37 Dungeon of Greed [Part 1]

"Master, the coast is clear."

"Good. Let's go."

Abbie and Alex snuck around the maze of the first floor of the Dungeon of Greed. They had no intention of having a full confrontation with dozens of goblins at the same time. The mission of the tutorial was to reach the third floor of the dungeon and touch the dungeon core. It didn't mention anything about fighting goblins or the likes.

Since that was the case, Abbie and Alex decided to play it safe and focused on reaching the third floor instead of fighting the inhabitants of the dungeon.

"Master, there are two goblins ahead," Alex reported. "What do we do?"

Abbie knew that it was impossible to reach their destination without fighting the goblins, so she was prepared to fight.

"You take the left one, I'll take the right," Abbie said as she gripped her wooden bat. "Knock them out or disable them, but don't kill them. Do you understand?"

Alex nodded his head and unsheathed Durandal from its scabbard. "Understood, Master."

If possible, Abbie didn't want Alex to kill unless absolutely necessary. She came from a peaceful world and the very idea of killing made her stomach churn. Alex made her realize that "Edea" was as real as it gets. Although she didn't mind beating the goblins half dead, killing them was something she would only do as a last resort.

"Now!" Abbie ordered.

The two dashed out from their hiding place and locked on to their targets. After Alex received his stat and skill points his strength doubled and he was now as strong as an adult man. He brandished Durandal and easily disarmed the goblin with one blow. Afterward, he used the flat of his sword to hit its head, knocking it unconscious.

Abbie, on the other hand, gave the goblin a surprise when she delivered a roundhouse kick that made it fly a few meters in the air. The poor goblin hit the cave wall and dropped down with a thud. Alex approached the fallen goblin to check if it was still breathing. A few seconds later he gave his master the thumbs up, which meant that the goblin was still breathing.

The two didn't waste any more time and dashed towards the stairs that might lead them to the second floor of the dungeon. Since the dungeon was not yet mapped, they were practically walking blindly.

Abbie had a surprised look on her face as they emerged into what seemed to be a vast forest. The clock on her GGS App told her that it was thirty minutes past midnight in the world of Edea. Two giant moons illuminated the night sky. One was blue, the other purple. It was a marvelous sight. A sight that you would never see on Earth.

"Master, I think we made a mistake," Alex wrinkled his nose at the scene before his eyes. "The stairs weren't leading to the second floor of the dungeon. It was leading to its exit."

"Alex, is this really your world?" Abbie asked. Although she already knew the answer, she wanted to make sure. Deep down she was internally screaming "I finally arrived in a fantasy world!"

Alex smiled before placing a hand over his chest. He then bowed in a knightly manner. "Master, I welcome you to Edea."

Abbie clapped her hands in excitement. But before she could say something, she suddenly remembered one important thing. 'Um? Wasn't Edea supposed to open twenty plus days from now? How come I'm already here?'

The chubby girl was confused. To clear her doubt, she opened the contact list on her I-Foam and called Alice. The call immediately connected and she heard the familiar voice at the other end of the line.

"I know what you're going to ask," Alice cut Abbie off before she could even ask her questions.

"The only thing I can tell you right now is that you've entered through the backdoor. However, you can only stay there for a maximum of seven days. On the seventh day, you will automatically be kicked out of the world and return here to Earth. Also, don't tell anyone that you entered the backdoor or else I'll get in trouble!"

"Understood." Abbie sighed. "It's a shame I can't explore this world yet."

"You don't need to rush. There will be plenty of opportunities once the world officially opens. By then, you can travel to your heart's content. For now, focus on reaching the deepest part of the dungeon and touch the dungeon core."

"Understood," Abbie replied. "See you in a few days."

Abbie ended the call and stared at the beautiful night sky. Alice was right. For now, she needed to help Alex clear the tutorial.

"Alex, we're going back inside the dungeon."

"Understood, Master."

-----

Somewhere on the third floor of the Dungeon of Greed…

A goblin that was six-foot-tall looked seriously at the crystal ball in its hand. It was wearing a long blue cape that reached the back of its knees and a pointy blue hat sat comfortably on its head. It was the goblin shaman Fro Fro.

Unlike the goblins that Abbie and Alex encountered on the first floor of the dungeon, Fro Fro had more refined features and looked almost like a human. If not for his green skin and slightly pointy ears, no one would be able to tell the difference.

The Goblin Shaman was surrounded by thirty Hobgoblins who were only a head shorter than him. They were carrying various weapons like swords, spears, and bows. Unlike the regular goblins, they were the main fighting force within the Dungeon of Greed.

They were waiting for Fro Fro's order to capture the intruders. It was the first time that someone entered their territory and they were itching for a fight. Fro Fro's green eyes stared at the crystal with an amused expression. He watched as Abbie and Alex fought off the goblins that they found along the way.

Those goblins didn't matter to him because the Dungeon would replace them once they died. However, the intruders didn't kill any of them. This caught Fro Fro's interest. Since he was a monster born from the dungeon, it knew from instinct that in this world only the strong survive.

Mercy was not something you bestowed upon your enemy, and yet, the two individuals inside his crystal ball were doing just that.

"Interesting," Fro Fro said as his green eyes glowed in anticipation. He was looking forward to seeing how far his "guests" could go inside his dungeon.