they were coming in numbers.

As the boats neared and villagers crowded toward the harbor, danger increased—but soldiers jumped into the shallows and advanced, drawing the goblins’ attention.

The goblins, recognizing the greater threat, charged—but were cut down at once by precise rifle fire. More soldiers landed, and soon they outnumbered the goblins and began retaking the village street by street.

They rescued people trapped on rooftops or barricaded in homes, then pursued the fleeing goblins, shooting them in the back. Aside from those who escaped into the jungle, every goblin in the village was slain.

It was a victory—and a horror. Some villagers had been beaten to death; some had been partially eaten. Even soldiers turned away at the gruesome scenes. Worst of all were the women.

Dozens had their clothes torn and were raped by goblins. Many were catatonic; one woman tried to kill herself, and others restrained her as her screams tore at everyone’s hearts.

The troops hastily erected defensive works around the village—makeshift cover, mounted machine guns, clearing trees to open fields of fire.

Reconnaissance out to a one-kilometer radius around the village revealed many goblins—the island was being overrun. Shock rippled through the ranks.

It felt as if the world’s common sense had changed. Goblins, thought extinct, now walked the earth. Like the Kraken before, something in the world was shifting.

With the defensive ring established, Ian received word toward evening: Princess Adrina’s party had safely boarded a waiting destroyer and was en route here.

At last, he would be able to learn what had happened—news that genuinely relieved him.