Chapter 116: The King’s Legacy
The circular staircase continued deep beneath the Temple. The further they descended, the quieter it became, until finally their feet touched polished stone once again.
A long hallway stretched before them, so long that the far end disappeared into darkness. Golden flames ignited one after another along both walls, slowly revealing towering pillars, massive murals, statues carved directly into the surrounding stone.
Unlike the upper Temple, these murals didn’t depict Kings.
They depicted ordinary Goblins. Builders raising entire mountains from bare earth. Farmers tending endless fields beneath glowing crystals. Hunters standing watch atop city walls and children laughing beside Guardian Spirits.
Arthur whistled softly. "This is different," he said.
Mara slowly smiled. "The Kings weren’t the only ones remembered," she said.
Athena ran her fingers across one mural. "They honored everyone," she said.
Vedas quietly nodded. "That’s the kind of kingdom I want," he said.
Every few steps, another mural came to life. Golden light flowed across the stone, and tiny moving images replayed ancient history.
Builders carving tunnels through solid rock.
Blacksmiths forging legendary weapons in roaring forges.
Goblin Riders racing across open plains. Goblin Mages lifting enormous boulders with nothing but raised hands and glowing runes.
Arthur stopped walking. "Wait," he said. "They really did that?"
Mara laughed. "I thought King Mu exaggerated," she said, shaking her head. "Apparently not."
She then slowly walked to another mural.
Golden light continued spread across it and the image changed. A Goblin child stood beside an elderly Builder. The Builder carefully guided the child’s hands as they carved stone and years passed in only a few seconds.
The child grew.
Became a Builder.
Then an elder himself.
Arthur quietly watched. "They taught everything."
Athena smiled. "And wanted to leave behind a hint on what the future generation should do."
Vedas looked at the mural for a long moment. "...That’s why this kingdom lasted."
Without warning the hallway rumbled. The golden light disappeared, replaced by cold blue flames. Ancient voices echoed through the corridor.
"Protect."
"The inheritance."
"Only the worthy."
Click. Click. Click. Stone shifted, and the statues slowly stepped down from their pedestals. At the same time, Spectral Goblins emerged from the walls, not one type, but an entire army.
Rows of Spectral Goblin Soldiers formed up first. Behind them, Goblin Mages. Goblin Beast Warlocks and Goblin Shield Captains.
But what made Arthur tremble was Goblin Riders mounted atop massive Spectral Orcs.
Stone Golems taller than houses.
And finally, dragging an iron club behind it, a gigantic Spectral Troll.
Everyone instinctively stopped.
Arthur’s eyes lit up. "Damn," he said.
Sun sighed. "What now?" he asked.
Arthur pointed excitedly. "The Riders! They’re so cool!"
One Rider lowered its spear, and its Spectral Orc pawed the ground, lightning crackling beneath its hooves.
Arthur’s eyes sparkled. "They’re amazing."
Sun sighed. "You’ve already decided you want one."
Arthur tilted his head. "Yep. Hopefully, it will be fine with living in a remote place."
Mithra giggled, already drawing Kusa. "You can admire them later," she said. "Fight first."
Arthur nodded. "Right," he said.
The Riders charged first, the hallway trembling beneath the pounding feet of the Spectral Orcs.
"Incoming!" Arthur shouted, bursting forward. Dusk met the lead Rider’s spear head on.
Clang! The impact echoed throughout the corridor.
Instead of retreating, Arthur planted one foot on the spear shaft and jumped, flipping clean over the Rider. Then, [Magic Burst], boom, mana exploded, and the Rider burst apart into golden light. Arthur landed beside the riderless Orc.
"Still cool," he said.
Sun stared at him. "You complimented it while killing it," he said.
The remaining Riders split apart, trying to surround them.
"Formation!" Vedas shouted. Everyone moved instinctively. Athena raised Aegis to block an incoming lance. Sun unleashed a wide shockwave that sent two Orcs stumbling sideways.
Kong charged straight into an Orc and shoulder checked both mount and rider clean across the hallway. Mithra slipped between the remaining enemies and her sword flashing once, then again.
One Rider dissolved.
Then another.
Golden particles filled the air around her.
Silence lasted only a second once the Riders had fallen. The Beast Warlocks raised twisted staffs, and green light erupted across the chamber. The polished stone floor cracked apart as massive roots exploded upward.
One enormous root burst toward Arthur.
Before he could move, Athena rushed in front of him and raised her shield. The root slammed into Aegis before bouncing off and hitting the roof wall to the side.
At the same moment Mithra flashed past Arthur’s shoulder.
One clean slash and the root split apart.
Arthur smiled. "Nice!"
Mithra grinned. "I know."
Flowers larger than shields opened along the walls, releasing clouds of poisonous pollen into the air.
Arthur blinked. "Plants?" he said.
One Warlock slammed its staff into the ground, and entire trees erupted from the floor, transforming the hallway into a dense forest within seconds.
Sun laughed despite himself. "Now this is new," he said.
Athena quickly studied the shifting battlefield. "They’re controlling the terrain," she said.
Mara looked toward the glowing roots twisting between the pillars. "The plants aren’t attacking randomly," she said. Everyone looked at her. "They’re protecting the Warlocks."
Arthur smiled. "Then we cut through," he said.
He activated [Armor Piercing], his spear punching through root after root as he pushed forward.
Vedas rallied the others behind him. "Forward!" he shouted.
Kong grabbed one massive vine and pulled, and an entire tree collapsed sideways.
Mithra dashed through the opening he created, and three Warlocks fell before they even registered she had reached them.
Above, Athy dove down and blinded another Warlock with a burst of golden feathers. Melo filled the battlefield with illusions, sending the remaining Warlocks attacking targets that weren’t really there. Sun raised Long.
"[Point Shockwave]!"
The blast scattered the poisonous pollen clouds, giving everyone room to finally breathe.
Arthur reached the final Warlock and drove his spear through in one thrust. The spectral body dissolved instantly, and every plant across the hallway collapsed at once, the entire corridor becoming visible again.
Golden light wrapped around Vedas.
[Level Up!]
[Goblin Commander]
[Level 24 → Level 25]
Arthur smiled. "One," he said.
Vedas laughed. "You’re counting?"
"Of course."
Click.
A nearby wall slowly shifted aside.
Hidden inside...
Three crystal bottles.
Each filled with glowing golden liquid.
Athena carefully examined one. "Elixirs. We can use these to speed up our recovery."
Mara blinked. "The Temple rewards those who pass."
Arthur smiled. "...Checkpoint."
Sun immediately reached for one. "I agree with you, I do like checkpoints. But instead we cann easily sell these."
"Really?"
"What? I’m just opening the possibility."
Before the banter could continue, the hallway shook again.
Stone fists burst through the floor, and three massive Stone Golems emerged, dragging themselves upright. Behind them, a towering Spectral Troll rose, nearly twice Kong’s height, an iron club dragging behind it. It roared, and the walls shook with the force of it.
Arthur’s grin widened. "Finally," he said.
The Troll pounded its chest.
Boom!
Kong immediately answered.
Boom!
Boom!
The hallway echoed before both of them rushed at each other.
The Troll swung its club first, and Kong met it head on with is staff.
Bang!
Both of them stumbled backward from the impact.
Sun blinked. "They’re actually competing," he said.
The Golems advanced while the Troll recovered. Arthur and Vedas fought them together, perfectly synchronized, Arthur breaking through the stone armor of each one while Vedas drove his spear straight through the exposed core beneath. One Golem fell. Then another.
The Troll roared again, and Arthur vaulted onto its extended arm, ran up its shoulder, and drove Dusk straight through its skull.
"[Magic Burst]!"
The explosion shattered the Troll completely, golden light flooding the entire hallway.
[Level Up!]
[Goblin Commander]
[Level 25 → Level 26]
Vedas smiled. "Twenty six," he said.
Arthur pointed ahead. "One more," he said.
The last chamber before the end of the hallway opened before them, and every surviving Spectral Goblin gathered together there. The Spectral Captain slowly raised its sword.
Not one stepped backward.
Not one lowered their weapon.
Even after countless centuries they still stood their final watch.
Arthur smiled. "I respect that." He lowered Dusk. "Let’s finish this," he said.
A fast paced battle followed.
Arthur commanded from the front while Vedas led the charge behind him. Sun blasted openings through the enemy ranks with wave after wave of shockwaves. Athena defends them with Aegis while Kong crushed everything directly in front of him.
Mithra eliminated priority targets one by one with precise, efficient strikes. Mara called out formations from atop her Lion, identifying weak points before anyone else could see them.
Athy and Melo supported from above and below, harrying stragglers and healing wounds between clashes.
One by one, the defenders fell, until silence finally returned to the chamber.
Golden light wrapped around Vedas once more.
[Level Up!]
[Goblin Commander]
[Level 26 → Level 27]
Vedas let out a slow breath. "Twenty seven," he said.
Arthur grinned. "Told you," he said.
The enormous stone doors at the end of the hallway slowly opened.
Nobody spoke. Golden light poured outward, and the chamber beyond was breathtaking.
Rows upon rows of golden weapons filled the space, spears, swords, axes, bows, each one displayed with reverent care. Complete suits of armor rested inside crystal display cases.
Shelves stretched from floor to ceiling, covered in books bound with gold and crystal. Entire stacks of gold bars lined the walls, mountains of ancient coins spilling between them, jewelry, crowns, precious gems, and ancient banners bearing the royal crest.
The room glittered like sunlight trapped beneath the mountain.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Arthur slowly looked across the room. "...This kingdom prepared for everything."
Athena smiled. "The gold isn’t the greatest treasure."
Arthur looked toward the endless bookshelves. "...I know."
Sun’s eyes went perfectly round. "WE’RE RICH!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the chamber. He sprinted toward the nearest pile of gold. "There are bars! There are coins! There’s enough money here to buy everything!"
Kong laughed so loudly the room echoed with it before he began picking up an entire gold bar with both hands.
Mithra ignored the treasure completely, walking instead toward the weapon displays, her fingers hovering above a beautifully crafted spear. "Masterpieces," she murmured.
Athena and Mara had already disappeared toward the endless shelves of books. Athena’s hands trembled as she reached for one. "These," she said, "these are from the Dawn Empire."
Mara carefully lifted another. "They preserved them," she said. "Every single one."
Vedas never moved from where he stood, his attention fixed entirely on an enormous mural covering the far wall, the Goblin King standing surrounded by every Guardian Spirit he had ever known. Athy quietly landed on his shoulder and neither of them looked away.
Melo found a good place to rest in the gold and lay down. No one knew where the golden crown or crimson robe came from. Or how she somehow was able to get it on her.
Arthur barely noticed the treasure at all. Something else caught his eye, a faint golden light glowing in the corner of the chamber. He slowly walked toward it.
Resting on a small stone pedestal was a single journal, wrapped in crystal, bound with golden thread.
He carefully picked it up before gently brushing the dust from the cover. The covering looked untouched as though something had been protecting it all this time.
"You’ve been waiting."
And then he blinked at the name on the front. "Halburn?" he said quietly.
The instant he spoke the name, the King’s Mark erupted with light. Golden energy wrapped around the journal, and the crystal cover slowly dissolved.
The pages flipped by themselves.
Arthur blinked, and suddenly his surroundings disappeared.
The Goblin King stood alone, silent, carrying a crystal colored egg in both hands. He carefully entered the very chamber Arthur now stood in and walked toward a hidden doorway. He placed the egg inside, resting one hand gently upon its shell, and smiled.
"...Sleep well." One hand gently rubbed against the egg. "A person who can handle your destiny will appear in the future."
The Goblin King’s smile wasn’t proud but gentle like a father tucking a child into bed. Then he turned and walked away. "I... Goblin King Halburn, will pave the way for this future."
The vision shattered.
Arthur stumbled before muttering. "That’s his name... The Golden Skeleton from before and the Goblin King."
It was something he had always been curious about but had gotten no answer. Even the Guardian Spirits simply only referred to there King as simply the Goblin King and nothing more.
And now he finally knew his name, Halburn.
"Wait... He left behind an egg?" His heart immediately began racing. He looked around the room. Nothing.
"Don’t tell me," he said.
Then he noticed it. A hidden stone door, already open.
Without thinking, Arthur ran.
"Arthur!" Athena called after him.
He didn’t answer and the King’s Mark glowed brighter with every step. Arthur burst into another chamber and stopped. There, resting inside a nest of crystal vines, sat the crystal colored egg, exactly like the vision.
The crystal egg softly pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
Arthur could sense it, the life inside of it. "...You’re still alive. Good!"
For just a moment everything else disappeared. And then a growl could be heard, making him look up to see the familiar Storm Wolf. The wolf moves to grasp the egg in its mouth and lifts it up from the vines.
Arthur reacted instantly.
[Magic Burst]!
Boom.
His spear struck the wolf squarely in the side, and it blasted backward, releasing the egg. Arthur caught it before it hit the ground, quickly examining it for cracks.
None. He let out a relieved sigh. "Good," he said.
A low growl echoed through the chamber. Arthur looked up.
The Storm Wolf slowly stood, lightning dancing across its silver fur. Then another landed to his left. Another stepped onto a ruined platform above him. Another emerged from a shadowed tunnel nearby.
One.
Five.
Ten.
More continued appearing.
Blue lightning spread across the floor and then climbed the walls. Then raced across the ceiling and made the entire chamber become a storm.
Thirty pairs of glowing blue eyes stared directly at Arthur.
He slowly looked around. "...Yeah. This definitely isn’t going to be easy." He spun Dusk once as a grin slowly spread across his face. "...Good."
The Storm Wolves lowered their bodies, and lightning exploded across the chamber.
The battle began.