The group retraced their steps, passing the corridor where Geists had previously ambushed them. With every step, Zayzal’s boots made a soft, thudding sound that seemed to be swallowed by the darkness around them. The silence was palpable, so much so that the smallest sound seemed like a loud interruption.
At the fork, Zayzal motioned to the left path they hadn't explored. It felt different. The air was thick, moist, and carried a pungent odor that hinted at something long decayed.
Kaldrik raised an eyebrow, feeling the change in the atmosphere more acutely than the rest. He muttered, “We're not alone.”
The path wound deeper and began to descend. The stones underfoot were slippery, and more than once, someone had to catch themselves from falling. The walls felt wet, almost as if it was fresh with rain. Thin streams of water trickled down, gathering into puddles that reflected the orange glow of Kaldrik’s torch.
As they ventured further, the water became deeper. First, it was just a slight covering on the ground, then it reached their ankles. It wasn't long before it was knee-high. The water was black, so thick and murky that one couldn't see what was beneath.
Anders mumbled, trying to lighten the mood, “Hope there aren’t any water monsters here.”
Sera chuckled, but the laughter quickly died in the heavy air. Suddenly, a series of bubbles erupted from the depths of the water. It was followed by a low growl, and the water around them began to ripple.
Zayzal readied his spear, trying to pinpoint the source of the disturbance. The ripples grew more violent and soon a massive, tentacle-like appendage surged out, heading straight for one of the villagers.
Without hesitation, Sera swung her axe, cleanly severing the limb. But as it flailed on the dungeon floor, two more tentacles took its place. Zayzal lunged, piercing one with his spear while Anders took on the other.
Kaldrik, not to be outdone, sent forth a barrage of flames that seared through the air and met the water with a hissing steam, obscuring their vision. However, the tentacles retracted, indicating the creature’s pain.
Then, as if to surprise them, two more appendages shot from underneath the water toward Zayzal and Sera. Knowing what to do, Sera blocked one with her shield and created a barrier around Zayzal, blocking the other. They chopped at the tentacles, cutting them in half before Zayzal rushed forward, his body adapting to the water.
The monster couldn’t react in time as Zayzal thrust his spear into its slimy body, killing it instantly.
Watching this, Kaldrik narrowed his eyes. ‘They have great teamwork. And that barrier… looks like there’s more to this girl than meets the eye.’
His eyes glinted as a smirk gradually grew on his face. He waded through the water, following behind them. They passed by the monster, but Kaldrik’s interest in the trio hadn’t waned.
As they pressed on, the water level decreased until they were once again on dry ground, revealing stone flooring beneath. But with every step, there was an ever-present sense of something lurking just out of sight. Each echoing footstep, every random cracking from the walls, and every flicker of the torchlight kept the group on high alert.
Everyone tightly gripped their weapons while rapidly glancing around, not wanting to miss anything. Two people had already died in the dungeon, and nobody wanted to be caught by surprise again.
Over time, the walls became more embellished, with crude markings etched onto the stones. Here and there, remains of what looked like campfires littered the ground, suggesting that some beings had settled here for a time.
Suddenly, Sera’s ears twitched and she cocked her head, whispering, "Do you hear that?"
Straining their ears, the group listened. From somewhere ahead, the faint sound of chattering, hissing, and shuffling reached them.
Kaldrik moved ahead cautiously, his torchlight revealing a large cavernous room ahead around a rounded corner. As they entered, the source of the noise became clear: Kobolds.
A group of them, armed with jagged weapons and wearing patchwork armor, were gathered around a central bonfire. Unlike the goblins they had faced before, these Kobolds were larger and looked more like a cross between a rat, goblin, and reptile. They had dark red, leathery skin with coarse crimson fur. Bright scarlet scales covered parts of their bodies without fur.
Their eyes glowed with an eerie intelligence, and their postures suggested readiness and coordination.
Zayzal whispered, "They're different from the goblins. More structured. Look, there's a leader."
Indeed, on a raised platform stood a larger Kobold with a more reptilian face, wearing a crown made of bones. It seemed to be giving orders, pointing and gesturing with a staff adorned with glowing crystals at the top.
Before they could strategize, Anders accidentally kicked over a small stone. The sound echoed, bouncing off the walls, instantly drawing the attention of every Kobold in the room.
In a blink, the Kobolds took formation, shields up, weapons ready. Their eyes locked onto the intruders hiding behind the corner with the intent to kill. However, there was no chaotic screeching or frenzied rush. Instead, they moved with purpose, ready to confront the enemies.
Kaldrik nearly tossed a fireball at the back of Anders's head for being such a dumbass, but he stopped himself from doing so. “Tch. Whatever. It’s just a few slightly smarter hairy goblins—no need to plan.”
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The first wave of Kobolds advanced, their movements eerily synchronized.
The moment hung suspended, a breath away from chaos. The Kobolds moved like a single entity as if they had practiced this before. Their bright eyes glinted with malevolence, and their sharp claws scraped the ground as they approached.
Zayzal moved first. With a powerful thrust, he launched his spear toward the closest Kobold, but instead of piercing it, the creature nimbly sidestepped and slashed its claw forward. Zayzal barely managed to deflect it with the blunt end of his spear.
Just then, Sera leaped into the fray, swinging her axe in wide arcs. One Kobold ducked, narrowly avoiding decapitation, while another lunged at her from the side. She deftly brought up her shield, the creature's blade ricocheting off with a sharp clang.
Trying to make up for his earlier blunder, Anders took up a position behind this and thrust his spear between the gaps, preventing any kobolds from getting too close. While a few found their mark, most were deflected by the Kobold's shields or simply missed their nimble targets.
Kaldrik, however, was fixated on the leader. The Kobold chieftain began to growl and grumble as if trying to say something, but the crystals on his staff glowed brighter with each word.
Soon, a blue energy enveloped him, and with a thrust of his staff, he directed it toward the group. Arcs of lightning zapped forth, narrowly missing Sera and scorching Zayzal's cloak.
Zayzal gritted his teeth, realizing the depth of their predicament. "That one can use magic!" he yelled, pointing at the chieftain.
“Obviously.” Kaldrik grunted, "I’ll take care of him. You lot deal with these rodents."
As they talked, the Kobolds continued their coordinated assault. Unlike the goblins, they didn't rush forward mindlessly. Instead, they advanced and retreated in a hit-and-run style, keeping them constantly on their toes.
Sera suddenly felt a tug on her leg and looked down to see a Kobold trying to trip her, its sharp nails threatening to rip into her skin. She kicked it away but was soon met with another attack from her blind spot. Zayzal moved swiftly, intercepting the creature and sweeping his spear across. The Kobold’s skull was cut open, and brain matter splattered everywhere.
With one down, the trio became a bit bolder. Anders no longer stayed behind and joined the frontlines. He thrust, swung, deflected, and counterattacked. With every movement, mana congregated around him, and he became even more powerful with every successive hit.
Meanwhile, the village people just did their best to stay alive, not wanting any part of this battle.
Amidst the chaos, Kaldrik and the Kobold chieftain locked eyes. The chieftain sneered, raising his staff once more. Kaldrik prepared to dodge but was caught off guard when, instead of another spell, a dense fog began to fill the room.
Visibility dropped rapidly, and soon, they could barely see a few feet in front of them. The adventurers found themselves separated, each one surrounded by shadows and the sinister hissing of the Kobolds.
Sera strained her ears, trying to locate her companions. She could hear the faint sounds of battle – the clanging of weapons and muffled shouts – but it was impossible to tell who was winning.
Suddenly, a strong hand gripped her shoulder, pulling her back just as a blade whizzed past her face. It was Zayzal. "Stick close!" he shouted, and the two of them back-to-back began to fend off their attackers.
Kaldrik, realizing the chieftain's strategy, focused his magic and summoned an ice mist, attempting to clear the fog. Nobody noticed what he was doing and just assumed it to be the chieftain.
The tiny water droplets in the air soon began to freeze and fall to the ground, but the leader reacted quickly. With a wave of his staff, the fog thickened again, and a bolt of energy zapped toward Kaldrik.
However, Kaldrik was ready this time. With a swift motion, he deflected the spell with a shield of fire, causing it to explode harmlessly away from him.
As the fog began to clear again, Kaldrik silently channeled half the mana within his body into a large fireball and launched it toward the chieftain.
The room lit up, the heat causing the Kobolds to recoil. A muffled explosion resounded, and when the smoke cleared, only half the chieftain's body was left, with the rest seared and charred and his staff shattered.
‘Damn.’ Kaldrik clicked his tongue, seeing charred wooden splinters all over the ground. ‘I could’ve used that.’
The remaining Kobolds, seeing their leader down, hesitated for a moment. They screeched and grunted at one another, trying to communicate, but that was all the time Zayzal’s group needed.
Releasing a battle roar, Sera stomped forward and swung her axe like a baseball bat. The power behind that attack was her strongest one yet, and it cleaved through the Kobold’s bodies, wooden shields, and gear, turning everything it touched into a mangled mess.
In response, Zayzal leaped in and thrust his spear into one of their throats. Leaving his spear there for a second, he grabbed his short sword. With an upward diagonal slash, he cut through arms, chests, and heads before steadying himself. Finally, he removed his spear, taking the Kobold’s neck with him, and threw his spear into the chest of an incoming monster.
“Come on! Fight! Kill them all!” He roared, waking the village people up from their reverie. Gaining a bit of confidence, they wielded their makeshift weapons and roared.
“That’s right! These bastards are just scaly rats! How dare they scare us!?”
“Die, you fucking monsters! You’ll pay for killing my neighbor, Alex!”
“With them in the lead, what do we have to fear?!”
They charged forward with fervor, clashing against the retreating Kobold’s.
Kaldrik watched as the villagers, once meek and filled with fear, surged forward with newfound strength. He couldn't help but smirk, thinking of how the potential for strength often lay dormant within people, only to be awakened by desperate circumstances.
Sera, Zayzal, and Anders took the lead, with the villagers rallying behind them. The Kobolds, who were once confident in their numbers and strategy, found themselves overwhelmed by the sheer force and spirit of their opponents.
One by one, the Kobolds fell, unable to stem the tide of the advancing villagers and their newfound champions. The cavern echoed with the sounds of battle – the clash of weapons, the screeches of the Kobolds, and the triumphant roars of the villagers.
In a matter of minutes, the last Kobold was felled, leaving the cavern eerily silent once again. The bonfire at the center still burned, casting dancing shadows on the walls and bathing the room in a warm, orange glow.
Zayzal took a moment to catch his breath, blood and sweat dripping from his face. He looked around, observing the aftermath. Bodies of Kobolds littered the ground, mixed with some fallen villagers. Sera did the best she could to save everyone, but she couldn’t always be there, especially when they were so stupid.
The remaining villagers, while looking fatigued and haggard, had a fiery glint in their eyes – adrenaline still pumping through their veins.
Sera approached him, her axe slung over her shoulder. "That was a bit more difficult than I expected it to be," she remarked, her breath ragged.
"Yeah," Zayzal replied, sheathing his spear. "But it wasn’t quite as bad as those Nachzehrer."
Anders joined them, nodding in agreement. "We need to move on. This might not be the last of them."
Kaldrik walked over, his eyes scanning the cavern for any valuables. "Before that, let's check the chieftain's platform. There might be something useful."
The group made their way to the raised platform, finding a few trinkets, some gold coins, and a roughly outlined map of the dungeon. The map would surely come in handy.
After taking a short breather and using a bit of that time to study the map, they prepared to head deeper into the dungeon.