Neni smiled.
Then meet me tonight at the old mining site. It's easier to explain everything directly than to talk about it here.
Arla nodded with determination.
Alright… I'll be there!
She turned to Valeria.
Commander Valeria, requesting permission to go!
Valeria grinned.
Of course, permission granted!
The other heroes finished their farewells to Valeria and Aegis Squad before heading off. The Aegis team then returned to their base, celebrating their success late into the evening.
That night...
Arla stood at the entrance, fully geared up.
Commander Valeria, I'm heading out!
Valeria stopped her briefly.
Wait! How are you planning to get there? Are you sure that flying bike of yours can make it in time?
Arla smirked.
Huh? What's wrong with it?
Without waiting for a reply, she hopped onto her flying bike and pedaled hard. The ground below whipped up dust and wind so violently that even Valeria had to cover her face.
Valeria blinked in surprise as Arla disappeared into the distance.
…Incredible.
At the Old Mine
Arla arrived at the abandoned site, scanning the area. The wind whistled through broken scaffolding and rusted rails. She frowned.
Where is she…?
Then, from deeper inside, she heard a woman's sharp, commanding voice echoing through the tunnels.
HEY! Watch it, Behind you !
Arla tilted her head.
That voice… sounds familiar. I should check it out.
But before she could move, something lunged at her from the shadows.
She blocked the attack by instinct, her shield ringing from the impact.
Out of the darkness stepped a goblin—but not an ordinary one. Its skin was brownish, its eyes large and glassy, and it carried no weapon.
Arla narrowed her eyes.
Huh? Just a weak goblin? Then this'll be—
Her thoughts suddenly blurred.
A strange dizziness hit her. Her body felt heavy, her eyelids drooping. She tried to slap herself awake, even bashed her head lightly with her shield, but nothing worked. Her legs moved on their own—walking toward the goblin, powerless to resist.
Then—
A flash of light. The goblin shrieked as something sliced through it.
A woman descended from above, wings glowing faintly in the dark.
ARLA! Can you hear me?! SNAP OUT OF IT!
Arla gasped and blinked rapidly.
Wha—where am I? Oh, right… the goblin!
The woman smiled in relief.
What a relief. You came faster than I expected. You really don't waste time, huh?
Arla squinted.
…Neni? Hero Neni!
Moments later, the rest of the heroes arrived behind her.
HeGi smirked.
Well, well… looks like a rookie knight tried to play hero, huh? Too bad—almost got caught by a low-tier hypnosis spell, haha.
Arla chuckled back.
Haha, maybe I just wanted to steal the spotlight. Otherwise, how else would I make you guys show up?
Neni sighed and waved a hand.
Enough teasing. You all—report the results of our last mission. I'll handle this one.
HeGi nodded.
Fine, but Arla—remember this: not everything can be beaten with strength alone. You'd better start training your mana.
As the others left, Arla turned her full attention to Neni.
Wow… This is the first time I've seen a goblin like that!
Aren't those kinds of powers supposed to belong only to pure monsters?
As far as I know, half-human monsters shouldn't even be able to do something like that.
Neni crossed her arms.
A lot has changed in the last five years. Goblins especially—they've evolved. There are types appearing now that don't match any known records.
Arla frowned.
Wait… are you saying they're crossbreeding? Like, goblins mixed with monsters?
Neni shook her head firmly.
No. I've done the research myself. Even brought specimens back to the kingdom. Goblins can't breed naturally outside their kind—except with humans and goblin. That's the one constant we've confirmed.
Arla's eyes widened.
Then… that means this is related to the incident five years ago.
Neni nodded grimly.
Exactly.
After a long, heavy silence, Neni finally spoke again.
Alright, time to move to the main topic. Follow me, Arla.
Got it!
They descended deeper into the mine until they reached a locked gate, sealed by several layers of magic and iron bolts.
Neni unlocked them one by one.
When the final latch came undone, the door creaked open—and a strange, sickly-sweet scent poured out. Not quite rotten, but like honey mixed with formaldehyde and the faint perfume of decaying flowers.
Arla gagged. The smell clung to the roof of her mouth.
Inside, dim green light glowed from massive glass tubes lining the corridor.
In each tube floated a human—or something that used to be human.
Bodies twisted into grotesque shapes. Some still had arms and legs, but their heads had stretched long, with a single blinking eye in the center. Others had multiple torsos fused together, as if forced into existence by cruel magic. One tank held only a pile of twitching hands, writhing weakly like dying sea anemones.
As they walked deeper, they entered a testing chamber.
There, slumped in the corner, was a man. His skin was still pink, his hair neatly kept—as if he'd just fallen asleep. But his chest was torn open, revealing something that wasn't human flesh at all, but a pulsating, misshapen mass.
Arla's voice trembled.
W-what is this? Are they… still alive?
Neni shook her head slowly.
No. They're not. But what you see here is the most recent evidence we've gathered about men turning into monsters. Still… it doesn't explain how it's happening so rapidly and on such a large scale. Our hero team is still investigating the cause.
Arla's knees weakened.
No… that can't be… During the incident, my family—we were all together. My father—he was with us, in the farmlands!
Neni placed a hand on her shoulder.
Stay calm, Arla. This is only part of the puzzle. There's still more out there we haven't found yet. Don't lose hope.
Arla took a deep breath and steadied herself.
You're right… I'm being too emotional.
Neni smiled faintly.
Oh right, one more thing... You're planning to go on a solo mission, aren't you? At least, not with Squad Aegis — but you can still team up with others, or go alone, right? I have some important information for you…
Arla straightened.
What is it?
Neni reached into her coat and pulled out an old, rune-marked map.
This map will lead you to places connected to the phenomenon. You can go solo or join a raid team—randomly formed squads gathered for short-term missions. But before that, you should focus on improving your mana control. Those goblins you fought earlier? Their hypnosis was weak. Stronger ones will tear through your mind like paper.
Arla nodded firmly.
Thank you, Neni. The information you've given me… it's exactly what I needed.
Neni smiled softly.