[NR] And They All Fall Down - Chapter 560 (Patreon)

The three blue high goblins, in their late attempts to dodge Jason’s throwing knives, tumble backwards as their legs give out. Each has a dagger stuck in one of those legs, making any attempt to stand up much harder. For a regular player or local, the wound might even be considered enough to keep them down. Monsters, however, are made of tougher stuff. That, or only the tough survive, either works.

Too bad for them it is still an impediment enough that Rosha can slam a few arrows home into the charm gob’s face. This finishes it off. Though the other two bluegobs escape the arrow onslaught, hiding behind the highgobs.

Except this meant the barrage was suddenly trying to go through them and they weren’t exactly prepared for that. So while the bluegobs escaped with their lives, the highgobs were peppered with a flurry of arrows. Though all but one arrow soon vanishes as the skill fades.

This is actually seen as a feature. With the arrows gone, the wounds are able to bleed freely. Of course, most forms of regeneration will have an easier time fixing things. That just means being selective with who you use it on. The highgobs, sadly, for them, lack any healing factor and their blood flows.

Jason is still on the ground, though unlike the goblins, has accelerated clotting for his own wounds. That means his left leg has already stopped bleeding. Oh, and the goblins stopped paying attention long enough that the bone stopped existing once again and with it, the break.

So, from his position on the ground, Jason can once again get his feet underneath himself. This is not good for the goblins as not moments after, one of those feet flies out and strikes the closest straight on the chest. A bit of stretch, or at least it looks like one if you subscribe to normal human standards of flexibility.

Then from the highgobs back, blooms a flower with a shower of blood. Paradoxically, the now dead highgob falls forward, staying upright only with the support of Jason’s foot. Not for long though, as Jason uses a quick shove to send it into the arms of the next closest goblin. That highgobs catches an arrow to the eye.

At this point, the bluegobs try to run away. Which in theory shouldn’t be too hard. Yes, Rosha is a mean shot, but with all the trees it wouldn’t be hard to break line of sight. Except they weren’t here of their own accord.

The forest had brought them in as a test for the group. Which, with their decision to retreat, a smart decision in almost any other situation, meant they were no longer needed. As they reached the treeline, reality shuddered.

Multiple scenes seem to flash between each tree in that direction. This almost distracts Jason from keeping an eye on the bluegobs with everyone else being dazed. And so, he is the only one to see as the bluegobs fall apart. The scene behind them? Each line between one scene and another resulting in a similar line being forced upon the bluegobs’ reality.

As the chaos behind the fight falls away, so do the vertical slices of bluegob. Some sections are thinner or wider, but all of them are smaller than a finger’s width. Worse, the slices aren’t bloody. Rather, it seems almost as if they haven’t even realized they were separated yet.

At this point, the surviving highgobs let out a keening cry as they fell over dead. There are no sign of any killing blow, at least not right away. Jason is thorough and adds such a wound to each just in case.

Rosha walks over and tilts her head as she crouches over one Jason hadn’t worked over yet. “So what was that? Not that I mind the simple end to the fight, but if anything, I would expect them to frenzy.”

Courtney walks up next to her, “This is likely the result of prolonged mental domination. That or some sort of mentally based death switch.”

Jason shrugs, “Either the bluegobs conditioned them to require a constant mental touch from one of them to live. That or such a condition was unintentionally applied. I could see the highgobs being basically puppeted by the bluegobs to the point that even their automatic systems start needing the bluegobs around to function.”

Courtney, “That or they’re simply implanted with an order to die if they are protecting a bluegob and all of their charges die. It really depends on just how much pseudo-civilization they’ve managed to build up. I can definitely see a goblin deciding that if they don’t live, their guards shouldn’t either. After all, we didn’t have a similar problem with the second wave.

“Though speaking of which, we now own this clearing. Maybe not in the eyes of the kingdom, at least not yet. Rather, we own it in the eyes of the Deep Wilds. Not completely useless, but fewer teeth than in a kingdom. After all, the Deep Wilds would be perfectly fine with something coming along and killing us to take the land. Might makes right, and all that sort of nonsense.”

Rosha nods, “I’m sure there are some passive benefits to being recognized. But more importantly for us, we’ll always be able to find our way back. Peter didn’t go into too much depth about it, but apparently the adventurers guild sponsors a few tethered hubs in the Deep Wilds so those planning to go deep can make their way back. If a local gets lost in here without a way out, they’re doomed to never finding their way back. Maybe they aren’t dead, but they’ve certainly left NeoRealm.

“Us players? Well, I didn’t get a straight answer, but we either can’t or shouldn’t go too deep? Like, the Deep Wilds will certainly let us do so, but the System will equally work to prevent it as a matter of health and safety. Which, seeing as this is all realer than not, could mean any number of things.”