Magic Works(6)

At the end of that narrow alley,

There are two iron doors sealed by an iron bar in the middle of the two door handles. The entrance to the underground labyrinth resembles that inside the academy, with a height of 3 meters and a width of 2 meters.

Andro and Dirk together remove the seal, moving it to the side of the door. From their expressions, the door seal is quite heavy and produces a metallic sound when placed.

Brian explains the mission to Rozer, which will be divided into 4 expeditions, considering the vastness of the place. Today, they will explore from this door towards the south to traverse all the rooms and kill any demonic creatures they encounter. If he find valuable items, he can take them as long as they report to Brian and the others first.

As the door swung open, Andro pulled on one side, Dirk on the other. "It's open," Dirk declared.

"I beg you, Rozer. Guard my back. If you need assistance, just shout," Brian instructed.

"I understand." Rozer affirmed.

Andro channeled magic into a crimson-hued stone near the door, activating a cascade of lanterns attached to the walls. This system, powered by magic, could sustain itself for at least two hours. Not every lantern in the labyrinth was operational; the magic had its limits.

Following the plan, Andro and Dirk led the charge, Brian in the middle, and Rozer at the rear, venturing into the abyss.

Along the way, the place was covered with elongated stone walls resembling a single-lane corridor, adorned with moss and roots protruding from the walls. After descending the stairs, they find a wider corridor than before. There are doorless rooms on its sides.

Inspecting each room, they stumbled upon relics—a collection of worn-out items like books, rugs, clothes, fragments of wood from a long-forgotten fireplace, and traces of past life. Mice and tiny insects occasionally startled them.

Unfazed adventurers, accustomed to diverse landscapes, knew no fear. Yet, Andro's heightened vigilance fostered a tense atmosphere.

At a junction, they double-check the map and decide to go right first because all these places are interconnected. Thus, when they return, they will exit from the left side of the intersection.

With every step, the chill in the air penetrated deeper into their bones. No forewarning was given, but Rozer, cloaked in the academy's mantle, remained impervious to the cold.

Reactivating the lantern system elsewhere, their focus shifted to four goblins ahead. Andro halted the advance,

"Leave this to me, just 4 goblins, it's easy."

The goblin whose gaze is still adjusting due to sudden brightness screams, then forces its gaze towards Andro, who approaches as he unsheathed his sword with a predatory grin.

A skirmish ensued after Andro skillfully beheaded one goblin. The remaining trio, armed with crude clubs, only managed to inflict a bruise on Andro's right thigh. The confines of space made evasion impossible.

Andro, a maestro with weaponry, swiftly thrust, slashed, and cleaved through goblin bodies, green blood staining the stone floor. Even when the goblins attempted feeble defenses with their makeshift clubs, it was futile in preventing their impending demise.

Following Andro's blade dance, the others approached,

"Are you okay?" Brian asks, concerned.

"Not a big deal, that damn goblin hit me on the thigh."

"Fortunately, they didn't carry swords,"

"Even if they had swords, I'm sure their strength wouldn't allow them to swing a sword enough to cut my body."

"Well then, thank goodness. Let's move on."

Continuing their odyssey, they scrutinized each room, activated lantern systems, and dispatched lurking goblins.

Several times, they stumbled upon coinage—bronze, silver, or gold, in discernable amounts. Not a fortune, but a welcomed boon given their primary mission was demon slaying, not treasure hunting.

Rozer, trailing behind, executed swift counterattacks when goblins ambushed from the rear.

As they contested ownership of a gold necklace, Brian probed Rozer,

"Although still a kid, you're proving reliable, Rozer. By the way, why did you say you wanted to come in here too? Is there something you're looking for?"

"I don't know, the first time I entered this place was when I was at the academy, but the headmaster forbade me from entering again. I was just curious about this place and harbor a desire to extinguish demonic entities."

"Uwahh... You're morphing into your father, opting to reside in the Boszeven forest as the guardian of the demon gate so that demonic creatures don't come out from there.

Wait a moment, you said you entered this place through the door in the academy? Did you kill goblins that time too?"

"You know a lot, how do you know?"

"So that's how it is, I understand now why this mission exists in the adventurer's guild. Perhaps the headmaster asked the adventurer's guild to explore here because of you, and this mission states that there might be encounters with goblins. Everything makes sense now."

"I don't get it."

"The labyrinth door won't be opened by anyone unless in danger—even forgotten by the residents, that's why there are rarely missions to explore the underground labyrinth."

"Is that so?"

"That's right, but it also has its advantages because you opened that door, we got this job," Andro adds after convincing Dirk that the gold necklace they found will be split in half.

"And also, there's a possibility that goblins have dug holes, allowing them to enter here," Dirk adds.

Brian, taken aback by Dirk's unexpected intellect, remarked, "Unexpectedly, Dirk, you're quite clever, huh?"

Andro adds, "I thought you only knew about food."

"Very rude, I know other things too," Dirk retorted.

Brian and Andro laughed while Rozer, befuddled by their jests at Dirk's expense, struggled to comprehend. The journey recommenced.

Midway through their trek, Brian consulted the map, declaring, "After this, we go to the left, circling back toward the entrance."

"Got it, Boss," Andro replied, simultaneously reactivating the lantern system.

Dirk redirected his attention, sensing a gust from the ceiling on the opposite side of the crossroads—an ample hole. When the lanterns blazed to life, countless goblins peered through the opening.

"Boss, look at that!" Dirk exclaims.

Their collective surprise crescendoed as goblins, brandishing weapons—clubs, swords, and torches—descended from the hole. Blades unsheathed, the quartet prepared for the impending clash.

"They're too many!" Andro shouts.

"It's my turn now! Remember your positions!" Brian yells.

Adhering to the plan, they retreated, luring the horde of goblins from the hole. Andro and Dirk bellowed, their voices thunderous enough to unnerve the goblins, forcing them to maintain distance. Swiftly retreating to a darker zone,

They continue backward to a darker place where the lantern system must be activated again. Occasionally, goblins surged forward, yet both Andro and Dirk skillfully repelled their advances. The goblins behind continued pressing, creating a macabre wave of bodies.

A different kind of scream reverberated—not a reflection of Andro or Dirk's voices. It was a guttural roar, a primal symphony of chaos.

Rozer, at the rear, discerned a silhouette, likely a minotaur—towering, wielding a colossal axe.

"They're increasing!"

"Boss?"

"Not yet,"

"There's another creature behind,"

"How many are there?"

"Just one, but substantial—likely a minotaur,"

"This is bad, can I leave it to you, Rozer?"

"I understand."

Rozer contemplated a swift solution to halt the minotaur, considering its formidable build. Failure risked the creature charging past him, its colossal axe threatening his comrades. Direct confrontation was untenable, and casting spells with one hand—signaling God, Lightning, stone and tree to obstruct the creature—seemed inadequate but it's worth a try.

"I'll commence," Brian announced, opens his left eye cover, revealing yellow Zonnen eyes with four patterns.

The three of them cover their ears with one hand and the other shoulder to block their ears while closing their eyes.

Brian, with his eyes open, unleashed a demonic incantation, "Nellavhell'edni!"—plunging the goblins into a hallucination of hell. Collapsing to his knees, Brian endeavored to conceal his Zonnen eyes once more.

The goblins writhed, convulsing in apparent agony, perceiving the fires of hell in their minds. Screams echoed, bodies contorted on the floor. Some goblins, unaffected by Brian's eyes, retained consciousness, trampling their frenzied counterparts.

Andro and Dirk dealt with the surviving goblins, preventing any from breaching their defenses to harm Brian.

Green and red blood marred the labyrinth walls—a canvas painted with the symphony of death. Cries, clashing steel, and the flow of blood orchestrated a gruesome melody.

On the opposing end, the minotaur and Rozer closed in, poised for a life-and-death struggle.