Ch.99. Goblin Cave

The cave entrance was narrow, but the space gradually widened as they ventured deeper inside.

Though there was enough room to move their limbs freely, it somehow felt suffocating. They even had the illusion that the air was thin.

Whether it was the pressure of being in the unfamiliar environment of a cave, or the fear that goblins could jump out at any moment, the young men stared intently into the darkness ahead with wide eyes.

Everyone was hunched low, creeping forward cautiously. Soon, a foul stench they had never encountered before assaulted their noses.

Those with weak stomachs couldn’t help but dry heave. Rex also wrinkled his face in disgust. Even the pile of pig excrement in the barn didn’t smell this bad.

‘Stop.’

Gert raised his hand above his shoulder. Since they couldn’t speak aloud after entering the dungeon, they had agreed on simple hand signals beforehand.

Rex and the other young men halted in unison.

‘Slowly. Forward.’

Rex approached Gert’s side, watching his footing carefully. It was a corner ahead, and when Rex cautiously peeked around it, a look of surprise flashed across his face.

Two goblins were lying comfortably on the ground, sleeping. This was the first time he had seen them up close.

Just as he had heard, they had green skin and were as small as children. However, their distorted facial features were repulsive.

Gulp.

The sound of someone swallowing was clear.

‘We’ll deal with them quietly.’

Gert put his finger to his lips and made a slicing motion across his throat.

‘Me, Tom, Urek, Barker. Two people per goblin.’

After those named nodded, Gert slowly approached the goblins. They exchanged signals and without hesitation plunged their daggers into the goblins’ necks. Thunk!

“….!”

The startled goblin struggled, but couldn’t overcome an adult’s strength. While two men covered the goblin’s mouth, Gert and Tom hacked at it wildly.

Both goblins soon died with short groans, almost as if they felt wronged.

Gert calmly wiped the blood from his hands by rubbing them on the ground. For him, a hunter, taking life was a familiar act.

But Tom and the other two weren’t so composed. It had been an ambush too pathetic to even call a battle, but feelings varied depending on who experienced them.

The young men’s hands trembled. Their breathing grew rough with the excitement of their first combat. Despite having long since resolved to die here today if necessary, their bodies froze when faced with the bloody reality.

It was nothing like slaughtering chickens or pigs. The concept of death tangibly touched their skin.

‘Damn.’

Rex felt the same. Reality always exceeded imagination. And this was just the entrance to the dungeon. Already his mouth felt parched.

‘Let’s go.’

Though the young men desperately wanted to rest, they had no choice but to move their legs at Gert’s gesture.

For a while after that, no goblins appeared. The two they had killed seemed to be sentries at the entrance. Unidentifiable bone fragments were scattered messily on the ground, giving them an eerie feeling.

‘Stop!’

Gert, who was leading, raised his hand again. This time it was more urgent than before, and even without seeing it directly, they could understand why.

“Skrik-skrak! Za-ma’ka tik-tik!”

“Heek-hee! Zuppa brik’tah!”

“Tik’zoor thul-ka?”

Unpleasant voices, like nails scraping metal, echoed through the empty cavern. The stench had grown several times worse.

A series of clattering noises followed, seemingly caused by the movement of goblins.

‘There are many.’

Rex sensed it instinctively. The others must have thought similarly, as everyone’s expression grew serious.

But they couldn’t retreat now. They had come with the purpose of killing them all.

Gert dropped his torch to the ground and stomped it out. They no longer needed light. In fact, darkness was preferable.

They needed to get as close as possible before the goblins noticed them and end it quickly. Dragging things out would increase their chances of being counterattacked.

The group stopped at the edge of the shadows, precariously close to being seen. It was a position from which they could observe the interior unilaterally.

And in the next moment, everyone was shocked and couldn’t believe their eyes.

The cavern was extremely spacious. It was hard to believe it was a cave, given its size. The center of the dungeon. The ceiling was punctured with small holes like a sponge, allowing light to filter through.

For a moment, they felt a sense of wonder at this natural scenery, but the scene that followed erased all appreciation.

Even by rough count, more than dozens of goblins swarmed like insects. Just watching them made one dizzy.

‘I expected there would be many, but…’

The question of what nine people could possibly do against so many circled in their minds.

As the young men hesitated, Gert silently mouthed:

‘Don’t be afraid. We can win.’

Gert spoke as if stating an obvious fact, his face calm.

A small spark of courage kindled in the young men’s hearts.

Right, we shouldn’t give up before trying. Who are we? The finest men of Oakbrook village. Let’s face death today if we must.

Everyone made the same resolution. Even if they were terrified, they would never run away.

Seeing the change in the young men’s eyes, Gert nodded. With a peculiar look, he glanced at Rex one last time before turning away.

The real battle was approaching.

***

Rex gripped his axe. His hands were clammy with cold sweat. No matter how many times he wiped them, it made no difference.

It was as if his sweat glands had burst open; to prevent slipping, he had no choice but to grip tighter.

He had his dagger attached to his waist, ready to draw and stab at any moment. As the distance to the goblins narrowed, his heart pounded wildly.

Right now, even Hoan, who usually clung to him annoyingly, would seem lovable. Unfortunately, Hoan wasn’t by his side.

Before ambushing the cavern, Gert had divided the group into two, and Hoan had gone with the other team. Gert and Rex’s side had four people, while Tom’s side had five.

The core of the strategy was for each team to infiltrate from the right and left, then quickly attack from both sides at the signal.

‘Remember. No matter how cunning goblins may be, their basic physical abilities are like those of children. If you stay alert, you won’t be in danger. Just take them down one by one. Aim for the neck.’

Rex repeatedly recalled Gert’s advice before the group split.

With each swing of your weapon, calmly aim for vital points. It was common sense in a way, though easier said than done. But they had no choice but to succeed.

Rex looked down at his chest and shook his head. Now was not the time to rely on the power of the blessing. One had to overcome crises through one’s own efforts.

“Tik’zoor thul-ka?”

Gert crouched down, maintaining a precarious distance just outside the goblins’ line of sight.

He picked up a few pebbles from the ground.

This was the signal to start the operation. The plan was to throw stones to divert the goblins’ attention to one side, then strike immediately. But things began to go awry.

There was a commotion in the direction Tom’s team had headed. The loud screams almost sounded human.

Gert frowned and aimed his crossbow forward.

“Attack!”

Before he finished speaking, the bolt was fired, piercing the head of the nearest goblin. The goblin trembled as if struck by lightning, then went limp.

“Fuck! Kill them all!”

“Huaaaah!”

As if to shake off their fear, the young men charged with battle cries. Rex also gritted his teeth and rushed at a goblin. It was alone, without companions nearby, and wasn’t carrying a weapon.

Rex’s pupils dilated, absorbing information from all around. Keck! The goblin stepped back hesitantly with a surprised face.

There was no mercy to be shown to monsters. Rex swung his axe down with all his might. Purple blood splattered. The axe fell at a right angle, embedding itself in the goblin’s crown.

“Huk, heok.”

Rex pressed down on the fallen corpse with his foot, breathing heavily. The axe was stuck so firmly that it wouldn’t come out easily. Only after struggling and pulling did it finally come free with a squelching sound.

I killed it. With my own hands.

There was no time to dwell on the feeling. The goblins, now aware of the ambush, were gathering in anger.

“Rrakh-tik za maaa!!”

A nearby goblin roared, clutching a sharp stone in its hand. It was facing the opposite direction, poised to charge.

Rex approached silently and swung his axe. Thwack! A heavy sensation lingered at his fingertips. The axe blade had split the goblin’s neck halfway. A clean strike. The goblin died instantly.

Rex readied his axe and looked around.

As expected, the situation was chaotic. Humans and goblins were entangled so wildly that it was impossible to tell who was dead or alive. Despite this, one person stood out—his father, Gert.

Swoosh!

Gert fired his crossbow with one hand while swinging a sickle with the other. The goblins couldn’t easily approach due to the sickle’s reach, and each bolt fired claimed a life without missing.

He truly lived up to his reputation as the village’s best hunter. So many goblins had he killed that corpses were piled like mountains around him.

‘Father seems fine.’

It seemed better to assist someone who needed help. Just then, someone nearby cried out desperately.

“Damn it! Help me!”

Rex immediately sprang forward in the direction of the voice.

A member of the youth council was barely holding off three goblins surrounding him.

The man was wildly swinging a club while the goblins threatened him with malicious grins, as if toying with him.

“Rex! Help me out!”

The man’s face lit up when he spotted Rex and shouted. Rex’s expression crumpled. How stupid!

The goblins sensed something amiss and turned around. And then the axe flew.

Crack! The axe Rex had thrown lodged precisely in the goblin’s face. Originally, he had planned to sneak up from behind and deal with them quietly. Since that idiot had ruined the plan, quickly killing at least one was the best option. Despite the considerable distance, the throw didn’t miss.

“Thok-graah! Zil’ka zurthar!!”

A goblin that witnessed its comrade’s death let out an angry cry.

Rex quickly rolled on the ground. A sharp dagger swept over his head immediately after. As he got up, there was a corpse right in front of him.

Without delay, he tried to retrieve his axe from the corpse, but it was stuck in the bone and wouldn’t come out as easily as before.

Whoop!

Abnormally long, sharp claws sliced through the air. Rex stepped back and drew the dagger from his waist.

One of the three had died from the axe, leaving two. Rex and the young council member each took on one.

Rex circled around, as if only he and the goblin existed in the world, focusing all his senses on his opponent.

“Zrak’kil vorrush tak’naa brim’sha!”

Finally, the goblin, reaching the limit of its patience, leaped forward. But the trajectory of its claws wasn’t as fierce as its momentum. Rex thrust his dagger at the obvious, clumsy attack.

Ting!

In an instant, Rex deflected the claws with his dagger and grabbed the goblin’s neck with his other hand. The movements flowed like water. Rex slammed the goblin’s head to the ground with all his might. The cold blade was thrust into the helpless goblin’s field of vision.

Thunk! Thunk-thunk-thunk!

The goblin died without even uttering a death cry. Forehead, abdomen, arms, legs—not a single part was left unscathed. Rex continued to hack at the goblin for quite some time before finally coming to his senses.

Ah, it’s already dead.

Rex shifted his gaze. He wanted to see if the young man fighting the other goblin needed help.

“Die! Die, damn it!”

The young man was repeatedly clubbing the limp goblin’s corpse. Rex sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Calm down.”

With a start, the young man stopped. He looked at Rex with an expression that suggested he might cry.

“…Thanks.”

“Let’s go. We’re far from finished.”

Rex retrieved his axe and moved on with the young man.

***

“Is everyone alive?”

Gert asked. His face was expressionless as usual, but there was a hint of fatigue. Rex, noticing Gert’s glance, could only nod, too exhausted to answer.

It was over. All of it.

He didn’t know how much time had passed. The sky, glimpsed through the ceiling of the cavern, was a deep crimson.

They had entered the cave around early lunch, but it seemed the day had already waned.

As the sunset cast its glow, the cavern was tinged red, as if blood had flooded it. The stench of blood seemed to intensify, though it might have been an illusion.

“Any injuries?”

“My arm got cut a bit.”

“My face was…”

“Those will heal quickly. Anyone with mobility issues?”

Gert checked each person one by one. Several had minor injuries, but no one had died. It was an impressive result.

The most dangerous moment had been when the initial plan went awry. Thanks to Gert drawing the goblins’ attention in the center, they were able to regroup quickly.

Rex had also played a significant role. Whenever someone was isolated, he rushed to help without hesitation. He had killed so many goblins that he didn’t even want to count.

“My calf is injured, and it’s hard to walk.”

“I’ll support you.”

Tom stepped forward and put his shoulder under the young man’s armpit.

Gert said, “Before we return, I’ll search the interior one last time.”

The young men followed Gert, who advanced beyond the cavern with a torch.

The mood among the group was light, knowing they could soon return home. The young men felt like real men after killing goblins. Though the battle had long ended, their expressions were full of triumph.

‘I’m tired.’

Rex’s feet felt heavy, as if weights were attached to his body. Still, having overcome a crisis, his expression was bright.

But then, Rex, who was following at the rear of the group, opened his eyes wide.

‘What is that?’

Something was emerging from the corpses of the goblins strewn across the cavern. They were small and round like ripe wheat grains, and glowed with a soft golden light.

The others showed no sign of seeing them. Everyone was calmly following Gert.

Rex was the only one who noticed the anomaly. Perhaps only he could see it.

Swoosh.

The golden particles rose into the air and flew toward him in the blink of an eye. He didn’t even have time to think about avoiding them.

With a jolt, Rex’s body froze as the golden dust enveloped him. It wouldn’t disperse even when he waved his hands, and instead, it entered his nostrils.

“Mmph!”

Rex squeezed his eyes shut. But when he felt no pain, he cautiously opened them.

“Huh?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing… it’s nothing.”

Hoan asked with a puzzled expression beside him, but Rex couldn’t answer properly. It wasn’t the time. All his attention was captured by the change occurring within his body.

A gentle energy, like spring sunshine, swept down Rex’s back. It was also sweet, like a stream of rain during a drought.

Thump, thump, thump. His heart beat fiercely.

Rex pulled at his tunic. The mark engraved on his chest was shining with an incomparable brightness.

As if this was the answer.

***

“Are you ready, you bastards?”

“Yes!”

“Good. Let’s roll hard today. And when it’s all over, let’s enjoy ourselves. Anyone who gets distracted before we finish dies by my hand. Got it?”

“Yes, Captain!”

“Let’s go.”