The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 186 Lighthouse and Hope (4.3k)

"They've gone, my friend. Can you still stand up?"

"No, no, I have no strength left. Let me rest for a while."

"Okay, maybe I should lie down too."

Lin Buge threw down his longsword and collapsed to the ground.

The gravel under my back was a bit irritating, but the ground was soft like mud. Lying under the dark forest floor, my breathing was filled with the fragrance of grass.

"I can't see anything clearly, and I'm still stuck with these damned things for so long..."

The man beside him tried to raise his voice in complaint, but exhausted, his voice only sounded tired and hoarse.
"Damn it? They're already dead! Goblins are clearly a cowardly, cunning, and despicable race. They'd let out a 'caw caw' when they're attacking, they'd never be so silent and so resolute..."

Lin Buge asked, "You can't see anything in the dark, so why did you think it was a goblin?"

"I know these greenskins better than anyone else in my life. I know them so well that I know exactly how many times they plant each day on average—I used to be a member of the Goblin Slayer."

Why "in the past"?

"Because we ran into a group of dragonblood lizardmen in the deep well. We've only ever encountered goblins, nobody's ever seen those things before—"

In the end, one had a limb amputated and the other became paralyzed. After I and another person carried them both out, we went our separate ways.

Haven't you considered recruiting two more people?

"Come on, how could those adventurers who haven't struggled in small places possibly know the value of goblins?"
Although they are small and cunning creatures, their dry, slender flesh is incredibly valuable.

Soak goblin meat in sheep urine and sell it in the market like mutton; you can earn about 30 gold coins per trip!
But doing this in Longjin City is illegal. If you get caught, the prison food won't taste as good as goblin meat..."

"So you went into the deep well all by yourself?"

"It was originally a hastily assembled team. When darkness fell, we were caught off guard and the team fell apart as we walked."

"You're lucky. Unlike me, I was robbed by my teammates when darkness fell. They stole my gear and then kicked me out—"

The sword I'm holding now was something I accidentally picked up from someone's corpse.

"How much do they hate you that they didn't even leave you a weapon?"

"Perhaps it's just a lack of trust in me? I can understand that, after all, I have a face that is often misunderstood, and that's how I've lived my whole life."

"Judging a person's morality by their appearance? What a bunch of appearance-obsessed people, even worse than goblins..."

"I agree."

"So what do you actually look like that makes you so easily misunderstood?"

"...Let's skip this sad topic." Lin Bu sighed.

“It’s alright, I’m not a looks-obsessed person—we can’t see it now anyway. But anyway, to be honest, if we really manage to get out of here, I’ll definitely buy you a drink, right here at the Deep Pit Restaurant.”

The other person raised their hand and pounded their chest, signifying an agreement.

"Thank you for hearing my cries for help and rushing over to help me without hesitation."

"Just don't make me eat the meat of those goblins that soak in sheep urine."

Linbuge felt a weight lifted off his shoulders.

Because he realized that the assassin hadn't noticed that several more undead had suddenly appeared during the earlier encirclement.

In fact, he didn't hear the cry for help at all; he just happened to run into the other person while fleeing for his life.

"Of course, I'll treat you to real slow-roasted lamb chops then."

If we could really get out of here…

The other person suddenly gave a bitter laugh.

He knew that this was probably just wishful thinking.

“Yes.” Linbuge continued, trying to sound more positive.

But he couldn't convince himself, so he could only remain silent.

He didn't know where he was, couldn't find the way out, and didn't even have enough supplies...

"It's only a matter of time before we starve to death here."

Linbuge heard a heavy sigh.

What is more terrifying than death itself is the moment of waiting for it.

Even if they stand up now, pick up their swords, where can they go in the darkness?

In their aimless groping, they will eventually die in this deep well.

If that's the case, why did he stand up and resist his predetermined death?

They may still possess some strength to resist.

But they were unsure whether they still had a reason to resist.

Linbuge longed for a glimmer of hope.

"Then let's see who can last the longest."

He suddenly said,
"You've been selling goblin meat for so long, you should have some savings by now, right?"

"Ha, who saves money these days? I only have less than 100 gold coins at most."

“That’s enough. If I die before you, you will receive my savings of 300 gold coins, and vice versa.”

"What's the point?"

"Give us a reason to keep going."

“What I mean is, even if you die before me, I can’t get out and I can’t redeem my bet,” the other person said.

"But you can eat me then, which might help you survive until you see the light of day."

"I am human, but I do not have a cannibalistic tendency."

“But I’m a goblin,” Linbugo said.

"what?"

Lin Buge had anticipated this reaction and didn't take it to heart, merely offering his own defense in his exhaustion:
"I was born in Black Reef Harbor, a sea goblin raised on a ship by Tifflin."

In the darkness, you cannot see my gills or my vibrant, sea-like skin—the color of the ocean reflecting the clear sky and blue heavens. In the light, my skin reflects shimmering ripples.

The sailors on the ship all said that goblins were evil by nature, but my father, who raised me, told them that there are more factors than just nature that shape a person's character.

So he raised me, taught me manners, combat skills, and hope, reversed the goblin's name and gave me the name 'Limbug,' raising me to be an 'outcast' who, like him, suffered social discrimination—

I believe we are even more like upright human beings than most people.

But nobody cares about these things.

They only judge your true nature by your appearance, putting tinted glasses in front of their own eyes, blinding themselves and believing everything they think they know...

I've said a bit too much. But what I mean is, I want to prove I'm not the kind of goblin you're describing—cunning, sleazy, and prone to 'hehehe' laughter.

"I'm sorry. That's not what I meant."

The other party was somewhat annoyed by the darkness, which led him to unintentionally attack a stranger who had helped him.

“It’s alright. My father often told me that ‘misunderstanding is the fate of every race.’”

But being misunderstood doesn't mean you have to accept the misunderstanding, or even give up on yourself and become part of the misunderstanding.

So if what I've done can bring you a little hope, or give you or me a chance to see the light again.

Perhaps this will change your impression of me.

Even in death, I can leave this world peacefully.

"bright?"

"Yes, we need to give ourselves a reason to persevere, to believe in ourselves, and to hold on until the light comes..."

"I think I see the light."

"what?"

Still basking in self-affirmation, Lin Bu slowly opened his eyes—

To him now, the deep well is no different from the misty sea.

Whether he opens his eyes or not, he is a blind man who sees nothing.

He almost forgot the existence of eyes.

This makes even the smallest ray of light seem incredibly precious.

"Are those stars?"

Gazing at a single point of light hanging high in the dome, Linbuge rubbed his eyes hesitantly.

"There are no stars underground. Those must be lights, the bright lights hanging on the top of the tower!"

"The Tower of Sunrise?"

Linbuge exclaimed in surprise.
“I know that tower. Standing at the top, you can look down on everything on the fourth floor—but why is there light there?”

"Who the hell knows, but there is light there!"

Linbuge heard the rustling sound of the 'assassin' beside him struggling to get up from the ground.

"Wait, what if that's a trap to lure us in..." "It's better than staying here to die!"

The assassin yanked Lin Buge up from the ground.

"I fucking never want to be blind again."

The deep well was so dark that even a single starlight seemed dazzling.

Having experienced the beauty of light, no one wants to succumb to darkness.

This is enough to give them reason to persevere.

Despite his hesitation, Lin Buge mustered his courage and, supporting each other, walked toward the light.

Their steps were unsteady, their tired legs trembled uncontrollably, and they seemed on the verge of falling.

Occasionally, the foliage in the forest would obscure their view, plunging them into darkness for a brief moment.

But after struggling to take two more steps, the bright light that returned to my sight told me that none of this was an illusion.

As the point of light grew brighter, they even heard other people shouting—

"Go to hell! When I get to that tower, the first thing I'll do is slaughter you mercenaries from the Southern Great Wall!"

"A few mixed-race bastards dare to talk big? Have they forgotten how we beat them to a pulp in the octagon last time?"

"Finding teeth is better than a human lying unconscious on the ground foaming at the mouth!"

"You directionally challenged bastards, you're all going the wrong way—you can't even get lost when you're facing the lights on the tower?"

"Screw you, there's a tree in front of me, don't I have to go around it?"

"Then why don't you go this way? The rope between our two teams is blocked by a tree trunk!"

"Why don't you just come over here?"

"It must be you guys coming—"

"That is the 'Orcs Must Die' and the 'Glory of the Orcs'."

The assassin whispered,

"When we first arrived in Longjin City, we met a guide named Tiflin, who introduced us to the two groups—who seemed to have a long-standing feud and were frequent participants in octagon fights."

"Aren't their relationships really bad? How come they've dragged everyone together?"

"If a merchant ship encounters a sea monster, it will also cooperate with pirates."

Lin Bu nodded, then muttered something under his breath.

"They can always put aside their differences when faced with a greater threat."

They move on.

But then I realized that the sounds around me seemed to have become even louder—

"Cut off his goatee—what kind of giant is this, blocking my view?! I can't even see the light source on the tower!"

"I didn't fucking block you. You guys went into the bushes yourselves, got your heads covered by leaves, and now you're blaming me?"

"It sounds like the 'Short Guys League'."

The assassin analyzed,

"What they can't stand the most is people talking about their height—a conflict is probably inevitable."

Lin Bu asked in confusion:

"Why couldn't it be a dwarf from another team?"

"Then they'll sit on the shoulders of the tall ones, so they won't be annoyed by the bushes' cover."

Despite this explanation, the anticipated conflict did not erupt.

They only heard a few dwarves cursing and swearing in some northern slang—

Clearly, they had had enough of the silent darkness, and even their feelings of agonizing insults and curses vanished.

As I walked forward, the footsteps and shouts around me grew louder and louder.

Faintly, they could hear some gentle singing, as if to soothe their frightened hearts.

Unsteady on his feet, Lin Bu and the assassin stumbled almost simultaneously, losing their balance and about to fall to the side.

"Hey, you fucking bumped into me!"

In the darkness, they couldn't tell who they had bumped into:

"Sorry, sorry!"

Adventurers aren't exactly known for their good temper.

No one wants to get into too much trouble just as they're about to see the light of day because they bump into some villain.

The other party seems to have the same idea:
"Stop talking nonsense and give me your arm!"

"what?"

"So that you won't fall down again and delay my journey."

The man muttered something, then grabbed the assassin's shoulder—

He used so much force that even the assassin couldn't help but cry out in pain.

But he wasn't angry; instead, he suddenly looked at Linbuge:
"Damn, I've experienced this kind of intense atmosphere before—right in the [sewer pipes]."

His voice was somewhat excited.
"That tavern is noisy and chaotic enough, and the bards' songs are annoying enough—you might walk in and, before you even get a drink, get punched by one of the drunks in a brawl and pass out..."

Even so, I can still feel joy—

It's not because I like whips.

Rather, it means that I have left the exhausting dungeon.

I reached the surface of the earth.

They also embraced safety.

There might be dozens or even hundreds of noisy mouths around you.

The adventurers' shouts and curses dispelled the fear that had lingered in Linbuge's heart from beginning to end.

However, in his opinion, the other party's analogy seemed inaccurate.

He didn't consider himself to be in a tavern.

I felt as if I had suddenly returned to my childhood—

That was a journey home from my childhood.

Their ships left the port of the Tyran Empire and headed back to their home in Black Reef Harbor.

Amidst the rousing song, enormous tentacles slapped against the broad deck.

But the sailors of Black Reef Harbor were never afraid of the sea monsters lurking in the abyss.

They stood on the mast at the bow of the ship, facing the surging waves, brandishing their silvery-moon-like blades.

That's a sailor's romance—

Unless an endless sea of ​​mist begins to rise before our eyes.

When a pale curtain hangs over the sea, obscuring the view ahead for a moment.

The compasses in their hands lost their effectiveness, forcing the storm, driven by the gale, to tear down the sails that maintained their balance.

Fear would then well up in their hearts, urging them to leave their last words...

Seamen are never short of courage.

Yet they fear the confusion of losing their way.

Countless ships drifted aimlessly on the boundless sea, leaving only despair in their hearts—

Until someone caught a glimpse of light.

It was a light as dazzling as the dawn.

A sharp sword that pierces through the fog.

It surges in the hazy mist and sprinkles onto the ripples of the waves.

No one could ignore that bright light.

Amidst the cheering songs, Lin Bu tugged at his 'father's' sleeve and called out the name of the sharp sword:
“Dad, that’s a lighthouse!”

Tiffilin gripped his hands tightly, shaking his head in the joy of surviving the ordeal:

"Child, that is 'hope'."

"I am Donch Weinberger—"

Linbu heard the cry of 'hope'.

"I've come to lead you away from the darkness!"

(End of this chapter)