Chapter 104: Found Lia

“Aghhh!”

A sharp scream tore from Lia’s mouth as another goblin slashed at her back, the jagged claw ripping across her skin that sent a shock of pain tearing through her entire body.

It hurt.

It didn’t just sting.

It burned.

The wounds hurt.

The slash in her forearm—the one that had been carved open earlier—throbbed violently, along with another cut on her other arm.

While the fresh wound on her back pulsed with a deeper, far more suffocating agony that made it hard for her to even stand straight.

Both burned with an intensity that made her cry out in panic, her voice breaking as the pain surged through her like something alive.

Her eyes trembled, her pupils dilating as she staggered back from another incoming slash, barely avoiding as it cut past her face.

Her almost moist eyes flickered toward the kitchen knife still stuck in the goblin’s shoulder—the same one she had driven into a few moments earlier.

As soon as she had killed the first goblin, she had been somewhat happy, a small hope igniting despite the unbearable pain from the wound that the creature had inflicted on her before its death, she had felt a small, fragile sense of accomplishment.

She had done it.

She had killed one, with her own hands, and without any help.

Just like Lucian had.

But she had been wrong.

She had been very, very wrong.

The moment of hope had been nothing but a fragile illusion

Just as she was about to remove the monster core from its chest—as Lucian had told and shown before their eyes—she was about to do the same.

But before she could, sudden screams erupted from her surroundings, cutting through the silence, making her freeze on the spot.

And soon, she was surrounded by four more green, wiry, disgusting-looking goblins.

Their eyes gleamed with something feral, something hungry.

She didn’t even know how she was alive till now.

Each time she dodged, she made one mistake or another—but thankfully, none of those mistakes had been enough to get her killed.

But that didn’t mean that she was perfectly fine.

Not even close.

Lia’s bloodshot eyes looked at the goblin before her, her vision trembling slightly as her breathing came out uneven, her chest heaving with each breath she took.

Her left hand clutched tightly onto the slash in her right hand, pressing against it instinctively, trying to stop the bleeding.

Her shoulders slumped faintly.

She could feel her back getting wet from the thick blood that was staining her clothes.

Her hands were completely covered in blood.

It was sticky and slippery.

And most of it was hers.

Lia’s eyes suddenly widened as the goblin raised its thin, wiry hand and grabbed the knife that had been lodged in its shoulder.

The same knife she had driven into it after several failed attempts.

The creature pulled it out in a sharp, violent motion, jerking forward as dark, green blood began spilling from its wound.

The blood was different from hers, and it looked like it would taste terrible in her tongue.

It raised the knife faintly, its eyes turned towards her.

Lia’s legs trembled violently.

She took an uncertain step back, then another, her balance wavering.

Breathing felt even more difficult with each step the goblin took forward.

‘Brother…’ she muttered weakly in her mind.

‘I should’ve listened to you.’

Regret hit harder than the pain.

He had told her.

Warned her.

And still—

She had come out, despite him trying to protect her.

Tears began filling her eyes, turning the vision blurry as a few drops began spilling over, rolling down her cheeks.

Still, she didn’t give up.

Her trembling hand rose, wiping the tears roughly, smearing blood across her face without even noticing.

She didn’t want to die right now.

Not like this.

Not until she completed her wish.

The moment her vision cleared again, even if slightly—

Her eyes widened as the goblin appeared to be standing right before her with a disgusting smile over its equally disgustingly ugly face.

It raised the knife in its hand before bringing it down in a sharp motion.

Everything slowed down.

Her body didn’t move, her mind didn’t work.

Her eyes remained open, watching as the knife came down at her.

“Seems like he was right.”

A cold voice suddenly rang out, before—

Something sharp blurred through the air, moving like a bullet as it struck directly into the goblin’s neck.

A thin, sharp dagger tore through its flesh, entering from one side and exiting cleanly from the other—leaving only the handle visible.

The monster’s body froze.

The knife in its hand loosened, its eyes trembling unnaturally, twitching as it tried to turn its head toward the person who’d just ended it.

But even before it could fully move, its eyes dulled.

The light within them vanished.

Its body collapsed, falling forward, right before Lia, who stood there frozen.

Her eyes trembled as her head lowered slowly, falling onto the corpse of the monster lying before her.

Her legs gave out, and she dropped shakily onto her knees.

“Bro… Brother…”

The words slipped out of her mouth instinctively as she muttered in a soft, broken tone.

Footsteps echoed against the ground, drawing closer to her.

She lifted her head weakly, her neck protesting the movement, before turning slightly to her left, her blurred vision catching the silhouette moving hastily toward her.

Lucian stopped before her, his steps halting abruptly.

His eyes trembled as they took in the sight of his Lia, wounded.

She had blood almost all over her body.

But he didn’t have much time to settle on her.

His hands shot up instantly, grabbing the goblin’s wrist mid-motion as the creature rushed toward him with a feral expression.

Tightening his grip around the wrist, he twisted it sharply, a sickening crack following as the bone snapped under the pressure.

The creature let out a broken, guttural sound, its body jerking violently as pain shot up.

Its other hand swung toward him, its claws aimed directly toward him.

But before it could even reach him, Lucian let go of its hand and slammed his feet into its chest.

The overwhelming force lifted its body off the ground, sending it flying backward before it crashed onto the road with a heavy impact—rolling uncontrollably, its limbs twisting awkwardly until it finally came to a stop.

Mid motion, he twisted his body again and dodged another attack from a second goblin.

A metallic baseball bat appeared in his left hand out of thin air, his fingers wrapped around the handle firmly.

Swinging it in a sharp arc, it hit the creature’s head with a loud, horrifying crack, the sound of metal meeting bone echoed sharply through the empty street.

Its skull collapsed inwardly under the impact, killing the goblin in an instant as its body slammed onto the ground lifelessly, hitting with a dull yet loud thud.

“Who gave you the right to touch my Lia?”