The following day, he gathered a group of ten men and a few of his party members to head for the mines. He didn’t intend on doing anything unless the Levels of the Goblins were something obscene.

The group left out of the Western Gate while the sun was still low in the sky. A beautiful orange hue shone over the treeline as the party moved forward.

The weather was turning warm, and Geth could see that some of the men were sweating in their armor.

‘I’ll have to have a chat with Hulk. It seems that he’s been too lax on their training.’ 

It wasn’t that they hadn’t been working hard, but that they hadn’t been working in battle-ready equipment. Most still hadn’t received their first Class, meaning that their stamina wasn’t good enough to deal with the warmer weather.

It had been nine months since the planets had merged. It had happened in October, meaning that it was now the middle of July.

Geth was surprised by how much time had passed. He hadn’t realized that both his and Zolis’ birthdays had passed.

Zolis was now 24 and would be 25 in November, while he had turned 28 in April.

‘It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long,’ Geth reminisced while watching the men marching with him.

Outside of the weather just now becoming warm, the sun rising in the west and setting in the east was strange. There were other minor discrepancies, but those were the only two affecting the men at the moment.

The glare of the sun would easily allow for monsters or other Human parties to ambush them.

‘We should require at least one high-Level sensory Class in each party.’ 

It may seem like an obvious decision, and it was. The issue was finding enough citizens who had sensory Talents or Skills and asking them to prioritize them.

Only support builds that focused heavily on Wisdom would have Mana Sense upgraded enough to be of use.

Albus couldn’t help but shake his head as he caught wind of Geth’s thoughts.

‘The only reason Geth’s senses remain powerful is that he is constantly manipulating Mana further and further from his person. If it weren’t for his habitual training, then his senses would fall short.’

Albus didn’t believe that Geth realized he was doing it. The man’s Mana would send a light pulse in every direction every few seconds, even during his sleep.

Since the incident with his Bloodline Awakening, his control over Mana had increased once again. Naturally, the man’s senses were included.

“Geth, if you go around comparing others to yourself, you’ll live in a state of disappointment,” Albus spoke to one of the man’s selves that were meditating under the Immersion Formation.

The clone cracked one of his eyes open and looked at the old man, “My point still stands. Have you noticed anything strange from that black sphere?”

“The purple energy that it houses is growing slowly. Otherwise, nothing.”

Geth’s self nodded, “After getting the city upgrades started, I’ll find a secluded spot to check in on it.”

Albus returned to his thoughts while Geth’s attention returned to his surroundings. The party had just reached the outskirts of the quarry.

“Everyone ready up. There’s a small pack of five Goblins ahead.”

Sindri and Zolis tensed, but Geth waved the two of them to calm down. The Goblins were weak, a single Level 30 Hobgoblin and a few below Level 25.

It was the perfect opportunity for the inexperienced men to better their teamwork. He glanced toward Filthy, who had tagged along, and motioned his eyes ahead.

The Ranger quietly slipped away, and Geth could feel him leaving the edge of his senses. He wasn’t sure how the Tower graded quest rarities, but he wanted to ensure that this batch could handle it.

While waiting for a response from Filthy, the Goblin patrol rounded a corner just ahead between a tree and a large boulder. The Hobgoblin became angered upon seeing the approaching Humans.

It roared orders at the smaller Goblins while brandishing a club that had been on its back. The smaller Goblins jumped to either side of the Hobgoblin, keeping their eyes on the surrounding trees.

Geth was surprised by their coordination and thoughtfulness.

‘This must be the effects of the Redo Formation becoming weaker. The fog that once forced creatures to act as simple video game mobs is fading away.’

Albus had warned him that things would become more challenging as time progressed. First the Direwolves, and now this development with the Goblins.

Still, none of these Goblins were particularly dangerous, and the party acted quickly. Two men who carried small bucklers and short swords shifted to the front of the party while the others stood to the sides.

Geth listened as one of the men directed half of the others to the woodline, having them flank the enemy while the tanks acted as distractions. 

It wasn’t a terrible plan, but Geth wondered how the Goblins would react. He noticed that the smaller Goblins were carefully watching the men by the woodline.

‘Their intelligence may have increased, but their awareness is still low. If they could see our Levels… I wonder if they would back off or call for help?’

The Hobgoblin barreled sloppily toward the two defenders. The lumbering giant swung its club the moment it came within range.

Smack!

A loud crash sounded in the air as club and shield met. The warrior was pushed back but seemed uninjured. 

His friend leapt toward the Hobgoblin, opting for a quick strike to its abdomen and quickly moving away. Geth was reminded of the coordination between Harris and Farris as he watched the two fighters.

They would alternate blocking to avoid either of their arms becoming numb, while the other would perform a quick attack and retreat.

Seeing the blood coming from their leader, the four Goblins lost their cool and rushed forward. The men waiting by the treeline sprinted around the large trunks and made their way behind the battle.

At that point, it was over. Pressed between the two forces, the Goblins fell quickly.

They were off to a good start.