Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Out of the Wolf's Den and Into the Tiger's Mouth
It has to be said, the goblins in this cave were obviously smarter than their counterparts, but they still seemed too naive in the face of cunning adventurers.
The goblins whose candles weren't extinguished hadn't gone far in pursuit when the two leading goblins fell victim to a sudden ambush.
Alonso, who hadn't run far without torchlight, stopped. Taking advantage of the darkness, he ambushed the two leading goblins. After snatching their candles, he continued fleeing deeper into the cave.
Upon reaching a fork in the path, Alonso left some stinky fish behind and moved one candle to his chest to minimize its light. He then fiercely threw the other candle into one of the paths before running down the other.
Moving along the darkened passage, unsure of how far he had gone and ensuring no goblins were on his tail, Alonso finally moved the candle away from his chest.
These survival techniques were learned from experienced adventurers. These older adventurers might not have been the strongest, but they had managed to survive countless adventures over the years, which undoubtedly honed their survival skills.
Unfortunately, Alonso had learned these escape techniques to avoid powerful monsters like dragons, never expecting to use them in a goblin nest.
"Where am I?"
Having escaped, Alonso observed his surroundings by the candlelight.
The walls nearby were covered with mushrooms of various colors and some species of fungi he couldn't name. These growths didn't need sunlight, something he had seen in many goblin mines.
The mushrooms and fungi here were denser than any he had seen in other passages, confirming Alonso hadn't been here before.
However, since he had been following along one side of the passage, even if he got lost, he could always return by sticking to the same side. This method, too, was taught to him by seasoned adventurers and proved to be quite practical.
Unexpectedly, after turning a corner, Alonso ran straight into another group of goblins...
"Get him!"
The lead goblin brandished his pickaxe at Alonso, followed swiftly by his comrades. While these weren't the same goblins chasing Alonso before, they held the same hostility towards adventurers.
Having exerted himself for so long, Alonso lacked the fighting spirit to counterattack. Without a second thought, he turned and fled.
And this was just the beginning of Alonso's misfortune. Fleeing blindly, he not only failed to shake off this group of goblins but also ran into several other groups successively. Thus, in the labyrinthine underground tunnels, a long train quickly formed, with Alonso at the unfortunate forefront.
After speeding through the tunnels for quite some time, Alonso, the "locomotive" of this "train," finally ran out of steam. Just as he was lamenting his ill fate, he saw a dim red light ahead.
There were no branching paths ahead, so Alonso had to grit his teeth and charge towards the light ahead, praying for the unlikely miracle.
"Fortune favors the brave!"
As he drew closer to the glowing light, Alonso let out a joyous shout.
Reaching the source of the light, the narrow passage came to an end, revealing a vast cave illuminated by luminescent mushrooms. The dim red glow emanated from a massive fissure, from which flowed a river of molten lava, connecting both sides of the chasm was an ancient-looking suspension bridge.
With hope alive before him, Alonso's fatigue vanished in an instant, and he hurried towards the bridge. Stepping on the somewhat creaky wooden planks, he crossed without incident, then swiftly drew his sword and cut the ropes supporting the bridge, severing any chance of the goblins catching up.
With "burning the bridge after crossing it," Alonso had used up the last of his strength. No longer resisting, he let exhaustion overtake him, collapsing to the ground.
Ignoring the calls from the goblins on the opposite bank, Alonso lay still, savoring the newfound bliss of simply existing. The uneven ground beneath him, even with its rough stones, became the softest bed in the world. The heavy embrace of sleep beckoned him into its healing embrace with sweet whispers.
"Hey! Wake up! It's not nap time!"
Utterly exhausted and ready to sleep for a day and a night, Alonso suddenly felt something cold and hard pressed against his face, followed by a sharp and somewhat angry voice reaching his ears.
Startling awake, he found a pickaxe against his face, with three goblins staring at him with wide nostrils and glaring eyes!
"This..."
Alonso was completely bewildered. Just when he had escaped, how did he end up surrounded by goblins again?! I'm too tired to run anymore. Author, just kill me off and bring in a new protagonist to suffer this fate!
"This guy's awake!"
"Tie him up and take him back to King Tovagel!"
"He broke the bridge. The mushroom shipments to the underground city will be cut off for a while. The king won't take it lightly!"
One of the goblins took out a rope from his waist, securely binding Alonso, while another lifted him onto his shoulders.
These three goblins were all quite large, at least twice the size of the ones Alonso encountered earlier, so carrying him was a breeze for them. Alonso, now being carried on their shoulders, completely surrendered to fate. Under the relentless assault of destiny, he closed his eyes, even daring to snore arrogantly.
"The human perception of goblins is stereotypical, thinking they're just clowns who like to wear red and orange clothes and have rat tails. But here, in this underground city built by goblins, they are not just the small guys who dig tunnels with pickaxes." — "Marlin's Underground Dungeon Exploration Diary"
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