After clearing out the last group of goblins, the “boy” was about to say something as he looked around at the bodies scattered across the burrow floor.
“Well, that went we—”
He never finished the sentence.
His eyes widened as he caught sight of a small golden figure sprinting through the dark tunnels.
“Wait…
that’s a Golden Goblin!” he exclaimed in obvious surprise.
Without saying another word, he dashed after the creature at full speed, kicking up a cloud of dust with every stride as his footsteps echoed through the underground passages.
Algeni watched him disappear into the darkness and frowned.
“Why is he running now?” he wondered, immediately chasing after him.
At that moment, a new window appeared before his eyes.
Golden Goblin Description: An extremely rare variation of the goblin race.
Estimated Appearance: 1 out of every 100 goblin burrows.
Special Material: Its ears are highly valuable.
Use: Used to brew potions that increase speed.
Algeni read the information while continuing forward.
“You’re kidding me…
he went even deeper into the burrow just because of that goblin?” he muttered in disbelief.
He tried to catch up with the “boy,” but the instructor was surprisingly fast and had already vanished into the maze of tunnels.
A moment later, harsh growls echoed from every direction.
Numerous goblins began emerging from cracks in the walls and narrow side passages, blocking his path.
Algeni let out an annoyed sigh.
“What a pain…”
Not wanting to waste any time, he drew his sword.
His body moved like lightning.
One slash.
Two slashes.
Three slashes.
Several goblin heads rolled across the rocky floor before their bodies had even finished collapsing.
Without slowing down, he continued running through the corridor, stepping over the fallen monsters.
However, the deeper he ventured into the burrow, the more Goblin Shamans began to appear.
Several blazing fireballs lit up the dark tunnels before shooting straight toward him.
Algeni spun aside, narrowly avoiding them as the scorching heat brushed against his clothes.
“Did every damn goblin graduate from some magic academy?” he complained while continuing to sprint.
Using the tunnel wall, he planted one foot against the rock and launched himself sideways.
His speed increased instantly.
Before the shamans could react, he appeared behind them.
The goblins barely had time to turn around.
His sword traced a brilliant silver arc through the air.
Three heads flew off at the same time.
The small green bodies crashed heavily onto the stone floor.
Silence returned…
But only for a few seconds.
Algeni slowed his pace.
This time, he advanced much more cautiously.
He knew perfectly well that the deeper he went into the burrow, the greater the chances of running into hidden traps.
As he carefully examined both the ground and the walls, he muttered in annoyance,
“Damn it…
there are way too many goblins, and I still haven’t found that idiot.”
Suddenly…
A sharp scream of pain echoed throughout the entire burrow.
It was unmistakably a woman’s voice.
Algeni immediately raised his head.
“There’s a girl in here?” he asked in surprise.
Without wasting another second, he changed direction and sprinted toward the source of the scream.
Along the way, he narrowly dodged several poisoned darts that shot from tiny slits hidden in the walls.
He also avoided multiple makeshift traps of ropes and sharpened stakes that were almost invisible beneath the dim glow of the torches.
After several tense moments, he finally reached a vast underground chamber.
The first person he saw was the “boy” who had been evaluating him.
He was sitting on the ground, leaning heavily against his sword while breathing with obvious difficulty.
Algeni stared at him for a moment before raising an eyebrow.
“Wait…
was that the one who screamed like that?” he wondered, completely baffled.
He decided to save that question for later.
Walking a few steps closer, he asked calmly,
“What happened?
Did you break your foot or something?”
The “boy” looked up with an expression full of frustration.
“Luckily…
He stretched out one hand toward Algeni and said impatiently,
“Come on…
help me up.”
Algeni quickly scanned the surroundings.
The growls were multiplying throughout the cavern.
From every tunnel, more and more goblins emerged, armed with spears, bows, and rusty daggers.
Little by little, the two of them were being completely surrounded.
He let out another exasperated sigh.
“Seriously…
I hate these things.”
Realizing they couldn’t afford to be trapped, Algeni grabbed the “boy” by one arm and tried to carry him while searching for an escape route.
However, fighting with only one hand while supporting another person’s weight proved far more difficult than he had imagined.
“Damn it…
why are you so heavy?” he grumbled through clenched teeth as he continued moving.
The “boy” puffed out his cheeks slightly, his face flushing with annoyance.
“Hey!
Don’t say that right now!”
Algeni chuckled softly.
“Hey, I have the right to complain a little too.”
The “boy” shot him an angry glare.
“If we make it out of this alive…
I swear I’ll kill you.”
“Sounds good.
Let’s survive first,” Algeni replied with a carefree smile.
Ignoring the instructor’s threat, he continued cutting his way through the horde.
His sword flashed through the air in quick silver streaks.
Every swing brought down several goblins.
Even so, their numbers kept growing without end.
Suddenly…
A tiny dart shot silently from the darkness.
Not even Danger Detection managed to warn him in time.
Clack!
The projectile buried itself directly into Algeni’s leg.
“Argh!”
A wave of pain surged through his entire body.
His legs immediately lost their strength, and he collapsed to one knee, unintentionally letting go of the “boy,” who fell back onto the stone floor.
Algeni tried to stand again.
Although he could still move his legs, they felt heavier with every passing second.
“Damn it…
my Danger Detection got overloaded because of all these goblins.
I couldn’t react to the dart.”
A new notification appeared before his eyes.
Status Paralysis Poison: Currently being neutralized.
Estimated Time Remaining: 30 minutes.
Algeni stared at the message in frustration.
He gritted his teeth before forcing himself back to his feet with considerable effort.
Then he looked toward the “boy.”
“I could just leave you here, you know.”
The instructor’s eyes widened in surprise.
He looked ready to shout back.
But Algeni raised a hand, stopping him before he could speak.
“But if I did that…
I’d be worse than those damn goblin vermin.”
He tightened his grip around the hilt of his sword.
His knuckles slowly turned white.
“So…
cheer me on as much as you can, because I’m going to give everything I’ve got to get us out of here.”
Despite the desperate situation, Algeni managed a small smile.
The “boy” remained completely silent.
For the first time since they had met, he looked at Algeni with a completely different expression.
The goblins didn’t wait long before charging at them again.
They came from every direction.
Algeni swung his sword with every ounce of strength he had left.
The first monsters fell.
Then more.
And then even more. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
But the difference in numbers was overwhelming.
Every time he cut down one group, three more emerged from behind him.
Several daggers managed to graze him.
A spear carved a deep slash across his shoulder.
Another crude sword struck his side.
Blood slowly began soaking through his clothes, staining the fabric a dark crimson.
“Damn it…
I can feel my body getting weaker…
and more exhausted…” he muttered between heavy breaths.
Every inhale burned his lungs.
The poison continued spreading through his body while his wounds steadily piled up.
Even so…
He kept fighting.
Every swing of his sword brought down another goblin.
Finally, after cutting through yet another wave of enemies, his legs refused to support him any longer.
He dropped to one knee.
His breathing became slow and labored.
For a brief moment, he believed it was over.
Then…
An unnatural silence filled the burrow.
The goblins began backing away.
Their savage growls turned into nervous whimpers.
Something enormous was approaching through one of the tunnels.
Each heavy step made the ground tremble.
Small stones rained from the ceiling as a deep rumble echoed throughout the cavern.
A gigantic silhouette slowly emerged from the darkness.
It was far taller than any goblin.
Its green skin was covered in countless scars, and massive muscles rippled beneath its flesh.
Algeni slowly lifted his head.
“I really can’t catch a break…
can I?” he muttered with a weary smile.
Summoning the last of his strength, he forced himself back to his feet.
He tightened his grip around his sword until his knuckles turned white.
“What the hell is that?”
He immediately activated the HUD.
A new window appeared before his eyes.
Orc
Level: 20
Statistics
Strength: 30
Defense: 35
Speed: 10
Mana: 0
Algeni quickly read through the information.
“An Orc…
These things are far stronger than goblins.
What’s one doing here?” he thought, never taking his eyes off the gigantic creature.
He continued staring at the towering monster before him.
The air inside the cavern seemed heavier than before, every breath carrying the scent of blood, damp earth, and ancient stone.
Without lowering his guard, he slightly turned his head toward the instructor and asked,
“Still can’t move?”
The instructor shook her head and answered anxiously,
“No…
but you need to leave.
You can’t defeat that thing by yourself.”
Algeni smiled tiredly and tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword.
“I already told you.
I’ll fight, because either we both make it out of here…”
He paused for a brief moment, his determined eyes fixed on the towering Orc.
“…or I’ll die trying.”
The instructor stared at him in silence.
A faint shimmer of tears appeared in her eyes as she heard those words.
For a moment, she couldn’t bring herself to answer.
The Orc let out a deafening roar that shook the entire burrow.
Dust rained from the ceiling, and every remaining goblin immediately retreated, instinctively clearing a path for the massive creature.
The final battle for survival was about to begin.