These last couple of days had been hectic — but great. We were riding a high, and I didn't want to get off. I hadn't even checked how much gold was in the pouch Haron gave us; knowing the exact amount would only make me more impatient for our shopping spree.
Just one more quest and Juniper and I would finally be reunited.
We met the next day to figure out what quest Uri had in mind. He wanted to head back to the Beastarian Kingdom to check the quest board and see what they had available.
He scanned through all the high-paying quests until his finger stopped on one:
(No Limit) Cave Crystals —1 Cave Crystal= 3 Gold
"Into the caves again, huh?" I asked.
Uri nodded, eyes shining.
My dad's a blacksmith, as you probably forgot, so he's taught me a fair bit about ores and mining. Cave crystals weren't like regular ores, and unlike cave mushrooms, they were buried deeper in the ground, but not just in any cave.
For this quest, we'd have to travel to the abandoned mines beneath Claw City. Long ago, a fierce conflict broke out between the Beastarians and the goblins over control of the ores. The Beastarians emerged victorious, forcing the goblins even deeper underground. Since then, goblins have been rarely — if ever — seen. Whether they've gone extinct or something far stranger became of them, no one knows. What I do know is that the mystery has fueled all kinds of conspiracy theories.
For example, some people claim the goblins learned how to shapeshift and are living among the Beastarians right now. Others say a giant cave monster ate them all. And a few believe they simply tunneled into the Wilderness and lived out their days there.
I leaned toward the last theory.
Regardless, we were making good time — mostly because Alva was in a hurry to finish so we could get to that shopping spree.
I wanted Juniper, but I couldn't help wondering what he was so eager to buy.
Claw City was a rugged, mountainous place, its mining district enclosed but riddled with entrances scattered across the cliffs. Most were boarded up, but the area wasn't exactly off-limits — more of a "go at your own risk" situation. That's why the mines were built a safe distance away from the nearest homes.
Most of the copper had probably been mined out years ago, but plenty of cave crystals still remained. They are now used most commonly for their optical properties for tools and the like. At first, people thought they were worthless, but lately they'd become valuable enough that brave miners — and the occasional adventuring party — still ventured inside, though always with heavy caution.
That quest had probably been on the board for a while.
When we stowed the horses and approached the mine entrance, Alva muttered, "I can't believe we're actually going into another cave. This'll be the last one, right, Uri?"
Uri only shrugged, smiling softly. "Could I lead the way this time?" he asked Talos.
Talos swept his hand forward, granting permission. "It's your duty this time." Uri nodded and took point. As we descended into the depths, into the unknown, we would rely on his sharp ears to guide us.
The entrance opened into a vast network of railways and scattered minecarts, remnants of a busier time long past. As we stepped into the darkness, Alva, instead of cowering like last time, was already holding an arrow out toward me, waiting for my glowing enchantment.
No words were needed — we were in sync.
Character development.
The deeper we went, the more mined-out walls and abandoned equipment we passed, and the heavier the silence became. Little was known about the true depths of these mines; few had ever dared to venture this far. I knew, however, that to find cave crystals we had to reach the level where water flowed. I didn't know exactly how far that was — which is why Uri would be the key.
We pressed on, step after step, Uri leading with our glowing arrows lighting the way. We followed whichever tunnels sloped downward, choosing paths as long as they carried us deeper.
Then, Uri raised his hand.
"Spiders," he whispered. "Cave spiders up ahead. They're poisonous — be careful."
Cave spiders weren't your average bugs. They grew to the size of pink crabs, sometimes bigger, which made them nothing to take lightly.
And very disgusting.
As we crept forward, the signs became obvious. Strands of web appeared here and there, faint at first, then thickening into heavy sheets that clung to the walls.
Talos slashed through the webs to clear a path.
We readied ourselves for the inevitable.
Then, without warning, a spider lunged straight at us.
Alva yelped, stumbling back. Talos stepped up, cutting the creature down in a single swift strike.
"You okay?" I asked as Alva's breathing started to calm.
"Yeah," he whispered, still clutching his chest.
We pressed on and soon entered a chamber thick with webs, several paths branching off into darkness. We chose one, and a few minutes in, Uri lifted a hand.
"There's more ahead," he warned.
"I think we should take a different path," I said.
"I agree!" Alva blurted immediately.
"Let's keep going," Talos countered. "This is good combat practice. We can't be afraid of spiders if we're going to face the Orc King."
I guess that was true. Besides, I had antidotes ready just in case.
We pushed deeper. The abandoned mining equipment grew scarcer, and what little remained was cocooned in webs. We hacked our way forward until we finally saw it:
A massive spider nest. Webs strung thick across a cavern, and in the center lurked a hulking queen spider, surrounded by dozens of smaller ones.
We stopped in our tracks, weapons raised, silently weighing how to approach.
Then Alva whispered, "Maybe if we just sneak past, we won't have to—"
Before he could finish, one of the spiders turned toward us and leapt. Uri reacted instantly, cutting it down.
The rest were alerted and began to stir, skittering toward us.
"Here we go!" Talos shouted.
Spider after spider ran to us while the queen sat in the center, watching. We were getting swarmed.
For minutes we hacked away — Uri stabbing one after another, Talos cutting through them, Alva picking them off from a distance.
I changed my mind. We needed to pick up the pace. I had to end this.
"Guys, go back to the cavern!" I shouted, grabbing hold of a web strand.
"What? You sure?" Talos asked, still swinging.
"Yes! Go!" I barked.
They obeyed, retreating, glancing back at me as more spiders closed in. I set the strand ablaze.
The fire spread instantly, racing along the webbing until the entire chamber was lit up in flames. The spiders shrieked and scattered, retreating into a hole in the wall.
Once they fled, I doused the blaze with water and funneled the smoke out.
How's that for combat practice? And before you say that was overkill, let me remind you: they're spiders.
"Well then," Talos said as they reentered. "Let's keep moving."
"Wait. Before we go, is anyone bitten?" I asked.
Everyone checked themselves, then shook their heads.
"Good. Let's keep going."
We made our way into a deeper tunnel, walking in silence for a few minutes before Uri spoke.
"I hear water."
Finally.
We pressed on until the tunnel opened into a wide grotto, an underground river cutting through the stone. Dozens of crystals glittered along the walls around us.
"Yay!" Alva cheered.
I conjured a bag and we started collecting as many crystals as we could. That's when Uri froze, tilting his head.
"There's more movement," he said. "Something deeper in the cave. And it doesn't sound like spiders."
"Uh, you guys don't think the cave monster actually exists, right?" Alva asked.
"No," I said flatly.
"Yeah, me neither," he lied.
Talos tightened his grip on his halberd. "We should check it out."
Talos, I appreciate your unwavering courage, but sometimes I wish you were a little… not.
It wasn't that I doubted we could handle whatever it was. But we were so close to our shopping spree, and honestly? I didn't feel like risking it.
"Uri, this was your quest idea," I said. "Do you want to go?"
He glanced between our faces. I could tell he didn't want to disappoint me or Alva. Still, after a pause, he nodded slowly.
Once we cleared the area of crystals, we ventured deeper and deeper into the tunnels. Uri suddenly stiffened.
"There's more movement," he whispered. "A lot more."
We kept moving for several more minutes until even we could hear it. The sound grew clearer, steady now, somewhere behind the wall ahead of us.
"It's on the other side," Uri said.
I conjured a pickaxe and handed it to Talos — yes, of course I had a pickaxe ready. My dad's a blacksmith!
Talos swung at the wall, strike after strike, until he broke through, opening a hole just wide enough for us to slip through.
And on the other side… we were immediately greeted by a green creature strolling past with both arms full of rocks.
He wore a rugged brown tunic, had pointy ears, snaggle teeth, and a big nose.
A goblin.
He froze. We froze.
"AHHH!" Alva screamed.
"AHHH!" the goblin screamed back.
We all just stared at each other.
"Oh, you're not gonna eat me?" the goblin asked.
"Uh, what? No. You're… friendly?" I said.
"You can talk?" the goblin blinked.
At first I was taken aback. But if they'd really been living here for hundreds of years, it made sense—they'd probably never seen humans before. Maybe not even any creature beyond those of the underground.
It was only then that I noticed what was behind him: an enormous, sprawling civilization of goblins.
So not only were they alive, they were…thriving. Honestly, if I were them, I wouldn't go back up either. It seemed nice down here. They clearly had everything a civilization could need.
Why bother leaving?
I looked at my party and read the same thing on everyone's faces: we should go. This wasn't meant for our eyes.
We slipped back through the hole and sealed it as best we could.
"That was… something," Talos muttered.
"But at least they're not gone," Uri said.
"I guess you're right," I admitted.
"Should we tell people?" Alva asked.
"No. Let's let them live in peace," I said.
"You're right. Plus, we have a shopping spree to get to!" Alva exclaimed.
We made our way back up and out of the cave. We didn't just leave with crystals worth a small fortune in gold — we left with a discovery of a lifetime, one that only we would ever know.
As the daylight hit us, I glanced at Uri. "So… was that quest worth it?"
"More than worth it," he said with a grin.