A threatening growl echoed in the area, letting one's skin crawl in cold shivers. Several goblin riders clenched their grip on the wolf's hair, commanding it to circle the group.
In preparation to storm the group in sheer numbers, the goblins snarled. Their yellowish eyes glinted in deep greed as the wolf under them droll, desiring flesh.
Ryan and Marina watched everything in silence, their eyes scanning every angle. They never let their guard down, even though they could deal with the monsters with ease.
Silvia's throat tightened. Her hand clenched tightly around the sword hilt until her fingers turned white. Her eyes darted sideways while sweat trickled down her brows, seeing the monster succeed in trapping them in circles.
[Elemental Enhancement activate]
A thin layer of green mana formed around Jin's skin, enhancing all his senses and physical abilities, "I will handle the back".
His calm voice broke Ryan and Marina's lips into a grin. Jin carefully unsheathed his Katana, its silver blade gleaming under the oppressive pressure that came from the monsters.
Ryan took out his sword and prepared his stance before synchronizing his breath with the team. He took a slight peek behind and saw his son bravely standing in the back, watching the group; it gave him more reassurance than anything the world could offer.
His lips broke into a fearless grin, and he muttered deep inside, 'Hmph, I won't lose, son.'
Marina exhaled softly, watching her husband, who had never grown up in this situation. She looked to the side and saw the girl shrinking, but her eyes were brimming with a fighting spirit.
However, Marina's eyes widened in disbelief to see Silvia's stance. She shrugged her shoulders and shifted her attention to the monsters.
'Huff, heh, Never thought that Lady Silvia would become like this.' Marina's lips curved in joy. She exhaled softly and shook her head to the sides.
As the tension in the field rose, both parties stood still, their eyes brimming with killing intent. Both parties were edging on each other's throats.
At the same time, Jin and Ryan dashed forward and clashed with the monsters, their breath synchronizing. Jin lowered his blade and tried to stay low, aiming to kill the beast first before the goblin.
*Gyaaak! *Awoo!
The enemies responded, and both sides clashed head-on; Jin saw a looming shadow as he sidestepped to the side and cut vertically from below, severing the wolf's neck.
He waited for the goblin's falling body to enter the blade range. Jin twisted his wrist and cleaved the goblin rider's neck.
'Good, I don't need magic to deal with them'. Jin tightened the grip on his hilt, and a flurry of silver blades and fountains of blue blood smeared the place.
On the other hand, Ryan's eyebrows knitted in frowns as a huge shadow of a wolf approached his front and surrounded him. His lips loosened in a fearless grin.
"Come!".
He took a deep breath, and strength surged across his veins. Blue veins popped out on his arm as he swung the sword sideways, creating a massive shockwave.
The air split and the ground gouged, raising dust in the surrounding area. The sheer pressure of the shock crushed all the enemies who rushed to him.
Silvia closed her eyes for the shock that hit her face, along with the dust. After the dust settled, she slowly opened her eyes, and her body stiffened, looking at the deep scar on the ground.
A massive slash stretched to the side, her eyes widened as cold sweat trickled down her back. But her attention shifted when a beast cried, and blue blood spurted in the air.
She saw Jin sheathe his Katana with a click. His surroundings were stained with blue blood and scattered corpses that soon burst into black smoke. Silvia gulped her saliva; her lips curled to see the spectacle of two types of strength that unfurled before her.
Unconsciously, she reached toward the sword on her waist. A glimmer of admiration and competitive fire lit in her azure eyes.
"Silvia, behind you!". Jin's warnings echoed and alerted the girl whose gaze wandered on the field.
Silvia gripped the sword on her waist, and when she turned, a bright flame burned the monster.
"Lady Silvia, focus". Marina pointed her staff forward.
A spark flickers around her side before it turns into swirling flames that change shape into arrows floating around her. With gentle waves, the arrows leave behind a bright trail as they plunge into the goblins and the wolf indiscriminately, burning them to ash.
One of the monsters managed to survive. Silvia took a deep breath and dashed forward while tightly gripping her sword.
*Gyaak!
'It's right here!' A silver line drew a beautiful arc from her swing, cutting the wolf's head up to its neck.
*Gyaak!
The goblin that had lost its ride jumped ahead with its club raised high. Silvia pivoted using her front leg as an axis and spun around in place, using that momentum to cleave the goblin's body into two.
Silvia stared at the monster before her, which burst into black smoke and left a green mana stone. She exhaled and crouched down, taking the stone in her possession. The tiny green pebble settled on her palm, reminding her again of the life she had taken.
"Does anyone hurt?". Ryan's voice broke through the barrier of stillness, and everyone turned to him.
Silvia turned around and saw a shadow approaching her side. She looked up, and heat gathered on her face.
"Are you okay, Silvia?" Jin's calm voice soothed her pounded heart, which felt the weight of the stone in her hand. He reached out, and Silvia took his hand with loosened lips.
"I'm fine, and thank you, Jin". Silvia clutched the stone tight on her chest, smiling at the boy who looked after her.
Jin nodded, guiding her to regroup with others. His gaze shifted to his parents, their faces still neutral with no hint of a single sweat. "Let's continue".
His parents nodded firmly as they began to explore the second floor again. Their footsteps echoed each time they advanced, but the place replied with silent whispers of darkness, slowly dimmed by the tiny sun hovering above.
There are no more monsters in the place, which makes their exploration smooth sailing.
"Another passage". Jin pointed ahead, his gaze sharper than others, and noticed a slightly hollowed wall on the front, with stairs that descended.
However, Jin's body jolted when he stepped into the passage. A chill pierced his skin like a needle penetrated deep into his bones.
His Jade eyes flashed as he saw a black miasma crawling the stairs and walls like a slithering snake. Its poisonous malice spat at them with an ominous glint, enveloping them with stifling pressure.
He looked around and frowned, seeing Silvia's face as pale as a sheet. Her feet were trembling like newborn fawns.
Silvia's body froze, and her vision started to distort. She saw a monstrous darkness. A palpable malice seeped through her pores, crushing her mind and gnawing at her heart like a maggot.
She lost consciousness momentarily as her body fell like a puppet whose strings got cut. Jin caught her in his chest, noticing her glistening skin and ragged breath. He turned to his parents, who turned to his side and frowned, looking at the girl's state.
"What should we do, Jin?". Ryan looked straight into Jin's eye, wanting to know what kind of answer his son would bring in this situation.
Even though the three of them were fine, one member of the party was paralyzed, unable to continue.
Jin looked at the girl and carefully lifted the wet hair that stuck to her corner lip. "Father, Mother, you two go on ahead and finish the investigation. I will take a rest on the second floor."
Ryan and Marina exchange glances. Relief washes away the breath they were holding in, afraid that Jin or Silvia would take extreme measures to continue in this situation.
"Alright, take care of Lady Silvia, Jin." Ryan raised his fist ahead, which Jin pumped.
With a flick of her hand, a pouch or water bladder appeared, and Marina gave it to her son. "Here, take this".
"Thank you, mother." Jin received the bladder and witnessed his parents' figure advance further and disappear from his sight.
He stored the bladder inside his Item Box and bent his knees, taking Silvia's knees and shifting his other hand to wrap around her shoulder. Jin lifted the girl in princess carry and turned around, seeking a good place for her to rest.
"*hic, *sob". A weak sob escapes her lips, and it filters through Jin's ears.
"Silvia, what's wrong?".
"*hic, I'm sorry,". SIlvia buried her face on Jin's chest.
"Why are you apologizing?". Jin's eyes scanned his surroundings before finding a good place near a wall, "There is nothing for you to be sorry for".
"B-But,".
"Don't worry, my parents were strong and…". Jin let down the girl and carefully leaned her weakened body into the wall, "It is my job to protect you, the moment your father pointed me as your guard".
"Jin". Silvia's blurry eyes stare at the boy's figure that sat near beside her, offering her water to replenish her body fluid.
However, her limbs refused to move, frozen in fear as the word that escaped his lips rang continuously in her ears. No one knew what had transpired in her head, gnawing at her consciousness till it broke her tears.
As Jin tended to Silvia on the quiet second floor, Ryan and Marina proceeded toward the unknown. They advanced steadily, paving through the pressure that felt like a tickle in their skins.
In front of them, a vast dome space glittering with twinkling light spread above. Its rocky structure still dominated the area, with pillars supporting the high ceilings.
"Be careful, dear. This place reeks of monsters." Marina's low voice rang out as the room responded with a 'bam' when a blinding light that resembled a sun chased away the darkness that enveloped the place.
Above them, a massive formation of crystals that sucked the surrounding mana in the atmosphere shines brilliantly, giving a clear picture of the Dungeon floor interior.
Ryan slowly opened his eyes and widened to see a battalion of monsters lined up in the innermost room.
The first line is filled with regular goblins, their yellowish eyes glazing over the two drolls dripping with nasty madness. Goblin riders stand on the second line; hunger can be heard in their growl.
"Hobgoblin and Goblin Knight".
On the back, four hobgoblins stand side by side with a lone Goblin knight who sits on a stone throne, wearing full plate armor and a broadsword standing beside its seat.
"What a grand welcome". Ryan licked his lips while his hand itched to feel a heart-throb battle he long as a warrior.