56. The Hole Under the Floor

Regardless, I had to eliminate the immediate threat. Fortunately, we’d managed to thin out the rank-and-file goblins enough that we weren't in danger of being overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

With the pressure off, Zephyr and Lowell both went on the offensive. The low-level goblins were still being trampled by Shiroru, as usual.

"Halfa, a song!"

"Got it!"

I decided to have her use her Singing Magic, which she’d been holding back during the initial skirmish. As Halfa's voice rang out across the village, my body felt suddenly, noticeably lighter. It was the 〈Song of Agility〉.

"Oh, now this is more like it!"

Zephyr swung his massive sword with newfound ease, lashing out at the Goblin General. The terrifying whoosh of his blade cut through the air. The Goblin General met the blow head-on, however. It too wielded a greatsword, and the two heavy blades clashed in a thunderous exchange of offense and defense.

Since this wasn't a one-on-one duel, interference was inevitable. A Commander-class goblin tried to catch Zephyr from the flank.

However, it never reached him. Lowell materialized behind it, cutting the creature down in a heartbeat. Crackling with electricity, his blade was clearly under the effect of Lightning Clad. Even for a high-rank species, a mere Commander stood no chance against it. Lowell immediately shifted his focus to the next target.

Meanwhile, I set to work quietly picking off the Goblin Leaders. The effect of Shadow Hiding had already worn off, but the battle between Zephyr and the Goblin General was so intense that I went completely unnoticed. This allowed me to trigger my 【Shadow Strike】 skill with ease. Against a mere Leader, I could still land a one-hit kill.

Lowell and Zephyr had been right. Honestly, nothing other than the General was much of a threat. I suppose high-rank goblins are only truly dangerous when they have a massive horde to lead.

The General, however, was a different story. Zephyr was attacking valiantly, but he seemed to lack a decisive blow. Then again, even with the 〈Song of Agility〉 helping him, the fact that he was holding down a Threat Level B General all by himself was impressive enough.

"Hey! Don't just stand there watching! Feel free to pitch in!"

The rest of the goblins had been dealt with, leaving only the General. I’d been hanging back to study Zephyr's fighting style, but his shout proved he wasn't the type to demand a fair fight. He wasn't that much of a battle-maniac.

I exchanged a glance with Lowell, who gave me a subtle nod as if to say, Go ahead.

Fine, then. Time to back him up. There was no sense in being polite in a life-or-death struggle.

That said, my dagger was likely underpowered for a monster of this caliber. High-rank species tended to have unnaturally tough skin that resisted damage. Even if I couldn't wound it properly, I could at least provide a distraction.

I recast Shadow Hiding and crept up behind the General. Neither Zephyr nor the General were moving much; they were locked in a stationary slugfest of heavy blows. Closing the distance stealthily was actually quite easy.

Even as I stepped into range, the General didn't notice me. I wanted to go for the throat, but the General was as tall as a large man—well out of my reach. I’d have to settle for the back of the knee. It was a reachable target, and a solid strike there would surely ruin its balance.

"Gugaaa!?"

I drove my knife home with everything I had. The monster's hide was so tough the impact made my hand go numb. However, between my strength and the 【Shadow Strike】 effect, I dealt a significant amount of damage. At the very least, it was enough to make the General scream. Though, given its reaction, it might have been a cry of shock at being ambushed rather than one of pure pain.

The General was still standing, but my role was finished. To deliver and receive those heavy blows, it needed to keep its weight firmly planted. With its leg compromised, the General’s movements slowed significantly. Zephyr could handle the rest.

Struggling to keep its guard up, the General could no longer keep pace with Zephyr's onslaught. It managed to block a few more hits, but it was only a matter of time before its defense failed.

That moment arrived a second later.

"Uoooooh!"

The General's posture finally crumbled under the pressure. Zephyr didn't miss the opening. With a fierce roar, he brought his blade down on the General's neck, lopping its head off with sheer momentum.

Good grief, just how much strength did that take?

"The same idiotic strength as always," Lowell muttered softly from nearby. "I can hardly believe that's the combat power of a C-Rank."

Pot, meet kettle, Lowell. I’d seen him slicing through Commanders like butter with that lightning-charged sword.

Zephyr caught his breath and walked over to us.

"Tort, you're amazing! I was fighting the damn thing face-to-face and even I lost track of you! That follow-up strike was terrifying. I thought you said your Divine Protection was explorer-type? You're a total fraud!"

"I agree," Lowell added. "That Assassin Style really suits him. In a fight against humans, he'd be the most troublesome type among us."

Wait, are they lumping me in with these monsters?

Compared to them, I was well within the realm of normal. Probably.

While we chatted, we did a quick sweep of the area. There weren't any survivors left; the village square was a graveyard of goblin corpses.

It was a staggering number of enemies. I felt a wave of depression just thinking about the cleanup. We couldn't just leave them here, or they might undergo zombification.

Besides, the numbers were still bothering me. They’d all come out of that one building, hadn't they?

The house in question was larger and grander than the others, likely the former village headman’s home. But even so, it wasn't nearly big enough to house that many goblins. There had to be a trick to it.

As I was pondering the mystery, Shiroru came running over, yapping. He had gone to scout the building while we were talking.

『Hey, Tort! There’s a hole in the floor of that building! And the hole... it smells like a dungeon!』

...You’ve got to be kidding me.