The Cursed Extra-Chapter 136: [3.9] The Hero Worries About Everyone Except the Right Person

Chapter 136: [3.9] The Hero Worries About Everyone Except the Right Person

"The problem with golden boys is they can’t imagine anyone succeeding without their help."

***

A goblin chieftain, larger and more cunning than his followers, tried to flank Leo from the left.

The creature was clever enough to recognize that the golden-haired human was the greatest threat. Smart enough to coordinate an attack from Leo’s blind spot while he was engaged with three of its warriors.

It raised a notched cleaver over its head. Ready to bring it down on Leo’s exposed shoulder blade.

Elena noticed the movement. Gestured almost carelessly. Her fingers traced a pattern in the air that left trails of silver light.

"Winter’s embrace," she whispered. Her voice barely audible over the sounds of combat.

The chieftain’s legs froze solid from the knees down. Ice crawled up its calves with supernatural speed. Locked its feet to the stone floor in an instant. The creature toppled forward. Momentum carried it into a graceless sprawl.

It needn’t have bothered trying to catch itself.

Gareth was waiting.

The impact of the chieftain’s skull against Gareth’s blessed shield sounded like a bell tower falling over. Metal rang against bone.

The bone lost.

Gareth followed through with a crushing overhead blow from his war hammer. The weapon’s blessed head glowed faintly blue as it descended.

The result was less a corpse than a stain.

"Nice ice, Elena," Gareth grunted. Wiped green paste from his hammer with a rag he kept specifically for this purpose. His face was impassive. Unbothered by the violence he had just committed. To him, killing goblins was no different than chopping firewood. Necessary. Unremarkable. Part of the job.

"I do try," Elena replied. The ghost of a smile touched her lips. It was a rare expression on her usually severe face. A crack in the mask of aristocratic indifference she wore like armor. Ice crystals still danced around her fingertips. Ready to freeze the next threat solid.

Meanwhile, Lysander’s arrows found their marks with mechanical regularity.

Each shot took a goblin between the eyes at distances that should have been impossible in the warren’s poor lighting. His movements were economical. Unhurried. Nock an arrow. Draw. Acquire a target. Loose.

The rhythm never wavered. Each arrow flew true. Punched through goblin skulls with a wet crack that echoed through the chamber.

"Two shamans down," Lysander reported. His voice calm despite the chaos around him. "Third one is trying to flee through the north passage."

Leo didn’t hesitate. He gathered his will. Extended his left hand. Spoke a word of power that burned on his tongue. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

[Judgment Bolt]

A spear of golden light lanced across the chamber. Crossed the distance between Leo and the fleeing shaman in the span of a single heartbeat. The goblin magic-user didn’t even have time to scream before the holy energy struck it square in the back.

Reduced it to a pillar of ash that scattered on the subterranean breeze.

"Last one," Lysander announced. Loosed an arrow that took a fleeing goblin through the back of the skull and pinned it to the far wall. The creature hung there, twitching, until its body went still. "Clean sweep."

Leo lowered Lumen. The holy fire faded from its blade as he surveyed the carnage they had wrought.

Thirty-seven goblin corpses littered the tunnel. Their bodies twisted in the positions of their deaths. Some were burned beyond recognition. Others were frozen solid. A few had simply been bisected or crushed.

And not one member of his team bore so much as a scratch.

The entire engagement had lasted less than three minutes.

"Well fought, everyone," Leo said. Sheathed Lumen and adjusted his pack. His breathing was barely elevated. His heartbeat was steady.

The battle had barely qualified as exercise.

"I hope Blackwood’s team is managing," he said. His brow furrowed slightly as his thoughts turned to the other students in these warrens. The concern in his voice was genuine. The worry of someone who saw himself as responsible for every soul in these tunnels. "He has spirit, but his teammates are inexperienced. And that section they were assigned..."

He trailed off. But everyone knew what he meant.

The Collapsed Mine was one of the most dangerous areas in the warren network. The tunnels there were unstable. The goblin populations denser. The chances of encountering something truly dangerous far higher than in the routes assigned to Leo’s team.

Elena’s expression softened slightly. Though her voice remained carefully neutral. "The Collapsed Mine is dangerous, but not impossible. Blackwood seems competent enough, and his team includes solid support elements."

"Still," Leo said. Ran a hand through his golden hair. The gesture was unconscious. Something he did when he was troubled. "Perhaps we should check on them after we complete our objective? Or send word through the communication crystals?"

"Leo." Gareth’s voice was low and patient. The tone of a man who had known his leader since they were both in diapers. "You can’t be their shield, too. Blackwood knew the risks. We all did. Let him earn his strength, or break trying. That’s how heroes are forged."

"I know," Leo replied. But his blue eyes remained troubled. His jaw tightened. For a moment something like frustration flickered across his perfect features. "I just... the academy teaches us that the strong protect the weak. But how can we protect them if we’re not there when they need us? What’s the point of having this power if I can’t use it to help people?"

The question hung in the air. Heavier than it had any right to be.

Lysander clapped him on the shoulder. His green eyes understanding.

"We do what we can, where we are. That’s all anyone can ask, Leo. You’re not the gods. You can’t be everywhere at once. All you can do is be the best version of yourself, and trust that others will do the same."

Leo looked at his friend for a long moment. Then nodded slowly. The tension in his shoulders eased. Though it didn’t fully disappear. It never fully disappeared.

The weight of responsibility was something he had carried since childhood. He didn’t know how to put it down.

"Come," Elena said. Her voice gentler than usual. The concern in her eyes was barely visible. Hidden beneath layers of aristocratic reserve. But Leo had known her long enough to recognize it. "Our objective awaits. The sooner we complete our mission, the sooner we can return to help the others if needed."

Leo nodded. Squared his shoulders. Turned toward the deeper tunnels.

The light of Lumen’s scabbard caught the golden threads in his hair. Made him look like something out of a stained glass window. A hero from legend. A prince from a fairy tale.

Exactly what he was supposed to be.

"Forward, then," he said. His voice regained its natural confidence. "For light and honor."