Nyxithra was right—a kind of lesser goblin appeared in front of us, forcing everyone to take combat positions.
Those in the second line cast spells to keep the goblins at bay, while the first line, the moment they felt the threatening presence of the creatures, activated a protective shield in front to guard us against any arrow or spear that might suddenly be launched our way.
We wizards have the weakness of not training our bodies for situations like this, which is why we rely so much on our wands. It was something I learned while exploring dungeons, and that's why I also trained my body in the sessions I had with Alphonse.
Close combat is a weakness for any wizard; distance is the greatest advantage one usually has on the battlefield. When exploring dungeons only with wizards, it's best to divide forces this way, so the enemies are kept at a distance and can be attacked more effectively.
In the magical world of creatures, there are two types of beings: one of them is magical beasts or creatures that give in to their animal instincts and are extremely violent, seeking only violence and death, feeding on blood and the living beings around them.
Goblins usually come in packs, so in this case, there are twenty goblins ready to attack us. Though no one really understands their attack system, as they tend to be impulsive, they are also beasts quite easy to finish off if one manages to land critical hits.
Since the goblins couldn't advance, we in the rearguard took the chance to cast fire spells to burn them down and finish them with different projectiles.
Dungeons remain a mystery to this day; no one understands how life is able to develop constantly inside a dungeon. The groups ahead of us must have already faced these kinds of monsters a while ago, so in a few minutes, the same enemies will most likely be waiting for us at the exit.
After that fight, no one was injured, so we continued carefully deeper into the dungeon while collecting materials left behind by the beasts we defeated along the way—materials useful for potion-making.
In part, I feel this is the easiest way to gather materials if that's what this is all about. Beyond riches and other objects, these materials could also be useful to me, especially for what I'm planning to craft.
So far, no more dangerous monsters have appeared. Among the goblins, there are also the Mikaribaba—monsters smaller than goblins, with a single giant eye that takes up most of their face. They have a wide mouth with sharp fangs, and though their horns are small, they can still be dangerous if they manage to hit you. They're good at dodging attacks but not very strong, which is why they usually bite, headbutt, or try to claw their opponents.
And besides them, there are also some insects that tend to hover around, waiting to spit venom and take advantage of any carelessness to attack and fly away before being struck. Though this isn't effective against our formation, since with defensive barriers and long-range attacks, they're not much of a problem.
Walking a few more meters ahead, I know that at some point in the dungeon, things will get increasingly dangerous. So without anyone noticing, I cast a spell that helps me detect monsters further ahead with sound waves—almost the same way bats do.
Before I could locate any target, a blood-curdling scream echoed from one of the nearby paths. Everyone turned to look at each other, confused and frightened by the cry that shook the dungeon. The group panicked, thinking the worst for those ahead of us. Fearing the worst, it seemed best to go support whoever was in danger while someone else went back to call the professors.
"Hey, brat, what are you doing?" says Vaelin as he falls to the ground after being shoved aside by Patrick, who forced his way through the front line.
"Patrick, stop! We can't go there. We have to go back and cast the spell so the professors come as reinforcements. From here, the signal wouldn't be visible," says Estrella.
"You do it. Someone's in danger—I won't sit around waiting for you to react!" shouts Patrick, extremely agitated.
"Patrick, calm down. We have to think clearly. We can't just rush in; we don't even know what creature is ahead."
"Are you kidding? They must be fighting! If we get there, maybe we can help them. Turning back would be condemning them to certain death."
"Patrick, analyze the situation. If we do that, we could die too."
"Dion, what are you doing? Why are you just standing there, saying nothing? Back me up! People are at risk ahead—Phylicia could be there!" says Patrick, growing more and more frantic.
"Patrick has a point. The best thing is to split up. Estrella, Kaelor, and Seraphis, go back and inform them of the situation. The rest of us must hurry forward to support the other groups."
"Dion… Fine, let's do that. You heard Dion, everyone, form up. We need to help those ahead, so prepare for the worst. Estrella, hand the potions to Lyara—we'll need them if things go bad," orders Aelric.
The panic on the kids' faces was immediately calmed by Aelric's strong, commanding voice, which filled their hearts with courage to keep going.
"Alright, let's go," says Patrick.
Suddenly, a tremor shakes the entire dungeon, making stones fall from above and the whole place quake violently. A loud roar-like rumble disorients us all for a moment, forcing us to the ground to shield ourselves from whatever might fall.
The noise was so strong that the place was filled with dust as rocks crashed down from the ceiling.
When I raised my head, the area was clouded with dust and debris. At first glance, everyone seemed fine, no one seriously hurt—or so it seemed. Some had scratches, others were bleeding a little from small debris that had struck parts of their bodies.
"Is everyone alright?" Aelric shouts.
Without hesitation, each one affirms their physical condition while getting back on their feet. Everyone except Estrella and Kaelor.
"Estrella! Where are you? Kaelor!" Aelric's voice grows desperate as no answer comes from the two missing members.
Wasting no time, I activated the locator spell again and managed to find Estrella.
"She's a little farther back. She's still alive—I don't know her exact condition, but she's on her knees, facing the… damn it."
Realizing what I sensed, I quickly got up and rushed toward where Estrella was.
"Dion, what happened? Speak!" says Aelric.
Everyone runs behind me to see what's going on, and when we reach Estrella, the worst scene awaits us. The entrance was completely sealed by the debris that fell after the quake.
The group falls into heavy silence, realizing there is no way back—only forward, to face whatever the other teams are already confronting.
"Ahhh!" screams Seraphis.
Everyone reacts to Seraphis's cry and looks toward her. The terrified girl, with tears in her eyes, covered her mouth with one hand while pointing with the other. Right beneath the debris, in front of Estrella, lay Kaelor's buried body. The only thing visible was his hand sticking out from under the rubble.
This is bad. Very bad. Right now, everyone is seized by panic—some frozen at the sight before us, others unable to look that way again.
"We have to keep going," says Patrick, breaking the dreadful silence.
"Are you insane, you idiot? We don't even know what's up ahead! Look what it did with just a roar. What do you expect us to do—we're just kids!" shouts Talrico.
"I'm sorry to say we don't have a choice, Talrico. Kaelor grabbed Estrella before she could hand over the potions. He tried to take her with him, and then the quake began. So he had the potions. Which means right now we have no resources to survive until rescue."
Even if it's not the best option, it's the only way left to us. Ahead, maybe we'll find supplies with the others. So we must move forward and defeat that creature.
On another note… after that roar, the gem began to burn intensely. But I can't give in to the pain now. We have to keep going.