“This transport route… it leads straight into town.”
In a dimly lit warehouse tucked near the outskirts of the goblin stronghold, a tall, broad-shouldered young man with flaming red hair held a printed map.
Its creased surface bore a rough sketch of the town’s layout, with a winding path marked out toward some unknown destination.
“The chosen route sticks to hidden alleys and construction sites, passing through a few abandoned houses. And the endpoint… a lumber mill?”
The flame-haired youth muttered to himself, his brow furrowing.
Who had slipped this map to the goblins, and what was their aim?Â
No matter.
He’d hand the map over to the church and call it even.
His debt would be paid, and whatever happened next wasn’t his concern.
Tasked by the bishop of Wagner Town’s church, he’d come to investigate the strange happenings in this goblin stronghold.
If it had nothing to do with the recent disappearances in town, his job was simple: wipe out this nest, too close to civilization for comfort.
His dark crimson tailcoat, tailored in the regal style of royalty, swayed lightly as he tucked the map into an inner pocket and fastened the buttons.
Pushing open the warehouse door, he stepped into a corridor where a gritty wind, laced with sand and stone, swept in from the exit.
A handful of fully armed goblins blocked the way.
Gotta find another route.
The youth was agile, a blur of motion.
In an instant, he darted to the stairwell, leaving only a fleeting glimpse of his red coat in the goblins’ vision before vanishing entirely.
The rickety stairwell trembled under the weight of rapid footsteps.
‘What’s going on? A riot?’
Puzzled, the youth rounded a corner to check the lower level when a small, cloaked figure barreled into his chest with a muffled “thud”.
The hood fell back, revealing a sobbing girl with snow-white hair in disarray, clutching her forehead in pain from the collision.
‘She’s crying before I’ve not even said a word…’
Unfamiliar with handling girls, he seized the excuse provided by the approaching goblins clambering up the stairs.
Scooping the white-haired girl into his arms, he found her soft and pliant against him.
He slipped into a cramped storage room, pulling her inside to hide.
The space was tight, their chests pressed close.
The youth remained unfazed, but the girl’s cheeks flushed faintly pink.Â
Noi hadn’t expected anyone at the stairwell, let alone to crash into a man with a chest hard as iron.
The impact left her eyes stinging with tears.Â
‘This body’s too sensitive—too much force and it hurts, too much friction and it itches.’
Perhaps she hadn’t yet adjusted to its quirks.
The pain in her forehead eased, and she opened her mouth to urge the man to run.
But before she could speak, he seemed to assume she couldn’t walk and carried her into this tiny room.
‘He’s not planning anything… inappropriate, is he?’
Tentatively, Noi pressed a hand against his abdomen.
‘So hard… like steel. His physique’s leagues above mine. I’m done for.’
As her imagination ran wild, the youth’s focus sharpened.
His deep purple eyes narrowed, peering through the door’s crack to witness a shadow spider savaging a goblin.Â
‘So that’s it. This stronghold’s a front for harvesting shadow spider venom.’
The law only governed humans and shapeshifted demon clans; lowly goblins were fair game.
A soft touch at his abdomen broke his concentration.
He glanced down to find the girl poking his abs, her head tilting up to meet his gaze.
Her shoulder-length white hair, though unkempt, carried a wild beauty.
The blood-red rims of her eyes, like smudged kohl, drew him into her rose-red pupils—a swirling vortex that seemed to sap his spirit.
Snapping out of it, he found her eyes now clear as a tranquil lake, devoid of the earlier allure.
‘No soul-based magic, just raw charisma—and she knows how to mask it. This girl’s dangerous.’
Taking a deep breath, he pressed himself against the wall, putting distance between them and averting his gaze.
He prided himself on his iron will, but this little enchantress could unravel him if he wasn’t careful.
“Big brother, what’s your name?” she asked, her tone disarmingly familiar, breaking the awkward silence.
His eyes narrowed dangerously as he weighed his response.
“Call me Xing Chen. And you? What’s someone like you doing in a goblin stronghold?”
The girl lowered her head and replied, “I’m Noi. As for why I’m here… I don’t really know. I got lost in the forest, passed out, and woke up here.”
Xing Chen’s brow creased and he asked, “The goblins didn’t lock you up?”
“Well… they did, but that big spider was super nice. It took out the goblins stopping me from leaving and even broke the door for me. So I escaped.”
She stuck out her tongue playfully.
Rubbing his temple, Xing Chen peeked through the door’s crack.
The spider and goblins had moved on.
He gestured Noi to follow.
He wasn’t sure he bought her story, but even if she was trouble, he wasn’t worried.
He could handle every creature in this stronghold single-handedly—it was only a matter of time.
Earlier, her crying had caught him off guard, so he hadn’t dealt with the goblins directly.
Noi trailed close behind, smoothing her racing heart and quietly pleased with her performance.
It wasn’t masterful, but it worked.
Her goals were twofold: avoid trouble and use this powerful man to escape the stronghold—maybe even secure a path forward.Â
She knew nothing about this world.
Wandering alone with her striking looks and figure was a recipe for disaster.
The main exit was a warzone, and while Xing Chen could’ve carved through it alone, he now had a delicate tagalong.
Glancing back, he caught Noi’s thoughtful expression shift instantly to a demure, vulnerable one when she noticed his gaze.
‘Another burden,’ he thought, sighing.
Like when he was still a clan leader.
They took a detour, descending to the holding cells and aiming for a newly built stairwell to the surface.
Not long after reaching the cells, a faint voice called out, “Help! You two, look over here!”
Xing Chen paused, then kept walking, pretending not to hear.
Taking her cue from him, Noi played deaf, ignoring the plea with practiced ease.
Inside a cell, an elf merchant with a monocle watched their indifference, fuming.
Rummaging through his trousers, he pulled out a horn-shaped megaphone, took a deep breath, and bellowed, “White-haired, red-eyed beauty! Please, save me! And you, red-haired pretty boy, save my sorry hide, and I’ll treat you to a feast someday!”
Xing Chen glanced at Noi and asked, “Know him?”
“Uh… maybe? Hang on.”
With a forced smile, she hurried toward the voice.
By the time Xing Chen caught up, the cell door was open.
The elf sized him up as Noi clasped the merchant’s hand, her voice trembling.
“I’m so sorry! There was a riot, and I couldn’t get to you sooner. I’m really sorry.”
Leaning close, she whispered so only the elf could hear, “One wrong word, and I’ll end you.”
“Haha, no worries! I’m just glad you came!” The merchant’s forced cheer hid his frustration, her threat hitting its mark.
The trio headed for the stairwell, introducing themselves along the way.
Noi learned the elf’s name was Simon.Â
As they walked, Simon pitched his wares to Xing Chen, ignoring Noi the freeloader and focusing on the well-dressed youth who screamed nobility.
“Check this out—this megaphone got a craftsman’s touch. The mold’s top-notch, and this handle? Don’t let its looks fool you—it’s carved from the sacred tree of the Mosod Kingdom!”
Xing Chen humored him with a tight smile, steering the conversation elsewhere.
“How’d you end up here?”
“Oh, it’s a long story,” Simon said, his face darkening.
“I was doing business in Wagner Town—small deals, but with nobles. One of them framed me. Said we’d trade in the forest, but next thing I know, I’m knocked out and dumped in this goblin pit. All because I peeked at his documents. Can you believe it?”
Xing Chen’s interest piqued.
“Which noble? What were those documents about?”
“Didn’t catch his name, but he runs a lumber mill. The papers? Something about transport routes, I think. Can’t recall the details.”
Simon, the sly merchant, dangled just enough to hook Xing Chen’s curiosity, holding back the rest.
Xing Chen saw through it.
“I don’t have cash on me. Got a life-bond contract?”
Simon’s eyes widened.
“Whoa, playing hardball? You’re a noble—just put it on a tab! Life’s not something to gamble with.”
Xing Chen waved him off.
“It’s fine. Draw up the contract.”
He drew a short black blade from beneath his coat, slicing his palm.
Simon produced a parchment contract, hesitating as Xing Chen pressed his bloody hand onto it without flinching.
The parchment dissolved into ash.
“Deal’s done,” Simon sighed.
“Come closer, I’ll tell you.”
They whispered, keeping Noi out of the loop.
Her yawn suggested she didn’t care anyway.
After the exchange, the trio quickened their pace toward the surface.
Simon led, Xing Chen followed, and Noi brought up the rear.
As they neared the exit, a faint hum of noise grew, and thin black threads crept from behind.
“Hold up,” Xing Chen said abruptly.
Simon turned and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“You know what shadow spiders can do, right?”
“Uh… they produce rare venom, used for—”
“Not that. Combat abilities.”
Simon paused.
“Mind-body separation? As long as their misted heart survives, they’re nearly unkillable unless you destroy it with brute force. The closer the heart, the more threads—”
He froze, eyes darting to the space behind Noi, his expression hardening.
“What?” Noi asked, confused.
Xing Chen nodded and replied, “Exactly.”
In a flash, his black blade gleamed, striking toward Noi.