The steps got louder, slower, and heavier.

The cave felt smaller somehow—like the walls were pulling in. Dust shook loose from the ceiling with each thud.

Kyle’s eyes narrowed. `That’s not a goblin.`

The shadow came first. Then the thing itself, stepping into the light with a low rumble rising from its throat.

Green—but nothing like the ones they’d just put down.

It was close to three meters tall, built like a grotesque fusion of goblin and something far larger.

Thick muscle packed under scarred green skin. Two yellowed tusks pushing out from the lower jaw, thick and pointed.

A strip of cloth around its waist, barely doing anything.

It was holding an axe—crude in design, forged from uneven metal and wrapped tightly with leather, but heavy enough to split bone with a single swing.

Kyle’s eyes caught the shoulder.

A deep wound gaped there—old, not fresh. The flesh around it was dark and torn.

The goblins that were still standing scattered. Pressed flat against the walls, heads down, shrieking.

"’Monsters’s boss," Leo muttered under his breath.

The thing roared—loud enough to hurt—and drove the axe into the floor. Cracks shot out from the impact in every direction.

It didn’t even look at the goblin’s bodies around it. Just stared straight at them.

Kyle felt the pressure instantly. `So that’s why the patrols never came back.`

Alara immediately took a defensive stance. "Formation change—Mira, I need your fire. Weston, flank left. Leo, take the center. Kyle, watch our backs. Don’t engage unless necessary."

The boss’s bloodshot eyes locked onto the group, its gaze filled with nothing but rage.

It took a step forward. Then another. Each movement made the ground tremble.

Kyle clenched his dagger, his expression calm—but his mind raced.

`I don’t need to test my skill... I’m sure I can’t control his mind.`

He glanced at Alara, already shifting into position, her grip tight around her sword despite the tension etched across her face.

Kyle turned his face and cast a quick glance at the faces of the other party’s members. They were no better off than Alara.

The boss was powerful—but not to the extent that they couldn’t deal with it. The problem was that it wasn’t alone.

The goblins were still out there. Fewer than before, but circling—waiting for a gap, the way they always did.

And the party was running on empty. The goblin fight had taken more out of them than anyone wanted to admit.

Nobody said it, but they all felt it. This wasn’t going to be clean.

The boss opened its mouth and the sound that came out hit the walls and came back twice as loud. Then it moved—ground shaking under each step, axe already coming up.

It brought the axe down hard.

Alara caught it on her blade, sending a shock through her arms. She gritted her teeth as she slid back half a step

"Damn it!" she hissed.

She came back fast, slashing across its torso.

The blade went in—barely.

The boss didn’t care. It was already swinging again.

Leo threw his shield up just in time, catching the axe as it dropped like a falling tree.

BOOM!

The sound rang out across the whole cave.

Leo’s knees nearly gave. He got shoved back, arms burning.

"It’s too strong!" he shouted.

Mira brought her staff up, fire rushing up around both hands. She threw everything she had straight at its chest.

The flames hit. Smoke poured off it. When it cleared—the thing was still on its feet.

Skin charred black in patches, but it wasn’t slowing. If anything, it looked angrier for it.

"Hold on!" Weston shouted. He clasped his hands together and recited certain prayers.

A warm, golden light spread outward, wrapping around the party members. Their breathing steadied, the burning in their muscles easing as divine energy flowed through them.

"Don’t overextend!" Weston warned. "I can’t keep this up forever!"

The goblins were beginning to creep closer now, their yellow eyes gleaming with malicious intent. They were waiting for their chance to strike when the party was weakened.

The boss charged again. Behind them, goblins surged from the side tunnels, shrieking as they tried to exploit every opening.

Kyle moved constantly at the rear.

He cut one goblin down before it could stab Weston. He twisted aside, drove his dagger into another’s neck, then kicked the body away as a third lunged.

He glanced back at the boss.

Alara was struggling. Leo’s shield was barely holding. Mira’s fire wasn’t enough. Weston was already breathing harder.

`This is bad.` Kyle clenched his teeth. `I don’t have many options.`

He stepped out from the rear, moving closer—carefully, deliberately—until he was within his skill range, eighteen meters.

The boss turned its head slightly, one bloodshot eye locking onto him.

Kyle’s eyes flared crimson as he commanded. `Stop.`

The massive monster stopped, stared at Alara, then snarled and swung its axe again, nearly taking Alara’s head off.

Kyle exhaled slowly. `As expected.`

His skill [Mind Control] didn’t work, but he didn’t panic. Instead, he smirked.

His gaze shifted—not to the boss—but to the remaining goblins who were still swarming around.

`I can’t control it... but I can control them.`