With the aid of Brodin, the group was able to tear through the collapsed tunnels and work their way deeper into this strange civilization. For the most part, the tunnels were clear, nothing to prevent them from pressing forward. When they did confront opposition, it seemed as though the goblinoid creatures were more interested in fleeing deeper into their chambers than to confront the party. They were yet to run into any challenging foes, bosses, or anything that resembled a master of this dungeon. Fayne pondered for a moment, wondering if this was even a dungeon to begin with. They got lucky with the Goliath and assumed they would need to fight tooth and nail to escape. Just the thought of the Goliath sent pangs of disappointment throughout the group as they imagined they would never be able to be paid for such a massive creature.

The Goliath was easily ten times the size of their largest bound, it had to be worth at least $200 to them as a whole. With Brodin taking the monster out with relative ease, thanks to the fact that it was stunned upon landing, they figured it would be an easy payday. At least until the reality of their situation hit home. They were trapped underground, with no way to move the creature to the surface. Hell, they couldn’t move the creature even if they were on the surface. How can her team get paid for something if they can't get to the drop point? Fayne had reassured them that things would work out so long as they could return back to the village. She said that she would pay them upon successful escape of these winding tunnels. That was proving much harder than any of them expected.

Again, it wasn’t the enemies that watched them from the shadows, it was merely the fact that they had no idea where they were. Countless times Wren or Sienna tried to reach out to the strange pale creatures and bargain a method of escape, but each time was met with failure as their prospects fled deeper into the caves. They were in enemy territory, even if the enemy was weak, they still had nothing better to work with.

All they could do was press forward and strike down any creature unfortunate enough to cross their paths. Long gone was the attempt at diplomacy. They would gather as much meat and experience as they could and return home for a long-awaited rest. They had been sitting on hour 30 or so since they began the hunts, fairly soon RangerDanger would awake and want to participate. Fayne knew that she had said she would rest between days, but everything happened so suddenly, and she was honestly happy to have such a tight-knit team to work with. She didn’t want to disappoint them by vanishing for half a day in the game, maybe a full day depending on how long she was out.

Fayne felt the game's call deeper in her core as she came up with excuse after excuse to avoid that break. Where once she wanted nothing more than to leave, now she needed to stay. She had a purpose, and to hell with what it cost. She needed to continue and make her team proud, and more importantly, save those missing players.

It seemed like the cave was trying to get them lost deeper within it, and she supposed that made sense. The goblins would have a better chance at survival if only they knew how the complex tunnel system works. Invaders could spend forever down here, possibly even dying of exposure before they would ever find any main chambers like the one they fell into. Sienna took the lead, it being commonly agreed that if anyone was going to get them out of here, it would be the Ranger. It was slow going, even with her expertise. Sienna crouched low, scanning the ground as her fingers brushed lightly over the rough stone floor.

“Anything?” Fayne asked, her voice hushed but tense. She leaned on her staff, the soft glow of its tip illuminating their immediate surroundings. Wren took up the rear, Brodin by his side to prevent anything from getting the jump on them.

“Maybe,” Sienna murmured, her gaze narrowing along a faint scuff mark near the edge of the tunnel. “See these scratches here, like claws dragging along the stone. Goblins aren’t the most graceful monsters, especially when they’re afraid. This could be the direction they fled.”

Brodin grunted, hefting his axe onto his shoulder. “Or it could be a trap. These little bastards love their ambushes.”

“You’re not incorrect, but from what we’ve seen, this variety appears fairly skittish” Sienna countered, rising to her feet. “But look here.” She pointed to the wall, where faint streaks of grime formed a handprint. “That’s fresh. Goblins don’t leave the caves often, but this pattern suggests they’ve been moving in and out of this tunnel recently. They’re not going deeper, I think the arrival of the Goliath along with us triggered an evacuation.” Sienna finished her appraisal and continued onward.

“Seems weird that they would head toward the surface when they’re built to live in these conditions. Why not go deeper?” Fayne followed close to Sienna, trying not to get in her way, but still too uneasy in these dark damp confines.

“True,” Sienna conceded, “We’re in the goldilocks zone for this species. There’s nothing they can’t handle, Typically… they’re not too deep but they’re not cut off from the surface to sneak out and gather at night.” she paused again at an intersection to verify their next steps.

“So, what?” Brodin chimed in impatiently, “There big bad monsters deeper down or something?” he scoffed, tapping his axe rhythmically as he caught up with the others.

“Precisely. Wyrms for one, are large snake-like creatures, more related to dragons than snakes though. They can burrow rather well but are prone to using existing tunnels. Veil Spiders are another terror, translucent to the degree that they are nearly invisible, not to mention highly venomous.” Sienna had more to list off, but she felt that her point was made. “Anyway, it looks like they fled from the way we came, as well as from our left, heading down this chamber.” she pointed to the right, detailing several signs of heavy movement.

“She’s kind of a nerd,” Wren stepped in as they made their way to the right, “When word of this game hit the news, she located, downloaded, and spent days studying their monster encyclopedia.

Fayne turned to Sienna just in time to see the faint blush in her cheeks as she turned her head away. “It’s good to be prepared”, was all she said in response as a light stream of low laughter echoed behind her, causing her to pick up her pace.

The tunnels twisted and turned, occasionally widening into small chambers that reeked of goblin habitation. They passed broken crates, scraps of cloth, and gnawed bones, all abandoned by the habitants. Wren observed the mess, kicking aside a rusted dagger. “Probably thought we’d chase them down.”

“Let them think whatever they want,” Brodin said. “Long as they keep running, I don’t care.”

Fayne sighed, exhaustion weighing her steps. “Yeah, I’d rather not have to fight more than we need to. It would be good if we could just preserve our strength for the climb out of here,” She glanced at Sienna, who seemed tireless in her conviction, her gaze never lingering too long in one place.

“How much farther, do you think?” Fayne asked, she felt awkward asking, knowing that they will get there when they get there, and not a minute sooner, but it would be nice to get a vague idea.

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“Hard to say,” Sienna replied without looking back. “The air’s fresher, and the goblins were heading this way. If they were trying to escape, we’re on the right track.”

The tunnel suddenly opened into a wide cavern, its walls glistening with moisture. Thin streams of water trickled down the sides, pooling in shallow basins along the floor. The air felt cooler, almost refreshing compared to the stifling heat of the lower tunnels.

“Looks like a natural chamber,” Sienna said, scanning the area. “Probably formed by an underground spring. This is a good sign doubt there’s much longer until we reach the surface.”

“Finally, some luck,” Brodin muttered, stepping into the cavern. His heavy boots splashed through a shallow puddle as he glanced around warily.

“Light!!” Fayne called out as she admired the natural beauty around her. She stared upward, momentarily transfixed by the promise of escape, before the muffled clanging pierced her thoughts.

“What was that?” Wren asked, his voice barely above a whisper as he drew his daggers, his stance tense as the sound brought back memories of combat and triggered a defensive response.

“Quiet,” Fayne hissed, holding up a hand to silence the group. She tilted her head, straining to hear through the layers of stone above them.

The clanging came again, this time louder, more distinct, followed by guttural shrieks that sounded agonized. The sound was unmistakable; sharp, rapid clacking like claws tapping against rock and flesh.

“Vescarid,” she whispered, her stomach knotting with dread.

Brodin’s brow furrowed as he hefted his axe. “Huh? Dunno what that is, sure it aint goblins?”

Fayne stared up, watching as the light was interrupted by shadow and dust flittered down toward them. “Goblins might be up there, but. I’ve heard that sound before, definitely Vescarid.”

Sienna’s face paled as she glanced at the others. “No time to explain, I’ll describe them to you if we’re fortunate enough to not see the bugs!”

“We need to move. Now,” Fayne cut in, her voice firm. “Whatever they’re doing up there, we don’t want to be here when they get moving.”

“But they’re on the surface,” Brodin said, confused by the issue. “We’re underground. They won’t find us down here.”

“Unless we stick around too long,” Wren interrupted, his tone harsh. “Sienna said they were bugs, so let’s go before they decide to dig and find

The group exchanged uneasy glances before nodding in agreement. Fayne gestured toward the next tunnel, the incline was steep but manageable. “Stay quiet and stay close. If we’re lucky, whatever’s happening up there will keep them busy long enough for us to get out.”

They moved swiftly, the air growing fresher and the light filtering through the cracks becoming brighter with each step. The sounds above didn’t fade but grew more chaotic, metal clashing against chitin, shrieks of pain, and the eerie, rhythmic clicking of the Vescarid.

Fayne’s mind raced as they ascended. Were the Vescarid attacking humans? Goblins? Is this what the cave goblins were fleeing from? She may prod Darian for answers later, if she can make it to later.

“Almost there,” Sienna whispered, her voice tinged with relief.

Fayne’s chest tightened as the clanging above became a deafening roar, followed by an earth-shaking crash that sent small rocks tumbling from the ceiling. The ground beneath them trembled, the vibrations resonating through the cave walls.

“Go, go!” Fayne urged, her voice barely audible over the noise.

The group scrambled forward, their breaths ragged as they climbed the final incline. The light grew brighter, the scent of fresh air replaced with the coppery tinge of blood..

As they reached the edge of the tunnel, Fayne paused, her heart pounding. She turned back to the group, “Whatever’s happening out there, we stick together. No splitting up. If there are Vescarid, do not attack, we just run. Keep vigilant, some of them have camouflage. Understand?” With a deep breath, Fayne led the way, stepping into the blinding light

"Stand back girlie, can't have our healer dropping ten seconds after we make our escape" Brodin called out as he pushed forward to take the point. The raging battle took no time to rest while they found their barrings as a retreating goblin slammed into Brodin and tumbled to the ground without so much as causing the Berserker to flinch. He began to lift his axe to strike a killing blow when Wren gripped his axe hilt to halt the attack.

“Hold up big guy, the more of these critters that stay alive, the more the bugs have to go through to get to us. Let’s get a move on!” Wren took off to scout ahead and clear the way. He was followed by Sienna and Fayne as Brodin was left to guard their flank from the retreating goblins and Vescarid aggressors.

The surface was a war zone, and the Vescarid were everywhere. Their rugged, chitinous bodies moved with deadly and calculated efficiency, tearing through the fleeing goblins like a scythe through wheat.

Wren darted ahead, staying low as he navigated through the chaos. “This way!” he called, his voice drowned out by the combat, but his team knew what he was saying. Sienna followed closely, her bow drawn, an arrow nocked, scanning the treeline for any threats that might emerge.

Fayne tried to keep pace, her heart hammering in her chest as she kept a tight grip on her staff. She glanced back at Brodin, who was holding his ground at the rear, nothing was making a move to stop them, but he was ready for Vescarid that dared to approach.

“Keep moving!” Fayne urged, her voice cracking as she pushed forward. “We need to get off of this mountain and back to town”

The goblins, too preoccupied to care about the humans in their midst, continued to flee, some of them even making their way past the adventurers, though many fell to the relentless pursuit of the Vescarid Hunters and Prowlers. One goblin stumbled and fell, its shrieks cut short as a Prowler leaped onto its back, its sharp legs pinning it down while its mandibles tore into its neck.

“Damn it!” Sienna hissed, loosing an arrow that struck the prowler through its eye, but the creature barely flinched as it twisted its head toward her.

“Not worth it!” Wren shouted as he pulled her along. “They’ve got plenty to keep them busy. We need to get out of here before we’re next!”

Ahead, Wren spotted a narrow path leading toward the forest’s edge. “This way! It’s clear!”

“Down!” Fayne shouted as several hunters emerged from the forest, their long, segmented legs anchoring them in place as they aimed their spines at the group.

After a peculiar moment of hesitation, the Hunters fired, their chitinous spines whistling through the air. Sienna narrowly evaded several shots and despite Brodin being in the back, he was under heavy fire. He hefted his two-headed axe and held it strong while several spines shattered on the hardened steel, while multiple others winged him. Wren and Fayne made it through the first volley without any damage.

“We’re exposed!” Sienna yelled, firing another arrow to keep the Vescarid at bay.

Fayne scrambled to her feet, her chest heaving as she raised her staff. A wave of healing energy swept over Brodin, easing pain, healing his minor wounds, and replenishing their stamina. “Move now! Brodin, cover us!”

The berserker grinned, his blood pumping as he charged at the hunter with a war cry as he surfed down the loose graven toward the beast. As he reached the tree line, he swung with all his might, his axe cleaving into its side. “Go! I’ll keep them busy!” he bellowed, striking again to drive the creature back into the tree line and earning the attention of the other.

Reluctantly, the others pushed forward, Wren leading them through the narrow path. The forest loomed closer, they just had a short distance longer before the pressure fell off of them.

“Go go go!” an unidentified voice bellowed, driving them forward.

The rest of the group met up with Brodin who was wearily fending off two hunters, one launching spines from a distance, the other swinging its scythe-like front claws to cleave him apart. He managed to cripple the one he engaged with and turned his blade on the other as Sienna pelted it with arrows and Wren fell from the trees, no one even realizing he had been in wait, as he fell down with deadly force, his dagger driving into the head of the beast, dropping it in a single blow.

Pulling blades from bodies, the group rushed into the woods, leaving the chaos behind them, the screams of the dying goblin civilization were now nothing more than a memory. They ran for an hour, easily, before finally reaching Ashvale and collapsing shortly away from the local Inn. It was going to take a while to recover before they could drag themselves to their beds.