Chapter 73 - Enigma Of The Cavern

Moving past the stench-layered corpse of the wingless dragon-like creature, they discovered the final corridor sitting behind the caveragon, sitting at an angle that was a slope downwards rather than a direct walkway. The fresh memory of the mysterious text lingered in her mind, engraving in her a primal anxiety that tugged at her blinking courage.

"Brahmi…"

"What is it?"

They spoke in a whisper to each other as they entered the pitch black passageway, not even the sound of dripping water made itself audible.

"Whatever this thing is...it probably isn't on our list. So promise me...if things get bad, we need to prioritize escaping."

"--"

"Promise me."

It was rare to experience Iris' assertive side, but when it came out, out of both respect and reason, Brahmi felt no other choice but to comply.

The real trouble that rested on Iris' mind was the fact she tried her best to hide from her companion--she was utterly exhausted, her mana was running on fumes by this point.

"Fine, fine…but only if things get hairy."

There was an absence of all senses--their sight found nothing, noses picked up nothing but the washed stone, nothing was heard, and only the cold stone beneath the soles of their feet was felt.

That was, until the ragged, heavy breathing, almost mistaken for growling slowly met their ears. Following the now audible breathing, the sound of something tumbling down rang echoed through the cave, bouncing off the walls and into their sense of hearing.

The split-second fear that drove through Iris' body instinctually caused her to recast the illumination spell--revealing the entity hidden within the secretive shadows.

Sitting atop a hill of bones, the creature with verdant skin, lathered in grime and blood gnawed on the bone of a withered leg. Noticing the two visitors, smelling the fear that rose from their pores, it simply continued to grind its teeth against the bone, biting into it as the ivory object cracked under its bite. Those ten seconds felt like an eternity, waiting for the creature which sat atop the throne of bones to attack, as it simply watched them silently with its beady black eyes.

Attempting to speak, Iris' words came out in an inaudible gasp as her throat fought against the will to speak, held stiff out of absolute fear to the creature.

---It's a goblin...yet, that mana...that deathly, rotten mana is emanating from it.

Goblins, a race of monsters occupying the lowest threat level alongside slimes, they were scavengers and looters--only commanding some strength in groups, yet, the one before them now was different. Entering the domain occupied by the abnormal goblin, it felt as if they were trespassing upon land ruled by a king, earning its wrath.

From what was able to be seen at their angle, it was not a normal goblin, which usually stood at around a meter in height. This creature possessed a height and physique closely resembling a tank of a man like Sora, possessing musculature unseen in most scrawny members of its race.

However, having proportions nearly exact to that of a grown human male was an oddity in itself, even alpha goblins, which resembled adult humans usually possessed unusual proportions unbefitting of humans--yet this goblin was different.

Brahmi wasn't the type to freeze in the face of horror, coiling her body with her stone reinforcement as she clenched her fists. The goblin recognized the fight in her eyes, removing the bone from between its teeth as it flung it to the side.

"Is this really a goblin…?"

Finally finding her voice, Iris asked as she watched the silent creature slowly stand itself up atop the hill of withered ivory.

"--Iris! I'm leaving the support to you!"

Before Iris could get a hold of her own bodily functions again, Brahmi already began to charge forward towards the foe in front of them. Seeing her companion take action snapped her out of her freeze-inducing fear, putting her mind into the battle.

Leaping into the air to meet the goblin on an equal-footing as it stood on the pile of bones, awaiting her attack, Brahmi swung her body into a kick aiming for the side of the verdant creature's head. Carving through the air like a whip, her leg appeared as a blur--only to hit nothing but more air as the goblin ducked under her incoming kick.

"Brahmi! Watch out!"

It was too late to call out to her companion as the monster countered by sending its fist directly against the woman's abdomen, leaning into the punch before sending Brahmi flying back as she landed against the cavern wall with a thud.

--How…? It evaded her attack like it was nothing. It didn't even flinch. I couldn't even keep track of Brahmi's movements, yet it...how?

"--Brahmi, we have to go, now! This goblin...it might...it might be a phantasm-level monster."

"Like hell I'm running now!"

Clearly angered by the exchange with the creature, Brahmi stood herself back up, wiping the saliva from the side of her mouth as her irises shook with anger.

"You promised!"

"Ngh…! Running would be pointless right now! This thing probably knows the ins and outs of this cave better than us, and at least physically...it can keep up with me."

It was hard to tell if what she was saying was out of her desire to continue battling or it was her true analysis of the situation--or both. Iris opened her mouth with the intent of arguing with Brahmi but stopped herself, taking a deep breath.

"--Fine. We'll take him down, right here and now."

"That's more like it, partner!"

Once more, Brahmi and the goblin clashed, exchanging blow after blow. Even with her special stoneskin reinforcement, blocking the monster's hits her forearms still made her suffer the aftereffects of the force that echoed through her body.

"Licht: Bind!"

Assisting her companion, Iris unleashed an incantation that conjured limbs of light energy that rose from the ground beneath the goblin's feat, grabbing hold of its limbs. Using its inability to move to her advantage, Brahmi unleashed a barrage of hooks, alternating between both fists as she slammed them against the goblin's head.

"--This is for that punch to the gut earlier, you smelly brute!"

Even after being on the receiving end of the punches that mimicked earthquakes, the goblin only spat out blood in the woman's eye--stopping her barrage.

"Gah--what the hell?"

Stopping to wipe the blinding liquid from her eye, the creature snapped out of his bindings like a beast from chains.

In that moment, it's dark eyes, devoid of irises locked onto Iris before it closed the distance between itself and the blue-haired girl in the blink of an eye.

"Eh--?"

--It knew to target me? Does it possess intelligence as well as this overwhelming strength?

"Hyperion: Protection--!"

Allowing her instincts to carry her actions, Iris conjured a hexagonal barrier formed of light between her and the goblin before it struck her, slamming its fist coiled with monstrous strength against the shield. Without hesitation, it continued to use its fists as hammers, striking down upon the barrier as if it were an anvil.

--I can't hold this much longer…!

"Keep yer' eyes on me!"

Brahmi appeared behind the goblin, sliding her arms under its pits as she put it into a full-nelson hold. Not having to verbally communicate it to her partner, Iris understood what to do next as she released her hold of the barrier.

--I need a spell that won't hit her as well...think. Think!

"Just do it already! I can take whatever ya' can dish out, Iris!"

Even with the sturdiness of Brahmi in mind, Iris' gentle consciousness had trouble accepting such a plan--but with little time to choose her options, as the goblin didn't take its holding lightly, she had to act.

"Hear me, great son of the king of divinity, the sapling of that who brings the roars of the heavens down upon his foes, brother of the goddess who basks in the moonlight--"

As she closed her eyes, uttering the mystical incantation as an aura of luscious light rose around her, circling her ankles, the barbaric goblin continued to struggle against Brahmi's grip.

"Most reasonable of all who inhabit the heavens, he who has gifted us our music and culture, grant me the power to strike down my enemy with your blessings."

The blossom of light coiling around the girl shifted into a dazzling illumination, emitting a light within the cavern as if the sun itself was present. Out of desperation as the great magic neared completion, the creature knocked its head back against the brawler's nose, who endured it with but a grunt in return.

"Apollo: Malicious Benevolence!"

Condensing into an orb of light that hung above their heads, the radiance of divinity encompassed the hollow cavern. The goblin's verdant skin singed under the spell's illumination, wreathing in agony as Brahmi let it go, allowing it to drop to the ground as it scratched at its own skin as if trying to free itself from the intangible flames of divinity.

"--That's weird, how come it doesn't hurt me? In fact...it feels kinda nice. Like I'm all wrapped in a fluffy blanket."

Checking her own body to make sure her flesh wasn't being eaten by the light, Brahmi was left confused at her lack of harm inflicted.

"It's a spell that scorns enemies but soothes allies. I've never used it before...I honestly didn't even remember the incantation until I began to speak the first words. Lucky break, I guess…"

"Well good going, Iri! You're a total badass! Look at em', that was a tough bastard and you made him look like a punk."

Brahmi threw her arm around Iris' shoulder with a wide smile, patting the top of the girl's head as a bashful blush filled her pale cheeks.

"--I-Iri, huh? I didn't do anything special...you're the one who managed to hold it back while I hesitated."

"That's what partners are for, ya' goof! Honestly, we should get two-hundred damn points for that thing."

The two watched as the sphere of light continued to bring its rays down against the helpless creature, who had clawed off chunks of flesh from its body--arms, thighs, cheeks--it was left a mess as the stench of burning flesh filled the stone room, its blood evaporating as it left its body.

--With those injuries, it should be fatal already.

Feeling her mana drain be gulped by the second as she held the great magic, Iris released the spell as the soothing, yet viscous light faded, allowing the darkness to settle in once more.

"Well that was all a big waste of time. No points again!"