SSS-Ranked Trash Hero: I Was Scammed Into Being Summoned-Chapter 44: Dead End

Hiroshi ran through the tunnel, his footsteps echoing off the stone walls. Behind him he could hear the goblins giving chase.

The tunnel curved left and he followed it, not slowing down. His Fighter Instinct was screaming at him about distances and pursuit speed. The goblins were faster on their home terrain. They knew these tunnels. He didn’t.

He needed to slow them down.

Hiroshi stopped at a narrow section where the tunnel walls pinched close together. Maybe four feet wide. Tight enough that the goblins would have to come through single file or two at most.

He turned and waited, sword ready.

The first goblin came around the curve at a full sprint. Saw him. Tried to stop but had too much momentum. Hiroshi’s blade caught it across the chest and it went down hard.

The second one was smarter. It slowed before the turn, approaching carefully with its weapon raised. But it was alone now. The others were still catching up.

Hiroshi engaged it directly. The goblin swung its crude sword in a wide arc. He dodged left, stepped in close, and drove his elbow into its face. The goblin stumbled back. He finished it with a thrust through the ribs.

Two down.

More footsteps approaching. At least five more from the sound of it.

Hiroshi didn’t wait. He turned and ran again, leaving the two corpses blocking the narrow section. It would slow the others down. Not much, but enough.

The tunnel opened into the chamber where they’d left the three guards. Elias was there with Baros, already cutting the ropes on the woman guard.

"We’ve got company," Hiroshi said, breathing hard.

"How many?"

"Five chasing me. Maybe more coming from the village."

Elias cursed and cut faster. The ropes came free and the woman guard stood shakily. He moved to the unconscious one next, the man with the broken leg.

"Can’t carry him and fight," Elias said. "We need to wake him up."

The third guard, Tomas, was conscious but feverish. The woman helped him stand while Elias worked on rousing the unconscious one.

Hiroshi moved to the chamber entrance and looked down the tunnel. Goblin voices echoing closer. Maybe twenty seconds before they arrived.

"They’re almost here," he said.

"Working on it," Elias replied. He slapped the unconscious guard’s face. "Come on. Wake up."

The man’s eyes fluttered open. He groaned in pain.

"Can you walk?" Elias asked.

"My leg..."

"Can you walk?"

The guard gritted his teeth. "Not without help."

"Good enough." Elias hauled him upright and supported him on one side. The woman took the other side. Between them they could manage him.

The goblins appeared in the tunnel entrance.

Five of them. They saw the humans and charged immediately.

Hiroshi moved to intercept. The tunnel entrance was narrow enough that they couldn’t all come through at once. Two in front, three behind.

The first goblin swung high. Hiroshi ducked under it and slashed across its legs. It fell. The second came over its falling companion, stabbing with a spear. Hiroshi sidestepped and grabbed the spear shaft, yanked it forward, and kicked the goblin in the chest. It stumbled back into the third one.

But the fourth and fifth were already coming around the sides.

Hiroshi couldn’t hold them all. Not alone.

"Move!" he shouted at Elias.

They moved. Elias led the way deeper into the cave system with the guards, Baros following close behind. Hiroshi backed after them, sword up, keeping himself between the goblins and the group.

The goblins pressed forward but carefully now. They’d seen three of their number go down fast. They were more cautious.

Hiroshi used that caution. Every time one advanced he’d feint an attack and it would pull back. Giving ground slowly. Buying time for the others to gain distance.

The tunnel they were in branched. Elias took the right path. Hiroshi followed, then grabbed a loose rock from the ground and threw it down the left path. It clattered against stone, echoing.

Two of the goblins took the bait and ran down the left tunnel. The other three kept following the right.

Better odds.

The right tunnel narrowed again, then opened into another small chamber. Dead end. No other exits visible.

"This is bad," Baros said, looking around frantically.

Elias was already examining the walls. "There’s air moving. Feel it? There’s another passage somewhere."

Hiroshi could feel it too. A faint breeze coming from somewhere in the chamber. But the walls looked solid.

The three goblins appeared at the tunnel entrance.

They saw the humans trapped in the dead end chamber and smiled. Started walking forward slowly. No rush now. Nowhere for the prey to run.

Hiroshi positioned himself between them and the group. Three goblins. He could handle three. Probably. If they didn’t get smart and wait for reinforcements.

The lead goblin raised its sword and charged.

Hiroshi’s Dodge skill read the attack. He moved left, let the blade pass, and countered with a slash that opened the goblin’s side. It fell clutching the wound.

The other two came together. One high, one low.

Hiroshi blocked the high attack with his sword and kicked at the low one. His boot connected with its face and it went down. The remaining goblin pressed the attack, forcing him back.

Behind him, Elias was still searching the walls. "There’s a gap here. Hidden by shadow. Narrow but passable."

"Can everyone fit?" Hiroshi asked, blocking another strike.

"If we go single file."

"Then go. I’ll hold them."

"There’s more coming. I can hear them."

Hiroshi could hear them too. Footsteps echoing from multiple directions. The goblins were converging on their position.

He drove his blade through the attacking goblin’s throat and it dropped. But already two more appeared at the tunnel entrance. Then three more. Then five.

Ten goblins now. With more coming.

"We need to go now," Elias said.

Hiroshi backed toward the hidden gap. The goblins advanced slowly, filling the chamber. They knew they had numbers now. No need to rush.

"Through the gap," Elias ordered. "Everyone. Move."

The woman guard went first, helping the injured one through. Tomas followed, moving slowly because of his fever. Baros went next, squeezing through the narrow opening.

Elias gestured for Hiroshi. "Your turn."

"You first."

"I’m the observer. You’re the one being tested. So move."

Hiroshi didn’t argue. He backed toward the gap, sword still raised toward the goblins.

They were ten feet away now. Spreading out. Surrounding.

Hiroshi reached the gap and squeezed through sideways. The opening was barely two feet wide, hidden in shadow where the rock formation created a natural blind spot.

Elias came through after him immediately.

On the other side was another tunnel. Smaller. Lower ceiling. The others were already moving down it, the woman helping the injured guard.

Behind them, goblins were trying to squeeze through the gap. They could fit but only one at a time. And slowly.

"Keep moving," Elias said. "Put distance between us and them."

They followed the tunnel. It twisted and turned, sometimes so narrow they had to turn sideways to pass. The goblins were still following but the tight space slowed them considerably.

After five minutes of quick walking the tunnel opened into a small cave. Natural formation. Water dripping from somewhere. Cold and damp.

And no other exits visible. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"Please tell me there’s another hidden passage," Hiroshi said.

Elias searched the walls again. Tested the stone. Felt for air currents.

Nothing.

"We’re trapped," Baros said, his voice tight with panic.

Behind them, goblin voices echoed from the tunnel. Getting closer.

Elias pulled his sword and moved to the tunnel entrance. "Then we make our stand here. Narrow entrance. They can only come through one or two at a time."

Hiroshi joined him, taking position on the other side of the opening.

The woman guard helped the injured one sit against the far wall, then drew a knife from her belt. "I can fight."

Tomas tried to stand but couldn’t. The fever had him shaking.

Baros had no weapons. He just pressed himself against the wall and tried to stay out of the way.

The goblin voices grew louder.

Closer.

Hiroshi tightened his grip on his sword and waited.

This was going to get bad.