The Story of Becoming a Married Man in Another World

039 I Protect My Family (feat. Dorothy)

The goblin that had threatened Dorothy with its claws suddenly sprang up. Perhaps it sensed danger, as it didn’t charge at Juhwan. Instead, it turned its back and fled.

Juhwan straightened his back and raised his axe high. He swung it down with all his might.

With a thud, the goblin’s head split open. The thick blade of the axe embedded deeply. The goblin’s red blood mixed with the dirt and splattered onto his body.

One down. Juhwan muttered as he kicked the goblin, sending it sprawling. The axe, which had been lodged in flesh and muscle, came free with a squelch.

Without sparing a glance at the fallen goblin, he ran forward.

Juhwan swung his axe again at the goblin closest to the fence among those emerging from the forest.

The axe, aimed at the goblin’s neck, lodged between its shoulder and neck. It seemed to be a characteristic of goblins. Their necks were shorter than humans’. A sound like a pig being slaughtered burst from the goblin’s mouth.

As he pulled the axe free, he aimed for the head again. Two. Seeing the goblin’s head shatter, Juhwan turned his body.

Something felt off. The eyes of several goblins were blood-red. He couldn’t tell if all the goblins were like that, but most of the noticeable ones were.

“….”

Their behavior also seemed a bit strange. Were goblins originally the type to charge recklessly at something without any regard? Even as they witnessed Juhwan killing their comrades right in front of them, they continued to run towards the fence where the house was.

Suddenly, he noticed that the fronts of several charging goblins were bulging. The rags tied around their waists were puffed up.

‘These bastards, they’re targeting Lizzie.’

He recalled reading in a novel somewhere that goblins kidnapped women. Rage made his vision go dark for a moment. It felt like a fuse had blown in his head.

Grabbing the body of a nearby goblin and channeling his magic, flames erupted from Juhwan’s hand. The fire was even bigger than when he had encountered the wolves before.

With a scream, the goblin rolled on the ground. It seemed to be trying to put out the fire. But it wouldn’t go out.

Leaving that one, Juhwan grabbed the next goblin and ignited it with magic. In an instant, three or four goblins were ablaze.

There was no time to look at the fallen ones. Juhwan spun around, leaping towards the direction of the goblins. He swung his axe wide. Two goblins fell as they were caught by the axe.

But there were too many goblins.

One goblin lunged at Juhwan’s back. It wrapped its arms around his neck and bit his ear.

There was no time to flinch from the sharp pain. Juhwan reached back, grabbed the goblin’s hair, and yanked hard.

Flames erupted from the goblin’s body, and a scream echoed in his ear.

He threw the flaming goblin away.

From noble mtl dot come

He didn’t check what happened to it. Another goblin was charging at him.

Juhwan ran forward, swinging his axe.

There was no time to aim for specific parts like the head or neck anymore. Juhwan just embedded the axe blade into the goblins’ bodies and kept moving.

With thuds, the small bodies of the goblins collapsed to the ground.

“Damn it!”

—

A curse slipped out unconsciously.

Several goblins were approaching the fence from a direction out of reach.

Juhwan ran towards them, extending his hand towards the goblins and igniting flames.

But he had to stay calm. He couldn’t expend all his strength at once. There might be another group besides these ones. To protect his wife and child until the last moment, he had to conserve his strength. He couldn’t give in to emotions and impulses.

‘It’s okay. I can protect them.’

Do you think I’ll let my family suffer at the hands of these creatures? Absolutely not. I won’t let them touch even a single fingertip or strand of hair.

To prevent the fence from collapsing, he had horizontally placed bamboo poles in the middle. Some goblins were stepping on them and climbing up.

The top of the fence was all cut sharply like spears. Even though their bodies were pierced and they screamed in pain, the goblins kept crawling up.

Juhwan ran there in one breath and grabbed the ankle of a goblin trying to climb over the fence.

*

A loud scream spread through the air. Lizzie pulled Dorothy inside. This was not the time to be dazed. Her husband was fighting for his life outside…

‘Get a grip.’

Even if she couldn’t be of much help, she should at least not be a hindrance. Besides, she wasn’t alone. Dorothy was there.

Thud, the nearby bamboo fence shook.

“Eek!”

She jumped in surprise.

Although Juhwan had driven them in deeply, bamboo was weaker compared to thick wooden fences. If they hit it a few more times like that, the fence might collapse. She was so scared that her legs trembled.

Over the high fence, a goblin’s hand and head suddenly appeared. Its gleaming eyes were fixed on Lizzie and Dorothy. It was terrifying. Her body trembled.

But soon, the creature was dragged back with a strange scream. It seemed Juhwan had pulled it. Right, her husband was there. Lizzie turned towards the house.

“Dorothy, go inside the house. Quickly.”

She pushed the crying child’s back. She wanted to go with her, but she couldn’t.

There were many goblins, and only one Juhwan. A goblin that Juhwan couldn’t reach might enter the house. She had to help from inside. Lizzie looked at Dorothy with a forced smile.

“It’s okay, don’t worry, Dorothy. Daddy will protect us. But you have to stay inside. Lock the door and hide under the bed like last time.”

“What about you, Mom?”

“Mom will help Dad from here. So…”

At that moment, Dorothy’s eyes widened. Her face was filled with fear.

When Lizzie turned around, a goblin was hanging on the fence, trying to get inside.

Lizzie quickly pushed the child towards the house and ran alone to where the bamboo was scattered.

There were several pieces of bamboo left from when Juhwan made the fence. She grabbed the shortest one with a sharp end.

Lizzie shouted towards Dorothy, who was still standing dazed.

—

—

“Dorothy, get inside. Hurry.”

A goblin had one leg over the fence. Blood dripped from its hand, pricked by the bamboo. But the goblin didn’t stop.

Beyond the fence, the goblin’s screams could still be heard. Juhwan was fighting continuously without stopping.

Liz bit her lip. She had to be brave. At the very least, she could push back the ones coming in. She had to help her husband.

Liz dragged the bamboo. The bamboo that Juhwan easily lifted several at a time was too long for Liz.

The goblin was about to lean forward and come over. She tried to move faster, but it was still too far.

Then, the goblin’s body was suddenly pulled down, engulfed in flames. At the same time, several bamboos that the goblin had climbed on tilted outward.

Her heart seemed to stop. Fortunately, they didn’t break or completely fall, but who knew what would happen next.

‘Is Juhwan okay?’

Goblins trying to climb over the fence appeared here and there. Each time, Juhwan rushed over. He was clearly overexerting himself. There were too many goblins. What if he got hurt? She was very worried.

Then, a goblin’s hand suddenly grabbed the fence again.

Liz gripped the bamboo tightly. She ran, holding the bamboo that dragged on the ground.

When the goblin’s head suddenly popped up, Liz raised the bamboo spear and thrust it towards the goblin.

But it didn’t work well. The bamboo, raised in the air, was heavier than she thought. The bamboo wobbled in the air.

Liz placed the end of the bamboo against the fence and pushed it up. As she stood close to the fence, she got closer to the goblin, feeling its disgusting breath touch her body through the air. Her body froze in fear.

‘It’s okay. I’m not scared.’

Liz kept the bamboo against the fence and pushed it up. She pushed it up forcefully.

The sharp end that Juhwan had cut pierced the goblin’s hand. The goblin screamed.

‘Good, one more time.’

Liz pulled the bamboo down a bit and then thrust it up again.

But the goblin, screaming, hung its body over the fence and grabbed the spear with one hand.

The spear, caught by the goblin, wouldn’t budge. She was terrified. She tried to pull the spear out with all her might, but it was useless.

*

Dorothy stood still, unable to move as if she were glued to the ground. Liz’s mother had told her to run home, but she couldn’t move.

Strange sounds filled the surroundings. Goblins’ faces popped up from the fence. It was scary.

But there was something even scarier. What if mom and dad disappeared? What if those monsters ate them?

When her father went to the mountain and didn’t come back, it was okay. She wasn’t scared at all. But now…

“Mom… Dad….”

What should she do? What should Dorothy do? Tears started to leak from her mouth.

Then, Liz’s mother thrust the bamboo up, and at that moment, a monster grabbed it.

—

—

“Eek!”

A strange sound came out without realizing it. Hiccup, hiccup, a strange sound followed by hiccups. Every time I hiccup, my body jumps.

This is bad. Lizzy’s mom tried to pull out the spear, but the monster is stronger. I have to help mom. Otherwise, she’ll be eaten by the monster. My legs were trembling.

“Uh, Oz, I’m scared.”

Hee, hee, the sound of crying and hiccups kept coming out.

Then, the front of my clothes moved heavily, and pop, rabbit ears stuck out. Oz wriggled and clung to the pocket, then suddenly jumped out.

“Oz!”

Oz is incredibly fast. The rabbit moves like a mouse. It hops and runs really fast.

“Huh?”

Oz ran to where mom was and then jumped into the air. Just flew up. Huh, do rabbits fly? They don’t even have wings?

Oz, who flew up into the sky, clung to the monster’s face. It looked like his small hands were grabbing the monster, but I couldn’t tell. Next, he moved his feet at an incredibly fast speed, so I couldn’t see well. Oz started kicking the monster with his feet.

“So fast!”

Dorothy shouted loudly without realizing it.

Mom seemed surprised too. She almost dropped the bamboo but quickly grabbed it again.

While Oz was kicking the monster rapidly, dad seemed to have arrived. A big axe flew and stuck into the goblin’s shoulder.

Oz squeaked and then hopped back down to the ground.

The goblin had disappeared from the fence.

“It’s over! Oz, it’s over!”

Amazing. As Dorothy ran, Oz perked up his ears as if showing off and squeaked once more.

Mom’s eyes widened, and she quickly grabbed the bamboo and turned her body. She glared at the fence. Mom is brave too! She’s trembling a lot, but she’s brave!

“Dorothy, be strong too!”

Holding Oz, who ran back to her, Dorothy looked around. If a monster comes in, Dorothy will stop it. Dorothy is strong now.

Lizzy’s mom was also looking around the fence with the bamboo in her hand.

Good! We are brave! Dorothy is brave!

Then I saw the goblin’s hand coming up over the fence.

Dorothy quickly spoke to Oz.

“Oz! Over there! There’s a monster over there!”

The rabbit’s ears twitched. Maybe Oz is still a baby and doesn’t understand what I’m saying. He looked up at Dorothy with round, black eyes as if it was strange.

Oz, you and I are one body, one mind. So you go. Go bite! Kick with your feet! Run bravely!

“Go, Oz!”

—

—

When Dorothy shouted, Oz pricked up his ears and twitched his nose as if sniffing. Silly Oz.

“Hurry up! The monster is coming.”

When she said it again, Oz seemed to understand. He jumped out of Dorothy’s hand and onto the floor.

And he ran. Very fast. In an instant, he ran to the fence where the monster was.

“Fly! Oz, fly!”

Since Dorothy is the leader, she has to give orders. Oz is a subordinate, so he can’t fight without orders.

As soon as Dorothy shouted, Oz soared into the sky.

But before Oz could defeat the monster, the bad guy disappeared. The fence shook violently and with a screech, it was dragged away. Dad did it first.

“Oz, it’s okay that Dad took it. The next monster is yours!”

Before she knew it, all the scary things were gone. With Dad and Oz around, it’s okay. Now Dorothy will protect Mom. Monsters are doomed if they mess with Dorothy!

“Oz, hang in there!”

The little rabbit’s ears twitched and flapped.

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