Arin and Kael did not linger in the streets for long. The exhaustion that had followed them since the destruction of the goblin camp was no longer something they could ignore—it had settled deep into their bodies, heavy and persistent, dulling even Kael's usual energy. Without exchanging more than a glance, they turned toward the one place that offered something close to rest: the small, unremarkable shop they had stayed in before.
The sign—Miscellaneous Items—hung exactly as it had the first time they saw it, plain and forgettable, almost deliberately so. But now, after everything they had learned, both of them understood the truth behind that simplicity. Places like this did not stand out because they were not meant to. In a world like this, survival often belonged to what remained unnoticed.
They stepped inside, and the faint chime of the bell echoed softly through the dim interior. The shop greeted them with the same quiet stillness, shelves cluttered with objects that looked ordinary but carried an unspoken weight, as if each item had a story tied to survival—or failure.
Behind the counter, the shopkeeper lifted his gaze the moment they entered. His sharp eyes immediately took in their condition: the dust, the faint traces of blood, the exhaustion hidden beneath composure. He studied them for a moment before speaking.
"...Back already."
Kael smirked faintly despite his fatigue. "Yeah. Miss us?"
The man ignored the remark entirely, his attention lingering on them just a second longer before he spoke again.
"…You survived longer than most."
Arin stepped forward, cutting through the exchange without hesitation. "We need a room. Ten days."
The shopkeeper's expression remained neutral, but there was a subtle shift in his gaze—interest, perhaps. "That'll cost you."
Without a word, Arin reached into his pocket and placed a small pile of black crystals on the counter. The faint gleam of soul shards reflected the dim light of the shop.
"One hundred."
For a brief moment, silence filled the space between them. The shopkeeper's eyes dropped to the shards, then returned to Arin's face. Something unspoken passed through his expression before he gave a small nod.
"…Upstairs. Same corridor."
No more questions were asked. No unnecessary words were exchanged. The transaction was complete.
They moved immediately.
The room upstairs was unchanged—simple, functional, and devoid of comfort. Two narrow beds stood against opposite walls, a small wooden table rested near the corner, and a basin filled with cold water sat quietly beside it. The walls were bare, offering nothing but shelter from the outside world.
For now, that was enough.
Kael let out a long breath as he stepped inside, dropping his greatsword against the wall with a dull thud. "Yeah… I'm done."
Arin said nothing. He moved with quiet efficiency, setting his things aside before washing away the dirt and blood. The cold water helped clear his senses, but it did nothing to erase what they had done. Those memories lingered, sharp and intact.
When they finished, silence settled naturally between them.
Kael dropped onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "First real hunt… and we wiped out half a forest."
Arin sat across from him, his expression calm but distant. "Not enough."
Kael let out a tired laugh, shaking his head. "You're insane."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Kael suddenly sat up, as if remembering something important.
"…Oh. The video."
He opened his status window and quickly navigated through it until he found the recording—the cliff, the camp, the portal, the destruction. For a brief moment, he hesitated.
Then he adjusted the settings.
Anonymous. No faces. No identifiers.
"…Let's see what people think," he muttered, before uploading it.
Somewhere far beyond the Tower, the video would appear without context—without explanation. Just raw, undeniable power.
Kael closed the window and lay back again, exhaling slowly. "Alright… now I'm done."
Arin didn't respond.
He was already asleep.
Sleep took them both quickly—deep, heavy, and uninterrupted.
Far beyond the Tower, in a place filled with noise, laughter, and the careless comfort of those not currently fighting for survival, the video began to play.
It appeared inside a crowded inn, where climbers gathered to drink and watch the endless stream of content broadcast from within the Tower. The atmosphere was loud, filled with clinking mugs and overlapping voices.
Another video ended.
A new one began.
"…Floor one?" someone muttered, barely glancing at the screen. "Skip it. Nobody watches trash from the first floor."
A few others agreed.
"…Yeah, change it."
But someone leaned back lazily, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "Wait. Let it play. Might be funny."
The video continued.
At first, no one paid attention. Two figures stood on a cliff overlooking a goblin camp. It looked ordinary. Predictable.
"…What are they gonna do? Throw rocks?" someone scoffed.
A few chuckled.
Then the air shifted.
The distortion began.
The portal formed.
Slowly, the noise inside the inn began to fade as more eyes turned toward the screen. Conversations died mid-sentence. Laughter disappeared.
"…Wait…"
"…What is that…?"
No one spoke after that.
Because what followed did not make sense.
The portal opened.
The world stilled.
And then—
Destruction.
Water. Pressure. Erasure.
By the time the video ended, the entire inn had fallen silent.
"…That's fake," someone finally said, though his voice lacked conviction.
Another shook his head slowly. "…You can't fake that."
"…Not from the first floor."
A third leaned forward, eyes narrowed.
"…Then what the hell was that?"
No one had an answer.
But everyone remembered it.
Back inside the Tower, Kael slept.
But his mind did not rest.
It wandered—twisting into something absurd, something entirely his own.
In his dream, Kael was a goblin.
Not just any goblin—no, in his mind, he was clearly the most important goblin in existence. Short, green, and undeniably ugly, yet somehow convinced of his own greatness, he strutted through a shabby goblin village with his chest puffed out.
"…Yeah," Dream-Kael muttered proudly, "I run this place."
No one agreed.
In fact, most goblins were actively avoiding him.
One even tripped while trying to escape.
Kael pointed dramatically. "That's right. Fear me."
The goblin simply ran faster.
"…Rude."
As he continued his self-proclaimed reign, he spotted something unusual—a smaller goblin, cleaner than the rest, wandering around like a lost tourist.
Kael narrowed his eyes.
"…Definitely rich."
Without a hint of subtlety, he followed him.
Then, without warning, he slammed one hand against a wall next to the smaller goblin, attempting an intimidating pose that failed almost immediately.
"…Hand over your gold."
The small goblin blinked.
"…I'm the goblin prince."
Kael froze.
"…Wait… what?"
The goblin prince puffed his chest proudly. "You dare threaten royalty?!"
Kael slowly looked around.
No guards.
No witnesses.
A grin spread across his face.
"…You know what," he said casually, cracking his knuckles, "that actually makes this better."
What followed was unnecessarily dramatic.
Thunder appeared out of nowhere. Lightning struck. Music that didn't exist somehow played in the background.
"YOU SHOULD'VE BROUGHT SECURITY!" Kael shouted for absolutely no reason.
The scene cut abruptly.
Inside a massive goblin castle, the Goblin King stood in all his exaggerated glory as a guard rushed in.
"…MY KING!"
"…What is it?"
"…THE PRINCE—HE'S—HE'S—"
"…Speak."
"…HE'S BEEN—VERY BRUTALLY KILLED!"
Silence.
The king slowly stood, aura exploding, wind somehow blowing indoors.
"…Who did this?"
"…We… don't know."
A long pause followed before the king's voice dropped, cold and absolute.
"…Then erase them all."
Moments later, the village descended into chaos.
Fire. Screams. Complete destruction.
And in the middle of it—
Kael.
Casually eating.
"…Damn," he muttered, watching everything unfold. "This escalated fast."
Another goblin ran past him screaming. One exploded for no clear reason.
Kael blinked.
"…Good thing I went out for a walk."
He took another bite.
"…Could've been me."
Then he nodded seriously.
"…Yeah. Tough luck for them."
Back in reality, Kael shifted slightly in his sleep, a faint smirk forming on his face.
"…I'm built different…"
And outside, beyond the barrier—
The night continued to watch.