Two miles of maze-like tunnel and half a dozen traps later, I poked my head around the corner before pulling it back quickly. I turned to my companions and motioned for them to step back. We retreated fifty feet or so before I started whispering.

“They’ve got some kind of metal wall blocking off the tunnel, but from what I can see, they’re working on something even bigger behind it.” I drew a quick sketch of the wall with a small hole at the bottom circled. “Through here, I saw what looked like some form of wagon covered in metal armor and tubes poked out all along the sides.”

Jaegan nodded sagely. “[Goblin War-Wagon], it’s something [Goblin Mechanists] can make if they’re given long enough to develop, though that’s usually a few years, not just a few months. They’re hard as hell to destroy and can carry a score of goblins in addition to the [Goblin Mechanist], who has to drive the damn thing.”

Ylsa and Raiju looked at me expectantly, so I took the reins. “In that case, do you feel like living up to your title today?”

The old man beamed. “I thought you’d never ask. Let me show you why they call me Wallbreaker in the guild.” From a ring he pulled a red leather coated sled with wheels on it before stepping onto it. He looked at Ylsa and nodded. “You know what to do.”

After she grunted, he closed his eyes and started chanting under his breath as he visibly channeled more Mana than I’d ever seen him use, even when he’d used [Arcane Battery] the day before. That went on for almost five minutes before his eyes flashed open. Ylsa sprang into action and smoothly rolled his leather coated platform out into the open.

“[Wallbreaker]!” The old man roared and a five foot beam of blue and green energy sprang from his extended hands toward the mismatched stone and metal wall the goblins had set up. In less than a second the beam sprang through the wall and, as Ylsa pushed the cart, it continued tearing through the wall and everything behind it as the [Mage] moved with his cart. By the time he came to rest against the wall, thirty feet from me, he looked exhausted.

Sweat dripped from his brow as he panted for breath with his hands on his knees. Obviously used to his antics, Ylsa swiftly pulled him and his cart back around the corner where he pulled out a blue potion from his ring and drank it with a grimace. “Cheap, but effective, potions. I’ve got a guy if you want some.” He shook his head. “Go check my work, lad. There might still be a few left, but I doubt it.”

I gestured for the [Arcweavers] to stay with the tired [Mage] as I crept out around the corner under the cover of [Stealth]. The scene of destruction didn’t leave a lot to the imagination. Gone was the mismatched wall and in its place was a smoothly bored out tunnel without a scrap in the path. In the chamber beyond, the [Goblin War-Wagon] was basically melted, with only the rearmost portion being spared from the sheer might of Jaegan’s [Wallbreaker], which I suspected was an evolved [Skill] based on [Magic Missile] of all things, but I was pretty sure I was right. They’d just felt similar and I hadn’t had [Skill Dominance] activate, so I knew the [Skill] it came from and I didn’t know many Spells with that kind of effect.

I pointed down the tunnel toward the ruined workshop. “Raiju, Ylsa, get in there and take out any survivors. I’ll look for anything they don’t want us to find.”

“Hunting!”

“Of course, milord.”

The pair of women charged into the chamber with abandon, tearing into the few remaining goblins as I ducked in past the wall and to the right. If I were a craftsman, and I kind of was, I knew I wouldn’t have all my gear in the middle of the room, it was inefficient to have it all in the way all the time.

After less than a minute of searching I hit paydirt. I found a chunk of stone with a hinge at the bottom and quickly hurried to open it after verifying there were no traps. When I pulled it open, I was surprised, if not saddened to find a tiny goblin inside, but his Status said a hell of a lot more about him than his size did.

[Goblin Mastermind - Rank B Monster

Level: 35

Vulnerabilities: Fire, Lightning

Immunities: Poison, Psychic]

I let my psychic knife fade into nothing as I tried to stab the tiny bastard with my steel off hand blade as he writhed out of my reach and down between my legs. I heard him drop something and my instincts kicked in as I dove for cover behind a huge stalagmite. It turned out to not be a second too soon as a loud roar went off behind me as the rock feature between us shook with the impact of the explosive the tiny asshole had left behind.

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Out in the room and growled when I saw the tiny asshole darting in and out between Ylsa’s legs, cutting the insides of her thighs with a small green blade as it went. Not having expected a fight, Ylsa hadn’t triggered [Primal Rage] or [Primordial Fury] and I could tell she was regretting it as the poison coursed through her veins, something her rage abilities would have at least slowed down.

“It’s a [Goblin Mastermind]! It’s immune to my [Psy Knives]!”

I drew my second blade and fell into a low stance as I tracked the monster’s path through the room. It was like a hummingbird, flitting all over the room as Raiju tried in vain to catch it. Despite her speed in a straight line, even with what I had to assume was my lower [Agility], I had been able to dodge her out in the open. Inside a closed space like this? The little bastard was as good as untouchable.

There has to be something I can do to catch it, it may be a Rank B monster, but my parents told me stories of much more difficult foes. Do I have a [Skill] that can help? I wracked my brain before shaking my head as if to dislodge something within. No, I won’t use that. I’ll figure something else out. It can’t be fast enough for me to need to resort to magic, it just can’t.

Despite initially being excited to have something small to chase that she wasn’t immediately able to catch and eliminate, the Mastermind was beginning to piss her off as it caught her with another green dripping blade before slipping into a hole in the rock as Raiju’s jaws snapped where it was moments before.

“Tiny thing, I’m going to eat you!” She howled as lightning seared her wounds shut, burning out the poison in the process. She panted as she looked at me with wide eyes. “Artie, kill it. It keeps hurting me and I can’t catch it.”

The whimper settled it for me. It was time for me to go on the hunt. I slid behind the ruined remains of the second [Goblin War-Wagon] and dropped back into [Stealth]. From there, I observed the [Goblin Mastermind]’s actions for the better part of a minute before finding the opening I needed.

Every third pass it dives into that hatch on the east wall before reappearing elsewhere a few moments later. Raiju’s [Agility] is monstrous and she can’t keep up, something has to be happening here. It must have something in there to boost its speed, or there’s no way it could be this fast.

The next time it darted into the hatch, I seized the chance and dove after it, taking advantage of my small frame and high [Agility] to easily slide in behind it. I slid down a stone ramp that ended in a circular chamber with a dozen entrances, but the most interesting thing to me was a black iron archway stretching across the middle of the room. It glowed with a lime green light and as I passed underneath it I felt time slow down around me.

I think It’s some kind of acceleration buff, but I might as well be sure.

[Current Status Conditions:

Elemental Pactlord

Vroom]

It’s got to be [Vroom] whatever that means. Despite trying a few times, I wasn’t able to get the System to give me a description. Stingy thing, but I guess I know enough about it to take advantage of it at least.

For a moment, I considered dashing up through one of the other tunnels and chasing the little bastard, but before I took two steps, I had a better idea. I ducked down and hid in the next path on the left and waited. I didn’t have to wait long. Ten seconds later, I saw my chance and took it.

The [Goblin Mastermind] slid down the same tunnel I’d just followed him down, but I was surprised at how slow it was moving. It practically moved in slow motion as it reached for the glowing green portal.

I didn’t let it get that far. With a lunge, I stabbed my daggers into it and triggered [Backstab] and [Rapid Strike] in rapid succession before it slumped over before me, dead. It was almost too easy, especially given how much of a pain in the ass it had been to catch up above.

I glared down at the little monster’s fading form, absorbing the XP as I suddenly felt like I was moving through molasses. “What… the… hell?” My voice came out far slower than I expected and my mind felt all foggy. Pulling up my Status again, I learned why.

[Current Status Conditions:

Elemental Pactlord

Ka-thunk]

It has to be… the Ka-thunk effect. It must be the opposite… of Vroom, slowing me down instead of speeding me up. I… wonder how long… it’ll last?

Seeing as the arch was still active and my [Essence Reading] hadn’t triggered on it, I knew it wasn’t an item I’d be able to loot, so I figured I might as well take advantage of it to get out of the damn hole. Stepping through the arch, I felt [Vroom] activate and sped out the same tunnel I’d come in, which in hindsight, was stupid.

I dashed up the slope and sprang to leap through the hatch, only to find it totally immobile. “Fucking ow.” I groaned as I slid down the ramp and through the green arch again. “Must be the only way in, which means the rest should be ways out.” I picked a tunnel at random, and with the help of [Vroom], I sped along it and up to the surface.

I narrowly avoided Ylsa’s axe swing as I exited the tunnel, without [Vroom], there was almost no way I’d have been able to do so. I did a flip and landed on the half-completed [Goblin War-Wagon] with a flourish of my blades before sheathing them.

“The [Goblin Mastermind] is no more.” I paused for an applause, and when it didn’t come, continued anyway. “It was using…” [Vroom] wore off and my voice slowed down to a crawl, “some kind of… magic arch to go fast. I used… its own effect… to catch and kill… it.”

When Ylsa spoke, it was like mom’s [Elemental Gatling], though I knew it was only my perception. “What do you mean? Why are you talking so fast and then so slow? Are you OK?” She blurred over and helped me off the war-wagon before lowering me to the ground.

“Don’t… worry. Debuff shouldn't last… too long.”

I was wrong.