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018 - The Room of Shrooms

Snorri dropped from the shaft’s exit hatch in the industrial sector. He had been climbing for hours. As his feet hit the smooth metallic floor, he snatched at the sword hilt to prevent the weapon from falling to the floor, revealing his position to any goblins lurking near by. He straightened up as he looked around the room. He was nowhere near as familiar with the industrial district as he was with the academy. Once, he and his classmates visited the sector with one of the professors on a learning exercise. Snorri could only remember the basics of what he had learned, having lacked his Gnomish memory skills at the time. The knowledge he did have came from Orin's map, which, although valuable for its knowledge of the layout of the colony's network of tunnels, shafts, chambers, and caves, contained little on the uses of each chamber.

As Snorri took in his surroundings, he slowly realised this room was part of the colony's food production operations. Most of the floor space was given up to large beds of dark earth. Snorri could see small patches of mycelia poking through the moist, dark soil at points. In a few weeks, the room would be filled with the giant mountain fungus that made up most of the mountain's food supply, but for now, the beds lay empty in anticipation. Snorri thought over the route he had memorised earlier in his head. From here, he would have to cross three of the main food storage caverns, where, according to the ancient map, he would find an entrance to a service tunnel leading into the waste management sector. From there, it should be smooth sailing to the lift, and Snorri could finally find his way to the Gnomish shelters at the top of the mountain, where surely the council would be safely holed up with the Gnomish survivors.

Snorri softly padded around the growing chambers. Carefully laid the border of the metal pathway, making sure not to step on the soil out of fear of contaminating the mushrooms underneath, and slipped into the vast warehouse beyond the chamber door. Forty or so magnetic carts filled the room piles high with heaps of large, dark blue mushrooms. Snorri heard four large rhymic thuds coming from within the chamber. His eye quickly focused on three goblins. They appeared to be attempting to push one of the carts over. seemingly confused at the inability to do so, the cart being magnetically clamped to the metal floor, they had yet to insert snorri. The gnome quickly slipped behind a large mushroom cart, out of sight.

“It just won't go over,” a goblish voice echoed towards Snorri. The rhymic thumping of the goblins appeared to have stopped. "It must be magic,” said another goblin. “Only wizards would need this many mushrooms,” he added, as if proving he was smarter than everyone else. The other goblins muttered in agreement, as if not wanting to lose the argument. “Ere lads,” the third goblin said, as if noticing something for the first time. “Did any of you open that door over there?” Snorri winced; he had forgotten to close the door he had slipped through moments ago. “werent us” Said another of the goblins, Snorri couldn't work out the witch purely by voice. “Weapons up, boys,” the deepest of the free voices croaked. "Something is in here with us. Split up and find it,” a trio of goblin foorsteps began to move around the warehouse. beedy yellow eyes searching for any sign of movement.

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Snorri prepared himself for combat. Coming to a low crouch, he moved from cart to cart, careful not to give away his position. The little gnome dove from Magcart to the cart, keeping himself low to the ground. He came at the first goblin as it rounded the cart he was crouched behind. Snorri watched its spear poke around the corner before its predatory green form came into view. Snorri struck forward. Driving arracop onhanded through the goblin’s mouth and into the creature's brain. Snorri clamped his other hand over its mouth. It let out a soft muffled Grunt into Snorri's hand before he carefully laid the dead goblin and did his best to silently pull Arcacop from the creature's head.

“What did you say, mate?" Another goblin called to his now-dead compatriate, Snorri Hastily, and rolled away from the corpse as the goblin came into veil. “Fuck me. He’s dead, boss,” called the goblin, clutching his spear tight in his hand. “He can't be; we haven't lost a fighter in two days,” came the overgoblins voice coming into the veiw. As the second goblin came into the veil, Snorri saw he was armed with a bow and a quiver hung from his left shoulder. as the bowmen gazed down at the goblin on the floor. He subconsciously pulled his bow string back and began aiming instinctively around the room. “See something that moves? Stick it here, me?” the bowmen said, narrowing his eyes.

Snorri struck first. He popped up from behind one of the magcarts and sent his sword flying through the air. sending the arracop stabbing into the spearmen's upper arm and cleaning through into his chest. Snori pulled the arracop's chain, clasping his hand around the weapon's hilt. He dove back into his hiding place. The spearmen screamed. There was a quick, high-pitched ping of a goblin bow. The scream stopped. Snorri dared a look at the bowmen. but the bowmen were quick. A goblin named Arco came wizzing towards his face as soon as he set eyes on the creature. Snorri dove down behind his hiding place.

“WHY ARE YOU HIDING? IT IS WEEAKKK!” Arcop's voice came into Snorri's head. Snorri clutched the blade as he heard the goblin draw its bow once more. "Close-ranged arrows, he thought back. "I'm not getting shot again.” The gnome thought back to the spider. The sound of the spider's fangs clicking in anger bounced between Snorri’s eyes. “YOU CAN PARRY. You can weapon spin," came the spider's voice, as if scolding a child. “STOP COMPLAINGS AND KILL THIS CREATION!” the voice shouted brutally. Snorri blinked at the fact that after the hours of climbing, he had forgotten the new skill he had unlocked early. Snorri instinctively hung the sword by the chain and activated the new skill with a tought. He began to spin the sword on its chain. The sword began to sail in a small circle around his hang, getting faster and faster, letting out a high-pitched whining whistle.

Snorri stepped out to face the goblin bowmen. With an evil cackle the goblin sent another arrow wizzing towards snorri. Arracops blade is now whriling in a four-foot circle of death, orbiting Snorris right hand. It sung through the air. The goblin air fell to the ground at Snorri’s feet. Snorri let out a wild laugh of his own as he spanked his entire body. throwing the sword forward with the momenteum and speed of its arrow, slicing its orbital path, and into the stunned goblin bowmen's chest. The sword punched a large hole through the goblin and sailed clean through, burying itself in a large mushroom-containing mag cart. Snorri pulled the sword back towards him. Another explosion of neon green blood showered from its now-broken corpse. Snorri snatched the blade from the air.

"SEE!” came Arracop’s voice. “You need to learn to trust me.”