On the other side of the dungeon, Kiriya successfully infiltrated through a narrow passage he had previously marked during reconnaissance. He moved swiftly, nearly soundless, slipping between the shadows of the cave walls like undetectable smoke.
Upon reaching the heart of the lair, he discovered a pile of torches and fuel commonly used by goblins for nighttime illumination. Without hesitation, he ignited several tents and stacks of straw that were easily flammable.
The flames quickly spread, leaping wildly from one primitive structure to another. Thick black smoke billowed toward the cave’s ceiling, inciting widespread panic among the goblins who had just realized the sabotage.
Though often deemed foolish creatures, goblins in large numbers shouldn’t be underestimated. They could react swiftly, coordinate amidst chaos, and some even attempted to extinguish the fire using limited sand and water skins.
Nevertheless, their resource constraints rendered their efforts futile. The fire continued to consume wood, cloth, and even their food reserves, leading to turmoil and infighting among the goblins.Softonic
"Done," Kiriya muttered coldly, standing atop a large rock, observing his handiwork. His eyes watched the blaze with a calm yet vigilant gaze.
He realized a crucial point: goblins weren’t merely pawns to be slaughtered like in games. They were sentient beings capable of thought, learning from mistakes, and evolving—making them more dangerous than humans often assumed.
However, unlike humans, they possessed vastly different moral boundaries. They lacked compassion or sympathy for weaker beings—that distinction justified Kiriya’s actions in his eyes.
While the goblins were preoccupied with the fire, Kiriya descended from his hiding spot. He approached the western side of the camp, where prisoners were held in crude wooden cages with minimal guards.
With a swift hand signal, Mori began chanting an illusion spell from afar. A gentle mist started to envelop the cage area, creating a visual curtain that concealed their movements from goblin eyes.
Hana followed closely behind, her breathing steady yet eyes alert, a small dagger gripped tightly in her right hand.
"Left and right are clear," Mori’s voice softly reached Kiriya through a sound spell. Without wasting time, Kiriya gave a slight nod, then stealthily approached the main cage, his body blending into the lingering thin mist.
With quick and precise movements, Kiriya began cutting the ropes securing the rough wooden gate. The sound of fibers snapping was faint but enough to cause some inside the cage to stir in surprise.
Behind the bars, haggard and wounded faces stared at them with vacant expressions. Their eyes seemed devoid of life’s spark—not crying, not speaking, just silent and resigned.
"Can you still move?" Kiriya asked softly yet firmly. Some nodded slowly, an almost unconscious reflex, while others merely bowed their heads in oppressive silence.
Several prisoners, especially young women, didn’t react at all to their rescuers’ arrival. They simply sat motionless, backs limply against the cage walls, eyes gazing into the darkness as if no longer seeing the world.
"...Asano-san?" Hana whispered hoarsely, barely audible. She recognized one of them—her classmate, sitting in the cage’s corner, dirty and emaciated, a shadow of her former self.
"Asano-san...?" she repeated, approaching, but the girl didn’t respond. Only a vacant stare greeted her, like a soulless shell of the desk mate she once knew.
Kiriya turned, his gaze cold but not devoid of empathy. He knew their time was limited and chose not to linger on a tragedy he couldn’t change. "Hana, Mori... Take those who can move. Now."
Hana bit her lip, suppressing an emotional outburst, then quickly nodded. She and Mori immediately assisted the prisoners who could still stand, guiding them out of the cage one by one.
Mori cast a light protective spell over the weaker ones, creating a soft bluish aura that enveloped the prisoners’ bodies. The magical energy helped them stand, maintain balance, and move despite their long-neglected strength.
"We must leave before the smoke reaches here," he said urgently, his eyes sharply scanning the darkness pulsing at the corridor’s end. Shadows moved—whether from the fire or goblin footsteps, he couldn’t be certain.
Meanwhile, Kiriya knelt beside a young woman sitting silently in the cage’s corner. Her eyes were empty and unresponsive, staring straight at the wall, her body seemingly soulless.
His hand firmly gripped a dagger, but his breathing was heavy. In silence, he touched the woman’s forehead, then swiftly and cleanly swung his dagger toward her nape.
Blood didn’t spurt wildly, but her body immediately went limp, and a faint glimmer briefly shone in her eyes. The final spark... as if expressing gratitude for release from inhuman suffering.
Kiriya closed the woman’s eyes with his trembling hand, then bowed his head. "I’m sorry," he whispered softly, barely audible, then discreetly took a small pendant from her neck and placed it in his pocket.
Hana, witnessing it all from behind, stood frozen. Her eyes widened—in disbelief at what she had just seen, torn between horror, sorrow, and an inability to comprehend the cruel world they now faced.
Mori also bowed his head, saying nothing. He knew that if he spoke, emotions would erupt, and in such a situation, such luxury could mean death.
Goblin footsteps grew louder—hurried, panicked, and full of rage. Their stomping echoed through the stone corridors, mingling with incomprehensible shouts in their harsh language.
Kiriya stood up again, sheathing his dagger, then turned back. "Spread formation. Mori, maintain the mist. Hana, guard the rear—ensure no one is left behind."
His command was sharp and unwavering, leaving no room for debate. His voice no longer belonged to a high school student—it was the voice of a commander burdened with responsibilities far beyond his years.
Everyone moved without a word. Under suffocating pressure, they let survival instincts take over. There was no space for hesitation or fear—only the mission and the hope of survival remained.
Hana hugged her shoulders briefly, then turned to the two young girls they had rescued. In the calmest voice she could muster, she said, "Hold my hand. No matter what happens, don’t let go."
Mori led the way, chanting the fog spell repeatedly to ensure the magical veil remained thick, concealing their escape route. The air grew heavy with dust and the acrid scent of smoke from the burning camp.
Ahead, Kiriya stared into the darkness of the northern tunnel—the path to the surface. The cold, rough stone walls seemed to echo the unrelenting tension.
He glanced back at the now-empty cage—silent and somber. "We can’t save everyone," he thought, but he kept the words to himself.
Gripping his sword tightly, Kiriya advanced at the forefront. The only direction was forward, and the only choice was to keep living.
Kiriya and his party had finally completed their quest, though not without wounds, strain, and lingering nightmares that wouldn’t fade easily. While there was no grand frontal battle, the chaos they incited was enough to disrupt the goblins’ focus and create an opening for escape.
The flames consuming the goblin camp kept the dungeon’s inhabitants preoccupied, scrambling in panic to extinguish fires spreading through their tents and storage. None had anticipated that the young humans they underestimated could dismantle their tribe’s order in under an hour.
After sprinting through the long tunnel and finally breaking through to the surface, Kiriya’s party emerged onto a rocky plain, gasping for breath and trembling. The cool night air felt like a warm embrace after the stifling heat and the stench of blood inside.
Kiriya immediately took charge, aiding the weakened captives who struggled to walk. He led a small evacuation, instructing his friends to distribute water, wrap shivering bodies, and soothe those still in shock.
"Help them sit near that large rock, away from the wind," he ordered Mizuki and Goda while supporting the shoulder of a semi-conscious victim. He didn’t stop moving, even as his own breath grew ragged from the exhaustion he’d been suppressing.
After ensuring all the victims were temporarily stable, Kiriya patted Haruno’s shoulder as she tended to wounds. "I’m... heading to the back for a bit," he said briefly, his expression unreadable, but his eyes dim and heavy.
"Huh? Where are you going?" Haruno asked reflexively, but Kiriya was already walking away from the group.
"Just to relieve myself," he replied quickly, without turning back.
Hana and Mori, resting against a large rock as they recovered their magical energy, watched Kiriya’s figure slowly retreat into the bushes. They exchanged glances, and without words, they understood that Kiriya’s departure wasn’t for a trivial reason.
"Is... he really okay?" Hana whispered softly.
Mori didn’t answer. He was also in shock and didn’t know how to react after witnessing Kiriya’s actions earlier.
His body trembled as he vomited onto the rocky ground, his hands gripping his knees for balance. Tears streamed silently, mingling with the remnants of vomit and a guilt that wouldn’t easily fade.
He buried his face in his arm, stifling the sobs rising from his chest. On the battlefield, they had endured, but here, in solitude, he finally paid the emotional price for it all.