NOVEL NEXT Chapter 199 – Theories
"It is a Stable Breach, as you surmised," Mage Teft told Damion. "And it has been recently cleared. What do you think happened?"
"Maybe the goblins cleared it so they could leave," Damion guessed.
"Leave? To where would the goblins have gone?"
"Back to wherever it is they come from."
"Are you saying they are not Demonic Beasts, native to Breaches?"
"I've been wondering about that," Damion answered. "While I was waiting for you I did some research on breaches and the appearance of goblins in them. Most of the time, they only appear in Unstable and Semi-Stable Breaches. On the rare occasion that goblins appear in a dungeon, it is almost always only in the first clear."
*Ding*
{Hidden Quest Revealed.}
[Quest: Discover the Origin of Goblins]
[Description: The appearance of goblins in dungeons and labyrinths is inconsistent with Demonic Beasts created by dungeon cores. Seek out the truth of the origin of Goblins.]
[Reward: 1,000 Experience, 100,000 Store Credit]
When Damion read the information on the new quest he was more surprised the quest had just popped up now. He had been considering the inconsistences of goblins since coming out of the dungeon. Did the quest only appear because he voiced his questions out loud?
"And do you have a theory to explain your observations?"
"I think that goblins, and those other races you mentioned before, are not Demonic Beasts, but beings like us that go into Breaches in search of materials. Perhaps whatever world they come from, the Breaches appear there as well and sometimes they overlap with our world."
"Quite the idea you have there," complimented Mage Teft. "Though, if I am being honest, you aren't the first to have it. Your theory, like all the others, is difficult to prove."
"Has anyone ever tried to talk to the goblins or the other races?"
"Not anyone that has lived to tell the tale," Mage Teft answered. "In ages past, there are records of some researchers attempting to find goblins to speak to. But as far as I am aware, those all ended in disaster. No one has attempted communication in a very long time."
"What about the goblins in labyrinths? They appear their consistently. Why are labyrinths different?"
"Growth Breaches by their natures are different from other types of Breaches, for one, they never become unstable and spew Demonic Beasts everywhere, even when not cleared. Perhaps the goblins there are trapped, unable to escape because they can't reach the exit or destroy a core?"
"But if they aren't Demonic Beasts, how do they get recreated by the labyrinth?"
"All very good questions and while I encourage you to find the truth, do so carefully. Goblins and the other races are not known for their tolerance of humans. There are very few encounters recorded that do not result in the death of one party or the other, be it in dungeon, labyrinth or goblins that make it to our world through a beast wave."
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Damion could not help but think of his encounter with the goblins in the labyrinth. He had neglected to mention to the Justiciar about his interaction with those goblins, aside from luring them to the people trying to kill him.
"I think our best chance to learn the truth would be to communicate with the goblins directly. You mentioned goblins arriving with beast waves. I remember a number of goblins in the beast wave at Saung. Do goblins always attack with the Demonic and Ferocious Beasts?"
"If they are expelled from Breaches then they attack with the Demonic and Ferocious Beasts."
"Do creatures in a beast wave ever attack each other?"
"No. After a beast wave is broken, meaning the strongest of the Demonic Beasts are killed, then the remaining Demonic and Ferocious Beasts behave more as one would expect and either flee or attack each other."
"That sounds like they are being controlled," Damion said as he weighed the possibilities.
If creatures expelled from Unstable Breaches to cause a beast wave were controlled by someone or something else, then it seemed perhaps the goblins and the Demonic Beasts and Ferocious Beasts might not be the greatest threat to Nerotath out there.
"The other races you mentioned before, the Iblis and the Alfar, have they ever been part of a beast wave?" Damion asked.
"No. Those races have only ever been encountered in A and S Rank Breaches. Do you have any other questions? If not, then I will contact the local patrol so they can contain this Breach."
"I want to go back in," Damion told her.
"You want to me to let you go into a C Rank dungeon alone?"
"I've already been in there once. And I think all the Demonic Beasts inside are Ice affinity. I should be fine."
"No. It is too dangerous to go alone. Even for you. If there are multiple champions at C Rank or if the guardian is a peak C Rank, you will be in danger."
"I'll take another C Rank with me then, is that okay?"
Mage Teft eyed Damion closely for a moment. She sensed a trap in his words, but she did not know how he was going to spring it.
"Your companion will need to get here within the hour, otherwise I have no choice but to call the local patrol."
"That's great, Phil, let's go," Damion said hopping to his feet.
"Phil? I thought you meant a C Rank person. You can't take a Ferocious Beast into a dungeon."
"But I already did before."
"Fine," Mage Teft said exasperated. "But if you don't come out within the hour, I'm calling the patrol. And if they happen on the dungeon before then, there is nothing I can do to stop them from going in themselves."
"Don't worry. I should be fine. Oh, since I'm clearing this dungeon myself and it doesn't belong to anyone, I get to keep everything I find right?"
"Yes. If you had a containment unit, you could actually claim the entire dungeon for yourself to sell to the school or Argentum. But since you don't and since I don't either, the local patrol will take custody of it for either Argentum or the closest town, Levande, I think, and you will get paid a small finder's fee, like you were for the Aerico dungeon."
"How much do containment units cost?" Damion could not help but ask.
"You could trade one of your spatial rings for one."
The idea sounded feasible to Damion. He did not need a spatial artifact, not since he had the Magic System Inventory and now his own Spatial affinity. It was prudent for him to keep one of them; to maintain the illusion he was using the spatial artifact when he stored or brought things out, but he could part with one of them.
"They cost that much?"
"Not really, but the Adventurer Association and the ruling councils of the White Zones don't like too many people to have them. The price is so high to prevent people from doing what you are thinking of doing, getting your own private dungeon."
Damion did not try to deny the accusation. Even without knowing what was in the dungeon, he could still easily make a lot of money by selling access. And if all the Demonic Beasts inside were in fact Ice affinity, it would not raise questions with anyone if he hoarded their cores. People would think he was absorbing the mana from them, but he wanted the cores for when he got the Magic System to the next level, and he could convert magic cores to credits.
"You can't really fault a person for trying," Damion smiled as he walked towards the dungeon portal. "See you in a bit."