Reincarnated as a random race, of course I got goblin.

Chapter 111 - Lord of Mount Fulgurite

Millibelle's POV

As I blitz through the sky towards Mount Fulgurite I go over what Shadow experienced in my absence. The moment the effect of that accursed Control Diadem ended, she managed to wrest control away from me and make me sleep. 

Just as well. I'm pretty sure the castle would be leveled to the ground had she not. 

Now it's her turn to rest. We're both running on fumes, mentally, and it's getting harder and harder to fight the urge to isolate from the World and just be with my Servants. 

But...

If we do that, who knows what'll happen to Valena and the other Champions. Sure, they have the equipment I made them, but that will only get them so far. If they were to encounter Leicher, or gods forbid, my brother...

I fear they'd not be able to put up much resistance at all. 

So I need to acquire a way to be immune to, or at the very least massively resistant to, the Malice. Then I can join them in the fight. Then I might be able to...

My thoughts are interrupted as a colossal thundercloud looms in the distance. That must be Mount Fulgurite, wreathed in black, roiling clouds. Even at this distance, I can see the occasional flash of lightning within it. 

As I get closer, I notice that the storm hasn't moved despite the strong winds. It clearly isn't natural, then, as a normal storm-cloud would have been swept along by the wind. What's even stranger, is that the cloud looks to be disintegrating.

It starts subtly, with small parts of the cloud becoming more gray than black before turning white and finally disappearing completely. By the time I land at the foot of the mountain, the cloud is completely gone, and the sun is shining brightly, as if there never was a storm there at all.

The muddy, rain-soaked ground is all that's left to tattle about the storm's presence. Even that is absent just a few meters behind me, clearly marking the edge of the storm. What a bizarre phenomenon. 

I look up at Mount Fulgurite. Its a sharply inclining mountain, most of its surface is sheer cliff-faces, but there's enough flat-ish ground to support a dense growth of trees that are present almost to the top of the mountain. It would probably be a beautiful sight in the spring and summer, but with all the bare branches now, it just looks depressing. 

I sigh before walking into the forest of bare trees, noting how there's occasionally a taller, more jagged-looking tree that stands apart from the others. Their bark is reminiscent of charcoal in color and texture, but if I sense closely, I can tell it's alive. 

A dense gathering of Lightning Element near one of these peculiar trees catch my attention. As I get closer, an ambling herd of monsters emerge, rapidly dispersing into the forest in no particular direction and without a sense of haste. 

One of the smaller ones come up to me, letting me get a closer look at it. Its head is not unlike the cap of a mushroom, big compound eyes at the end of stalks emerging from beneath the brim. Its body is thin, noodly, seeming far too weak and spindly to support its head as it wobbles to and fro in an almost rhythmic fashion. 

Where its body meets the ground, it widens considerably before tapering off into twelve tentacles which it uses to move around with. Two of the twelve are much longer, however, and are held much like arms would. 

What on earth are you?

*Squinched Bodach*
*A strange Sprite aligned to Plant and Lightning. Little is known about them, as they only appear in remote areas far from humanoid habitation that are also often hit by lightning-storms. From what little has been observed, they seem to collectively huddle up near tall trees during storms, as if wanting to be hit by lightning. Once hit, the normally slow-moving and quite placid Sprite will become energized and lethal to the touch as it will unintentionally discharge Lightning Element when it comes into contact with any conductive surface, such as a metal-armored hunter. This state seems to last only a day or so, during which the larger specimens will fight each other, the victor being the one carrying the highest amount of Magic within it. The one that has the most 'wins' by the time the effect of the lightning wears off seems to become the leader, all others of the group now following its lead as it takes them to another location.
Due to its rarity, there is little research into the use of its parts, though its seed-like eggs have been found to contain a large amount of Lightning Element.*
*Rating: 3 Stars*