Bright Fang was in the most secure cave in the dungeon - her personal chamber. She knelt inside a complex magical circle, with a crystal ball resting on a pedestal in front of her, surrounded by numerous catalysts necessary for the spell. She didn't create all this; it was the work of an incredibly powerful mage. The half-goblin could only use the spell sealed within this circle, using her mana and the catalysts. It wasn't a last resort spell; it couldn't directly harm anyone, but it could help her contact someone who could.

The room was well sealed with protective charms, and the adventurers, when they reached here, wouldn't be able to enter unimpeded, which would delay them. The boss didn't believe her underlings left behind could kill them. Once she saw seventh circle magic: her master used it. And then the goblin realized she would do anything as long as it didn't cross him, like not crossing the road to anyone capable of that. And now despite all warnings, she still encountered a mage of such power. And in this situation, she did everything she could - she ran. And very quickly. Without hesitation. And hid in the most protected room. Additionally, in this room was the future of her nest - almost two dozen goblin babies, not yet capable of even their first murder. They huddled together, listening fearfully to the sounds outside. The sounds themselves didn't scare the dungeon boss much; what scared her much more was the moment when the sounds suddenly ceased.

Finally, a green necrotic light ran through the magical circle, activating the spell, and the crystal ball in front of the girl lost its cloudiness. In it appeared the bald skull of a terrifyingly powerful entity. The goblin immediately bowed her head, greeting her interlocutor:

- Master!

- Why do you summon me? Have you lost to those adventurers you spoke of? Even with the anti-magic shield I gave you? - the eyes of the entity dangerously flared with magical flame, and the blood drained from Fang's face. She desperately stammered:

- I-I-I-I-I beg your pardon, Master! That elf... the sorceress, she's capable of casting spells up to the seventh level! I didn't anticipate this!

- That's why you're foolish. Only an idiot wouldn't learn the miracle of foresight, even though he could. Information is the most powerful weapon. But what can I say... Seventh level? Elves have a secret allowing them to use spells one circle above their maximum once a day... So she's at most at the sixtieth level. Maybe even at the fiftieth if she has another artifact or title that can increase the limit by another level... In that case, she's not so desirable. But if you kill her, her artifacts will be worth it... Elves love ancient things. So, what do you want from me?

- Power, Master! I beg you, give me something that will allow me to defeat them alone!

- You ask me to give you something that will make you, a support warrior, capable of defeating a group of seven adventurers? It has to be something incredibly powerful, and you must be able to use it to its full potential with your powers. Do you realize how much it will cost?

- Yes, Master... A lot... I offer everything I have! All the money and artifacts of the heroes who came here!

- Hmmm... - The entity pondered for a moment, telepathically inspecting Fang's treasure trove, and she prayed that what he saw would leave the powerful undead satisfied. - Not enough. Very little. What else will you offer?

- Soul... Souls... All from this squad...

- Not enough.

- I, as the guardian of these children... I give you their souls, Master!

For the first time, the entity looked more satisfied:

- Fine. Deal. And for the next six months, all the souls, artifacts, and gold you receive - you will give to me. Take it and win. Even if you lose like this, I'll be very, very disappointed.

As soon as the entity finished speaking, all two dozen children dropped to the floor as lifeless sacks of flesh and meat, instantly dead, and the crystal ball went dark again. In exchange, the teleportation circle flared up for the last time, losing all its energy, and transported directly to the goblin in her hands a scrap of parchment.

"Scroll!" - the girl realized, her eyes widening in shock. A small, compact item capable of granting the ability to use the magic sealed within it even to a being completely devoid of mana. Incredibly rare items said to come from the Gates themselves, the Soul Counters... And each of these scrolls contained literally divine power - a ninth or tenth level spell... Fang stood up, invigorated. Now she was confident in her abilities.

Just then, the magical barrier guarding her room collapsed, and the door opened, much to the girl's surprise - she didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

- Well done, Anya, good job. - A middle-aged man's voice rang out, and the entire squad stood before the goblin. Curse it, she had hoped that at least a couple of them would perish at the hands of her charges! She had reinforced them with her [Green Wave]...

The dungeon boss looked at the adventurers, the children's corpses, and the scroll in her hands, resolutely infusing it with mana: if she died here, then all was in vain! The girl instantly felt the changes. Her body began to undergo significant metamorphosis: two more torsos with their own arms and heads sprouted from her back in two directions. Fang felt them, but couldn't directly control them: each head had its own consciousness, granted by the scroll to her body. At that moment, the fragile goblin's body housed three souls, including her own, and it changed to accommodate this power. The girl listened to the sensations, finding them... quite comfortable, albeit strange. The adventurers rushed towards her, shouting something, but the goblin boss didn't hear them - she was exploring her own body.

Lost in thought, the goblin missed the moment when a vicious dog rushed at her from one side, and from the other emerged a fragile girl wielding a dagger from the darkness. The target of the attack screamed in fear, realizing she wouldn't have time to defend herself, but then the additional bodies, dormant within her, came to life: two axes appeared in the hands of one body, which immediately attacked the dog, inflicting a wound and causing it to retreat with a howl, while the other body materialized a staff, from which pure energy in the form of a beam burst forth at the human girl.

Anya, twisting in the air, leaped backward and vanished into the shadows again, while Isabella, using [Regeneration], healed her wounds, seeking the monster's weak spot. The main body regained its senses, noticing an arrow and [Stone Projectile] heading towards it, and extended its hand with a shout:

- [Shield]!

Defending against the attack, Fang used [Blessing] on all three of her bodies, temporarily boosting all their stats.

- That was my last charge of [Stone Projectile], - Robert informed the team, drawing his sword, - Klein, block the mage, Glen - the warrior, I'll take on the main body, the rest - act as the situation dictates.

The human paladin ran towards the mage's torso protruding from the goblin's back and swung in attack, but saw the enemy's staff light up with magical energy and immediately shielded himself. Meanwhile, the dwarf, having switched weapons again to a one-handed axe and shield, engaged in combat with another body. Numerous strikes, each carrying death, clashed against each other, sparking steel from the weapons. Glen intended to overwhelm the enemy, forcing it to open up for his allies' attacks, but was surprised to find himself mainly parrying the whirlwind of the creature's strikes. He could spend the remaining three units of mana to activate [Rage], which would strengthen him, although not as much as the same ability for five units of mana, but he needed these scraps for another skill.

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Vasily, standing safely, shot arrows one after another, while Lia began casting a sixth-level spell:

- I am the Beast of the Void! I am the Master of the Cosmos! I...

- [Counterspell]! - Fang used a high-level spell, interrupting Lia's casting. The goblin had never wielded such magic before, but she felt the power of the scroll not only giving her two additional bodies of different classes but also leveling up the paladin herself, opening up new horizons of strength. Not much, but judging by the green-skinned girl's feelings - about fifteen to twenty levels, and this had to be taken into account.

- That's why I hate high-level spells! - Lia complained again. - They're easy to disrupt, I just need to lose concentration! Ugh, I'm going back to basic magic! [Fire Beams]!

- Lia, damn it, she still has that artifact blocking weak magic! - Klein shouted, watching as the devastating flame simply disappeared a meter from the goblin.

- A-a-argh! Damn it, not cool at all! Do you hear me, you damn green-skinned creature! You suck! Got it, huh?! - Lia was infuriated and resolutely waited for the moment when the goblin wouldn't be able to disrupt her spellcasting.

Meanwhile, the goblin wasn't idle, suddenly turning around, she caught the adventurers off guard, changing their opponents and disrupting the battle plan: Klein was almost immediately seriously injured in the shoulder, an axe entering his flesh with a sickening sound, cutting through him and breaking his shoulder bone along the way, causing Klein to scream in agony and fall to the ground. The fighter's body tried to finish the boy off, but the dog, grabbing it by the arm, swiftly dragged the lad away to safety. From the darkness, a potion flew to the paladin, and a voice sounded:

- Minor healing. You'll owe thirty-seven silver for it!

Klein clenched his teeth in fury but accepted the potion and drank it, unable to heal himself without mana. The pain instantly subsided, and the wound slowly began to close. The paladin harbored no illusions: the lost blood and most of the flesh wouldn't return with the potion, nor would it mend the bone, but at least it would give him the ability to move his arm and prevent him from dying from bleeding. He could fully heal later in the temple.

Meanwhile, Anya had to engage in close combat instead of the temporarily incapacitated Klein, where the warrior with axes quickly overwhelmed the girl, who wasn't particularly strong in direct confrontation. And Glen, at that moment, suffered from an unexpected encounter with the main body, which, instead of attacking with a sword, began assaulting the dwarf with concentrated beams of light, clearly aware of dwarves' vulnerability to any magic. Several severe burns covered the dwarf's body, filling the air with the smell of burnt flesh and hampering the berserker's movements.

Meanwhile, Robert was doing relatively well. Being an experienced mage, he could discern many spells from the mage's body and knew how to dodge or nullify them. The man wasn't proficient in close combat, but the goblin also possessed a fragile spellcaster's body. Therefore, realizing that they wouldn't be able to inflict too much harm on each other, the monster shifted its focus to finishing off the wounded Klein and summoned five blue flames intended to kill the paladin. However, seeing this, Isabella rushed at the warlock, forcing him to change the target of his attack.

- I am the Beast of the Void! - Lia began again, - I am the Master of the Cosmos!...

- [Counterspell]!

- A-a-argh! I hate you! I hate you! I have only one level six slot left!

- Klein returned to the fight, allowing Anya to hide in the darkness of the cave again, and the boss began to whirl around again, changing the positions of her bodies. And then two paladins collided face to face, and the goblin, aiming her sword at the human, began to cast:

- [Holy Beam].

Klein just tilted his head slightly to the side, not interrupting his own attack. The beam of burning light passed inches from the boy's head, and the blade of his sword drew blood from the goblin, slicing her ribs.

- [Holy Beam]!

The man dodged, evading this attack as well, and smiling, said:

- I spent my whole life fighting other paladins of Aronis. I know every miracle in your arsenal and have gotten used to dodging them. And you know, my teachers were much stronger than you!

- Damn it! - Glen's familiar curse echoed. - I hate damn wizards!

The bleeding dwarf barely held on. The mage himself was a strong opponent, but on top of that, any of his spells were super effective against the dwarf, and the goblin, knowing this, didn't let the berserker get close to her.

- Damn it! Warlock, let's switch!

With this shout, Glen and Robert shifted, changing their opponents, and the mage used his last charge of [Stone Armor] on the dwarf, increasing his chances of survival in battle with such wounds.

Suddenly, from the darkness, a vial flew at the three-bodied goblin. Colliding with the target's body, it shattered, releasing a small cloud of gas that was instantly absorbed by the monster.

- [Poison Weakness], [Healing]! - Fang immediately stepped back from the attacking Klein, canceling the poison effect and healing the wound inflicted by the paladin. After that, she had to defend herself from Vasily's arrows: - [Shield]!

- Glen, now! - Robert shouted, standing in front of the mage who was preparing a new devastating spell.

- [Cry of Hatred]! - the dwarf shouted, pouring the remaining mana into the rune on his chin. A nearly visible sound wave passed through, making the eyes of all three of the goblin's bodies fill with blood, and all three heads turned towards the dwarf, losing sight of their opponents.

- Anya!

- Yeah, I'm here, old man, don't order me around!

From behind Robert appeared a fragile figure, leaping toward the mage's body and thrusting a blade into his neck. The mage screamed in pain, jerked one last time, and slumped lifelessly, hanging on the shoulders of the other two bodies. Similar attempts were made by Klein and Isabella against the main body, but the goblin, applying [Purification] on herself, got rid of the provocation effect and used an especially powerful miracle:

- [Legion of Dice Crusaders]!

Around the small goblin, numerous golden spears woven from light appeared in the air. With powerful and precise strikes, as if each spear was wielded by a seasoned legionnaire, the spears unleashed devastating force upon the enemy of the paladin. Klein held up his shield in front of him and leaped back, avoiding the strike. Time slowed down as the god of luck made another roll, and the twenty-sided die rolled in Klein's mind, determining his fate. "7". Dexterity check failed. The spears found their target, piercing through the shield as if it weren't there at all, the devastating blows reaching the human's body, sinking deep into his flesh. Blood splattered in all directions as six spears pierced the young man, plunging deeply into him. His lung was punctured, blood poured from his abdomen, his skull at the temple was deeply scratched but not broken, unlike his pelvic bone.

- Ah... - Klein uttered a weak groan, collapsing to the ground.

- Klein! - someone screamed. The young man couldn't discern who was shouting anymore. The whole world before his eyes became blurry, and a moment later, excruciating pain reached his brain, but the young man didn't even have the strength to scream.

Robert leaped towards the boss's main body, attacking her with his sword, but it met the shield, innocuously sliding along the steel. However, this was the mage's goal: armed with only one sword, he managed to make the goblin, who didn't feel threatened by it, expose herself, after which he directed his hand towards her, and the mage's lips uttered the words:

- [Stone Projectile].

A large boulder materialized in front of the man, passing through the monster's abdomen, turning its insides into mush. The goblin screamed in agony, hastily applying [Healing] on herself, ignoring everything else, which Lia took advantage of:

- I am the Beast of the Void! I am the Master of the Cosmos! I grant you visions of All! [Mental Destruction]!

Countless images of the cosmos, other planets, beings, and worlds crashed into the berserker's mind, causing agony and complete paralysis of consciousness. Freezing for a moment, his head joined the head of the mage's body, hanging lifelessly. Drool flowed from his mouth, and tears streamed from his eyes. The creature's mind simply froze, unable to process such a volume of information from such sense organs that it had never had.

- But how!? - Fang exclaimed. - My amulet!

Her hands frantically searched the spot where the legendary artifact should have been, but it wasn't there. The goblin's eyes scanned all the places where it could have been, and she saw it: the amulet lay on the ground a few steps away from her. "That paladin," the girl suddenly realized, "before the blow of my spears, he managed to touch the amulet with his sword, tearing it off me!"

- But you! - Fang shouted at Robert, backing away from him. - You said that was your last charge! And you even went into close combat! You deceived your comrades!

- Oh, that was said only for you, because you are a monster who understands human speech. I've told my comrades how many charges I actually have left long before we entered here.

- Yeah! - Lia chimed in. - That's called strategy! Learn something in your spare time! Oh, wait, you won't be able to, because you'll die right now. How sad. Actually, no, I was kidding, hehe!

The goblin looked at these people. One common emotion was evident on their faces: the desire to kill. The boss was overwhelmed with a feeling long forgotten, which she hadn't recalled outside of meetings with her master: fear. In terror, the girl turned her back on the enemies, simply running away. As long as she was alive, everything could be fixed! She would find another nest! Conquer it, and raise a new generation of goblins! Become even stronger, and seek vengeance! Yes, it would take time, and she would have to incur debts, but everything was fixable, she just needed to escape.

These thoughts were cut off by an arrow that pierced the goblin's leg all the way through. The girl fell, screaming in pain, fear, and despair. And from the shadows of the dungeon above her, emerged the small figure of a girl. She lowered her weapon, piercing the monster's chest, killing her. With one blow. Just as Anya loved to do.