Blocking the Exit

The passageway grew increasingly quiet.

Lu Heng walked close to the rock wall, his steps very light. The volcanic ash beneath his feet was compacted, making a soft, grinding sound. He stopped every few steps, extending his mental energy forward a short distance to confirm there was nothing unusual before continuing.

The smell of sulfur had faded considerably. Tiny cracks began to appear on the rock face, and the wind blew in from outside, carrying the scents of grass, trees, and earth.

We're almost out.

He quickened his pace. The rocky path ahead widened, and the exit was just a dozen meters away. Grayish-white sunlight streamed in from the cave entrance, much brighter than inside. Lu Heng squinted, adjusted his breathing, and prepared to rush into the forest below as soon as he stepped out.

He stepped out of the cave.

Then it stopped.

A human-shaped figure stood in the center of the open space.

He was nearly two meters tall, with dark green skin, and wore a rough iron armor, its surface pitted, scratched, and dented. He wore a crooked crown on his head, inlaid with a few cheap gems. In his hand, he carried a heavy iron hammer, its head stained with dark brown blood, dragging it on the ground and leaving a long trail in the rocks.

Goblin King.

It stood in the very middle of the open space, directly facing the cave entrance, as if it had been standing there waiting from the very beginning.

Lu Heng's back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.

The oppressive feeling he sensed with his mental power was like a mountain pressing down, making him gasp for breath. Gold Tier. This Goblin King had been blocking the entrance the whole time.

The thought flashed through Lu Heng's mind, and his blood ran cold.

Without any hesitation, he turned and ran back.

Behind him came the Goblin King's deep laughter, like a stone rolling in his throat. Then came the sound of a hammer slamming into the ground—bang! bang! bang! Each step shook the ground, but it was much faster than Lu Heng had imagined.

Lu Heng plunged back into the rocky path.

He didn't run the way he came—that path was too narrow, and if it got blocked, it would be a dead end. He chose another fork in the road and ran wildly into the depths of the volcano. The rock passage was pitch black, with only the faint glow of the dark red light emanating from the rock walls providing dim illumination. Lu Heng dared not slow down, and his feet slipped on the volcanic ash and sulfur crystals several times.

Behind them, the Goblin King's footsteps continued.

It's coming in.

Lu Heng gritted his teeth and unleashed his full mental power to sense the terrain ahead. The rocky path forked ahead, and he chose the narrowest one— the Goblin King was too large, and a narrow passage might slow it down. He squeezed sideways into the crevice, his backpack screeching against the rock wall, and the shoulder strap nearly snapped.

At the end of the crevice was a small cave.

The cave was small, about ten meters in diameter, with a pool of bubbling lava in the center. The heat was intense, making the skin burn. The rock walls were smooth and steep, with no footholds for climbing.

Dead end.

Lu Heng's heart sank. He looked around; the only exit was the crack he had come in through, and outside the crack, the Goblin King's footsteps had stopped.

It didn't come in immediately.

Lu Heng leaned against the rock wall, gripping his Star Blade tightly, panting heavily. The temperature inside the cave was extremely high; bubbles constantly rose from the lava pool, releasing scorching gases when they burst. He glanced down at the ground beneath his feet—the rock layer was very thin, and he could feel the surging lava below.

He could hear the Goblin King's breathing outside the crack, heavy and slow, like some large beast sniffing out its prey.

Then, a deep voice came from outside the crack.

"Come out."

It was Goblin language, but Lu Heng understood it. The voice carried an unquestionable sense of command, like a king's declaration to his subjects.

Lu Heng didn't answer. He mobilized the fire attribute energy within his body, and a dark red blade light condensed on the edge of his Star Blade. He knew he couldn't escape—the fact that this Goblin King was waiting for him outside meant that it knew the terrain of the entire volcanic area like the back of its hand. No matter which direction he ran, he would eventually be blocked.

Outside the crack, the Goblin King chuckled.

The next second, the hammer slammed into the rock face.

Boom!

The entire crevice's rock wall trembled violently, and rubble rained down. The Goblin King didn't crawl in—it didn't need to. The force of the hammer transmitted through the rock wall, and Lu Heng felt the ground beneath his feet cracking. He suddenly dodged to the side, and a deep pit was blasted into the spot where he had just stood. The crack extended all the way to the edge of the lava pool, and the lava in the pool surged, splashing out a few drops that landed on the rock wall, instantly burning out several small craters.

The second hammer blow came down.

This time, the rock wall at the entrance to the crevice collapsed completely. Amidst the flying debris, the Goblin King's massive figure appeared at the cave entrance, a hammer slung over his shoulder, its deep green eyes gleaming eerily in the darkness. It glanced down at the lava pool inside the cave, then looked at Lu Heng, and grinned.

"I've found you."

Lu Heng gripped the Star Blade tightly, its dark red blade gleaming. He glanced at the rock beneath his feet—it was very thin; a few more blows and it would crack. Then the lava would surge up and engulf the entire cave.

He can't afford to gamble.

The Goblin King stepped over the rubble and entered the cave. His hammer dragged on the ground, its head scraping against the rocks with a harsh sound. He didn't act rashly, but slowly raised the hammer, as if savoring the prey's final struggle.

Lu Heng took a deep breath, holding the Star Blade horizontally in front of him.

He stared intently at the Goblin King's movements, his mental energy locking onto every subtle change. The Goblin King's first step—left foot moving first, weight shifting to the right. The second step—the hammer slightly raised, ready to sweep horizontally.

Right now.

Lu Heng did not retreat, but instead rushed forward. The Star Blade, carrying a dark red blade light, pierced straight towards the Goblin King's chest.

The Goblin King seemed caught off guard by the attack, paused for a moment, then raised his hammer to block. The Star Blade struck the hammer, producing a piercing metallic scraping sound and sending sparks flying. Lu Heng felt a tingling sensation in his hand, and the Star Blade almost slipped from his grasp.

The difference in strength is too great.

But what he wanted was not to inflict damage.

The moment the two weapons clashed, Lu Heng released the Star Blade, slid his body along the Goblin King's armor to its back, and kicked it in the back of the knee. The Goblin King lost its balance, staggered forward, and its hammer slammed into the ground, landing right on the edge of the lava pool.

Boom!

The rock strata cracked.

Lava gushed from the cracks, quickly spreading across the entire cave floor. The Goblin King roared and turned to swing his hammer, but Lu Heng had already retreated to the deepest part of the cave, leaning against the rock wall, his Star Blade once again in his hand.

The lava surged ever higher, and the temperature inside the cave rose sharply. The Goblin King stood in the lava, its armor glowing red-hot, but it seemed unconcerned. Its deep green eyes were fixed on Lu Heng as it approached step by step.

Lu Heng's heart sank.

This trick didn't work.

The Goblin King raised his hammer, preparing for the final blow. Lu Heng gripped his Star Blade tightly, the dark red blade light condensing to its peak on the edge—

Just then, a loud bang came from the top of the cave.

A huge rock crashed down, landing right between the Goblin King and Lu Heng, separating them. Then, a second, a third... the cave ceiling began to collapse, and rubble rained down.

The Goblin King looked up and his expression changed for the first time.

It roared, ignored Lu Heng, and turned to charge towards the cave entrance. The iron hammer swung, smashing through the rubble blocking its path, and quickly disappeared into the crevice.

Lu Heng didn't hesitate. Taking advantage of the chaos of the cave collapse, he rushed towards the other side of the rock wall—when the Goblin King smashed open the crevice, he noticed that there was an even narrower passage behind the rock wall, mostly blocked by rubble. He cleared away the rubble with his hands and squeezed in sideways.

The passage was narrow, requiring him to crawl forward. After crawling for about ten meters, Lu Heng saw a glimmer of light ahead. He quickened his pace, emerged from the other end of the passage, and found himself standing on a slope on the side of the volcano, with a dense forest below.

He glanced back.

An angry roar came from the direction of the cave, followed by the deafening roar of the rock strata collapsing completely. The Goblin King should have already escaped, but it wouldn't be chasing after them for the time being—the commotion caused by the cave collapse was too great and would likely attract something else.

Lu Heng didn't stop. He ran outside.