As Ezra disappeared inside the smoke, the arch started vibrating and emitting a faint green light, indicating the dungeon had been invaded and was now off-limits for other adventurers. On the other side, Ezra found himself inside an old cave formation with damp, mossy walls and overhanging ledges which led to higher levels. Unlike the wolf dens and bear caves, this dungeon did not offer a straight path to the other side. The narrow tunnels and sloping trails created a complex network of paths, some leading to the center of the cave and others misguiding invaders to dead ends and chokepoints. It was dark inside the cave, but Ezra could faintly make out his surroundings from the light cast by the distant bonfires. Although Ezra hadn’t seen any goblins yet, the unmistakable stench of rotten eggs and fish made it amply clear who the denizens of this dark hollow were. “Clearly the goblins are not too conscious about personal hygiene or sanitation,” Marlin whispered as the cursed eye

[Eagle eye activated!] [Targets identified: Goblin Raiders.] [Type: Fast-moving melee units.] [Strengths: Extremely good at countering weaker melee units like foot soldiers and pikemen. Can see perfectly even in complete darkness.] [Vulnerabilities: Weak against ranged attackers and spellcasters. Countered easily by mounted units like Orc Wolf Riders and human knights and cavaliers.] [Threat level: low.] The Goblin Raiders were the fighters of the goblin colony and specialized in melee combat and tracking down escaped fugitives and prisoners. Not only were they physically bulkier than their weaker cousins, but more intelligent as well. Ezra knew handling three Goblin Raiders at once would pose a serious challenge and to minimize his chances of being overpowered by the enemy he called his Spirit Companion to even the odds. Pointing his left hand at the Raider standing in the middle, Ezra commanded his wolf to take it down. The white wolf growled and pounced on the Raider before

Losing its shield made the Goblin Champion a lot more vulnerable to gunfire, but the leather armor strapped to its chest still offered considerable protection against small arms fire. Ezra’s magic bullets had already proved to be ineffective against the brute, but the enchanted ammunition kept his hopes alive. However, the problem with Disintegration Bullets was that they were designed to shatter hard surfaces like shells, metal plates, and carapaces. This made the Disintegration Bullets the perfect option for destroying bucklers and kite shields, but the Goblin Champion’s leather armor was elastic enough to absorb the shock from the blunt-faced projectiles. Ezra knew this too, but he had already thought of a perilous alternative. The Goblin Champion glared at Ezra, its beady yellow eyes almost bulging out of its thick skull as it gnashed its teeth. It knew the other goblins were watching from afar, and this sudden counterattack from its human opponent had brought it tremendous

When the little girl had offered the ring as a gift, Ezra only thought of it as some ornamental trinket looted by the goblins during one of their raids. But his system recognized the rare relic in an instant. Ezra smiled at the little girl and thanked her heartily for this invaluable gift. It was a much rarer item than the soul gem he had been looking for. As Ezra carefully observed the ring under the dying rays of the evening sun, he noticed a snake’s forked tongue was intricately carved on its underside. Ramel turned even more jealous at this sight. He had only obtained a handful of gold Sovereigns from the goblin dungeon he had raided. There were no rare relics or fabled artifacts inside any of the chests he had plundered. “Congratulations, brother. You not only cleared the dungeon but also managed to get your hands on a rare relic,” Ramel spoke pretentiously, his lips barely moving as each word was interjected with short pauses. “Yeah, that is truly a great find,” Robin agreed

Ezra looked at Aurelia with pleading eyes and whispered, “Please, you can’t tell father. If he finds out, the whole house will know my secret. I can’t let that happen. I don’t want to be treated as a freak again.” Aurelia could understand her brother’s fear, but her concern about his safety proved to outweigh what was at stake for him. “I’m sorry, little brother. But this is for your own good. I trust you, but I don’t trust that parasite on your hand,” Aurelia replied. She was about to call out to their father when Marlin spoke up. “At least allow me a chance to explain. You must hear me out if you truly care for your brother,” he blurted out in desperation. Aurelia could hear Lord Sebastian’s footsteps on the wooden staircase above, but she changed her mind at the last moment and turned around. “What exactly are you? And why have you attached yourself to my brother? What do you want from him?” As Ezra raised his hand, Marlin’s curse eye dilated, and its pupil turned blood red. H