Chapter 57: The Beginning [2]
Chapter 57: The Beginning [2]
Pebbles thought of returning to the village, but first, the bosses had to hand over some tasks to their minions who would look after the respective floors, so he waited.
And while he did, he decided to use one of the rewards and reach his current max level.
’System, use one level up.’
His attempt was unsuccessful. In fact, the system didn’t respond to his words.
Pebbles raised his head slightly and repeated it in his mind, yet there was no response.
He gritted his teeth and was almost about to throw his fists in the air when the system screen finally popped up. Except, it was still an annoyance.
[Updating...]
[Progress: 2%]
Pebbles sighed.
"Maybe next time." Having said that, he gently lowered his body and lay flat on the ground.
Seeing this, the green lizard almost made a makeshift fan by joining both his hands, side of palm to the other side, and fanned aggressively.
Pebbles turned his gaze to the source of the wind.
"You’ve no task to pass down?"
The green lizard gave a chuckle.
He said, "Master, I’ve passed it earlier."
Unsure of when the green lizard was talking about, Pebbles wanted to inquire. However, he knew it was simply a waste of time to poke his nose into it.
So he rested for thirty minutes while staring at the system screen.
He closed his eyes in between for a couple of minutes, but mostly he couldn’t help but be worried.
’Looks like the system’s going to be my fatal weakness.’
He yawned.
’I can’t have it updating and unresponsive so randomly. It’s... dangerous.’
During the update, he couldn’t access the inventory, nor his stat points, and naturally, he couldn’t even claim his rewards.
Either way, he couldn’t do anything now. He simply rested until the bosses returned.
"Broody is ready to go out!!!"
Pebbles pulled himself up and sat straight when he heard the voice. He found Broody, who had just returned, carrying a small sack on his back.
It was almost like a backpack, except there was a small twig attached to it which rested on the hamster’s shoulders.
Slowly, others returned. Confirming with them, Pebbles led the walk to the outside world.
All of them walked towards the second floor where the small gate came into view, and this forced Pebbles to pause in his tracks.
’How are these guys going to fit?’
Pebbles couldn’t help but sigh.
His worry was evident, and as if sensing this, the dungeon came to the rescue.
[[’Leave it to me.’]]
Right after the black screen flashed the message, two of the bosses, Kyurn and the White Tiger, disappeared.
"Eh?"
[[’Pass through. A surprise awaits outside.’]]
A simple nod, and then a synchronized movement, after which Pebbles was outside.
Others followed.
It was true indeed. There really was a surprise outside.
Pebbles’ mouth remained agape. It almost touched the ground, and his eyeballs almost popped out.
It was the same for others because the scene in front of them was unbelievable.
The stench of blood was too strong.
Perhaps it was the dungeon’s barrier and the fact that they were inside the dungeon that protected them from the scent so long, but it was an overwhelming, unbearable smell.
Pebbles’ throat tightened as he looked at the pile of severed limbs.
His gaze shifted to the next pile. The bodies...
...they looked like boxes and squares, with the cut ends looking extremely soft and red. A considerable amount of dust and ants could be seen on them...
...and there were shadows, very faint, visible on the ground.
Pebbles raised his head only to find a dark sky covering the sun.
And then the first drop hit Pebbles, after which it started to drizzle and ultimately turned into a heavy downpour.
It mattered only a little. The only part Pebbles found annoying was the small streams of red water that touched his foot.
"M-master... just what is...?"
The Shaman was stupefied, and she could barely process the scene.
Azeth was equally stunned, but he dealt only in silence.
The green lizard mumbled, "It’s definitely him. It’s his doing."
Not many words were spoken after that, and even without mentioning his name, it was understood.
The Shaman erected a barrier to prevent the rain from wetting them anymore, all while Pebbles and the team walked forward to scan the area.
"There are humans," he muttered. "And there are dragons."
He sighed.
"And there are dozens of others that I don’t recognize. All dead."
His throat had been tight all this time, and his voice, combined with the mask’s tightness, gave a weird, deep impression of someone saddened.
"Killed."
Pebbles looked at the dark sky and at the vultures that had begun circling above.
"This is the fate of the weak, master."
Pebbles gave a side glance.
"Fate..." He paused and then turned around. "...right."
And then he began his slow walk.
Azeth walked closer to him, just a little ahead as he led the way, while the Shaman kept staring back.
Kyurn and the White Tiger, who had witnessed the scene beforehand, felt a strange sensation within them. But it was new, something they had never felt before, so they dismissed it.
They too followed everyone, but Kyurn noticed the Shaman turning again and again.
"Bury them?"
"Eh?" The Shaman raised her head quickly.
"No, you kept staring at them, so I thought you wanted to bury them..."
The Shaman neither confirmed nor denied his words.
Instead, she sped up and joined Pebbles’ side.
It took them an hour and a half, with the pace they were walking, to pass through the massive greenery.
They came across some gigantic earthworms, but they were hardly a hassle since Azeth took them out instantly.
As for the others... they remained far, far away.
But what use was it when the ones they had been wary of had already done the work?
"Smell of blood..." the White Tiger sniffed and said aloud.
Pebbles’ throat had just begun to loosen and relax when he noticed the piles of bodies surrounding the village.
The earthen smell had masked the scent of blood, but if concentrated enough, one could smell it.
Ding!
[System Update Completed.]
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
[Notice!]
[Your pet Azatoth is gravely injured.]
[Your pet Nightstone is severely poisoned!]
[143 Goblins are injured.]
"No..."
Pebbles barely uttered the word before running and jumping over the wooden fences and arriving at the village.
As the clouds cleared and the large moon came into view, rays of moonlight spread through the area.
The darkened view became clear, and there remained the kneeling figure of Azatoth, with one limb missing and covered in blood.
"A-"
"AZATOTH!!!"
Pebbles ran as fast as he could.
"M... master..."
And Azatoth, with blurry vision and a faint cry, fell in slow motion, but just before he hit the ground, Pebbles caught him.
"Azatoth... you...? How...?"
And then he spoke in a faint voice, a few words which Pebbles didn’t know how to reply to.
"I protected them, Master..."
"You..."
Ding!
[No goblin of the Chunk village has died.]
"You have..."
"You have protected everyone, Azatoth. You have."
And then Azatoth’s eyes slowly closed as he managed to ask, "I..."
"I did good?"
"..."
"You did good."
"You did brilliantly."
"You did... everything, my Azatoth."
Pebbles shed a few tears as he called out to the Shaman to cast her healing spell.