Chapter 7
Chapter 7
The goblins had thinned out in the corridor.
Just a moment ago, there had been so many of them.
The chaotic screams were gone too, leaving the silence so sharp that even the smallest sound felt loud.
—Help… me…
This time, I definitely heard it.
Elain looked at me as if to say, right?
I gave a small nod in response and brought my finger to my lips.
Once you’ve made a decision, you commit fully.
If you’re going to do it, you do it properly.
From now on, minimal movement, maximum efficiency.
Silence and stealth were essential.
Elain immediately understood what I meant.
Her crimson eyes settled into a calm, focused state.
Watching her like this, I couldn’t help but think she was reliable.
Step by step.
We moved forward with careful, restrained footsteps.
Soon, we reached the place where the voice had come from.
The stench of blood was overwhelming now.
We pressed ourselves against the corner, peeking into the room.
Inside, goblins chattered in a rhythmic chaos, almost like laughter.
“…What a mess.”
What I saw inside were countless goblins.
The room wasn’t large, but it was packed wall to wall with them.
There was barely space to step.
And in the center, something that looked like human flesh had been tossed aside.
Four people.
One already dead.
One dying.
Two still alive.
The two alive were women.
They were tied with human rope and pressed against the wall.
Goblins could never have made that rope themselves.
They must have taken it from the dead adventurers.
Various tools were scattered across the floor.
Fire-making tools, cooking utensils, supplies.
Even spare weapons.
This is why dungeon goblins are more dangerous than forest ones.
They use human tools.
I clicked my tongue silently.
The man was as good as dead.
The women would be used until they were nothing and then discarded.
A common ending for rookie adventurers.
“Elain. There are more than we expected.”
“….”
Elain stared into the room without moving.
I couldn’t tell if it was rage or the boiling blood of her berserker nature.
“Do you think they’re already dead?”
“One is definitely dead. The other three are still alive, but not for long.”
“…What do we do?”
Her eyes locked onto mine.
Steady, but burning.
I hesitated for a moment.
We are adventurers.
We clear dungeons.
“If we act as adventurers, we use this opportunity. We wait until they are consumed, until the goblins grow sluggish from feeding. Then we strike. We’ll be able to kill more than we normally could and collect the loot.”
Adventurers…
She repeated the word softly.
So that’s it. We just wait for them to die and become resources for us.
The hesitation didn’t last long.
Elain stepped back silently and gripped her axe.
Her eyes said she would follow my decision.
Good.
I was worried she might object.
“Wait a moment.”
“Yes.”
We held our breath against the wall.
The screams grew louder. So did the dying man’s groans.
Ah.
An arm just got torn off.
A little more time.
Just a little more.
This is right, isn’t it?
I kept asking myself.
Look at my leg.
What did blind compassion get me?
Nothing good.
All I gained was this.
A colder head. A colder heart.
We survive.
That’s enough, isn’t it?
But then I met her eyes.
Elain was looking straight at me.
And for some reason, my chest started pounding violently.
Why the hell…
Does it feel so disgusting?
“…Damn it.”
The word slipped out before I could stop it.
“Sorry, Elain. Let’s go save them.”
“…Sir?”
“Will you fight with me? It’ll be dangerous.”
Elain smiled.
Like she had been waiting for that answer.
“I knew it. I wasn’t wrong about you.”
What the hell did she even see in me to say that?
She gripped her axe tighter, smiling brightly.
“Please command me.”
I exhaled slowly.
“This is our chance. We strike fast. No hesitation. We overwhelm them immediately.”
Her crimson eyes flared with excitement.
“Leave it to me.”
“I’ll rescue the survivors. If anything goes wrong, use the return stone I gave you.”
“Yes.”
We stood at the entrance together.
Goblins turned toward us.
One.
Two.
Three.
At the signal, we threw a smoke bomb.
Clang.
Smoke burst across the room.
—Kerrrgh!
Screams erupted in confusion.
And then the crimson berserker moved.
A streak of red.
An axe came down without hesitation.
Crunch.
One down.
She kicked the corpse aside, and the goblins erupted in rage.
She smiled.
Like she was enjoying the spotlight.
Blood and flesh scattered.
The smoke turned red.
Beautiful.
And terrifying.
No time to hesitate.
I crawled forward and cut the ropes binding the survivors.
“Are you okay?”
“Ah… I… who…”
“Were you the ones who called for help?”
The woman blinked at me.
Blue-black hair, foreign-looking attire of white and blue.
Not local.
From the Golden Empire?
“Can you move?”
“Yes… I can, but my friend, Rose…”
That must be the collapsed woman.
She was unconscious, breathing faintly.
“Take her and move.”
“Y-yes!”
I turned away.
One more survivor was still inside.
Pinned under goblins.
“Move to the exit quietly.”
“W-what about you?”
“I’ll bring the last one.”
She nodded quickly.
I moved again, dragging my injured body.
Elain’s gaze shifted toward me.
She had carved herself into a corner on purpose, drawing all attention.
“…I’ll kill them all. You filth.”
She was buying me time.
Idiot.
I pushed down my anger and crawled faster.
The last man was barely alive.
Half his limbs were gone. His face was torn open.
But he was still breathing.
I tied him to a rope and dragged him.
“Die! Die!”
Elain’s voice echoed behind me.
Please be safe.
At the exit, the survivors were gathered.
“E-Elain! Enough!”
I shouted.
She met my eyes.
“…Good.”
She smiled faintly.
And then—
A massive impact.
Elain was sent flying into the wall.
“Elain!”
The new presence stepped forward.
Bigger than normal goblins.
Red-skinned.
The named monster of this dungeon.
Red Goblin Gruk.
The situation changed instantly.
The goblins roared with joy.
Elain struggled to stand.
“Run… Elain.”
She didn’t move.
Instead, she smiled.
“…Berserker of the Red Anvil. Does not retreat.”
“Are you insane?! We’re done here!”
She grabbed me and threw me toward the exit.
“Protect the seed. Fire does not go out.”
Then she charged.
Blood, pain, and laughter.
She was alive.
And she was laughing.
I ran back in.
“Are you crazy?!”
“Shut up and fight!”
We stood back to back.
Her warmth pressed against my back.
The battlefield was chaos.
Then—
We moved.
Together.
The Red Goblin fell.
System messages appeared.
[Red Goblin ‘Gruk’ defeated]
[Level increased]
[Elain leveled up]
[A great achievement has been unlocked]
And then—
I lost consciousness.