NOVEL WEB Chapter 15: Lucien’s resolve
Krit!
A goblin wielding a spiked club charged at Lucien. He could no longer retreat, as the cliff loomed behind him.
He swung his greatsword, the sound of rushing wind slicing through the air.
Whoosh!
Clang!
The greatsword slashed toward the goblin. Although it tried to block with its spiked club, the weapon was too old and rotten; the heavy force of the sword shattered it, slicing straight through the goblin's body.
Smash!
A tearing sound echoed—instantly, the small goblin was cut in half, blood and viscera splattering everywhere.
Clang!
The force of the blow nearly knocked Lucien off his feet.
At that moment, before he could recover, another goblin lunged at him, its rusty dagger stabbing for his side.
In that split second of danger, Lucien twisted his body backward.
Smash!
"Ack!" Even though he avoided a fatal wound, the blade still slashed into his shoulder.
"Damn it!" Lucien shouted angrily, grabbing the goblin by the leg and hurling it at a tree trunk.
BAM!
The goblin slammed into the tree and hit the ground, but it didn't die. It struggled to stand, snarling.
Krit!
Thud!
"AAA!!!" Lucien roared, his voice filled with pain and fury.
He grabbed another goblin that had stabbed a knife into his thigh, then pummeled its face with his fist.
BAM!
"You bastard!" Lucien looked utterly deranged, hammering the goblin's face again and again.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
The goblin was barely the size of a two-year-old child. It might be agile and quick, but its defense was basically nonexistent.
So, after just a few blows, its skull was almost crushed in, its jaw broken, teeth and flesh spilling out.
"Die! You filthy animal!" Lucien screamed as he pounded the goblin's head.
His own face and eyes were now bloodshot and ferocious, so much so that the goblins around him shrank back in fear.
Krit!
But then, the goblin leader seemed to snap out of its daze and let out a sharp cry.
Immediately, the pack of goblins surged forward again.
Gritting his teeth, his blood-soaked hand clenched tight around the greatsword, Lucien swung it in a wide arc.
Whoosh!
The massive blade howled through the air, causing the goblins to flinch and stagger back, too terrified to attack.
"Get away! You filthy vermin!" Lucien roared like a wild beast.
Even though the blade didn't hit the goblins, its force alone was enough to make them retreat.
Lucien limped forward, blood flowing from the wound in his thigh—so much so that the dagger was still embedded there, its hilt slick with his blood.
He gripped his greatsword tightly, eyes full of killing intent as he glared at the goblin pack.
"AAA!!!" Lucien let out another savage roar.
The goblins exchanged glances; it seemed as though they sensed something truly terrifying, and in the next instant, they all turned and fled.
Lucien breathed a long sigh of relief, then collapsed onto the ground, bowing his head as he stared at his injured leg.
"Ha… ha… ha…" He gasped for breath, hand reaching toward the dagger, as if to pull it out.
But he stopped himself—he knew that yanking out the blade would only make things worse.
"Damn it!" Lucien cursed under his breath. From his pocket, he retrieved a small cloth.
Smash!
He tore the cloth in two, then tried his best to wrap it tightly around his thigh, binding the wound to slow the bleeding.
Afterward, he exhaled shakily. He knew he wasn't out of danger, but at least the threat of the goblin horde was gone, for now.
Xi! Xi! Xi!
Suddenly, a strange sound startled Lucien.
The noise was faint, but Lucien's nerves were so on edge that he heard it immediately.
He glanced around, searching for the source, his face twisting with anxiety and fear.
"A snake?!" Lucien recoiled as he spotted the snake coiled around a tree trunk.
The snake was perhaps ten meters long, its body as thick as a grown man's arm, with a violet horn jutting from its head.
Just then, it opened its mouth and spat out a stream of purple mist, spraying it toward Lucien.
He barely had time to think before the toxic smoke hit him in the face.
"AGH!!!" The pain felt like boiling water being thrown on his skin—he screamed, clutching at his face, then desperately used the greatsword as a makeshift shield, limping away as fast as he could.
Of course, the snake wasn't about to let its prey escape. It dropped from the tree and slithered after him, its scales rustling over the ground.
The slithering grew louder, closer—panic gripped Lucien, his legs trembling, especially his wounded one, which now bled even more.
He gritted his teeth, despair threatening to overwhelm him.
'No! I can't die here! I don't want to die!' Lucien thought to himself.
'I must live! I have to live to take my revenge!'
'I don't want to die!'
Just as the snake's jaws gaped wide, lunging for him, the pendant around Lucien's neck suddenly blazed with dazzling light.
A pure white radiance enveloped him, and the pain that had tortured him began to fade away.
The snake recoiled at the sight of the light, but it didn't back down. It kept lunging for Lucien.
As soon as its mouth touched the glowing shield that surrounded Lucien, a surge of energy exploded outward.
BAM!
A deafening boom resounded—the snake was flung backward by the blast.
Crack!
Its massive body smashed through a large tree before it hit the ground. Terrified, the snake immediately slithered away, vanishing into the distance.
At that moment, Lucien had no idea what was happening—he could only hear the deafening roar of an explosion.
Then came the sound—almost certainly the snake—slithering away across the ground, growing fainter and fainter.
Lucien felt the pain hadn't vanished, but it had eased up considerably.
He slumped onto the ground, breathing out a long sigh, and slowly opened his eyes.
"What is this…" he murmured in surprise as he noticed a radiant light enveloping his entire body.
That halo of light only lasted for a few more seconds before it slowly drew back into his pendant.
Seeing this, Lucien picked up the pendant and examined it, eyes full of confusion.
This pendant had been given to him by his grandfather, Theobald.
It represented Theobald's approval, and anyone wearing it could act as his representative.
That was also why, when Lucien showed it to Edric, Edric hadn't dared to hit him.
But now, after witnessing the glow just now, Lucien knew for certain the pendant was not as simple as he'd thought.
"Could there be some other secret to this pendant?" Lucien muttered, gazing intently at it.
GRAO!!!
Suddenly, a ferocious roar rang out, making Lucien flinch.
He knew this place wasn't safe; there was no way he could stay here.
"Hm… Ack!" Lucien tried to stand, and though the light from before had eased much of his pain, the dagger was still embedded in his thigh.
Each step sent a new wave of agony through him.
Still, Lucien refused to give up. Cursing under his breath, he hobbled forward, using his greatsword as a crutch and edging along the cliff face.
He didn't know how long he walked—eventually, the sun began to set, its light streaming through the leaves and painting a picture of wild, natural beauty.
But… he had no mind for appreciating scenery. He had no desire to admire the beauty of nature.
"A cave? Wait—!" Lucien's eyes widened as he spotted a small cave. Just as a glimmer of hope flickered in his heart, he froze: the glow of firelight shone from within.
He quickly ducked behind a large tree, but from his position, he could only see the cave entrance, not inside.
"That cave is pretty small… Could it be a goblin nest?" Lucien gritted his teeth; he simply didn't have the strength left to fight.
If he encountered another goblin group in his current state, he'd be as good as dead.
Rustle! Rustle!
Lucien heard footsteps approaching and immediately tensed, doing his best to remain silent, eyes fixed on the cave entrance.
But contrary to his expectations, the person emerging from that little cave was… a girl.
It was dusk, and with the distance between them, he couldn't make out her face.
But judging from the cloak she wore, Lucien immediately recognized her identity.
"A student from the magic academy?"
Crack!
"Not good!" Lucien had accidentally stepped on a dry branch—in this quiet forest, even that tiny noise sounded as loud as thunder.
Lucien cursed his luck. Why couldn't he have stepped on that branch earlier? Why now, of all times?
"Who's there?!" The girl's sharp voice rang out.
Clang!
She drew her sword and began to advance toward Lucien, her tone cold and brimming with killing intent: "Show yourself! If you don't, I'll—"
Lucien let out a weary sigh. He didn't know if she was friend or foe, but running was no longer an option. He could only risk everything now.
"Fine! If you won't show yourself, then—" the girl's voice echoed again, colder and more dangerous than before.
"Wait!"