As Axelius and Owen continued to go deeper into the cave, the narrow path suddenly opened up into a wider space. But before they could take another step, a figure appeared and stood in front of them.
It was a tall goblin, different from the others they had seen so far. The creature was eight feet tall and carried a long bone club, its muscles twitching as it snarled at them.
Axelius raised a hand to stop Owen. "Step back," he said firmly, a grin forming on his face. "This one’s mine."
Owen didn’t argue and slid back. Now only two remained in the center of the room—Axelius and the Goblin Commander.
The goblin stood taller and broader than the rest. Its green skin was thicker, with patches that looked like rough stone. It grinned, showing sharp yellow teeth, and let out a loud roar.
Then it rushed forward, raising a large bone club above its head. Axelius narrowed his eyes and stepped to the side just as the club ca crashing down.
The ground cracked where the weapon hit. Dust rose around them. Without wasting ti, Axelius slid low, drawing his katana in a smooth motion and slashing upward toward the goblin’s chest.
But the blade hit the creature’s skin and bounced slightly, only cutting a shallow line. The goblin growled, backing up with its small wound dripping blood.
"Tch... it’s tougher than I thought," Axelius muttered.
The goblin charged again, swinging its club sideways this ti. Axelius ducked, then flipped backward, using both hands to keep balance. As he landed, the goblin was already on him, swinging again.
Axelius parried with the flat of his blade, but the force shook his arms. He gritted his teeth and kicked the goblin in the knee, causing it to stumble slightly.
Seeing an opening, Axelius dashed forward, slashing twice—once across the goblin’s shoulder and again across its side. Both strikes cut deeper this ti, and the goblin howled in pain, stumbling back. But it didn’t fall.
The goblin slamd its club into the ground, creating a shockwave. Axelius lost his footing for a second. The goblin took that chance and rushed in again. Axelius rolled to the side and slashed at the goblin’s leg. His blade cut through the muscle, and the goblin dropped to one knee, breathing heavily. Axelius didn’t stop.
He spun his body, using the montum to bring his katana down in a heavy arc. The blade struck the goblin’s chest again—this ti deeper. The goblin roared, blood flying from its mouth. Still, it tried to swing its club, but its arm was slow now.
With one final step forward, Axelius shifted his stance and delivered a clean, strong horizontal slash across the goblin’s chest. The goblin froze. Blood sprayed from the deep wound, then it staggered and dropped the club. Its knees hit the ground first, then the rest of its body fell forward with a heavy thud. It twitched once... then lay still.
Axelius stood still for a mont, breathing hard. Then he cleaned his katana with one smooth motion and sheathed it. He laughed and pointed his katana down at the fallen creature. "Hah! You thought you could beat ? No way!" He shook his head with a cocky smirk.
As the dust settled and the goblin’s body lay still, dark energy began to swirl around it. Axelius stepped forward, placing a hand over the goblin’s chest. A faint glow pulsed beneath his palm, and in seconds, the body slowly broke apart into black particles, which flowed into Axelius like smoke.
Once it was done, he exhaled and stood up straight. Owen stepped forward, raising an eyebrow. "Oh? You finished it that fast? That’s not like you."
Axelius gave a short laugh, wiping sweat from his brow. "I’m feeling a bit tired, hahaha. I’m still a kid, you know. After everything we went through earlier, my body’s starting to feel it."
Then he glanced around the room. "Co on, let’s look around. A commander like that must’ve been guarding sothing valuable."
"Yeah, yeah," Owen said, already moving to check behind the stone altar. "Let’s hope it’s more than just bones this ti."
Then Owen pointed toward sothing nearby. "Axel, look over there."
They walked toward it, and to their surprise, it wasn’t treasure—it was a cell. Axelius squinted through the bars and blinked. "There are people in here," he said.
Owen nodded. "Yup. Looks like prisoners." Without hesitation, Axelius kicked the rusty lock and forced the door open.
"Get out. How long have you been trapped in here?" he asked.
One of the guards stepped forward and spoke with a tired voice. "We’ve been here for two days. Thank you so much for saving us."
Axelius crossed his arms. "Don’t get the wrong idea. I didn’t know you were here, okay? Just get out."
The three guards nodded and moved quickly, waking two unconscious kids around the sa age as him, eleven or twelve. One of the guards carried a girl with noble-looking clothes on his back.
Owen, now sitting on Axelius’s shoulder in his sli form, whispered jokingly, "She looks like a noble’s daughter. Don’t you wanna ask her na? Might get a big reward later."
Axelius’s eyes sparkled with interest. "You’re right!" He turned to the guard carrying the noble girl. "If she ever asks, tell her my na is Axelius Dravenhart."
The guards glanced at each other and gave a respectful bow. "Thank you. Our lady will never forget your na."
Just then, the other girl woke up. She stood slowly, still dazed. Her black hair waved. Axelius looked at her and smirked. "Well, look who it is. Mystery girl"
But the girl didn’t say anything. She simply walked past him, her face still covered by a black silk mask.
"Wait! Don’t you recognize ?" Axelius called after her, looking confused. The girl paused and glanced at him, but her expression didn’t change. She clearly had no idea who he was.
Owen said, "Let it go. If she doesn’t rember you, then just forget it."
"Tsk. Whatever," Axelius muttered, turning his head away. "Get out, all of you."
The three guards, the masked girl, and the unconscious noble girl left the cell quietly. Axelius rubbed his hands together. "Now, back to the treasure hunt."
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