10 Crisis

The path home was a long and dreary one. There was little conversation between the two as they retraced their steps towards the entrance of the tunnel.

Isabella was dejected at Arwin's reply. She had never met such a peculiar character. Somehow, a plain, teenage merchant was an expert at combat theory and possessed knowledge of unknown techniques. In the past, she would have never believed such a tall tale.

She didn't know if Arwin learned such techniques from a revered master, or if he was just a genius theory crafter.

However, she knew as soon as Arwin demonstrated his teachings to any significant institution such as a guild or military academy, he would no doubt become a famed instructor throughout the land. Once that happened, she would have no chance to ever study under him. Isabella had to take advantage of the fact that Arwin was inexplicably ignorant of his own potential.

That was why she had gone so far as to sell herself. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity she could not choose to pass up. If she could learn such powerful techniques, she would easily become a warrior rivaling the king's guard with just a couple of years of training.

Arwin's refusal was a devastating blow to her. She knew she didn't have much appeal as a slum dweller, but her self-esteem still took a significant hit, despite Arwin stating that payment wasn't the reason.

"What kind of reason is not being ready?", Isabella pouted in her head.

Even so, she would not give up. She resolved that she would pester him every day if she had to. If she sold the furs she gathered, she would have a decent amount of money for herself and her mother to live off for the rest of the winter. She could probably afford to spend a couple of days trying to make him crack under the pressure.

"He's a pushover anyways", she thought. "It shouldn't be too hard".

Despite a firm rejection, Isabella was energized and ready for a drawn-out fight.

…

The pair soon approached the entrance of the tunnel. The sky had considerably darkened since they had entered the cave, and the crescent moon was barely visible behind a thick layer of cloud. Isabella started exiting the tunnel, followed by Arwin and the abnormally full bag around his shoulder.

Arwin suddenly spotted a green figure about forty to fifty meters from the tunnel entrance. It seemed to be following the faint footprints left when they had first made their way into the dungeon.

Arwin was shocked that a goblin had wandered to this area of the forest. Back in the game, demihumans such as orcs and goblins would not spawn in this area. They were generally region locked out of their current area. If this had occurred in the game, new players would have rioted and demanded compensation from the game company. However, this was no longer a game.

This confirmed that region locks did not exist in this world.

Arwin cursed his overconfidence. He had taken a risky bet and lost.

The goblin was about the size of a grown man with thin, but sturdy limbs. It was carrying a small shield and rusty sword, suggesting that it was a part of the main forces of the demi-human alliance, likely in the goblin corps.

Although its equipment was inferior to a common human soldier, the enhanced physical capabilities of its race more than made up for such deficiencies. This matchup was very unfavorable for Isabella, and even more so for himself.

The best option here was to try and silently sneak away in another direction while covering their tracks. If the goblin didn't notice in time, they could probably escape back to the city in time.

As Arwin started taking his final step out of the Tunnel, he felt a cold gaze starting directly at them. He locked eyes with the goblin warrior. His heart sank.