I'm not a Witcher anymore.

Zieg did not answer immediately.

He gently stroked the hilt of the sword, and after a brief, suffocating silence, he said in a deep voice, "There is probably a secret passage in this cave."

"A secret passage?"

Everyone was stunned for a moment.

"You'll see when you see it. Come with me."

Zig picked up the burning torch and walked back the way he came.

He walked at the head of the procession, the torchlight illuminating the path ahead and the goblin corpses.

The others followed closely behind him.

The group returned along the same route they had come from.

Not long after...

Zig stopped in his tracks.

He raised the torch and shone its light on the left side of the cave wall.

"This is it."

Everyone immediately crowded around, following Zieg's gaze...

Then, everyone gasped.

"hiss--"

Sure enough, a noticeable gap appeared on the side of the cave wall they had passed earlier.

It was an opening about two meters high and one meter wide, with jagged edges, as if it had been forcibly chiseled open.

Beyond the gap stretched another narrow passageway, dark and deep, with no end in sight.

A cold wind blew out of the passageway, carrying an unsettling atmosphere, causing the torch flames to flicker constantly.

When they passed through here before, this gap definitely didn't exist.

Kevin's eyes widened, and he froze completely:

"This...this is impossible..."

"We just passed by here..."

"Back then, the wall was intact... there wasn't a single gap..."

Zieg didn't answer, but walked to the edge of the gap and carefully observed the jagged edges.

He reached out and touched the surface of the rock wall, his fingers getting covered in a layer of fine soil.

"I see……"

Zig turned around, raised his finger, and showed everyone the layer of mud.

"This is not a natural rock face."

"It was disguised by goblins using mud and pebbles."

"At the entrance to the secret passage, they built a fake wall and then covered it with mud to make it look exactly like the surrounding rock walls."

"When we passed by just now, the light was dim, and we couldn't see any flaws at all."

"But after we got through, the goblins lying in ambush in the secret passage pushed aside the false wall and launched a sneak attack from behind."

"This..." Everyone else was stunned. "Goblins are so cunning..."

Zig looked at the tense expressions on everyone's faces and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Since those goblins are lying in ambush in this secret passage, their lair is likely deep inside it."

"The good news is that we have killed 27 goblin minions and 1 large goblin."

"Based on the usual situation of goblin tribes, the number of goblins in this nest should not exceed 40."

"In other words..." A cold glint flashed in Zieg's eyes.

"There won't be many goblins left in the lair."

"At most ten or so, plus a goblin shaman."

Zig's gaze swept over the others.

"Petra," he said, looking at the frail priestess, "you must listen carefully to what I am about to say."

Petra paused for a moment, then nodded vigorously:

"yes!"

"The moment I say 'attack,' immediately cast 'Flash,' understand? Don't hesitate, don't waver, and don't wait for me to repeat myself."

Petra swallowed nervously, gripping her staff tightly. "I...I understand..."

Petra possessed two miracles in total:

The first one is "Xiao Yu".

This is a basic healing miracle bestowed upon the priests by the Earth Mother Goddess, capable of healing most injuries except for fatal ones.

Petra used this miracle to heal Kevin's wound when the goblin pierced his thigh.

Although it cannot remove the toxins, it can at least help the wound heal and prevent Kevin from dying from excessive blood loss.

The second one is "flash".

This miracle, as the name suggests...

It can burst forth with intense light in an instant, as dazzling as the sun, enough to temporarily blind any creature that looks directly at the light.

Goblins live in dark caves, and their eyes have long been adapted to the dim environment.

If they are suddenly exposed to strong light, they will lose their vision instantly and fall into a state of temporary blindness.

This brief period of blindness is the fatal flaw.

Zig turned around and looked at Eileen.

"Eileen".

"yes!"

"After Petra casts 'Flash,' kill as many goblins as you can."

Sieg paused for a moment: "Most of the kidnapped girls are probably still in the lair, but don't worry about them until you've killed all the goblins, understand?"

Eileen hesitated, "But...they might be injured..."

Zieg shook his head.

"Petra's opportunity for us is fleeting. We are outnumbered, and if we can't reduce their numbers before they can react, not only will we lose the hostages, but we will also die."

A fleeting look of confusion crossed Eileen's face, replaced by a determined expression: "I understand, I will try my best."

"Okay, thank you."

"Mr. Sieg, what about me?"

Kevin couldn't help but ask when Zieg didn't assign him any tasks.

Zieg glanced at him: "You're injured, and it's difficult for you to move around. You should stay and protect Isabella."

Kevin, his pride wounded, panicked and instinctively took half a step forward: "But..."

"No buts! If you insist on arguing with me, wasting time and alerting the shaman in the lair, thus putting the kidnapped girl in danger..."

Zig suddenly took half a step closer, looking down at the boy before him with an unwavering gaze that left no room for negotiation:

"Tell me, Kevin, is this what you want to see?"

"I……"

Kevin was stunned, standing frozen in place.

He wanted to argue, but couldn't utter a single word.

Because Sieg is right...

His leg is still aching slightly.

Although most of the toxins were removed, they were not completely eliminated.

If he forces himself to participate in the battle, he is likely to drag down his teammates and even cause the mission to fail.

His obsession could kill everyone.

Kevin lowered his head, his voice trembling.

"I...I understand..."

Seeing Kevin's dejected and heartbroken expression, Eileen felt a pang of sadness. She longed to go over and pat her childhood sweetheart on the shoulder.

But she didn't move in the end.

Because she knew that the burden on her shoulders at that moment was a thousand times heavier than Kevin's disappointment.

If she fails, if she makes a mistake in the battle...

The consequences could be disastrous.

Eileen withdrew her gaze and bit her lip hard. She took a deep breath of the stuffy, stale air in the cave, clenched her fists until they cracked, and forced herself into a state of absolute combat readiness.