**chapter 16 : The Kobold's Ambush**

  Now it seems that Alex seems to be in hibernation. He seemed to be in the realm but all of a sudden, even his soul left the realm, and they saw that he was being protected by some strange orb in the cave around the city mountain.

  Zara and Thorne were relieved and got busy with their own worlds.

  Meanwhile, Throne concentrated on his surroundings, noticing people busy making makeshift tents.

  Haldor was talking to Klien about something beside the makeshift tent, which looked like it could fall at any moment.

  A campfire was lit beside the tent, and Klien’s companions appeared exhausted. Others who had stuck close to Throne, Haldor, and Klien also gathered near them.

  Haldor and Klien noticed Throne approaching, and Klien moved slightly on the makeshift rock used for sitting. Throne saw this and sat beside Klien.

  **Archer:** "Here you go, boy, have some. We need everyone at their best to get out of here."

  **Throne:** "Thank you."

  **Tank:** "You look sturdy. What is your age, young man?"

  Without thinking, Throne replied, "38."

  Everyone looked at him with a hint of confusion and started laughing.

  **Haldor:** "You runt, don’t tell lies. Tell them your real age."

  Snapped into the current situation, Throne replied, scratching his head,

  "Ha ha ha, I was just joking. I am 19 currently."

  **Klien:** "So, for the night here in the pit, we will make groups of five people guarding in shifts.How about joining me in the meantime?"

  Throne didn’t object and replied, "I am okay with that."

  Then, tasting the soup, he added, "This soup tastes great, thanks, Archer."

  **Archer:** "Thank you, hehehe."

  **Dealer** glared at the archer, pointing at the sword's hilt, "Don’t take compliments for others' work.

  " **Archer:** "Oh, oh, oh, sorry, sorry. I was just about to tell him that you made this great soup."

  **Tanker:** "Don’t fight while eating; it’s bad manners."

  Both Archer and Dealer went silent at Tank’s words and returned to their tent, with Tank following them.

  **Klien:** "Haldor, do you know how deep this mine goes?"

  **Haldor:** "Well, most people or miners think that before the monster wave, you needed at least two days to reach the deepest part. But as far as we know, we never went below the fourth level of the pit because the kobold dwelling was discovered when some miners descended to the fifth level."

  **Klien:** "Well, before we took this mission in Eldoria, some mercenaries warned us about that. They also mentioned hearing occasional howls from the deepest part of the pit. Do you have any idea what it might be?"

  Throne thought for a while. He had seen many monsters while being from the future—early monsters that came to the village when he was 19 included northern wolves, ice trolls, winter orcs, frost goblins, blizzard birds, and other sorts of creatures—but Throne couldn’t pinpoint which monster might dwell below the pit.

  **Haldor:** "Well, Klien, there are many rumors going around. Someone from the village saw kobold soldiers and scouts near the pit every once in a while.

  In the worst-case scenario, we might have to face them while being at this level of the pit. No need to worry, though. Even if we descend by one level, I know the safest route from there on."

  **Klien:** "We trust your knowledge and instincts, Haldor."

  And Throne muttered, "Kobold lord."Klien and Haldor looked at him sharply.

  **Throne:** "It’s nothing. I was just muttering thoughtlessly."

  **Haldor:** "Go get some rest. When it’s your turn to guard, we’ll wake you up."

  Klien watched Throne leave his side and stared at him until he vanished into the tent.

  **Haldor:** "Are you trying to poke a hole through your eyes on that boy?"

  **Klien:** "Nothing. I was just curious about what that kid said."

  **Haldor:** "No need to worry. In the last year's wave, we subjugated the Kobold Lord."

  **Klien:** "Well, that’s good to hear." **Klien:** "Even though you look strong, as well as your disciple, everyone else is lame."

  **Haldor:** "In the north, everyone knows how to survive in the wilds."

  They both laughed, and the flickering embers of the campfire still emitted some light. In the distance, a creature with the face of a dog, the body of a human, and covered in fur seemed to be looking for sounds and light sources.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  It retreated upon seeing the people and returned to its dwelling. Though they looked monstrous, these creatures possessed intelligence. Every time humans tried to enter the pit, the kobolds trapped them and killed them.

  Their reasoning was that before winter, they needed a Kobold Lord, and for that, they required sacrifices. For months, no humans were seen, so the kobolds devised an elaborate plan: retreating below the floors to lure humans into gathering resources.

  Because of this strategy, the kobolds succeeded in their plans but never expected armed humans. They planned to kill them when they descended the lower floors, where another exit existed.

  With that, the kobolds thought they had won the lottery. Haldor looked at Klien seriously and said, "Even though it looks like this right now, don’t think we’ll peacefully get out of this pit.

  They might be monsters, but they have the intelligence of teenagers. It might seem accidental, but we may have already fallen into their traps."

  **Klien:** "Well, I thought I was just seeing things in the distance. Am I wrong?"

  **Haldor:** "Villagers don’t call me elder for no reason, ha ha ha. Don’t react. We should prioritize safety. They should never know we’ve sensed their presence."

  **Klien:** "What do you mean by that part?"

  **Haldor:** "What part are you talking about?"

  **Klien:** "About the Kobold Lord in the pit."

  **Haldor:** "There might be possibilities where we might never know anything."

  **Klien:** *Sigh.* "Let me get some sleep. Wake me up if you sense anything ominous."

  **Haldor:** "Get some rest. I’ll wake you up. You guys were already tired before coming here with us."

  Klien nodded and left for the tent. Haldor stood watch with four other members of the group. Later, he woke Klien and Throne, who were scheduled to guard with Klien.

  **Haldor:** "Wake up, you bastard. I don’t have all day." Throne sat upright from his position upon hearing that voice.

  This continued until morning, and no disturbances occurred during that time. --- While packing their belongings:

  **Tanker:** "Did you notice those things last night? It felt like they were trying to spy on us."

  **Klien:** "Yeah, I noticed."

  **Archer:** "Yeah, they were coming and looking at our camp from afar. Do you think there might be something down below?"

  **Klien:** "Well, we’ll never know what possibilities lie ahead. Right now, we just need to focus on surviving this pit and returning safely to the village. That’s our priority."

  **Dealer:** "What are you guys talking about? Did you see something in the night? Ghosts or monsters?"

  **Archer:** "Haaa, how did you survive this long as a mercenary without a sense of awareness? Yes, we noticed some kobold scouts all night."

  **Dealer:** "Kobolds?! Hey, Klien, you never said anything about kobolds being here in this pit. I was right—your greed will kill us all today!"

  **Tanker:** "Stop it. You’re strong enough to take them down. Don’t worry."

  **Klien:** "Stop complaining. Did you think this expedition to the north was my choice? If it weren’t for the bastards from the guild, we wouldn’t be here. Let’s just focus on surviving for now. Once we get back, you can eat and drink whatever you want."

  **Dealer:** "DIE DIE DIE DIE YOU BASTARD!"

  **Tanker:** "Stop acting like children. See, everyone’s waiting for us. Let’s move before the shaft collapses and the monsters attack us."

  The mercenary group of Klien moved toward the next level of the pit, where they could descend further to escape this damp place.

  While moving, Throne still had a lingering thought about the Kobold Lord. "Why does it feel like something is missing? It feels like I’m ignoring something very important."

  **Haldor:** "What are you thinking about?" *Smack.* "Ouch!"

  **Haldor:** "While I’m here, no need to worry. People call me Warrior blacksmith for a reason. Now move your ass fast before I kick you again!"

  Throne moved forward. Suddenly, Throne heard Zara in his mind.

  **Zara:** "While you were on guard last night, I sensed something from afar. It felt like someone was watching you. Did you notice that?"

  **Throne:** "Yeah, I noticed that, but it feels like I’m missing something more important than that."

  **Zara:** "Well, whatever. I just wanted to warn you becareful of your sorroundins"

  **Throne:** "Thank you."

  Zara’s voice faded in his head. After walking for a few hours, they reached a place to descend to Level 4.

  **Klien:** "Wait here. We’ll scout down there first before descending."

  Archer descended and, after a while, shouted, "It’s safe. Come down!" One by one, they descended, with Throne and Klien being the last ones.

  **Klien:** "Yesterday, you said something about a Kobold Lord. Do you know anything about it that might help us in a precarious situation, even a little bit?"

  **Throne:** "Not anything that I know of.

  **Klien:** "Okay, tell me if you recall anything."

  **Throne:** "Okay," he replied while descending.

  From now on, they had to be cautious. They moved silently, not making any sound, guarding their front and back. Some miners were still carrying ores despite being exhausted.

  Soon, they took a break near the entrance to the next level. They knew they had to move cautiously from now on, so they formed a party: Haldor, Dealer, and Archer went on reconnaissance before descending, while Klien guarded, leaving Throne, Klien, and Tanker behind. Soon, they heard something.

  Tanker and Klien got into position, giving a warning: "Never go astray. Huddle together and guard your backs." Their bad premonition came true. Tens of kobolds emerged through small caves from the surroundings, surrounding them.

  The miners panicked, and Throne remembered what he had forgotten and said to Klien:

  **Throne:** "Klien, I might be wrong, but I think the Kobold Lord is behind all of this situation."

  **Klien:** "You’re a little late, boy."

  **Throne:** "You already knew about it?"

  **Klien:** "Yeah, me and Haldor came to this possible conclusion last night."

  **Throne:** "Then you might also know about the Kobold Shaman."

  **Klien:** "Say what now?" The kobolds began attacking without much delay.

  Down below the pit, the Kobold Shaman was preparing a ritual to raise a Kobold Lord again.

  The shaman thought, "Last time’s wave, they were attacked and killed by humans and lost a key person for the kobolds—the Kobold Lord, who would bring glory to their tribe, considered weak in the monster hierarchy."

  To raise a Kobold Lord, they needed sacrifices and various items. Although they had gathered most of what they needed, they lacked a strong warrior for sacrifice.

  What better than the warrior who defeated the previous lord of theirs? Along with him, there were four others—a kid and three mercenaries.

  The Kobold Shaman amused himself, imagining how strong the new Kobold Lord would be if all these people were used as sacrifices.Laughing to himself at his own intelligence, he reveled in the opportunity fate had provided him.

  In the upper levels, Klien, Tanker, and Throne defended the people, shouting:

  **Klien:** "Don’t be scared! Hold them back! Push them back! Don’t show your backs!" Miners struggled.

  Some tossed rocks at the kobolds, and some even threw precious ores at them. One man, struggling against a kobold, was dragged and stabbed by multiple makeshift daggers and spears.

  Miners were terrified, watching the scene unfold. Taking advantage of the kobolds falling back slightly, Klien slew the fallen kobolds mercilessly, severing their heads. Throne smashed their heads with a baton equipped with a long hull attached to the front like a hammer.

  Tanker parried and pushed them back. Soon, the number of kobolds dwindled, and the remaining ones retreated, disappearing into the pit's darkness.

  **Klien:** "Treat the wounded. Those who can’t fight, stand in the back. Don’t stay still. Show your courage to stay alive. Even though we are here to protect you, you must defend your lives."

  The wounded began wrapping bandages around their wounds, and the stronger ones positioned themselves in front and back.

  In the darkness below depth of the pit , the Kobold Shaman prepared something unseen, seizing this great opportunity fate had provided. He started make moves with signalling to others in the tribe.........!