Chapter 52: The Fate of New Adventurers
In the pitch-black cave, four young adventurers, one man and three women, cautiously advanced in formation, each clad in simple gear, their nerves on edge in the deep darkness. Except for the priestess among them, the other three seemed relaxed, as if they were out for a stroll rather than on a monster-hunting expedition.
"...Are you sure this is okay?" Finally, facing her overly optimistic teammates, the priestess couldn't help but voice her uneasy question.
In response, the swordsman leading the way simply smiled and said, "Goblins? Even kids know about them, right? I've chased off goblins that came to the village before."
"There's really nothing to boast about defeating goblins. Don't be so proud, okay? It's embarrassing." The martial artist mocked, earning a disgruntled look from the swordsman, who, however, chose not to argue further, his confidence and youthful arrogance evident in his expression.
Meanwhile, the martial artist, in a tone akin to comforting a child afraid to use the restroom alone, reassured the priestess, "Even if this idiot misses a swing, I'll punch those goblins away. So don't worry too much."
"Hey, calling me an idiot is too much, isn't it? And don't worry, with our skills, even if a dragon shows up, we'll find a way!"
"...You're in such a hurry. But one day, we'll get there." The mage, who had remained silent at the rear, spoke softly, prompting giggles from the martial artist and swordsman.
Their laughter rang out so loudly that the increasingly anxious priestess, although she felt it might attract monsters, hesitated to voice her concerns due to her status.
And so, with their hopes for the future of adventurers, the group set off towards their commissioned destination.
.....
After traversing a section lit by torches, the priestess, who had been harboring a sense of foreboding all along, suddenly heard some strange noises coming from behind the group and froze in place.
The mage behind her, seeing this, quickly complained, "Hey, you're falling behind! Don't mess up our formation."
"Oh, sorry...!" Although the priestess had just heard some strange noises, her natural timidity prevented her from speaking her mind, so she continued forward. However...
"Again? What's going on this time?" As a mage, the extraordinary mage was proud, as mages generally didn't take on such low-level adventurer professions. Any adventurer team would take pride in having a powerful mage. Seeing the priestess stop in her tracks, the mage at the rear immediately grew impatient, especially since the group had already fallen behind the two in front due to the priestess's earlier hesitation.
While the priestess trembled with fear at the rear, the swordsman and martial artist ahead were engrossed in conversation, oblivious to any danger.
"Is there something behind us...?" The priestess's apprehension made the mage sigh in exasperation. "Come on, we've been walking in a straight line from the entrance. It's a single-file passage. There couldn't be anything behind us..."
With an expression that said, "What are you thinking," the mage slowly turned around...
"Goblins!?"
With a scream, the mage was startled to find a group of ugly goblins had somehow surrounded them from behind, rushing towards her at the back.
Facing monsters head-on for the first time, the mage's expression turned to terror as she raised her staff.
As novice mages often had weak mental strength, they relied on well-enchanted staves to assist with casting spells—a common practice in the mage community.
Despite stumbling, the mage successfully unleashed her first spell, but her momentary joy turned to horror as the goblins, leveraging their numbers, overwhelmed her, knocking her to the ground and snatching her staff.
"No, give it back! You can't touch that...!"
For novice mages, their staff or other enchanted items were their lifelines. Without them, they were more vulnerable than ordinary people.
Meanwhile, the priestess, also blocked by goblins, panicked as she tried to cast a spell to save her companion but found herself unable to complete the incantation.
"Damn it...!"
Frustrated by the struggling mage's loss of control, a goblin decided to forgo capturing her and mercilessly plunged a rusty dagger into her abdomen.
"Aaaahhh...!?"
The woman's agonized scream filled the dark passageway, now stained with blood...
"Cut—Wiz, throw out that out-of-control goblin, and props team, apply the red dye to her chest. The other two new adventurers, hurry up and run over here!"
"Yes, director."
With Durin's precise instructions, various crew members began preparing in the pitch-black cave. While the final effect on screen depicted a deep, eerie cavern, the actual filming location resembled more of a bustling marketplace than anything else. Although most adventurers had initially come merely to observe, they gradually found themselves becoming part of the crew, not only unburdened by the work but even eager to take on additional tasks.
After all, they were eagerly anticipating the opportunity to boast to those who had watched the movie once it was released—this was their chance to accumulate some social capital.
With preparations complete, filming resumed once again.
Upon discovering their companions at the rear had been attacked, the two adventurers at the front rushed back in a panic. After driving away the goblins surrounding the female mage, the priestess quickly began administering healing magic. However, her efforts yielded minimal results because she was unaware that the cunning goblins' daggers were poisoned. Relying solely on divine magic to cure the injuries proved futile.
Meanwhile, the swordsman, caught up in the melee with the goblins, underestimated the creatures' cunning and ferocity. Additionally, the cramped confines of the cave hindered his ability to wield his longsword effectively. Ultimately, his overconfidence proved fatal as he was overwhelmed and brutally killed by the small yet united goblins, one stab at a time, in a merciless display of violence.
Although the swordsman's skills were sufficient to fend off the goblins on the plains, in such cramped quarters, his refusal to invest in used armor sealed his fate from the moment he entered the cave.
With two of their comrades down in an instant, the remaining martial artist and priestess could only despair.
As expected, the martial artist's fate was no different. Sacrificing herself to shield the priestess and mage, she faced the horde of goblins alone. However, when confronted with a grotesque giant goblin, she was tossed aside like a ragdoll, her skills rendered meaningless in the face of overwhelming strength.
After tearfully dragging the mage away, covering her ears to block out the horrific sounds echoing in the cave, the priestess fled alone, leaving behind the martial artist to suffer unspeakable atrocities. Her screams of agony reverberated through the cavern long after she was gone.
Durin opted for a minimalistic approach in filming this scene, as he couldn't possibly demand such sacrifices from his actors. After eliciting a satisfactory scream from the martial artist with a Fear spell, the scene shifted to Daphne, who portrayed the priestess.
As for the giant goblin, it was merely a troll captured by the Headless Knight, transformed with makeup and dyed green to play the role. The effect was remarkably convincing, although the troll itself wasn't pleased with being abducted and subjected to the most terrifying experience of its life.
....
"Sorry...!" In the cave, the priestess covered her ears to drown out the sounds of degradation echoing within. She helped the mage stumble and stagger as they ran, despite the darkness and rocky terrain obscuring their path. Despite the odds, she ran as if possessed, desperate to escape.
"...I'm sorry... I'm... I'm sorry... I'm sorry...!"
She couldn't catch her breath, panting heavily as the distant howls of goblins made her hesitate to even look back.
In this moment, she finally understood why the receptionist at the Adventurer's Guild had strongly advised against it. While goblins may seem weak individually, any normal adult could easily bully one, but if there were ten or more goblins, each armed with murderous intent and weapons, employing their cunning to launch an attack, the scene...
This was the result, the true world of adventurers...
"Ahh... ahh...!?"
In an instant, a sudden sharp pain caused the priestess to collapse to the ground. Turning her head, she saw her priestly robes stained with blood, an inconspicuous arrow deeply embedded in her shoulder.
The priestly code prohibited excessive armament, so most members of the clergy, except for the Knights Templar who served the will of the church, refrained from wearing armor.
Naturally, the priestess was not a member of the Templar, so the injury inflicted upon her was debilitating. Even a slight movement sent waves of agony through her shoulder, intensifying the pain hundreds of times more than when the arrow initially struck.
"Sob... sob... sob...!"
In the distance, two goblins, their mouths drooling with desire, approached with eyes filled with the despair of their prey.
And at that moment, accompanied by the clear, orderly, and resolute footsteps, a glimmer of light emerged from the darkness. The torch's faint but vivid glow drew closer, illuminating the space filled with goblins.
Simultaneously, reflected in the priestess's bewildered eyes, was the looming figure of someone akin to a demon from hell, slowly advancing toward the goblin-infested space.
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