A nightmare. She was living in a nightmare. Her small village burned all around her as the Goblin Lord cackled in the distance. She held her head between her hands while the tide of green flooded the streets and the houses of their small farming village. The outhouse kept her hidden from them, the smell of feces and urine masked her own from their sharp noses.

"Mom... Dad... Please save me."

She murmured silently while she shivered in the corner of the structure. Her small frame was tucked into a small ball as sounds of footsteps and violent howls echoed from outside the door.

They were burning everything to the ground while she hid from it all. Homes, barns, and even the people that were unlucky enough to be caught by them. Women and girls as young as five were being tied and beaten in the distance, some were even being violated by the monsters. She could hear the men being slaughtered by them as they fought with their backs against the wall. Tears wouldn't stop flowing from her eyes while she tried her best to drown out the horrible sounds all around her.

"Please... I don't want to be here."

The living nightmare around her raged viciously while she sobbed. She prayed for anyone to save her, to wake her up from this nightmare. She didn't want to hear the voices of her parents as they screamed.

She wanted to wake up.

"...Riel!"

The smell of burning flesh was still present, but when the scene around her was different.

"Finally, you're up."

Semilia was standing in front of her, the wounds on her face now healed up by a potion. The Elf smiled at her as she blinked away the fatigue from her eyes.

She was propped up against the wall with her staff placed on top of her legs. She must've been sitting like that for hours since her back and neck were stiff and sore. Slowly, she shifted her gaze towards the two figures standing beside a large bonfire in the middle of the room.

"W-What are they doing?"

"That? That's the monster's corpse. They're burning it to you know, stop it from becoming Undead."

Riel looked at the Goblin, his hand and his clothes still covered from the webs and gore of the earlier battle. He stared deeply into the dancing flames as they crackled and ate away at the now black body of the once beautiful Arachnea.

"How long was I asleep?"

"A few hours. Half a day, maybe. Who knows? The Goblin hasn't said a word  to us ever since we woke up."

She groaned as she stood up from her spot. Her legs, neck, and butt all ached and felt stiff as she struggled to get on her feet. Semilia sighed and gave her a helping hand as she pulled her up by the shoulder. 

"We kept asking him questions but he just kept grunting and pointing at things. I don't know why he's so upset, but Stefan just told me to keep an eye on you while he helped the Goblin take care of the bodies."

"Maybe he's just tired? I think he's just grumpy after that long fight."

"Who knows? Anyway, now that you're up, let's go help them so we can finally go home."

The thought of finally escaping this place made her smile for a moment. But it quickly disappeared as the scent of death and burnt lavender filled her nose.

The two of them approached Stefan and the Goblin as they stood over the small pyre. It was hastily constructed with small bits of dried wood and wet silk. Her body looked as if it had been wrapped with silk before being put to the flame. It must've was the case since the Goblin was clearly stifling his tears as he looked at the pyre before him. Stefan just watched the embers rise up into the air before fading away, silently whispering a prayer as he did so. 

Riel looked over at the Goblin, and he glanced at her for a moment. A sigh left his lips as he pointed at the treasure pile at the center of the room. Some of the webs that covered it have been torn away already, and Riel could see what looks like a large door jutting out from underneath it. It looked like the Goblin's door, except it wasn't attached to any wall. It was just the door and the frame around it.

"I-Is that our way out?"

"Mhm."

"...W-Where does it lead us?"

"...First floor. Near entrance."

The Goblin didn't even look at their direction. He was fixated on the burning remains of the creature that tried to kill them earlier.

"We'll leave when Mister Goblin feels better. For now, let's rest up in here."

"And the treasure?"

"Yours. No books inside. I have bag to hold many treasure, but can't hold it all. Will have to leave half."

The Goblin unbuckled a brown sack from his back and handed it to Semilia. The Elf stared at the high-quality Bag of Holding in his hands while he continued to sulk beside the fire.

It looked like an ordinary sack made of leather, but Semilia could clearly see the enchantments engraved on its side. Most bags of holding could only hold a few kilograms, a few could probably hold up to ten if the person who made it was good at it. The rare ones can hold thrice that, they even had one that could hold a hundred kilograms of items! That item cost them a year's worth of coin, but it was worth the investment. But the bag in her hands was different!

The treasure pile stood twice as tall as Stefan and it was mostly made out of valuable gems and coins of various precious metals. There were some items mixed in as well, there was even a chest filled with Healing and Mana Potions that brimmed with a different glow than regular potions near the bottom. To hold half of that would mean that they'd be going back to the surface with the wealth of entire kingdoms within their hands, they might be even richer than some empires if they pushed it! Semilia and Riel arrived at the same conclusion as they gawked at the simple bag in front of the two of them. 

"W-Wait, you're seriously giving us this?! Do you know how valuable this is?! This could be worth thousands of-"

"Don't care. Have three more. Keep, it's yours."

His cold but sad sounding reply made Semilia glance away from him. Riel was surprised by the Goblin's tone, but she could see the look in his eyes as he stared blankly ahead of him.

"L-Let's just... Let's go through the treasure for now. That way, we'd have more time for our goodbyes later."

Stefan looked at Riel as she made her suggestion. He found it odd that the usually quiet and spaced-out mage would take the initiative. She noticed his bemused stare and she simply gave him a sigh in response.

"Let's give him some time to... grieve. He probably wants to be alone right now."

"Oh. Oh, okay. M-Mister Goblin, we'll be going through the treasure now. Are you really sure you don't-"

"Mhm."

He shrugged his shoulders as he took a seat near the fire. The three of them exchanged a glance before turning towards the treasure pile. They were about to walk over towards it when they heard the Goblin cough loudly.

"Eherm... F-Friend Riel... Thank you."

He wasn't looking at her he said that, but she still knew what he meant. So she gave him a soft smile as she pulled out the last of the cheese she had hidden from them.

"Of course. Here, you might be hungry. I eat cheese when I'm feeling sad, so this might help cheer you up."

She placed the crumbly cheese wrapped in paper beside him. Then she turned back, a somber smile still on her face, and walked towards her two other friends as they smiled at her.

"Softie."

"Shut up, Semilia. I'm trying to be nice to the person who saved us!"

"Well, well! Look who's using the word "person" to ref- Ow."

Riel's fist ached as she punched Stefan's arm. It was stronger than she thought, but it got the message through. He let out a chuckle as he turned his attention towards the mountain of gold and silver in front of them.

It wasn't as if she was being nice to the Goblin because he saved them. He just had the same look on his face that reminded her of herself from time to time. It was a lonely and sad look that made it hard for her to keep hating this particular Goblin. She didn't know the specifics or what exactly is his relationship with the monster in this room, but she could tell from the look in his eyes that it was something special and dear to him.

Stolen story; please report.

It might've been even important to the monster.

Those thoughts ran across her head while Stefan examined the coins and gems before them. She just stared at it all blankly while the two of them sifted through it all. Semilia grumbled angrily as a small avalanche of coins buried the small box of rings she was looking at while Stefan tried to pull on the silver armor lodged deep within the pile. The sheer weight of all of the treasure in front of her was unfathomable, and she wondered what she should do with most of it.

"W-We'll need some cash as well to help with the families of those who died. They'll surely hound the three of us once new get out that we left the dungeon as rich- Woah! It finally came loose!"

"Y-Yeah... You're probably right. I'm not really keen on getting mobbed. A Low-Elf climbing out of a dungeon with treasure after so many died sounds dubious to most people. So at the very least, I want to help the families of those who died to get them off my back."

"Geez, Semilia. I know you distrust most people around here but at least try not to make them feel it. What about you, Riel? What are you planning with your cut?"

"New robes and food. I don't want to spend another night eating Field Frog meat with you guys. I want to eat chicken. Or a steak if I'm feeling up to it."

"Heh. I'd probably join you with that. A nice cup of ale would pair nicely with a large plate of steak and potatoes. Gods, just thinking about it is making me hungry."

"Then pick up the pace then! I want to go warm myself up with soup when we get out of here!"

Semilia shouted angrily as she picked gems and coins that looked valuable. Riel and Stefan let out a grumble as they sifted through the treasure pile. 

"So moody..."

Stefan mumbled out silently to himself, only to be struck in the head with a solid gold coin.

The bag jingled loudly everytime Stefan shook it. The Goblin was right with the bag capacity. The small mountain of treasure in the center of the room was now just a few piles of scattered treasure grouped together in neat piles. The door was propped up against an empty chest while the three of them looked around at what they have done to the treasure. Semilia smiled proudly since it was her idea to sort the treasure but the other two just found it a hassle to do so. Stefan grumbled angrily near one of the piles, his back sore and his arms quaking after he was forced to shovel the coins into neat piles. He was thankful that most of the coins in the treasure hoard were mixed with Mithril otherwise, he would've broken his back from the sheer amount of work.

Sure, it's nice having to just look for the spot where you dumped the magical armors instead of rummaging through coins to find one, but it's not as if anyone else besides the Goblin would have a use for this! Stefan angrily grumbled to himself since it was him that did most of the lifting, but Semilia was happy with it. Those jewels she found at the bottom of the pile were worth having to spend an hour hauling around heavy chests of gold! 

"The door's finally out and we're done with the treasure. All that's left to do now is to say goodbye to the little guy."

Semilia looked over at the hunched over Goblin and sighed.

The fire has gone out by this point and there was only a large pile of ash in front of him. The three of them would sometimes glance at him when they went through the treasure, but he would never look at them. Riel could see that he ate the cheese he gave her, but he still hasn't moved from his spot even after that.

Stefan nudged Semilia, and the Low-Elf nudged the girl beside her. Riel shot her an annoyed glare and nudged her as well. None of them wanted to approach the Goblin right now, but none of them knew how the door worked. So they continued to nudge at each other to get someone to approach the silent figure. Soon, they were arguing in hushed whispers among themselves while the Goblin just sat there, listening to these annoying people.

Finally, he let out a sigh to indicate that he could hear them. They stopped immediately as he shifted from his spot and got up onto his feet. He was tired, and he wanted to be alone right now. So he quietly approached them while their eyes followed him. He dragged his feet slowly across the floor, his eyes and cheeks still puffy from the countless tears and cries that he shed. 

The Goblin looked miserable, and they could all see it clearly on his face. Yet they kept quiet as he grabbed the door by its frame and dragged it across the room and towards the wall. There, they watched him prop it up against the wall and sigh loudly.

"Door ready. Door will lead to safety."

He said softly as he opened the door.

Behind it should have been the wall of the room, but instead they saw something else. Torches hang on the walls and the distant sounds of people can be heard in the distance. The room itself was empty, but it had markings and signs etched into the walls. They all knew what those meant since those were markings left by adventurers to tell others of what they found. The symbols meant this room was a safe place, and that it was used as a gathering place before dives. It was a room that was clearly part of the dungeon, yet so close to the entrance. 

"Shit... It's right there. It's right... there."

Semilia muttered out as tears welled up in her eyes. She knew that they would go home when she saw her corpse being burnt by the Goblin, but it still felt like a miracle to her.

"We made it... We made it! Stefan! Riel! We're alive! We didn't die, we lived! We went into the dungeon and we lived!"

She hugged the sniffling mage beside her while she jumped in pure and utter joy. Riel was left speechless at the sight of a torch in this maddening place of darkness, and she wanted to run towards its light right there and then.

"The door... I thought that there would be some catch to it or something, but no. It was just a simple door that needed to be propped up against the wall. Gods, what a cruel joke."

Stefan laughed as he walked over towards the door. He reached out a hand inside and felt nothing. It simply felt as if he was just waving his hand through the door and into another room.

"How silly..."

He whispered to himself as he glanced over at the Goblin beside the door.

This whole damn thing was a fluke, he thought to himself. A cruel joke played out by the Gods that ruled over them. Stefan chuckled as he looked at the person responsible for their salvation. It was luck that brought them together, luck and perhaps the damn machinations of this damned dungeon. But he didn't doubt the ending of this joke nor did he laugh at it. Stefan simply smiled and accepted the truth of their current situation as he turned towards the Goblin that did so much for them.

They went into a dungeon, unprepared for the dangers that lurked within its walls, and made it out thanks to luck and this Goblin. In fact, they would surely be dead by now if they didn't meet this creature or if he had betrayed their trust at any point in this adventure. The Goblin, despite being a Goblin, held up his end of the bargain and brought them to the last part of their harrowing adventure through a small fragment of the dungeon.

"Goblin... I can't take you enough for what you have done for us. In fact, I don't think I can even repay the debt we have to you."

Tears rolled down his rugged face as he stared at the symbol written on the walls in front of them. It pointed at the exit and how to get there.

"I...I have no words for the joy I am feeling right now. At first, I held onto the hope of getting out of this place tightly. But the more and more we ventured the deeper, it slowly slipped away little by little. At one point, I even thought you were just fucking with us and setting us up for a trap."

The Goblin tilted his at Stefan as he laughed softly. Then he flinched as the man looked at him.

"But I guess you're a... a Goblin of your word. Thank you, Mister Goblin. I guess I can see my daughter again after this, and I'll finally be able to treat her to a glass of ale instead of the other way around."

"... Okay. I wish you luck. On future."

The Goblin smiled at him for a moment before he looked back down at his ash-covered shoes.

"I hope you feel better soon, Mister Goblin. And I'm sorry for your loss. May our paths cross again if ever we get lost once more in this dungeon."

Stefan shouted at the two girls to say their goodbyes to him, then he gave the Goblin a firm path on the shoulder as he passed through the door.

"Bye, friend."

He said those words weakly and Stefan simply waved him goodbye before he walked over to the room's true door.

Then he felt someone punch him on the shoulder. He looked over at the pointy-eared girl as she smiled down on him. The bow that he gave hew was slung over her shoulder and the ivory quiver behind her was already out of arrows. 

"I'm not great at goodbyes but I'll do my best. You're... a pretty great guy. Ummm... Gods, this is a horrible goodbye, you know? Shouldn't those things feel sad or something?"

"Why should you be sad? Friend Semilia is going home. Should be happy."

"Right? How the hell could I feel sad right now? I thought I was gonna fucking die here! Well, thankfully, none of us did thanks to you. So, erm, I guess I owe you big time? Like, thanks for the bow and everything, but you do know we'll never be able to pay this back, right? Are you sure you don't have any ulter-"

"Goodbye, friend Semilia. Thank you for stories about mushroom. I'll remember it for rest of my life."

The Goblin laughed softly as he gently nudged her into the other side of the door. But just before she crossed over to the other side, she looked at him one last time and smiled at him.

"You better take care of yourself now, Goblin! The next time the three of us get lost down here, I'll be sure to pack some mushrooms and truffles for us to snack on! So don't you die to anything down here, okay?!"

"Okay. But please don't get lost again. Very dangerous."

"Ahaha. Of course, of course. It's a joke. Don't worry, we'll try our best to not get lost from now on."

With that, the Elf girl jumped into the other side of the door. The Bag of Holding she carried jingles as she ran over to Stefan, who was waiting for them patiently.

Finally, he turned to the last person on the worng side of the door. Her pointy hat was caked in dirt and grime now, and the robes she wore were very, very filthy. Yet the girl that stood as tall as him still gave him a hug, and it was a tight one as well. Sure, she smelled like piss and blood, but it was the first time in ages since someone hugged him like this so he ignored the stinging smell in his nose.

"Here. It's the only way I can thank you for saving all of us. You saved me a few more times as well, but this is the only thing I can give you. I hope it's enough."

Her soft voice made his heart skip a beat. He could see Stefan and Semilia staring at them in surprise, but the girl didn't seem to care.

"Thank you so much... Goblin. I never thought that hugging a Goblin will feel so nice. It's so warm and fuzzy."

She held him tightly as she picked up the faintest smell of lavender from him. She finally pulled away from the embrace she gave him and took a close look at her savior. 

His cheeks were bright red and he looked someone cast a stun spell on him. She let out a giggle as she patted off the dirt on his clothes after she gave him that hug. She felt a little guilty about dirtying his clothes, but he didn't seem to mind it at all. 

"I guess you're the first Goblin I don't hate. I still don't like you, but I hope that we can still be friends regardless."

"Of course! Of course! Very happy to make friends with great mage like you!"

He laughed nervously as she finally noticed the impatient stare Semilia threw over her. She let out a sigh and nodded at the Goblin. She didn't have the proper words to tell him a proper goodbye but the Goblin smiled at her to let her know that it's fine. It was the same toothy smile he kept showing them, but it felt less threatening now. And that's what made it sadder for her. 

The Goblin smiled at her as she finally passed through the door. The three of them looked back at him as he gripped the door's handle. They knew that once he closed that door, they would most likely never see him again. Yet, they smiled on at him, at the Goblin that saved their lives. Riel waved him goodbye one last time as he closed the door behind her. The door clicked close, and the sounds of Stefan and Semilia as they teased Riel halted immediately. 

The silence of the place set in immediately. The Goblin smile faded away as he slumped his back against the door. Slowly, he sunk to his knees and began to cry. For a brief moment, he finally had the treasure he had always been searching for. But it was a fleeting treasure, and only his memory of that encounter was all that remained of it. 

And he was alone in the dungeon once again. Just like always.