SSS-RANK SUMMONING WEAPON SYSTEM-Chapter 39: Goblins [5]
The roar rolled through the cavern like thunder, shaking the stone beneath Xavier’s boots. It was not the shriek of a goblin, nor the chant of their shamans—it was deeper, heavier, a sound that carried weight and command. The swarm froze mid‑charge, their frenzy collapsing into silence. Even the drums faltered, their rhythm breaking as fear rippled through the horde.
"I don’t like where this is going," Lyra muttered, as she knew what was about to happen.
The goblins parted, their yellow eyes turning toward the deeper tunnel. Shadows shifted, firelight flickered, and then he appeared.
The Goblin Warlord stepped into the chamber, towering above his kin. His armor was grotesque, forged from the bones of fallen adventurers, lashed together with iron and sinew. Skulls hung from his shoulders, their hollow eyes staring, their jaws clattering faintly with each step. His weapon was a jagged cleaver, rusted and stained, its edge chipped but deadly.
His eyes burned red, gleaming with intelligence far beyond the feral cunning of ordinary goblins. His presence was suffocating, his aura pressing against the chamber like a storm. The goblins shrank back from him, not out of fear, but reverence. Their silence was worship.
He raised his cleaver high, and the chamber erupted. The goblins shrieked, their frenzy renewed, their voices rising in a deafening chorus. The drums thundered again, faster, harder, shaking the bones piled across the floor. The warlord roared once more, and the sound seemed to split the air, rallying his army into madness.
Xavier stood unmoving, his daggers dripping with blood, his shadow long across the bones. His jaw tightened, his eyes locked on the warlord. Aria’s aura flared silver, her presence cold, her gaze unyielding.
"Oh, shit," Ezra whispered in horror as he stared at the warlord.
The warlord’s gaze fixed on Xavier. He snarled, his voice guttural but clear, carrying across the chamber.
"Black... human..."
The words were broken, but the meaning was unmistakable. Recognition. Hatred. Challenge.
"Didn’t think you were racist," Xavier muttered as he stared at the hulking monstrosity.
Xavier’s grip tightened on his daggers. His voice was calm, steady, unyielding.
"Then come at me, buffoon."
The cavern trembled as the warlord stepped forward, his army shrieking behind him, the drums pounding like war itself. The clash was inevitable.
The warlord’s roar still hung in the air when the first clash began.
The goblins surged forward, their frenzy renewed by his presence. They came in waves, shrieking, their blades clattering, their eyes burning with madness. The chamber filled with the sound of steel and bone, the hiss of fire, the thunder of drums.
Xavier moved first. His daggers flashed, catching the nearest goblin mid‑lunge. He twisted, the blade carving across its throat, and spun to meet the next. His movements were precise, deliberate, and each strike measured. He did not waste motion. He did not falter. He stabbed a goblin through the stomach, then dragged the blade down, ripping out its intestines and watching the smelling head drop out of its belly like a pile of hot spaghetti.
Aria’s aura flared silver, her presence cold and unyielding. She raised her hand, and a burst of energy struck a cluster of goblins, hurling them back into the swarm. Her eyes were sharp, her focus absolute. She moved with grace, her strikes cutting through the chaos like light through smoke.
The goblins pressed harder, their frenzy rising. They clawed, bit, and swung their crude weapons with wild abandon. Xavier cut them down one by one, his daggers carving arcs of steel through the air. He ducked beneath a swing, struck upward, twisted aside, his movements fluid, relentless.
[Shadowfang Daggers gaining experience +1]
[Shadowfang Daggers gaining experience +1]
[Shadowfang Daggers gaining experience +1]
[Shadowfang Daggers gaining experience+1]
[Shadowfang Daggers gaining experience +1]
[Shadowfang Daggers gaining experience +1]
[Shadowfang Daggers gaining experience +1]
[Shadowfang Daggers gaining experience+1]
The cavern echoed with shrieks and roars, the clash of steel, the pounding of drums. Smoke curled around them, and shadows writhed across the walls. The swarm was endless, pouring from tunnels, crawling over rocks, their frenzy unrelenting.
And then, above the chaos, the warlord moved.
He stepped forward, his cleaver raised high, his armor clattering with bone. His presence silenced the swarm for a heartbeat, their shrieks faltering as they turned to watch him. His eyes burned red, his gaze fixed on Xavier.
The warlord roared again, louder, heavier, shaking the stone. He charged, his cleaver swinging down with brutal force. The air split with the weight of the strike, the ground shuddering beneath it.
Xavier met him head‑on. His daggers crossed, catching the cleaver mid‑swing. The impact rang like thunder, steel against steel, bone against blade. The force drove Xavier back a step, his boots scraping against stone, but he did not fall. His eyes burned, his jaw tightened, his resolve unbroken.
’Dammit, that hurts." Xavier muttered in thought.
Aria’s aura flared brighter, her silver light cutting through the smoke. She raised her hand, sending a burst of energy toward the warlord, but he snarled, his cleaver sweeping aside the blast. The goblins shrieked, their frenzy renewed, their voices rising into a deafening chorus.
The chamber trembled. The battle had begun in earnest.
The warlord’s cleaver came down again, a brutal arc that split the air. The weight of it was enough to shatter stone, and when it struck, sparks leapt from Xavier’s crossed daggers. The impact drove him to the wall, his boots scraping against the bone‑littered floor, he slammed into the wall with brute force.
The goblins shrieked at the sight, their frenzy renewed by the warlord’s strength. They surged forward, clawing and biting, their crude weapons flashing in the firelight. Xavier twisted, his daggers carving through the swarm with precision. He ducked beneath a swing, struck upward, and spun to meet another, his movements fluid, relentless. Each strike was deliberate, each motion measured. He fought not with desperation, but with certainty.
Aria’s aura flared silver, her presence cold and unyielding. She raised her hand, and a burst of energy struck a cluster of goblins, hurling them back into the swarm. Her eyes were sharp, her focus absolute. She moved with grace, her strikes cutting through the chaos like light through smoke.
Ezra and Lyra stayed back, barely doing anything, just trying to stay alive.
The warlord pressed forward, his cleaver sweeping in wide arcs, each strike heavy, brutal, meant to crush rather than cut. Xavier met him blow for blow, his daggers flashing, his movements precise. He twisted aside, struck upward, and spun to meet the next, his resolve unbroken.
The cavern echoed with shrieks and roars, the clash of steel, the pounding of drums. Smoke curled around them, and shadows writhed across the walls. The swarm was endless, pouring from tunnels, crawling over rocks, their frenzy unrelenting.
The warlord roared again, louder, heavier, shaking the stone. His cleaver swept aside Aria’s burst of energy, his eyes burning red, his gaze fixed on Xavier. The goblins shrieked, their frenzy renewed, their voices rising into a deafening chorus.
Xavier’s grip tightened on his daggers. His breath was steady, his eyes burned with resolve. He met the warlord’s gaze, his voice calm, steady, unyielding.
"You’ll fall like the rest, you green bastard. "
The warlord snarled, his cleaver raised high, his army shrieking behind him. The chamber trembled. The battle had only begun.
