The quiet of the night was broken by a loud, thunderous thud that reverberated through the cave walls. Hu Win jolted awake, his heart pounding in his chest. Beside him, Jian's eyes snapped open, his hand already gripping the hilt of his sword.
"What was that?" Hu Win whispered, his voice trembling.
Jian didn't answer. He rose to his feet in one fluid motion, his movements deliberate and controlled. "Stay here," he said, his tone calm but firm.
"Wait!" Hu Win protested, scrambling after him. "You're not just going to leave me, are you?"
"Stay here," Jian repeated, this time glancing over his shoulder. His gaze softened, just slightly. "It's safer in the cave. Trust me."
Before Hu Win could argue further, Jian stepped outside. Hu Win hesitated for a moment, then followed cautiously, keeping himself hidden near the mouth of the cave.
The scene that greeted them was like something out of a nightmare. Under the pale light of the moon stood twelve goblins, each one with the same unnervingly dark green skin as the one Jian had fought earlier. They surrounded the clearing, their weapons glinting ominously.
Unlike the usual crude clubs and rusted daggers Hu Win had heard about in stories, these goblins wielded weapons of unusual craftsmanship—sleek swords, spiked maces, and even a staff that glowed faintly with a dark, pulsating light.
"What... what are they?" Hu Win whispered to himself, his voice barely audible.
Jian stepped forward, his sword unsheathed and resting easily in his hand. His expression was calm, but his eyes were sharp, taking in every detail of the creatures before him.
"These aren't ordinary goblins," he muttered, mostly to himself.
One of the goblins stepped forward, its twisted face splitting into a sneer. In a guttural, broken version of the common tongue, it rasped, "You killed one of ours."
Jian raised an eyebrow, his grip tightening on his sword. "You can talk," he remarked, his tone neutral but laced with suspicion. "That's new."
The goblin hissed, its red eyes blazing. "You will pay."
"Hu Win," Jian said quietly, his gaze never leaving the goblins. "Stay in the cave. No matter what happens, don't come out."
"But—"
"Don't come out," Jian repeated, his voice firm. "Watch if you must, but stay hidden."
Reluctantly, Hu Win retreated into the shadows of the cave, peeking out just enough to see what was happening.
The goblins didn't wait for Jian to make the first move. They charged as one, their weapons gleaming in the moonlight. Jian moved instantly, his sword slicing through the air with deadly precision.
The first goblin lunged at him with a jagged blade, its speed unnatural. Jian sidestepped, his sword cutting cleanly through the creature's arm. Before it could recover, he drove his blade through its chest, the goblin collapsing in a heap.
The others didn't falter. A goblin wielding a spiked mace swung at Jian with brutal force. Jian blocked the attack, the clash of metal ringing out like a bell. He twisted his body, using the momentum to drive his sword upward, slicing the goblin's weapon in two before delivering a swift, fatal strike.
Another goblin, this one holding a staff, began chanting in a guttural language. A ball of dark energy formed at the tip of the staff, crackling with ominous power.
"Magic again," Jian muttered, his expression darkening.
The goblin released the spell, the dark orb hurtling toward him. Jian raised his sword, and with a single word—"[Light Shield]"—a radiant barrier of light formed in front of him, absorbing the attack. The resulting explosion lit up the clearing, sending shockwaves through the forest.
From his hiding spot, Hu Win could only watch in awe. Jian was outnumbered, but his movements were precise, almost like a dance. Every step, every swing of his sword, was purposeful.
Another goblin leapt at Jian from behind, its claws gleaming with a strange, dark coating. Jian spun on his heel, his blade slicing through the creature mid-air.
Two more goblins attacked simultaneously, one with a halberd and the other with twin daggers. Jian ducked under the halberd's swing, his sword flashing upward to disarm the goblin. He pivoted, narrowly dodging the twin daggers, and delivered a devastating kick to the second goblin, sending it sprawling.
The fight intensified as the remaining goblins unleashed their unique abilities. One goblin stomped the ground, sending shockwaves that cracked the earth beneath Jian's feet. Another hurled a flurry of poisoned darts, while yet another unleashed a shrill, ear-piercing scream that made Hu Win cover his ears in agony.
Despite the chaos, Jian remained composed. He moved like water, flowing effortlessly between attacks. His sword became an extension of his body, each swing cutting down his enemies with deadly efficiency.
"[Sword Dance]," he murmured, and once again, his movements blurred. In the span of a few heartbeats, three more goblins fell, their bodies crumpling to the ground.
The leader of the group, the goblin with the staff, snarled in fury. It raised its weapon, summoning another dark spell. Jian didn't wait for it to finish.
"[Heaven's Strike]," he whispered.
A beam of radiant light shot from the tip of his sword, piercing the goblin's chest. The creature let out a guttural cry before collapsing, its staff shattering into pieces.
The remaining goblins hesitated, their red eyes flickering with uncertainty. Jian didn't give them a chance to regroup. He moved with relentless precision, cutting down the last of them before they could mount another attack.
As the final goblin fell, silence returned to the clearing. Jian stood amidst the bodies, his sword dripping with dark blood. He exhaled slowly, his shoulders relaxing as the tension ebbed away.
From the cave, Hu Win stepped out, his face pale. "That was... incredible," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Jian glanced at him, his expression unreadable. "Are you hurt?"
Hu Win shook his head. "No, I—" He hesitated, his gaze shifting to the fallen goblins. "What were those things? They weren't normal, were they?"
"No," Jian said quietly, wiping his sword clean. "They weren't." He sheathed his blade, his eyes scanning the forest. "And I doubt this will be the last we see of them."
Hu Win swallowed hard, his earlier awe replaced by a growing unease. "Why are they after us?"
Jian didn't answer immediately. Instead, he gestured toward the cave. "Get some rest. We'll need to move at first light."
Though questions burned in his mind, Hu Win obeyed, retreating back into the cave. As he lay down, his thoughts churned with the memory of the battle. He had never seen anything like it—and he couldn't shake the feeling that their journey had only just begun.