SSS-RANK SUMMONING WEAPON SYSTEM-Chapter 36: Goblins[2]

The forest thickened as Xavier, Aria, and the duo pressed onward. The trees grew taller, their twisted branches clawing at the sky, blotting out the moonlight. The air was damp, heavy with the scent of moss and decay. Each step sank into soft earth, muffled by layers of fallen leaves.

Xavier walked ahead, his cloak brushing against the undergrowth, his daggers hidden but close. His senses sharpened with every stride. The silence of the forest was unnatural—no birds, no insects, only the faint rustle of unseen things moving in the dark.

Aria followed, her silver hair catching stray beams of moonlight that pierced the canopy. Her eyes scanned the shadows, her presence calm but alert. Neither spoke. Words felt too loud here, too fragile against the weight of the silence.

Ezra and Lyra moved in sync, no expression on their face as they followed Xavier and Aria deep in the forest.

The road narrowed into a winding trail, hemmed in by jagged rocks. Strange markings scarred the stone—crude symbols carved by goblin hands, warnings to trespassers. Xavier paused, his fingers brushing the grooves. The cuts were fresh. The goblins were close.

He exhaled slowly, his breath misting in the cold air.

"They’re watching," he murmured. "And it’s fucking annoying."

Aria’s gaze flicked to the treeline. She saw nothing, but she felt it—the prickle of unseen eyes, the weight of predators waiting in silence.

"How are you sure?" Ezra asked, looking around in surprise. "And I can’t sense anything."

"Just follow my lead." Xavier curtly replied.

They moved on, slower now, each step deliberate. The forest seemed to close around them, the shadows pressing tighter.

"So," Lyra asked, her voice with a slight curiosity. "I was wondering how your people were doing. You know, the black humans, how are they?"

’Why is she asking that?" Xavier thought, as he had stopped for a moment. "I don’t think I need to answer your question."

"Oh, come on." Lyra pestered, her voice now beginning to irritate him. "What’s with all the secrecy. I want to know how you are doing. You are the first black man to be seen in twenty years! Do you know how long it is?"

"Why the fucking hell are you interested in us so much?"

"I’ve always been fascinated by you guys," Lyra replied. "I mean, you are all born warriors. I’ve studied you guys since I was a little girl."

"What are you saying?"

"Your special ability." Lyra continued, and at that moment Xavier noticed a glint in her eye. It was a desire. "I always thought of what would happen if I had it. The power, the hunger for development. I always dreamt about it."

A weird smile morphed onto her face making Xavier churn in disgust and caution.

In that moment, Xavier gripped his blade as the stare intensified. He was moments from cutting her head off, if she did not stop staring at him like she wanted to dissect him. Theron had done the same, and Xavier had wished he had had the chance to wipe the smug look on his face. Q

There was an unbearable tension bubbling before Ezra suddenly elbowed Lyra, snapping her out of her trance. Xavier watched as Lyra shook like someone who just become sober, and then a helpless smile came to her face.

"Please, don’t mind me." She spoke. "When I get into something I’m truly interested in, I get a bit..." She raised both her hands in a crazy sign. "That. It’s not really that serious."

’Not really that serious!’ Xavier thought in shock. You became crazy for a short while!"

He turned away. "Let’s just keep moving. And no more talking," he began the walk, the others following him as he moved.

Hours passed. The trail sloped downward, the earth giving way to stone. The air grew colder, sharper, carrying the faint stench of rot. The sound of dripping water echoed faintly, guiding them toward the caverns.

Xavier’s boots scraped against the rock, his hand brushing the jagged walls. He felt the vibrations—subtle, rhythmic, like distant footsteps. The goblins were stirring.

Aria’s voice was low, almost a whisper.

"They know we’re coming."

Xavier nodded, his jaw tight. He welcomed it. He needed to get stronger. So he was going to do anything to get what he wanted.

At last, the forest opened into a clearing. Before them loomed the mouth of Blackthorn Caverns—a jagged maw carved into the cliffside, its edges lined with crude spikes of bone and rusted steel. Torches burned faintly at its entrance, their flames guttering in the wind.

The cavern exhaled a foul breath, thick with the stench of goblin nests—smoke, blood, and decay. The sound of guttural voices echoed faintly from within, mingling with the clatter of crude weapons and the hiss of fire pits.

Xavier stood at the threshold, his shadow stretching into the darkness. His daggers pulsed faintly, hungry for battle. Aria stepped beside him, her aura cold, her eyes unyielding.

Neither spoke. The silence was their oath.

They lingered at the entrance, listening. The cavern seemed alive, its walls breathing, its shadows shifting. The goblins were inside—hundreds of them, waiting, restless. Somewhere deeper, the warlord stirred, his roar ready to rally the horde.

Xavier’s instincts sharpened. Every sound, every flicker of torchlight, every breath of foul air was a warning. He felt the weight of the quest pressing against him, the danger looming like a storm.

Aria’s hand brushed against her weapon, her voice low, steady.

"Once we enter, there’s no turning back, Master."

Xavier’s eyes burned with resolve.

"I never turn back."

The cavern mouth yawned before them, a black abyss swallowing the light. Xavier stepped forward, his boots echoing against the stone. Aria followed, her presence close, her aura sharp.

The forest behind them fell silent. The world narrowed to the cavern, to the darkness, to the battle that awaited.

And so, slowly, deliberately, they crossed the threshold into Blackthorn Caverns—into the heart of danger, into the nest of the goblin warlord.