"I wonder where the Goblin is?"

"Probably... Using some... Hidden passage- How in the seven Hells can you be so heavy?!"

Stefan angrily shouted at Riel while he carried her on his back. She gave him a slight shrug while he adjusted his grip.

"I'm not really sure. I think it's the robes?"

"Bullshit... How the hell can a robe feel so heavy?!"

"You know, maybe you're just out of shape."

"Shut it, Semilia. Of course I'm out of shape compared to a damn Elf."

"Can the three of you please shut up already?! My headache is acting up again thanks to your damn voices!"

Eric shouted at them angrily while he dragged his feet through the uneven ground.

The three of them glanced at the large bump on the back of his head and they instinctively looked away when he noticed their stares. Katherine sighed as she tried her best to focus on reading the messy map in her hands despite the shouting behind her. For the past two hours, all they did was walk through collapsed passages and rooms filled with rubble. They would sometimes find the occasional chest or bag filled with a handful of treasure but it was mostly Mimics and Slimes.

On the bright side, most of the spellcasters were feeling better now and some of them were already walking along with the other adventurers. Katherine tried to cheer herself up with that fact but hearing Azalia as she heaved beside her just made her more depressed. The Shadowmancer retched beside her as she dragged herself through the dungeon with a pale expression on her face.

"Damned Gods... This is why I hate Liches..."

"A-Are you feeling alright, Madame Azalia?"

"Yes. I'm feeling a bit better than before... But I'm still feeling some fatigue due to mana exhaustion."

Azalia laughed weakly as she rubbed her sore arms. After a moment her smile disappeared, replaced by a disappointed frown on her face.

"I'm terribly sorry I couldn't help all of you with the Black Mage. It seems I underestimated the amount of mana I had to spend..."

"It's alright. We managed to stop the spell in the end."

"Yes, but at such great cost. And all that death to stop a spell that I didn't know the purpose of."

Azalia tapped her cheek as she recalled the strange symbols on the magical circle.

She only recognized the symbols that were used in Shadow Spells and Alchemy. But the amount of mana being poured into it was on par with 7th Tier Spells, possibly 8th Tier if the Black Mage managed to finish it. Azalia shuddered at the thought of such a spell. 7th and 8th Tier Spells are meant to be used for large-scale attacks or extremely powerful targets and seeing the necromantic energy that flowed into it made Azalia wonder just how large was the scale of his foul spell.

A portal to the Plane of Shadow? What kind of sinister force led him to try and commit such an act? She wondered what kind of foul creatures did he wished to summon from that dark place and more importantly, what did he want those things to do? He talked about an army and raising Arluk, but why? Azalia pondered heavily while they walked through the now silent corridors of an empty dungeon.

"I still wonder... What made the Black Mage go mad?"

"No one knows... Rumor has it that the Black Mage was a treasonous adviser that was exiled to Arenhein. Some texts argue that he had a vision and that the king sent him to fortify Arenhein against the Demonic Armies. Whatever the case, we will never know. What's important is that we managed to stop what the Black Mage had become and whatever it was that he wished to unleash upon our world."

Azalia said with a soft yet serious voice. Her eyes glanced at Katherine and the worried expression behind her eyes.

"Anyway, I worry about how the guild will look at this quest of ours. More than half of the force we had under our command were casualties, and what treasure do we have to show for it?"

"Oh... right. The treasure."

Katherine winced at the thought.

The Shadowmancer beside her was right. They only had a few bags worth of coins and gems that they managed to scavenge among the dungeon's ruins. Sure, the Guild will pay them for their efforts but having some loot would help alleviate the losses they gained today. Katherine looked at the empty spot beside her where Ludwig should've been. 

"We have time to deal with the spoils later. Look there, Miss Katherine."

Azalia's voice cut through the silence as she pointed at the far end of the corridor.

Bodies, rotting and skeletal bodies, shambled through the rocky mess around them as their terrifying groans filled the corridors. Their hideous forms clawed at the walls as they followed the sounds of skittering creatures. Katherine reached for the hilt of her rapier only to grasp at empty air. She clicked her tongue and looked up at the walking corpses.

"What should we do, Azalia?"

"Ignore them. We do not have the strength to take on all of them."

Azalia said quietly with hushed tones.

Everyone watched anxiously as the Undead horde passed them by without incident. They watched the bodies of past adventurers and unlucky guardsmen as they chased after noises in the dark, their souls forever trapped in a living death. After 15 minutes of deathly silence, the last of the Undead scrambled away up a set of stairs. Its bones cracked and popped with each step and its grotesque movements sent a shiver down their spines.

They continued to follow the map the Goblin gave them. It led them through twisting corridors and narrow passages. Some of them were either obstructed or utterly destroyed, but most of them were safe. Well, as safe as any other cleared corridor in the dungeon. There were still some creatures living in some of the paths they had to pass through, but Giant Rats and Knifewing Roaches were easy enemies.

They walked through the dusty rubble of collapsed corridors until they found themselves in a room strewn with dusty webs as thick as a large tree. The smell of burnt bodies assailed their noses and all of them saw the large piles of dead Giant Rats and Spiders near a doorway. They were burned with magical flames, their bodies forever stuck in a writhing pose as they tried to use the magical doorway behind the green figure. Katherine's eyes narrowed at the figure's visage as he kicked away a still living Steeljaw Ant from the door.

"Hm? Oh, already here. Took you... long time."

The Goblin smiled at them as he crushed the large ant beneath his shoe.

"This is exit! I-"

He was cut off as an arrow flew towards the Goblin without warning.

It was fired by an adventurer, whose eyes glowed with both fear and killing instinct. But it did not strike the Goblin, and instead pierced the matted fur of the creature that tried to jump at him. The Goblin drew the dagger he had on him and whirled around as the Giant Rat fell on him. Everyone watched the Goblin as he stabbed at it viciously with deep strikes to the neck. The final strike almost decapitated the creature and its body lay limp beside his feet, blood pooling all around him.

"Rat sneaky... Careful with rats."

The Goblin panted as the Slime slowly drank the fluids of the Giant Rat's corpse.

They ignored the wet sounds the Sime produced as it ate the Giant Rat's body and they turned towards the open door behind the Goblin. But before Katherine could ask the Goblin about the door, they heard the loud sounds of people arguing as they passed through the giant doors. Katherine and Azalia both sighed while the Goblin's eyes lit up in excitement.

"We should've looted those Zombies earlier! Did you see the sword the other one was carrying?!"

"Of course I fucking saw it! That's why I didn't want to fucking fight it, you idiot! Buffoon!"

Eric yelled at Jared loudly while Stefan dragged a bag full of salvaged weapons behind them. 

"You should be thankful for your damned party putting up with your stupidity! How the hell are you not dead yet?!"

"Luck is... One of his strong suits."

"Along with his idiotic tendencies to jump into danger."

Ilyana and Lea laughed at their teammates' remarks. Jared didn't find it funny at all and grumbled angrily at them.

Stefan shoved the bag of weapons into Jared's hands and walked away angrily while Semilia and Riel followed closely behind him. The three of them have had enough of Zombies, Skeletons, Giant Rats, and slimy cockroaches the size of Riel's face. The last incident with the flying cockroaches really unnerved Stefan, and he was out of whiskey to soothe himself. He was done with this place, and he was done with Jared.

But the Goblin paid no heed to the other adventurers. With a wide smile on his face, he ran up to Stefan and immediately squished a cockroach that was stuck on his belt. Riel gagged a bit while Semilia blankly stared at the yellow insides on the Goblin's claws. Stefan smiled and ruffled the Goblin's hair a bit while he ignored the strange stares being thrown at him by the other adventurers.

"Seems you were working hard for us, huh? Good job."

"Hehe! Killed lots of monsters on way up."

"Yup, you sure did...  Wait, you killed-"

"Orien! Hold still! There's still some on your hair!"

Semilia looked behind her as the two siblings walked out of the dark corridor and into their midst.

"G-Get it off! Get it off! Get it off!"

"Woah! Bugs!"

The Goblin pointed at the large number of eggs and cockroaches stuck on Orien's hair. Orien glared at the Goblin for a moment then he felt the baby cockroaches as they bit into his scalp.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

But before Ameera could rip out his scalp in frustration, the Slime wrapped around his head quickly with a ravenous appetite. Everyone screamed and reached for their weapons as the Slime tightly wrapped around Orien's head and Ameera's hands. But after a moment, they watched as the Slime ate the insects and eggs stuck to the poor boy's head. Pieces of chitin floated around its gelatinous mass before it melted into a paste within its body. They watched in awe as the Slime pulled away from Orien's head, now free of any dirt and insects that got caught in his messy hair.

"Miu~!"

"Miu, please get off my brother's head now."

"Miu?"

"Yes, off. Get off him, he's getting wet."

The Slime crawled down Orien's body before it slithered away behind the Goblin. Orien patted the top of his head to check if there really was no more cockroaches left while the Slime stared at him. 

"Miu is really friendly with Orien, I wonder why that is?"

The Goblin shrugged at Ameera's question and he tilted his head inquisitively at her. 

"Miu? Who is- Oh! Slime!"

"You didn't give her a name?!"

He shook his head at her and looked down at the Slime beside him.

"Not good with name. Anyway, hello friends!"

The Goblin smiled at them warmly despite the cold stares being thrown at him by Jared's group.

Sure, the Goblin helped them a lot with the Lich, but there was something off about him in Jared's eyes. His entire party could tell that they weren't looking at an ordinary Goblin. He wasn't a Hobgoblin, but he was definitely taller than a regular Goblin. He stood upright and walked like a normal Human, yet he was still a Goblin in his speech and his instinct. And that strange eyes of his, Jared shuddered at the strange color of it.

He was a Goblin hunter, and those eyes weren't that of a regular Goblin. They weren't bright red and they had emotion behind them. His speech was good and not garbled like the rest of his kin that spoke in their own language. But what terrified Jared was the Goblin's intellect and how it uses it. Goblin Chiefs and Lords were smarter than the average Goblin, but he was different from that brutish intelligence born out of necessity. He carried with him an intelligence honed over time and sharpened into a dangerous weapon.

His hands clutched the two halves of his broken spear. But after a moment, he decided that picking a fight with Stefan isn't worth the trouble. Lea and Mina sighed as they watched Jared walk away towards Katherine and Azalia. They followed closely behind him, their eyes also glued on the strange Goblin. 

"Jared... What is that Goblin?"

"I don't know, Lea. It's a weird Goblin with a bunch of weird people surrounding it."

"That's a bit rude. Stefan saved our lives, didn't he?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't change the fact that his party is playing "friends" with a damn monster."

Jared clicked his tongue while he glared at the monster standing among them.

"Damn monster."

"Stefan, are you sure this is safe?"

Katherine asked with a wary tone while they watched the adventurers pass through the open door held open by Eric.

"Of course it's safe. That's the door we used to get out of this place. We wouldn't be talking with you if the door isn't safe."

Stefan said as they watched the adventurers pour through the door.

Riel and Semilia were already on the other side while the Goblin stood beside him with his two Bags of Holding. He wondered where the rest of his treasure was or if he managed to save it all. The Goblin held both bags tightly while Katherine eyed him closely. She was suspicious of its contents, and the Goblin was suspicious of her stares. Nevertheless, they stood awkwardly and silently beside each other while Stefan waited for the last of the adventurers to step out of the door.

"So, you can't live here anymore. Where are you planning to go now, little buddy?"

The Goblin furrowed his brows at Stefan's questions. After a moment, he shrugged his shoulders and sighed.

"Don't know. Big world, small Goblin... Probably find new place to hide."

"Couldn't he just find a tribe to join?"

"No! No tribe. Other Goblins... Do bad things. Don't like bad things, so no tribe."

Katherine looked down at the Goblin and he looked up at her with a stern expression. She sighed and shook her head at the strange creature and looked at the steady stream of adventurers going through the door.

"You really are a strange creature. But you do know that life up there won't be easy for Goblins like you."

"Miss Katherine, please. He doesn't mean no harm."

"The world doesn't care about such things. In fact, he is lucky that he is a Goblin. If he plays his cards right, perhaps he may live a long life of running and hiding. Rest assured, he will not die by my hands any time soon. I owe him my life, but the moment I see him again..."

The Goblin gulped as Katherine stared down at him with a cold look in her eyes.

"I will not hesitate to bring you down."

"Okay... I understand."

"Good. As for you, Stefan. I'm sure that the rumors about your group harboring a Goblin will spread quickly in this city."

"I know. I know. We weren't planning on staying long here anyway. How about you, Miss Katherine? What will happen to you once this is over?"

Katherine smiled softly. She folded her arms together and looked at the few adventurers that remained alive. They were battered and shaken, but at least they were alive.

"After this disaster, I'll probably be demoted back to Gold Rank. After that, maybe I'll stick to slaying Wyverns and Ogres instead of joining future raids again."

Katherine heavily sighed as she looked at the last of the adventurers as they stepped through the door.

The room they were in was empty now, filled only with dust and rubble. Katherine peeked through the door and saw the faint light of the sun that streamed into the dungeon. She was about to walk through when the Goblin walked ahead of her and through the door. He smiled cheekily at her in a way that told her that she's just being paranoid. Stefan chuckled as well as he let the annoyed girl walk ahead of him.

"I told you it was safe."

Stefan said as he closed the door behind them. He watched the outline of wood disappear after a moment and he was amazed to find only a solid wall of stone where a door should've been.

"Strange magic like this should-"

Katherine bit her lip as the loud sound of rocks rumbled through the entire dungeon.

They heard the sound of a mountain as it filled the hollowed-out spaces of the dungeon's depths. Corridors where the Undead once walked, large halls where Giant Spiders lurked, and the tight passages where the Goblin used to traverse were now forever closed from them. As the dungeon slowly fell apart piece by piece, its denizens scattered to the winds or hid in whatever room was left in the dungeon's once immense structure. 

The Goblin shuddered softly at the violent sounds that came from deep below the dungeon. In time, this place would be nothing more but a heap of granite that could collapse at any time. He turned towards Stefan as the adventurer listened to the distant gush of wind that came from deep below the dungeon. He looked uneasy, his eyes locked onto the distant darkness as more sections of the dungeon disappeared beneath the rubble. Stefan couldn't help but wonder what would happen to the Goblin now. Will he continue to hide in this place? Will he leave this place and risk going out into the harsh world outside of this dead dungeon? Or...

"Hmm. Dungeon gone now."

The Goblin muttered silently as the rumbling subsided slowly.

"Can't go back down but it's okay. Don't want to live near falling rocks."

"Well, at least the city won't have to worry about any sort of infestation in the future."

"Infestashon? What is that?"

"Oh, you know... When Giant Rats or something like that makes a nest in a cleared dungeon."

"Or when a Goblin tribe manages to get a hold of such places. Very troublesome to clear out when it gets large enough."

Katherine snickered at the Goblin. The Goblin nodded in understanding at Katherine's harsh words and caught her off guard.

"So like Kobolds! Okay, okay. Very dangerous."

"Y-Yeah... Kobolds as well... Anyway, we should get out of here. Stefan? Is he coming with us?"

"Huh? Oh, I... I don't think so. Want to lead us up the stairs, buddy?"

"Stairs? Okay. Can come with to door."

The Goblin followed after the two of them as they walked out of the room and into the corridor.

Katherine walked silently ahead of them while the Goblin and Stefan trailed behind her. She could hear Stefan asking the Goblin questions about where he will live. She wondered if he will crawl into some crevice after today and hide there for the rest of his life. If he's really smart, he would do just that. 

As she climbed up the set of stairs that led to the entrance of the dungeon, she heard frantic footsteps coming towards them. She looked up and found an adventurer, his eyes wild and filled with tears. Stefan looked away from the Goblin for a second and when he looked back at him, he was already gone. He turned towards Katherine and the man as he panted heavily in front of them. He looked at the two of them, and with a frantic voice, spoke.

"Y-You have to look at this."

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

All of them stared into the distance, at the large pillar of black smoke that rose from the center of Arenhein. Through the treeline, they saw the villages that surrounded the city burn violently while the city itself looked like it was being besieged. Azalia cussed loudly as she swatted away a ball of shadow in front of her. Everyone's eyes turned towards her as she pointed at the pillar of smoke.

"Undead. The ones that came from the dungeon. Two villages have already fallen."

Azalia glanced at the bloody stains around the base of the entrance's frame. 

"... And the Watch Captain is missing."

That worried Stefan, and he turned towards Semilia and Riel. Half of the adventurers with them were already gone, the sounds crushed dried leaves and snapped twigs underfoot rang out from the mountain path as they dashed towards Arenhein. Jared and his team were among them, but Stefan wondered how he could help with that broken spear of his.

"Let us make haste. Arenhein burns and I could feel something is ami- Wait, don't leave me behind!"

Azalia chased after them while she cursed herself for wearing such thick robes. They did not look behind them as they dashed through the overgrown, muddy paths that led down the mountain. 

And as their shapes disappeared further down the path, he waved them goodbye in silence. In the distance, he could smell the scent of burnt flesh and decay. He knew better than to delay them, but he wished he could've given a proper goodbye to them instead of panicking and running away into the shadows. Still, the sooner they get to that walled city, the more lives they could save.

The Slime slid up to his side as he sat near the dungeon's entrance. There were more things coming up from the dungeon, and he would need to do something about it. But for now, the Goblin sighed as he took in the strange, noisy silence of the forest around the dungeon's entrance. It had been a while since he heard the singing of birds and the swaying of trees, but the scent of death that lingered in the air ruined it for him. He turned to its source, at the beasts that exuded bloodlust out of their pores like sweat.

A long sigh left his lips as he crinkled his nose at their foul stench. From behind him, countless pairs of red eyes stared at him from out of the darkness as the matted fur of the Giant Rats filled the air with an unbearable stench. He pulled out his dagger and turned towards the monsters, their yellow teeth bared and ready to tear into him. Beside him, the Slime looked at the delectable morsels of Giant Rats as they steadily advanced on them. 

And with a terrifying cry, the large vermin the size of dogs rushed towards the two of them. And in the darkness of the dungeon, at the spot where the light almost reached them, two creatures fought against the tide of fangs and claws. No Bard would sing of him, no person will witness his dirty work, and none will ever thank him for what he does. And yet he fights in the darkness against the things that claw at the light.

For he is a Goblin. He is a nameless Goblin ever since he has forsaken his old name. But what use is a name for a creature like him? He may not be alone, but no person will ever utter his name without the stain of disdain in their voice. And as the Giant Rats leapt towards him, he made peace with that sad fact of his life.

"Goblin..."

He sighed sadly as he clutched his sword. 

"Yes... I Goblin, but is I really Goblin?"

He had no time to answer his own question. He cut down a rat as it tried to run past him. Maybe he'll try to answer that question later. For now, he needs to rid his new home of this infestation. 

And as the crumbling dungeon slipped further into ruins, as the city of Arenhein held out against a horde of the walking dead, a lone Mage watched from atop his lonely tower. His all-seeing eyes saw could see where the Watch Captain was being held, what those thugs and vermin are doing beneath the castle of the lord of this city, and what is happening beyond the black walls of Arenhein. He chuckled softly as he watched the threads of fate become more entangled and complicated in their designs. 

"The grand design is coming to its final phase, I see... But am I ready to see how it will all end?"

His grey eyes looked towards the source of the chaotic melody. He frowned at the dark spot in the horizon and how blurry it looked for him.

"I wonder now what will the Gods do about such a stain. Will they pick their champions? Will the Dark Gods raise the banners of their creations once more? Or will the Twilight of All engulf us in its darkness?"

He turned towards the letters on his table. Each piece of worrying news came from some corner of the world and more are still being sent to him each day. He smiled as he picked up a parchment, lined with gold and bearing the Royal Seal. He already read its contents and he wanted to meet this "Maiden of Healing" herself for her exploits intrigued him.

"Maria Anderson... Champion of the Gods, I wonder why they sent you and your kind to aid us in this particular time. What can a handful of children do to stop what will come to pass?"

He scoffed as he saw the image of a young girl in his mind as she fumbled with the strange, box-shaped, device in her hands. The royalty of Te'Loinn spoils her too much in his opinion and he wondered if she really was a Hero sent by the Gods.

But before he could take a closer look at the device she was using, he felt the strong explosion that came from the castle's keep. He snarled loudly as he peered out of his high window and saw the large group of men as they poured out of the sewers beneath the castle. He couldn't help but liken those criminals to the vermin that lived in those sewers.

"Dark times is definitely upon us."

He muttered out in an exasperated tone as he sat back down on his chair.

"But at least my retirement is near."

He smiled softly as he closed his eyes and slept soundly on his chair. The city will fall, but he was sure that it won't be by the hands of lowly criminals and Undead. And as he sunk deeper into his sleep, he couldn't help but wonder what will happen to Arenhein in the next few days.

"Hopefully... It is something... interesting."