Quentin and Tessa didn't give it a chance; sword light and daggers sliced into its thick neck and abdomen simultaneously.
The great goblin collapsed with a heavy thud, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Logan felled the last ordinary goblin with a single swing of his axe.
The cave suddenly fell silent, leaving only the sound of heavy breathing and the thick, inescapable scent of blood.
It was over.
It had been much easier than expected.
A brief moment of relaxation spread through the team.
Logan panted, shaking his recently injured arm—which was healed but still felt a lingering ache—and shot another glare at Bai Xuan.
Quentin sheathed his sword, his gaze sweeping across the cavern before finally landing on the crystal atop the stone platform.
Tessa was the first to approach the platform.
She didn't reach for it immediately, instead leaning in to observe it closely.
“There are mana fluctuations... they're stable, but something feels off.”
She hovered her finger over the crystal to sense it. “But it's valuable.”
Quentin walked over and took a look. “Take it. Pack it carefully.”
He then began skillfully cutting off the goblins' left ears.
Bai Xuan let out a soft breath, his tense nerves finally relaxing slightly.
Tessa pulled a thick, black velvet pouch from her waist bag, carefully picked up the Spirit Soul Crystal, placed it inside, and tightened the drawstring.
At that moment, the green blood pooled in small puddles on the ground.
Specifically, near the stone platform, the blood was slowly flowing toward a particularly dark patch of ground, disappearing into the crevices between the soil and rocks.
...
A sliver of chill seeped through the narrow window of the storage room in the backyard of The Fire God’s Forge, falling onto Barend’s face.
His eyelids flickered; a heavy headache throbbed like a dwarf striking an anvil inside his skull.
His throat was bitter and dry, and the sour taste of ale and roasted meat lingered in his mouth.
He opened his eyes, his blurry vision meeting the familiar ceiling beams, while the rough leather texture of the mat beneath him pressed against his skin.
After passing out drunk, he had been dragged back to Mora’s place again.
He turned his stiff neck and saw Mora through the gaps in the shelves. She was facing away from him, hunched over the only wooden table.
The table was covered in large sheets of parchment, with charcoal pencils and rulers scattered about.
Her short, thick fingers held a drafting pen, tracing firm and fluid lines on the paper. Occasionally, she would stop and mutter forging terms that only she understood.
Barend breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed she didn't plan on kicking him out immediately.
He struggled to sit up, the leather mat groaning under his weight.
The hangover made his head feel like it was filled with lead, but fragmented images began to surface.
The noisy tavern, Bai Xuan’s calm face, the clinking of ale mugs, and... a shadow?
A smiling shadow that made him feel uneasy flickered at the edge of his memory.
He rubbed his temples, trying to grasp that blurry impression.
A shadow... a cat? Yes, a cat! That Shadow Cat demi-human who was always hanging around the tavern, rumored to have sticky fingers!
Bai Xuan seemed to be talking to her last night... what was it about? A mission? A commission?
Barend’s movements froze.
Fragments of low-voiced conversations between adventurers suddenly surged from the depths of his memory.
“A newcomer... took a job with the cat-woman... never came back...” “Nightshade? Hmph, that name alone reeks of bad luck...”
He had been too drunk last night, but now that he finally realized it, the memories felt like ice water being poured over his head.
“Dammit!” Barend blurted out, the shock clearing some of his hangover headache.
The sound of the drafting pen scratching against the parchment stopped.
Mora turned around, her brow furrowed with impatience. “If your rock-head is awake, then get out of here. Stop making so much noise...”
“Mora!”
Barend interrupted her, his voice raspy from sleep and filled with obvious urgency. “That kid, Bai Xuan! Something's going to happen!”
The expression Mora was about to make froze.
Barend spoke rapidly, trying to stand up even though his legs were still a bit weak. “He went out on a mission with the Nightshade people this morning!”
“The leader is that cat-woman from the tavern, Kami! I was too drunk last night and only just remembered... that woman and her team!”
“Plenty of solo newcomers have teamed up with her, and afterward... they were rarely seen again! I have to get to the guild! If I go now, I might still be able to stop them!”
Mora stared at him, her annoyance slowly fading and being replaced by a much heavier expression.
She didn't ask if he was sure.
Barend might often be drunk, but when it came to the dark side of adventurers and dungeons, his instincts and information were rarely wrong.
She remained silent for a moment, then suddenly turned and walked to a sturdy low cabinet against the wall, where she crouched down.
Opening the bottom drawer, she pulled out a small ceramic bottle sealed with a cork and tossed it to Barend.
“Swiftness Potion. It’s a sub-par batch with a short duration.”
Her voice was stiff as she looked away from him. “Don’t die out there; don’t waste my potion. Just bring him back. If I lose a big customer, I won't get my payment.”
Barend caught the bottle, which still held the warmth of her palm. He hesitated for a second, gripped it tightly, and finally whispered, “...Thanks.”
He pulled the cork, gulped down the slightly viscous, pale green liquid in one go, dropped the bottle, and turned to sprint out.
The potion’s effects quickly spread through his limbs with a slight tingling sensation, making his steps noticeably lighter.
Mora watched the door curtain still swaying from his exit, standing still with the drafting pen still in her hand.
On the table was the preliminary structural diagram for the battle staff she was designing using Bai Xuan’s incredible materials.
She stood there for a while before slowly sitting back down on her stool. Her gaze fell on the complex connections of the blueprint, but she seemed to have lost her previous focus.
...
The scent of blood in the cave was thick.
Tessa carefully tied the black velvet bag containing the Spirit Soul Crystal and hung it at her waist.
Logan had finished cutting the required goblin ears and had them strung together with a leather cord.
Quentin sheathed his sword, but his hand didn't stray far from the hilt. He scanned the entire cave before his gaze landed on Bai Xuan.
While Bai Xuan was observing how he handled the other goblin parts,
A shadow silently and slowly crept toward Bai Xuan's back.
Getting closer and closer...
Without warning, like a cat pouncing on an unsuspecting bird, the figure moved with a faint rush of wind.
Two daggers lunged from the left and right, aimed with vicious precision at Bai Xuan's arm joints.
Bai Xuan stepped back and to the side almost at the same time the wind reached him, but Kami was too fast and her angle too sharp.
The cold blades grazed the outer side of his upper left arm, slicing through both fabric and skin.
The wound wasn't deep, but the sensation that followed wasn't just simple pain; it was a rapidly spreading numbness and chill, like tiny ice needles burrowing into his veins.
His vision blurred for a moment.
Bai Xuan forced his body to stabilize, suppressing the sudden surge of alarm and anger. His left hand slowly moved behind his back to grip the handle of his iron rod.
He stared at Kami, his voice low and cold. “What is the meaning of this?”
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