A BROKEN PROMISE
A while ago.
[The Dungeon Guardian "Grizzly Owl Bear" (B) has been killed]
Anastasia was close to the dungeon's heart when the notice came. She halted for a moment as curiosity flooded her head. She tried to come up with possible species that had killed the guardian.
"Was it the draconian? Or the demons?", Anastasia brought up the species that was leaking danger for her.
She couldn't wait but verify her speculations and witness the species up close. In an instant, she drifted to the dungeon depths.
However, she came to an abrupt halt as a dazzling golden glow filled the sky on her back. It pricked commotion that was not inferior to the commotion over the dungeon guardian's death.
It was a firework!
Most of the participants witnessed the foreign mesmerizing light. Their eyes dazzled with their sparkly colors.
No matter how mesmerizing it might be, Anastasia was filled with worries upon seeing the glow. She knew in an instant that it was a signal sent by Han Seo Yeon.
"Something happened", Anastasia squinted her eyes as she twisted her body and then head back.
Golden streaks sparked in her feet, scarring the trees with electrifying trails. Anastasia was swift as she traveled through the dungeon.
Her speed was no less than draconian.
In no time, a wide stretch of razed trees filled her sight. The rotten and metallic scent of blood was strong and the air was bleak.
A pile of [Owl Bears] littered on the ground, lifeless.
Blood gushed out from their flattened heads, splattering to the rocky patches as Anastasia stepped on them, apathetic.
"J-- just what happened here?", Anastasia was surging with worries.
She skimmed through the area until finally, beside the isolated corpse of [Owl Bear] Han Seo Yeon was on his knees, panting for air.
He bathed in rotten blood with claw marks scarring his large physique here and there. The lacerations were deep and broad. Severed blood vessels were excreting red fluid extensively.
It was a miracle that Han Seo Yeon had managed to remain alive despite the fatal damages.
"H--Han Seo Yeon", Anastasia covered her agape mouth. Abruptly, she tended to Han Seo Yeon, doing whatever she could.
She scanned the surroundings for a piece of cloth. But there was nothing.
She tore the coatings of the owlbears but it was too shaggy.
She stood then sat aimlessly. Apparently, her head was clouded with worries. She couldn't calm her thoughts.
The waterfalls of blood were just too hard to be stopped all at once. Anastasia, in panic, took a cloth from her inventory to bandage the cuts somehow. However, the sluggish grip of Han Seo Yeon halted her.
In a meek voice, he stammered.
"G--girth, save him", Han Seo Yeon breathed in between.
He knew that he could last longer than it seems. His gashes wasnt the urgent matter at hand.
Hearing his word, Anastasia recalled that Girth was nowhere to be seen. She was just too disoriented to notice.
Immediately, she asked.
"Where is he?"
Han Seo Yeon was logy as he pointed to the trap in the distance. It had a [Random Teleportation Trap] mark on its cover that was too small to notice.
"Save him...", Han Seo Yeon stammered and then tried to catch his breath.
Anastasia pulled a red blanket from her inventory and bandaged the wounds of the reluctant Han Seo Yeon. Then, she quickened toward the trap and gradually figured out the situation.
"Girth, where are you?", Anastasia asked in the void.
Assisting Han Seo Yeon inside a hollowed tree, Anastasia shortly swifted aimlessly into the dungeon in the hope that she would miraculously find Girth.
Looking at the remaining time, she knew she couldn't bother concealing her power anymore. Golden hues filled the surroundings as Anastasia completely turned into thunder.
*rumble*
The dungeon rumbled at the descent of the Thunder God.
[Remaining time: 43 minutes]
----
On the other hand, the goblins relaxed in the outskirts, far from the upheaval inside the dungeon.
They had already secured enough items to save themselves from ranking bottom.
They were idle in the outskirts which was rather pleasant. The warmth of the daybreak pervaded the air, soothing their fatigued physiques. The sun was up and the foggy end of the dungeon was before them.
Krok took out several dried meats and drinks from his inventory and laid them on the rocky patches. The younger goblins were amazed by the exquisite drink that Krok had pulled out.
These goblins were just easily amazed by whatever Krok does.
Eagerly, the goblins wolfed down the lavish meats before them, chatting and enjoying the moments in wait for the end of the examination.
Kriks initiated the conversation.
"Say, brother, what will we do after this examination? Kri?"
"Of course, we will continue to get stronger, together, kri!", Krok answered.
"Kri! Together!"
"Yay! Can we eat more foods like this, brother? kri?"
"Of course, I won't let you all eat the leftovers of others anymore. Okay? We will eat as much as our stomach can handle, kri!"
"Yay! More foods! kri!"
"Then what about our bed? Our house? Can we stay in the barracks, brother? Kri??"
"Kri! We can stay there or maybe the academy will provide us with a more decent house"
"kri? The one with foams?"
"Kri! Kri! The one with foams!"
"Yay! We do not have to sleep on the ground anymore! Kri!"
Amidst the chatters, Kriks cut off.
"Brother, will you also stop doing evil deeds? kri?", Kriks was reluctant to witness Krok doing further evils.
Curving his lips downwards, Krok glanced at Kriks. He stood and walked toward the small goblin. Then, he patted his head...
"Kri! If that will bring back the smile to your face, then I will, kri?!", Krok had made up his mind. His heart couldn't handle seeing the remorseful Kriks. It ached him.
The small goblin smiled from ear to ear at Krok's words. He was in bliss at knowing that his brother would finally wash his hands off evil deeds.
Hugging the taller figure of Krok, Kriks was drowned with tears of joy.
"Kri! Thank you, brother", Kriks wailed under the warm embrace of his brother.
The other goblins also stood and then similarly embraced Krok. The salty scent of tears wafted in the scenic sweet view.
Patting their backs, Krok steeled.
"Kri, From now on, we will no longer have to do evil... I promise", Krok reassured.
They were now safe in this examination since Girth and Felix both had zero mana crystals. It was just too impossible for them to collect enough crystals with the little time remaining.
Krok once more opened the ranking to look through their hard-earned efforts of struggling just to acquire mana crystals.
He was all glad to have collected enough crystals for each of them. However, the moment his eyes landed on the bottom part of the ranking, his heart skipped a beat at what he saw.
[Rank 753: Girth Libra (10 mana crystal) (+256)
....
...
Rank 795: Alab Lukeford (9 mana crystal) (+186)
Rank 796: Felix Malekith (9 mana crystal) (+185)
....
...
Rank 957: Krok (3 mana crystal) (-7)
Rank 958: Kreka (3 mana crystal) (-2)
Rank 959: Kroka (3 mana crystal) (-2)
Rank 960: Kraks (3 mana crystal) (-2)
Rank 961: Kriks (3 mana crystal) (-2)]
[Remaining time: 1 second]
The ranking had changed!
"KRI?!"
Krok couldn't think of any more solution.
Kraks and Kriks were bound to die.
A human emerged from the nearby hollow tree. She thought that everything was finally over.
Kroks decisively plunged in.
His palm touched the woman and then her mana crystals dropped.
Krok similarly emptied his inventory.
Then...
The system notification filled their sight.
[You are among the bottom two in the ranking.]
[Punishment will be sanctioned]
[You are deprived of your rights to your life...]
Their bodies glowed with white hues as a tear fell from Krok's eyes.
Gladness imprinted on his face.
His younger brothers had survived...
It was just sad that he wouldn't be with there anymore.
But that didn't matter.
Their safety mattered the most. Even beyond his own life.
Krok was not able to utter his last words as his body glowed.
Then, the light subsided. The woman and Krok were nowhere to be found.
In their place, two items were at...
"Kri? Brother? Where are you?"
---
(AN: Krok was supposed to have a little moment to bid his farewell but the story went astray and this is what happened. He wasn't able to leave a single word to the other goblins before he turned into an item :<