Reborn Regress Return: I Am the Heir of Shadows!

Goblins.

A race of small creatures known for their greed and cunning minds. Despite their weak bodies limiting their growth, these creatures can survive under the most dangerous conditions.

As they lingered in abandoned mines, barren depths and fallen outposts, the goblins found their refuge.

Removed and hidden from their predators, and those who might force them into submission. For when given the time to grow.

Their potential and numbers surpass even the most powerful hero.

Meanwhile, in the depths of Kazzan Tor, another race once lingered. Famed for their skill with minerals and craftsmanship, able to wield flames as if an extension of themselves.

They were a peaceful race, content with the riches of their deep caverns, though this would not last. The dwarves, though hardy and tough, lost to their greed.

Their axes mined too deep, too far, until they reached the magma chambers below.

A mistake which awakened something ancient, something that lingered in the darkness of the deeps.

.

.

.

As the sun set, casting long shadows on the ground beneath the forest's canopy, and the village started to stir, Julian led Fran and Maria to the north—noticing the villagers inside and well with improved conditions.

He turned away.

Julian no longer paid attention.

'I've given them enough meat, their survival isn't my burden to bear.'

He noticed Fran gazing back, her pink eyes shimmering before she turned away, her hands gripping her bow tightly as her harpy feather arrows tapped with each bouncy step.

'They learned her secret, didn't they?'

"So, Julian what dungeon are we entering?" Maria's voice broke the silence between the two girls. She no longer seemed agitated or eager to seduce him and became more obedient.

'I hope she doesn't misbehave in the dungeon.'

"We're going to Kazzan Tor," he said, looking over his shoulder to see that both of their expressions had changed dramatically.

Fran's eyes drooped, and her body almost visibly trembled at the mention of it. Maria looked back with a questioning gaze. Her brows furrowed as she crossed her arms and pouted, flicking her head as if to ask Julian to explain.

"J-Julian that place is dangerous..."

He didn't want to trample on Fran's feelings, knowing that this dungeon was likely a place the villagers never entered, especially in the Dream World, but not when the monsters became stronger... but he knew they had to enter it.

"It is...but I also know that we can handle it."

"Can you trust me, Fran?"

Fran's expression brightened slightly at his words. She nodded her fists, clenching them, and tried to build up more determination. Maria rolled her eyes and scoffed at the affectionate interaction.

"Ugh, how about explaining what it is already?"

"It's a dungeon for people above level 15 normally, but in realty... this place is probably even more readily because of the distorted world set in the future."

"The future?" Maria's eyes widened. "I thought..." Her words stopped as she covered her mouth, a look of terror flashing in her pupils for a split second.

Julian observed her reactions, but still didn't want to confront her.

Rather, he knew she already knew about the dungeon, because her agile and fluid steps avoided all the traps placed by the goblins with ease. The goblins' traps were crude and poorly made, which any hunter could avoid. But Fran struggled a few times, luckily avoiding the pits and wooden spikes.

Julian's enhanced senses allowed him to find and avoid the traps, but he couldn't be 100% sure Maria was Eleanor.

"So it's a dungeon that might kill us, since our levels are so low?!"

Maria's shrill voice woke the forest, and whispers and low howls rattled the leaves. The wind picked up, brushing past Julian's skin, making him shudder and tighten his grip on his wand.

The sun had set now, and the moon had replaced it.

The moon cast eerie shadows on the ground below, creating an illusion of a moving, mysterious landscape.

"We have no choice. We're not strong enough to go against those things."

"Those things?"

Fran questioned, looking at him with wide, innocent eyes. "The beasts that linger deep inside the darkness, those that stir only when greed and desire overwhelm ones logic."

"Heh... you sound like someone playing that dragons and dungeons game!"

Maria turned away from him and looked at the entrance to Kazzan Tor, a massive stone gate with runes carved into its sides. No doors or barriers blocked it—instead, it lay open as if inviting them inside.

His eyes narrowed at Maria's comment, and he knew she was referring to a certain board game. He'd played it in his old life and enjoyed it thoroughly, though he nodded and appreciated Maria's input.

'At least she was paying attention.'

The blue orbs floating around Maria helped illuminate the dwarven door—mysterious sigils formed an outline around the arched door. A cool breeze blew out, causing goosebumps to rise along Julian's skin as the wind carried a metallic smell—a mix of rust and blood.

He closed his eyes, listening intently to the sounds coming from within.

"Maria do you know what the dwarves loved most in this world?"

She stopped before the threshold and turned back with a questioning gaze.

"Gold, silver, and precious jewels, I guess..."

The sigils started to light slowly.

"Nono, though greed brought their downfall, in reality... the true joy of the dwarves was ale, drinking and fighting."

The dwarves loved drinking more than anything else in the world. Their love for drink rivalled their love for gold. They would spend hours brewing ale, mead, and various other concoctions.

Julian's words caused the lights to increase faster.

'The game's lore claimed that dwarves added strange berries and fruits to their brews, creating many failures, but they never stopped.'

"The true reason the dwarves vanished, was simple."

"Ah I know!" Fran jumped into the conversation, their runes outside the door lighting up one at a time while speaking about the dwarves in a positive light.

"They loved fighting so much, they refused to surrender and leave their homes to their enemies!"

"That's right, Fran. Good job." Julian smiled, watching her chest swell with pride.

"Hah! What enemy could that be?"

Crack!

The doors opened with a low rumbling echo, and the central image glowing... it depicted a throne, with a dwarven king sitting and gazing upon the party, though the illuminated runes made it look like he smiled.

Shudder!

"Dragons."

Woosh!

When Julian mentioned their name... the entire dungeon shuddered, a cold, wretched wind blowing from the inside.

Fran's ears flicked to the sides at Julian's words.

The shades beside him shuddered, their shadowy aura becoming unstable, while Maria's eyes lingered on Julian's body.

'Back In the original game, the dragons abandoned Avalon, even the one sworn to protect the royal bloodline.'

'My bloodline...'

The air grew tense as they approached, and a thick tension filled the space between them. Julian's heart pounded against his chest, and his pulse quickened as he focused on the current situation.

Two routes existed to complete Kazzan Tor.

"Follow me, and try to remain quiet," Julian whispered, stepping into the cave. The cold was biting, and the walls were moist, mossy, and oozing with a musky, foul stench.

'I'm not going to force myself into the dangerous route.'

"Make no sound, move quickly, and without sound... we must not disturb those who sleep in the depths."

Squelch!

Julian's boots sank into the wet, mushy ground, and mud grasped his feet like a vice. A pungent odour filled his nostrils, turning his stomach.

"Ugh... it stinks." Maria covered her nose, her steps almost gliding over the mud, before she lifted both hands, bringing her water orbs together, creating a dull but effective light.

"Good word."

Julian stepped aside, letting Maria lead. Maria's light illuminated their path. Fran followed behind them, her bow drawn and an arrow ready to fly. He looked down, noticing the small trail of misshapen prints leading deeper into the tunnel.

'Goblins, they've been active!'

"Tread carefully, the enemy is likely aware of our presence."

A chasm of twisting and turning passages, built to home thousands of dwarves, now empty, and devoid of any warmth.

The narrow passageway opened up, revealing a chamber filled with stalactites and stalagmites, and the floor covered in a smooth, marble flooring, dust, debris and spiderwebs covering the walls and ceiling.

Clack, Clack...

Maria's heels echoed across the room, reverberating off the walls as they ventured further into the cavernous chamber.

A dark, heavy atmosphere wrapped the group, their eyes spread wide, focused in each direction, towards every moving shadow, enveloped in darkness.

Julian kept his wand raised, his finger resting on the shaft, ready to unleash a blast of magic at any moment.

Fran stood beside him, her hand tightly gripping her bow, her feathers bristling, and her face set in a determined scowl.

Clatter!

There is a sound from above. Dust and debris are falling onto the party, a flickering cloth that was once the banner of the proud Kazzad dwarves.

"..."

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Julian's spine constantly tingled, the danger beyond what he imagined. The monster he spotted, its faint green outline—he was sure of it. They were still alive.

'The goblins... are too high level for me to scan them!'