The wall had a single entrance facing the treasure, and the chief was issuing orders from his throne. This was the only path to and from the Goblin Chief. I climbed a nearby tree to gain a better vantage point.
"Lightning_Javelin," I whispered.
I threw the javelin with all my might. It streaked through the air like a bolt of lightning, striking the Goblin Chief. Steam erupted from him.
The Goblin Chief let out a roar, summoning minions from the camp to confront me. I abandoned my javelin, drew my bow, and began shooting arrows at the approaching horde.
However, since I had never wielded a bow before, only a few of my arrows found their mark. Frustrated but determined, I kept firing again and again, trying desperately to halt the swarm as it pressed forward.
The goblins hesitated momentarily, but the horde was relentless.
Left with no other choice, I threw my kunai with all the strength I had left. It flew through the air and landed with a sharp thunk, embedding itself in the ground right behind the goblin chief.
"Teleport_To_Ancor."
I teleported to my kunai's location, directly behind the Goblin Chief. With his back exposed, I drew my dagger and prepared to strike. However …
He noticed me at the last second. Grabbed me with his hands, hurling me roughly to the ground in front of him. I hit the ground. Pain radiating through my body as I vomit blood.
The crack in the earth where I landed was deep and jagged. I desperately fumbled for more potions and tried to teleport, but before I could succeed, he leaped down from his throne, smashing through the wooden wall and plowing through the trees. I was flung to the base of a nearby tree, barely clinging to consciousness.
My bag of potions getting dislodged and falling to the side.
I tried to get up, to at least make an attempt to escape, but my muscles disobeyed my every thought. I, on the other hand, felt my mind commanding my legs to walk; I felt like I could stand up; but the more I squirmed, the more paralyzed I became. I could only watch as the Goblin Chief walked away, presumably to retrieve his ax. I tried to teleport to my kunai, but—
Either I ran out of mana or one of the goblins must have picked it up. The Goblin Chief returned, ax in hand, his voice booming with menace.
"You kill my people. You attack us. You must die!"
I let out a hollow laugh, accepting the grim reality. If this was to be my last hour, I wanted to look at the sky, though it was hidden by the branches of the trees.
"How…?" I strained to ask.
The Goblin Chief laughed, a cruel, mocking sound. "You think you're the only one who deserves special items?" he taunted, his laughter echoing around me.
I cursed inwardly.
The Goblin Chief moved closer, his looming figure casting a long shadow over me as I braced for the inevitable.
My vision was hazy, and I saw Seraphina standing tall, her presence commanding even in this dire moment. She wore a mask split down the middle—half white and half red, with the red side covering her left side. Her hair looked different a light green almost white like it had been dyed.
Beside her stood another, presumably a G2 member, dressed in green leather armor that blended seamlessly with the surroundings. Her dark green hair, almost black, framed her face, while her striking green eyes exuded a mix of curiosity and caution.
She wore a shotgun slung casually over her shoulder, a long sword at her side, and sturdy boots that hinted at countless battles. A dark cloak completed her look, adding an air of mystery to her presence.
"We're not letting that happen, right, Sera?" Viri's voice was sharp and decisive.
Viri moved like a shadow, her blade gleaming with deadly intent. Before the Goblin Chief could react, she closed the distance in a single fluid motion.
With one swift slash, her sword cut clean through him, splitting the Goblin Chief in half. His body fell in two, a spray of blood marking the violent end. The goblins around froze, their faces a mix of terror and disbelief, as Viri stood over their fallen leader, her blade dripping crimson.
Sera moved closer to me, her gaze falling on my wounds. She tried to administer a potion, but Viri intervened, pushing it away.
"Why would you heal him?" the girl demanded, her tone sharp. "He's the one who stole from us." Sera looked away quickly, her expression troubled. "Not only that, but he attacked you. You almost died."
"He still deserves to live, Viri."
I couldn't speak—I was paralyzed by that name, that nickname I'd heard so many times before.
"Vir...i.dian" I croaked, barely managing to force out the word.
Viri's face shifted to surprise, and a Seraphina knelt beside me, feeding me a yellow potion—an anti-paralysis. As the potion began to take effect, I slowly regained the ability to talk, pushing myself up from beneath the tree.
"How do you know that name?" Viri asked, her voice cautious.
"I didn't expect you to remember me," I said with a faint smile as I stumbled to my feet. "I'm Wan."
"Wan?" Viri repeated, surprised. "I thought you were a girl."
"And I thought you were a guy," I replied.
"Really? Why?"
"You always invited me to go shooting with you."
"Oh, I guess that would've seemed strange," She said with a chuckle. "You never accepted, though."
"Do I meet your expectations?" I asked.
She looked me over for a moment and simply smiled.
"Also, Seraphina, I'm sorry for attacking you. I'm glad you're okay."
Seraphina didn't respond, her mask gleaming in the sunlight.
"My bag got thrown away from me, but the potions should almost all still be there," I added.
"Thanks," Viri said with a smile.
Pain.
A sudden pain pierced my chest, sharp and cold. I looked down, seeing a dagger lodged there. My vision blurred, the world spinning around me.
The last thing I heard was his voice, mocking and cruel. "The Ten Curses shall rule this new world."
I tried to stay conscious, but the strength drained from my body. Through the haze, I saw Sera's face—her eyes filled with sorrow and determination. She raised her spear, her voice trembling with power as she commanded,
"Ice_Dragon_Lyrax."
The air froze, a chilling wind howling as a colossal dragon of ice formed around her. With a mighty slash of her spear, the dragon roared, surging forward.
The destruction was catastrophic. The wooden village exploded into splinters, goblins scattering in terror as their homes were obliterated by frost and shards of ice. Their screams echoed, their lives shattered by the icy wave that consumed everything.
But the man stood there, untouched and unbothered. His black hair swayed slightly in the icy breeze, his face showing only a smirk of amusement. The dragon passed through him as though he were a phantom.
"The goblins… they didn't deserve this."
I recognized the man as he took a step forward, his voice calm and taunting.
"Jes—"
Before I could finish, he hurled another dagger.
Viri yelled, "Earth_wall!" and a thick barrier of earth rose up in front of her, aiming to intercept the incoming dagger. But, to her shock, the dagger passed right through the wall as if it were made of air, the earth offering no resistance at all.
It pierced my arm, stopping me mid-sentence.
His grin widening. "Can't reveal that to them just yet."
Maybe I could become an avatar... no, I don't think I'd want to be the avatar of a goblin anyway.
He drew his sword and started attacking Seraphina as she tried to feed me a potion. It all went to the ground—her arm taking the brunt of the blow as they engaged in a fierce battle with him. My vision blurred, and my skin began to pulse with energy. He had both of them focused on him, but neither could help me.
It's funny… how we all think we can escape it. This endless climb, these 100 floors, as if the higher we went, the freer we'd become. But no matter how far humanity goes, how many levels they conquer, they're still tethered. Bound. Not by chains, but by our roots. The past, our choices… they reach up and grab them when they least expect it.
I was blind… thought I could pull away, carve my own path, but the truth is, I'm just one piece of something greater. And in the end, we all fall back to the ground, don't we? The roots are always waiting, pulling us back, holding us… forever.
The world began to fade to black.
My vision faded completely. Everything went black.