CHAPTER 37
And then in a flash, a laser beam struck the Goblin Lord in its legs and hands, totally slicing through its flesh and preventing it from moving one bit since it no longer had any functional limbs to utilize.
"Perfect," Noir said.
He leaped toward Randin, who was leaning against a rock tiredly with blood pouring out of his mouth, nose, and head.
Even the dwarf's hands were badly cut, and his stomach bore deep, punctured wounds from the brutal skirmish.
Upon reaching him, Noir looked him up and down before opening a mental link to Randin's mind.
"Keep a sharp eye on that goblin and also try your best to protect that kid over there. If anything happens to him, you are dead," Noir commanded.
Without waiting for any response or acknowledgment, he transformed back into a swirling black mist and entered Grey, who was still lying unconscious on the cold cavern floor.
'It feels like that beast was much scarier than those goblins,' Randin thought, shuddering in fear at the memory of what the wolf had just done to the elite squad.
Looking around at the carnage, Randin dragged his feet to where Grey lay.
He carefully picked him up and laid him over his shoulder before limping toward the spot where the Goblin Lord was screaming in agonizing pain.
After arriving at the clearing, Randin gently laid Grey aside and walked toward the mutilated monster.
"You… you made mine and my kind's lives miserable for far too long," Randin said weakly, pointing a finger at the lord with a fierce fire burning in his eyes.
"Kill me! Kill me now if you dare, dwarf!" the Goblin Lord spat, a mocking smirk playing on its lips despite its condition.
Raising his cracked sword, Randin pointed the jagged tip toward the Goblin Lord's neck with a expression of pure fury.
He applied more pressure to the blade, causing it to cut the goblin slightly; however, the creature's smile only grew wider.
"No! I'm not a fool. I know exactly what you are trying to do, and it won't work. I won't kill you so easily.
Firstly, we will extract the information we need, and only then will you die," Randin said, smiling back as his sword disappeared into his storage pendant.
The Goblin Lord clicked his tongue in annoyance and continued to hiss as he applied pressure to his cut-up limbs in pain.
After at least thirty minutes of waiting around in the grim silence, a loud cough and small movements were heard coming from Randin's side.
Quickly turning around, his eyes landed on Grey, who was slowly twitching in discomfort.
The young mage slowly raised his upper body while his eyes struggled to open.
"Wh… where am I? And wh… why does my body hurt like hell?!" Grey shouted in pain as he clutched his head.
"Grey?" Randin said, stepping forward to place his hand on Grey's shoulder gently.
In one smooth, instinctive motion, Grey grabbed Randin's hand and tripped him over.
A small, flickering flame appeared in his palm, and he pointed it directly at Randin's face.
"What the hell are you doing, you silly human?" Randin shouted as he stared at the flames held inches from his nose.
"Ra… Randin?" Grey said, his blurry vision finally starting to clear.
"Yes, it's me, you silly human!" Randin barked.
Grey quickly stood up and dispersed his fire magic with an embarrassed wave.
"I'm sorry! I thought it was one of the goblins trying to finish me off while I was unconscious," Grey apologized, scratching his head nervously.
"It's okay," Randin said, dusting off his tattered clothes and wiping the beads of sweat that had formed on his face.
"The goblins!" Grey suddenly shouted.
He stood on guard, wind magic instantly surrounding his body as he scanned for threats—only for his eyes to fall upon the absolute massacre surrounding them.
The cave was fractured to such an extent that it appeared to be on the verge of collapsing entirely, and Grey's gaze drifted toward the goblins that had all been systematically slaughtered.
'The elite squad? They are actually dead? How is that possible?' Grey thought, his eyes eventually landing on Randin's battered and wounded frame.
"Did you manage to kill them all yourself?" he asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
"Heck no! Do I look like someone who could neutralize them on my own? If I was struggling just to handle six, how do you expect me to slay twelve without any assistance?" Randin retorted, gesturing to his broken armor.
"Then how did it happen?" Grey asked, sounding utterly confused.
He scanned the area once more, vividly remembering that he hadn't been capable of defeating the entire group before losing consciousness.
"It was your pet that did this," Randin said. Immediately, a sharp, indignant voice resonated in Grey's mind.
"If that dwarf refers to me as a pet one more time, I will ensure I shoot a laser beam directly through his skull," Noir hissed.
'So you were the one who did this, right?' Grey asked internally, but he received no response from the familiar.
'There he goes with the silent treatment again. Wait, is it even a he or a she?' Grey wondered curiously. 'I suppose I won't be finding that out for a while.'
"So, what do you intend to do with this creature?" Randin asked, pointing toward the mutilated, seated Goblin Lord.
"I'm going to ask the questions I need answered. It had better respond truthfully, or else I won't think twice before killing it on the spot," Grey replied.
He casually walked toward the Goblin Lord, his footsteps echoing in the quiet, smoke-filled chamber.
He knelt down to be on the same level as the monster, which was staring at him with eyes wide with pure terror.
'This mage... he was the one who managed to best several members of my elite squad, and he also possesses that demonic beast he can summon at any moment.
If I don't answer his questions, he might kill me. No! He is definitely going to execute me if I don't cooperate. Or he might call forth that demonic beast again,' the Goblin Lord thought frantically.
The creature had no idea how far it was from the reality of the situation.
Grey couldn't actually summon Noir whenever he pleased; the wolf only emerged when it felt like it.
"Now for my first question," Grey began, his voice cold and steady.
"Who exactly are the Otherworlders?"