Chapter 200: The Fall of the Goblin Kingdom, Hidden Plot Unfolds Early, but... (1)
Sistine immediately perked up, her entire body exuding a serious aura as she bypassed Shia and hurried toward the source of the noise.
Relief swept through her heart.
If not for someone conveniently discovering the Goblin nest, Sistine truly wouldn't know how to face Shia. But now that there was progress with the task at hand, she finally had an excuse to escape her dilemma.
With this thought, her steps quickened.
At the entrance of the cave stood a young girl. Three goblins already lay dead on the ground near the entrance.
Hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, she turned to see the Sword Saintess leading a group of girls toward her.
"Found it?"
Sistine's voice was calm and steady.
"Yes!"
The girl's face held a hint of excitement, though her eyes carried a trace of disgust—directed at the goblins.
She wasn't alone. All the girls present shared an instinctive loathing for these vile, sinister creatures.
It was a hatred born of nature, a deep-seated urge to annihilate them completely.
Without even taking time to observe her surroundings, Sistine stepped into the Goblin nest decisively.
"Let's go. Clean them out!"
Her voice was crisp and commanding, her urgency evident.
In an instant, all the girls followed her lead.
With Sistine at the helm, they felt a surge of excitement. Part of it stemmed from the sense of security brought by having a powerful senior guide them. Another part came from the righteous thrill of eradicating evil.
And finally, there was the satisfaction of tackling their trial task.
Completing a mission was always uplifting.
As the group delved deeper, every goblin they encountered was mercilessly slaughtered.
Goblins, with their minimal combat prowess, were utterly powerless against the skilled and capable girls.
Before long, they had swept the entire nest clean.
The newcomers' first trial task was a resounding success, and the group was already preparing to leave.
The atmosphere among them had become much more relaxed. Rong turned, about to speak to Shia.
But just then, a sudden shift occurred!
The ground beneath them began to tremble violently, sand and dirt cascading from the ceiling as the earth beneath their feet cracked open.
In mere moments, the entire floor collapsed!
The girls screamed in panic as the ground gave way beneath them.
As Shia fell, a bad feeling gnawed at him. But amidst the chaos, two hands shot out simultaneously from either side, steadying him.
By the time they landed, a few people had fallen awkwardly, groaning in pain.
Yet Shia stood firm.
He turned to his left. Rong, her face filled with concern, was examining him intently, her other hand brushing the dust off his shoulder with gentle care.
"Master, are you alright?"
This reaction was normal.
Then Shia turned to his right.
Violet was holding onto him as well, a flicker of worry and panic flashing deep within her cold, noble silver eyes.
This was like a scene straight out of a "damsel saves the hero" moment—except with two saviors.
The two of them were now tightly pressed against Shia, one on each side.
On his left, the soft and endearing Rong clung close like a loyal follower, her delicate touch lingering. On his right, he could feel the gentle pressure of something soft against him—the refined and elegant silver-haired princess, her smooth, pale hands clutching his arm tightly.
Rong finished brushing the dust from Shia's left shoulder, then moved to his right—only to find herself locking eyes with Violet.
The succubus princess's gaze shifted from Violet's face to her hand resting on Shia's arm, then back to Violet's face, her expression turning laden with hidden meaning.
Though she said nothing, her look spoke volumes.
Violet suddenly felt a pang of guilt for no apparent reason, her mind recalling what Rong had said to her not long ago.
"Honestly, you like him, don't you?"
Like him?
Her? Like Shia?
What a joke!
Violet's eyes fell on her own hand, still holding onto Shia's arm. As if burned, she yanked her hand away, her face quickly adopting a look of disdain.
"Ahem, I was merely protecting a classmate since he was the nearest," Violet said, raising her chin as if to dismiss the moment.
Her wandering gaze betrayed her as she pretended to assess their surroundings.
But Shia wasn't paying attention to her awkward explanation.
His focus was on the vast cavern revealed beneath the collapsed Goblin nest. The space was immense, with numerous tunnels branching out in every direction.
Each tunnel stretched into darkness, their depths unfathomable.
It was like an underground kingdom.
This was no simple accidental cave-in.
Shia's expression turned grave.
Before coming here yesterday, he had double-checked the location with Ella, confident they wouldn't encounter any major events from the story's plotline.
But the scene before him suggested otherwise. The situation was veering toward a worst-case scenario!
"What is this place?"
"How do we get out?"
"This… looks artificially excavated!"
Gradually, the others began to grasp the strangeness of their predicament.
And as their vigilance grew, the crisis struck!
Hordes of goblins began pouring out from the tunnels, charging toward them.
Initially, only goblins wielding crude weapons like sharpened sticks stormed forward.
Though grotesque, these green-skinned creatures posed no real threat to the girls.
But the true danger emerged with the sound of whistling wind.
Sistine's sword flashed, intercepting an incoming arrow mid-air.
More arrows followed, raining down on the group.
With ranged and melee attackers combined, the pressure on them surged!
Fortunately, Sistine's formidable combat skills allowed her to shield the others effectively, keeping the situation under control.
Amid the chaotic battle, a faint pink mist began to spread unnoticed.
This subtle yet insidious change didn't escape Shia's wary eyes.
His suspicions confirmed, he immediately shouted a warning.
"Be careful of the mist! Retreat quickly!"
Though they moved swiftly, a few were inevitably slower.
One girl struggling at the rear was about to be overtaken by goblins when Sistine appeared behind her, cutting down their pursuers.