The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 14 Trap Expert
"damn you--"

The jackal's cheeks burned with anxiety, and he couldn't help but move, trying to rush towards Tang Qi.

The black snake stopped him with one hand:

He saved your life!

Even in his fury and with all his might, he couldn't shake off one of the black snake's arms.

Enraged, the jackal could only silently retort:

“I can still take care of that kobold without him—I haven’t even thrown my sword yet!”

Why don't you guess which will arrive first, the sword or the stone?

The pebbles realized that the jackal was only concerned with escaping and hadn't given this companion any face.

“I understand. You’re not trembling because you’re scared, you just don’t want to kill your own kind, right, Lord Jackal?” Tang Qi emphasized the words with a playful tone.

"I--"

The jackal was both angry and anxious, and wanted to unleash a torrent of curses, but the black snake abruptly interrupted him:
"Enough! I don't care what grudges you had before, swallow them all now and deal with everything after we get out!"

Kobolds are cunning by nature; I don't want to be caught off guard!

He picked up the torch from the ground and threw it overhead, only then did he see that what was suspending the huge boulder was a pulley and lever device built on the ceiling with high slopes at both ends as the base.

It relieved a significant portion of the rope's weight, allowing it to remain safely hidden in the dark.

Tang Qi pondered:
"This height is more than enough for those cone-shaped stalagmites to pierce through any intruder, making it even more suitable as a trap."

Why would they go to the trouble of hoisting such a large rock?

Kobolds are natural trap experts, which allows them to create rudimentary traps using the limited resources at their disposal.

Roller skating rigs and lever mechanisms are probably still a bit beyond their scope for this group.

"And their nests wouldn't be dug so wide open—something's not right with this cave."

Black Snake echoed, kicking away the bone chair in front of him.

He pulled the crossbow bolt from the kobold's chest and handed it back to Tang Qi, who had rushed over.

They're not a team so well-off that they can be too lazy to retrieve their arrows.

The dwarf slapped Tang Qi's buttocks hard with his rough, large hand:
"Young man, your arrows are quite accurate. Could it be that you're a wandering knight-errant?"

“These things were taught at the academy,” Tang Qi replied.

If you want to travel in this dangerous world, you need some means of self-defense.

There aren't many courses that 'achieve effective results,' but 'From Beginner to Archery Master' has always been used as a textbook and has become the skill that the predecessor was most proficient in.

"Tell me quickly what else was taught at the academy?" Shattered Stone asked with great interest.

“Similarly, for example… ‘The Standard Posture and Corresponding Phrases for Surrender’?” Tang Qi searched his memory.

"Does surrender need to be taught?"

There are always people who can't bring themselves to say no.

"When you realize you've reached a dead end, try lifting your butt up," this is a direct quote from the textbook.

Tang Qi shrugged.

"I think this is still somewhat useful."

If you can't resist, trying to enjoy it is also a rare kind of optimism.

The dwarf laughed loudly, then patted his backside:
"I take back what I said about 'bards being useless.' With you here, at least the adventure won't be boring."

But you need to know, the reason I always pat your butt isn't because I'm interested in you.

"It's because you can only pat my butt, Mr. Dwarf."

"Haha, I like you, kid!"

The black snake sighed, and its brows relaxed slightly.

"The alarm bells just now probably echoed throughout the entire lair; we need to move on quickly."

If they're just a bunch of starving kobolds stealing Star Plums, there's really nothing to be afraid of.

But the adventurer's intuition told him that things wouldn't be that simple.

Tang Qi picked up the torch and paced around.

In the firelight, one could vaguely see the path ahead. About a hundred feet away stood a huge stone gate, at least fifty feet high, as if built for a giant. The gate was tightly shut and could not be moved by human force.

Including this open space, so vast that even a drop of water could echo.

Rather than a cave, this place feels more like a…

remains?

Several narrow openings remain on the stone walls on both sides, distributed in different directions.

The two kobolds from earlier must have sneaked out from there.

The fact that we haven't seen any more of them yet doesn't mean they won't continue to cause trouble.

Even a resentful jackal could realize this.

The sense of insecurity and urgency temporarily overshadowed his earlier sarcasm, making him relatively obedient:

"So we're going to crawl through the hole?" Black Snake didn't really want to answer his pointless question; his tone was somewhat cold and hard.

“There is no other way. The gravel leads the way, I am second, the poet follows behind me, and the jackals bring up the rear.”

"Can I be last?" Tang Qi pointed to himself.

First of all, he wasn't ready to lift his buttocks yet, so he was afraid that the jackal would secretly stab him.

Secondly, if any trouble arises ahead, he will be the first to run out.

Black Snake sneered:
“If you’re not afraid of being surrounded by kobolds emerging from other holes, you can certainly do that.”

Tang Qi blinked, looked around at the silent and deep cave entrance, and then understood the black snake's intention in setting up this formation—

The tunnels dug by the kobolds were always narrow, forcing them to move in single file.

If, at the same time as Tang Qi enters one tunnel, pursuers surge from other tunnels, and Tang Qi is at the back, he will only end up being pricked like a hedgehog.

"That's fine with me."

The jackal noticed his worry, deliberately raised his longsword, and licked his lips with a sinister grin:

You'd better watch your ass.

He fears the black snake, so he won't cause internal strife at that moment.

But even a verbal threat was enough to make Tang Qi panic.

The jackal enjoys this feeling.

Tang Qi could only make sure the crossbow was loaded in his nervousness before bowing and following the mercenaries into the tunnel.

This is a narrow passage specifically for kobolds. It winds and twists, the damp smell of earth filling the air, and occasionally you can catch a glimpse of skeletons scattered throughout the passage.

The bones showed signs of wear and tear, as if they had been corroded by something.

All these signs made Tang Qi, who was bent over and half-squatting, feel even more depressed.

"Boom, boom—"

The marching group paused abruptly at the sound.

Tang Qi saw that, illuminated by the firelight, two arrows had appeared in the large shadow cast on the earthen wall.

The tower shield almost covered the entire narrow passage, causing arrows to get stuck between the gaps in the shield, unable to penetrate even an inch.

"There is indeed an ambush!"

The dwarf roared, his legs bulging with powerful muscles, seemingly oblivious to the weight he carried, and charged forward like a bull that had spotted a red cloth.

"Shield Charge!"

The impact was so powerful it seemed to solidify, splashing up the mud and sand beneath their feet, and crashing headlong into the kobolds lying in ambush in the passageway.

They are small in stature, which allows them to stand side by side.

Right now, he and his archer companions behind him were knocked flying and scattered, crashing into corners and ditches. Their small bodies were bent over, their blood buried in the darkness!

“Uh-huh!”

Seeing this, the one or two remaining accomplices dared not be reckless and scrambled to escape into the depths of the tunnel.

As lawful evil beings, their kinship can be described as indifferent.

When the situation is favorable, teamwork can temporarily create a formidable fighting force.

Conversely, so-called companions are not worth mentioning.

The tower shield obscured Tang Qi's vision, preventing him from firing arrows in pursuit.

However, it was also clear that for these two mercenaries, earning a salary to guard an orchard was a waste of their talents.

After charging forward, Shattered Stone, panting heavily, didn't forget to turn back and laugh:
"If kobolds are considered descendants of dragons, then we must be dragon-slaying heroes!"

"Alright, save your energy."

The black snake followed closely behind.

"Is it really necessary to use combat skills to deal with a few kobolds? There's not that much meat in the village to replenish your energy."

"Ha, it's been a long time since I've taken such a risk. Let's recapture that old feeling. What's wrong with getting carried away for a moment?"

The rubble straightened up again, but it was still catching its breath.

"Besides, the caravan will be arriving tomorrow, and Catherine will definitely prepare pork chops to entertain them."

"Let's make sure the employer doesn't kick us out for negligence first."

The most urgent task is to find the stolen Xingmei.

"Those in the back, keep up!"

The shovels charged forward with the speed of bulls, and in the blink of an eye, they were far behind the jackals at the rear.

Tang Qi glanced at the weapon the kobold had dropped; it was still a bone hammer. He was pondering to himself.

Hearing the black snake's call, he hurriedly tried to follow.

But a sudden tremor near his ear made him tense up instantly—

"There's a trap!"

The soil above our heads suddenly loosened!
(End of this chapter)