The space beyond the aperture was nothing like the one they’d left behind. The ground was jagged, its dark stone shimmering faintly under the light of an unseen source. Shadows stretched unnaturally long, curling at the edges of Nick’s vision before vanishing when he turned his head. The air was heavier here, carrying a faint metallic ring and the unsettling hum of something vast and unseen.
Nick placed a hand on the hilt of his sword, his eyes scanning their new environment. Ray seemed unfazed, her halberd resting confidently on her shoulder as she looked around in interest. Jantzen, meanwhile, stepped forward with calm precision, the beastkin slave trailing silently behind him. Her chains jingled softly with every step, a faint, discordant counterpoint to the oppressive silence.
“Stick close,” Nick muttered, his voice low.
“No need to whisper,” Jantzen said, his tone dismissive. “We’re facing goblins. They probably knew we were coming before we did.”
As if on cue, the first shriek echoed from the shadows. A pair of red eyes appeared in the gloom, followed by another, and another. The goblins poured into view, their wiry bodies hunched low, eyes glowing like embers. They brandished crude weapons—splintered clubs, rusted daggers, and makeshift spears—snarling as they advanced in a loose swarm.
Jantzen’s eyes narrowed. “Prove your worth,” he barked, shoving the beastkin girl forward.
She stumbled, her bare feet skidding against the even stone. Her ears twitched, and without looking back, she raised her shackled wrists defensively. The chains jingled as she swung them in wide arcs, creating a metallic barrier that kept the first goblins at bay. One goblin managed to slip past her defense, its jagged blade slashing close enough to nick her arm. She winced, stumbling back, but didn’t falter. The goblin lunged forward, its dagger aimed at her chest, but she sidestepped, her chain looping around the goblin’s wrist.
With a sharp yank, she pulled the goblin off balance, twisting the chain to force its weapon from its grip. In one fluid motion, she pivoted, the chain snaking around its neck. The goblin flailed, its claws raking uselessly at the iron links before collapsing to the ground as the chain tightened, snapping its neck.
Ray’s eyes widened slightly as she watched. “Damn…”
She wasted no more time, launching herself into the fray. Her halberd swung in a deadly arc, glowing faintly as she activated Cleave. The edge of the blade cleaved through four goblins at once, sending sprays of dark blood onto the stone. A fifth goblin lunged at her from behind, but she spun, her weapon already in motion. The flat of the halberd’s head struck it in the chest, sending it flying back with a sickening crunch.
As the first goblin fell, something shifted in the air around her. A wave of malice, pulsed outward from Ray’s body, rippling across the cavern with an almost physical force. The oppressive weight of it settled over the battlefield, thick with a palpable sense of murderous intent that clung to the air like a dark fog.
Nick, mid-parry, felt it instantly. His breath hitched as the pressure pressed against his chest, heavy and primal. A gnawing fear bubbled up from deep within him, clawing at his mind with an almost primal urgency—an instinct to flee or to lash out at anything within reach. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay focused, his nails digging into the hilt of his sword.
The prompt he’d seen only once before appeared before his eyes.
=You stand in the shadow of a predator beyond reason, where fear and rage threaten to consume all who linger too long.=
“This damn aura…” he cursed under his breath, his voice barely audible over the sounds of the fight.
The oppressive sensation radiated from Ray, seeping into the bones of everyone within its radius, stirring a primal urge for violence in all who felt it. Even the goblins were affected, their snarls faltering as they instinctively recoiled from the predator in their midst.
She cut down another goblin with Power Strike and activated Shift, her form blurring like a phantom before reappearing behind a cluster of goblins. Her halberd struck out like lightning, the blade slicing through the air with a sharp whistle before cleaving through five enemies in a single, fluid arc.
The goblins barely had time to scream before their bodies crumpled. She comboed Cleave into another Shift, reappearing behind another group. Her halberd spun in her hands, glowing faintly as she activated Power Strike, bringing the weapon down in a brutal overhead swing, splitting another goblin from shoulder to chest. Dark blood sprayed across her face, its warmth stark against the cool dungeon air. Her eyes gleamed with a wild intensity, her breaths coming in quick, ragged bursts.
For a moment, she paused, running her tongue across her lips to catch some trickling drops of blood. A shudder rippled through her frame. She gripped the haft of her halberd tighter, a manic grin spreading across her face.
“Yes!” she shouted, her voice carrying through the chaos. “This is it!”
The beastkin stumbled as the aura slammed into her like a tidal wave, her chains slackening as she stared at Ray in horror. Her ears flattened against her head, and she clenched her teeth, her chains swaying slightly in her trembling hands. The weight of the murderous intent clawed at her mind, stirring an urge to lash out at anything—or anyone—nearby.
Even Jantzen paused as he watched Ray with a mix of curiosity and faint disapproval. “A manifestation of unbridled intent…? But intent without control is chaos.”
A sudden flurry of movement caught Nick’s attention—two goblins sprinting toward the beastkin girl while she was strangling another enemy. “Behind you!” he shouted.
She reacted instinctively, snapping her chains out to catch the leading creature around its neck. With a sharp twist, she swung its body into the second goblin like a crude flail, the sounds of snapping bones cutting through the chaos.
Jantzen stood unmoving, his massive frame casting a long shadow. A goblin roared and rushed him, its crude axe raised high. Instead of drawing his sword, he raised his fists, the faint glow of holy light flickering around his knuckles.
The goblin’s axe came down, but his arm shot up, his palm catching the weapon mid-swing. The impact rang out like a bell, and the goblin froze, its eyes wide with disbelief as it struggled against the unyielding grip.
“Pathetic,” Jantzen muttered. Holy energy crackled along his arm as he twisted the axe, shattering its blade. His other hand lashed out in a brutal, open-palm strike to the goblin’s chest, sending it flying backward into a cluster of its kin.
Another goblin lunged at his side, this one faster and more desperate. Without looking, Jantzen pivoted, driving his fist into the creature’s stomach with a sickening thud. Divine light exploded outward from the strike, throwing the goblin backward like a ragdoll, its body crashing into the stone wall with a wet crunch.
Ray’s eyes burned with an unnatural light, her breathing quickening as a feral grin spread across her face. Her halberd struck down another goblin with Power Strike, and before the creature’s body hit the ground, she activated Shift, blurring like a phantom to reappear behind a cluster of enemies. The blade swept through their ranks, cleaving three goblins cleanly in half. The red mist swirling around her didn’t dissipate. It thickened, pressing down on the battlefield like a living thing.
Nick fought to keep his focus, but the aura clawed at his mind, an insidious force whispering for him to strike, to kill, to surrender to the chaos. He forced his legs to move, step by agonizing step, against the crushing weight. A goblin lunged at him with a rusted spear, snarling wildly. He sidestepped the thrust with practiced precision, catching the weapon’s haft with his free hand and twisting hard. The goblin’s balance broke, and before it could recover, he drove his sword through its chest, the blade sliding between its ribs.
=You have defeated (1) Goblin.=
=You gain 0.01 skill points=
Another goblin charged, shrieking as it swung a crude axe. He ducked to the side and slashed the creature across the chest. The goblin collapsed with a screech, its weapon clattering uselessly to the stone floor. Without hesitation, Nick finished it with a quick thrust to the heart before returning his attention to his troublemaking mentee.
=You have defeated (1) Goblin.=
=You gain 0.01 skill points=
“Ray!” he called, his voice hoarse as his eyes darted toward her. She was a crimson blur, cleaving through goblins with terrifying speed, but her movements were becoming more erratic, more feral. “Reign it in, or you’re going to get us all killed.”
But she didn’t hear him. For a fleeting moment, clarity fought to surface in her mismatched eyes, a flicker of recognition, of restraint—but it vanished almost immediately, swallowed by the crimson haze. Her lips curled into a snarl, and with a guttural growl, she threw her halberd aside, the weapon clattering against the stone floor as she launched herself at a goblin. Her fingers curled into claws, sinking into its chest and tearing through flesh and bone. The creature’s scream died as she ripped its ribcage apart, blood splattering across her face.
Nick cursed under his breath as another goblin charged toward him, emboldened by the chaos. He pivoted, his blade flashing in the dim light as he parried the goblin’s wild slash. With a quick feint, he baited it into overextending, then spun inside its guard and drove his elbow into its jaw. The goblin’s head exploded.
=You have defeated (1) Goblin.=
=You gain 0.01 skill points=
Ray’s aura pressed harder against his mind, a relentless tide of malice that threatened to drown him. His instincts screamed at him to lash out, to let the fury take over, but he forced himself to stay grounded. Another goblin lunged at his side, and Nick reacted instantly, twisting to block its jagged blade with his sword. Sparks flew as metal clashed against metal, and Nick shoved the goblin back with a powerful kick to its chest. The creature flew backward and crunched against the wall.
=You have defeated (1) Goblin.=
=You gain 0.01 skill points=
“Stay sharp!” he barked at the beastkin girl who was still trembling under the weight of the aura. A goblin rushed toward her, its dagger raised high. Nick stepped between them, parrying the goblin’s strike and countering with a downward slash that split its skull.
=You have defeated (1) Goblin.=
=You gain 0.01 skill points=
Dark blood sprayed across the ground. “Focus on the fight! Don’t let the aura get to you!”
She snapped out of her daze, her chains snaking outward like whips to keep another goblin at bay. She nodded wordlessly, her grip tightening on the chains as she prepared for the next attack.
He stole another glance at Ray, his jaw tightening as he watched her tear through goblins with her bare hands. Blood dripped from her chin as she turned to the next enemy, her manic grin sending shivers down his spine. For a split second, a glint of anguish flashed in her eyes, but then it was gone, like an illusion.
“Damn it, Ray…” Nick mumbled, his voice low but heavy with frustration. He turned back to the battle, his sword ready as more goblins surged toward him.
Nick flinched as another pulse of malice rippled outward. The oppressive weight of it pressed down on the battlefield. The goblins faltered, their snarls turning to whimpers as they recoiled from Ray’s monstrous presence. The beastkin girl stumbled, her hands twitching toward Nick as if for reassurance before she caught herself and gripped her chains tightly.
Jantzen sighed. “Her body is capable, but her mind is weak,” he muttered, his voice laced with disapproval. A goblin drunkenly lurched toward him and he slapped it aside, its head splattering against the wall.
Ray turned to the next goblin with a feral grin, blood dripping from her chin. For a split second, a glint of anguish flashed in her eyes, but then it was gone, like an illusion.
As the last goblin fell to Ray’s frenzied bloodbath, a guttural roar echoed through the cavern, carrying a weight of authority that silenced even Ray’s manic grin. The oppressive aura of her bloodlust wavered, its grip loosening as she failed to find another target to kill to refresh its effects. She blinked, confusion flickering across her face.
Out of the shadows emerged a towering hobgoblin, its muscular frame wrapped in crude but ornate armor adorned with bones, feathers, and faintly glowing runes. In its clawed hand, it carried a gnarled staff that pulsed with an eerie green light. Around it strode a disciplined entourage of hobgoblin guards, each wielding weapons more refined than the rusted blades of the lesser goblins.
The hobgoblin shaman raised its staff and began to chant. A wave of green energy surged forward, the air itself seeming to vibrate as the spell rippled toward the group. Nick barely had time to throw himself to the side, the blast missing him by inches and slamming into the stone wall behind him, leaving a jagged crater.
Ray tried to launch herself at the shaman, but the green energy struck her square in the chest, halting her momentum. She stumbled backward, her fingers twitching as the light of madness faded entirely from her eyes.
“Is that some kind of boss monster?” Nick asked, pulling himself to his feet. His sword trembled in his grip, not from fear, but from the residual effects of Ray’s aura. He definitely wouldn’t lie about something like that.
Jantzen stepped forward, his fists glowing with holy light. “A hobgoblin shaman,” he replied. “Far more intelligent than the rest of their kin—and far more dangerous.”
Ray charged the shaman, but one of the guards intercepted her with brutal efficiency. A massive club, gnarled and studded with iron spikes, swung in a savage arc and struck her side.
The impact echoed like a thunderclap, her ribs audibly cracking under the force. Her body twisted unnaturally as she was sent sprawling across the jagged stone floor, blood trailing in her wake. She coughed violently, crimson flecking her lips, yet even as her body protested, she began to push herself up.
The second guard was faster.
A heavy boot slammed into her back, forcing her face down into the sharp, uneven ground. The sound of flesh scraping against stone was sickening, and the guard’s weight pressed down mercilessly, keeping her pinned. Blood pooled beneath her as she snarled in defiance.
“Get off me!” she growled, her voice muffled against the ground, but the guard only pressed harder, the weight of its body compressing her chest until her breaths came in short, ragged gasps.
Nick surged forward, his heart hammering in his chest. “Ray!” he shouted, gripping his sword so tightly his knuckles turned white. He barely made it three steps before one of the hobgoblin guards lunged into his path brandishing an axe, its towering frame eclipsing his view of her crumpled body.
The shaman approached Ray with deliberate, menacing strides, its staff humming with power. The glow of its runes cast sickly green shadows across its twisted features, a wretched chant escaping its lips, each syllable thick with murderous intent.
Ray thrashed beneath the guard, clawing at the stone to bree herself, but the pressure on her back was unrelenting. She lifted her head just in time to see the shaman raise its staff high. The runes flared, the green light bright enough to burn her vision before the weapon came crashing down.
The blast was deafening.
The staff’s tip connected with her chest, and a shockwave of raw magical energy exploded outward. Her body arched violently as the impact shattered her sternum with a grotesque crunch. Blood sprayed from her mouth in a crimson arc as the energy coursed through her, veins of sickly green light spreading across her skin like spiderwebs. Her scream tore through the cavern, reverberating off the stone walls.
“Damn it!” Nick hissed. He sidestepped another swing, parrying a follow-up strike with his sword, but the guard was relentless, driving him further away from Ray with every attack. His breaths came fast and shallow as he glanced past the hulking brute, catching a glimpse of her convulsing under the shaman’s assault. “Move, you bastard!” he snarled, but the hobgoblin only growled in response, raising its axe for another strike.
Jantzen remained unmoving. A hobgoblin rushed at him, roaring as it raised its mace. He met the attack calmly, his glowing fist shattering the weapon mid-swing. The creature hesitated, and Jantzen capitalized, driving his palm into its chest. Divine energy exploded outward, reducing the hobgoblin’s ribcage to splinters.
Still, he made no move toward Ray. Instead, his eyes settled on the shaman, narrowing with faint disdain. “Weakness truly is a sin,” he muttered. “May you be stronger in your next life.”
Another hobgoblin advanced on him, but he dispatched it with a swift strike to the temple that shattered the creature’s skull. He turned back to the shaman, his expression unreadable as he resolved to observe the rest of the fight as a bystander.
The beastkin girl trembled near the rear of the group, her chains slack in her trembling hands. The oppressive weight of Ray’s earlier aura still clung to her mind, making her heart race and her legs feel like lead. She clutched her chains tightly, her breathing shallow as her wide eyes darted between the shaman and Ray’s prone, screaming figure.
A hobgoblin turned its attention to her, snarling as it advanced with its spear raised. She flinched, snapping her chains forward in a desperate attempt to keep it at bay. The links caught the creature across the face, leaving a bloody fash, but it pressed on, forcing her to retreat until her back was nearly against the cavern wall.
Ray convulsed as another bolt of energy struck her, the terrible green light searing across her torso. She coughed, blood pouring from her mouth as her defiance waned. The shaman raised its staff again, its chant reaching a crescendo.
Nick gritted his teeth as he released his sword to clatter against the ground. Both hands began to emit radiant glowing heat. The warmth surged through his veins, building into a torrent of energy that demanded release. He raised his hands, the fire coalescing into multiple orbs of molten light that hovered just above his palms, spinning in place.
“Get off her!” he roared, thrusting both hands forward.
The fireballs shot through the air in rapid succession, each one streaking toward the hobgoblins with a blazing intensity. The first orb struck the shaman square in the shoulder, detonating on impact with a deafening roar. Flames engulfed its upper body, sending it staggering back as its staff clattered to the ground. The green light at the tip sputtered and died, its chant abruptly cut off.
The second fireball collided with the hobgoblin guard pinning Ray, the explosion lifting the massive creature off its feet and hurling it into the cavern wall. It slumped to the ground, its armor glowing red-hot and smoke rising from its charred body.
The remaining fireballs fanned out, streaking toward the hobgoblin attacking Nick and the one bearing down on the beastkin girl, the fiery shockwaves blasting them off their feet.
=You have defeated (2) Hobgoblins.=
=You gain 0.04 skill points=
=Level up! Multi-Fireball is now Rank 11/-.=
Nick staggered, the heat in his hands dissipating as the last fireball left his palms. His breaths came in ragged gasps, his vision swimming. He forced himself to stay upright, his eyes fixed on Ray’s collapsed form.
“Ray!” he shouted, stumbling toward her.
The shaman, though battered and burned, snarled as it struggled to its feet. Its once-pristine robes were scorched, and patches of its leathery skin were blackened and raw. It grabbed its staff with a trembling hand, but the green glow was faint, the spell’s potency clearly diminished.
Nick’s hands twitched as he summoned another fireball, and another, and another. Dozens of swirling balls of molten heat caused a shimmering haze to fill the cave.
The battlefield fell eerily silent.
The faint sound of footsteps reached the ears of everyone present, soft and unhurried. From the far end of the chamber, a figure emerged from the shadows, his presence cutting through the haze of shimmering heat.
It was an old man.
His silver hair pulled back into a loose ponytail, and a weathered face framed by a neatly trimmed beard. Despite his apparent age, he walked with an easy confidence, his posture upright and deliberate. A long, dark coat swayed gently with his movements, its edges frayed and worn, a testament to countless travels.
He carried no visible weapon, only a plain wooden walking stick that tapped softly against the stone floor with each step. His eyes, sharp and bright despite their deep-set wrinkles, scanned the scene with a curious intensity. They lingered on Nick, then on Ray’s bloodied, recovering form, and finally on the hobgoblin shaman. His eyes betrayed no fear or unease, only mild amusement and curiosity as if he were a casual observer watching a movie.
The tension in the cavern was palpable. The shaman hesitated, its glowing staff faltering as its crimson eyes studied the newcomer. The remaining hobgoblins paused their advance, their snarls softening into confused whimpers.
The old man came to a stop and tilted his head slightly, his gaze lingering once more on Ray before turning back to Nick. The corners of his mouth twitched into a faint smile.
Without a word, he stepped closer, his presence unnervingly calm in the charged atmosphere. He threaded between the hobgoblins and moved past Nick. One of the hobgoblin guards shifted, its grip tightening on its weapon, but the old man paid it no mind. He reached the center of the battlefield, stopping within arm’s length of the shaman.
The shaman hissed, its staff trembling as it raised it toward the intruder. The old man glanced at the weapon, his expression unchanging. He reached up with one hand, brushing some invisible dust from the shoulder of his coat, the motion casual, almost dismissive.
Yet the entire cavern reacted.
The runes on the shaman’s staff flickered and then extinguished, the green glow evaporating like mist in the sun. The hobgoblins staggered, clutching their heads as if a massive weight had descended upon them. Both Nick and Jantzen felt it—a subtle, inexplicable pressure that crawled over their skin and sent a shiver down their spines.
The old man spoke, his voice barely above a whisper, yet somehow carrying to every corner of the chamber.
“Why here, of all places?”
The words reverberated through the air, not as sound, but as something deeper—undeniable.
The hobgoblins dropped their weapons, and the shaman collapsed to one knee, its staff slipping from its grasp as it stared at the old man in sheer terror.
Nick’s breath caught as he watched the shaman crumble before the old man. There was no spell, no visible force—just a presence that bent reality itself.
Who was this mysterious stranger?
The old man turned slightly, his sharp eyes settling on Ray, who was still gasping for breath on the ground. He tapped his walking stick once against the stone floor. The faint vibrations rippled outward, and Ray’s trembling body stilled. The sickly green veins of energy spreading across her chest dissipated, fading into nothingness.
The old man stepped back, his expression calm and unreadable. He met Nick’s gaze. “Providence has no patience for fools.”
Then, without waiting for a response, he began to walk away, the sound of his stick tapping against the stone echoing in the stunned silence.
Project Knightfall 