The portal loomed before them, radiating a dark, ominous energy. It was shaped like an enormous arch made of ancient, weathered stone, covered in glowing runes that pulsed in shades of green and black. A swirling vortex of dark mist filled its center, with occasional flashes of red and blue lightning crackling across its surface. The air around the portal was thick, as though the very atmosphere was alive, thrumming with the presence of countless monsters waiting on the other side.
Nyx's voice echoed in Ichio's mind. "Master, I can smell a lot of dangerous monsters in there. But… they all seem to be goblins. No other monsters, just goblins. A lot of them."
Ichio's voice was firm, almost dismissive. "No matter."
Livia looked at the portal with a mix of apprehension and excitement. "Well, I won't be much help without a weapon, you know."
Ichio glanced at her, then stretched out his hand. Shadows coiled around his palm, and a weapon materialized—a sleek, black-bladed katana like sword with intricate crimson engravings running along its surface *The Goblin Slayer Sword*. He turned and handed it to her.
Livia's eyes widened in astonishment as she took the weapon. "Wait… how did you do that?"
Ichio shrugged, his tone nonchalant. "After those goblins were absorbed, I received this weapon. But I think you need it more than I do."
She gripped the Sword tightly, a confident grin spreading across her face. "Well, now that I have a weapon in my hand, nothing can stop me."
Ichio smirked slightly at her declaration, then turned his gaze back to the portal. Without hesitation, they both stepped into the swirling vortex of the Ainslif, ready to face whatever awaited them inside.
The narrow passage of the Ainslif stretched ahead, its walls slick with condensation. Torchlight flickered along the rough stone, casting shadows that danced like specters. The path was tight, forcing Ichio and Livia to walk single file. In the distance, an open chamber glimmered faintly.
Ichio's voice broke the silence. "I believe that's where the leader of the goblins might be. Let's just hope it's not an Ultimate Goblin. If it's a Goblin King or Goblin Lord, we might stand a chance with our low stats. But an Ultimate Goblin? We'd barely survive."
Nyx's voice echoed telepathically in his mind. "Master, I sense the leader's power from here. It's... considerable. Do you mind if I go ahead?"
Without a word, Ichio extended his hand, and Nyx emerged from his shadow, his sleek, obsidian fur rippling like liquid darkness. Livia gasped.
"Huh? How did you already tame something like this?"
Nyx darted forward without hesitation, tearing into the goblins that emerged from the shadows. His fangs sank into their throats, and his claws dismembered them with brutal efficiency. Blood spattered across the stone floor as Nyx tore through them, his movements a blur.
Ichio glanced at Livia. "That's the monster your brother and my so-called friends tried to kill me with."
Livia's eyes widened in disbelief. "And you *tamed* it? How is that even possible? That's a Fenrir, isn't it? Aren't Fenrirs usually found on floor 20 and above? Their mystique ranks are delta—some even higher. How could you tame something like that with your low rank?"
Ichio sighed. "I don't have time to explain. Focus on the battle. You need to rank up, so stop asking meaningless questions and start fighting."
Livia blinked, then nodded. "You're right. Let's do this."
She darted forward, her katana gleaming in the torchlight. A goblin with a crude spear charged at her, snarling.
"Even though I'm low rank, I can still do this!" Livia shouted.
The goblin thrust its spear at her, but she sidestepped and parried with her blade. The sword struck true, slicing through the spear's shaft. With a swift, fluid motion, she spun and decapitated the goblin in one strike.
"My stats might be low," she muttered, "but they're still high enough to deal with a bunch of goblins."
She plunged deeper into the fray, cutting down goblins with a mix of precision and ferocity. One goblin lunged at her with a dagger, but she sidestepped and slashed upward, severing its arm. Another tried to flank her, only for her katana to arc in a perfect crescent, cleaving it in two.
Ichio watched from behind, his arms crossed and an exasperated look on his face. "Seriously?" he muttered to himself. "Weren't you almost killed by goblins a few minutes ago?"
Deciding to move ahead, Ichio activated his shadow movement, disappearing into the darkness and reappearing silently near the chamber's entrance.
As he entered, his eyes locked onto the leader. Standing at the center was an Ultimate Goblin, towering over its kin. Its grotesque, muscular form was draped in patchwork armor, and it held a massive warhammer crackling with green energy. Its glowing red eyes fixed on Ichio with malevolent intent.
Ichio's brow furrowed, but before he could act, he noticed two other entrances to the chamber.
Nyx and Livia caught up, arriving at his side. Nyx sniffed the air and growled. "Master, there's a Goblin King on the left... and a Goblin Lord on the right."
Ichio's eyes narrowed in surprise. "Three leaders? That's... unusual. If an Ultimate Goblin is here, there shouldn't be a need for a Goblin King or Goblin Lord. And vice versa. This is... unprecedented."
He turned to Nyx. "The Goblin King is yours. Deal with it."
Nyx grinned, baring his sharp fangs. "With pleasure, Master." He bolted toward the left entrance, disappearing into the shadows.
Ichio then turned to Livia. "The Goblin Lord is yours. Prove you've still got what it takes."
Livia smirked, gripping her Sword tightly. "Don't worry. I'll handle it." She sprinted toward the right, her determination evident in every step.
That left Ichio standing alone, his gaze locked on the Ultimate Goblin. He sighed, cracking his knuckles.
"Looks like it's just you and me."
The Ultimate Goblin roared, its warhammer slamming into the ground, sending tremors through the chamber as the battle began.
*In the Ainslif, only monsters of Sub Stage or Emperor Stage possessed mystique. Thus, among the goblins, only the Goblin King, Goblin Lord, and Ultimate Goblin carried mystique, and all three were classified as mystique gamma. Nyx, however, was delta—a level far superior. The disparity in power was evident.*
Nyx vs. Goblin King
The Goblin King stepped into view, a towering green humanoid with a single, thin horn protruding from his forehead. Clad in ragged but sturdy armor, he hefted a massive axe over his shoulder, snarling as he charged.
Nyx stood still, his obsidian fur shimmering with an eerie glow. The Goblin King roared and swung his axe downward with brutal force. But before the blade could connect, Nyx vanished, slipping into the shadows beneath the Goblin King's feet.
The Goblin King froze, glancing around in confusion.
A split second later, Nyx reemerged from the shadow behind him, his claws glowing faintly with mystic energy. In one swift motion, Nyx's claws tore through the Goblin King's neck, severing his head cleanly. The King's lifeless body fell forward, but Nyx didn't stop there. With cold precision, he shredded the Goblin King's corpse into pieces.
Livia vs. Goblin Lord
Meanwhile, in another chamber, Livia faced the Goblin Lord. He was similar in appearance to the Goblin King but slimmer, with a sinister gleam in his red eyes. He carried a sword that pulsed with green energy.
Livia approached cautiously, gripping her own weapon—a sword known as the Goblin Slayer Sword, *Gozo*. A unique blade, it was forged specifically to counter goblins, capable of slicing through their weapons and cutting them down effortlessly.
The Goblin Lord lunged at her, his sword aiming for her heart. Livia met his blade with her own, sparks flying as the swords clashed. The Goblin Lord snarled, pushing her back with brute strength, but Livia stood her ground.
With a quick pivot, she parried his next attack and activated the sword's unique skill. A crimson glow enveloped Gozo as it amplified her strike.
"Goblin Cleave!" Livia shouted, her katana slicing through the Goblin Lord's blade as if it were paper. The blade continued its arc, severing the Goblin Lord's head in a clean, decisive stroke. His body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Livia wiped the sweat from her brow. "Looks like this sword really lives up to its name."
Ichio vs. Ultimate Goblin
In the largest chamber, Ichio faced the Ultimate Goblin. This creature was more massive and muscular than the Goblin King or Lord, its warhammer crackling with ominous green energy.
The Ultimate Goblin roared and charged, swinging its hammer with enough force to shatter the ground. Ichio leaped back just in time, avoiding the blow as the floor cracked beneath him.
"Seriously?" Ichio thought, dodging another strike. "If only I had a way to see its stats, I'd know how to outmaneuver it."
As if in response, his status board suddenly materialized in front of him. A notification flashed:
Ichio's eyes widened. "Eclipsight? That's the Eclipse Eye... but with my low rank, I won't even be able to use its full power."
The Ultimate Goblin roared again, swinging its hammer in a wide arc. Ichio ducked under the blow and dashed forward, summoning a fireball in his palm. He hurled it at the goblin's chest.
The flames engulfed the goblin momentarily, but as the fire dissipated, its body remained unscathed.
"No damage? Of course not. Fire metra won't work on this thing."
Frustrated but determined, Ichio reached for his chest, placing a hand over his left pocket. The fabric shimmered and morphed into a golden gourd-shaped Calabash. Holding it aloft, he invoked its power.
"Void Bash: Consume!"
A vortex of black energy erupted from the Calabash, pulling the Ultimate Goblin toward it with an irresistible force. The goblin roared, struggling against the pull, but it was futile.
As the goblin was swallowed whole, Ichio spoke coldly. "Rule: Crush its soul."
The Calabash glowed ominously as it carried out his command. The roars of the Ultimate Goblin ceased, its presence vanishing entirely.
Moments later, the status board reappeared with another notification:
Ichio smirked, holding the Calabash close. "Not bad. I'll take it."
As the Calabash morphed back into its pocket form and seamlessly reattached to Ichio's outfit, he let out a breath. The tension of the fight ebbed away. Just as he straightened up, Nyx and Livia emerged from their respective chambers, their weapons still gleaming faintly with residual energy from their battles.
Livia's Sword dematerialized as she approached Ichio. Her tone carried a hint of admiration.
"I guess you took care of it, as expected," she said with a small smirk.
Ichio gave a nonchalant shrug. "It wasn't much. Just... took some improvisation."
Before they could say more, the Ainslif around them began to shimmer. The ancient, foreboding walls faded like dust carried away by the wind. Soon, the entire structure disappeared, leaving them standing in an open, barren plain.
Nyx glanced around, his nose twitching. "It's gone," he muttered.
When the leader of an Ainslif is defeated, it vanishes and another will appear somewhere else.
Ichio stretched briefly, then turned to them. "Alright, let's get moving. We need to find the nearest city, town, or village—somewhere."
Livia sighed, falling into step beside him as they started walking. Her voice carried a mix of disbelief and frustration. "Seriously, I still can't believe this is happening. I mean, one moment I'm at home, watching my favorite drama, and the next thing I know, this guy appears on my screen."
Ichio glanced at her. "The Architect from another world." He thought.
Livia waved her hands vaguely as she recounted. "Some creepy guy talking about how the worlds were separated and how he was going to merge them. Something about the fate of the world resting on the 'child of something' or whatever. I didn't catch all the details—I thought it was some weird hack or prank. I figured it would get solved and go away, but... well, here we are."
Ichio let out a small sigh, with a hint of sarcasm. "Sounds like a nightmare."
Livia rolled her eyes. "It gets worse. After the merge, I was completely alone. I wandered around trying to find anyone, and that's when I ran into those goblins. If you hadn't shown up when you did, I don't know what would've happened. So... thanks for saving me, as usual."
Ichio cleared his throat. "Well, at the time of the merge, I was supposed to be watching a match with your brother and my... so-called friends. After the merge, we got separated. We found each other again briefly, and... Well, you know what happened next."
Livia's expression softened, guilt flashing across her face. "I'm sorry about that. I wish I could've been there with you."
There was a pause before her eyes lit up with a sudden realization. "Wait, didn't they say everyone would merge with their avatars? So... why aren't you Knox?"
Ichio sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Well... I made this avatar to play with my so-called friends. None of them ever knew I was Knox—except for one of them. But... I guess that doesn't matter anymore."
Livia tilted her head. "Oh, so you just happened to be using this avatar when the worlds merged? That's... unfortunate." Her curiosity deepened. "So... what about Knox? Did someone else become Knox, or...?"
Ichio frowned, his gaze distant. "I don't know. I'm not sure what happened to Knox, but I'll try to find that avatar of mine. It's... important."
They continued walking in silence for a moment, the tension of the conversation lingering in the air. Suddenly, Nyx's voice echoed in Ichio's mind, clear and calm through their telepathic link.
"Master, I can smell a village nearby. It's north of here."
Ichio stopped, glancing at Livia. "Nyx says there's a village to the north. Let's head that way."
Nyx gave a small bow. "Shall I scout ahead?"
Ichio shook his head. "No need. Just go into my shadow for now."
Nyx nodded, and his form dissolved into a misty shadow, merging seamlessly with Ichio's own. The shadow on the ground flickered faintly before stabilizing.
Livia raised an eyebrow, impressed.
Ichio chuckled lightly. "Let's just hope this village has what we need."
With renewed purpose, they adjusted their course, heading north toward the promise of shelter and answers.
CHAPTER END.