Goblins are notorious for their ambushes and cunning, often dwelling in pitch-dark caves. Over the years, this lifestyle has led to their vision deteriorating, while their hearing has become exceptionally sharp.

To adapt to this, Shadra wore only a metal breastplate on his upper body, leaving his lower half clad in nothing but pants—practically bare. Though it made him look like a lunatic, this significantly reduced the noise from his movements.

Just in case, he refrained from using a torch. Sticking close to the cave wall, he relied on the darkness to move stealthily.

About five minutes into the cave, a faint noise suddenly reached his ears.

The sound was so subtle that it could easily be overlooked if one weren’t paying close attention. Even for someone like Shadra, who prided himself on his acute hearing, it was enough to make him halt his steps, hold his breath, and strain his ears.

The noise was intermittent, hoarse, and muffled.

After listening carefully for a while, he couldn’t confirm what it was, but Shadra was sure of one thing—it wasn’t made by a goblin.

Even so, he remained on high alert.

He cautiously tossed small rocks to create distractions and hugged the wall, observing the surroundings after every move. Only after repeating this routine did he feel secure enough to strike a flint and light a torch, instantly dispelling the darkness around him.

As the torch illuminated the cave, what came into view was a half-naked woman.

Like a crucified figure, her arms were outstretched, her head hung low, and her hair draped over her face. She was nailed to a stone wall etched with eerie glyphs.

Large nails had been driven into her pressure points, and brownish-red blood streaked her pale skin, forming an unsettling “bloody garment.”

This… is Death Sealing Magic?

Drawing from his knowledge and piecing together the clues offered by his Tier 1 Identification, Shadra identified the spell as Tier 2 magic: Death Seal.

As the name suggested, it temporarily “sealed” death, prolonging the victim’s agony before their inevitable demise. It was an insidious spell crafted for the sole purpose of torture.

Shadra’s keen eyes noticed that the ritual seemed incomplete or, at the very least, improperly executed.

While the incantation was present, the core elements of the spell—the runes and the nails—were flawed. The runes, traditionally drawn with graphite, had been replaced with pig’s blood, deemed unclean in magical practices. The wooden nails, though fitting the requirements, had been driven haphazardly—some too deep, others barely holding.

The entire setup looked like a rushed, sloppy job.

Regardless, this wasn’t his problem to solve. Shadra had no spare energy to save anyone else. His decision to stop and observe was merely to better understand the unusual nature of this cave.

Just as he was about to move on, the faint warmth from his torch seemed to stir the woman’s consciousness. Realizing someone was there, she weakly moved her cracked lips, barely managing a whisper.

“Help… please…”

Shadra’s footsteps paused.

“What did you just say?”

Though he had heard her clearly, he asked again, as if to confirm something.

Treating his words as a test of her will, the woman mustered every ounce of her strength and, in a voice barely above a whisper, cried out:

“Help me…”

The tone of her voice—deep and resonant—struck a nerve in Shadra. It sounded just like someone from his past, vividly recreating a moment he had long tried to forget.

He tilted his head back, as if wrestling with his inner turmoil.

Damn it. Now I struggle to save myself, yet these cursed memories haunt me relentlessly.

After a brief struggle, he turned back with a resolute expression and approached the woman, who seemed on the brink of death. After ensuring there were no traps nearby, he set down his greatsword and drew a wooden staff strapped to his back.

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“Listen carefully. I can’t save you through normal means, but I know how to break the seal. The key is to remove the central nail—the one just below your navel.”

He raised his voice to ensure she could hear.

Seeing her weakly nod in response, he continued:

“Once the nail is removed, your pain will intensify, and your blood will drain faster. I’ll do my best to stop the bleeding. If you can endure it, there might be a slim chance of survival.” His tone turned cold, carrying a hint of finality. “If you can’t, then death is your only outcome.”

Ultimately, it would be up to her.

The woman, who had already resigned herself to death, heard something that clung to the hope of survival. Without hesitation, she rasped, “P-please... save me...”

Shadra nodded, taking off his armor and replacing it with a white robe.

[Wisdom, Intelligence: +1]

“You know,” he remarked casually, “you’re quite the beauty.”

“Huh?”

Before she could process his comment, Shadra pinched the head of the nail with his fingers. In one swift motion, he yanked it out.

The woman barely had time to scream before she saw the blood-soaked, nearly middle-finger-long wooden nail in Shadra’s hand.

Blood dripped from its tip, glinting ominously in the torchlight.

Meanwhile, thick, viscous blood began oozing from her navel. Every drop of blood that flowed out was like the woman dancing on the edge of a blade. Her body trembled uncontrollably, her complexion turning from pale to bluish. Sweat poured from her face, dripping off her chin in steady streams.

Acting with the precision of a seasoned healer, Shadra quickly aimed his staff at her wound and prepared to cast a Tier 1 Healing Spell. But just as he began chanting, his movements froze as though something had distracted him.

Purple-black blood?

The liquid oozing from her wound wasn’t normal—it was thick, foul-smelling, and reeked of rotting rodents. The stench churned Shadra’s stomach.

Not only had the spellcaster used Death Seal, but they had also poisoned her!

Their cruelty far exceeded his expectations.

She probably won’t make it, Shadra thought with a sigh.

Nonetheless, he cast the healing spell, clearing some of the toxins and closing part of her wound. He even poured half a bottle of healing potion on her wound—a last-ditch effort.

Unaware of her critical condition, the woman smiled faintly, believing she had been saved, and offered him a grateful look.

Shadra gave no response. He glanced at her one last time before turning and disappearing into the cave’s darkness.

After a minor setback, the journey forward was fraught with increasing encounters with monsters.

Most were low-tier green-skinned goblins, though occasionally, a few blue-skinned ones that mimicked human speech would show up, along with some yellow-skinned variants.

Despite their rudimentary cunning and knack for setting ambushes in strategic spots, they couldn’t overcome their inherent weaknesses: poor vision, clumsy movements, and feeble defenses.

Perhaps due to their lower levels, these goblins were far inferior compared to the blue-skinned one encountered earlier.

In the dark, Shadra moved with silent precision—sometimes throwing pebbles to divert attention before landing a backstab, other times igniting a torch to momentarily blind his targets and launch a surprise attack.

His greatsword and dagger switched fluidly in his hands. Each strike was swift and precise, giving him the air of a cold, emotionless killing machine.

It wasn’t long before he reached a relatively spacious cavern.

The goblin stench here was far more intense than what he had encountered along the way.

Pressing against the wall, Shadra habitually began his pre-battle analysis, calculating the best moment to strike and formulating his countermeasures.

About twelve ordinary goblins were scattered throughout the chamber, while three blue-skinned goblins were lurking in the shadows of the ceiling.

The ambushers must die first to create chaos, then the rest could be picked off.

After running the simulation in his mind and receiving the green light from his instincts, Shadra unsheathed his dagger and prepared to make his move.

Thump!

Suddenly, his heartbeat skipped for half a beat, freezing his right foot mid-step.

Amidst the dense goblin stench, Shadra detected a much heavier, more labored breathing—brief but distinct.

Was it a goblin brute?

The thought steadied his heartbeat as he calmly adjusted to the possibility.

Large creatures typically moved slowly and were difficult to halt once they committed to an attack. Adding smaller goblins to their ranks might seem like an attempt to compensate for a lack of agility, but it also increased the likelihood of friendly fire.

Gradually, a hypothesis that had been simmering in Shadra’s mind began to solidify—the master of this cave exhibited a degree of intelligence.

A goblin shaman? Or perhaps a goblin king? For now, he reserved judgment between the two.

Consequently, Shadra adjusted his strategy.

He retrieved an unopened flash orb—a device capable of emitting a dazzling burst of light comparable to a flashbang, but with the added advantage of sustaining the brightness like a miniature sun.

His plan was to use it as both a distraction and a way to illuminate the cavern, allowing him to confirm its layout and blind the larger foe to sow chaos.

But first, he needed to identify the location of its eyes.

Shadra adjusted his grip on his dagger, eyes scanning the darkness, waiting for the right moment.

Suddenly, an unusual gust of wind disrupted the stillness of the cavern, a clear sign of something massive approaching rapidly.

Instinctively, Shadra pushed off with both legs, his body springing like a hunting leopard, narrowly evading what felt like an impending strike.

A deafening crash erupted behind him. It sounded as though a freight carriage had smashed into the stone walls at full force.

The cavern trembled violently, with debris raining down. The commotion startled the goblins, who began shrieking in their incomprehensible tongue.

Shadra frowned and glanced upward, but the darkness concealed all.

Clicking his tongue, he picked up two stones and struck them together. A brief spark illuminated the chamber.

Though the light lasted less than a second, the sight it revealed was unforgettable.

This wasn’t a goblin brute.