The Cannibal Tower
The next morning.
The Nise Yggdra tree.
In front of the hollow.
We Adventurers stood quietly.
“I have no talent for speeches. Last night was proof enough of that. However, you are not a group that needs to be roused. Your morale is high enough.”
Adlus stood in front of us and spoke quietly as his hands rested on his sword.
“Our enemy is right below us. A swarm of goblins. They are the remnants.”
As for the plan, Manager would use her shadows to find every entrance, and then the Adventurers would block them off.
At first, Manager was going to block them all with her shadow magic, but considering the burden to her and that it would affect her ability to fight, she ultimately suggested against it. She would not be able to use any other magic if she had to contrate on blocking all of the exits.
“We will break into the nest of the starving goblins. But you must all be careful. While we mean to be their annihilators, one wrong step can turn you into their food.”
If all of the exits were blocked from the outside, it would mean that all of the Adventurers could be used in the assault against the abandoned city. Manager could move freely. The plan had been changed after she had discussed with us the way her magic worked.
“Alright, let’s go. There are no orders. Just advance quietly and quickly. And then we hit the nest.”
Everyone nodded and turned on their notably beautiful magic illumination tools that hung on their belts. Hmm. Just the thought of them walking through the shadows made me glad that I had let the Adventurers borrow them. My collection deserved to be displayed like that.
Without another word, the silent march began.
□ □ □ □
The passage through the tree would have been pitch black without the magic lamps. But it was now bright enough to make out the dirt on the floor and walls. You could tell that goblins had passed through here numerous times.
We continued without saying a word. Like the last time, we walked down the slope and went deeper in until we came out into a much wider passage. As I was in the lead, I raised my hand for the others to stop. It was here that I used Nighteyes and Presence Detection to see what was happening.
“Hmm…”
“See anything?’
Daniela whispered as she held her bow.
“It seems like they’re all gathering in the center…”
“And what is in the center?”
I tried to think back on the last time I had infiltrated the place. To be honest, all of the buildings looked very similar, and it wasn’t as if I checked all of them. I really didn’t know.
“I don’t know… I’ll have to go.”
“I see. Well, Rindo should use her magic first.”
“That’s true.”
I wasn’t able to use Nighteyes and Eyes of the God Wolf at the same time, so I would have to actually go there to find out. I decided to do it after Manager used her magic detection and the Jades finished blocking off the exits.
“Shadow Step.”
Black magical energy went towards her feet, and then Manager stepped into the shadow that she made with the magic tool. Then the shadow began to spread out. It was as if it was eating all the shadows in the area, even climbing up the walls and the ceiling. It ran up buildings, covering them, stretching far. Manager had said that this magic was where everything started. And it made sense when you looked at it. Not only that, but she used the shadows to make a wall around us. Now the goblins wouldn’t be able to see us or the lights of the magic lamps.
Once everything was covered in darkness, her second magic activated.
“Shadow Read.”
This was her version of detection magic. It allowed her to get a detailed reading of the entire area that she had covered in shadows. She had said that the shadows of the night were her field, and this was proof of it.