The Dungeon of Goblin Temple

Erix, Lucius, and Haruka were on their way to a weapons shop. Haruka said that they needed to prepare weapons before entering the dungeon. Even a single knife would be very useful.

As they made their way through the bustling city, they passed by various shops that catered to the needs of its citizens. Despite the number of armed people that roamed freely, the city remained peaceful.

The medieval European vibe was quite evident in this part of the world. It almost felt like the 15th century, but with a dash of fantasy.

“Miss Haruka, can you tell us where we are right now? You know we come from another world, right?” asked Lucius, who kept glancing around at the fantastical creatures that roamed freely.

“We’re currently in Leavgard, in the city of Hardov, which is the capital of the Ardesdale Kingdom,” she answered.

Erix then pointed to a muscular tiger-man, “What about that monster over there?”

“Be careful what you say!” whispered Haruka, “They’re not monsters, but a Werebeast race.”

Erix was curious and asked, “Are there other races besides humans in this world?”

“Leavgard has five main races: Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Spirits, and Werebeasts. There are also other races such as Dragons, Treants, Fairies, and mixed-blood individuals like Half-Elves and Half-Beasts.”

Erix was impressed. It’s his first time encountering other races besides humans in the real world. He only met such creatures in virtual games.

Soon after, they arrived at a traditional weapon shop named “Mikazuki Blacksmith.”

An old man greeted their arrival as they entered the shop. There were quite a lot of things for sale inside. Most of them were weapons that could be found on Earth, including swords, daggers, bows, spears, and various other sharp weapons. Erix and Lucius began to browse the shop and select the weapons they would use.

“Lucius, you should buy a weapon. If you keep relying on your firearm, you’ll run out of bullets. No one sells that kind of thing in this world. You need to minimize the use of firearms,” Erix whispered to his companion.

He bowed and replied, “Yes, Master. From now on, I won’t use firearms unless it’s an emergency.”

Erix nodded, pleased with his response. “By the way, do you have any money?” he asked.

“A little bit.”

“Dollars are useless here, though,”

“I understand, Master.”

“Good.”

Suddenly, the elderly shopkeeper, who had been silently observing the two young men, spoke up. “What are you whispering about? That’s very rude.”

“S-Sorry, sir. Hehe…,” Erix grinned, feeling embarrassed.

After browsing the shop for a while, Erix still hadn’t found anything that suited him. Meanwhile, Lucius had found a black dagger that caught his eye.

“Everything looks ordinary,” grumbled Erix in disappointment.

The shopkeeper, noticing his frustration, spoke up, “I have a good item that suits you. Tatsumi, bring me the Kuishin!”

A young man appeared carrying a sword wrapped in white cloth. He handed the sword to the shopkeeper, who then threw it towards Erix.

He untied the wrapping and took out the sword from the cloth. A black metal sheathed katana with gold carvings appeared. To his surprise, the weapon didn’t feel heavy. It was quite light in his hand.

He drew the katana from the metal sheath, making a smooth sound of iron friction that made his teeth ache. Suddenly, he felt something strange along with pulling out the sword. It was like a heartbeat, and though faint, he heard the word “hungry.” However, he decided to ignore it and focused on testing the weapon’s balance and feel.

“You’re a long katana user, right?” The old shopkeeper’s eyes seemed to read Erix’s thoughts.

Erix furrowed his brow and smirked. He greatly admired the Kuishin sword in his hand. “It seems you’re no ordinary grandpa. You know I like long katanas.”

The shopkeeper laughed heartily. “Even though you praise me, I won’t give a discount. 600 pieces of gold coins for that katana and 100 for that knife.”

“Stingy,” grumbled Erix, but the old man continued to laugh.

Erix looked at Lucius for payment, and he pull out a gold bar from his black jacket. The old man accepted it, but asked, “What about the rest?”

“Is it still not enough?” asked Erix.

“Of course! A gold bar this size can only get that knife,” exclaimed the shopkeeper. “You want to cheat me?!”

“No… no… no… We didn’t mean to…”

“I’ll pay for it!” Haruka interjected. He pulled out a bag of gold coins and placed it on the table. “Count it first, it might not be enough.”

She paid with all the money she had. Erix was surprised by this.

“You’re paying for everything!?” He exclaimed. “Aren’t you afraid we’re lying to you?”

“No,” replied Haruka firmly. “Because I believe that you are good people.”

“But why don’t you use that money to hire someone and find your brother?”

“I don’t think it’s that simple,” the man called Tatsumi spoke up. “The main issue is not the price and money, but where they have to look. That place is a dungeon, and it won’t be easy to find someone inside a dungeon. Unless they know the exact location. Even then, most of them would choose to give up rather than risk their lives no matter how high the pay.”

Erix remained silent, not because he couldn’t respond to the argument, but because of what Tatsumi had said. He believed that he and Lucius were just foolish people wasting their lives for nothing, and he couldn’t deny that thought. “And you fully trust us?” he asked Haruka.

“I trust you,” She replied with firmness.

Her words left a good impression on him. “Haruka, it’s better if you throw away that thinking because not everyone is as good as you think.”

Haruka nodded, she would keep his words in mind.

“Congratulations, Master. You just made your beloved girl poor instantly,” Lucius whispered.

“SHUT UP!”

Realizing there was nothing else to do in the store, the trio left and headed toward their destination.

“Grandpa, are you sure you want to give Kuishin to that person?” Tatsumi asked.

“Yes.”

“But why?”

“Because I felt something in that child. Very interesting… We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”

*****

They left the blacksmith with a clear mission in mindto rescue Haruka’s brother from the dungeon. Erix’s determination was unwavering, his spirit aflame with the mission ahead.

Their journey took less than ten minutes, and they soon arrived at a grand temple. However, the entrance was closed. The temple was guarded by two pairs of goblin statues on either side of the gate. The statues seemed to be the guardians of the dungeon. The temple’s shape and pattern resembled Sewu Temple in Indonesia, with ancient ruins depicting the power of the goblin race.

In front of the temple, many armed people and knights were sitting in small groups, appearing to relax.

“Goblin Temple. The dungeon we will explore,” Haruka explained.

“This is a dungeon? It doesn’t look dangerous,” Erix scoffed. “Fine, you wait for us outside.”

“No! I have to come in!” She said seriously.

“That’s a dangerous place, you know that, right?” Erix interjected. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Thank you for your concern, but that’s not the issue.”

In front of the gate, two elf women had been standing there since earlier. Haruka approached them, with Erix and Lucius following behind.

“We want to enter the dungeon,” Haruka said to one of the elf women.

“Are they both Shensin?” one elf asked, glancing at Erix and Lucius.

“No, they’re not Shensin. They’re my supports.”

The two elf women were silent for a moment, then one of them approached the two men.

“Inside the dungeon, those who aren’t Shensin will only become sacrifices for the Shensin who are trying to escape. Are you sure you still want to enter that dangerous place? You’re just throwing away your lives. No matter what the situation inside, we cannot help you,” said the elf.

“I don’t mind,” Erix replied nonchalantly.

“Tias, please. Let us pass,” Haruka pleaded.

“Haruka, please understand. It’s very dangerous to enter the dungeon with your current level. And you’re bringing these two as sacrifices. I don’t want to lose you, Haruka. I’m your friend, I

“Friend! Did you say friend!?” interrupted Erix. “You’re only a friend when things are all sunshine and rainbows!”

“What do you mean?!” the other elf got angry.

“Nella, that’s enough. You three, please come back safely,” the elf named Tias said.

“Of course,” Erix said firmly.

The gate to the temple was open, revealing a black vortex swirling just beyond it. Haruka didn’t hesitate to plunge into the vortex. However, as Erix and Lucius were about to follow suit, they were suddenly stopped by the two elves.

Tias handed Erix a scroll and a small green stone, about the size of a fist. Nella started to ask Tias about the stone, but her friend hushed her.

“If you come across Yura, Haruka’s brother, hurry back and take my place to protect her.”

Meanwhile, Nella gave Lucius a small antique glass bottle filled with a red potion. Lucius accepted it without asking any questions, and the two young men quickly leaping into the dungeon.

The black vortex immediately sucked them in, and the two elves, Tias and Nella, promptly closed the temple gate behind them.

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