Darkness shrouded our vision and even as we made our way deeper inside the entrance, the denseness of the darkness made it difficult to see further ahead even with the help of the flare on my out-stretch hand.
Thankfully, I expanded my magic sense at a radius of 20 meter ahead so I could rest easy as I was sure we weren't going to get ambush or any sneak attack.
After walking for roughly twenty minutes finally glittering light covered our vision. Once we made our way out of the darkness a wide spacious interior entered our view.
The ceiling was roughly forty cm tall and a spacious room with a width of cm in diameter. Around the interior of the cave there were many goblins walking around freely while holding spears.
Thankfully it was impossible for any goblins to spot us thanks to Alya shielding us using her wind spirit art.
As long as were inside the wind barrier chances of being spotted is low. However, our voices can still be heard.
When I roamed my gazes around, I could see countless baby goblins munching on either fruits or vegetables.
"I guess we now understand why these goblins kept stealing from all those farms."
I muttered in a low tone of voice but, my voice could still easily be heard despite its volume. Alya nodded her head in such a way that her long green hair fluttered slightly by the shake. She then scratches her cheeks before asking in a slightly uncomfortable voice.
"Should we really kill all those baby goblins?"
"Yeah, we should! Goblins are very vengeful creatures, you know? If you leave them alive, they will definitely come back seeking revenge, isn't it best to get rid of them from now?"
Nikita asked with a cute tilt of her head, her crimson eyes showed no sign of hesitation as she voiced her thoughts out loud.
I subconsciously nodded my head to her words.
After all the farms in the village could easily be attacked again if we leave any of them behind a single one of them could be a nuisance later, I say we just end them here instead of letting them come back all grown up knocking on the villager's door again.
Many of the villagers were also kidnaped because of them as well. In my eyes these creatures should not be spared.
However, my expression became slightly uncomfortable as I contemplated what I had just thought, kill them all?
Since when was I so heartless to think such a thing?
I sighed to myself as I wondered. I really am changing, aren't I?
"No, we should kill them all."
I said, Alya and Nikita both looked at me strangely while I received a gazed filled with gratitude from Ben who lived with those villagers.
"Grgrgra!"
"Hm?"
The noises of the goblins caught my attention as I shifted my gaze back to the goblins.
Some was equipped with swords and shield, while others were barehanded.
However, when my eyes landed on a small metal cage my pupils contracted slightly. Inside that cage were many of the missing people of the village.
From small children to middle people in their middle age and some old but, what got my blood boiling was the severed limbs covered with blood scattered all around.
On the outside of the cage over to the far corner of the room there were many different women there in their early teens to Middle Ages, with their clothes ripped apart and laying in a pool of blood with empty expressions on their faces.
Even a fool could easily guess what had happened there.
"Tch, those ruthless bastards!"
Ben roared loudly while clenching his knuckles. His roar was not loud enough to reach the entire room, but I couldn't help but facepalm myself as I held back the urge to sigh tiredly.
This is why spies don't bring too many people with them on a mission, I thought to myself.
"Haruto, lets hide for the time being and observe for now, what do you say? Keeping this barrier up drained a lot of mana."
"Yeah, I agree."
I said nodding my head faintly. Now that we are currently surrounded its best for us to save as much of our mana as possible.
"Ori loudis."
I slowly chanted the spell to increase my physical body. Faintly a white radiance began to envelope my body I could feel my bones began to harden and my soft skin became stronger.
The spell 'Ori loudis' increases the body to a point far beyond that of just mana.
When using only the mana in the human body along the user is only able to reach a level of strength 20 times greater than that of an ordinary human but, with the spell 'Ori loudis' the body is strengthen roughly 50 times over. Thus, it is considered a high-level light spell.
"let's hide over there, behind those boxes. We should have a better view over there."
I said pointing over at a bunch of boxes place at the corner while being stock up on each other, The distance between us was roughly thirty meters.
At that moment, I disappeared from my original spot with my speed enchanted, I easily cleared the distance of thirty meters in an instant.
Seeing that both Alya and Nikita sighed exasperatedly before preparing to move, Nikita quickly grabbed Ben while carrying him in a princess carry style.
"Wha?!"
Due to the position of his body, he was being forced to stare at Nikita's beautiful face from a close proximity.
Realizing how beautiful and refined her face was from up close, his face flushed in embarrassment.
"Hm? Is something wrong?"
Nikita asked feeling his gazed on her, she tilted her head curiously. Her long silver hair swayed gently to the side.
"Huh? Ah.... not of course!"
He said nervously his face was as red as a ripe apple ready to be picked.
Alya who as watching their interaction from the side chuckled while elegantly covering her mouth.
"Fufufu! Now, now... Nikita, you can't blame him for getting flustered here after all not everyday someone is lucky enough to be carried in a princess carry by a beautiful maiden."
Alya said laughing impishly. She seems to be enjoying the situation between Nikita and Ben, Nikita's face flush slightly with a tinge of red as she heard Alya's words.
"M-Me b-beautiful? Are you sure about that?"
She asked curiously.
Her beautifully long nine silver fox tails swayed from side to side as her fox ears stood up, seeing her reaction Alya couldn't help but smiled bitterly to herself.
Itseemed this girl really didn't know how beautiful she was.
A single glance could easily subdue any man but Nikita who until now only cared about fighting and becoming stronger so, she was completely unaware about her own feminine charm.
Alya couldn't help but sigh as she looked at her appearance and compared her to her own.
(I can't let this beast outshine me!)
She thought to herself, it would definitely be a nightmare for her if Haruto starts finding her more attractive.
I have to find a way to regain my original form, she secretly thought to herself. But... right now, she needed to focus on the current situation at hand.
"Hehe... let's talk about that later, right now we need to move otherwise Haruto will be angry at us."
Alya's moist emerald eyes softened into a crescent shaped as she replied cooly.
Nikita and Ben both nodded their heads. Nikita strengthen her physical body using her own mana to forcefully increase her speed before kicking off the ground, leaping into the air gently to where Haruto was currently hiding.
Alya's body soon dispersed into wind and disappeared from that spot.
....
As we hid behind the various boxes that was filled with either fruit or vegetables placed at a corner of the room.
A powerful monstrous aura filled the room causing everyone to shutter slightly.
My body freezes as a powerful pressure descended onto my body as if someone had placed a heavy object weighing several kilograms onto my body.
I fell down to my knee while Nikita was able to barely stand up, though, her knees bend slightly.
Ben fell down flat onto the ground while Alya seem to be the only one who hadn't been affected by that heavy pressure just now.
"Tch, what was that?"
I asked as I tried my best to stand back up while constantly feeling the pressure forcing me back down but, I endured it using my mana to strengthen my body to a point where the pressure was no longer a problem.
"Haruto, this pressure belongs to an A rank monster, don't let your guard down."
Alya warned sternly.
Her thin straight shaped eyebrow furrowed slightly in concern.
Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!
A small tremor spread across the ground as a loud banging sound could be heard getting closer and closer.
My eyes widen at the sight of the monster that had just made its appearance, it had green skin and wore torn up clothing that looked like nothing more than a small cloth wrapped around its body, this creature was a goblin. However, unlike every goblin we have come across so far there was a huge difference.
This goblin was seven feet tall and had huge muscles bulging out in many places, the aura it exuded is also far superior when compared with a regular goblin, or rather there really is no comparison to begin with.
"Wh-What is that?"
I exclaimed in shocked. Cold sweat ran down my back as I stared at the goblin who seemed to be the boss of all the other goblins here, they were all looking at it with a deep amount of respect, the same way humans would look at a king.
"It's a hobgoblin."
Nikita said in a serious voice.
"Hobgoblins are seen as the kings of goblins, even though they're not very intelligent beings, there combat prowess are far greater than your average goblins. In fact, five hobgoblins could easily destroy a large village."
Nikita explained.
Her crimson eyes narrowed slightly as she stared at the hobgoblin with clear murderous intent in her eyes.
Alya's expression was calm as she observed the situation while in contrast Ben's face was as pale as a sheet of paper.
I didn't say anything else as I observed the situation.
Creak~
The door to the metal cage opened as a young girl who seemed to be in her middle teens with slightly dark red coloured hair came out, the goblin grabbed her by the cuff of the neck and dragged her towards the hobgoblin.
"Kyaaa!"
A cute girly scream came out of her mouth as she was forcefully pulled by the momentum and fell to her knees.
The goblin pointed the tip of its spear at her soft delicate neck.
"Eek!"
The red-haired girl flinches slightly as the sensation of the pointed tip grazed her neck, cutting her exquisite neck causing small blood to trickle down as the goblin stared into her frightened eyes eerily, as though it enjoyed her scared expression.
It then once again forcefully dragged her towards the hobgoblin.
"N-No! Please d-don't. Please so-somebody h-help me!"
The red hair girl begged but, to no avail all the other inside the cage had already lost all hope as their eyes were empty and hollow as they sat down while hugging their knees.
The goblin slowly brought her closer to the hobgoblin while taking its time as though it really enjoyed her struggled.
Tears slid down her pale cheeks as the closer she got to the hobgoblin the more her heart grew cold and felt despaired.
Her mouth moved as she plead for help, but— Unfortunately, no one answered her called.
The villagers inside the cage could do nothing more than watch as the young girl is slowly taken to the hobgoblin while praying for it not to be their turn.
Goblins were also attractive to beautiful women the same as all men were since their preference were the same many women often got defiled by goblins, which is why there are monsters that should be killed without questioned.
The hobgoblin laughs gleefully as its unsightly face contorted into a happy smile seeing the scared look on her face.
"Grararara!!"
The laughter of the hobgoblin filled the entire space as a powerful supersonic wave spread out, the red-haired girl covered her ear as the loud laughter of the hobgoblin threaten to explode her eardrum.
Finally, she was now only two steps away from the hobgoblin. Instead of waiting the hobgoblin stretched out its hand towards her, attempting to pick her up, the red-haired girl slowly closed her eyes as the looming despair drew closer to her, but-
Swoosh!
Thumped!
The sound of a blade could be heard cutting through the air, at the same time an object could be seen rotating as it soars through the air while spraying droplet of green blood.
Soon, the hand of the hobgoblin fell noisily to the ground with a thud.
"Oi, do you think you could simply toy with the lives of countless humans while acting like some kind of big shot?"
A deathly cold voice laced with killing intent sounded, the figure of a boy in his mid-teens with slightly long silky black hair donned in a long black coat that release a faint glow while at the same time sparks of electricity from the streaks. He held his sword glistening with blood over his shoulder.