Together, the two moved stealthily into the cave, their footsteps light and careful on the cold stone floor.
They navigated the twisting passages of the dim cave until they finally spotted the snow goblins ahead.
Unlike the usual green goblins most people knew, these snow goblins had pale white skin and much thicker hides adapted perfectly to the freezing environment.
Their saliva carried a dangerous poison, which they could spit with surprising accuracy and range.
The only antidote for their venom came from a small gland sac located just underneath their lungs.
That gland was the most valuable part of any snow goblin.
"Make a head count," Ethan instructed John softly.
He already knew the exact number. The system had displayed it clearly in his vision: 215 snow goblins.
"I will, my lord," John replied. He took a careful step back until he stood directly behind Ethan.
"My lord, before that… can you do me a small favour?" John asked, a cold smile spreading across his face.
"What favour?"
"Please die!" John said cruelly. With a sharp kick, he slammed his boot into Ethan's back and sent the young prince flying forward toward the cluster of goblins.
The sudden attack completely compromised their hidden position, exposing them instantly to the creatures.
"I hope you die a gruesome death. Courtesy of Prince Gregory!" John laughed viciously as he turned and fled.
From inside his coat, John pulled out several mana bombs he had secretly carried.
He placed them quickly at the narrow entrance of the cave.
To make his story believable, he even went out of his way to fight a few goblins on the edge of the group, drawing blood and tearing his own clothes in the process.
When he realized their numbers were swelling even further and the situation was growing too dangerous, John finally broke away and sprinted out of the cave.
Seconds later, he detonated the bombs with a thunderous roar that shook the icy walls.
"Help!!! Help!!!" John cried out desperately, running toward the hidden expedition team with wide, panicked eyes.
Hearing John's desperate distress call, the entire group immediately abandoned their hiding spot.
They rushed forward through the swirling snow to aid him in fending off the handful of snow goblins that had managed to escape before the cave entrance detonated.
"Where is our lord?" Sean asked coldly, his strong hand grabbing the front of John's torn shirt.
"I'm sorry…" John replied, his eyes filled with carefully crafted guilt.
"It seems the goblins were far smarter than we expected. They had mana bombs of their own and detonated them the moment they heard me crying for help."
"And my lord… He couldn't escape in time because of his slow pace," John added, lowering his head in feigned shame.
"You bastard!" Nicholas yelled, his voice cracking with raw anger.
"Arrest him. We are returning to the castle," Nicholas ordered the group, his tone firm.
"But the lord…"
"We will come back after being fully prepared," Nicholas explained, sounding perfectly rational.
"We don't have the equipment or manpower to remove these collapsed rocks right now. We need a proper excavation team."
"But that will take several days," Sean replied, clear worry etched across his weathered face.
"We can only hope the prince will be able to survive until then," Nicholas answered calmly.
The group began their reluctant retreat shortly afterward.
Nicholas turned back one last time, shaking his head slowly at the pile of rubble blocking the cave.
He could easily blast the rocks apart with his full strength, but he remembered Ethan's earlier private words telling him to play along with whatever happened.
So he could only follow the plan.
He felt deeply worried, yet after spending so much time with Ethan, he had learned to trust the young prince's decisions completely.
And so the group returned to the Crimson Castle in a downcast mood. They all believed that Ethan had lost his life inside the collapsed cave.
----
"Hmm. This absolute defence is truly a cheat," Ethan smiled to himself, still standing amid the chaos.
He had been completely surrounded by angry goblins and clobbered relentlessly from every angle.
Yet he had sustained no real injury from their wild attacks.
Not even the poisonous saliva they spat at him caused any harm.
All he felt was the sharp, repeated pain of being beaten, but even that strange discomfort filled him with unexpected joy.
His physique was growing more robust at an impressive speed.
Every blow placed his body under greater strain, accelerating the improvements even faster.
"John might have taken the bait perfectly," Ethan muttered quietly.
"Soon he will be contacting the other moles hidden within the castle too. And Gregory, huh? No one has ever hated me the way he does."
Ethan finally rose to his feet, brushing dust and snow from his clothes.
"Alright. It's my turn now," he said with a confident smile.
He made his move without hesitation, grabbing one of the nearest snow goblins tightly by the neck.
With decisive force, he struck the creature's neck cleanly, killing the goblin instantly.
There were two main reasons behind his careful plan.
First, he wanted to expose and deal with John. Second, he needed the entire hideout all to himself.
The conditions for both quests required him to fully clear the hideout and personally kill two hundred goblins.
He could never accomplish the second quest if he allowed the other expedition members to fight alongside him.
With Nicholas constantly beside him, he probably wouldn't even be able to kill a single goblin on his own.
[Congratulations! You have slain a snow goblin and devoured its bloodline.]
[You have received the common trait: Flexibility LV1.]