Ryu entered a large open room preceding the labyrinth. Jörm’s group hadn’t gone further yet, occupying the space. Tyr and Freyja leaned against the wall, flanking either side of the archway, arms crossed. They appeared to be waiting for some reason.

Their eyes lit up as Ryu entered their view.

“There he is!” Freyja grinned.

“We’ve been waiting for you!” Tyr added. “Where’s Sylfie, and Jörm for that matter?”

“They’re upstairs. They’ll be coming down shortly. I just needed to create some distance for a little while,” Ryu replied.

“Did it have something to do with the plan?” Freyja asked.

“Plan?”

“Jörm sent me the message through the System,” she snickered.

Ryu scoffed, shaking his head. “I’m going to file a workplace grievance.”

Tyr chuckled. “I’m pretty sure he’s just teasing. Although given his father…”

“What?” Ryu narrowed his eyes.

“Nevermind,” Tyr waved away the thought. “We’re waiting for your team. The elf in particular.”

“We’ll need her fire spells to clear out the Frost Wisps in the labyrinth,” Freyja explained.

“How did you clear it before?”

“Er, well we cast a [Diffusion] spell since the walls are enchanted to prevent intruders from breaking through,” Tyr explained.

So much for the brute-force approach.

“It ended up backfiring—a slight miscalculation on our part—wiping out some of our own men too. So, after we reached the end of the dungeon and open the gates to the Dungeon Master’s Lair we had to warp out and find a priest to tend to their wounds, yada yada yada. Long story short, we’re down a few men and in the midst of a number of lawsuits,” Tyr stated.

“Bah, they weren’t cut out for this line of work anyway,” Freyja scoffed. “I despise weak men.”

Ryu wasn’t surprised by this, sighing as he shook his head.

“Do you at least have legal counsel or a representative of some sort?”

“Well sure we do! The best lawyer money can buy!” Tyr grinned. “Smart fellow; goes by the name of Grug.”

“Grug?”

“He’s an Orc,” Freyja elaborated, seeing Ryu’s confused expression.

An Orc lawyer…What could go wrong?

Just then, Sylfie and the others arrived, emerging from the stairwell.

“All set?” Sylfie inquired. “I’ve been brought up to speed by Jörm.”

They nodded, not wanting to delay the expedition even further. As the party moved through the winding, ever-changing pathways of the labyrinth, the air grew colder around them, their breaths becoming visible.

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Frost formed along the walls as they delved deeper. Ryu held a burning finger in the air, following the direction of the flame to lead them to the exit. Sylfie surveyed the area, as they moved along, keeping her bow at the ready for Frost Wisps.

The rest remained vigilant in the event goblins attacked. He shuddered to think about the devilish creatures, hoping they would be dealt with swiftly by the others. There were no traps on the floor as far as Ryu was aware, though Jörm had informed him that traps could be present on various floors in other dungeons.

Suddenly, Ryu’s flame flickered violently, causing the others to mobilize into battle formation. The group was on high alert, scanning their surrounding. The chime of bells and a sound similar to a drop in a pond echoed through the halls.

“Men! At the ready!” Freyja ordered.

“Look sharp, lads! We’ve got company!” Jörm chuckled eagerly.

“Here they come!” Wisteria announced, casting protective spells on the party.

Orbs of white emerged from both sides of the hallway they were in, charging at the adventurers in full force. Ryu gritted his teeth, shooting balls of fire at stray Frost Wisps while Sylfie set the rest of them ablaze with her arrows.

“[Combustion]!” Ryu invoked.

Jörm and the others roared with conviction, pouring bottles of oil procured from their packs and lighting their swords and maces. They swiped at the wisps, managing to dispel a couple of the elemental nuisances, but their damage was no substitute for flame magic.

Sylfie unleashed a barrage of arrows, striking the Frost Wisps with masterful precision. Still, the monsters kept flowing in, swarming the hallway in droves.

The party rushed through the area, following Ryu as he attempted another strategy in lieu of the flickering flame. He brushed his hand along one side of the wall, sticking to it as they traveled further, picking off the enemies that stood in their direct path. Without the worry of traps around every corner, he wasn’t concerned with falling into a pit or running head-first into another boulder. There was, however, one variable unaccounted for in their journey so far…

As they rounded the final bend, they came across another open area, this time an enormous biome of lush greenery and a sprinkling of snow, capping the trees.

“This is where we met them last time,” Freyja grimaced. “Those nasty little things are a crime against nature. Whoever put them here is one sick individual,” she spit.

Ryu grew worried by her words, the hairs on his neck standing on end.

“We’re back here again,” Tyr groaned.

Wisteria began praying, while Sylfie notched her bow with her strongest arrows. Jörm’s face darkened as he steeled himself.

“My friends, we may have survived our last encounter with these creatures, but do not grow complacent. For this may be our most fearsome foe yet!”

The adventurers clutched their weapons tightly, a few holding back tears. Ryu's shirt was damp with sweat now. What horrors lay within this place? What were the goblins of this world like, to be held in such disdain?

A small furry white creature emerged from the bushes, followed by sudden high-pitched screaming. Ryu turned to the source, only to find Jörm and Tyr cowering behind Freyja.

“You idiots! Get out in front! You can’t hide behind me! They’ll simply come for you after they’re done with me!” she exclaimed.

I guess it isn’t just my party. Ryu noted, sympathizing with her.

His attention was drawn back to the creature in front of them as the other adventurers shuffled back, quaking in their boots. He inspected the creature, puzzled. It looked similar in appearance to a brand of toys back on Earth. They were furry, with great big googly eyes that seemed to pierce the soul. This specimen, however, appeared less unsettling, leaning into the more adorable territory, though not quite to the extent that Aurora did.

This is a goblin?

He couldn’t believe that this harmless-looking creature was what these powerful adventurers were afraid of. The thought made him chuckle. It seemed he shared a like-minded opinion with one of the new recruits to Jörm’s crew. The greenhorn puffed his chest, stepping towards the creature.

“Bronson, no!!” Jörm warned.

“You’re scared of this thing, chief? Come on!” Bronson laughed, leaning down to pet the goblin.

Jörm shook his head solemnly. “I couldn’t save him.”

Ryu was about to ask what the big deal with the goblins was, holding his tongue as he witnessed something truly traumatizing. He was glad he hadn’t eaten much before departing for the dungeon, because he nearly voided his bowels at the sight.

The goblin unhinged its jaws, displaying rows upon rows of serrated teeth. It enveloped its mouth over Bronson and gobbled him up in one fell swoop. The bushes started to rustle, giving way as hundreds of the fluffy creatures emerged from them, a ravenous look in their eyes.