Chapter 77: Underground Roads
"It’s definitely down there," Arthur said.
Sun looked at the perfectly solid stone beneath their feet.
"Wonderful observation," he said.
Athena was examining the road’s surface. "There should be an entrance mechanism of some kind," she said. "These structures were built to be functional."
Nobody found anything after two minutes of looking.
Arthur looked at Kong.
Kong looked back.
Arthur pointed at the road. "Can you punch it?" he said.
Sun said immediately: "Please do not let that become our approach to all problems."
"It usually works," Arthur said.
Kong punched the road.
Nothing.
Second punch.
A crack appeared.
Third punch.
The section of road gave way, the stone beneath it revealing a staircase that descended into a darkness that was not quite dark because something below had its own light.
Everyone looked at it.
Arthur looked at Sun. "See?" he said.
Sun pointed at the staircase. "I refuse," he said, "to encourage this approach."
Mithra was already starting down.
...
The air immediately becomes cooler.
Golden crystals embedded throughout the ceiling slowly brighten, one after another, until the entire tunnel glows in soft golden light.
Arthur looked around. "...This is a city."
Nobody corrected him.
Because it was.
There were wide roads, stone intersections, and signs carved into the walls. Then there were buildings such as storage, barracks, supply rooms, and even training halls.
Even underground farms filled with glowing crystals.
Arthur slowed again.
Beside one of the roads sat a cracked wooden cart, one wheel missing. A tiny carved Goblin toy rested underneath it, covered in dust. Further ahead, stone tables surrounded what had once been a bakery. The oven had collapsed, but several clay bowls still rested where someone had left them.
Arthur quietly looked around.
Athena’s notebook was already open, and her writing had become noticeably faster. "...These weren’t escape tunnels." She slowly turned in a circle. "...This was another district."
"It just keeps going..." Arthur looked down one of the roads. "It doesn’t stop."
Athena nodded. "An entire city beneath another city. ...I’ve never even heard of something like this."
Mithra slowly looked upward. "So if people attacked from above..."
Arthur immediately understood. "Everyone else could retreat down here."
She nodded. "They planned for disasters."
Arthur smiled. "That’s really smart."
Sun whistled. "Okay. This is actually impressive."
Vedas quietly walked beside Arthur. His eyes never stopped moving. "...Big... Did my kind really create this?"
Arthur laughed. "They sure did!"
Vedas smiled before stopping beside one of the buildings. His fingers brushed lightly across the ancient stone. "I wish..."
Arthur looked over. "What?"
Vedas looked down the endless road. "I could have seen it."
Arthur smiled. "We’re seeing it now."
Vedas looked toward him.
Arthur pointed farther into the city. "Let’s go see the rest together."
Vedas nodded once. "Together."
Melo quietly sniffed the air. "Kyu..."
Athy flew upward before circling one of the glowing crystals, and she chirped excitedly.
Athena looked up. "She likes the light."
Arthur smiled. "I do too."
Sun looked around once more. "Imagine getting lost down here."
Arthur looked both directions. "We absolutely would."
"No." Sun immediately pointed. "You would! Wait, why aren’t you worried about that?"
He tilted his head. "Because I know you guys would find me?"
"Don’t make that your excuse to not get better!"
...
Three intersections in, Arthur noticed something on the ground.
Arthur suddenly stopped. "...Wait."
Everyone nearly walked into him. "What?"
Arthur pointed toward the floor. "These lines."
Everyone looked down.
Two perfectly straight grooves disappeared into the darkness.
Athena immediately knelt. "These are... tracks?"
Arthur blinked. "For carts?"
She slowly ran her fingers across the stone. "Not just carts. They’ve been reinforced."
Sun leaned over. "So... heavy carts?"
Athena nodded. "Very heavy."
Mithra looked down both directions. "They had deliveries."
Arthur’s eyes widened. " So, they moved supplies underground?"
Mithra nodded before looking farther ahead. "That means this underground city kept expanding."
Arthur slowly nodded. "How big was this kingdom?"
Kong gently tapped one rail. "Ook?"
Arthur smiled. "...Even Kong’s curious."
"Actually... Why does it feel like the Kingdom was a part of multiple Secret Realms?" Vedas said softly.
This made everyone freeze.
"That’s right... The Verdian Secret Realm did have buildings of the Goblin Ancient Kingdom." Athena’s eyes widened.
"Damn it, I wish I was there..." Sun muttered with a sigh.
"We’ll bring you next time we visit." Athena patted Sun on the back before saying. "Well, let’s keep moving; I have a feeling this kingdom would keep surprising us."
Nobody argued with that.
...
As they continued walking, Arthur lingered a bit back as he continued looking around.
Mithra chuckled. "What is it, Arthur?"
Arthur slowly pointed upward. "I have been wondering... But what if the King didn’t just split a mountain?"
Mithra followed his gaze.
"But he also hollowed it out."
"That... That would be interesting."
Arthur nodded and looked down the endless underground road. "Imagine living here."
Mithra quietly smiled. "I can."
Arthur looked over. "Really?"
She nodded. "I can see the kids running around, goblins shopping, and soldiers changing shifts."
Arthur slowly added, "Families eating together, people arguing, and friends getting lost."
Mithra laughed. "Definitely getting lost."
...
They went to check out the supplies building first.
The first storage room.
Empty.
Second.
Empty.
Third.
Empty.
Sun opened another chest, and dust floated into his face. He slowly closed the lid before walking backwards and collapsing onto his knees.
"...DAMN IT!" He pointed around the room. "Which bastard robbed us first?!"
Mithra folded her arms with a grin. "It wasn’t ours."
"It became ours." Sun immediately stood back up. "The moment Arthur received the King’s Mark."
Arthur scratched his cheek. "...Did it?"
"It absolutely did."
Athena pinched the bridge of her nose. "No."
"The Ancient Goblin King left behind a key which fused with Arthur." Sun pointed toward Arthur. "He practically said, ’ Everything’s yours now,’ which means it belongs to us!"
Arthur thought for a second. "He didn’t–"
Sun pointed triumphantly. "But he could have."
Mithra burst into laughter. "That’s not how conversations work."
Arthur looked thoughtful. "Maybe I should’ve asked."
Athena sighed deeply. "I’m glad you didn’t."
Melo casually walked past, and she sniffed one chest. Then another and then looked at Sun.
"Kyu."
Sun looked offended. "Is she judging me!?"
Arthur smiled. "I think she is."
...
Eventually they reached enormous bronze doors. Unlike everything else, these remained sealed. Arthur touched the door and felt the mark on the back of his hand begin to shine. It spread over the door before they began to shake.
He slowly pushed, and the doors groaned open. Once it was open, all of them looked inside before their eyes widened in shock.
Golden weapons lined every wall.
Spears.
Swords.
Shields.
Bows.
Staffs.
Axes.
Every one was engraved with ancient runes.
Nobody moved.
Arthur quietly whispered. "They look so beautiful..."
Athena slowly approached, but she didn’t touch anything immediately.
Instead, she simply looked. "This armory was preserved."
She carefully examined one spear. "The magic inside of them is still there..."
Sun blinked. "...They’re still active?"
She slowly nodded. "Barely."
"It feels like..." Arthur looked around. "They’ve been waiting for someone."
None of the weapons had rusted.
None had been damaged.
Every spear stood perfectly upright.
Every sword rested neatly in its place.
Even the shields remained arranged in orderly rows.
Arthur slowly looked around. "Then this does confirm nobody looted this place."
Athena nodded as she looked toward the enormous bronze doors. "Someone deliberately sealed it."
Sun blinked. "...To protect the weapons?"
"Maybe?" Athena sighed. "Maybe they were sealed away, waiting for the successor."
Everyone glanced at Vedas, who trembled but didn’t say anything.
Mithra slowly reached toward a golden sword. "Can I?"
Arthur smiled. "I don’t think they’re going anywhere."
She laughed. "That’s true."
The moment her fingers touched the hilt, she tried to lift it. But her arm trembled with a frown appearing. "It’s heavy..."
She gritted her teeth and continued lifting until she finally held it up. And then golden light flowed across the blade.
Everyone froze.
Arthur blinked. "Did it just choose you?"
Mithra’s eyes widened. "No way...It feels." She swung once. "Way lighter than before."
Athena immediately wrote another note. "The weapon had synced with her."
Sun blinked. "It likes people?"
Athena nodded slowly. "Apparently."
Arthur grinned. "Now I want one."
He quickly grabbed a spear that was longer than his current one. When he held it, he felt a golden light flash over it, and it felt lighter.
And then a name appeared: Dusk.
"Balanced," he said.
Vedas looked at it. "Fits," he said.
Mithra’s new sword had already been accepted by Melo, who had pressed her side against the flat of the blade and produced a satisfied sound. The runes had brightened at Melo’s contact, and they saw it had a name: Kusa.
"Pretty," Mithra said.
"Dangerous," Arthur said.
Mithra smiled. "Hopefully," she said.
Athena found a Golden Spear and Shield, named Aegis. The pair was clearly designed as a set, the rune-work on the shield designed to interact with the spear. She had been holding the shield for approximately five seconds when Sun noticed she was already studying the rune patterns.
"You’ve been holding it for five seconds," Sun said.
"Three," Athena said, without looking up.
"You’re already researching it."
"Obviously," Athena said.
Sun had found a staff called Long at the far end of the armory. It was longer than his current one, and when he held it, the mana pulsed outward slightly, extending the reach in a way that was distinctly different from just having a longer stick.
"Now," Sun said, with the reverence of someone who had been looking for this specific thing, "this is treasure."
Kong reached for it immediately.
Sun pulled it against his chest. "No," he said.
Kong folded his arms.
"No," Sun said.
Kong: "Ook."
Arthur said, "Let him try it."
Sun held it out with the expression of someone making a significant concession.
Kong took the staff and spun it in two complete circles.
His eyes widened.
"OOK!" Kong said.
Sun retrieved the staff immediately. "Mine," he said.
Kong turned to find his own, which he did in the next alcove: a shorter staff with a golden cap at each end. He bonked the floor once to test it. The sound echoed through the armory, and everyone jumped. Kong pounded his chest once.
Arthur gave a thumbs up. "He approves," he said.
Athena had been watching Athy, who had been exploring the armory’s upper shelves and finding nothing that addressed her scale requirements. Athena found a golden helmet in a case that appeared to have been made for something small. She placed it gently on Athy’s head. The helmet slid forward over one eye.
Athy shook her head.
It straightened and locked into a perfect position.
She sat very still. Then she chirped once, with the bearing of something that had found the correct helmet and intended to keep it.
Arthur gave another thumbs up. "Perfect," he said.
"Very intimidating." Mithra nodded with a smile.
"I’m concerned."
Melo had investigated every weapon in the armory. She came back to Arthur and sat down.
"Nothing?" Arthur said.
"Kyu," Melo said.
Arthur blinked before nodding as she used her tails and illusions. Weapons were beside the point.
Then he headed over to grab another spear before holding it to Vedas. He looked at it for a second before glancing down at his own. Then he raised his current spear and shook his head.
"This one," Vedas said.
"Still your first choice?" Arthur said.
Vedas looked at the spear. "We’ve grown together," he said.
Arthur nodded. "Then we’ll make it stronger," he said.
Vedas looked at him for a moment. The agreement was in the look rather than in additional words.
Arthur looked around the armory one last time. Golden weapons still rested quietly on the walls. The room had waited so long for someone like Vedas.
He smiled softly. "We’ll take good care of them."
Nobody answered immediately.
Mithra smiled. "I think they’d like hearing that."
Athena gently looked around the room. "These weapons were made to protect people." She rested a hand against her shield. "We’ll continue that."
Sun twirled his staff once. "I was going to say I’ll make lots of money with mine."
Everyone looked at him.
Sun coughed. "And protect people."
Mithra laughed. "Well, that’s a bit better."
Vedas slowly looked around the armory and then lowered his head once. "Thank you."
Nobody knew who he was thanking.
The Ancient Goblin Kingdom.
The craftsmen.
The soldiers.
Maybe all of them.
Arthur nodded. "Let’s make sure your kingdom isn’t forgotten."
Then they turned and left.
...
The Stone Guardian moved the moment they turned to leave.
Stone plates shifted as the giant construct rose from the floor, dust falling from its shoulders. It gripped a massive stone spear and stepped forward with surprising speed.
Arthur met it first.
The Guardian thrust.
Arthur twisted aside and drove his new spear into its arm. The conductor runes lit up as mana surged through the weapon before exploding at the tip.
Mana Burst.
The blast cracked the Guardian’s stone armor and forced it back several steps.
"It really is stronger," Arthur said with a grin.
The Guardian recovered instantly and swung its spear in a wide arc.
Athena stepped in.
Her shield met the attack head-on.
Boom!
The impact echoed through the chamber, but instead of being thrown backward, Athena only slid a single step before stopping. She blinked once before smiling. "I like this shield."
Mithra was already moving.
She slipped around the Guardian’s side, and her sword flashed once. The blade cut through the cracked stone armor as if it were wood, leaving a deep line across its side.
Sun raised his new staff before thrusting forward. The staff crashed into the Guardian’s chest and forced it to stagger, with cracks appearing. "Definitely better," he muttered.
Nearby, Kong enthusiastically hit the Guardian with his own staff.
Again.
And again.
The Guardian roared and raised its spear for one final strike.
Vedas rushed over before his spear, shining with a light, thrust cleanly through the cracks Arthur and Mithra had opened. And then it erupted! Magic swept through the stone, and then the Guardian burst into pieces.
Rubble scattered around the room.
[Level Up!]
[Goblin Commander]
[Level 15 → 16]
Arthur smiled at this before saying. "I suppose we should have expected they had a guardian."
Athena nodded. "Let’s hurry and leave; I doubt this is just it."
...
Beyond the armory, one door. Much larger than the others, covered entirely in rune-work that glowed with its own light independent of the crystals in the walls.
The King’s Mark responded.
The door did not open.
Arthur waited. Then he poked the door.
It remained closed.
"We’re missing something," he said.
Athena was already examining the rune patterns. "The door is incomplete," she said. "The mechanism requires an element that isn’t present."
"Another key?" Mithra said.
"Possibly," Athena said.
Sun looked at the armory they had come through.
"I found no treasure," he said. "There is a locked door we can’t open. I want to register my disappointment."
"Noted," Arthur said.
The mark pulsed.
The golden line shifted from the door and rushed past the armory, deeper into the district.
"The King isn’t done," Arthur said.
Everyone followed without being asked.
The underground road stretched ahead, the golden crystals lighting each section in sequence as the group passed, as though the kingdom itself were waking up for their arrival.
Far ahead, in a direction that the crystals had not yet reached, a sound moved through the darkness.
Something lighter.
A laugh.
Feminine, brief, and low enough that none of them were close enough to catch it.
The darkness kept it.
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