Chapter 15: Goblin Extermination. Part Three
The team took a deep breath and prepared themselves for what lay ahead.
They knew that the job wasn't finished until they had checked every inch of the cave for stragglers.
As they made their way deeper into the darkness, the silence was oppressive, broken only by the sound of their footsteps and labored breaths.
As they moved further into the cave, the team began to notice signs of activity - empty weapon racks, discarded food containers, and hastily abandoned bedding.
It became clear that the goblins were not simply using this cave as a hideout but as a full-blown base of operations.
The team knew they had to proceed with caution. They carefully checked each room and turn, ensuring that they found every goblin and orc that might still be hiding.
As they moved deeper, they stumbled across something that sent shivers down their spines - there were signs of arcane rituals being performed.
The walls were covered in arcane sigils and symbols, and there was a faint smell of brimstone in the air.
As the team cautiously approached the area with the arcane symbols, they could feel the hair on the back of their necks stand up.
They knew that they were not just dealing with mindless creatures but with something much more sinister.
The symbols seemed to writhe and pulse with an otherworldly energy, and the team could not shake the feeling that they were being watched.
With their hearts pounding in their chests, the team braced themselves for the unknown horrors.
The team cautiously approached the area with the arcane symbols, fully prepared for whatever horrors might be lurking there.
What they found was beyond anything they had ever encountered before.
As they cautiously moved forward, they were met with a large chamber that appeared to be the epicenter of the dark magic.
In the center of the room, they could see a black orb pulsing with a malevolent energy.
The goblins had been working for something dark, something that made the team shudder in horror.
The symbols were not just random, but formed an intricate pattern that seemed to be pulsing with a malevolent energy.
With their hearts racing, the team knew that they were facing something much more dangerous than they originally thought.
The pulsing orb seemed to draw in all the darkness in the room, as if it were alive. They knew that they needed to destroy it before something much worse came out of it.
About to attack the pulsing black orb, the team hesitated when horrid human screams escaped the orb.
They stumbled back in horror as screaming faces appeared on the orb's surface, writhing and contorting in agony.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
The team knew that the goblins had been performing some twisted ritual, but they had not anticipated something like this.
As they stood frozen in fear, the orb's energy grew stronger, and they could feel the very air around them crackling with dark magic.
A wave of pressure exploded out of the orb, and the team felt as though they were hit by a physical force.
They all collapsed, clutching their heads in a desperate attempt to quell the searing agony that shot through their brains.
As they writhed on the floor, they could feel their minds being squeezed and twisted, and they realized with horror that the orb was attacking them on a psychic level.
Coal's mind was in chaos as he struggled against the pulsing energy emanating from the orb.
His thoughts were jumbled, his focus scattered, and he could feel his willpower being drained away.
But as he fought against the psychic attack, something strange began to happen - the worming sensation he felt on the ground began to subside, and Coal felt a newfound strength surging through him.
With each passing second, his willpower stat started to grow stronger, and he was able to resist the pressure on his brain with greater ease.
With his willpower stat surging, Coal dug deep and summoned all his strength.
Slowly but surely, he rose to his feet, ignoring the pulsating energy trying to make him writhe on the ground.
The screams from the orb intensified, but Coal gritted his teeth and plunged his sword into the heart of the black mass.
As the orb shattered into a dozen pieces, the team felt a wave of relief wash over them as the pressure dissipated.
The team stood in silence as they caught their breath, still reeling from the psychic attack they had just endured.
Despite the overwhelming relief that came with destroying the orb, there was an underlying feeling of dread.
Even with the goblins and orcs dead, it was clear that something else was out there in the darkness.
It had used the orcs and goblins to fuel some dark arcane rituals.
This was beyond them. Despite their best efforts, they knew that they could not handle what lay beyond.
With a heavy heart, the team retreated from the chamber, making their way back towards the surface.
As they emerged back into the open air, they quickly made their way back to the castle to report everything to the adventurer's guild.
The team moved with a new urgency through the dark forest, their hearts still heavy with the realization that they were facing something bigger than they had anticipated.
The trees around them seemed to close in, as if to trap them in this twisted world they found themselves in. The night was pitch black, but they could hear things rustling in the underbrush and imagined shapes flitting just out of sight.
Korr tried to lighten the mood as they traveled, but the party didn't seem to be in the mood to laugh.
They trudged through the dark forest with a sense of unease, acutely aware that they had stumbled onto something far beyond their capabilities.
Finally out of the forest, the team saw the glimmering lights of the castle in the distance, beckoning them towards safety.
As they made their way towards the bright beacon of hope, they couldn't shake the feeling that something dark and malevolent was lurking just behind them, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
They quickened their pace, eager to put as much distance between themselves and the cursed woods as possible, but the feeling of unease lingered.
Arriving at the castle, the team made their way to the adventurer's guild.
They found the guildmaster, a grizzled veteran who had seen his fair share of battles, sitting behind his desk, reading a book.
He looked up as the team entered, and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw the state they were in.
"What in the blazes happened to you?" he asked, rising from his seat.
Coal stepped forward and began to recount the events of their expedition, explaining in detail what they had found and what had happened to them.
The guildmaster listened intently, his face growing grimmer with each passing moment.
When Coal had finished speaking, there was a long moment of silence.
Finally, the guildmaster spoke. "This is worse than we feared. It sounds like the goblins and orcs were merely pawns in a much larger game."
He paused for a moment, deep in thought. "We need to take immediate action. I'll dispatch a team of experienced adventurers to investigate the matter further."
Coal and his team nodded, relieved that someone with more experience and resources would take on this daunting task.
As they left the guildmaster's office, Coal couldn't shake the feeling of unease that still lingered within him.
He knew that they had stumbled upon something far beyond their capabilities, and that it would take much more than just a team of adventurers to stop the dark forces that were at play.
But for now, all they could do was wait and hope that the guildmaster's team would be successful in their mission.