The trek into the Duskwood was a smoother process than the first time, with them knowing the general location to look through. So long as their assumption was correct, the gobli would be near where they had fought the empowered Raid Leader.

  They took Malice out of the [Capture Core] oskirts of the forest, wanting to have their sixth member ready to respond at a moment's notice. The wolfgirl vibrated with excitement, having been looking forward to the fight. To her senses, it hadn't been long, if any time at all, since leavierday. Malice had said being stored in the capture core was simir to sleeping, but ly, and that was obvious enough just by how aware she was between transfers: she didn't have tily wake up; she barely had to orient.

  Natalie wondered whether she even had some vague awareness of what was happening outside of the core. She could see that goiher way.

  Less than an hour of exploratiohem to their target.

  The goblin base, or , or whatever a person wao call it, was a colle of primitive and hastily made shelters with a rge firepce at the ter for cooking and providi. Animal corpses y scattered a short distance away, stripped for meat, their bones exposed to the air. More iihe crates: food, textiles, spices, the plunder of mert wagons they'd been attag for the st several weeks. They were stacked in one giant pile, obviously unused, just sitting there to be … she didn't even know. Worshiped? The pile of goods gave a vague impression of an altar.

  Natalie wondered whether that was a valid impression, or if she'd been influeo believe so, knowing Greed had made one of these creatures a champion. Though maybe 'champion' was to a word. Natalie doubted that Lust's patronage of her was at all parable to Greed's for these goblins.

  There were plenty of the creatures left, even with the limited view Natalie had, peekiween trees a fair distance away. They'd done good work thinning their numbers during previous skirmishes, but clearly the operation was rger tha, or Tarenhelm, had initially thought. For that matter, it had already been a more difficult quest than assumed from the two bands they'd already fought, much less this final enter.

  The creatures busied themselves with their daily lives, and it was a bit unnerving watg them eat, walk around, aheir altar of goods, and other such activities. It didn't humahem, sinoalking, chatting, ughing, or anything else she'd expect to see in a camp of sapient beings, but it was still weird and made her unfortable.

  One goblin stood out, bigger than the rest. That, too, came as no surprise, or only half of one, because it was still a shock to see a goblin nearly three times the size of the rest. The thing's muscles were even more bulging than the Raid Leader, and if Natalie had to guess, that was not only because it was more deeply imbued by Greed—the true leader of this —but also because it was strength-focused, not agility like the dagger and bow wielding Raid Leader.

  After the camp, taking care to stay hidden—it was fortuhey'd found the base without being seen—Natalie aeam retreated to discuss their pns.

  "About twenty I saw," Jordan said. "And probably a few hidden here and there. We get the drop oake out five or six before they know what's happening."

  "So only a bit more difficult thaher fights," Sofia said. "Which we expected. The real problem, obviously, is the big one."

  "Yeah," Jordan said. "The big guy."

  For some reason, everyone's attention turo Natalie. She could only assume it was because both she, and it, were padins of sorts.

  "Well," Natalie said. "There's no telling how strong it is. But it's gotta die either way." She shrugged. "So let's go fuck it up."

  "Free energy, as far as I'm ed," Malice said with a grin, eyes flig toward the goblin camp. She was boung on her heels, barely able to suffer through these 'practical talks.' It set Natalie's own bloodlust itg too, seeing how eager she was to get going.

  "And at least there's only one," Natalie said. "I was worried there'd be the main boss, and maybe another Raid Leader too. That would've been tricky."

  "Just a bunch of weak ones, and the big guy," Jordan agreed. "That's easier. We thinking two sub-parties, like before?"

  That was all but iable when fighting so many e once. "Liz gives Ana her buff," Natalie said. "Sofia guards the two of them. Me, Jay, and Malice see what we do to take the boss down. Maybe we get on top of it before it knows."

  "Probably won't happen," Sofia grunted. "It's in the middle of the camp."

  "Don't see a on though," Jordan said. "So maybe it'll be unarmed?"

  "Do you see the size of that thing? I'm pretty sure it's a brute. All the oblins are carrying their ons with them, so the boss would too—but it just doesn't have one."

  Jordan nodded, g the point. "Probably true. Doesn't ge anything though. Getting the drop on it will help."

  "Still try to take out as many on the way as you ," Liz chimed in. "Don't just rush for the boss, ign the rest. New Ana is scary, but she's still one mage. Twenty or moblins is a lot."

  "Especially sine will be level three," Ana said. "Those won't die in a single shot. Ohey get to us, it's harder to deal with."

  "That's why you'll have Sofia," Natalie said idly. "And we'll e if we o. But yes, I'll take out what I during the rush." She just figured occupying the boss's attention would go a lot further toward the ultimate goal—and be necessary anyway. It wasn't like they had much choi the matter; it would ehem within seds of the fight breaking out, regardless. "Any objes, or should we go for it? Every sed we spend chatting is another we might get caught. Don't wanna lose the advantage."

  "Let's do it," Sofia said, rolling her grip on her rapier. "And Malice?"

  "Yes?"

  "Don't howl to announce us, please," she said dryly.

  The wolfgirl paused, then frowned. She sniffed. "Ambushes are beh us," she said. "But yes, fine, whatever. I stay quiet." Her grin came back, es exposed. "As long as I have something to kill, I'm happy."

  Natalie nodded.

  It was time, then.