novelraw Chapter 10 : The Gnoll Leader
Chapter 10 : The Gnoll Leader
Chapter 10: The Gnoll Leader
The place they arrived at, following Jeremy, was a cave.
The entrance was entwined with vegetation, making it difficult to spot unless one looked closely.
From deep inside the cave came the cries of gnolls.
“What’s our plan again?”
“Go in quietly, come out quietly.”
“Never pick a fight with those bastards.”
Only after Robin gave a firm reminder did they enter the cave.
Even as they went in, Robin kept his cloak pulled over his head, which somehow made him feel safer.
After walking far enough that no light reached the cave walls, they began to see flickering torches in the distance.
Robin and Jeremy held their breath and crept forward.
“Grr. Grrr.”
“Grr!”
At the center of about ten gnolls sat a much larger one.
Robin quickly realized the one in the middle was their leader.
It was nearly twice the size of the others.
Even those gathered around the leader were larger than grown men.
They were different from ordinary gnolls.
“I don’t see any people. Looks like there’s a path deeper inside.”
“Think we can get through without being spotted?”
Robin shook his head.
“Let’s turn back.”
Jeremy had no choice but to agree with the decisive tone.
No one wanted to rescue Lina more than Robin did.
If such words came from him, then retreating was the right choice.
If they went any deeper, they might really lose their lives.
‘Even just knowing there are eleven gnolls in this cave will help the subjugation squad.’
As they turned to leave the cave, a commotion broke out outside.
“Grrrark!”
Robin and Jeremy quickly hid behind a rock.
An injured gnoll came stumbling into the cave, followed by others—bleeding, missing arms, limping.
‘The subjugation squad won!’
The gnolls that had fought the soldiers were now retreating.
Robin sighed in relief.
He had secretly feared the soldiers might lose, but that worry was unfounded.
“The subjugation squad should be here soon. Should we wait?”
“No, we should get out.”
The cave was now thick with the metallic stench of blood spilled by gnolls.
Jeremy obeyed Robin’s words.
Robin’s judgment was quick.
‘It’d be great if Robin became an adventurer with me.’
Jeremy thought Robin would succeed if he ever chose to become one.
Once no more wounded gnolls entered, the two slipped out.
“Phew, I thought the soldiers would be right behind us, but no one’s here.”
“They’re probably regrouping. Soldiers always make sure they’re fully prepared before a hunt.”
Robin didn’t relax and kept moving.
“If we follow the blood trail, we’ll find the squad.”
As Jeremy followed behind, he heard a faint thumping sound.
It grew louder, closer.
When he turned around, the gnoll leader and his followers were charging at them, wielding axes and swords.
“Damn it. Robin, let’s go to that secret cave you told me about!”
“Got it!”
Robin veered off the path toward the hidden cave below.
The gnolls wouldn’t be able to enter there.
As he ran, still cloaked, Robin glanced back and saw the gnolls following the blood trail instead.
“Phew.”
Once the sounds faded, he finally let out the breath he’d been holding.
“They’re not chasing us anymore. Thank goodness.”
Robin was drenched in sweat from wearing the cloak since they’d started tailing the squad.
As he began to take it off, trying to escape the stifling heat, Jeremy panicked.
Though he tried to stop him, Robin had already pulled it off and was breathing in the cool air.
“Robin! You can’t take off the cloak!”
“What? The monsters aren’t chasing us anymore.”
“That’s not the problem!”
Jeremy hastily threw the cloak back over Robin’s shoulders.
Robin didn’t understand but didn’t resist.
“Let’s go! Now!”
Though Jeremy’s urgency confused him, Robin followed without a word.
He soon learned why.
“Grrrrrr!”
‘How did the gnoll leader find us here…….’
The gnolls that had gone looking for the soldiers were now after Robin.
It was fine—for now, they were still at a distance.
He turned slightly off course, stepping away from the straight path.
But the gnoll leader still followed in Robin’s direction.
‘What the……?’
“Robin, it caught our scent! We have to run!”
Jeremy pushed aside the cloak and started sprinting.
Only then did Robin realize.
Jeremy’s cloak wasn’t just a cloak.
‘It’s an Artifact. But Jeremy has an Artifact?’
There was no time to think. The furious roars behind them left no room for hesitation.
Robin ran with all his strength.
He couldn’t help but chuckle, reminded of the time he’d been chased by goblins.
“Grrrark!”
Crack—crash!
The gnolls barreled through trees as they charged.
The sound alone made it clear—if they were caught, they’d die.
Thankfully, the secret cave wasn’t far.
Since the path went downhill, they could reach it faster than when they’d climbed up.
“Jeremy, go in first!”
Robin groped along the ground until he found the hidden opening and pried it open.
Jeremy slipped inside, and Robin followed right after.
“Huff, huff.”
“Haah… you okay, Jeremy?”
Jeremy’s face was pale as he panted, but he still managed a smile.
Looking up at the hole they’d just descended from, Robin felt the vibrations growing stronger.
Then the footsteps stopped—an enormous gnoll’s eye appeared through the narrow opening.
Meeting its gaze sent a chill down Robin’s spine.
“Grrrrrr……”
Drool dripped down through the hole as the gnoll snarled.
“R-Robin……”
Jeremy stammered in terror.
Every instinct screamed at them to run.
“Let’s move deeper inside.”
Just as they tried to retreat from the hole, a thunderous crash shook the ceiling.
Boom! Boom!
The massive gnoll, at least three meters tall, stomped the ground.
It was a terrifying display of brute force that froze both Robin and Jeremy in place.
The hole through which Robin had entered was slowly widening.
“Robin, is there another exit?”
“…No.”
“Damn it…”
They had gone as deep inside as possible, only to find a dead end.
As far as Robin knew, there was no other way in or out besides that small opening.
Crack!
The hole widened further, and the gnoll’s foot forced its way through.
As it moved its leg, the ground began to crumble.
Before long, its entire thigh sank down into the hole.
“Jeremy, I’m sorry.”
If only he hadn’t stepped out of the cloak, none of this would have happened.
As Jeremy’s life was now at risk too, Robin regretted his thoughtless action.
“Don’t be sorry. I should’ve explained better. To tell you now—this cloak’s actually the boss’s Artifact. I snuck it out… didn’t think it’d end up like this.”
Crash!
Both of the gnoll’s feet forced their way through.
In just a moment, it looked ready to come down completely.
Robin drew the Black Sword.
Even if he were to die, he intended to fight to the end.
He couldn’t just die without at least trying to resist.
Jeremy, having resigned himself, pulled a slingshot from his bag.
“I’ll aim for its eyes. Use that chance to run.”
Jeremy’s eyes widened.
Even now, Robin hadn’t given up.
If there was the slightest chance, he would cling to it.
His calm, steady gaze searched for any way to survive.
“Grrr!”
At last, the gnoll came all the way down.
Up close, its sheer presence was overwhelming.
As Robin forced his trembling legs to move forward, the monster struck first.
For a moment, the world seemed to stop.
‘This strange sensation—it’s the same as back with the goblins.’
But unlike the goblin, the gnoll was far faster.
‘I can’t parry this.’
He couldn’t deflect the gnoll’s attack.
Then—
‘I’ll redirect it.’
His hand holding the Black Sword moved slowly, yet according to his will.
He gently placed the blade beneath the descending edge of the gnoll’s axe.
That tiny adjustment lifted the axe’s trajectory upward.
Time, which had slowed, snapped back into motion.
Clang!
“Robin!”
Jeremy thought Robin had been killed.
“Get back!”
“Robin! Are you okay?”
“I’m still alive!”
Just that single redirection left Robin’s arm tingling with pain.
Among his peers, Robin’s body was small and frail.
To have turned aside a gnoll’s strike with such a body was a miracle.
‘Can I do it again?’
The gnoll’s gaze grew fiercer.
Thwack.
A small stone hit near its eye, then fell weakly to the ground.
The gnoll turned its attention from Robin to Jeremy.
Holding the slingshot, Jeremy stuck out his tongue.
“Over here, you stupid mutt!”
‘No!’
The gnoll swung its axe toward Jeremy, passing Robin by.
Jeremy was smiling.
As long as he’d bought Robin a way out, he was satisfied.
“Tsk.”
Slash.
The gnoll’s arm aimed at Jeremy was severed cleanly.
Blood spurted from the cut.
Robin and Jeremy stood stunned, unable to grasp what had just happened.
“Get away from your friend.”
A man with an eyepatch over his left eye grabbed Jeremy by the collar and tossed him toward Robin.
Catching Jeremy just in time, Robin looked at the man.
‘When did he get here?’
The gnoll didn’t immediately charge at him.
Even with its arm gone, it only growled lowly.
“Well, well. So there was a place like this, huh?”
Even while standing before the gnoll, the man turned his back to it and brushed his hand along the cave wall. Robin was appalled at his nonchalance.
“Grrrrr!”
“Mister, look out!”
The gnoll’s left arm lashed out straight toward the man.
Without even turning around, he easily dodged the strike.
Crack!
The gnoll’s fist shattered as the blow struck the wall, cracking the stone.
“Heh… maybe I hit the jackpot this time. Hey, dog-head. Try hitting harder.”
Perhaps provoked, the gnoll began swinging its fists in a frenzy.
Even with one arm missing, its attacks were vicious.
That was why Robin couldn’t believe his eyes.
‘Is that… really a human?’
The man didn’t let a single attack touch him.
Whenever he was about to be hit, he slipped aside in an instant, leaving the poor wall to take the damage.
“Harder! Harder! Hit harder!”
The dead-end wall began to crumble.
When the gnoll realized it couldn’t land a blow on the man, its head suddenly whipped toward Robin.
“Eyes on me.”
Slash.
The man’s sword traced a line through the air.
Thud.
Roll.
The gnoll’s head separated from its body and rolled across the ground.
“Tsk, you could’ve at least finished breaking the wall while we were at it.”
The man pulled the axe from the gnoll’s hand and swung it toward the wall.
With three savage strikes, the wall came crashing down.
“Ha, there it is. Knew it. I really am a genius.”
Without hesitation, the man stepped through the newly opened wall.
Still dazed, Robin replayed what he’d just seen.
He hadn’t even seen the man’s sword move.
“Robin, let’s get out of here.”
“Yeah.”
He had so many questions—how he’d saved them, what his swordsmanship was, who he really was—but for now, Robin followed Jeremy out.
“Hm? Hey, kids, who are you?”
A tall man looked at Robin and Jeremy with curiosity.
“Uh… we were hiding from the monsters……”
“Ah. So Calimacos saved you, then. You’re safe now, kids. The monsters have all been wiped out.”
Realizing the man was part of the Subjugation Squad, Robin and Jeremy both relaxed.
As their legs gave out, they collapsed to the ground, and Paul handed them water.
“Thank you.”
“So, what were you kids doing on this mountain?”
“Well… we were trying to find a missing child.”
Hearing their story, Paul smiled warmly.
“You’re brave.”
“No… it was just reckless. We almost died.”
“Facing death makes people grow.”
Expecting a scolding, Robin instead found himself speechless at Paul’s praise.
“Puuuuul!”
Calimacos’s shout thundered from inside the cave.
“I thought it was just a rumor, but it’s real, huh. Kids, it was nice meeting you. Sorry, I can’t escort you all the way back to the city.”
“It’s okay. We can go down on our own.”
Paul ruffled Robin and Jeremy’s hair, then leapt down toward the cave where Calimacos was.
“Jeremy, I thought I was going to die.”
“Me too.”
Now that they were alone, the two finally felt the reality of having survived.
As Robin calmed his pounding heart, he suddenly remembered something he’d forgotten.
‘My money.’
He hadn’t retrieved the coins he’d hidden in the cave.