The room was empty now. Well, empty of treasures. The empty shelves, the massive stone table in the middle, and the large fountain is still there. Everything else is now stowed away in Bags of Holding and stuffed into the portable chest the Goblin dragged behind him. He didn't regret giving away one of the special bags that he found here in the dungeon, but he really wished he had another one.

"Hrr! Move! Moooooove!"

The Goblin huffed as he tinkered with one of the three wheels. Strands of something got lodged into it and jammed it. His hand struck the top of the chest a couple of times in frustration as he tugged at the black hairs that got entangled with the wheel's axle.

"Graaah! [Flame]!"

The small yet intense burst of flame burnt off the mess but it scorched the left side of the chest. It wasn't damaged, thankfully, but it did leave a noticeable mark on the mostly gold exterior.

But he didn't mind. As long as it still works, it's a great moving chest! He let out a content snort as he grabbed the two rods that protruded out of the other side of the chest and pushed it forwards. His small bag had everything he needed for his trip to the floor below Arachnea's and he made sure the lantern he carried had enough mana to light up the way.

"Kirith. Amai'rk. Ir kur tunggril."

The runes on his door glowed one last time as he made his peace with the room. He felt its cold walls with his hands as he took one last look at his now empty home. He let out a sigh as the runes around the frame of the door burnt up and disappeared.

With that, he opened the door and stepped out into the shadows of the dungeon.

He whistled a song his father once sang to him when he was a child. It wasn't a great song since Goblins are terrible singers, but it did the job. The now cramped and crumbling hallways were filled with the high-pitched whistle that came from him and the creaking sounds of crude wheels as it rolled over the cracked and uneven floors.

Traps failed to even activate as he passed over them. One that was supposed to burn his face off only covered it with soot and black ash. He threw a rock at the trap in anger while he wiped away the dirt on his face. The dungeon was definitely breaking down, and those traps showed it. In fact, he could tell that the way before him wasn't as dark as before but he wasn't really sure if it's just his lantern or just him.

He continued to walk forward after cleaning his face with a bit of water. The scratching noises and groans that came from this floor were no longer there. It was just silence. Loud and heavy silence that made everything feel uneasy. His eyes darted from side to side as he passed by empty hallways. He made sure that nothing would come out of that darkness even though he already knew those ways were already empty.

After a short while, he finally reached the room where he once killed a Mimic. It was still empty and the Guardian Slime that stood watch over it was still dead. Its remains have dried already dried up and left only a dark spot in the center of the room where it should've been. The Goblin let out a groan as he pushed his chest forward, then he stepped on something wet.

"Hm? This is..."

His shoe was covered in water that stuck onto it like slime. He looked down and saw something peculiar.

Along the dry floors of the room crawled a small, blue Slime. Its mana core bobbed up and down in its center as it looked up at him with the two yellow crystals that served as its eyes. That was strange. He never saw a Slime with "eyes" since Slimes didn't really need eyes to see. He tilted his head curiously at it while he pondered about what he should do about it. 

He raised a foot slightly off the ground as he looked at the Slime's mana core. Slimes are dangerous things after all if left unchecked. The Slime saw this and it immediately started to shake violently as it began to crawl away from him. The Goblin saw this and he immediately put down his foot as the Slime hid behind one of the wheels. Its eyes stared up at him in fear as he knelt down beside it.

"Slime... smart?"

The two small crystals in its eyes swirled inside its face as he waited for a response. 

Such things were not unheard of in this world. Common monsters that become sentient after a while, but this was a first for the Goblin. He pulled out the flask on his side and dropped some water on the small Slime. It immediately absorbed the few drops and the Goblin noticed the slight change in the Slime's size. The Slime slowly inched away from its hiding spot and towards the Goblin while he continued to stare at the strange Slime.

It jiggled slightly as he poked at its side with his claw. The two crystals that served as its eyes tried to imitate a glare and the Goblin immediately stopped poking at it. He emptied out the flask on top of it while it hungrily absorbed the liquid into its body. It was clearly alive, and it was clearly jiggling happily after he fed it. If the Slime really was a thinking being with emotions, then it might better to just ignore and avoid it. 

"Live and let live."

The last drop of water fell from his flask and he clipped it back onto the side of his pants. He pushed away the Slime to avoid running over it with the wheels of his chest.

Something made a squelch sound beside him as he walked. He looked down and saw the Slime looking up at him as it crawled beside him. It was following him closely while it hopped and jiggled about like a Slime. He tried to shoo it away with his foot but the Slime just wrapped itself around it while it looked at him happily with its eyes. The Goblin let out a groan as he decided to just ignore the wet feeling in his feet and push forward with his trip.

The two of them stopped by a small alcove to rest. For the past two hours, the Slime had followed him through the winding paths of the dungeon and into the floors below his own. It would occasionally play tricks on him like that time it crawled into his pants, but it never really did anything harmful. By now, he has grown used to the Slime's company and he would share his water rations with it whenever he had to take a drink.

"Miu! Miu~! (^ ~ ^)"

He looked at it as it made the strange noise it used to communicate with him. He dropped some of the water in his other canteen onto it. 

"You drink too much."

"Miu? ( 0 v 0 )"

It stared up at him with its eyes as he looked at the map in his notebook.

"Hmm. Almost there. Shortcut up ahead."

"Miu? Miu... ( = ^ = )"

"Stop making noise. Distracting."

"Miu... ( ~ _ ~)"

It imitated a sad expression as it sulked beside his moving chest.

He ignored the Slime as he marked the spot where they rested with a small pebble. They took a different route instead of going through the labyrinth. He wasn't too keen on dragging his moving chest down the various stairs in that damn place. A heavy sigh left his lips as he tapped a claw on his map and he studied the route they would have to take intently. The Slime by his feet jiggled as he stowed away the notebook under his cloak as he finally stood up from his spot.

"Miu? ( ' ? ' )"

"We move. Stick close."

The Slime hopped inside his shoe at once. It made a wet splashing noise as it settled into a more comfortable position.

He grumbled as his shoe let out a sloshing sound every time he took a step. The Slime didn't seem to care and instead jiggled happily every time he moved. He tried making it go into the flask earlier, but the Slime didn't seem to like tight and enclosed spaces and instead favored the warm shoe of the Goblin. It jiggled to the tune of his whistling while they walked down the dark corridor and he cracked a smile as it tried to imitate his whistling.

"Good try."

The Goblin smiled at the Slime as they walked into the darkness of the dungeon's depths.

----------------------------------------

"I'm stuffed!"

"Stuffed?! All you ate was that soup and that cod! Nuien! More ale for Alric!"

Druven let out a loud burp as raised his glass at his brother. His plate was already empty except for the clean pile of bones on it. 

Stefan drank his ale silently while Riel ate the biscuits the barmaid gave her. Alric clearly wanted to stop drinking, but he watched on in silence as Nuien poured him another glass of ale. The Half-Dwarf laughed as he downed his fifth mug of the strong liquor and Stefan found it amazing that Druven could manage all of that. 

"How about you, Stefan? Want another round?"

"N-No thanks. I've had enough for today."

"R-Really? Well, yes of course. You folks do need to report to the guild later."

Druven stroked his beard as he looked at his own mug. He let out a sigh as he drank his ale in one go. He raised a hand as one of the barmaids rushed over to fill Alric's empty mug.

"Miss! Nevermind the refill! How much do we owe you, Nuien?"

Nuien looked up from his drink and he counted the plates on their table. 

"Drinks on the house for you, brother... But the food's gonna cost you 2 gold pieces and 20 silver coins."

Semilia pulled out the money from the Bag of Holding the Goblin gave them. She handed them to the barmaid and told her to keep the change. Stefan smiled and stood up from his seat.

"Thank you for the food. We'll-"

He was cut off by the sound of doors flying open. All heads turned towards the entrance as Guardsmen rushed into the tavern. 

Alric and Druven's face went pale while Nuien let out an exasperated groan as he stood up from his seat. The guards pointed at their table and Stefan immediately tensed up in his spot. He sat down immediately while Alric clutched his head in despair. A woman wearing plate armor with brown hair tied into a ponytail behind her stepped in front of the group of guards with an angry expression on her face. Druven glanced away from her glare while Stefan and the other two were caught in the middle of the blast fire.

"You two! I can have both of your heads for abandoning your posts! What are the two of you doing here?!"

"W-Watch Captain! It's a pleasure to see-"

Stolen story; please report.

"Shut it, Nuien! Senior Guardsman Druven and Alric! Stand up when I'm talking to you!"

The woman stood a head taller than Stefan and she was larger than him too in terms of muscle. Her fierce, red eyes were fixated at the two Guardsman while they immediately shot up from their seats.

"What are you doing here drinking in the middle of the day?"

"W-Well, we found-"

"Survivors! Three of them! From-"

She narrowed her eyes at the two Guardsmen as they fumbled over their words. The other Guardsmen around her shrunk away in fear of the pressure she exuded around her.

"What survivors? Don't go making up some bullshit excuse now! It's been a month since that damn expedition!"

"W-We're not! Look there, Captain! The lad in front of me is the leader of the party."

"Eh?"

Stefan looked up from his drink and turned towards the Watch Captain. 

Yup. She was definitely taller than him. Her red eyes looked down on him as her massive frame loomed over him like a stone wall. Semilia shrank away as well and looked down at the table. Riel didn't really care but she pretended to sip on her mug even though it's already empty. 

Stefan sweated profusely as he tried his best to articulate his words. But the Watch Captain's pressure weighed on him heavily and he couldn't even bring himself to stand. He noticed Druven staring at him from the corner of his eye and he silently cursed him for putting him on the spot. The Watch Captain raised a brow at him as he finally stood up from his seat.

"S-Stefan. I'm the leader of the party. We just escaped the dungeon a few hours ago."

He extended out a hand at the Watch Captain while she looked at him from head to toe.

"Adventurers? What rank are you?"

Semilia shifted nervously in her seat while Stefan shrank away from the Watch Captain's terrifying gaze.

"Silver Ranked. My party is a Silver Ranked team that entered the dungeon with the joint expedition."

"Hm. I see... Silver Ranked team with a Low-Elf and a Mage..."

He knew it was hard to believe, but Alric and Druven's sighs of relief made him feel relieved as well. The Watch Captain sighed as she waved a hand at the other Guardsmen.

"I'll just have to take your word for it until I could get a word in with the Guildmaster."

She turned towards the two Guardsmen and at the empty mugs in their hands. She let out a sigh as she turned towards the door with a slightly disappointed look in her eyes.

"Move out! We're going back to the barracks! You two! I'd be seeing you in my office later but for now, get your horses and escort these people to the city."

She shook her head as she watched Druven and Alric walk out of the tavern with the other guards. Stefan gulped as the three of them nodded in thanks at Nuien and the other barmaids. They waved their patrons goodbye, then they immediately started to clean the mess they left behind at their table.

The three of them followed after her as they walked out into a village full of Guardsmen and their mounts. Alric and Druven drove out of the path that leads to the stables while the Watch Captain sighed at the both of them. She walked away from the three of them and towards one of the guards holding her horse. Alric and Druven rode up to the three of them and Druven patted the spot behind him.

"You can sit here, Stefan. She won't mind the extra weight."

Stefan quickly climbed onto the back of the horse while Alric helped the two girls get on the cart. Once they were secured, he got up on his horse and silently watched the Captain. She nodded at the other guards and they quickly rode out of the small village. Stefan sighed and clung onto Druven as the horses rode out of the village gates with the Watch Captain at the front. The rest of the City Watch rode in a tight formation while they lagged behind at the back. 

Semilia held the sides of the cart tightly as Druven and Alric drove as fast as possible to try and keep up with the Watch. Riel clung onto Semilia as the cart's wheels shook beneath them. It was going to be rough two hours for them, and they already hated the first few minutes of it. Stefan didn't really mind the rough ride, but Semilia's shouting ruined the experience of it for him.

"S-S-Stefan! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! The cart's coming apart, Stefan!"

"That old thing won't fall apart, lass! That thing's been through hell-"

The sound of wood snapping made Druven and Stefan turn their heads behind them. One of the wooden bars snapped in half due to the cart jumping up and down.

"W-What the fuck?! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! Alric! Go slower! Go fucking slower!"

"Suck it up, Semilia! Why can't you be like Riel?"

"Riel passed out a while ago! You damn idiot!"

"H-Hey... Seriously? I know she's not great with fast things but- Just hold on to her for now."

Semilia yelled loudly as she held Riel with her hand. Druven laughed as he whipped the reins loudly. 

"You're only young once, Miss Elf! Have a bit of fun every now and then! Hyah!"

Stefan held on tightly as their speed picked up tremendously. Alric just sighed and prayed in silence while Semilia held on for dear life.

The cart swiveled with each sharp turn they made and it jumped every time its wheels ran over a rock or a pebble in the road. Stefan ignored the faint moans and deathly groans that came from the cart behind them. They were still going as fast as they can, and he could feel the cart's weight shift every time they hit a random rock. It felt terrifying at first, but after an hour of riding with Druven and Alric, it didn't bother him anymore.

"S-Stefan... Why do you hate me?"

"Shut up, Semilia."

"Is it because I'm a Low-Elf? Was it because of that time I dumped your whiskey in the river after you told me that my cooking tastes bad? Why are you letting me suffer in this damn cart?"

Alric and Druven stifled their laughter while Semilia sobbed at the back of the cart. She was still holding on to the sleeping Riel while the cart's wheel rolled over another rock in the road.

"Sorry 'bout that!"

"You guys are just bullying me, aren't you?! You guys are speciests! Racists! You guys are doing that on purpose! Stefan, I'll never forgive you for this! I'm definitely finding another party!"

"Suck it up for now, Sem. Can't you see the walls of Arenhein? We're almost there!"

"And pretty early too! If we didn't keep up with the Watch Captain, we'dd probably be an hour's ride away from the walls."

Semilia and Stefan looked up at the massive walls of the city. They could see the massive weapons that lined its top and the intricate parapets built into it. The white castle that sat in its center dazzled Semilia as it blot out the sun behind it. It's only been a month since the three of them arrived here in Arenhein, but the sight of the castle never ceases to amaze her.

Beside it rose the massive tower of the Library of the Black Mage. Parts of the library floated around the tower while the main building was hidden from view by the walls. Semilia and Stefan remembered Riel's reaction when she first saw the fabled home of the once great Archmage that once called this city his home. It wasn't as grand as the Royal Library or as vast and endless as the Eternal Library in the school of Mages, but it was still a sight to behold.

Seeing the city of Arenhein made Semilia calm down a bit. The slower speed of the cart made her ease up as well. The poor Low-Elf let out a sigh as she finally released her crushing vice on the wooden side of the cart as she felt the gentle wind blow across her face. She can definitely feel the coming of winter on her cheeks as the cold breeze softly caressed her. She turned towards Stefan, who was staring at the city as well with a steely gaze.

"I wonder if the inn kept our stuff?"

Semilia chuckled at Stefan's question.

"What's there to keep? A bag of old clothes and some weird food from the south? They must've thrown it out already."

"Hope not. My damn maps are in those bags. Those are expensive ones as well."

"Maps? You can request for maps in the library or at the guild. I think. What kind of maps do you have anyway, Mister Stefan?"

"Merchant Maps. Got them from the capital as a gift from my daughter. They're well made and made out of Wyvern skin or something like that. I never really asked the details about it. It's just a really sturdy map of the continent."

"Hmm, I see. Merchant Maps are hard to come by if ya' don't know any Merchants. But rest assured! The guild probably secured your belongings. Probably."

Druven smiled as he finally slowed down his horse into a much more gentle speed. They were approaching the gate that took them into the barracks of the City Watch.

There was a large line in front of the gate. They were mostly travellers, merchants, and the occasional farmers that brought their goods with them. But the Watch passed by the line and rode for one of the smaller gates beside it. The people in front of it immediately opened the gates for them as the Watch Captain approached. They entered through the gate without delay unlike those going through the main gates. Guards inspected the identification of those who passed through the gate meticulously while a group inspected the contents and cargo of the merchants that waited to be let through.

" Something happened? Last I know, the security in Arenhein isn't this tight."

Stefan asked as he watched a guard look through a farmer's wagon of produce. 

"Someone managed to smuggle in Wyvern Eggs the other day. Nasty surprise, that was. Watch Captain was furious about it as well."

Druven clicked his tongue they passed through the open gate. The other guards around him glanced away as he looked in their direction.

"Eggs? A slaver then?"

"No. A middleman. Someone wanted those things to be delivered here for some purpose we don't know."

Alric and Druven stopped the cart beside the barrack's stables. The other Guardsmen are already tying up their horses inside the large stable while a handful of them brought their mounts to the nearby farrier. 

The barracks themselves were just some buildings and a large, open courtyard where the Guardsmen trained and performed drills. It had a path that connected to the main road of the city and a large stable that sheltered the horses the Watch used for their patrols. Stefan could see the Watch Captain as she entered a small building that was probably her office while a Guard led her horse to the stables.

Stefan and Semilia got off the cart while Stefan carried the sleeping Riel on his back after some help from Druven. The three of them turned towards the Half-Dwarf as he scratched his beard over the mess in their cart. Druven mumbled about getting it repaired while Alric took the cart off from their horses' backs.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye. Hopefully, we won't be seeing much of each other unless it's for drinks! Do give me a call if you're down for a pint or two."

Druven took hold of the horses' leash as he led them into the stables to rest. Alric smiled at them as he scratched the back of his head.

"It's been a pleasure knowing you, Mister Stefan, Miss Semilia. It was short, but hopefully, we meet again in the future. Arenhein's not that big of a city after all. Give us a call if you're ever in a pinch."

Stefan smiled at the nice Guardsman.

"Goodbye, Alric. You and Druven have my thanks for today."

"O-Oh! No worries! We're just doing our job, after all! You guys better go on now. Captain Briel's probably gonna tear us a new one after catching us at a tavern."

"Good... Goodluck with that, then."

Stefan and Semilia waved them goodbye as they walked away from the tired Guardsman. They heard Druven shout at the horses as they left, and the clamoring footsteps after that must've come from Alric.

"Gods... Today's been busy, huh?"

Semilia nudged Stefan's shoulder as they walked into Arenhein's busy streets and towards the Adventurer's Guild. He let gave her a tired smile as she walked closely beside him.

"Yes. It certainly was a busy day."

He said softly as they walked along the peaceful streets of Arenhein. 

But in the shadows of the great city, three figures watched from the top of the mighty tower that overlooked it. They did not notice the three adventurers that returned the depths of the world, but they did notice the shadows that moved in the distant horizon. Something that was meant to be forgotten by the world was stirring once more, and they fear what kind of age shall follow after it.

"It seems that the Adventurer's Guild will launch another expedition into the dungeon."

A woman covered with thick robes and a hood that obscured her face with shadow spoke as she gazed into the city below them.

"And we have made the preparations to aid them properly this time."

An old man sighed as he stroked his long, grey beard. His cloudy eyes could barely see what was in front of him, yet all was clear in his mind.

"The dungeon of Arenhein. Built by the Black Mage that once taught his knowledge here in this city. That place will surely have the answers we seek."

The last figure sat beside the window. Unlike the other two, he wore no robes that obscured his ageless beauty nor did he have any wrinkles that came with time. He wore a simple suit of white with black shoes and a single monocle that glowed with magic. He tossed back his long, yellow hair as his emerald-green eyes stared into the distance.

"Such a disgusting melody. I wonder what kind of abomination of life can sing such a song?"

His long ears drooped as he counted the many years he lived through. 3,000 years pass easily for an Elf and a Dragon, but no Dragon would ever understand the trouble such a lifespan can bring.

"Send another messenger to the guild. Tell them that I will be meeting them in person later this evening."

"It shall be done at once, Esteemed Lho'thrain."

The hooded woman disappeared at once in a blink of an eye as he let out a heavy sigh. The old man beside him laughed solemnly as he suckled on the top of his pipe.

"If you keep sighing, the years of your life will slip away."

"I can spend a few hundred sighs then. Maybe a thousand more if I am lucky."

"True. A High-Elf's lifetime can only be surpassed by the True Dragons and their Dragonkin. But no one should take their life for granted."

He chuckled at the old man's words and shook his head. How can such a Human be so wise? Lho'thrain thought to himself as the old man stared intently at the golden horizon.

"What do you think it is, Merithain? I have never felt such a presence before. Not even when the Orc Warlords raged throughout the world in the name of their dark gods or when the Goblin King finally raised his banner and went to war. This... This is different."

"It is different. I feel that it is something more ancient than even the immortal Dragons. I do not know what it is, but I can feel its malice and its hatred as if I am standing in front of a forge. I believe that only the Black Mage will know what this presence is."

The old man huffed out a ring of smoke as the Elf beside him glared at the shadow in the distance. He stood up and walked over to the window while the old man beside him continued to smoke his pipe. 

"But know this, Elf."

The old man's eyes cleared for a moment before being clouded once more.

"The world is moving once more. Each and every one of us is just pieces in a grander game, and I believe that this particular gaming is finally coming to a close."

The old man smiled and turned his head towards him.

"That old quarry is stirring up again. It seems my old friend is stirring up trouble once more even in his death. But I have faith that someone will deal with him soon enough. And perhaps... He may have an answer to the question that's been plaguing the minds of those damned Mages in that academy."

"And what if we fail, old friend?"

"Then we may have to face the uncertain future with clouded eyes. That is a fate that terrifies me above all else."

The two of them looked on as the sun dipped behind the mountains. Their eyes locked on the growing darkness in the distance. At the malignant stain that clawed at the edge of the world. At the void that devoured all things before it.

And they felt it stare back at them.