Free Web NovelChapter 199: Kobold
Victor and Aluella left Selvarum Mansion with lighter hearts and minds full of memories. They decided to enjoy the day together, reliving the old days when they used to explore ruins and dangerous places, always in search of adventure and hidden treasures.
The path to the ruins near Klento was winding, surrounded by dense vegetation and the distant chirping of birds.
Aluella held Victor’s hand, feeling the comforting familiarity of his touch. Memories of their past explorations came flooding back, each step they took seeming to echo tales of courage and discovery.
"Long time no see, huh?" Aluella commented with a gentle smile, watching the horizon where the ruins began to appear.
"Yes, many years." Victor replied, squeezing her hand. "But it seems like yesterday. I’ve always loved these moments with you."
When they finally reached the ruins, which were basically the entrance to a cave that led to the ruins of an ancient civilization that lived in tunnels beneath the earth, they noticed that they were not alone.
A small group of hunters were gathered near the entrance, talking in low tones. It was common to see other hunters exploring these ruins, always in search of relics and treasures. However, it wasn’t common to stand in front of the ruins like this. Meetings were usually held elsewhere.
"Let’s ignore them and move on," Victor suggested, but before they could pass the group, a young man, who seemed to be the leader, raised his hand in a warning gesture.
"Wait," the young man said, his voice carrying a quiet authority. He had piercing eyes and a serious face. "It is not safe to enter the ruins now. There was a collapse at the entrance earlier, and part of the structure is unstable. You could be trapped inside if it suddenly collapses."
Victor and Aluella exchanged glances, assessing the situation. The young man continued, noticing their hesitation.
"My name is Renan, and this is my hunting party," he said, pointing to the other hunters around him. "We are waiting for reinforcements to stabilize the area before we continue. We really don’t want anyone to get hurt." frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
Aluella stepped forward. "We appreciate your concern, Renan, but we have experience with this kind of exploration. We can help you assess the situation and see if it’s safe to proceed."
Renan thought for a few moments, his piercing eyes watching Victor and Aluella with a mixture of curiosity and concern. Finally he sighed and nodded.
"If you really are as experienced as you say you are, perhaps you can help us assess the situation," Renan said, gesturing for them to come closer as he approached the entrance to the ruins.
Victor and Aluella moved forward, their eyes on the surrounding structures and the expressions of the hunters watching them.
As they approached the entrance to the ruins, the dense vegetation and sounds of the forest seemed to disappear, replaced by the eerie silence emanating from the tunnel ahead.
Aluella crouched down to examine the earth around the entrance, her fingers moving over the soil, examining the cracks in the floor.
"This collapse is strange," she murmured, her voice barely audible. "It doesn’t look natural. Some outside force must have caused it."
Victor nodded, his eyes fixed on the darkness of the tunnel. "I agree. Something powerful must have been used here, perhaps a spell. It reminds me of what happened in the ruins near the capital of Athína."
Renan, who had heard Aluella’s whisper, frowned. "Do you think it was magic? That would explain a lot."
"Yes," Aluella said, standing up. "It’s the only logical explanation. We must go in and investigate. It may be dangerous, but I believe that someone in the ruins used powerful magic, probably to protect themselves from some creature. If a hunter who knows magic powerful enough to wreak havoc like this had to use such magic, there’s probably a very dangerous monster inside."
The other hunters exchanged uneasy glances, but none objected.
"If you decide to go in, do it carefully," Renan advised. "We’ll be right outside, ready to help if anything goes wrong."
Victor nodded in thanks and, with a last look at Aluella, stepped into the dark tunnel, closely followed by her. The air inside the ruins was heavy with the smell of ancient earth and stone. The narrow walls seemed to close in around them, and the silence was broken only by the sound of their footsteps echoing down the corridor.
They walked slowly, their eyes alert for any sign of danger. The torches cast dancing shadows on the walls, creating an almost supernatural atmosphere. Aluella stopped suddenly, her eyes fixed on a crack in the wall.
"Look at that," she said, pointing to the large crack. "If there was a spell, it must have been cast not long ago. The cracks are still slowly opening."
Victor examined the crack closely, running his fingers over the uneven surface. "You’re right. We must go down to the second floor. That’s where we’ll find the answers."
Suddenly they heard a distant sound, a low murmur coming closer. Victor raised his hand and motioned for Aluella to stop. They crouched down behind a large rock and carefully studied the source of the sound. In the distance they saw two kobolds patrolling the corridor, their small figures illuminated by the dim light of the torches.
The kobolds were small creatures with scaly skin and glowing eyes. Their tails swayed slowly as they walked, and they were armed with spears and small shields. They spoke to each other in a guttural language.
Victor looked at Aluella, a confident smile on his lips.
"This is it," he whispered. "Let’s show them what we can do."
Aluella nodded, a determined glint in her eyes. She drew her bow and prepared an arrow, while Victor drew his sword. They moved in silence, their shadows blending into the darkness of the corridor.
As the goblins approached, Aluella drew her bow and took aim. Releasing the arrow with a graceful motion, it flew through the air and lodged in the head of one of the goblins, instantly knocking it out. The other goblin turned in alarm, but before he could react, Victor was on him. In one swift, deadly motion, Victor sliced the kobold in half, his sword glinting in the dim torchlight as the creature fell to the ground.
"Clear," Victor said, wiping his sword on the fallen kobold’s cloak. "Let’s move on."
Aluella gathered her arrows and put them back in her quiver. "These monsters are nothing compared to what we might encounter further on. We must be prepared for the worst." freēwēbnovel.com
They made their way down the corridor, their senses alert for any sign of danger. The light from the torches cast ominous shadows on the walls, and every footstep seemed to echo down the corridor, amplifying the silence around them. They came to a heavy stone door, covered in moss and cracks.
"This must be the entrance to the main room on the second floor. That was quicker than I expected," Aluella said, examining the door. "Do you want to go in or check out the other tunnels? We might have missed something."
"What does your ’intuition’ tell you?"
Aluella smiled and put her hand on the cold surface of the door. "On the other side of this door are five monsters and two chests. Since the chests are on the second floor, they must be empty. There are also three stairs leading down to the bottom floor, the second floor."
Intuition was an ability Aluella had thanks to Artemis’ blessing. Because of this ability, she could ’feel’ practically everything by maximizing her senses. With this ability, Aluella was an even better hunter than Victor.
"I don’t think we have anything to lose by going in here. Ready?" Victor asked, his voice deep but firm.
Aluella nodded, her eyes shining with determination. "Always."
Together they pushed open the stone door, which swung open with a deep, echoing creak. The room on the other side was vast, lit by torches attached to the walls. In the center of the room, as Aluella had predicted, five goblins gathered around two old, worn chests.
The kobolds, surprised by the sudden invasion, raised their scaly heads and let out sharp grunts.
Victor and Aluella moved with the precision of a trained team, attacking without hesitation. Aluella was the first to act, her arrow slicing through the air and lodging in the neck of one of the kobolds before it could reach for its makeshift spear. The monster fell to the ground, its life quickly draining away.
Victor advanced, his sword cutting in a deadly arc. The second kobold tried to raise his shield, but it was too late. Victor’s blade sliced through the makeshift shield, piercing the goblin’s chest with a fatal blow. As Victor pulled his sword from the fallen goblin’s body, Aluella had already fired another arrow that struck the third goblin in the eye, knocking it out instantly.
The two remaining kobolds hesitated, their tails whipping in the air as they tried to decide whether to fight or flee.
Aluella did not give them time to decide. With a quick, graceful movement, she drew another arrow and fired, striking the fourth kobold in the throat. The monster fell to its knees, clutching its neck in a vain attempt to stem the flow of blood.
The last kobold, seeing his companions dead in a matter of seconds, tried to make a run for one of the staircases leading to the second floor. Victor didn’t give it a chance. With a fast and powerful run, he caught up with the goblin and cut off its legs with a precise blow. The kobold fell to the ground, screaming in agony, before Victor finished the job with a fatal blow to the heart.
