Fueled by the rage of utter humiliation and a firm resolve to "shop for free," Lin Qingyue kicked open the gate of the goblin's rickety "castle."
BOOM—!
The rotten wooden gate shattered into splinters.
Lin Xiyue followed close behind, shield raised, her breath steady and controlled, already prepared to charge into battle.
However, the moment they crossed the threshold, both sisters froze in place.
The worlds inside and outside the gate were completely different.
Outside was a comical shell of rough logs, foul-smelling mud, and haphazardly patched-together scraps.
Inside, however, was a natural cavern far larger than they could have imagined.
Underfoot was an uneven rock floor, while countless jagged stalactites hung from the ceiling, their tips glistening with water droplets that shimmered faintly.
The natural rock walls were covered in vast patches of strange, softly glowing white moss, casting a deep and mysterious light throughout the cavern.
A wave of cold, damp air washed over them, carrying the distinct, earthy scent of soil and minerals, instantly dispelling the oppressive heat of the dense forest outside.
Even more bizarre was the distorted sense of space.
From the outside, the so-called castle occupied an area no larger than a sizable shack.
Yet the massive cavern before them was spacious enough to hold hundreds of people, surrounded by countless branching tunnels of varying sizes, their dark depths stretching into infinity.
Its scale far exceeded the physical limits observed from the outside!
"What... what is this?"
Lin Xiyue's mouth fell slightly open in astonishment. She reached out to touch the damp, slippery rock wall beside her, feeling its cold, hard surface.
"Outside, it's a beggar's version of an illegal structure, but inside, it's a five-star karst cave scenic area? Complete with space-expanding black technology? How did these green-skinned potatoes manage this?"
Lin Qingyue's brows furrowed tightly.
The rage in her heart had been largely washed away by the bizarre scene, replaced by a sharp, prickling sense of alarm.
She whipped her head around to look back at the entrance—
Where was the crooked wooden gate?
There was only a solid, seamless rock wall, standing cold and impassive, as if their entry had been nothing more than a hallucination.
The "door" they had come through had vanished.
"Sis... the door's gone!" Lin Xiyue noticed it too, her voice instantly tinged with tension. She rushed to the rock wall and slammed her shield against it.
The wall didn't budge an inch.
"What's going on? A Illusory Wall?"
Lin Qingyue strode to the rock wall, a wisp of Holy Light swirling at her fingertip. She pressed it against the stone and slowly slid it across.
The texture, structure, and energy flow were all incredibly real.
"It's not an illusion," she said, withdrawing her hand, her tone becoming unnaturally calm. "The space has been altered, or... we've been teleported somewhere else. That 'door' was just a one-way entrance."
She raised her Pink Staff and tapped it lightly against the wall.
Thud!
The dull thud and the immense recoil that shot up the staff's shaft proved the wall was unimaginably thick.
"Looks like the 'procurement' plan will have to wait," Lin Qingyue's voice turned cold. "The top priority now is to find a way out."
[Ding! Trapped in an unknown mystical space with no exit. Triggering Exploration Quest: "Castle Maze"! Quest Requirement: Explore this area to find an exit or the truth. Quest Reward: Elation Value and random rewards based on exploration completion.]
[Host, finding amusement in the unknown is the true path to Elation! (Though Aha finds your current frustrated expression even more amusing.)]
Lin Qingyue's face remained impassive as she directly muted the System, which clearly enjoyed watching the chaos unfold.
She focused her attention completely on her current surroundings.
The cave was utterly silent, save for the drip... drip... of water falling from the tips of stalactites into puddles, the sound echoing through the vast space.
"Sis, which way now?" Lin Xiyue tightened her grip on her shield, her gaze fixed warily on the deep main tunnel and the branching paths that seemed to swallow the light.
Lin Qingyue crouched down, her eyes scanning the ground.
The rocky floor was covered in a thin layer of damp mud, riddled with chaotic goblin footprints.
Most of the tracks pointed chaotically in the same direction.
"We follow the direction with the most footprints," she decided, rising to her feet.
"A place with frequent goblin activity either holds clues or... it's their nest."
With heightened vigilance, the two cautiously ventured deeper along the main passage.
Smaller caverns occasionally appeared on either side of the tunnel, most of them empty except for piles of moldy hay and animal bones gnawed clean.
The farther they went, the more obvious the signs of artificial excavation became.
Rough carvings began to appear on the rock walls—primitive tally marks or indecipherable graffiti.
The damp mineral scent in the air grew stronger.
After advancing for about ten minutes, a familiar chittering sound drifted faintly from around a corner ahead.
But this sound was much louder and more resonant than the goblins outside.
The sisters exchanged a glance, instantly lightening their steps and lowering their bodies. Like two agile cheetahs, they crept forward in silence.
Rounding a bend lined with stalactites, the view suddenly opened up.
Before them lay an even larger natural cavern.
In the center of the cavern, on a raised natural stone platform, was a small mountain of glittering objects—not just the small shiny flakes and bee stingers they had seen before, but also numerous fragments of gleaming metal, colorful pebbles, and even a few uncut Magic Crystal ores that pulsed with faint energy fluctuations!
However, what truly captured their attention were the creatures gathered around the stone platform.
They still had green skin, pointed ears, and large noses.
They were still goblins.
But these goblins were completely different from their ragged, club-and-bone-wielding kin outside!
Their builds were noticeably more robust, with knotted muscles, and their eyes glinted with a fierce cunning.
They wore hardened leather armor that, while simple, was clearly of superior craftsmanship, reinforced at vital points with polished bone fragments or metal plates.
They no longer wielded ragged wooden clubs, but instead carried gleaming shortswords, sharpened iron handaxes, and some even had crude crossbows slung across their backs!
Their movements also displayed a discipline (relatively speaking) that the goblins outside completely lacked.
The wristband immediately transmitted information:
[Forest Goblin Guard Lv. 20-23]
[Points: 40/each]
[Traits: Elite warriors of the goblin tribe. Relatively well-equipped, possess basic tactical coordination. Mathematical ability may have improved to within 10 (unconfirmed).]
[Note: Still goblins, but goblins with iron and goblins without are two different species.]
Dozens of these Goblin Guards were gathered around the stone platform.
Though still chattering noisily, they weren't fighting over the treasure. Instead, they surrounded an exceptionally "tall" Goblin Chieftain wearing a helmet inlaid with the largest Magic Crystal shard, seemingly awaiting orders.
The Goblin Chieftain (Lv. 25) was brandishing a visibly heavy steel warhammer, barking out commands as spittle flew everywhere.
At the far end of the cavern hall, a natural stone staircase led upward.
At the top of the stairs stood a massive, incredibly thick metal door, tightly shut and secured with a crude but sturdy giant lock.
"Looks like the treasure—and the exit—are behind that door," Lin Qingyue whispered, her gaze turning grim.
These Goblin Guards were nothing like the cannon fodder outside that she could one-shot with her staff.
Just then, the Goblin Chieftain's speech seemed to conclude.
It waved its warhammer impatiently, and the Goblin Guards immediately stirred, breaking off into small groups. Some headed toward the branching tunnels, while others remained on guard.
The sharp eyes of several goblins were already scanning the shadows around the cavern hall with suspicion.
"We can't fight them head-on," Lin Qingyue decided instantly. "There are too many, and their levels are no lower than ours. The terrain is complex, too. If they scatter and flee, even my Summon Heroic Spirit won't be able to finish them all."
Lin Xiyue observed the scene and whispered, "This place is like one of those 'dungeon' instances from the books—a Sub-Dungeon within a Dungeon. It probably has multiple levels. We're likely... on the first floor right now."
Lin Qingyue nodded. She pulled her sister behind a massive stalactite, completely concealing their figures.
Her eyes were cold and focused, like a top predator stalking its prey.
"We'll hide first and wait for them to scatter."
"Then we'll pick them off one by one."
"Whether we're looking for the exit or uncovering this place's secrets... these annoying green potatoes need to be cleared out first."