Mason and all the others followed new and improved Pliny through the winding tunnels. After the spider they were all a bit on edge, but Mason couldn’t hear anything nearby and frankly was starting to get a little bored.

“So, any cool new powers I need to know about?” he whispered to Becky.

“Um. I ain’t sure, exactly? I think I can shield you better. And make a wall.”

“A wall? Like a real wall, or a shield wall?”

“Well I dunno, do I? I haven’t used it yet. The system ain’t exactly clear.”

“That is a fact.” Mason sighed and stepped back as Becky climbed the rising tunnel ahead of him, her hips and ass swaying back and forth enough to keep him temporarily mesmerized.

OK, he decided with a blink. With a libido like his, boredom was not good. He needed something to occupy his mind or senses that wasn’t Becky’s scent, or her hair swaying back and forth with her ass, or…

He forced his attention to the floor, dropping back slightly next to Blake as he lowered his voice to a whisper.

“How’s Annie doing?”

“Good. I think. Almost a little too good. Like she came out of there a different person.”

Mason frowned, not really understanding how the Maker’s hall could do that. As far as he could tell it just amplified what you already were. Not that he was any kind of expert.

“How much juice did you give her back there?”

Blake pulled back in mock offense. “Not much. And by now I know what I’m doing, thank you.”

Mason sighed. “Do I need to worry?”

“That is a supremely stupid question. You’re going to worry no matter what I say. But for the sake of saying I said so: no, everything is fine.”

Mason glared at his brother than moved to catch up with the goblin, following in relative silence until he heard a dull hum of activity through the wall ahead.

“We are close, humans,” Pliny said on cue, which brought Mason a little comfort. He didn’t seem to be trying to trick them. Then the creature winced and looked a bit more reserved. “Tunnels get…confusing now. Don’t know exactly. We must look. But there is a way. I have seen a map.”

"A map," Mason repeated, not exactly surprised after the spider. Since seeing the danger there he'd assumed their goblin guide had either exaggerated his knowledge of the secret tunnels, or made up access to the 'big bosses' entirely.

But finding the maker hall had put him in a rather good mood. At this point he didn't even care if the goblin knew anything, the trip was already a success. Though he preferred not to have to go all the way back, then climb those platforms, then deal with every creature standing in the way.

"Don't worry," Blake said, ever the diplomat. "You've been very helpful, Pliny. We'll find the way soon enough."

The goblin nodded enthusiastically, and Mason rolled his eyes and walked on. At least leading them forward held his attention. He kept Streak close as he sniffed and listened down every passage, sensing life here and there but nothing like the giant spider.

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

Anything that heard the party coming made itself scarce, and Mason expected it was just small rodents, insects and the like. But the sound through the walls was getting louder, and soon the audible clanging of machinery, and the sound of countless voices filled the tunnels in a steady hum.

At the end of one passage, the party finally found a small hole that looked out into a huge hall from somewhere near the roof. Mason looked through and grit his teeth.

There were hundreds of goblins.

Supplies, machines, weapons, and all manner of household items were scattered everywhere as if moved in a hurry. The creatures were clearly riled up, crawling about the hall like ants, shrieking and jostling one another for space.

At both ends of the hall it narrowed to a passage. One was clearly the focus of the goblin's attention—with weapons and guards aimed to protect it, a few trolls chained to the gate. The other seemed mostly ignored.

Mason let Blake then the goblin take a look, and the creature grinned.

"Didn't Pliny tell you? Sneaky sneaky. Big bosses through there, on other side. Few guards. Just big door."

"Avoiding the defenses is better than nothing," Mason said. "But fighting a hundred goblins in a giant hall isn't exactly awesome."

Pliny waved a hand. "Sheep. Won't help. Not when we go through door." Here the undead engineer held up a clawed hand, and an object materialized between its fingers like an innate weapon or something from a civilian storage. “Pliny has key.”

"That's...convenient," Mason said. "But that doesn’t look like a key. It will open the door?"

Pliny pursed its thin, flaking lips. "Should be so. So says ancients."

Mason assumed this meant it was a gift from the maker hall. That the creature had potentially received the same reward as humans remained disturbing. But there was something comforting in the knowledge that humans weren't the only ones getting unclear direction.

"And if it doesn't?"

Blake smiled politely. "My brother likes to be overly prepared for disaster. Thank you for the help so far, Pliny. We're going to speak privately now."

The goblin nodded and slunk away, and Blake leaned in to speak quietly.

"Obviously I don't trust him any more than you do, but he has got us this far, and clearly wants the goblin leaders dead."

Mason just stared, waiting for the argument or the point. Blake sighed.

"I say we do a little prep. We seem safe enough here. I need to summon some constructs, Becky and Calypsa could use some mana. We rest for several hours. Then we find a good tunnel or whatnot. The key opens that door, or not, and I handle it from there. Either way we're ready for the worst, and if needed we slaughter everything."

Mason felt his brow raise slightly as he met Blake's eyes.

"I half expected you to suggest talking to them. Maybe mix them a drink and swap engineering tips."

Blake gave him a look, then sniffed. "There's a time for diplomacy, and there's a time for...well, you. I think this is the latter."

Mason nodded, not thrilled about waiting around in the tunnels. But he suspected Blake was right. There was no reason to attack until they were good and ready.

"Alright," he said. "I'll check around to make sure the tunnels are good. But I don't see a time problem."

Blake grinned, then drummed his fingers on the wall. "Now what to make," he muttered, mostly to himself.

Mason walked down the tunnel and explained the plan to the others. Becky wanted a look at the goblins so he gave her one, his eyes moving up and down her body again as she bent over and peeked through the hole.

When she turned around she caught his eyes and grinned with a raised brow.

"I was thinking." Mason cleared his throat. "We could leave Blake to his work. Go explore a little. Make sure the tunnels are safe."

Becky nodded and walked up to him, tracing a finger down his arm. "You want Calypsa to come, too?" she whispered in his ear. "She's awful good at that sort of thing."

"I'll ask her."

Mason was a bit concerned about the bulge he was producing in Eve’s tight clothes. But he glanced to make sure no one was looking, then pulled Becky in for a deep kiss as he grabbed her ass. She ran her hands over his arms and back with a groan, and for a few seconds he forgot what he was doing.

"I'll be back," he called to Blake. "I'm taking Becky and Calypsa, but I'll leave Streak. He'll warn you if anything gets close."

Mason assumed he'd be busted instantly. But for once Blake just waved a hand with a far-away look in his eye, apparently too busy to care. Mason nodded politely to Annie as he passed, then took Becky and soon Calypsa's hand and pulled them away from the others.

Streak made a grumbling sound but plopped down and put his chin on his paws with a yawn, for once just doing what he was told.

"There better be a fucking decent spot," Mason muttered, excitement building already in his gut. But as he looked at Becky's grin and the nymph's eager eyes, he was pretty sure absolutely nothing was going to stop him.