The mouth of the cave yawned before them, jagged and dark. A cold wind blew down from Mount Eron, carrying the faint scent of damp earth and decay. Shadows flickered across the rocky entrance, and the faint, distant shrieks of goblins echoed, carried by the hollow slopes.
Laxyie crouched first, scanning the terrain. Every movement, every sound, registered in his mind. Tyke was behind him, silent for once, eyes wide but focused. Lyla rested her hands on the hilt of her sword, letting the runic blade hum faintly with energy, a quiet warning in its own right.The cave mouth was only the beginning.
As they pressed deeper into Mount Eron, the number of goblins became overwhelming. First tens, then dozens, then what felt like hundreds, their shrieks echoing off the stone walls. The air reeked of sweat, mud, and stale blood. Laxyie, Lyla, and Tyke fought side by side, but the tide of creatures seemed endless.
Laxyie ducked under a swing from a rusted sword, slashing two goblins before spinning to intercept another charging from the shadows. Lyla's sword sang through the air, cutting down a dozen with precise, graceful arcs. Tyke's slingshot sang as well, his small body moving swiftly, dodging and firing, but even he could not keep up with the endless swarm.
They pressed forward, each step costing more energy. Muscles burned. Hearts pounded. Sweat streaked across faces and arms.
"Too many!" Tyke gasped as another wave came from a branching tunnel.
"We push through!" Laxyie shouted, voice low but carrying. His dagger flashed like a streak of black lightning.
Hours seemed to stretch into one long, brutal battle. They moved almost instinctively—Laxyie clearing paths, Lyla cutting down goblins in sweeping arcs, Tyke targeting weak points with precision. Every now and then, a goblin would catch him off guard, claws scratching or teeth biting, but they held together.
Finally, just when exhaustion threatened to take them, Tyke screamed.
"Ahhhh!"
An arrow had pierced his leg. Blood flowed quickly, and Tyke collapsed onto the cave floor, clutching it in pain.
Laxyie froze for only a heartbeat before his eyes went wide. Fury ignited like fire in his chest. His vision sharpened, senses screaming. Then it happened.
He felt it—the awakening deep inside him.
Hereditary Vita Bound.
A veil lifted. His eyes glowed faintly pale in the darkness, and suddenly the cave revealed itself differently. Heartbeats thumped in the shadows, goblin bodies scattered or hiding, and magic traces flickered like dim stars in the gloom. Night vision made the blackened cave as clear as day.
Laxyie's dagger flew from hand to hand with new precision, predicting movement before it happened. Every goblin became visible in their intent, their heartbeat, their magic—even those hiding in the cracks and crevices.
"Laxyie!" Lyla shouted, seeing the change. "You're… different!"
"I see them all," he said, voice low but dangerous. "Move with me!"
Together, they pushed back the horde. Laxyie's speed and reflexes had multiplied with his new senses. Lyla's swordwork became a deadly dance beside him, each swing cutting down dozens, the runes flaring brighter with every strike. Tyke, despite the arrow in his leg, rolled to safety and fired carefully, aiming for weak points under Laxyie's direction.
Wave after wave of goblins fell. The ground was slippery with mud and blood, the air filled with shrieks and the clang of steel. Lyla moved like a whirlwind, finally striking the last goblin down with a final, powerful arc. She stood, chest heaving, sweat and grime coating her, staring at the broken creatures around her.
Laxyie ran to Tyke, kneeling beside him. "Are you all right?" he asked, his voice unusually soft.
Tyke gritted his teeth. "I'm… I'm not a baby. I'll be able to manage."
Laxyie's pale eyes softened just slightly. "Good. Because we still haven't beaten the boss."
From deeper within the cave came a low, guttural growl. The air vibrated with it, heavy and full of malice. Shadows twisted unnaturally along the walls. Something large moved—something that had orchestrated all this chaos.
The three of them exchanged glances. Exhausted, bloodied, and bruised, but alive. And together.
"Let's finish this," Lyla said, adjusting her grip on the hilt of her sword.
Laxyie's eyes flicked to the faint glow of magic in the shadows, detecting the heartbeat of the enormous creature. His senses were heightened, every threat in the cave visible to him now. "Stay close," he said, voice tight. "We do this smart. And we do this together."
Tyke pushed himself upright, ignoring the pain in his leg. "I'm not slowing down. Let's go."
The boss stirred, the cave trembling around it, and their final challenge began.