Re-written date: 7 / 13 / 2025
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Chapter 52: The Rookie Adventurers' Fate
Inside the pitch-black cave, four young adventurers—one man and three women—moved forward cautiously in formation. They were clad in simple, shabby gear, their steps tentative in the heavy darkness. Among them, only the Priestess looked nervous. The other three seemed far too relaxed, almost like they were out on a casual outing rather than on a monster hunt.
"...Is this really okay?"
Unable to hold back her unease any longer, the Priestess asked the question timidly.
In response, the swordsman at the front simply smiled and said, "We are just facing some goblins, even little kids can do that. I've even chased some out of my village before."
"There's nothing to brag about when it comes to beating goblins," the female fighter scoffed. "It's embarrassing to even bring it up."
The swordsman clearly didn't like the comment, but he kept his mouth shut. Still, the look on his face only grew more confident and full of youthful arrogance.
Trying to reassure the anxious Priestess, the fighter leaned over and said, like comforting a child afraid to go to the bathroom alone, "Even if this idiot misses, I'll just punch the goblins into next week. You don't have to worry so much."
"Hey, come on! 'Idiot' is a bit much, isn't it? Besides, relax—if a dragon shows up, I'm sure we'll figure something out!"
"You're always so hasty... But I guess one day, maybe we will," the female mage at the rear murmured softly, drawing a few chuckles from the others.
Their carefree laughter echoed so loudly through the cave that the Priestess's anxiety only deepened. She worried the noise would attract monsters, but as the newest member and a former cleric, she didn't feel comfortable speaking out.
So the group, full of dreams about their future as adventurers, marched deeper into the darkness, heading toward the goblin den mentioned in their quest.
...
After navigating a dim tunnel lit only by flickering torchlight, the Priestess suddenly froze. A strange sound had come from behind them. Her instincts screamed that something was wrong.
"Hey, don't lag behind! You'll mess up the formation!" the mage behind her snapped.
"S-Sorry—!"
The Priestess had clearly heard something odd, but she was too timid to voice her concern. So, suppressing the unease in her chest, she hurried to catch up.
"Again? What is it this time?"
The mage—proud and aloof like many spellcasters—rolled her eyes. She looked annoyed, not worried. Mages were a rare class among adventurers, usually staying out of low-ranking work like this. Any party that had a mage was considered elite.
Because the Priestess had stopped again, the distance between them and the two at the front had grown. The swordsman and fighter, still lost in conversation, had walked even farther ahead, unaware of the growing danger behind them.
"I really think there's something behind us..."
The Priestess's voice trembled.
The mage let out an irritated sigh. "Come on. We came in from a single path. There's no way anything could be—"
She turned around mid-sentence, clearly expecting nothing. But—
"GOBLINS!?"
She screamed.
To her horror, a group of grotesque goblins had somehow looped around and now swarmed toward them from the rear.
It was the first time she had ever encountered monsters in real combat. Her face went pale as she raised her staff in desperation.
Among beginner mages, it was common knowledge that their mana—needed to cast spells—was extremely limited. That's why they relied on staffs with strong magic-conducting properties to help them cast effectively.
Even though she fumbled a little, the mage still managed to cast her first spell. With a burst of heat and a disgusting crackling sound of burning flesh, the stench filled the air. A smile briefly lit up her face—only to vanish the next second.
The goblins hiding in the shadows took advantage of their numbers and swarmed her. One of them quickly snatched away her staff.
"A–ah—! G-Give that back! That's not something you filthy things are allowed to touch—!"
For novice mages, items like staffs or magic rings were not just tools—they were lifelines. Without them, casting magic became impossible. And worse than that, they became even weaker than ordinary people.
On the other side, the priestess wanted to cast a spell to save her, but panic overtook her. She couldn't even finish the chant. Frozen in place, she could only watch.
"Damn it… D-damn it!"
The goblins, growing impatient with the struggling mage, gave up on the idea of taking her alive. One of them, with a growl, plunged its rusted short sword into her stomach without hesitation.
"AAAAAHHHH!!"
Her scream echoed down the tunnel, sharp and full of pain—like her guts had been carved out. Blood spilled across the dark passage.
"Cut—! Viz, toss that goblin that went off-script out of here. Also, we'll use a split shot for this scene. Props team, smear this red dye on her chest. And you two, the other newbie adventurers—run in on my cue!"
"Yes, Director!"
As Edward gave his precise orders, the filming site buzzed with activity. Despite how the scene looked on screen—like a dark, haunted cave—the set was more chaotic than a festival street.
Originally, many adventurers had just come to watch out of curiosity. But before anyone noticed, they had started helping out—some with props, some with lighting. What surprised Edward was that not only did they not complain, they were genuinely excited to pitch in.
After all, once the movie was finished, they could brag about how they were there, on set, part of the process. This was their chance to build up their own legend.
Once preparations were done, shooting resumed.
When the two vanguard adventurers realized the rear guard had been cut off, they panicked and rushed back. After forcing the goblins away from the wounded mage, the priestess quickly began casting healing spells—but the results were weak.
She didn't realize that goblin weapons were often poisoned. Just using healing magic wasn't enough. Trying to treat such a wound with her level of magic was futile.
Meanwhile, the swordsman engaged the goblins in close combat. But his overconfidence blinded him to the danger. He had underestimated how sly and dangerous goblins could be—especially in such a confined space.
More importantly, his long sword, perfect for open fields, was nearly useless in this tight, twisting cave. And because he'd refused to buy a secondhand suit of armor—calling it "filthy"—his neck had no protection at all.
In one careless moment, a goblin's dagger slipped past his guard and pierced his throat. The others quickly joined in, and he was cut down by the very monsters he thought were beneath him.
Out of the original four, only the priestess and the fighter remained. Despair washed over both of them.
And as expected, the fighter met a grim end too.
To protect the priestess and the mage, she stayed behind to buy them time. She fought with all her skill, fists flying in every direction—but against a massive Hobgoblin, her techniques meant nothing.
She was picked up like a rag doll and slammed into the ground.
No amount of training could save her from that sheer brute force.
In the end, with her ears covered and tears in her eyes, the priestess dragged the injured mage and fled the cave. The fighter, left behind alone, suffered unspeakable torment. Her screams echoed endlessly in the darkness of the cavern...
Edward had chosen to shoot this scene using a minimalist approach. After all, he couldn't actually demand such a horrific performance from his actors. So, after casting a Fear spell to trigger a sufficiently realistic scream from the actress playing the fighter, the camera shifted focus to Daphne, who played the priestess.
As for the "Hobgoblin"—such a creature didn't actually exist. It was just a troll that the headless knight had captured, dyed green, and disguised with makeup. The effect turned out to be surprisingly convincing. The only one who wasn't happy about it was the troll itself, who had been living a peaceful life in the forest before being dragged into the most terrifying kidnapping of its life.
…
"S-sorry—!"
Inside the cave, the priestess covered her ears, trying not to hear the echoes of violence still bouncing off the walls. Clutching the injured mage, she stumbled and ran. Even though the path was dark and littered with rocks, she ran blindly, desperately, like her life depended on it.
"S-sorry— so sorry— I'm sorry— I'm sorry—!"
She gasped for air, her throat tightening. And when the distant howls of goblins reached her ears, she couldn't even bring herself to look back. Just the thought sent a chill down her spine.
Only now did she understand why the receptionist at the adventurer's guild had tried so hard to stop them. Yes, goblins were weak—any average adult could beat one down. But if there were more than ten of them, each holding weapons, each acting with murderous intent and animal cunning...
This was the result. This was the real world of adventurers.
"Ugh, aaah—!?"
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her shoulder, and she collapsed. Looking down, she saw that her robe was soaked in blood, with a crude arrow lodged deep in her flesh.
As a priestess, her vows forbade her from bearing heavy arms or armor. Most clergy were ascetic monks, protected only by their robes and faith. Only members of the knightly orders were allowed to wear armor.
Naturally, she wasn't one of them.
The arrow had pierced her easily. Even the slightest movement sent waves of searing pain through her body—like a branding iron shoved into the wound.
"Ugh… nghhh…!"
From the shadows ahead, two goblins emerged, drooling and grinning. Their eyes sparkled with desire—no, with the twisted thrill of watching prey caught in a trap.
And just as they moved to pounce—
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Footsteps. Steady. Measured. Resolute.
From the depths of the cave, a faint light emerged. A torch—its glow small and dim, yet piercing through the darkness with absolute clarity—approached steadily.
In the priestess's tearful, wide-eyed gaze, a figure appeared, reflected in her pupils.
A figure that walked calmly into the goblin-infested nightmare, like a demon born from the depths of hell itself.