The tension hung heavy in the air.
When Renya answered, "Goblin," the atmosphere suddenly froze, as if the very stones around them were holding their breath. No one spoke for a few seconds. Even the faint echoes of their steps seemed to vanish.
Paul's brow furrowed sharply.
"Isn't that impossible? We're not even that far from the capital."
Renya gave a small nod, her eyes narrowed in thought.
"That's exactly what confuses me. We've been walking this road for fifteen minutes… and we haven't seen a single goblin."
Paul's gaze drifted ahead into the darkness of the tunnel, his mind ticking.
"It's like… they're avoiding us… huh?" he muttered, as the pieces began clicking together.
Greta's voice was low, her usual light tone now serious.
"And that's the worst part."
A cold shiver crept through the group.
Because monsters running away… usually meant something far worse was lurking ahead.
Renya's words hung in the air, dark and foreboding. "Yeah… they hunt what they see as prey, and avoid what they consider predators."
Her pace quickened, and she muttered under her breath, barely audible, "We need to eliminate this threat before it turns into a real problem for the kingdom…" There was a brief pause before she added, "Maybe even the whole continent."
Paul's expression remained stoic, but his mind was already running through possibilities. "How?" he asked, voice calm but carrying the weight of the moment.
The group came to a halt. The silence that followed was thick, pressing in from every side.
The question wasn't whether they should act. The answer to that was clear, but it was the how that loomed over them, like a heavy fog they couldn't see through.
Because they didn't know anything.
They had no real understanding of the goblins' sudden behavior. Why were they avoiding them? What had changed to make these creatures act in such a manner? Were they simply scared, or was there something worse at play?
And the worst part—they had always avoided them. They hadn't seen anything head-on yet. No direct encounter. No clue what was truly waiting for them beyond that shift in the goblins' behavior.
They were already on the back foot, reacting instead of leading.
A slow realization spread over the group, the urgency of the situation pressing on them like a rising tide. They were already in a passive state. And that, in itself, was a dangerous position.
As they continued down the path, the unease from the earlier conversation seemed to linger in the air. The soft clatter of boots on stone echoed, but the momentary distraction of the noble's carriage still weighed on Paul's mind.
"I hope they're okay," he muttered under his breath, barely catching himself as his thoughts wandered back to the nobleman and his entourage.
Renya, ever observant, caught the slip of his words. "Who?" she asked, her voice a little too sharp, but curious all the same.
Before Paul could offer a response, she added, "If you're talking about the noble's carriage, I don't think it's necessary to worry. They likely have protection from experts."
Renya's words had a ring of truth, but they didn't quite ease his unease.
Paul couldn't shake the feeling that they were walking straight into the unknown. He looked over at Renya and the others, trying to gauge their thoughts, but all he saw was the same unspoken tension.
"Stay alert," he finally said, his voice steady but carrying a weight they all knew too well.
Greta nodded without saying a word, her hand resting lightly on her weapon, while Kruger kept his eyes scanning the path ahead.
With a shared, silent agreement, they continued, every step a little more measured than before.
Just as we were about to leave the main road and head towards the path to the dungeon, I noticed something unusual on the side of the road. Pointing it out to Greta, who was more knowledgeable—especially with her Gifted abilities—I asked, "Look, there's a broken tree branch over there... what do you think happened?"
Greta squinted at the spot, then replied, "Let's see... it seems like they were rushing toward that direction, as if being chased by something. But why is it only the tree trunk that's broken? The grass is untouched—no signs of a chase." She finished her observation with a confused expression.
With Greta looking confused, I said, "Then let's head to the dungeon as soon as possible. It looks like the sign is pointing to the same place as us," my tone serious.
At my words, Kruger immediately interrupted the conversation and said, "Wait, Prince…" His voice was stern. "Before we go there, it's better to check it first. I think this could be a trap."
I responded, "Oh... is that so?" Then I turned my gaze to Renya and Greta, adding, "Renya, Greta... check if this is really a trap. And be careful. If it is, and you think it's not safe, then come back."
Renya and Greta said in unison, "Roger…" before immediately moving using their respective techniques. (Renya disappeared into the shadows using her skill, while Greta leapt between tree trunks with lightened gravity.)
As they set off to scout, something crossed my mind, and I said, "Oh yeah... let's try that tool... hehehe," as I began gathering the parts to assemble it.
Ten minutes later...
"Kruger, try throwing this up—just make sure it doesn't hit the tree branches," I said, handing the tool to Kruger.
Looking left and right at the drone, unsure of its function due to its fragile appearance, Kruger asked, "Are you sure, Prince?"
"Yeah... ah, wait," I quickly ran over and pressed the button, realizing it wasn't turned on yet.
WrrrRRRHHHHHHHHHHH! (signaling that the magic was activated)
"Well... now try throwing it, Kruger," I said.
With that, Kruger threw the device into the air. It rose quickly, seeming to float effortlessly in the sky…
After a few minutes, and seeing the tool running smoothly (still hovering in the air), I said, "Let's see… what the situation around us really is."
While waiting for Renya and Greta's report, I looked through the mini VTOL (drone) I had just launched.
Activating both [Share Vision] and [Sharp Vision] within the drone, I began scanning the area from above.
"What is this… oh, goblins… and… looks like they've already caught their prey," I said, peering down through the drone's view.
Hearing that, Kruger tensed and asked, "Prince… what's the situation?"
I replied, "It looks like the three guards we saw earlier are about to be eaten by the goblins. They're already dead. The goblins are dragging their bodies—cut into pieces."
Upon hearing my answer, Kruger asked, "What type of goblins can you see, Prince? How many?"
I replied, "There are too many trees… I can't tell the exact number." I continued, "But it looks like there are four special goblins in this group."
"What type, Prince?" Kruger asked, his voice thoughtful as he began analyzing the situation.
"One of them is a druid. Every step they take causes grass to grow instantly—like they're covering their tracks," I said, still observing everything through the drone.
At that, Kruger responded, "So that explains why the signs we saw earlier didn't make sense."
Both Ghunter and I nodded in agreement.
Then I added, "There's also a goblin wearing an assassin's robe… and he seems to be the one commanding the others," I said, though my tone was uncertain.
Hearing that, Kruger asked in a serious tone, "Is that the Goblin King?"
Paul replied, "I'm not really sure. The height is still the same as the others."
Kruger followed up, "And the last two?"
"Oh… just two goblin soldiers," Paul answered. Then, with a slightly puzzled tone, he added, "But it looks like they're guarding the one in the assassin's robe."
Kruger furrowed his brows, thinking. "That's… very strange," he muttered, resting his hand on his chin. "Can you tell where they're going? We'll need to figure out their numbers."
"Roger…" I responded, then guided the drone—still hovering steadily above—toward the direction the goblin group was heading.
As I guided my drone, Ranya's voice came through the headset.
"Prince… the situation looks bad, but this isn't a trap. You can proceed toward the dungeon and analyze it from there."
"Understood," I replied, then turned to Kruger and Gunther.
"Ranya confirmed—it's not a trap. Let's move out."
Both of them responded in unison, "Roger," and followed my lead.