Alan, who had been watching the approaching goblin army, noticed a faint, unnatural humming sound in his head. He quickly turned his gaze toward the center front and saw Ais holding a yellow crystal in her hand. Lowering his head, he focused on the message he was about to receive.

  "There has been an unexpected development," Ais's voice said.

  "What is that?" Alan mumbled, catching the Weeble siblings' attention.

  "What's wha—" Rose began to ask, but Alan quickly shushed her.

  "I made Bella use her Gods' Eye to get a better look at the enemy's formation… and it seems like there are hostages amidst the horde," Ais replied.

  "Human hostages!" Blake said in a surprised tone, "They might have captured the survivors from the other villages they razed before," he added.

  They are using hostages…, Alan said to himself, biting his lip. The mission just got a lot tougher, he added internally with a frustrated look. "So, what are we gonna do now?" he questioned, his mind racing for a solution.

  "We should let the goblin army close in. We'll attack when they are 50 meters away from us and try to get the hostages to safety…," Ais said. "All of the mages should move further behind, near the village, so they can use their spells freely. That would be the ideal thing to do," Ais stated.

  It would be ideal? Ideal for who? For the adventurers who are about to be overwhelmed by the goblins if we do that. Alan thought to himself, as his frustration grew further. "I don't think letting them close in is the right choice. I'll cast 'Rain of Scorching Flame' without incantation. That will cause chaos in the horde, and it will be the perfect time for us to close in."

  "We are not casting an advanced spell when they have hostages!" Ais shouted. "Your spell would kill them too!"

  "Half of those people might already be mentally broken beyond repair. I'm not letting any of the adventurers die an untimely death for them," Alan shouted with a irritated look.

  "I didn't teach you to be a coward!" Blake yelled at Alan, but he was cut off midway.

  "I don't care what you taught me!" Alan yelled, his eyebrows furrowing in frustration as he continued. "Alisa would have done the same, she values comrades more than anyone else. It would have been a different thing if we were here on a suicide mission, but we are not here to die, are we?" He added.

  "Alan, don't forget I am the one leading the command!" Ais shouted.

  Alan lifted his head from the ground, his gaze locking onto Ais. "And don't forget—I'm not affiliated with the White Tiger Guild. I can do whatever I want," he reminded her. "I'll be attacking the center of the formation with a weaker 'Rain of Scorching Flame' spell, and we'll save everyone who survives it."

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  "I'll stop you myself if I have to…," Ais stated, her blue eyes narrowing with fury as she fixed her gaze in Alans' direction. Her right hand moved to unsheathe her sword, but before she could draw it fully, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning sharply, she found Bella standing beside her.

  "It seems most of the hostages are at the front," Bella said, her voice steady. "I'm not saying his spell won't cost innocent lives…" She shook her head. "No, that's not what I mean. But it will likely give us the best chance to save as many as possible," she added with a serious expression.

  Ais placed her sword back in its scabbard. She bit her lip, taking a moment to think. "Make sure not to use the complete chant!" she warned, letting out a sigh after.

  "I'll make sure not to complete the chant and will also leave the first front…" Alan paused, "Ahhh…, Could you perhaps ask Miss Bella how much area I should leave untouched?" He asked with a confused tone.

  Ais turned her gaze toward Bella, her blue eyes locking onto her. "How much area should he leave unaffected by the spell?" she questioned.

  "Where should he cast his spell?" Bella repeated, stopping midway as if deep in thought. "The goblins are walking toward us with a circular front, so… attacking 15 meters away from the goblins in the front should work fine. It will save most of the hostages and also cause enough panic for us to rescue the rest," Bella said.

  "15 meters away from the goblins in front," Ais stated.

  Understood, Alan replied as he raised his sword and sliced the air to his right, cutting off the mana thread that connected him with Ais and Blake, breaking the communication. He then looked at Adrian and Rose, who were now staring at him as if demanding answers about what he had conversed with Ais and Blake.

  Alan turned his head away from them as he began to speak, "The horde contains human hostages… And I would be casting a spell that would kill a few of those hostages," Alan said, his voice carrying no hint of hesitation.

  "Don't we have any other choice?" Adrian questioned, his expression making it clear he wasn't completely on board with Alan's idea.

  "We could let them close in and rescue a few more hostages, but that would risk us being overwhelmed by the goblins. It would also create problems for the mages, who are meant to stay at the rear," Alan stated.

  "Can't we position the mages farther back? Maybe in the village?" Rose suggested.

  "We don't have enough time for that," Alan said as the approaching horde of goblins finally came into view.

  Hundreds of green-skinned monsters spread out in a formation resembling a circle from the front. Leading them were numerous goblin commanders who were easily three to five times taller than any human, they wielded massive axes and swords. Just behind them, three goblin kings marched in step. Though similar in size to the commanders, they possessed large external magic cores embedded in their chests—sources of immense power that allowed them to enhance their physical capabilities with magic.

  There are way more commanders and kings than what I imagined, Alan thought to himself. Where are the humans, though? he questioned as he was unable to see any.

  "Look there!" Adrian spoke in horror as he pointed at a boy who was being dragged around by a goblin commander by his hair.

  Alan followed Adrian's gaze, his eyes landing on the bloodied body of the boy. His jaw tightened as he bit his lip, frustration boiling into anger at the sight.

  "Rose! As soon as my spell lands, move in and rescue as many hostages as possible. That will be our top priority," Alan commanded, his voice sharp with anger, his gaze locked onto the goblin army. He watched as the goblins hoisted the surviving, tortured humans like trophies, their cruel smiles twisting in the firelight.

  Their tattered clothes, bruised flesh, and bloodied bodies were now painfully clear to Alan and the others.

  "Sorry," Alan murmured, shifting his sword to his left hand. Closing his eyes, he focused on drawing forth every ounce of mana his body could muster.

  Normally invisible unless shaped into a spell, mana could take on color when condensed in high concentrations. Its hue varied based on affinity and density, and in Alan's case, it manifested as a deep crimson aura of raw destruction.

  Raising his right hand to his shoulder level, Alan prepared to unleash a spell powerful enough to decimate any army that stood in its way.