Chapter 61: Storming the Frost Goblin Citadel (1)

In the darkness of the cave, small, chubby figures with white hair began approaching; they were Frost Goblins.

“Shit, what the hell are those things doing here?” Ebony said, instinctively reaching for her shield.

However, her favorite weapon had been swept away by the avalanche along with her friends, so the girl began searching for other weapons on her body.

The only thing she had on hand was the small staff the army had given her; however, it was meant to enhance spell power, not for direct combat.

“(Shit… This is bad… Barehanded I could take them all down, the problem is their transformation… Though in this tight space it would be suicide for them… I hope they’re thinking the same thing…)”

The girl thought as she counted her enemies. It was a small group of only seven goblins; each carried a small wooden club and wore a loincloth.

However, when they noticed the presence of the blonde and the old man, they didn’t even have time to react.

The old soldier, armorless and bare-chested, lunged at them. He gave them no time to respond: he struck one so hard that its head went flying.

In just seconds, he finished off three more with kicks and punches that killed them instantly; but the three that remained standing, in a single motion, struck the soldier’s body with their clubs.

“Hey, stop!” Ebony shouted, trying to draw the creatures’ attention and save the old man’s life.

But the elderly man had taken no damage, in a defensive stance he absorbed each blow, reinforcing his body with magic.

“What the hell?” The blonde girl, startled, was distracted for a split second, long enough for one of her enemies to rush forward and, with a swing of its club, send her flying toward the snow-covered entrance.

“(I knew it, these things are dangerous… Despite their small bodies, they have insane strength… If it weren’t for the snow, they would’ve knocked me off the mountain…)”

Ebony thought as she pulled herself up from the snow, but her attacker gave her no time, charging again with killing intent.

Seeing the attack, the old man dropped his defensive stance and, striking down the two goblins attacking him, knocked them aside before rushing to save the girl.

But his surprise was great when he saw the slender girl stop the club’s blow with one hand; and in the next instant, with a punch from the blonde, the goblin was sent flying toward the soldier, who finished it off by slamming it into the ground.

“How…? How did you do that? I thought you were a mage or some kind of support…” the old man muttered in surprise, relaxing his stance.

“Oh, it’s nothing, heh… I’m just stronger than I look,” the girl replied as she stood up from the snow and brushed herself off.

“(That’s bullshit… Taking a hit from a creature at that level isn’t normal, especially with a body that thin… Warriors and tanks take years to reach that kind of strength, and their bodies always show it…)”

The old man thought for a moment, then sighed and began putting his clothes and armor back on.

“Hey, old man, for someone your age, you move pretty well… How do you do it?” Ebony asked while gathering her belongings.

“It’s just the experience of an old geezer… Ah, my back,” the old man muttered, resting a hand on his lower back.

At that moment, they both avoided meeting each other’s eyes. Both were lying, both had secrets, and both suspected the other’s identity.

“Well, anyway… What do we do? We could dig through the entrance and get out. My friends are on the other side; if we regroup with them, we can climb the mountain and clear this level (Besides, if those idiots are hurt, they’ll need me).”

Despite everything, Ebony was worried about her companions; however, the old man’s reply was blunt.

“If your… friends… are outside, they’re probably already dead… I climbed this mountain from the outside with my comrades, but along the way, in every cave we passed, creatures ambushed us one after another, costing lives…”

The old man pulled out dirty, bloodstained bandages from his clothes and began wrapping his hand like a seasoned fighter.

“When we reached the summit, we only found ruins and a passage leading inside the mountain, but by the time we got there, I was alone… If we take the same route, it would be foolish. Better to go deeper into the cave; it’s bound to lead to the Floor Boss.”

Hearing his words, Ebony fell silent. She tried to convince her fear that her friends were strong enough to survive the avalanche and any creature the mountain might throw at them.

At that moment, noises echoed from the other side of the entrance, outside the cave.

Heavy footsteps and savage growls could be heard. In that instant, using her passive ability, Ebony sensed the number of lives on the other side.

It was a squad of seven beings with mounts. She couldn’t determine their race or level; she could only tell there were seven lives.

“(From the growls, I’m guessing they’re riding wolves… If they’re goblin cavalry, those two won’t stand a chance alone…)” Ebony frowned in frustration.

But instead of forcing her way outside, she let out a deep sigh and, slinging her pack over her shoulder, picked up one of the torches the goblins had dropped.

“Let’s go, old man, no time to waste…” the girl said firmly as she walked deeper into the cave.

“(Even if I started digging, it would take too long to break through that thick layer of snow, and the moment I got out I’d be easy prey out there… For now, the best option is to push forward and take down the boss as soon as possible… I know they can handle themselves.)”

The blonde thought as she stepped into the darkness with her new companion.

“By the way… My name’s Ebony…”

“Nice name… I’m… Marcus, pleasure to meet you, Ebony,” the man said as he followed behind her.

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After several minutes walking through the cave, the pair began hearing drums and what sounded like hammers striking metal repeatedly.

“Put out the torch… I think we’re here,” Marcus said as he stomped out his torch, extinguishing its glow, Ebony did the same.

They moved forward cautiously. Ahead of them, the exit of the narrow passage glowed brightly.

Peeking out from behind some rocks, they saw before them an enormous city inside the hollow mountain, and above, near the ceiling, storm clouds constantly releasing snowfall.

It was built from rough stones and poorly fitted wood; it looked like the work of a child with the strength of an adult.

In this place, hundreds of Frost Goblins worked without rest: some at forges, using blue flames to craft crude metal maces; others fashioned armor, and a few even forged swords.

“This is bad… This is definitely very bad,” Ebony muttered, horror in her eyes, unaware that despite the danger in front of her, beside her the aged soldier was beginning to plan her death.

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