Chapter 17: The Goblin Hero's Wrath
The cavern trembled as the Goblin Hero rose from his throne of bone and steel. His roar thundered through the chamber, a sound so savage it made even the torches flicker and die. The weight of his presence pressed on every chest, as if the air itself had turned to stone.
Then he moved.
The Goblin Hero surged forward with terrifying speed, his massive greatsword cleaving through the air like a storm. Hank raised his shield, bracing himself. The clash echoed like thunder—and in the next instant, Hank was hurled across the cavern, blood spraying as he slammed into the wall.
"Damn it… too strong!" Hank spat, staggering back to his feet.
Mingming leapt in to distract, her twin blades flashing arcs of steel. The Goblin Hero met her assault with a single swing, his strength so immense that her arms trembled under the force. Sparks showered the ground as she was knocked back, sliding across the stone.
"Too heavy—his swings are monstrous!" she gasped.
From the rear, Xiaoqing raised her staff, flames igniting the cavern in a blaze of crimson. Fire swallowed the Goblin Hero whole, the heat searing even from a distance. For a brief heartbeat, hope flared.
Then the fire split apart.
The Goblin Hero swung his greatsword through the inferno, scattering flames like ash in the wind. His eyes gleamed, mocking, as if even magic could not hold him."He cut through fire…?!" Xiaoqing's voice trembled with disbelief.
Ying appeared from the shadows, his dagger aimed with deadly precision at the Goblin Hero's exposed side. For an instant, it seemed the strike would land—until the Goblin Hero twisted, ramming his elbow into Ying's chest. The impact sent Ying sprawling, coughing blood onto the stone floor.
"Damn it—his reactions are too sharp!" Ying hissed, struggling to rise.
Zhuoluo darted in, spear striking low to unbalance the giant. "We can't match him in strength! Break his footing!" With a powerful thrust, he toppled a stalagmite into the Goblin Hero's path. Dust filled the cavern as rock crashed down.
For a fleeting moment, the monster slowed.
But the Goblin Hero shattered the stone with a single, brutal strike, stepping through the rubble as though it were paper. His roar shook the walls, his aura only growing more suffocating.
Moli's hands shook as she pulled bottles from her satchel, rushing to heal the wounded. "Stay alive—please, just stay alive!" she cried, desperation in her voice.
And yet, amid the chaos, Feifan's gaze remained steady. His sharp eyes tracked every movement of the Goblin Hero, dissecting his attacks, measuring his weight and rhythm.So strong… every swing carries the weight of his body. But strength has limits. He overcommits, his momentum drags him. If we force him to turn again and again… we can slow him down.
"Circle him!" Feifan's command cut through the noise. "Don't meet his blade head-on—make him turn!"
Hank lifted his battered shield, drawing attention. Mingming darted in and struck before slipping away. Zhuoluo thrust from the flank, Xiaoqing hurled bursts of fire to harry him, Ying returned to the shadows, striking in fleeting openings.
The Goblin Hero roared, spinning with each attack, his greatsword smashing into stone, sending cracks across the cavern floor. Every blow was a storm, every dodge a brush with death.
The air grew thick with dust and blood. The team's breaths came ragged, their bodies trembling with exhaustion. Yet they endured, holding the line under Feifan's direction.
The Goblin Hero raised his greatsword high, power surging in a crushing wave that threatened to bury them all. The cavern quaked, stalactites raining down as his blade prepared to fall with world-ending force.
And in that instant, Feifan saw it—an overextension, a fracture in the unstoppable rhythm. His eyes sharpened.
"Now!" he roared.
The greatsword began its deadly descent, and the chapter ended in the shadow of annihilation.
The Goblin Hero towered above the group, his massive frame radiating a crushing aura that made even the torchlight tremble. Each swing of his jagged greatsword carved scars into the stone walls, the sheer force of his strikes shaking the labyrinth-like nest.
Feifan, Hank, Zhuoluo, and Ying stood side by side, their breaths heavy, yet their resolve firm.
"Spread out! Don't give him a single target!" Zhuoluo shouted, his sharp eyes tracing the Hero's movements, guiding the others through the shifting battlefield.
Hank gritted his teeth, his weapon clashing with the Hero's sword. Sparks exploded like firecrackers, the impact sending him skidding backward. "He's too strong!"
But Ying's calm voice cut through the chaos. "No enemy is invincible. Trust each other—strike when the moment comes."
The battle raged like a storm. Feifan's blade darted in and out, carving shallow wounds; Zhuoluo provided precise directions to avoid deadly traps within the cavern; Hank absorbed punishing blows to buy time; and Ying's strikes landed like shadows, opening cracks in the Hero's defense.
Still, the Goblin Hero fought with terrifying ferocity. His roar shook the cavern, his power crushing, as though he carried the weight of all goblins' pride.
Finally, after countless exchanges, the Hero faltered for just an instant. Ying's eyes flashed. "Feifan! Now!"
With his companions creating that single opening, Feifan surged forward. His heart thundered, but his grip was steady. He poured every ounce of strength, every lesson learned, every trust forged into one decisive strike.
His blade pierced through the Hero's guard, driving deep.
The Goblin Hero let out a deafening roar, his massive form staggering before collapsing like a fallen mountain.
The cavern fell silent, broken only by the sound of Feifan's ragged breathing. He looked at his companions—each battered, bruised, but still standing.
Feifan whispered softly, almost to himself,"It wasn't me alone… we did this together."
The battle was over. The mighty Goblin Hero lay fallen, his once indomitable strength shattered. Yet even in death, his golden eyes flickered with fragments of memory — and regret.
Feifan and his companions approached the stone tomb that stood silently at the edge of the cavern. Its surface was scarred, inscriptions half-erased, as though something had clawed the truth away. Dust and time had done their work, but deeper marks hinted at deliberate concealment.
Mingming brushed the stone with trembling fingers, and words came to life, glowing faintly in the shadows.
The carving spoke of a man, centuries past.
He had been a human king — not merely powerful, but beloved. His name, though broken from the inscription, carried titles of Protector, Shepherd of Light, The Benevolent. His kingdom had thrived under his rule, for he ruled with fairness, wisdom, and a heart for his people.
But then, the Abyss stirred. A rift opened within Sangluo, spilling monsters of unfathomable power. Villages burned, cities crumbled, and despair consumed the land.
The king, desperate to save his people, sought a way to seal the Abyss. He gathered sages, warriors, and the finest minds of his era. Together, they ventured into the Abyss itself, chasing rumors of an ancient power hidden within.
The inscription darkened here, the carvings jagged, as though made by an unsteady hand.
It told of betrayal by the Abyss itself. The power they sought was not salvation, but corruption. One by one, his companions fell, their bodies twisted into monsters. The king alone resisted, his will unbroken, but the Abyss seeped into him all the same.
At first, he retained his human form, though his eyes turned gold and his strength grew beyond mortal measure. He used this power to drive back the monsters and protect his people. For years, he fought, tireless and unyielding.
But power came with a cost. Slowly, his body warped, his face contorted, his voice deepened into a guttural roar. His people, once devoted, grew fearful. Whispers spread: their king was no longer human.
When the transformation was complete, he was no longer the man they knew. He had become the Goblin Hero — neither fully monster nor man, cursed to forever wander between worlds. His kingdom fell into ruin, abandoned by those he once swore to protect.
And yet, the carving ended with words that chilled Feifan to the bone:
"Even as a monster, he never lost his purpose. The Abyss took his body, but his soul still fought — to warn us of the darkness yet to come."
The last lines were violently scratched out, as though someone, or something, had sought to bury the truth. But faint traces of the words lingered, pulsing like a heartbeat beneath the stone.
Standing before the tomb, Zhuoluo frowned. "This wasn't erased by time. Something… wanted this history forgotten."
The shadows of the Abyss Nest seemed to press closer, as if listening. The faint glow of the inscriptions dimmed, swallowed by the darkness.
At the fallen Goblin Hero's side lay the treasures:
A rare enchanted weapon, gleaming faintly in the dim light.
A pouch of gemstones, each humming with dormant energy.
And the Prophecy Fragment, a shard that glowed with cryptic patterns shifting like constellations drowned in blood.
Feifan held the shard in his palm. Its cold weight felt like destiny pressing down on him. For the first time, he saw not only the danger of the Abyss, but its insidious reach — how it could twist even the greatest protector into the enemy they had just slain.
He looked at his companions, then whispered to himself, his voice barely audible, yet resolute:"If the Abyss could destroy a king, then I must become stronger. I won't let it take what I've come to cherish. Not my friends. Not this world."