As chaos consumed the cave, Nick strolled through it leisurely. As he walked, he reminisced about setting everything up beforehand.
Nick was quite angry after losing the bid against a mysterious big shot, and he was also ridiculed by others.
If it had been in the past, he wouldn't have faced such a significant backlash for making a mistake.
However, just a few months ago, his uncle had died "accidentally," and the organization investigated the incident.
However, they couldn't find any clues regarding the killer who caused his uncle's death.
The accident had also crushed their purpose for raiding "the remains of the war."
As a result, Nick faced a lot of criticism and mocking remarks from others on behalf of his uncle. Nick lost his parents at a young age. His uncle was the sole parental figure for him.
He couldn't bear those remarks. So he just used his power and talent to "silence them".
He easily became one of the major figures in the [Blood Supremacy club] during his second year at the academy.
With his mind games, he had easily climbed the ranks and formed his faction.
Everything was going according to plan. Until "Ken" appeared.
Like an annoying bee, he kept interfering with his plans. That's why Nick thoroughly investigated his background. However, nothing noticeable was found.
He had planned meticulously this time, determined not to make any mistakes.
The practical exam for the top 100 freshman students was the perfect opportunity for him to prove his worth to everyone.
With the help of his organization, they were able to change the location of the practical exam. After some "little tricks", Nick easily gained leadership for the mission.
Now the only thing left was to set up the plan.
Before the exam, he arrived at the Roaring Cave and conducted a rough exploration of the area.
Due to his tight schedule, he was unable to explore every nook and cranny of the cave.
Nonetheless, he made a rough plan while also receiving insider information that Ken's group would be tasked with targeting the Red Ogre during the mission.
With this knowledge, he marked the creature's location accurately, while intentionally marking other nearby passageways incorrectly.
He even planned for the hidden trap where they would retrieve the map.
As per the plan, he directed Ken's team to "Goblin's nest". Although he had to use his charm skill for a moment to make his words more credible. This skill only worked on weak people than him and it only made his words more credible.
Also according to the plan, he contacted those 14 guardians, and all of them pulled aggro of the powerful creatures toward exhausted students.
With that, they were easily able to trap the students inside the cave.
Nick also had a network of insiders among the top 100 freshman students, who kept him updated on the current situation.
As he was contemplating his plans, his communication device rang, and a message from an insider he had planted among the students appeared. "Leader, somehow Ben has appeared with his crazy group. He is saving everyone left and right. He is currently helping Ken's group. What should we do?" Nick froze on the spot, shocked to hear that Ben was saving people.
"Looks like someone has made a move," he thought.
'Is that you [Thanatos]?' He stared in the air and mumbled.
'Be ready for my next move, too.' Thinking this, he again disappeared into the darkness making his second move.
***
After killing the Goblin King, Ben and his team were standing in the cave, covered in goblin blood and panting heavily.
They looked at each other with a mix of exhaustion and relief.
"Is it just me or does it smell worse in here now?" Gram asked, wrinkling his nose.
Andy chuckled. "I think that's just the smell of victory, Gram."
Patrick grinned. "Speaking of victory, did you see the look on the Goblin King's face when Boss charged at him with that crazy sword move?"
Galanar let out a laugh. "I think I scared him more than he scared me."
Andy shook his head. "You are one crazy son of a bitch, Boss. I thought for sure you were going to get yourself killed."
Ben grinned. "Hey, I live for this stuff. It's what I was born to do." He said while he wiped the blood from his face with a handkerchief.
Gram rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, I was born to be a baker, but you don't see me charging headfirst into battle."
Andy chuckled. "That's because you're too busy making us delicious baked goods, Gram."
Patrick smirked. "Yeah, I'd take a fresh batch of your cinnamon rolls over a goblin any day."
After that, Ben took out the map. As soon as he took out the map, the group gathered around him.
"Now, you guys believe me?" Ben raised his eyebrows as he spoke.
"Yeah. That crazy look when you charged at the Goblin King. Only our boss can do something stupid." Galanar said while stroking his belly.
"Your allowance will be cut by 10% this month," Ben said, nonchalantly.
"Noo!!" Galanar couldn't hold his emotions.
He kept babbling, while Andy stopped him from brawling on the ground.
"Boss, I believed in you from the start," Patrick said confidently.
"M-me, too," Gram said in low voice.
"Okay, let's go to the North East now." Ben pointed at the map while saying.
All of his team members nodded.
"Don't you guys have any questions?" Ben wondered.
"But didn't we work like this always? You tell us where to go without any plan. In the end, somehow everything went with the flow." Gram said while tilting his head.
Ben facepalmed. 'These idiots.'
"Let's go," Ben instructed. Hearing this, everyone from the team member started moving.
As they walked they talked about the battle they had against the goblins.
"Man, that was intense," Galanar said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"Yeah, I think I'm gonna have goblin nightmares for weeks," Gram added.
Andy chuckled. "I'm just glad we made it out alive. That was some seriously tough fighting."
Patrick smirked. "Speak for yourself, I was in the zone. Those goblins didn't stand a chance."
Galanar rolled his eyes. "You were lucky, Patrick. You missed more than you hit."
Patrick shrugged. "Hey, I may not have the best aim, but I can surely make a big hole in your tummy."
Ben laughed. "Yeah, we know. You were like Legolas out there."
The group chuckled, relieved to have a moment of levity after the intense battle.
As they continued through the cave, they came across a pile of treasure that glimmered in the dim light. The group's eyes widened with excitement.
"Holy shit," Gram said, his voice full of awe. "We hit the jackpot."
Andy nodded in agreement. "Let's just hope this treasure isn't guarded by another army of goblins."
Patrick chuckled. "Are you kidding me? After what we just went through, I think we could take on a dragon."
Galanar shook his head. "Don't jinx us, Patrick. Let's just take the treasure and get out of here."
As they approached the treasure, Ben suddenly had a realization.
"Hold on," he said urgently.
Everyone halted in their tracks.
"Let's leave this for now and come back for it later. When we return, we can split it evenly among ourselves," Ben suggested. The mere mention of "splitting" the treasure lit up everyone's faces.
Without a word, they all nodded in agreement.
As the group continued on their journey, they encountered a variety of fantastical creatures, each posing its unique challenges.
However, Ben, to everyone's amazement, seemed to have an uncanny knowledge of these creatures and their weaknesses, making their battles much more manageable.
The first creature they encountered was a group of small, fluffy bunnies that hopped out from a side tunnel.
However, they were too dangerous.
The group initially froze, unsure of what to do, until Ben suddenly pulled out a carrot from his pocket and tossed it toward the bunnies. The bunnies immediately hopped toward the carrot, and they ate it. They soon died. It's because that carrot was poisonous.
Another creature they encountered was a swarm of flesh-eating ghouls that emerged from a dark forest.
These vile creatures were known for their lightning-fast speed and deadly claws, making them nearly impossible to outrun.
However, Ben had a trick up his sleeve, and he used a potion of holy water to repel the ghouls and send them fleeing back into the darkness.
They encountered snacks, lizards, and Kobolds. But everything was dealt away easily by Ben.
The group was in awe of him, but Hans was becoming increasingly frustrated as he was the one who had attracted the monsters to the group.
After taking a leisurely walk, they stumbled upon a group of students engaged in a battle against shadowy creatures.
"We should help them," Ben declared.
However, his companions were confused. "But boss, we've never helped anyone before. Aren't we the bullies of the academy?" Patrick asked, and the others looked at Ben, hoping for a logical explanation.
Ahem... only we can bully everyone. If we save them, it will prove that we are stronger, and we can bully them more in the future," Ben spoke as if he were imparting wisdom, but he was dying from the shame of saying such nonsense.
"Isn't that pure bullshit?" Galanar retorted.
"10% allowance cut," Ben said coldly.
"Noo!!" Galanar regretted his actions.
"Let's go," Ben changed the subject, unable to bear it any longer.
And so, they began saving students along the way, and their group grew larger and larger. Among the students were some who had been wounded, but Ben was prepared and had brought medicine to aid them.
As they marched forward, the students' respect for Ben grew, and in their hearts, he slowly transformed into a savior.
'I really can't endure this, Rain why the fuck you told me to do this!!' He grumbled inwardly.
Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m