Looking closer, Rain, Roxy, and Light noticed multiple goblins swarming the captured humans—especially the women. Some of the goblins were tormenting the men, striking them with wooden bats or jabbing them with large spears. They were careful not to stab deeply enough to kill. Just enough to tear skin and draw blood.

  The goblins laughed as they worked, shouting to one another in their harsh, guttural language.

  They weren't torturing the men for any reason beyond amusement.

  "W-what should we… do?" Light asked, his voice tight with worry.

  It was surprising. Light and Roxy had been eager to help from the moment they heard the screams. But now, seeing the brutality up close, both of them seemed shaken. The reality of what these creatures were capable of had finally set in.

  Rain didn't answer right away. He watched. He thought.

  Naturally, he wanted to help them. Of course he did—just like Roxy and Light. But wanting something didn't make it possible. If he charged in swinging his sword, he might kill one goblin. Maybe even two if he was lucky.

  Then the rest would swarm him.

  And he would die.

  Rain looked at the men being tortured and knew one thing for certain—that was not how he wanted to die.

  "We need a plan," Rain said quietly, uncertainty slipping into his voice.

  "But first…" He paused.

  "We need to watch them. Learn how the goblins move. How they act."

  "Are you crazy?" Light snapped, his tone darker than before.

  Roxy didn't speak, but her expression mirrored his reaction.

  "The longer we wait," Light continued, clenching his fists, "the higher the chance those men—and the women—die."

  Rain let out a slow breath. "I know," he said. "But if we rush in like this, we'll all die."

  He paused, forcing himself to keep speaking.

  "If we succeed… we might be able to save them. And maybe everyone else still alive on this floor."

  Neither Light nor Roxy argued. As stubborn as they could be when they believed in something, they knew Rain was right.

  It felt wrong. Morally twisted. In every story Rain had ever read, the hero charged in without hesitation and saved everyone—somehow escaping unscathed.

  Rain wished he could be that strong.

  But this wasn't a story.

  And thinking otherwise would get them killed.

  So they waited.

  All three crouched low, eyes fixed on the fortress interior.

  Rain wasn't watching without purpose. He wasn't just staring. He was studying them—how they moved, how they behaved, what they liked, and what they ignored.

  They observed the goblins for a full twenty minutes. As time passed and the screams of the men and women grew louder, Roxy's and Light's bodies began to tremble. Fear and anticipation worked through them both. Even if they hadn't realized it, they were waiting for Rain's signal—for his okay to move forward.

  In this moment, they were depending on him.

  During those twenty minutes, Rain noticed many things. Roxy pointed out a few details as well.

  The goblins behaved like a family.

  Rain had sensed it when he killed his first goblin. The others had reacted with raw, unrestrained anger—just like anyone would if a family member were killed.

  They moved together. Ate together. Spoke constantly among themselves. When one goblin walked somewhere, another followed. Then another. No goblin ever seemed to be alone.

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  Another detail stood out.

  The goblins guarding the prisoners all carried weapons. Spears, bats, crude blades. But the goblins inside the huts—or those wandering casually through the fortress—were unarmed. Rain didn't see spare weapons lying around either.

  That meant one of two things.

  Either there were clear roles among the goblins—fighters and non-fighters. Those without weapons might lack combat skills and rely on others for protection.

  Or there was another explanation.

  They didn't have enemies.

  That possibility made more sense. Creatures that expect danger stay tense. They keep weapons close. They prepare for attacks.

  But these goblins didn't.

  Which meant they weren't expecting a fight.

  And more importantly—

  They wouldn't expect an ambush.

  "Hey… Roxy?" Rain spoke quietly.

  "Yes?" she replied almost instantly, like she had been waiting for him to finally say I have a plan.

  "Do you have any spells left?" He paused briefly. "Or… do you call it mana?"

  She hesitated. "I have enough mana to cast two spells." Then she shook her head. "No—three. I can do three."

  Thank god, Rain thought.

  "I have one more question," he said, pausing as he organized his thoughts. "Can you use only one spell—but pour all your mana into it instead of casting it three separate times?"

  "W-what?" Roxy blurted out, startled.

  "You do realize that would completely drain my mana, right?" she said. "I'd be useless in a fight after that."

  "Yes," Rain replied calmly. "But the spell you'll cast will be more important than any fighting you could do afterward."

  Roxy fell silent for a moment, thinking. "What spell?" she finally asked.

  "Fireball."

  "Huh?"

  "Hm?"

  Both Roxy and Light reacted at the same time.

  "All the goblins follow each other," Rain said, his eyes still fixed on the fortress interior. "They copy each other's actions. If one runs, the others run. If one eats, the others eat. If one fights—everyone fights."

  They listened closely.

  "If you set the fortress on fire," Rain continued, "it'll throw them into panic. They'll scatter. Some of the weaker goblins—especially the ones without weapons—will flee outside."

  He glanced back at them. "That's when we strike. We take out the weaker ones first, then deal with the armed goblins afterward."

  "B-but…" Roxy stammered.

  "What about the prisoners?" she asked, anxiety creeping into her voice. "The men and women in cages. What if the fire spreads to them?"

  "We'll save them before that happens," Rain said firmly.

  Roxy and Light exchanged uncertain looks. Neither spoke for several long moments as they processed the plan.

  Then Rain told them how much time remained on the floor.

  One hour and forty-six minutes.

  "I—I'll do it," Roxy said suddenly, her voice shaking but determined.

  Light frowned. "Then what do I do?"

  Rain smiled faintly. "That part's easy."

  He stood up slowly. "You kill goblins with me."

  Light muttered under his breath, "That's… easy?"

  Rain straightened fully. "Are you both ready?"

  They both still seemed unsure.

  "Yes," they answered together.

  They all continued to speak for a moment. Rain told Roxy to separate from them, moving far enough to cast her powerful fire spell safely.

  Finally, Rain and Light walked together, while Roxy went in the opposite direction.

  Rain raised his fingers, signaling straight ahead without a word, careful not to alert any goblins. He didn't want to walk through the front gate—too many goblins were perched on the houses, and entering there would be suicide. Instead, he led the way past the gate, hugging the less-populated back of the fortress.

  As they crouched behind the massive structure, Rain's sharp eyes scanned for an opening. Finally, he found it: a small hole in the wall, just enough for a person to crawl through.

  Without hesitation, Rain lowered himself fully to the ground and began crawling. The wet dirt soaked his stomach and arms, cold and mushy, but he ignored the discomfort.

  Inside, faint goblin noises echoed through the house, just enough to put him on edge. Luckily, the hole led them to the back of a large house, keeping them out of sight. Rain assessed the area carefully; the chances of goblins checking the back were slim.

  Seconds passed. Rain's patience thinned as he noticed Light still struggling outside.

  "What are you doing… hurry up?" Rain said sternly, his voice echoing slightly in the small opening.

  Light stuttered from above, "U-uh… are you sure about this?"

  Rain sighed, muttering, "It's okay. You can do it."

  Still, Light's progress was slow. When he finally crawled through, he was covered in mud from head to toe. His orange hair dulled to brown, freckles masked by grime, and his brown eyes blended with the dirt.

  It was clear why Light moved slower—he was smaller and leaner, around 5'7" and 140 pounds, while Rain's body was taller, heavier. At 6'0" and 155 pounds, Rain's long limbs and broader frame made crawling through the tight hole awkward.

  It would’ve made more sense for Light to crawl through quicker. He was shorter. Lighter. His body fit the hole far better than Rain’s ever could.

  But fear and uncertainty overwhelmed him.

  His movements slowed, hands shaking as he hesitated again and again, until he moved even slower than someone far larger than himself.

  Once both were inside, Rain took a deep breath and glanced back. He and Light crouched behind the side of a goblin home, pressed as close as they could to the wall. No goblins could see them—but faint sounds leaked from inside: guttural speech in their harsh, broken tongue.

  The noises were enough to make the hairs on Rain's and Light's arms stand on end.

  Rain positioned himself slightly ahead of Light, each of them crouching carefully, side by side. Every movement had to be measured. One sudden fall or misstep could send a clatter echoing across the wooden floorboards—or worse, alert the goblins inside. The thought made Rain's pulse throb harder, a cold tension coiling in his chest.

  As they inched forward, the cramped crevice widened slightly. Through the narrow gap, they began to see more of the fortress interior. The sight was far more intimidating than from the outside. Goblins were everywhere: larger, louder, and more numerous than Rain had anticipated.

  Peering cautiously, they glimpsed the cages. The human captives were still there—but one new male had already died, his body limp. One of the females, confined in a nearby cage, appeared either unconscious or dead, slumped over, her face pale and still.