Arthur didn't slow. If anything, he picked up the pace.
That was when he heard the noise again.
Sounds that signified movement.
He rounded a bend and spotted them almost immediately. Two goblins, standing near a fractured wall, sniffing at the air like animals that knew something wasn't right.
For a brief moment, all four eyes locked onto him.
Arthur stopped.
"So you're still spawning," he said lightly. "Good to know."
The goblins stiffened, and he could almost see the shift in their minds. Recognition. Hunger. Violence. They didn't hesitate for long.
As they lunged.
Arthur stepped forward instead of back.
Intent Weave unfolded around him, invisible threads spreading low and wide across the stone. The first goblin leapt, screeching, but the moment it entered the field its speed dropped sharply, its body jerking midair like it had slammed into thick mud.
"Too predictable," Arthur said.
