Ch 79

  Matt locked eyes with Eleanor as she tried to persuade him to abandon the chase, and it was clear to both of them that reaching an agreement was impossible. Determined, Matt turned and continued to follow the blood trail into a path they had marked as only partially explored. Soon enough, he found himself staring down into a gaping hole that descended into darkness. Just as he was about to leap into the abyss, Eleanor grabbed hold of him once more and spoke urgently.

  "At least let Tana and Greg cast their magic down there to ensure the path is clear."

  "No," Matt replied, his voice firm. "My gut tells me to go in dark. If they attack, it will alert them that I'm coming."

  "Our talking has probably already done that," Eleanor countered with a knowing look.

  Matt shook his head and placed his finger to his lips, signaling for silence, before leaning in to whisper to Eleanor. "I'm going to agree with you out loud, then jump right in. If the goblin king is listening, he'll be expecting a magic attack."

  Eleanor frowned, but eventually nodded, and they exchanged a few rehearsed lines while Matt did his best to focus on the path before him. The darkness surrounding him was nearly absolute, but it wasn’t entirely black, as there were a few bioluminescent fungi glowing faintly at the bottom of what appeared to be about a 20-foot drop. If Greg and Tana were to attack, those fungi would be destroyed, and Matt would likely be in an even worse predicament, as he relied on them as a target when he descended into the darkness. Matt found himself tensing for an attack that never came, as he stood alone on what turned out to be a precarious cliffside.

  Looking over the edge of the cliff, Matt discovered more bioluminescent fungi thriving and clear signs that the goblin king had climbed down. Thankfully, these signs took the form of a rope secured to the entrance he had just leaped from, cleverly concealed from above. Although using the rope for his descent was probably the simplest method, Matt considered it a reckless choice. Instead, he opted for a manual descent, finding handholds in the rugged cliff face. It took him ten painstaking minutes to descend another 200 feet, finally arriving on the opposite side of where the rope dangled precariously. The narrow hole he had climbed through was barely wider than his body, forcing him to squeeze through tight spots, and more than once, he reconsidered his life choices as the sheer drop loomed below.

  Yet, as he glanced down, he discovered a pair of goblins seated with their eyes intently fixed on the rope, as though they had been instructed to guard against anyone climbing down. Fortunately, the noise of what seemed like an underground river was so loud that it masked the sound of Matt’s descent. Trusting his instincts, Matt pushed himself off the wall, swiftly drew a throwing knife, and landed directly on the unsuspecting goblins. In a flurry of motion, he slashed wildly with his knife, swiftly overcoming them after a brief struggle. With this hard-won victory, Matt grinned as he received the notification for the experience points he had earned.

  Monsters killed: two level 9 goblin guards.

  Base experience multiplied by three.

  Awarding 180 experience.

  Current experience to next level 7103/7000.

  Experience has reached threshold prepare to level up!

  At that moment, Matt felt a wave of discomfort wash over his body, though this time it was only a slight one. As he gained more stats, a quick message appeared, displaying his updated stats.

  Matthew Pierce.

  Level 8

  Strength: 51

  Dexterity: 47

  Durability: 71

  Stamina: 99

  Spirit: 80

  Mind: 30

  Species Human (F)

  Bloodline: (Not evaluated at this level)

  Path: Willful Warrior Healer (Increase Spirit by 60% Stamina by 45% Durability by 30%)

  Titles: Integrated, Front runner of species (5% boost to all stats), Lord of the Tomb of the Restless Defenders (Control the accessibility of fort associated with dungeon such that those within can enter and leave with or without challenging the dungeon. Can also relocate/repair the fort and dungeon associated with dungeon if needed resources are gathered.)

  Skills: Auto translate, Minor regeneration, Injury transfer, Give of yourself, Stand tall, Hand up, Attack negation, Give back to your enemy.

  Smiling as his remaining injuries vanished, Matt moved forward, following the few splatters of blood the goblin king had left behind. Unfortunately, after just a few steps into the new chamber, he realized that the trail he needed to follow had effectively disappeared. In front of him was a bizarre mixture of a butchery and barracks, complete with a massive cooking pit for good measure. Without his spatial storage skill, he would have found the scene before him unbelievable. However, due to the copious amounts of blood from the monsters that had been turned into food, Matt's trail abruptly ended, leaving him at a loss amidst the chaos.

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  From what Matt could observe, there appeared to be around a dozen goblin beds, presumably meant for more of the goblin king’s guards like the two goblins he had dispatched at the entrance. Chained to each bed was a goblin woman, most of whom looked utterly miserable as they cast wary glances at the goblin men, who all seemed to be in a foul mood. It was a mood that Matt intended to aggravate further as he began to watch them carefully, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

  If his assumptions were correct, this was the goblin king’s inner circle, and the goblin women were likely the majority of those they had managed to capture. From Matt's perspective, the scene left much to be desired as the goblin men bickered, made demands of the women, and used the natural waterfall cascading through the chamber as a makeshift toilet. Matt felt a sense of gratitude for this last detail, as it saved him from what he imagined would have been a horrific stench. It also conveniently inspired his initial strategy, prompting him to stealthily make his way towards the waterfall and wait in anticipation.

  After roughly 15 minutes of lingering in the shadowy area beside the roaring waterfall, fortune seemed to favor him as a pair of goblins casually strolled past, oblivious to his presence as they went about their business. With a swift and decisive shove, Matt was rewarded with a notification indicating he had gained another 120 experience points, as two more level 9 goblins met their demise at his hands. However, as one of the goblin women began to shriek upon witnessing his actions, Matt realized he had only a few fleeting moments to act before he became the focal point of the entire chamber's attention.

  Instead of fleeing from the waterfall, Matt allowed his instincts to take over as he stood his ground. The first few goblins charged at him, seemingly intent on pushing him over the edge. However, Matt easily sidestepped their attack, and with a simple extension of his foot, he sent both goblins tumbling over the precipice into the roaring waters below. The remaining six goblins paused, their eyes filled with caution as they assessed him. They launched only tentative attacks, with two wielding spears making cautious thrusts in his direction, testing his defenses.

  The first few times they attacked, Matt deftly avoided the blows and even pretended as if he might stumble into danger. But when the pair of goblins lunged at him together, Matt seized the opportunity, grabbing just past the heads of both spears. Before they could retract their weapons, Matt yanked them forward and surged ahead, releasing the spears. By then, the damage was done; with a slight push, one more goblin toppled into the chasm as the second spear-wielder remained just out of his reach. Now, Matt stood facing the goblins, their backs against the roaring waterfall. Before they realized the precariousness of their position, Matt was already emptying his spatial storage, unleashing a barrage of rocks. Most of these were small stones, roughly the size of his fist or smaller, which he had collected for use as throwing weapons, and that was precisely how he was employing them now. The sound of stones whistling through the air mingled with the thunder of the waterfall as Matt launched his assault.

  Under the hail of rocks that Matt was dropping in front of him, all five goblins shielded their faces, leaving them vulnerable enough for Matt to send two more of their number plummeting down the waterfall. Unfortunately, that marked the end of his easy success, as one of the remaining three goblins, a larger and more imposing hobgoblin, managed to tackle him. Before he could regain his footing, Matt felt the icy water splash across his face. Twisting free of the goblin's grasp, Matt found himself frantically grabbing at the rushing water, desperately seeking something to hold onto. Suddenly, he caught hold of something for a brief moment. However, that fleeting second was enough time for his arm to be violently ripped free of its socket as he lost his grip and fell the final 30 feet, crashing painfully onto the hard rock below.

  As if he were on a water park attraction installed with questionable safety standards, Matt found himself picking up speed once more as he slid down the jagged rocks. His wild descent finally came to an end when he plunged into an underground lake, its frigid waters threatening to freeze him to death. If it weren't for his instincts screaming at him to fight to reach the shore, he might have just remained there, succumbing to the cold. With the last bit of strength his battered body could muster after the fall, Matt swam towards the stream from which he had been ejected. There, he discovered a small, rocky island and hauled himself out of the icy water onto its surface, where the rushing water from the waterfall was reduced to a mere slow trickle at the edges. The air was cold and damp, and the island's rocky terrain was rough against his skin as he lay there, catching his breath.

  Thankfully, by gripping a throwing knife tightly in his one good hand, Matt was able to navigate the treacherous, slippery mess as he inched his way further and further upward. He ignored the ominous sounds of something thrashing below, choosing instead to concentrate on the growing roar of the waterfall. As Matt painstakingly covered each bit of distance, he felt the force of the water increasing against him until, finally, he could no longer advance with just one good arm. So, he held his position, clinging to the rock face while enduring what felt like an eternity. At long last, he regained enough strength in his injured arm to take out a second throwing knife, and with renewed determination, he continued his arduous climb.

  Finally, Matt found himself pushing his hand under the relentless pounding pressure of the waterfall, feeling his way to its edge. There, he discovered dry rock and the side of the chamber into which he had fallen. Exhausted, he transferred his soaked clothing to his spatial storage before standing to dry off. Still, Matt had no idea how he was going to climb out of the hole he had found himself in, or if he could even reach the goblin king at this point. Either way, Matt figured that more than anything, he needed to take a moment to calm his mind so he could think clearly. However, it seemed Tempormr didn’t care, as his voice came to Matt the moment he was safely on dry land.

  “It seems that my hopes for you were misplaced, as it appears you have tripped at the finish line.”

  “I am not dead yet,” retorted Matt. “This is just a setback.”

  “A setback was when the goblin king managed to escape you above. The situation you’re in now is beyond salvaging, as the only way back up is by climbing through the waterfall that you fell down. Below you, in the water, wait monsters that you have no hope of fighting underwater, and that is the only place you can confront them. Even if you did manage to swim out the only other exit that exists, without them eating you, it would do you little good as only more monsters await you there. So, do please tell me just how you intend to get yourself out of this situation?”

  Matt frowned, realizing that if Tempormr was telling the truth, which he suspected he was, he really didn’t see himself surviving. Suddenly, as if his very nature rebelled against such a notion, Matt felt his instincts scream to prove Tempormr wrong. With determination burning in his eyes, he turned towards the wall and began to free climb up it, his fingers searching for every possible crevice and ledge.