Kurzadh looked at the eagerly anticipating Orc Boyz behind him. The fierce glint in the orcs' eyes and the taut bowstrings of the hobgoblin archers all conveyed a fighting spirit ready to rush forward and tear into the enemy at any moment.
But he was not in a hurry to give the order. Instead, he turned to Bone Tree, his voice dropping: "Inside the mine, besides this entrance, are there any other exits?"
Bone Tree scratched the back of his head, his brows furrowed. After thinking carefully for a long time, he shook his head and said, "I... I don't know. That mine is like a maze inside, full of forks.
Some passages are so narrow that only one goblin can get through. We only dared to wander near the entrance and didn't venture too deep. I really can't guarantee there aren't other exits."
Kurzadh nodded, having already anticipated this.
Dwarf mines were always intricately designed. Besides the main entrance, there were often hidden exits like ventilation shafts and emergency tunnels. The night hobgoblins had lived here for so long that they had likely mapped out all these passages.
If they rushed in recklessly, and the night hobgoblins ambushed them from behind, the consequences would be unimaginable.
His gaze fell upon the arachnari giant spider egg wrapped in a wool blanket, and a calculating smile curved his lips—the night hobgoblins revered the Arachnari Giant Spider as a sacred object, worshipping it intensely. This egg might just be the key to breaking the deadlock.
rather than forcing their way in, it was better to first test how much this sacred object weighed in their hearts.
"Orc Boyz! Raise your round shields and take the front!" Kurzadh suddenly waved his hand and commanded. "Hobgoblin archers follow behind, nock your arrows, and be ready to shoot at any moment! spearmen remain at the cave mouth, guard the entrance, and don't let the enemy ambush us from behind!"
150 Orc Boyz immediately sprang into action, retrieving the round shields crafted from hardwood from their backs—these shields had been modified from materials captured during previous raids on human supplies, reinforced with iron plates around the edges, capable of blocking axes and short arrows.
They paired up, interlocking their round shields to form a solid shield wall, advancing step by step toward the cave entrance.
"Hold the spider egg higher! Let the night hobgoblins inside see it clearly!" Kurzadh shouted at the orc carrying the egg.
Two orcs immediately adjusted their stance, holding the wool-wrapped spider egg high above their heads. The deep purple shell shimmered under the torchlight; even hidden in the darkness, it could be spotted instantly.
With all preparations complete, Kurzadh drew the iron axe from his waist and was the first to step into the mine: "Follow me! Be careful, don't step on any traps!" The greenskin Army followed closely. The orc shield wall was in front, the archers in the middle, and the light of the torches illuminated the interior of the mine, casting long shadows on the stone walls, making the scene appear especially solemn.
The interior of the mine was wider than expected, with the ground paved with smooth flagstones, typical of dwarf mine design.
On the stone walls on both sides, one could still see the chisel marks left by the dwarves when they mined iron ore. In some places, iron ore that hadn't been transported yet was still embedded; the dark brown ore gleamed with a metallic luster under the torchlight.
The greenskins moved forward cautiously, their footsteps echoing in the mine. Occasionally, the 'drip-drop' sound of water falling from the ceiling could be heard, making the place feel exceptionally quiet.
No one noticed the countless pairs of sinister eyes hidden in the recesses of the stone walls on both sides of the mine, as well as in the cracks in the ceiling.
Large numbers of night hobgoblins, draped in burlap cloaks similar in color to the stone walls, rode enormous mount spiders, climbing agilely on the rock faces like geckos.
They held short bows coated with black poison, their arrowheads aimed directly at the greenskin Army below. At a single command from their leader, they could unleash a deadly rain of arrows.
Keziaz, the leader of the night hobgoblins, was crouched in a higher rock fissure, his small green face tightly strained, his eyes full of cunning.
He was slightly taller than an average night hobgoblin and held a wooden stick wrapped in spider silk. A spider rested on his shoulder, spinning fine threads of silk.
As early as when Bone Tree first scouted the mine entrance, he had already discovered these uninvited guests—at the time, he thought they were just a few wandering greenskins looking to grab something and leave, and he paid them no mind.
But when he saw Kurzadh arrive with a massive army, he realized the situation was serious—this was an organized, disciplined greenskin tribe, far stronger than any wandering greenskins he had ever encountered.
But Keziaz was not afraid; instead, he felt excited. The mine was his territory. He had long ago instructed his subordinates to dig traps at every fork: some were covered with camouflaged branches, concealing sharp stakes below; others had huge boulders set up overhead, ready to crush a swarm of enemies with a pull of a rope; and still other passages were piled high with flammable dry grass, just waiting for the greenskins to crawl in so they could be burned to a crisp.
"Wait until they reach the third fork, then fire the arrows and drive them into the trap zone!" Keziaz whispered the command to the night hobgoblin beside him, his fingers tightly gripping the wooden stick, a flicker of cruelty in his eyes—in his view, these brainless greenskins would soon become corpses in the traps.
But just then, Keziaz's gaze suddenly froze. His entire body stiffened in the rock fissure, as if he had been struck by a paralysis spell.
He stared intently at the object held high in the orc's hands: the deep purple shell, the silver patterns, and the faint vital energy emanating from the shell—that was... that was an Arachnari Giant Spider's egg!
"Stop! No one is allowed to shoot!" Keziaz suddenly lowered his voice, grabbing the night hobgoblin next to him who was about to draw his bow, his fingernails digging deep into the other's arm.
The night hobgoblin grimaced in pain but dared not make a sound, only looking at his leader with confusion.
The surrounding night hobgoblins also stopped their movements, looking at Keziaz in confusion—they were about to attack, so why had the leader suddenly stopped them?
Only Keziaz himself knew how profoundly shocked he was at that moment.
In the faith of the night hobgoblins, the Arachnari Giant Spider was the incarnation of the "Spider God," a bridge for communicating with the deity.
Night hobgoblin Shamans could only harness the power of spiders to cast magic—such as summoning small spiders, spitting out tough webs, or even appealing to the Spider God for protection in times of crisis—by worshipping the Arachnari Giant Spider.
For the night hobgoblins, the Arachnari Giant Spider was the pillar of their faith, an existence more important than life itself.
However, Arachnari Giant Spiders were extremely rare. They only lived in the deepest underground caves, their numbers pitifully small, and the conditions required to sustain them were incredibly strict—they needed special poisonous mushrooms, a constant temperature environment, and fresh prey for feeding. Only large night hobgoblin tribes with populations exceeding a thousand and abundant resources might possess a single Arachnari Giant Spider.
Small tribes like Keziaz's, which only had a population of just over two hundred, had never even seen a real Arachnari Giant Spider, let alone one of its eggs.
Now, a living arachnari giant spider egg was being held high by those orcs, appearing right before his eyes.
Keziaz's heart pounded wildly, and his eyes were filled with awe and fanaticism—this was no ordinary spider egg; this was a sacred object bestowed by the Spider God! Those greenskins ... how did those greenskins possess a sacred object? Were they messengers sent by the Spider God?
Countless thoughts flashed through Keziaz's mind. He stared intensely at the spider egg, his breathing becoming cautious.
His initial calculations and cruelty vanished without a trace, replaced by deep reverence—he dared not move against this group of greenskins , who might be "messengers of the Spider God," and even approaching them felt like sacrilege against the Spider God.
Inside the mine, the greenskin Army continued to advance slowly.
Kurzadh held his torch, vigilantly observing the surroundings—according to his prediction, the night hobgoblins should have launched an ambush long ago, yet there was no movement at all, only the crackle of the burning torches and the sound of the greenskins' footsteps.
"Strange, why is there no movement?" Bone Tree leaned close to Kurzadh and whispered, "Did the night hobgoblins run away?"
Kurzadh shook his head, his gaze sharpening: "They haven't run. They must be hiding in the shadows. Keep moving forward, pay attention to the ceiling and the walls on both sides, and don't let your guard down." He knew clearly that the night hobgoblins hadn't attacked likely because of the spider egg—it seemed the effect of this sacred object was even better than he had imagined.
Meanwhile, Keziaz in the rock fissure was still agonizing—he didn't know how to face these "messengers of the Spider God." Should he come out and greet them, or continue to hide in the dark?
If he came out to greet them, and they turned out not to be messengers but greenskins trying to seize the mine, he would become a laughingstock. But if he didn't greet them, and they truly were messengers, he would offend the Spider God, and his entire tribe would be punished.
The torchlight was getting closer. The greenskin Army had already reached the first fork in the tunnel.
Keziaz gritted his teeth, looking at the spider egg shimmering under the torchlight, and finally made his decision—he had to go out and see. No matter who they were, he had to figure out where this spider egg came from.