"We should lure them here and here," said Druger, pointing at the maps. "We will set up barricades and traps to halt their movement and guide them to this area."


    "Will it work?" Rain asked, scrutinizing the n.


    "The Hobgoblins aren''t that smart, so they''d likely fall into the traps," Lyncon said confidently.


    Rain added, "But the traps and defenses can only do so much, right? They couldn''t fully eradicate the Hobgoblins. They have the numbers, and even with luring them to the ocean and using the two warships, we could only take down around half their army before they would scatter and escape.


    "We need something that would eradicate them once and for all, so they couldn''t regroup and attack us again," Rain finished with a hard voice.


    Druger took a deep breath. "I know what you mean,d. But those Hobgoblins number fifty thousand and still counting. As long as the Hobgoblin King is alive, we can''t totally eradicate their threat. What we could do at most is cripple some of their forces and buy us time for another future attack."


    Rain was silent, thinking deeply while the others around the table wore grave expressions.


    Suddenly, a resounding p echoed in the room, drawing all eyes to Hana.


    She beamed and said, "Alright everyone, enough of that. Why don''t we rest first and continue this tomorrow? Everyone is tired, and it''s already the middle of the night."


    Druger exhaled deeply. "Maybe you''re right. My head is killing me from all this thinking. Let''s call it a night."


    All eyes went to Rain for affirmation, and he nodded.


    Everyone was exhausted, and maybe all they needed was a good night''s rest to refresh their minds.


    Chi had reported that almost ten thousand Hobgoblins were already marching their way, a number they had expected, while the rest were marching northward.


    The Hobgoblin King had already set off his campaign to conquer the Barren Wastnd, while they were nowhere near ready to face them head-on.


    When Rain was alone, he decided to walk outside and get some fresh air.


    Walking in his vige at night was a peaceful routine for him, though right now, he was deeply bothered by the Hobgoblins that he couldn''t rx one bit.


    Rain met Thraigar outside the gates. Since he was huge, he couldn''t fit inside the vige. Druger and he had offered to build him his own house, but Thraigar refused, saying he wasfortable sleeping outside.


    As usual, Thraigar was sound asleep, and Rain knew better than to wake him up because he was sure he slept like a hibernating bear.


    Pup was on top of Thraigar. He peeked one eye open when he sensed Rain but then closed his eyes and continued to sleep.


    Pup had somewhat gotten close to himtely. Without even calling for him, pup was the one who went to him of his own ord.


    Too bad that the two weren''t part of his troops, but they could be ordered around most of the time. Rain mused to himself.


    Chi was still up north while Chin and the rest were patrolling the vige. #4 was . . . wherever he was, #4 was still guarding his statue.


    Rain walked around and took in the night air to clear his mind.


    "Can''t sleep, my friend?"


    Rain started and looked over at Thraigar in surprise. "You''re awake?"


    Thraigar smiled, his eyes drooping. "I can sense your unease."


    "Uh . . . s-sorry about that." Wait, something wasn''t right here. Why was he sensing unease and not the threat to his life? If he did, he wouldn''t have gotten captured in the first ce!


    Thraigar''s deep voice cut through Rain''s thoughts. "Worry not, young lord. Your mind is troubled, but you have friends and allies who will stand by you. Remember that strengthes not just from power, but from unity."


    Rain sighed, looking up at the starry sky. "I just want to make sure we''re prepared. The stakes are too high."


    "You''re doing all you can," Thraigar said. "And sometimes, the best thing you can do is to rest and let your mind recover."


    Rain nodded slowly. "You''re right. Thanks, Thraigar."


    Thraigar closed his eyes again, drifting back to sleep and murmured, "Unity . . . allies . . .


    is where true power lies . . ."


    Rain took onest look at the peaceful night before heading back to his quarters. Then he paused, a sudden thought striking him.


    Allies . . .


    Something sparked in his mind, and Rain hurried back to Druger to share his n, not caring if he woke the dwarf up all night.


    The night continued, time slowing for no one. The air grew still, and the cold weather turned even colder. A shadow crept over Silverstone Oasis, like a nket of darkness threatening to consume the whole vige before it coalesced into a single, strange-looking beetle. It was darker than the night, its body glowing with strange runes.


    The beetle slithered into the vige, its movements almost imperceptible. It bit one viger, injecting a strange venom, then moved on to the next house and bit another.


    The night went on, and then came morning.


    The vigers woke up and resumed their daily routines, unaware of the danger lurking in their midst. However, one, two, three, ten vigers remained in their beds, hot and coughing violently.


    A day passed, and the ten turned to twenty the next morning. Before Rain knew it, he was facing a pandemic, days before the Hobgoblins would arrive near their territory.


    Its was utter chaos and hopelessness!


    Rain stood at the entrance of the vige, watching as more and more vigers fell ill. Their once lively and bustlingmunity was now filled with the sounds of coughing and groans of pain. Panic spread as fast as the sickness, and Rain''s heart sank with each passing hour.


    "We can''t fight off an army with half our people bedridden," Lyncon said, his face pale with worry. "We need to find out what''s causing this and stop it before it takes us all."


    Hana, who had been tending to the sick, approached them. "We need to iste the infected," she said, her voice steady despite the urgency in her eyes. "If this spreads any further, we won''t have enough healthy people to defend the vige."


    Rain agreed, "We need to set up a quarantine area outside the vige. Anyone showing symptoms must be moved there immediately. We also need to find the source of this infection and eliminate it."


    "Druger, can you and Lyncon work on fortifying the defenses?" Rain asked. "We need to buy ourselves as much time as possible."


    Druger nodded. "Consider it done. Lyncon and I will make sure the traps and barricades are ready."


    Rain turned to Hana. "Gather everyone who can help. We need to start moving the sick and setting up the quarantine area. Chi and Chin, keep an eye out for any sign of the Hobgoblins. We can''t afford to be caught off guard."


    Hours passed as they worked tirelessly, moving the sick to the quarantine area and fortifying the vige''s defenses. Rain didn''t rest, his mind racing with thoughts of the impending attack and the mysterious illness guing his people.


    "This sickness didn''t juste on a whim," Rain muttered to himself, pacing back and forth. "The creatures here have lived for years without experiencing something like this. It''s not the water; we''re drinking the purest water gifted to us by Lord Izumi. It''s not the food either, since we cook it thoroughly, and any bacteria should have been disintegrate by the heat. So, what''s causing this?"


    Rain stopped and rubbed his temples, frustration evident on his face. If they could find the source, then maybe they could find a cure.


    "Rain," a voice called out, breaking his concentration.


    *


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    || A/N ||


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