“I can’t use magic?”
I whisper.
“Master, I sense something outside.”
“Yes, multiple things.”
Say Rurika and Hikari, and yes, there are reactions on the other side of the boulder.
They’re clearly not human, but when did they get there?
“Let’s step back a little.”
After telling them once again I can’t use magic, we step away because we don’t know what will happen.
One meter, two meters, and then I notice something changes.
Magic energy?
“Chris, Mia, can you use magic?”
“…I think so.”
“Me too. But I don’t think I could use Holy Magic until just now. I had a feeling.”
So our magic energy returned when we stepped away?
It’s easy to check, but I don’t think we should carelessly get close.
“So what now?”
“We’ll hunt the goblins?”
Rurika unsheathes her swords, and Hikari grabs her dagger.
Sera sees them, and also takes her axes from her item pouch. Not the ones she normally uses, throwing axes.
This passage is about three meters wide, meaning there’s less room to swing them.
Rurika suggested we hunt the goblins, but apparently one group is headed this way. At the same time, the reactions outside are going away.
I don’t know what the ones outside are, I just know they’re not human. Their reactions feel goblin, but they also feel a little different from the goblins inside.
“Sora, think about that later. We should head to the deepest area.”
Says Rurika, and we run through the cave.
I look at Map, and see the goblins in the deepest room are still there. Conversely, the ones in the other paths are heading to the center.
Rurika wants us to go deeper because that’s where we can display our strength the best. Also, we should probably get as far away from the entrance as possible.
Goblins show their faces from the branched paths, but they quickly go down. I collect the corpses I can collect and leave the rest.
We can’t burn them here, but if they turn into undead, Mia should be able to take care of them.
There are a lot of reactions about two hundred meters from here. Not in a straight line, but after a few curves.
“Rurika, I’ll take point.”
We’re almost there, so I stand in front with my shield.
There are fifty reactions in that open area, and about twenty that are still coming this way.
I look at Map again, and see the former still aren’t moving. Will a focused attack be waiting for us when we reach that area?
We jump in with that in mind, but no attack comes.
“Why?”
“They’re not here.”
We only see ten goblins.
Rurika and Hikari are shaken, and I’m surprised.
This isn’t what I saw on Map. Are they invisible? Apparently I’m not the only one to think that, because Hikari uses her Projectile Slash before I can use Wind Magic.
Her aim is perfect, and it cuts a goblin.
Then I use Tornado to cover that area, and the raging winds mince the goblins.
All the goblins here are down, but Map shows me forty reactions.
“Let’s take down the ones that are left.”
Says Rurika, and we head to the center of this area.
The reactions are still here, but there are no actual presences.
“Sora, Chris, be careful. Sera, Mia, Hikari, let’s hunt them.”
Sera grabs her usual axes, and Mia trades her staff for a spear.
Mia casts Holy Magic buffs, and they ambush the goblins coming in.
There are some superior species among them, but the corpses pile up nonetheless.
“It’s over.”
Rurika stabs the last one with her twin swords, and all the reactions are gone.
I put the corpses in my Item Box and look around. The floor is rugged, and there’s nothing other than the goblin Hikari took down with Projectile Slash, meat chunks, and blood.
I carefully go in deeper to collect the corpses, and investigate, but what really sticks out to me are the reactions of the goblins that aren’t here.
This will play a part in what we do next.
“There really is nothing.”
“I don’t feel magic energy either.”
But the reactions remain. I even try Analysis where they are, but I get nothing.
“What do we do? I’m curious, but I’m also curious about those reactions outside…”
Hikari and Rurika also sensed them, and are thinking about what I said.
“Sora, can we get out of here?”
“…We won’t have any problem if I can use Transfer.”
I’ve actually already activated it. I used it for a short jump, but if I can use it for a short jump, a long one should be fine.
“Then let’s stay here all night. I want to investigate some things.”
I don’t think there’s any danger of a cave-in, so we decide to stay the night here.
Not the uses she normally uses, throwing axes. -> Not the one she normally uses, throwing axes.
Thanks for the treat.