Garrick ran ahead through the dark tunnel.
The only reason they could still see was the small glowing stone each of them carried in their hands.
Already breathing heavily, he slowed down as he approached the enormous dragon.
— Huff…
Huff…
the scream came from this direction…
It was then that his eyes found the gigantic creature once again.
The dragon’s eyes were open.
Garrick frowned.
“Ren practically made this entire cave shake… and the dragon is still lying there? Damn… its eyes are open.”
A moment later, he heard footsteps approaching from behind.
When he looked back, he saw Ren and Lysera finally catching up to him.
Ren took a deep breath before speaking in a low voice.
— Sorry for the delay.
— Shhh…
it’s awake…
Lysera raised a finger to her lips.
Ren simply nodded.
— Okay…
The three of them carefully observed the inside of the cave while remaining hidden behind several large boulders.
Garrick slowly raised his glowing stone and murmured,
— This place is much bigger than it looked…
His eyes traveled toward the ceiling.
— The ceiling…
it’s almost twice as high as the dragon itself.
Do you think it noticed us?
Ren kept his eyes fixed on the creature as its pupils slowly moved from side to side.
— Yeah…
it’s definitely not asleep…
He paused briefly.
— It didn’t swallow Mirelya…
did it?
Garrick and Lysera immediately turned toward him.
Garrick answered in an irritated whisper.
— Don’t joke about something like that, Ren.
Ren shrugged.
— But it’s possible.
He discreetly pointed at the dragon.
— Just look at it.
Lysera crossed her arms.
— Mirelya’s scream sounded farther away…
— Then it was the goblins.
Garrick glanced at her curiously.
— You really think those weaklings managed to capture Mirelya…?
She answered without hesitation.
— Yes.
— I hate goblins.
They look stupid…
but they aren’t.
For a brief moment, Garrick simply studied her expression.
Before he could ask anything else, Ren interrupted.
— Wait.
He pointed toward one side of the cave.
— Look at that crack!
The other two followed his gaze.
A narrow opening was hidden between the rocks.
Garrick carefully approached it, keeping out of the dragon’s line of sight.
He ran a hand along the opening while examining its size.
— It looks just big enough for a person to squeeze through.
Ren spoke quietly.
— That dragon must be deaf…
Garrick slowly turned toward Lysera.
She raised an eyebrow.
— What?
Garrick answered naturally.
— I think someone smaller could fit through there.
Lysera turned toward Ren.
Ren gave her an awkward smile.
— Please…
— Could you?
She let out a long sigh.
— Fine.
— I’ll go.
Carefully, Lysera began squeezing through the narrow gap between the rocks.
A few seconds later, her voice echoed from the other side.
— Alright…
— Now what?
She took a few cautious steps.
Then…
She heard a very faint groan.
“…”
“Mirelya…?”
Immediately, she drew both of her daggers.
“Invisible.”
Her body completely disappeared.
Then she tossed her glowing stone several meters ahead.
The small light rolled through the narrow passage.
That’s when she saw it.
Someone was tied up at the back of a small chamber.
— Mirelya…?
Remaining invisible, she slowly approached.
Once she got close enough, she noticed a gag tightly wrapped around Mirelya’s mouth.
Lysera quickly knelt down and removed the cloth.
The instant the gag came off…
Mirelya screamed desperately.
— Get out of there!!
Lysera flinched.
— M-Mirelya!
— It’s me!
She had barely finished speaking when her eyes widened.
Slowly…
She lifted her head.
On the ceiling of the small chamber…
A massive magic circle had appeared.
Bright crimson runes glowed intensely.
— A…
trap?
Her instincts took over.
Without thinking, she grabbed Mirelya around the waist and threw herself backward.
At that exact moment—
BOOOOOOM!!
The magic circle exploded with the force of a bomb.
The entire chamber shook violently.
Chunks of stone flew in every direction.
The shockwave blasted through the narrow passage and reached the main cavern.
Outside…
Ren and Garrick heard the explosion.
Both of them jumped in surprise.
— What was that?!
— Lysera!
Garrick rushed toward the opening.
— Mirelya!
— Are you two alright?!
Ren leaned toward the crack as well.
— What happened?!
— Answer us!
For several long moments…
There was no response.
Then…
Garrick felt a slight tremor beneath his feet.
The color drained from his face.
He slowly turned his head.
— The dragon…
His voice came out as little more than a whisper.
— It’s moving.
Ren immediately looked over as well.
His eyes widened.
— Damn…
He stared at the dragon’s enormous body.
Its scales reflected the faint light cast by the glowing stones scattered throughout the cave.
For a brief moment…
They almost seemed to emit a light of their own.
— Is it…
glowing?
Garrick answered without taking his eyes off the monster.
— No.
— That’s just its scales reflecting the little light we have in here.
Before either of them could say anything else…
A voice echoed from the crack in the wall.
— Help me…
It was Lysera.
Her breathing was completely uneven.
— Huff…
— Mirelya…
— Mirelya…
Garrick immediately thrust one of his arms into the narrow passage.
— Hand her to me!
A few seconds later…
Ren finally caught sight of Lysera.
She was barely supporting Mirelya by herself.
One of the mage’s arms was draped around Lysera’s neck while Lysera struggled to keep her standing.
With great difficulty, she freed Mirelya’s arm from around her neck and carefully pushed her toward the opening.
Garrick firmly caught Mirelya.
— I’ve got her.
— Thank you!
A moment later…
Lysera managed to squeeze out of the passage as well.
As soon as she regained her balance, Ren asked,
— So…
— What happened in there?
Before she could answer…
Garrick stepped forward.
— Let’s get out of here.
His tone had completely changed.
It was far more serious now.
— The moment we found this dragon…
— This stopped being a Rank C mission.
Lysera took a deep breath before adding,
— And those goblins…
She frowned.
— They were far too organized…
— Could that magic have been theirs?
Ren looked down at the unconscious Mirelya.
— She’s still unconscious…
Garrick carefully lifted the mage onto his back.
He adjusted her position.
Then looked at Ren and Lysera.
— I’ll need both of you now.
— Please.
Ren nodded immediately.
— Alright.
It was then that Lysera suddenly froze.
She kept staring at the dragon.
The color drained from her face.
— Everyone…
Her voice trembled.
— It’s…
She swallowed hard.
— It’s looking at us.
At that instant…
A chill ran through all three of them.
From the soles of their feet…
All the way to the backs of their necks.
Ren and Garrick slowly turned their heads.
The dragon was staring directly at them now.
Its enormous golden eyes remained wide open.
Its mouth slowly began to open.
Between its gigantic fangs…
Small flames were already beginning to appear.
Ren felt his heart racing.
— Damn…
His voice almost failed him.
— What do we do now…?
For several long seconds…
No one moved.
No one even breathed.
They simply stared at the creature.
Until Lysera was the first to break the silence.
— L-Let’s get out of here!
Garrick answered immediately.
— If we make any sudden move—
RRRRROOOOOOOAAAAAAHHHHH!!!
The dragon’s roar cut him off.
The entire cave shook violently.
Rocks began falling from the ceiling.
Garrick clenched his teeth.
Then…
He made his decision.
He looked straight at Ren.
— Ren!
— Take Mirelya!
— I’ll distract the dragon!
Lysera’s eyes flew open.
— What?!
She stared at Garrick in disbelief.
— Have you lost your mind?!
Without answering, Garrick pulled Mirelya off his back and practically threw her into Ren’s arms.
— Catch!
Ren quickly caught her with both hands.
— Hey…!
Garrick drew his sword.
The blade gleamed beneath the cave’s dim light.
Without taking his eyes off the dragon, he spoke firmly.
— Go!
— Now!
Ren stood frozen for a moment.
— But…
what about you?!
Garrick was already charging toward the dragon.
— I’ll catch up later!
The warrior sprinted across the cavern.
At that very instant, the dragon swung one of its massive forelegs.
BOOOOM!!
The gigantic claw smashed into the ground exactly where Garrick had been just a second earlier.
But he managed to dodge it by the narrowest margin.
Ren watched everything unfold…
Unable to move a single muscle.
— Garrick…
Lysera grabbed his arm.
— Let’s go!
Ren didn’t answer.
He kept staring at Garrick as he faced the monster alone.
She yanked his arm hard.
— REN!
— MOVE!
He finally snapped out of it.
He swallowed hard.
— B-But…
— Garrick!
Lysera practically dragged him away.
— Move!
Ren held Mirelya tightly against his chest.
He took a deep breath.
— Damn it…
He closed his eyes for a brief moment.
— I’m sorry, Garrick…
Then he started running.
Lysera ran right behind him.
For several meters…
Ren ran with his head lowered.
“Damn… damn… damn… Garrick’s all alone…”
At that moment…
A memory crossed his mind.
Back when Ren was twenty years old…
Touka, his younger sister, was seventeen.
Ren was riding his bicycle through the city while carrying a food delivery.
A few minutes later, he stopped in front of an apartment building.
He pressed the intercom.
— Delivery for Mr. Takanashi.
A rough voice answered from the speaker.
— Come up.
— You’re already late.
Ren entered the building and immediately noticed several workers in uniform gathered around the elevator.
— Is the elevator out of service?
One of the workers answered without stopping what he was doing.
— For now, yeah.
— You’ll have to take the stairs.
Ren stared silently at the staircase for several seconds.
“But… it’s on the thirtieth floor…”
After climbing all those flights of stairs…
Ren was completely out of breath.
His legs trembled.
He nearly stumbled as he made his way down the hallway.
Breathing heavily, he slowly approached the apartment door.
— Huff…
huff…
finally…
He took a deep breath.
— Time to ring the doorbell…
Ding Dong.
A few seconds later, the door opened.
A man stood there with an irritated expression.
— Did you get lost?
He frowned.
— You were already late…
and somehow you still managed to take even longer?
Covered in sweat, Ren lowered his head slightly.
— T-The elevator wasn’t working…
so I came up the stairs…
The man immediately cut him off.
— I don’t care.
He held out his hand.
— Give me my order.
Ren handed him the bag.
— Once again…
I’m sor—
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The door slammed shut right in his face.
Ren stood there motionless for a few seconds.
Then he lowered his gaze.
The payment had been tossed onto the floor.
He slowly bent down to pick it up.
He quietly rubbed the bridge of his nose.
— Work is work…
…
As he made his way back down the stairs…
He noticed a girl walking up toward him.
At first, he paid her little attention.
But…
When he looked more closely…
His eyes widened.
— M-Misaki?
The girl recognized him as well.
Her face brightened for a moment.
— Ah, Ren-kun.
She smiled.
— What are you doing here?
Ren slightly lifted the insulated delivery bag.
— I’m working.
Then he smiled faintly.
— But…
what about you?
Before she could answer…
He heard two female voices from farther up the stairs.
Then two young men appeared.
Ren looked at the small group.
— Oh…
He smiled.
— You’re with your friends?
Misaki answered with a small smile, though she looked a little nervous.
— Y-Yeah.
She discreetly wiped away a bead of sweat.
— They’re classmates from college.
Then she asked,
— See you at your house on Sunday?
Ren nodded.
— Y-Yeah.
— Sunday.
The group started walking again.
They all passed by Ren.
As he watched the four of them walk away, a thought naturally crossed his mind.
“Those guys are tall…”
“And those two girls seem pretty nice.”
Then…
He heard a voice.
One of the young men asked mockingly,
— Who was that loser?
Ren froze.
He stood completely still.
Then he heard Misaki’s voice.
— He’s…
She hesitated for a brief moment.
— M-My boy…friend.
Another one of the boys burst into laughter.
— Hahaha!
He looked at his friends.
— Seriously?
— That guy is your boyfriend?
He kept laughing.
— Since when did you start telling jokes?
— Hahahaha!
A moment later…
More laughter joined his.
…
Including…
Misaki’s.
Ren rode his bicycle all the way home in complete silence.
When he finally arrived…
He looked at the small house.
The living room light was still on.
“Ah…”
“I’m home late again…”
“Touka must already be home.”
He opened the door.
— Tadaima.
Touka had already taken a shower.
Sitting on the couch, she looked up and smiled.
— Okaeri.
Ren lifted the bag he was carrying.
— I brought dinner.
He pointed at her.
— Tell me you didn’t cook.
Touka turned completely toward her brother.
She smiled.
— Of course I didn’t.
— You told me yesterday not to make anything.
She let out a small laugh.
— Hehe.
Ren forced a smile.
— Ah…
— Right…
— Of course…
Touka watched him carefully.
— You’ve been so absent-minded lately…
Her expression became a little more serious.
— You leave early for work…
— Then you spend the rest of the day making deliveries…
She lowered her head slightly.
— You don’t have to push yourself this hard, big brother.
Ren pulled out a chair and sat down.
He stared at the table for a few seconds.
Then answered calmly.
— You’re in your final year of high school.
He smiled faintly.
— Things already went wrong for me.
He looked up at his sister.
— But I won’t let the same thing happen to you.
Touka remained silent.
She tightly clasped her own hands together.
Ren continued.
— After Mom died from cancer…
His voice faltered.
— And Dad…
He stopped for a moment.
Then took a deep breath.
— We don’t have a choice, Touka.
He looked directly into her eyes.
— I promised both of them that I’d take care of you.
Touka’s eyes slowly filled with tears.
— I-If you know what you’re doing…
She took a deep breath.
— Then…
okay…
Then she spoke almost pleadingly.
— But I don’t want you to ruin your health because of me.
She gave him a sad smile.
— Please…
— Make sure you rest too, big brother.
Ren let out a small sigh.
Then smiled.
— I rest when I sleep.
He chuckled softly.
— Hehe.
Then he suddenly remembered something.
— Oh…
— By the way…
— Misaki is coming over on Sunday.
Touka smiled gently.
— It’s been a while since Misaki-san came over.
Then she asked naturally,
— Is everything alright between you two?
Ren immediately remembered the laughter echoing through that stairwell.
He remained silent for a brief moment.
Then answered,
— Yeah…
— Everything’s fine.
Touka continued looking at him.
Then she smiled.
— Do you know why people like you, big brother?
Ren slowly raised his head.
He remained silent.
She continued.
— Because you’re incredibly hardworking.
— Even when everything seems to be going wrong.
Ren closed his eyes.
A small smile appeared on his face.
— I like your optimism…
His smile slowly faded.
— …but nobody likes a failure.
He looked away.
— And Misaki…
He forced a faint smile.
— Ah…
never mind.
Touka suddenly raised her voice.
— Don’t say that!!
She looked straight at him.
— There are lots of people who like you!
Then she continued more softly.
— And besides…
She smiled warmly.
— You’ve never abandoned a friend.
The memory vanished.
Ren opened his eyes.
He was once again running toward the cave’s exit.
Taking a deep breath, he looked at Lysera.
— Lysera!
She turned her head.
— Hm?
Ren clenched his fists.
— I need you to do something for me…
Meanwhile…
Garrick continued dodging the small bursts of fire escaping from the dragon’s mouth.
Each explosion set another part of the cavern floor ablaze.
Even so…
He kept advancing.
Taking advantage of a brief moment when the creature raised its neck, Garrick leaped.
He managed to reach the height of the dragon’s neck.
As he prepared his attack, he muttered,
— I wonder if my sword can pierce those scales…
Without hesitation, he unleashed a powerful slash.
CLIIING!!
The blade merely scraped across the scales.
It didn’t penetrate them at all.
Garrick’s eyes widened.
— Damn it!
— It…
repelled my sword?!
The dragon violently swung its head.
Garrick was forced to leap backward to avoid being struck.
The moment he landed, he retreated several meters.
He breathed heavily.
Then he raised his sword once more.
— Reinforcement.
An intense crimson aura enveloped the entire blade.
It began vibrating ever so slightly.
Garrick pointed the sword toward the dragon.
His gaze remained unwavering.
— I’ll keep you occupied…
He took a deep breath.
— Even if it’s the last thing I ever do.
Then he charged forward again.
The dragon moved as well.
The distance between them rapidly closed.
The enormous creature opened its mouth once more.
An orange glow began to build deep within its throat.
The flames gathered.
Garrick didn’t slow down.
He continued running straight toward it.
— RAAAAAAAAAH!!
He roared as he clenched his teeth.
Instinctively…
He closed his eyes.
“It’s hot…”
“Mirelya…”
“You can’t die…”
“Forgive me…”
The dragon finally unleashed its massive blast of fire.
A sea of flames surged toward Garrick.
But…
Before the fire could reach him…
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
A colossal explosion echoed throughout the cavern.
The impact was so violent that even the ground shook.
Garrick slowly opened his eyes.
The flames had vanished.
The dragon…
Had been thrown clear across the cavern.
Its gigantic body had crashed into the far wall.
Standing before him…
Was Ren.
Breathing heavily.
One arm extended forward.
The sleeve of his clothing had been completely burned away.
Thin trails of smoke still drifted from his fist.
Garrick’s eyes opened wide.
— …Ren?
Without taking his eyes off the dragon, Ren answered between ragged breaths.
— I…
He inhaled deeply.
— I couldn’t…
A faint smile appeared on his face.
— …leave you behind.
Even though he was completely exhausted…
He turned his head just enough to glance at Garrick.
A small smile appeared on his face.
Garrick smiled as well.
— Ren…
His voice trembled slightly.
— W-Was that really you?
He stared at the distant dragon.
— I knew you were strong, but…
His words died in his throat.
THUMP.
Ren’s body collapsed heavily onto the ground.
Like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
Garrick stood frozen.
Unable to react.
— …Ren?
No answer.
The young man remained completely motionless.
The seconds seemed to stop.
Garrick simply stared.
Trying to understand what had just happened.
Then…
He finally ran toward him.
Dropping to one knee beside him, he grabbed Ren by the shoulders.
— Ren!
He gently shook him.
— Hey!
— Wake up!
Ren didn’t respond.
As Garrick tried to wake him, he instinctively looked around.
That was when he noticed…
Dragon scales were scattered all over the ground.
He stared at them.
“Ren…”
“He…”
“He punched the dragon…?”
“But…”
“I couldn’t even follow his movement…”
“I didn’t even sense his presence…”
Unable to make sense of it…
He picked up several of the dragon’s scales and stored them inside the pouch attached to his belt.
Then he looked back at Ren.
He let out a deep sigh.
— Come on…
He slipped one of Ren’s arms over his own shoulder.
— I’ll get you out of here.
The dragon remained completely motionless.
After walking several dozen meters…
Garrick finally spotted two figures ahead.
Mirelya was lying on the ground, still unconscious.
Beside her…
Lysera stood in a combat stance.
Both daggers remained drawn.
The moment she heard footsteps approaching, she spun around.
When she recognized Garrick…
Her eyes immediately searched for someone else.
— …Ren?
Garrick slowly approached.
Breathing heavily.
Ren’s weight on his shoulders was beginning to wear him down.
— He’s…
He took a deep breath.
— Completely exhausted.
Carefully…
He knelt down and laid Ren beside Mirelya.
Both of them remained unconscious.
Lysera silently watched the two of them.
Then shifted her gaze back to Garrick.
She still looked as though she was trying to process everything that had happened.
Garrick was the first to break the silence.
— How…
He glanced at Mirelya.
Lysera slowly inhaled.
— They…
She paused briefly.
— They were far too organized.
She lowered her eyes.
— Even that trap…
She looked back at Mirelya.
— It only activated after I touched her.
She frowned slightly.
— That didn’t seem like the work of mindless creatures.
Garrick remained silent for several moments.
Deep in thought.
Then he raised his head.
— I’m going to ask that old man directly.
Lysera looked at him.
— Goro?
He nodded.
— Yeah.
His expression hardened.
— I’m almost certain he knew far more than he told us.
Lysera slowly crossed her arms.
— I think so too.
The two remained silent for several seconds.
Until…
A sound echoed in the distance.
Tap…
Tap…
Tap…
Footsteps.
They were coming from the direction of the cave entrance.
Garrick immediately gripped his sword.
His entire body tensed.
— Let’s get the two of them out of here.
— Now.
Without wasting another second, Garrick lifted Ren back onto his shoulders.
Lysera picked Mirelya up in her arms.
The two of them immediately began running toward the exit.
After several minutes…
They finally reached the enormous shaft they had descended through.
Lysera looked up.
From the bottom, the opening seemed even higher than before.
She took a deep breath.
— How…
She looked at Garrick.
— How are we supposed to climb while carrying the two of them?
Garrick quickly assessed the situation.
Then he answered,
— You go up first.
— Then I’ll hand them to you.
Lysera looked back toward the top.
Then she nodded.
— Alright.
She began climbing the rocky wall.
Her body was incredibly light.
Even carrying nothing but her daggers, she found solid footholds with ease.
As she climbed, she commented,
— Good thing…
She smiled faintly.
— …you trust me.
Down below…
Garrick let out a small sigh.
— I don’t completely trust you.
Lysera looked down.
— Huh?
Garrick gave a small smile.
— But…
He spread his arms slightly.
— There’s no other way to get everyone out of here.
Lysera remained silent for several seconds.
She continued climbing.
When she finally reached the top, she rested one knee on the edge and looked back down.
— I made it.
Then she looked at Garrick.
— But…
She frowned.
— What about you?
— How are you planning to get up afterward?
Garrick answered as though it were obvious.
— First I’ll throw Mirelya.
— Then Ren.
— You catch both of them.
Lysera’s eyes widened.
— What?!
— You’re just going to throw them?!
Garrick nodded.
— One at a time.
— Can you do it?
She stared at him for several seconds.
Then narrowed her eyes slightly.
— How can you be so sure…
— …that I won’t let either of them fall?
Garrick smiled faintly.
He looked at the unconscious Ren.
— Because…
His smile grew just a little.
— Ren would be furious if anything happened to you two.
Lysera froze.
Her gaze slowly drifted down to Ren.
She quietly watched his unconscious face.
Without realizing it…
Her expression softened.
Garrick continued speaking.
— See?
She didn’t answer.
She kept looking at Ren.
Garrick let out another quiet sigh.
— I don’t know exactly…
— What you want with him.
— Or what you plan to do from now on.
He paused.
— But sooner or later…
— You’ll have to tell him.
Lysera remained silent for several moments.
Then she simply looked away.
Without answering.
She continued watching Ren from the edge of the opening.
Lysera stared at Ren for another few seconds.
Then she looked away.
Without saying a single word.
The silence between them lasted only a moment.
It was Garrick who spoke again.
— Ready?
From above, Lysera took a deep breath.
She firmly planted both feet against the edge.
Then answered,
— I’m ready.
Garrick walked over to Mirelya.
He slowly crouched down.
Carefully lifting her into his arms.
Then he closed his eyes.
He inhaled deeply.
— Reinforcement.
An intense crimson aura enveloped his body.
The energy flowed into his arms.
His veins bulged.
Every muscle in his body tightened.
Even the ground beneath his feet creaked.
He bent his knees slightly.
Gathering every ounce of strength he had.
Then he shouted.
— AAAAAAAAH!!
In one explosive motion…
He hurled Mirelya upward.
She shot through the opening.
Lysera immediately stretched out both arms.
— Got her!
She caught Mirelya firmly.
Even after the impact…
She managed to keep her balance.
Slowly kneeling, she laid Mirelya safely on the ground a few meters away from the edge.
Then she hurried back.
— Alright!
— Now Ren!
Garrick looked at Ren’s unconscious body.
He sighed.
— Your turn.
He bent down again to pick him up.
But…
He suddenly stopped.
His brow furrowed.
A different sound echoed throughout the cave.
Tap…
Tap…
Tap…
Several footsteps.
Growing closer.
Garrick quickly grabbed the glowing stone attached to his belt.
Without a second thought…
He threw it deeper into the cavern.
The small stone spun through the air.
When it struck the ground…
Its light revealed what had been hidden in the darkness.
Several goblins.
Wounded.
Some limped.
Others had lost an arm.
Several were covered in deep cuts.
Even so…
They continued walking slowly toward him.
Garrick narrowed his eyes.
— What do you want?
No answer.
The goblins continued advancing.
He drew his sword once again.
The tip of the blade pointed directly at them.
— Even after all those injuries…
His voice was calm but firm.
— You still want to fight?
The goblins continued walking.
None of them showed fear.
None of them hesitated.
As though they no longer cared about the pain.
Garrick tightened his grip on the sword.
— You…
He clenched his teeth.
— Do you have a death wish?
He took a deep breath.
— I’ve already lost interest in you.
One of the goblins slowly raised an old wooden club.
With a guttural growl…
He threw it.
The club flew only a few meters.
Then dropped to the ground long before reaching Garrick.
The adventurer simply watched it roll across the floor.
Then he looked back at the group.
His expression changed completely.
— Strange…
He continued staring at them.
— You…
His frown deepened.
— You’re acting very strangely.
His eyes swept across every one of them.
— It’s almost as if…
He paused.
— …you’re being controlled.
From above, Lysera appeared at the opening once more.
— Garrick!
She looked toward the depths of the cave.
— Ah…
Her eyes widened.
— Goblins!
Garrick answered without even looking away.
— I know.
He slowly inhaled.
Then raised his sword once more.
— Well…
He looked directly at the group.
— You chose this.
He slowly brought the sword closer to his body.
Closing his eyes for only an instant.
— Piercing Strike.
The blade once again emitted a brilliant crimson glow.
The next instant…
His body vanished.
In less than four seconds…
Every goblin lay dead on the ground.
Each one had been pierced directly through the heart.
Silence once again filled the cavern.
Garrick slowly wiped the blade clean.
Then sheathed his sword.
He looked down at the corpses once more.
— Never…
He let out a quiet sigh.
— I’ve never seen goblins behave like this before.
He turned back toward Ren.
Lowering himself beside him, he prepared to lift him once again.
Then…
…
Ren’s finger twitched ever so slightly.
A few seconds later…
His eyes slowly opened.
He blinked several times.
Looking up at the cave ceiling in confusion.
…
— Where…
He took a deep breath.
— …am I?
Garrick immediately smiled.
— Ren!
Without thinking, he tried to lift him again.
Ren jumped in surprise.
— Hey!
— Put me down, Garrick!
Startled, Garrick immediately let go.
Ren landed sitting on the ground.
— Ouch!
He rubbed the back of his head.
Garrick gave him an awkward smile.
— Ah…
— Sorry.
He scratched the back of his neck.
— You woke up so suddenly that you startled me.
He extended his hand again.
— Let me carry you.
Ren quickly shook his head.
— No!
He took a deep breath.
— There’s no need.
He looked around.
Still completely confused.
Then turned back to Garrick.
— Wait…
He frowned.
— Why were you carrying me?
Garrick answered as though it were perfectly normal.
— I was about to throw you up there.
Ren froze.
…
— What?
Garrick pointed toward the opening.
— I was going to throw you.
Ren looked up.
Then slowly turned back toward Garrick.
— You…
He pointed at himself.
— …were going to throw me all the way up there?
— Yeah.
Ren’s eyes widened completely.
— Have you lost your mind?!
He pointed toward the opening again.
— What if I fell?!
Garrick answered calmly.
— Lysera would’ve caught you.
Ren looked up.
Then at Garrick.
Then back up again.
— Her?!
He almost laughed out of disbelief.
— There’s no way she’d be able to catch a grown man!
Garrick calmly crossed his arms.
— It would’ve been a good test of her determination.
Ren stood there speechless for several seconds.
He blinked a few times.
— What are you even talking about?
Garrick looked at Ren for a brief moment before letting out a deep sigh.
— It’s nothing, Ren…
A faint smile appeared on his face.
— Thank you for saving me.
He lowered his head slightly.
— I owe you my life.
Then he looked toward the cave entrance.
His expression hardened.
— Now let’s get out of here.
He tightened his grip on his sword.
— I have something I need to discuss with that damn old man.