6.1 Ancestral Legacy: Return to the Catacombs

Approaching the entrance, embedded within the mountain wall, we noticed two goblins standing guard. Thankfully, they had not yet detected our presence. "They haven't seen us," I whispered to Kendra. "What's the plan?" "We need to silently eliminate the two guards using spells from the sides, without alerting the others," Kendra suggested. "If they catch sight of us, they will flee inside and raise the alarm. Stealth is our best approach."

Carefully considering Kendra's suggestion, we prepared ourselves to execute a covert strike. Silently, we readied our spells and positioned ourselves on the flanks, ensuring we remained hidden from the goblins' sight. With a nod of agreement, we synchronized our actions, casting our spells simultaneously, aimed to incapacitate the guards swiftly and silently. Our success relied on our ability to remain undetected and prevent the alarm from being raised, thus maintaining the element of surprise within the catacomb's depths.

For about the next three minutes, we carefully followed the edge of the mountain, gradually closing the distance to one of the guard goblins, approximately 20 feet away. Silica, having stealthily approached from the right, gave us a subtle nod, indicating that she was ready.

As we approached the guard goblins, we noticed that these were more advanced than the ones we had encountered earlier. Standing a foot taller, they were armed with spears and wore clothes, distinguishing them from their more basic counterparts. Silica positioned herself on the right side, while Kendra and I took up positions on the left, silently inching closer.

Raising my staff, I began to cast a fire spell. With a quick formation and half a second of casting, the fireball was unleashed, hurtling toward its targets. My fire spell had grown stronger since the magic tests, now matching the size of Silica's fiery display when she broke down the door.

The two goblins remained unaware until the fireball struck them with force, causing them to collapse. As the flames continued to burn, Kendra swiftly moved in, ensuring they were incapacitated for good by dealing the final blow. Silica's magic had significantly advanced in recent times, and she had developed an after-burn effect that continued to inflict damage, making her spells more potent in case the initial hit didn't prove sufficient. The goblins were taken down, with less than a yell.

In the last 2 months, we have versed a few goblins with clothes and weapons. They appear mostly in large groups of 10-20 of them. They aren’t as skilled with the weapons, because the weapons are designed for bigger adult humans, and they are unable to fully execute the full range and strength to use them. A big swing and body will soon be followed by the heaviness of the sword. Making them lose balance for an easy counterattack as Kendra says.

Upon reaching the entrance of the catacombs, an eerie atmosphere enveloped us. Its appearance was reminiscent of a gateway to the realm of the dead, which struck me as peculiar since it was supposedly built by dwarves as a resting place for their nobles. The carvings adorning the entrance did not match the traditional dwarven style that I was familiar with; instead, skulls and axes were prominently inscribed.

” What type of burial site is this?”

Not far from the entrance, we noticed a pile of bones with a flag sticking out. Recalling the stories I had heard from the silver-ranked adventurers, where Nana worked, goblins were often categorized into four ranks. The regular goblins were the ones commonly found in and around Moonlight Grove, consisting of scattered individuals who were not part of any clan. The weapon-carrying goblins, like the ones we had just encountered, possessed more equipment and clothing, indicating their membership in larger, organized groups or clans.

Hobgoblins, larger in size, stood at around six feet tall, and they were rumored to be the result of goblins mating with trolls or orcs an incredulous notion of foot-tall goblins mating with towering trolls and a rumor of them matting with humans... Hobgoblins, while not particularly intelligent, often collaborated with regular goblins in groups.

The final and most dangerous rank was the shaman goblins, described as wise leaders with the ability to wield magic. These shamans assumed leadership positions within clans, commanding numerous goblins, and a few hobgoblins, and typically having a collection of female goblins under their control.

Taking note of the bones and the flag, we couldn't help but wonder about the potential presence of these different goblin ranks within the labyrinth. It was clear that we were venturing into a treacherous territory, one that demanded vigilance and strategic thinking to overcome the challenges that awaited us.

"Must be a shaman goblin inside," Silica expressed, her voice filled with a mix of curiosity and caution.

"Yes, shaman goblins," I replied, recalling the stories I had heard. "They are said to possess the ability to wield magic."

"I've heard about them too, but I've never actually seen one," Silica admitted, her eyes scanning the dark surroundings.

"The number of footprints leading in and out of this place suggests there must be quite a lot of goblins inside," I observed, a tinge of concern in my voice.

Journeying through the labyrinth, darkness enveloped us as we ventured deeper. Fortunately, I had honed my skills in light magic and conjured a glowing light to illuminate our path. However, it came with a cost; the magic slowly burned away my magic, much like I was playing a game of tic tac toe, and I would have to extinguish it to cast spells from other schools such as fire or wind. My repertoire had expanded to include fire, light, wind, and telepathic magic over my training.

As we ventured further, we encountered numerous rooms on both sides, but upon inspection, we found nothing of interest. Continuing our exploration, we stumbled upon rooms filled with ten or more goblins, all fast asleep. It was a startling sight, and we quickly retraced our steps to avoid disturbing their slumber.

Once outside, we took a moment to catch our breath, but our respite was short lived. “There could be over 100 goblins inside, we need backup!”

“Watch out!” Before us stood a towering hobgoblin, towering at a height of seven feet tall. It was the largest goblin any of us had ever seen, its size surpassing even that of ordinary goblins, maybe even all hobgoblins. In its hands, it wielded a massive mallet crafted from a sturdy tree trunk.

“It's huge!” I haven’t even seen a human that tall before, this hobgoblin could be in the NBA at that height and weight.

Kendra, displaying her bravery, stepped forward and positioned herself in front of the imposing hobgoblin. Without warning, the hobgoblin swung its mighty mallet. Slam! As shattering Kendra's shield into two pieces, leaving only fragments of broken wood and stringed rope on her arm.

Reacting swiftly, Silica unleashed a fireball, hurling it at the hobgoblin, but to our surprise, the flames seemed to have no effect. I too cast a fireball, hoping to damage our formidable foe, but it too fell short. The hobgoblin remained undeterred, swinging at Kendra with renewed fury. The hobgoblin was even more mad swinging at Kendra. Kendra only had one thing to do, dodge! Or be hit. Swing! Swing, splat! He hit the air and the ground as he missed. She skillfully dodged its attacks, her agility keeping her just out of reach of the hulking creature's strikes. Silica’s fire magic isn’t able to burn this hobgoblin. She needs to use her intermediate tier fire magic!

Realizing that direct attacks weren't working, I quickly shifted tactics and cast a blinding light spell, directing a burst of light toward the hobgoblin's eyes. Just like the two headed wolf it momentarily blinded, it staggered in anger, moving menacingly toward me, swinging its colossal mallet with a renewed sense of purpose.

I had to act swiftly, abandoning my casting, and evading the oncoming attack just in time. Luckily, he swung too early and missed me as his eyes were closed. Sensing an opportunity, Kendra took advantage of the distraction, deftly maneuvering behind the hobgoblin and slashing at its knees with precision. Cutting deep into the tendons of the knee.

Howling in pain, the hobgoblin dropped to its knees. Snap Snap! sounded as if his tendons couldn’t support his weight anymore. Kendra raised her sword high, delivering a powerful final strike to the side of the hobgoblin's neck, hitting the dense bone of the cervical spine. Wack! Unable to decapitate it.

As Silica cautiously approached the injured hobgoblin, she believed it to be on the brink of death, given the sword lodged in its neck. However, misjudging the situation, she got too close, underestimating the goblin's remaining strength and will to fight. Suddenly, with a burst of energy fueled by desperation, the hobgoblin struck Silica with the back of its palm, delivering a powerful blow to her side. The impact sent her stumbling backward, losing her balance and rolling ten feet down the hill. "Silica!" I exclaimed in alarm, rushing to her side. Concerned for her well-being, I carefully turned her over, finding her unconscious and in pain, the result of her close encounter with the wounded hobgoblin.

The hobgoblin, with a display of unexpected strength, gripped the sword by its blade that was still lodged in its neck and forcefully pulled it out. It took two steps causing a gush of blood to flow through its neck. The action took us by surprise, leaving us shocked and bewildered as to how strong the will and determination to kill, and why the hobgoblin would remove the very weapon that was keeping it alive. With the wound now unimpeded, the hobgoblin's condition rapidly deteriorated. It collapsed face down on the ground, succumbing to the loss of blood that had reached its brain. The sight left us momentarily stunned, as the determination for it to kill us and trying to comprehend the hobgoblin's seemingly self-destructive act, as we hurriedly turned our attention back to Silica, who lay unconscious and injured nearby.