The group quietly exchanged so specific intelligence at the campsite outside the cave. Before setting off, they did a final check of their weapons and equipnt.
Only after confirming everything was in order did they enter the cave one by one according to their formation.
Logically, Levin, as the shield bearer, should have gone first, but because the mine tunnel was dark, cramped, and winding, this task was obviously assigned to Gauss and his partner, who had just scouted inside.
Gauss had a map displayed in his mind, so even without any light inside the cave, he could accurately grasp the direction and position.
Additionally, with the Mage Armor spell active, and facing goblins as potential enemies, even if exposed, Gauss was not worried about being killed by the goblins' initial concentrated attack given their combat strength.
Thus, a sowhat strange scene unfolded with Gauss, a mage, walking at the very front.
va had originally wanted to lead, but considering Gauss seed even more familiar with the cave's layout, she didn’t insist.
The group silently proceeded through the cave, moving carefully to minimize noise, so their pace was slow.
Fortunately, under Gauss’s guidance, they barely risked going the wrong way and soon arrived at the fork leading to the goblin living area.
Unlike the mine tunnels designed for human operations, this passage dug out by the goblins was rather cramped.
The highest point was less than about 1.7 ters, and that was the height of the main traffic passage. So branch tunnels behind were only about 1.2 to 1.4 ters high, forcing normal humans to bend over or crawl.
These branch tunnels connected various goblin lairs and living quarters.
Since this was obviously a newly relocated tribe, their population was smaller than a typical goblin group.
Currently, the living quarters included the main hall serving as the primary residence and incubation area, the mining and waste disposal zone, and so dead-end spaces set with traps.
After signaling the others, Gauss bent down and entered the main passage dug out by the goblins.
Once inside, turning around was difficult.
While advancing, he silently sent out Mage Hand ahead to probe.
This was to prevent a sudden appearance of a small lizard-headed monster from any branch tunnels.
Thanks to his Agility having risen from 5 to 6, Gauss moved with relative agility.
The others found it much harder to walk inside the mine, especially tall Levin, who felt more oppressed in the low space.
Luckily, before departure, he had switched to a smaller one-handed shield instead of the large shield, or else it would have been more than just uncomfortable now.
Their pace was very slow, with footsteps kept light. Passing the mining zone, they could still hear the clinking sound of hamring inside.
Although this was an abandoned ore vein already mined out, the goblins’ innate talents still allowed them to barely find so residual mineral resources in this ruin.
Gauss did not stop and led everyone cautiously through the branch tunnel entrance to the mining zone.
The team had devised a strategy before entering.
Compared to the mining zone, their target for the ambush was the larger, more open goblin living hall.
The hall was a natural cavern space scavenged by the goblins and remodeled. Inside, the height was about 3 to 4 ters, covering over a hundred square ters. It had a vertical ventilation shaft, making the space more open and provided with so lighting sources.
This area was more suitable for combat than the mining zone.
They carefully avoided all traps and chanisms laid along the path.
Eventually, they reached the branch tunnel leading to the hall.
The next segnt was even lower, forcing them to crawl forward.
After a short rest, Gauss bent down and crawled into the tunnel.
He silently sympathized with Levin for a mont or two before focusing on the path ahead.
They needed to be extra cautious from here on.
Without realizing it, Gauss had already grasped the Bone Staff in his hand.
Once Mage Hand detected any anomaly ahead, he would quickly respond by casting spells.
Fortunately, no accidents occurred during the crawl to the hall entrance.
This was reasonable since the goblins responsible for mining were working in the mining zone, and this was not their frequent passage ti.
Gauss left the cave and made way for the teammates crawling out behind him.
He leaned against the hall wall, observing the interior structure.
Upon entering, the cavern space was even more spacious than expected.
In the center was a ventilation shaft. Not far from it, outside on the open ground, was a fire pit with two goblins sitting around it. They were using crude stone knives to process and cut what appeared to be a rat-like creature.
Near their filthy claws were several broken pottery jars filled with water, along with so freshly dug, mud-covered plant tubers and fungi.
It looked like they were preparing ingredients for cooking.
Next to the fire pit, in the most conspicuous spot of the hall, stood a rough stone statue.
The statue was completely lacking in aesthetic appeal; it was basically a stone block placed upright on the ground, crudely carved and painted with poorly made mineral pignts.
Looking carefully, one could faintly discern an outline resembling a giant lizard like a dragon.
Beyond that was a stone pile and small pits carved around the cavern, likely used as resting rooms for the goblins.
Gauss quickly scanned the hall space and counted the goblins remaining there, including those resting in the “rooms.”
There were nine adult goblins and seven or eight small goblin cubs.
The rest were in another mining zone.
During Gauss’s observation, the others quietly crawled out from the tunnel, also keeping silent like him.
Luckily, the light sources were concentrated around the central fire pit and under the ventilation shaft, while the outer edges of the hall were poorly lit, so their appearance did not imdiately alert the goblins.
“Ooh, ooh, ooh...”
One goblin sitting by the fire pit processing food suddenly seed to sniff sothing, softly emitting a confused call to its companion.
“Ooh ooh!”
The two goblins imdiately got up and cautiously looked around.
Seeing his teammates had all successfully entered, Gauss also knew the goblins might have realized sothing.
Exchanging a glance with his teammates and confirming they were ready,
he seized the mont while the two goblins stood close together.
Pointing the Bone Staff at them,
the Magic Missile sigil in his mind flashed as he quickly mobilized his mana, which surged into the staff.
The staff began to glow faintly as the mana flowed inside.
A blue orb of light rapidly ford in the space at the tip of the staff.
“Hum!”
The two “kitchen” goblins noticed the movent the instant the light appeared.
But before they could react further,
Gauss’s rapidly ford Magic Missile shot out in response.
“Boom!!”
The missile tore through the air, lighting up the entire quiet cave and announcing the official start of the battle!
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