The Achievement Junkie

"All bow for Grangor, the shadow goblin chief!"

Going with the flow, Jack, Bowzer, Tralon, and Argyle all lowered their heads in respect for the goblin chief.

"You may stand. That way we can talk like men." The party stood as the aging goblin rose from his seat and walked toward them. "You're humans indeed, but why have you come here? How have you come here?"

Jack was the one to step forward. "What matters most is that our reasons for entering this dungeon lie on the eleventh floor. However, I would like to offer our help to you and your people, Grangor."

"Your help? And what help would that be?"

"That depends on what you and your people want, but we came here mercifully to make peace with you, not destroy you," reasoned Jack. "My friend Argyle is over lv. 70, so surely you wouldn't underestimate our abilities, since you're only lv. 66, Grangor."

Grangor squinted, appearing neither mad nor happy. "And if we sought your aid, what would you ask in return?"

"I would ask to keep a friendly relationship, even to remain allies if you were willing. And forgive me for asking, but how old are you Grangor?" Jack asked.

"Hmmm…" The goblin chief itched his scraggly chin in thought. "I'm near the end of my life, approaching six hundred years of age this decade."

"And what are your intentions for your tribe? You obviously know you're in a dungeon, but what do you plan to do about it?"

"We'd like to escape, but that's impossible."

"Is it now…" Jack chuckled. "Chief, can we speak with you alone? If it would make you feel better, it can be only us two."

"Guards, leave this place be. We'll chat in private, as I believe there is something special behind this man's confidence," Grangor shouted as he eaves off his reluctant guards. "And your friends may stay also, I wouldn't want one of my men to accidentally anger any of them while we chatted."

Both Argyle and Tralon gave a grin of approval, acknowledging the insight of the old goblin chief. Bowzer smiled too, happy he could be included and not set aside.

With resistance, the guards were shooed away by Grangor, leaving the goblin chief alone with the four-man party. "So, I presume that you'll be making me an offer or telling me more about your connection with this dungeon now that we're alone. Am I wrong to assume so?"

Jack sighed and smiled at the same time. "Since you've been in this place your whole life, you're not entirely sure of all the things that happened outside of this dungeon. In a way, it actually preserved your race."

"Oh?"

"While you've been in here, there was a war of the gods and the decline of ancient heroes," Jack explained. "There are still heroes, but their summoned and not as powerful. I'm a summoned hero that came from the time of ancient heroes. Also, I happen to know everything about this dungeon."

"Please, explain more about the dungeon and your offer to help us get out of it," replied Grangor.

Jack nodded. "I'm going to be honest with you. Long ago before I was summoned to this time, I was the one who captured your ancestors and put them in this dungeon, the dungeon I created."

"Hmmm… That's why you didn't want the others to hear your story."

"I've nothing against shadow goblins. If I had, then I would've killed your ancestors instead of placing them here," Jack continued. "And though your people may have been forced to grow within a less hospitable place like the outside world, you did manage to avoid the extinction of your race."

"Our extinction?" Grangor looked carefully into Jack's eyes. "Please explain."

"The modern world knows nothing of your kind. There's only one shadow goblin remaining according to my knowledge and she's a member of my usual party. But I didn't bring my usual party here as they were too weak. Lucky for her and your race, your tribe has grown and survived in a place sealed away since ancient times."

"Hmmm… That's fortunate indeed."

Jack paused for a moment. "So… Do you forgive me for placing your ancestors within the confines of an inescapable dungeon?"

"Yes, I do." Grangor smiled and nodded. "I don't see why I shouldn't believe you, and the fact that you're here discussing this with me is a good sign. But if you really want us to be free of this dungeon, then what will you do to us after we've exited?"

"I… I'm not completely sure," Jack stated. "But I would like to help you and your people live outside. It may nor be able to happen immediately as we still need to prepare a few things before we reintroduce you to the outside world."

"Alright, but how do you plan to get us out of here?" Grangor questioned. "We've sent many warriors over the years to try ad conquer the dungeon, yet even when we sent a small army no one ever returned victoriously."

"That explains why your civilization is so small. By now, I was expecting hundreds or even thousands of shadow goblins to here."

"Sadly, that isn't reality. We're barely two hundred strong if we include the young, which is terrible considering our races great lifespan."

Jack nodded. "Right… But either way, you won't have to worry about trying to clear this dungeon. We'll take care of that. However, there is something we must do."

"And that is?"

"A few powerful men will be following us into this dungeon and we want to make sure that they don't attack you and your people. How do you propose we do that?"

"Grangor looked to Tralon, the wisest looking of Jack's party. "Are we able to fight them?"

"No." Tralon shook his head. "We wish to lure those men to the tenth floor, so we can't make contact with them till that time. How adept are you and your people at illusion magic?"

"We're quite capable, but do you think those powerful men will fall for our tricks?"

Stroking his beard, Tralon thought hard about it. "That depends. If we leave them to their own devices, there's a chance you'll be discovered. But if we make a strong enough diversion, then we'll lead them on."

"A diversion? What do you recommend?" Grangor asked.

"Well…" Jack answered. "I have an idea, but your people aren't going to like it."

"So long as you can guarantee the safety of my people, our exit from the dungeon, and our prosperity in the outside world, then I'll convince them."

"You're not against me supporting your tribe after you escape here?" Jack asked.

Grangor shook his head. "We lack all knowledge about the current outside world. And if you had lied about what occurred outside, that doesn't mean we know it any better. What we would need more than anything is a knowledgeable, reliable partner to guarantee our prosperity and security."

"Than consider my assistance here as an offer to ally with myself, my guild, and my country." Jack smiled, happily holding out his hand.

Grangor's wrinkled hands clasped around Jack's hand. "Thank you, kind sir. What's your name?"

"Oh yeah! My name is Jack. That's Bowzer over there and these two friends of mine are Tralon and Argyle," Jack introduced the party, glad to see that the old goblin chief was humble and a good listener.

"Now, tell me your plan to aid my people in avoiding these other men."

"We'll have your people flee to the outer edges of the floor and leave the city in flames."

"Oh… That… could work, I guess…" baffled by Jack's idea, Grangor listened carefully for more.

"We've already wiped out the entire third floor and exterminated the jakals, so if those men come here to find the city in flames, it wouldn't surprise them. Most likely, they would think that we had already moved on to the next floor."

"You've exterminated the jakals?!"

"Yeah, it didn't take long," Jack laughed.

Grangor's face twisted slightly. The jakals were one of the biggest deterrents of the shadow goblins, always overwhelming them with outstanding numbers, so having a party of four claim that they exterminated the jakals entirely was hard for Grangor to swallow.