Chapter 14: I Nearly Saw the “Defeated by Goblins” Game Over Screen!

“Ouch!”

A cold, earthy stench rushed up Lin Wei’s nose.

He looked down to see Yalis collapsed on the ground, clutching her head and wincing in pain, tears shimmering in her eyes.

Lin Wei rose, dusted himself off, and glanced ahead—just in time to see a tide of monsters surging toward them.

It was a mob of high-level goblins: green-skinned, foul-smelling, each wielding a crudely forged metal shield.

Their jagged fangs gleamed with rot. From this vantage, there had to be at least several dozen.

No wonder the saintess had been pushed to such desperation. Barely escaping with her life was no exaggeration.

Well then... time to activate [Demonic Intimidation] (MAX).

A sound like a heart being torn open echoed through the air.

For a split second, even the atmosphere seemed to shudder. An invisible wave of dread rippled outward from Lin Wei, silently engulfing everything nearby.

It was terror made manifest. The goblins—who had been eager to pounce—locked eyes with Lin Wei.

And in that instant, every single one was seized by a fear so overwhelming it felt as though an invisible hand had crushed their very souls.

Their bodies froze, minds recoiled, flesh trembled. What stood before them was no mere human, but a monster beyond all hope of victory. All that remained was the primal urge to flee.

“Skreee!”

The goblins, paralyzed with terror, loosed piercing shrieks. Within three seconds, not a single one remained in sight.

“That’s that, then.”

He could have obliterated the goblins with a gesture, but there was no need. Showing off too much power would only invite unwanted attention.

Once he was certain no more enemies lurked nearby, Lin Wei finally looked down at Yalis and spoke.

“You alright?”

But the saintess was clearly not herself.

Her delicate, doll-like cheeks were flushed red. Her breathing was ragged, her gaze unfocused and dazed.

Her trembling fingers tried to summon holy light—

—but she couldn’t manage it. Before the spell could even form, her eyes grew hazier, and she was forced to stop.

“Poisoned, huh?”

Lin Wei tapped her cheek in surprise, but she didn’t react at all.

Her skin was burning, her face damp with feverish sweat.

Goblins really did have a whole arsenal of nasty tricks.

On their own, they weren’t strong. But in a swarm, even seasoned adventurers could find themselves in mortal danger.

“No wonder she was running for her life from those goblins.”

“Mmm...”

He’d meant to use a simple purification spell to clear the poison.

But now, faced with the saintess—her mind clouded, her body limp and defenseless—

Lin Wei considered for a moment, then used a bit of magic to lift Yalis by the collar, intending to carry her back and treat her at his leisure.

“Count yourself lucky, Saintess.”

Otherwise, you’d be looking at the “Defeated by Goblins” game over screen right about now.

Still, since when was the labyrinth’s third floor crawling with goblins like this?

With that thought lingering, Lin Wei quickly left the maze behind.

Lately, Yalis felt as though her luck couldn’t possibly get any worse.

First, she failed to become a Holy knight after stepping down as the saintess. Then, her attempt to sneak into the evil god cultist and earn merit fell flat.

Finally, before returning to the imperial capital to accept her punishment, she decided to clear her head by challenging the famed labyrinth of the Lotai region.

Who could have guessed she’d be ambushed by a goblin horde on the third floor, poisoned, and left too weak to even cast a basic Holy Light Bolt?

“Don’t tell me Goddess Alicia has abandoned me!”

No—this wasn’t the time for such thoughts.

Goblins swarmed over the hills, their twisted grins gleaming as they charged toward her.

She vaguely remembered reading a story like this: a renowned saintess, during her crusade against the Demon Lord, accidentally fell into a goblin nest—and ended up transformed into something utterly bizarre!

Not only was Alicia’s glory overturned, but she even created a horde of goblins with holy light affinity!

...No way am I letting that happen!

Her thoughts slowed, her reactions dulled, as if her mind was being scrambled by some malevolent force.

“There are goblins behind you—run, it’s dangerous.”

Yalis vaguely felt herself bump into someone as she desperately tried to summon her holy light spell, shouting at the top of her lungs.

But when she glanced back down the corridor, she saw countless goblins with vicious grins, lunging straight at her.

“Help! Somebody help me!”

With a jolt, Yalis awoke from her nightmare, eyes snapping open to an unfamiliar ceiling above her.

The air was filled with a refreshing, almost pleasant scent. Dusk light spilled through the window, a little too bright, but it helped her senses return more quickly.

Aside from a lingering grogginess in her head, she didn’t feel any particular discomfort.

It... didn’t seem like she’d been violated or anything.

“Could it be... Goddess Alicia picked me up and saved me again?” Yalis blinked, staring around in astonishment.

Where was she?

It seemed... actually, rather safe.

“Or maybe, just maybe, I’m the one who picked you up.”

A slightly exasperated sigh drifted in from beside her.

Yalis whipped her head toward the voice, and found herself face-to-face with a handsome young man, propping his chin in his hand as he studied her.

The sunset outside cast a lazy glow across his features, and the gentle timbre of his voice seemed almost magical, banishing the last traces of fear from her heart.

He watched her quietly, those brilliant, star-like eyes radiating an air of unshakable reliability.

Someone like that... Just from his appearance alone, she could tell he wasn’t a bad person.

He studied her for a moment before finally nodding in satisfaction.

“Looks like everything’s back to normal. How are you feeling?”

“You’re...”

Fragments of memory surfaced in Yalis’s mind.

Suddenly, it all clicked. Her eyes widened as she blurted, “You’re the adventurer I bumped into in the labyrinth?”

That’s right! She vaguely remembered colliding with someone before blacking out.

The voice matched perfectly—so she’d been saved by this person?

“That was me,” Lin Wei confirmed, though he felt compelled to clarify, “But for the record, you didn’t knock me over. You tripped and fell all on your own.”

He added, a hint of competitive pride in his tone, “That goblin poison knocked you out for quite a while, though.”

“I already gave you an antidote. Are you feeling any better now?”

On the table beside the bed sat a potion bottle, still holding a bit of pinkish liquid.

Saved... and even given an antidote!

Yalis sneaked a glance at the adventurer who’d stayed by her side until she woke.

Suddenly remembering her manners, she quickly sat up straight and offered a deep, earnest bow.

“I am Yalis, candidate saintess of the Holy Church. My body’s already much better—thank you so much for rescuing me!”

He’d literally saved her life.

She still couldn’t figure out how things had gone so wrong. The monsters in the labyrinth weren’t supposed to be that tough.

Yet somehow, she’d ended up surrounded before she knew it.

If he hadn’t shown up when he did, getting chased down by those shield-bearing goblins... Forget about remaining a saintess—her entire family would have been disgraced on the spot!

“Oh, it was nothing, really. Just lending a helping hand.”

“I’m Lin Wei, an adventurer. By the way, did you just say you’re... a saintess of the Holy Church?”