As Elias's artificial light flickered one last time and died out, the forest was plunged into an absolute, pitch-black darkness, as if tar had been poured over it. Now, only the sound of boots striking the moss and that terrifying rustle of hundreds of footsteps chasing them from behind could be heard.

  Kayra pressed one hand to his chest, struggling with the pain in his ribs with every breath. Visibility had dropped to zero. He could only follow the faint sound of Kael's footsteps just ahead of him.

  Suddenly, he flinched at a snarl coming from a branch directly above him. A goblin, unseen, used the darkness to its advantage and leaped right at him. Fortunately, his kinesthetic intuition kicked in. Kayra rolled aside at the last second; the creature's claws grazed his shoulder.

  "They're everywhere!" Kael shouted. The sound of his swords slicing through the air could be heard in the darkness; he was clearly swinging desperately at enemies, but it was obvious he couldn't see any target clearly. "I can't see in front of me! It's only a matter of time before we hit a tree!"

  Torin hesitated as he advanced through the darkness like a massive rock. He roared while swinging his axe at invisible enemies: "Damn it, it's too dark! Elias! Send another arrow! Light up this path one more time, or we'll all stumble into a pit!"

  Elias's voice echoed from the midst of the darkness, like the whisper of an invisible ghost, but with clear authority.

  "If you tell me to do it, I'll do it," Elias whispered. There was a cold-blooded calculation in his voice. "But if we use a light arrow everywhere we go, we'll glow like a lantern in the darkness. We'll never escape them! The moment we reveal ourselves, they'll swarm us. Right now, even though the goblins see better in the dark than we do, they're also struggling to see in this intense pitch-blackness; they keep bumping into each other. The darkness is our only shield right now; breaking it will make us prey!"

  Torin cursed as the dull thud of his axe hitting a tree trunk echoed. "Then how are we supposed to move like this? By stepping on each other's heels like blind men?"

  The air grew heavier, the snarls of invisible goblins and the sound of their claws scraping tree bark came from every direction. Elias was right; occasionally, pained screams from goblins colliding with each other could be heard, indicating that the horde was also descending into chaos in this sudden darkness. But that wasn't enough for the group to find their way.

  Liora's voice rose trembling from within the pitch-black darkness. Her anxiety had become almost tangible in every word. Clinging to Kael's cloak, stepping into an invisible void, she voiced the question gnawing at her mind.

  "Why?" Liora whispered, her voice breaking with a sob-like breath. "I don't understand... Why are there so many? Goblins are naturally scattered. For such a large horde to move this coordinated, for a single purpose... It's impossible! There must be a force holding them together, driving them after us even in this darkness."

  A goblin's pained squeal was heard from within the darkness; it had probably hit a tree or clashed with one of its own kind. Liora continued, her voice dropping even lower:

  "When they attacked the village a few times before, there were many, but this... This isn't a horde attack. This is like an army. Something is provoking them, or something is scaring them and driving them towards us. If they're roaming in such numbers, then the real danger waiting for us in the depths of the forest is much bigger than we thought."

  Torin exhaled heavily in the darkness. "We'll discuss that when we survive, Liora! Right now, the main problem is who will become prey first in this blind fight."

  Kayra, in the pitch-black darkness, pressed one hand to his aching ribs and the other to the hilt of his still-trembling dagger. His eyes saw nothing, but his mind was more active than ever with his thoughts.

  "Bot..." he called out inwardly, his voice echoing in his own mind. "Before, you showed me the location of those mana leech plants with arrow markers in the air. Can you do it again now? Help us find our way in this blind darkness."

  The Bot's voice replied with its usual mechanical timbre, the only reliable haven amidst this chaos.

  [I can do that, Kayra. I can place digital arrows in your field of vision to mark safe directions and obstacles. I can also visualize goblin data and project the goblins in your immediate vicinity as red dots in your mind.]

  After a brief silence, the Bot continued as if issuing a system warning.

  [However, I have a warning. Continuously scanning the environment and processing this visual data in your mind will deplete your mana reserves much faster than normal. If your mana runs out, you'll lose not only your vision but also your defensive abilities.]

  Kayra clenched his teeth, feeling the snarls behind them getting closer. He had no other choice. Either his mana would run out, or they would be torn apart in this darkness.

  "Bot, let's do it. Let's guide those without light."

  After the mechanical confirmation echoed in his mind, Kayra took a deep breath. His eyes were still staring into the pitch-black darkness, but the Bot's interface had already begun seeping into his mind. After a faint crackle, translucent, neon blue lines and hazy maps started overlaying the darkness.

  "The village..." Kayra said, his voice echoing in the darkness like a command. "Which direction is the village?"

  Torin's raspy voice came from somewhere invisible. "Direction? Kid, there is no such thing as direction right now. There are only trees and monsters that want to eat us. We can't see an inch in front of our noses!"

  "Where?" Kayra insisted, his voice sounding more determined than ever. "North or south? Which way do we need to go?"

  This time Liora answered, her voice trembling but her answer clear. "South... The village is to the south, Kayra. If we crossed the valley correctly, we need to head due south."

  Kayra saw a bright, digital arrow pointing south appear on the compass the Bot projected into his mind. Just ahead of him, Kael's silhouette glowed with a faint orange light thanks to the Bot's thermal scan.

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  "Kael!" Kayra called out. "Give me one of your swords. I'll show the way."

  Kael's voice came from the darkness. "You realize the danger, don't you? Can you take responsibility for the whole group?"

  "Just give me the sword," Kayra said, his voice firm. He reached out towards the sword in Kael's left hand and grasped it. This precise movement surprised Kael even more. Although hesitant, Kael released the hilt of one of his swords into Kayra's control. The cold steel settled perfectly into Kayra's hand.

  "How will you find direction in this darkness?" Torin asked, his voice full of doubt. "How do we know you won't lead us all off a cliff?"

  Elias suddenly interjected sharply. "Trust him. He noticed the goblin ambush before any of us. His senses are much sharper than ours; can't you notice? His vibe has changed, I can sense his determination—he's trying something, he's making an effort."

  Kayra now saw the dark corridor ahead of him through the Bot's blue arrows and red threat points. Suppressing the pain in his ribs, he turned to the group.

  "Listen," Kayra said, his voice ice-cold. "I have an ability. Even if I can't see everything as clearly as under a light, I can perceive the surroundings. But using this ability will drain my mana very quickly. I don't know how long I can last, so we need to move as fast as possible. I'll go first and cut down anything that comes in front of me with this sword. Just follow me and don't stop!

  Don't lose contact. Everyone grab tightly onto the clothes, jacket, or cloak of the person in front of you. We'll move like a chain."

  Kayra focused on the route drawn by the neon blue arrows in his mind and took his first step. Right behind him, Kael tightly gripped the back of Kayra's clothes. Behind Kael was Liora, behind her the massive Torin, and at the very rear, acting as rearguard, Elias; they were like a human chain linked together in the pitch-black darkness, surrendering to Kayra's invisible guidance.

  [Target detected. Five meters directly ahead, on the left side of the path. One unit. It's moving, approaching.]

  A bright red dot appeared in Kayra's field of vision. The goblin, lying in ambush within the darkness, had sensed the faint vibrations and footsteps of this chain-linked group. The creature stirred with a sinister snarl, its claws dug into the ground, coiled like a spring ready to pounce on them.

  Kayra didn't hesitate for a moment. Instead of slowing his steps, he tightened his grip on the sword he'd taken from Kael, according to the coordinates calculated by the Bot. Even though the pain in his ribs stabbed like a knife with every jolt, he didn't break his focus.

  When he reached that exact point, Kayra leaned his body slightly and swung the sword in a vertical arc into the heart of the darkness. The steel whistled, cleaving the air in the absolute silence.

  SHLAAK!

  The sharp steel met an invisible resistance and passed through it just as quickly. The goblin's head separated from its body in less than a second. Before the creature even knew what happened, a spray of hot, thick blood arced through the darkness, showering Kael and Liora right behind him, then splattering onto the clothes of the others in the chain like a downpour.

  Kael flinched at the hot, sticky liquid hitting his face but clenched his teeth to keep from shouting. Liora, right behind him, shuddered at the metallic-smelling fluid splashing onto her and let out a small hiccup.

  "Damn it!" Kael growled, trying to wipe the blood from his eyes with his free hand. "Kayra, give some warning next time! I almost lost my balance in this blind darkness."

  Torin grumbled from behind: "You'd better warn us, kid. We want to make sure the next one doesn't come for us. We're starting to stink like a carcass!"

  Kayra didn't stop; he kept dragging the chain behind him. "If I warn you, they'll also know our position," he said in an ice-cold voice. "Just hold on and keep walking. There are many more."

  As the Bot pumped new data into his mind, the digital map before Kayra's eyes began filling with new red dots blinking in the depths of the darkness. Even though the mana consumption was creating pressure in his mind, Kayra advanced unwaveringly into the heart of the darkness.

  Kayra quickened his pace, following the blue arrows pointing south on the map in his mind. The human chain behind him had also adapted to his rhythm, moving almost like a single body through the darkness. Even though the pain in his ribs tormented him with every breath, Kayra's mind remained sharp and focused.

  [Targets detected. Two active units ahead, on the right and left edges of the path. Approach speed: Slow. Kayra, time this well. Both may attack simultaneously.]

  On the map in his mind, two bright red dots appeared blinking on either side of the path. These goblins weren't waiting in ambush like the previous ones; instead, they were watching Kayra's approach carefully. Perhaps they had noticed the silent disappearance of their comrade ahead.

  Kayra didn't hesitate for a moment. The Bot's warning had accelerated his decision-making process. Calculating that both goblins would pounce at the same time, he tightened his grip on the sword he'd taken from Kael. Leaning his body slightly forward, he advanced towards the target without breaking the chain's speed.

  At that critical moment when both moved to attack, Kayra spun himself like a top. The sword traced a horizontal arc, passing through the bodies of the invisible threats first on the right, then on the left.

  SHLAAK! SHLAAK!

  Two sharp sounds echoed in succession. Two muffled snarls were heard simultaneously, and hot, sticky blood once again rose like a fountain in the air. This time, the blood splattered onto Kael's face and clothes at the front of the chain, then onto Liora and the others.

  But this time, no one hesitated, no one complained. Neither Kael cursed nor Torin grumbled. Everyone, despite the blood splattering on them, remained silent and continued following Kayra. They had become part of this invisible, savage dance. Kayra's composure had suppressed the fear, instilling an invisible confidence in the group.

  Even though Liora shuddered when she felt the hot blood hit her face, she didn't let go of Kael's clothes. Despite noticing that strange, dark energy emanating from Kayra's waist ahead of her, she knew she had no choice but to trust him.

  Kayra advanced without stopping. On the map in his mind, red dots appeared and disappeared one by one, the mana consumption creating constant pressure in his mind. But with every successful strike, the wild desire seeping from that cursed dagger began eroding the last points of resistance within Kayra.

  Kayra paused for a moment as he advanced, following the digital map in his mind. The blue arrows before his eyes suddenly flickered; the map began turning a crimson alarm color. The sparse, small red dots within the darkness suddenly transformed into a massive army of light erupting from the depths of the forest.

  [Critical warning! Kayra, there's a massive cluster right ahead. Too many to pass through. But the real danger is at the center...]

  The Bot's voice sounded more threatening than ever before. Right in the center of the map in his mind appeared a red spot much brighter, much larger, and far more ominous than the others. To its right and left, dozens of red dots lined up side by side as if in military formation, creating a barricade.

  [Analysis complete: We're facing a Goblin Lord. The ones beside it are its elite guards. Kayra, we cannot sneak through here. Every square centimeter is occupied by a goblin. The presence of a Lord proves why this horde is so coordinated.]

  When Kayra heard the words "Goblin Lord" in his mind, he felt his heart skip a beat for a moment. A Lord? One of those legendary creatures that only appeared in fairy tales or ancient war records?

  "A Goblin Lord..." Kayra whispered, his voice dispersing icily in the darkness. Even though his voice was low, it sent an electric shock through the chain behind him. "A Goblin Lord is right ahead of us. No passage. They're everywhere; they've woven the forest like a wall."

  "What?!" Torin growled, gripping Kayra's shirt tighter. "A Goblin Lord? Don't be ridiculous, kid! Lords haven't been seen in these lands for centuries. They're just legends!"

  Kael gripped his sword tighter in the darkness; the metallic sound tore through the silence. "If Kayra is seeing correctly, we're done for. A Lord can command thousands of goblins like a single mind."

  Liora's voice was filled with utter horror. "Now it's clear why there are so many goblins... They've gathered around a Lord. But... but how did a Goblin Lord go unnoticed until it gathered this many goblins under one banner? Kingdom scouts, borders... How could they grow this large so silently?"

  The Bot made that large red spot even more distinct in Kayra's mind.

  [They weren't noticed because they didn't gather, Kayra. They were awakened. The Lord has moved; it's looking in our direction. Prepare yourself!]