Ludwig frowned as he stared at the magic circle. “I thought these teleportation hubs were compromised?”
“They are,” Van Dijk admitted, stepping over a collapsed stone beam. “This one is far too deep in the swamp to be of much use. It’s likely been damaged over the centuries. That’s why no one uses it to enter the bog. But if you’re already inside?” He smirked. “That’s another story.”
Ludwig glanced around at their surroundings. The ruins of the Tibarian outpost stretched around them, swallowed by time and decay. The once-proud stone structures were now nothing more than crumbling husks, choked by creeping vines and dense green moss. Statues of forgotten figures lay shattered, their faces long eroded by the elements, while broken pillars jutted from the ground like the bones of some ancient behemoth.
Walking through the ruins felt like treading on the graves of an old civilization, a land long since lost to history. Each step sent small fragments of stone skittering across the ground, their echoes swallowed by the eerie stillness of the bog.
Then—
“Enemies,” Van Dijk said flatly.
Ludwig’s fingers tightened around his weapon before his eyes even found the threat. A small, wiry figure darted between the ruins, moving low and fast, clutching a crude stone-tipped spear.
Ludwig recognized it immediately. A Goblin. He had seen it many times in the manhwas he read before he came to this world.
It was an ugly little thing—sallow green skin stretched over a bony frame, limbs thin and wiry but fast clasping a spear made of crude wood and a sharpened stone for the head. Its yellow, goat-like eyes gleamed with malice, its hooked nose wrinkling as it caught their scent. The ragged loincloth it wore barely counted as clothing, and its oversized ears twitched as it crept forward, stalking them through the dark.
But it had made a crucial mistake.
It thought the darkness hid it. It thought it had the advantage.
It didn’t realize who it was trying to ambush.
It was trying to ambush the group using the darkness of the night, but didn’t realize that the two in front of him were creatures that could easily see under the darkness.
Once the goblin thought he got close enough, he jumped at Ludwig who simply stabbed it with his broken sword fragment.
The creature let out a strangled, wet gasp. For a moment, it seemed almost normal—dying like any other living thing. But then, something changed.
Its body twitched violently, as if something inside it was convulsing. Then, from the gaping wound, a thick, oozing substance began to pour—not blood, but slime.
Ludwig took a sharp step back, watching as the goblin’s body writhed, the slime wriggling like it had a mind of its own.
It wasn’t just inside the creature—it had become the creature.
Unlike the humans in the village, this creature was far too ‘normal’ looking. But inside, it was all the same, slime from the Gluttonous Death had taken over its body and replaced all its organs.
{You have slain a [Corrupted Goblin]}
{You have received a Wayward Soul}
Ludwig’s brow furrowed. Wayward Soul. One of the weakest types. Hardly worth the effort.
Before he could ponder it further, an ear-splitting screech tore through the ruins.
More goblins.
Dozens of glowing eyes flickered in the darkness—lurking within broken buildings, crouching behind shattered statues. Their ragged, hungry breaths filled the air, echoing between the ruins like whispers of the damned.
Ludwig rolled his shoulders, gripping his weapon tighter. “This might take a while—”
“Ugh,” Van Dijk groaned, cutting him off. “I hate this.”
“What is it?” Ludwig asked.
Van Dijk sighed, rubbing his temples. “You see, intelligent creatures—true intelligent creatures—can recognize when they’re outmatched. Even wild animals know when they’re facing something they can’t win against. But creatures like this…” He gestured to the goblins creeping toward them. “They’re just too stupid to realize they’re about to die.”
Ludwig barely had time to process those words before Van Dijk raised a single hand.
A dense, crimson mist unfurled from his palm, thick and suffocating, swirling into the air like ink in water. Within seconds, the mist rippled and twisted, taking shape—
A swarm of bats.
Each one a creature of pure shadow, eyes glowing red like blood. Their wings left streaks of blackened smoke in their wake, and as they took flight, their collective screech sent tremors through the ruins.
Hundreds of them.
“Kill them all,” Van Dijk muttered.
The bats exploded outward.
They moved like living shadows, slithering through cracks in stone, slipping through broken windows and shattered doorways. The goblins barely had time to react before the swarm was upon them.
Their screams tore through the night.
Ludwig watched in stunned silence as the swarm descended, their razor-like fangs slicing through flesh and bone like parchment. The goblins flailed, slashing wildly at the air, but it was useless. The bats were everywhere, weaving between their attacks like phantoms, their bodies leaving behind streaks of crimson mist.
One by one, the creatures fell.
And then—silence.
The ruins grew deathly still, the only sound the faint rustling of the wind through the vines.
Ludwig turned to Van Dijk, dumbfounded.
Van Dijk grinned. “What?” He spread his arms dramatically. “Did you think I was an Eight-Tier Mage just for show?”
Ludwig followed behind Van Dijk until they reached a run down building, it looked like it was the biggest one in this hub? City? Ludwig didn’t know, it was bigger than a town but smaller than a city, and felt rather lonely here.
The building itself was massive in size but seemed too rundown to be of any use. Most of the second floor had already fallen down, but there was an area in the center of the room that was thankfully clear. Since it had a massive magic circle in the middle.
“Be a useful lad and clear the rubble on top of the teleportation circle.”
Ludwig nodded to his master and began picking up the rocks and small pieces of the wall and ceiling that had fallen on the teleportation gate.
It was slow, grueling work. The broken debris was everywhere, some chunks larger than Ludwig himself. His skeletal frame strained as he pushed stone after stone aside, clearing a path toward the ancient runes beneath. Meanwhile, Van Dijk stood nearby, his piercing gaze locked onto the magic circle, scrutinizing every inch of its damaged form.
The moment Ludwig finished clearing, he stood next to his master who was looked rather annoyed.
“Hmm, I think I’ll need Silva’s help here,” Van Dijk said.
Ludwig studied the runes. “What exactly do we need him for?”
Van Dijk pulled out his communication crystal, shaking it with mild annoyance. “The circle is incomplete—damaged more than I expected.” He sighed. “And there’s interference. My crystal is only picking up short-range signals. I can’t reach Silva from here. only he can help me fix it.”
Ludwig tilted his head. “It looks similar to the one at the entrance of the swamp.”
“Yes, sadly I’m not good at teleportation magic, maybe we’ll head back to the first circle and get a duplicate copy then walk back here and try and fix it.”
“I remember the circle,” Ludwig said.
Van Dijk frowned, but then said, “You do strike me as someone who can easily memorize matters, since you mastered five spells probably in less than two days,” Van Dijk said, “But isn’t this a bit too much even for you?” he asked.
“It was half a night, and yes, I can still perfectly remember the circle’s details.” Ludwig said.
Van Dijk thought for a second and said, “Apply it then, use this,” he said as he pulled a massive piece of chalk almost a fist size from his own ring, “Complete the damaged parts and repair them, if the circle functions then we won’t have to waste time getting back.”
Ludwig nodded and grabbed the chalk, all he had to do was use [Trace] since he already saw the circle, he just needed to complete the missing parts. And Trace highlighted some the errors and mistakes that happened when the ceiling fell onto parts of the circle.
Minutes passed. Then an hour.
And then—
A surge of light.
The magic circle hummed with energy, glowing faintly as the runes reconnected.
Van Dijk let out a satisfied chuckle. “Impressive,” he admitted. “Once we’re back, I’ll give you a few more books—you’ve earned them.”
Ludwig grinned.
“For now,” Van Dijk continued, stepping onto the circle, “let’s see if this thing actually let’s see if the connection is secure with our next destination, the heart of the bog.”