"You better focus on the goblin idiot." Nohara prepared for another attack.
"From thanks to insults, typical girl." Derivan charged at the goblin.
The goblin began firing energy bolts at him. The teenager nimbly dodged them, but suddenly the goblin ran up to Derivan and was about to attack him. Nohara created an ice blade in her hand and moved towards Derivan.
"Derivan, duck!"
Derivan ducked, avoiding the goblin's blow. Nohara jumped over him and decapitated the goblin with her ice blade.
"It worked!"
"Of course, it's all my fault..." Derivan was about to say something, but Nohara finished the sentence. "...but I couldn't have done it if it weren't for your help."
"I think we should go back to the hotel."
"You're right."
As Derivan and Nohara were about to return to the hotel, they suddenly heard voices. Curious, they decided to hide in the bushes and see what was happening.
A man with long black hair, wearing a black coat, stood in front of a young couple.
"So you're saying you haven't managed to find the Kinotro Crystal?" the man began to raise his hands.
The couple was terrified. "Mr. Kriro, I ask for forgiveness and to give us a second chance. We promise that this time we won't fail and that we will find that crystal," the girl pleaded.
"Silence, I don't need people who fail." Energy bolts shot from Kriro's sleeves, binding the couple together.
Kriro tore their bodies apart. Derivan and Nohara, seeing this, were terrified. "Come on, my friends, for a meal," Kriro summoned several wolves, who devoured the torn pieces of flesh.
The man noticed the two teenagers and quickly appeared behind them. "You know the forest is dangerous for children at night, you should better go home," he advised with a smile, then left.
Derivan and Nohara were sweating and paralyzed. They only came to their senses several minutes after Kriro left.
"This guy is dangerous," Nohara said.
"Yeah, we were lucky; he could have easily killed us."
"We'd better go back to the hotel," Nohara suggested, to which Derivan agreed.
The next day...
After what they had seen yesterday, Derivan and Nohara didn't sleep a wink the entire night. The teenager decided to go to the mayor.
"If you're looking for the mayor, he's not in the office right now."
Derivan turned around and saw a man. "Too bad, I had something important to tell him."
"You can tell me, I'll be happy to help."
"I saw goblins trying to break into the city last night."
The man's eyes widened. "What, isn't that impossible? They should be locked in the underground dungeons?"
At that moment, the mayor entered the building. "Oh, Ronibo, Derivan, what are you doing here?"
Ronibo immediately turned to the mayor seriously. "Old man, who has the key to the underground dungeons where the goblins are imprisoned?"
The mayor was surprised by Ronibo's attitude. "The guards have them, why are you asking?"
"I'll explain later, I need to check something." Ronibo ran out of the building.
Derivan immediately ran after him. "Mr. Ronibo, please wait."
"What's the matter, boy?"
"Please let me go with you," he said, surprising everyone.
Ronibo stared at the teenager for a moment, then agreed. "Okay, follow me."
A moment later, they both reached the building where the guards are stationed.
"Oh, Ronibo, what brings you here?"
"Who was on duty yesterday?"
The guard looked at the man in surprise. "Harry, was that you?"
"No, you see, someone knocked me out yesterday and took my uniform," he said, surprising everyone.
"WHAT? You idiot, why didn't you report it?"
"Sorry, but I wanted to find out for myself and catch the perpetrator before it got out. I wouldn't want to get in trouble."
"Not good, we have a pest in the village," Ronibo thought. "Come on, boy, let's go explore the dungeons."
Ronibo and Derivan went down to the city's basement, where the dungeons were located.
"What's going on?" Ronibo was surprised to see the cells empty. "All the goblins have been freed."
"Were there more of them?" Derivan asked. He and Nohara had already had trouble with two goblins, but now it turns out there are even more.
"Whoever freed those goblins must have known all about them and those dungeons."
"Do you think it's one of Silono's residents?"
"Probably. We'd better get back to town, we should warn the mayor."
Derivan nodded, and he and Ronibo returned to town.