I'm not a Witcher anymore.

After several hours of trekking, the group of five finally arrived at the entrance to the Goblin Cave.

The opening is about three meters high and five meters wide, with an irregular shape, resembling a wound torn open by some kind of giant beast.

The cave was pitch black and bottomless, with cold, damp air wafting out of the entrance, carrying an unpleasant stench.

It is worth noting that a totem stands at the entrance of the cave.

It was a crude totem made from an animal skull, tied to a wooden stake with thick hemp rope and vines, and fixed to the rock on the right side of the cave entrance.

The entire totem exudes a primitive, savage, and threatening aura.

Adventurers who frequently hunt goblins can glean important information from this totem:

This is no ordinary goblin lair.

Bone totems are the symbol of goblin shamans.

Shamans are spellcasters in goblin tribes. They possess primitive magic and rituals, and can even command other goblins in organized battles.

A tribe with a shaman is more difficult to deal with than a leaderless goblin.

"Shaman..." Sieg muttered to himself.

No wonder the villagers of Green Village were completely fooled.

however……

The others in the group merely glanced at the obvious warning sign and walked straight toward the cave entrance.

It was as if it were just an ordinary roadside decoration, not worthy of much attention.

Kevin even laughed and said, "These goblins are pretty good at decorating, they look pretty scary."

Eileen curled her lip: "They're just some broken bones, what's there to be afraid of?"

Isabella frowned, clearly uncomfortable with the ugliness of the totem, but said nothing, only quickening her pace to enter the cave as soon as possible.

Only Petra glanced at the totem with unease a few more times.

Just as the four were about to enter the cave...

"etc."

The four people stopped and turned around, looking at him with a puzzled expression.

Zieg pointed to the eerie totem made of bones beside the cave entrance.

"Did you see this?"

Kevin leaned closer for a couple of glances. Having learned his lesson from buying the potion that morning, he didn't dare speak too confidently, only asking hesitantly, "I see it. It's quite scary... Isn't this just a decoration goblins use to scare people?"

Zig's gaze suddenly darkened, his voice carrying an undeniable certainty: "No, this isn't just decoration. It signifies the presence of a shaman in this cave."

"Shaman?"

Kevin paused for a moment, blinked, and was clearly unfamiliar with the word.

Eileen frowned as well: "What is a shaman? It sounds like some kind of leader?"

Only Isabella said thoughtfully, "I think I heard a teacher mention this word at the academy, saying it's one of the variants of goblins."

Petra gripped her staff nervously and whispered, "Shaman... is it dangerous?"

"Shamans are spellcasters among goblins. They are also more intelligent than ordinary goblins."

Upon hearing this, Kevin's relaxed expression faded somewhat, but he still seemed unconvinced.

"That does sound pretty impressive... but they're still goblins, right? There are five of us, so we should be fine."

Zieg glanced at him, his tone heavy:

"Caves where shamans are present are usually also accompanied by large goblins."

"A Big Goblin?" Eileen asked疑惑地, "What's that?"

What Zieg said next left everyone stunned.

"If an ordinary goblin can even defeat a laundry woman wielding a laundry stick in a one-on-one situation, then a giant goblin is completely different."

"The giant goblin is over two meters tall and has strength far exceeding that of an ordinary person. It can smash a wooden shield with one punch and break a person's leg bone with one kick."

Everyone else was stunned.

Their nonchalant expressions vanished, replaced by solemnity and unease.

Even Isabella, a spellcaster who was quite confident in her magic, turned somewhat pale.

"Over two meters tall... wouldn't that be as tall as a bear?"

Petra's voice trembled slightly:

"If we really encounter such a monster, can we...can we really win?"

The air suddenly became heavy.

The atmosphere that had been filled with confidence, even a bit of underestimation of their opponent, completely vanished after Zieg's few words.

Instead, there was a sense of oppressive tension.

Kevin swallowed hard, the shame of his ignorance from that morning washing over him again. He forced a dry laugh:

"Mr. Sieg, this monster is so terrifying... Are we really going to run into it this time?"

Zieg's eyes remained unmoved, his azure gaze fixed on the boy who was forcing a smile: "I have no need to scare you. I just don't want to watch you die."

"Now, you have two choices: go back to town or give up this commission."

Kevin swallowed hard. Forcing down the fear rising in his heart, he gritted his teeth and squeezed out, "We've already accepted the commission; we can't give up halfway."

Despite her still pale face, Eileen said, "Those kidnapped girls... are still waiting for us to rescue them."

Isabella and Petra also wanted to stay.

Zieg withdrew his gaze noncommittally, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword: "Very well, since you've decided to continue, then follow my instructions."

"When we enter the cave, I'll go first. Then Petra and Isabella, you two will walk in the middle. Kevin and Eileen, you two will bring up the rear."

Kevin was taken aback.

"I'll cover the rear? But I'm a swordsman, shouldn't I be at the front?"

Zieg glanced at him calmly: "We don't know what's going on inside the cave, but this is the goblin's lair, and they'll definitely try to attack from behind, so you and Eileen should stay back."

Eileen immediately dropped her relaxed demeanor, raised her hands and cracked her knuckles together, making a crisp popping sound: "I know, I'll watch out behind me."

Kevin was still somewhat unwilling, but he did not refute it.

Zig's gaze swept over the four of them.

"And one more thing—in the cave, everyone follows my instructions."

"Do not act on your own, do not break formation, and do not act impulsively."

"Only in this way can I do my best to ensure that everyone returns alive."

His words carried an unquestionable command, not a suggestion for discussion.

Kevin, Eileen, Isabella, and Petra exchanged glances and then nodded in unison.

"Understood."

Although he outwardly agreed, Kevin still harbored a sliver of hope.

He admitted that Zig was very experienced, but the idea of ​​goblins and shamans was indeed frightening, and that they might just be rare exceptions that he might not encounter.

Besides, even if they did encounter them, there were five of them. How could they possibly lose to a mere few goblins? He himself had previously fought off goblins invading the farm on his own, and it wasn't that dangerous at all.

As long as we are careful, it shouldn't be as dangerous as Zieg said.

but……

Kevin glanced at Zieg's serious expression, then at the tense looks on his other three teammates, and ultimately swallowed his thoughts, choosing to remain silent.

Zieg was, after all, a senior. He scratched his head, forced a smile, and resigned himself to his fate.