Numb staggered back, his bones aching, his muscles protesting, but his heart refusing to give up as Deo bounced about with what seemed like the energy of two adults combined and multiplied. Any minor scrapes he got on his weird suit didn't seem to bother him as the teen grinned.

It was almost impossible, but it was like Deo could predict Numb's movements before Numb ever considered them, moving before Numb did. They met once more, rearranging the Goblin Fort room as on one side, Grim and his team sat politely by Cois, Hob, Gob, and Billy. The woman known as Yattina and Cois were discussing the applications of fire magic, something Yattina seemed to have experience with.

Grim and Billy were shouting out move suggestions like the 'Flying Dutchman' or the 'Goblin Supreme Pillar' and so on. Numb raised his arm as Deo correctly predicted his feint once more.

"How... are you doing that?" Numb asked in honest amazement and Deo blinked, not knowing what Numb was talking about for a moment. It seemed to click a moment later as Deo jumped back with his feet skidding in the mud.

"I hear you," he said almost simplistically and perhaps... a little guiltily?

"Hear me?" Numb asked, wondering if he was muttering his moves under his breath or something. He did talk in his sleep. Cois had tried to smother him more than once to shut Numb up about dreams involving dark wizards kidnapping princesses or some lost sibling that maybe did or did not exist in the world.

"Your soul... your heart. I can hear what it wants to do before your body does," he explained with a sheepish smile as he rubbed his ears which had a flush of pink and orange running through them. Numb blinked and tried to think on how he was supposed to beat the power of hearts and vibes.

If he thought too hard, it would be revealed. If he tried to trick Deo, his heart would be honest... if he perhaps-

"Stop thinking, numbskull, and punch him!" Cois snapped and his body jerked at the order, having been basically created and raised listening to what his brother demanded. Deo yelped as Numb's knuckles grazed his cheek, spinning the boy around hard.

"No backseat fighting," Grim said before turning back to Deo, "Predict him harder! Oversoul or whatever!" he ordered and Deo looked confused at the command but shot Grim a thumbs up.

Numb charged, head empty as Deo ran at him, his eyeballs crossing uncomfortably.

The emptiest of heads clashed with the most earnest ears and Numb's fist went close to Deo, missing the boy by inches and it took a moment for Numb to understand why.

He wanted Deo to succeed.

His heart... the little softie!

Numb smiled as his vision went black and Deo tripped over him and hit his head on the hard mud with a painful thud. Numb hoped the boy was alright but right now he needed a little hero nap.

---

"It's a draw," Kemy cried and Grim stood up at the same time as Billy and Cois, protesting who passed out first. The priestess ran over, calling on her divine energy which was extremely hard in this silly suit but some faith gathered and let her touch Deo's head.

"Is that magic?" Cois asked loudly as he bluntly slapped Numb with his bare hands to try and wake him up.

"Miracles or Faith work, not magic," Yattina said and wandered over to get a closer look at the goblins now the fight was over.

"The difference is?" Billy asked, voice raspy and the dark goblin gave Kemy a sense of apprehension, his hidden face reminding her of a cold room in a place Kemy didn't want to be.

"Magic is energy and faith is more like Grace Anatomy," Grim said and Kemy stared at him as he tried to pull out his own tongue in aggravation.

"Want to try that one again?" Serma asked, the girl who had been absolutely quiet during the fight, perhaps intimidated by Deo's strength and the power he hid behind his sunny visage. Kemy could relate, it took some time to get used to Durence and its weirdness...

"Magic is a source of energy that people can tap into if they have an affinity for it. Miracles come from the power of gods above who sent the energy down to their faithful like god lasers... pew pew," Grim said, the last few words fighting their way out despite Grim's best efforts.

"Is he okay?" Mas asked with concern and Yattina waved him off.

"We're getting deeper into the Dungeon. He has a minor blessing and it gets stronger the deeper we go," she said casually, her fake eye glinting with unnatural light.

"I think they should be considered the losers as the invaders," Cois interrupted, talking to the other goblins and Kemy continued to call on her truth, her goddess, to make sure Deo was well. For some reason, her miracles were also a lot easier to cast in the dungeon; it was a little strange.

"Let them pass. The challenge was to fight Numb, not win," Billy disagreed and Grim looked at him in surprise, his dark eyes narrowing with suspicion.

"I also want them to take on Fera's challenge and cry," Billy added and this made Grim relax. Kemy felt that was a half-truth. He did want to see them cry but he also felt... affection for Grim and Deo. Kemy didn't say this aloud.

Just because she could see the truth, or lack of, didn't mean it was her business to air it aloud.

"I want them to lose and go out in shame!" Cois protested.

That was absolutely the truth in the goblin's mind. Kemy could only shake her head as she helped Deo stand.

"Did we have fun?" Deo asked, sounding sleepy as he stretched.

"You and I did!" Kemy said, not willing to speak on the behalf of others because she simply couldn't know if it was the truth or not and if Serma or Yattina weren't having fun, Kemy would have to admit that and it might hurt Deo's feelings.

"Fera will see you now," Hob said and Kemy noticed next to the other goblins they still looked a little... imperfect, a little too real and alive. In places, they looked more like a Dungeon creature with uniform skin patterns and features, but their presence as a contract was still visible. Kemy wondered how long it took for contracts to fully convert?

Kemy had never met a contractor up close. Most usually became a contractor due to a dislike of people and a desire for power. Hob and Gob seemed... at home.

"What's a 'Fera'?" Serma asked and Grim shot her a look of concern.

"Not a what... she's a who," he corrected as they went through the small corridor and before an ornate door proclaiming entry to the Swarthy Hog bar. The door looked more detailed than the last time she came here and as she pushed it open, the bar was in near darkness.

"It smells good in here, like actual proper inn food and not that abominable eternal stew every inn decides to have over the stove," Serma said, peeking in with some anticipation as she adjusted her web-covered shield she got from Muffet.

"What's wrong with stew?" Yattina asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's chaotic and directionless soup," Serma said with her arms crossed. Before Kemy could point out the nature of stew and how it doesn't always have the chance to be refined as it was designed to help and warm as many people as possible, candles burst into flames around the bar, gathering into a single spot in the fireplace where it ignited with a roar and a gust of fire like dragonbreath.

"What darkens my bar at this hour?" Came a gruff voice and Kemy watched as what looked like a shadowy pillar turned and revealed itself to actually be Fera, her size more imposing than before. She looked like she had grown a foot or two.

Was that because they were challengers now? Not guests?

"Four children, one young adult, and an old lady," Yattina replied politely and Fera stared at them. Kemy tried not to fidget as the female goblin sized them up, her clean apron hiding a dozen cooking tools and her red dress underneath looking comfortable and cotton like.

"There are female goblins?" Serma asked, looking a little stunned at the imposing figure that was Fera. Kemy could understand. Of all the goblins, even Billy, only Fera had an aura of sheer authority that seeped out of her every pore.

She displayed a vibe that they were not equals, not because Fera believed herself superior but because they were all in her house, in her bar. She was the boss here and she would brook no disrespect.

Fera gave Serma a look and scoffed, making the girl bristle in response but Fera cut her off before the princess could make a snooty remark in her defense.

"There are three ways out of this room," she said and her voice smothered any witty remark Grim had built up in his mind, any question Yattina might have had, and any cheerful greeting Deo was preparing.

"One, you turn around and leave with your pride broken but your bones intact," she held up one long finger, the tip ending in a black claw.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"Two, you fight me, risking limb, sanity, and your front teeth to proceed onwards," Fera continued and she looked at them, her red eyes glowing in the gloom and the air turning brittle and cold despite the roaring fire, as if to whisper deep into their souls what a bad idea option two really was.

"We'll take option three," Grim said quickly and Fera snorted.

"Always hear the short end of the stick, kid. There are fates worse than sticking your hands into a bowl of salt after a hundred paper cuts," she grinned and the group's confidence visibly fell and Kemy couldn't quite get a read on Fera.

She was absolutely being honest but in such a way that there was no baseline for Kemy to know which truths were more important than others.

Fera walked to the bar and began moving with such efficiency it was like watching a pro work as she quickly mixed up five glasses of drinks, the ingredients obscured in her fast moving hands and quickly tucked away. The glasses were all set in containers with an upside down cone shape on a thin stem and a flat base.

Fera then added what looked like an olive to the rim of each drink.

"Option 3 is simple. Before me are five drinks, the first drink is beneficial and will even recover someone's energy, the next drink is normal and delicious, the third tastes bad and lingers, the fourth has a taste that will distract you for hours, and the fifth is a concoction that will impair your memory, burn your throat, and show you your preferred deity in detail," Fera said then looked at them all.

"Choose who drinks what," she instructed.

Yattina walked over to the fifth glass and sniffed it.

"Ma'am, this is tequila," she said bluntly.

"It's goblin tequila," Fera corrected.

"What's the difference?" Kemy, who once had a sugary soda-like drink for a meal once. This was sort of close to that, right?

"It has to be downed in a single go, no sharing, no mixing, and no tampering with the drinks," Fera listed as the others drew near. Yattina beckoned Kemy over who was happy to help so she drew near and accepted the fifth glass which felt dainty in her fingers.

"Down the hatch, you got this," Yattina said with a gleam in her one eye. Kemy nodded resolutely and put the clear looking liquid in her mouth and hellfire erupted on her tongue, up her nose and her eyes watered, making her reactively try to spray it across the bar but Yattina covered her mouth and pinched Kemy's nose shut, making her gulp in surprise.

"It burns!" she cried as the world spun.

"That's the holy water purging the sin from within," Yattina said and Kemy knew she was lying! The little lying liar!

She hiccuped and her throat burned but then came a peculiar shock of an aftertaste that made her saliva glands work suddenly.

"What is that? It tastes like... apples? No, oranges! No... blueberry? It's so good!" she said as the burn turned to a pleasant warmth that spread to her fingers like magic fairy dust.

"That's the goblin part. Don't get the fuss of making cheap drinks that burn. It should taste good too," Fera said as she took the glass back.

"Are you okay?" Deo asked and Kemy faced him with a smile.

He was so cute! She pinched his cheeks and he just smiled in confusion.

What a good little lamb!

"I got the fourth one," Serma said, moving to the glass bravely and downed the drink, hacking and coughing moments later as she wheezed, bent over in an attempt to get air in.

"A type of spicy honey mixed with smoked flower herbs. It helps the trolls clear their noses when they take breaks," Fera explained.

"Ash, I breathe agony and pain! I mire in pain and destruction," Serma wheezed harder.

Mas took the third drink with a hint of wariness and he drank it with a crinkle of his nose.

"Taste like prunes." he commented, smacking his lips but it was clear the taste was lingering on his tongue. Fera nodded as if ready for his comment.

"Goblin Prunes, good for you...well, good for goblins," she added with a shrug. Grim walked up and took the second glass for himself and shoved the first one into Deo's hands who drank it without question. Kemy thought that was adorable. She just loved how much Grim cared but said he didn't!

That was like a lie that shy people used!

Really, what even was a 'lie'?

'The absence of truth' the firm but gentle voice of her goddess reminded her.

But... what if she thought it was true with all her heart but it turned out to be false?

'Just because it turned out to be false did not make your feelings false. You must examine the new truth and see if it's still worth your heart and kindness,' her goddess went on.

Kemy smiled to herself as she stared into nothing. Her goddess was as good as that 'Tea-kill-ya' or whatever Yattina called it.

"It's fine," Grim announced as he returned the glass and everyone looked at Deo who was trying to shove more of his face into the narrow glass and having little success.

"Tastes... like...love and butterflies and mom's cookies and love and sunny afternoons!" he cheered, finding a single drop more. Serma looked envious as she continued to wheeze along with Mas' lip smacking.

"Well, you did as I asked. You are all free to rest here for a moment before continuing on. The challenge mode isn't... too high so I can still serve you food and drinks for a cost. Use one of the tables to discuss your game plan. Sir Fran will take you seriously as he can and that is nothing to laugh off," Fera said and Grim shuddered.

"The scary goblin lady is right. The boss of this floor is unpredictable in his power. I've had amateurs with minorly good teamwork win while experts that teamed up for the first time get destroyed. A lot of the tales come back to that Sir Fran only ever feels 'slightly tougher' than any given adventurer," he commented as he wandered off to a table with his face heavy with thought and planning.

"Maybe we could weaken ourselves and go into the fight with some sort of healing strategy? For the boss to remain weak?" Serma instantly suggested and Deo blinked at her.

"But why?" he asked and she gestured to the hallway containing the boss door, the aura of sheer intimidation and pressure felt even this far down the hall and in the pub.

"Scary monster, tough boss, a fight that could take hours, no chance we can succeed, and maybe a load of mental trauma to boot?" she offered. Deo blinked at her again.

"But why?" he repeated, still confused.

"Wouldn't bank on it. Trying to loophole Delta causes you to get loopholed back, usually with your foot in your mouth creating an endless circle of shame," Grim said bluntly.

"Abusing weaknesses is not a loophole, it's how adventurers stay alive," Serma argued and Kemy was resting her head in her arms, sighing in tingly pleasure of a buzz.

"I'm telling you how to win. Fran is a boss designed to test teamwork. Alone we're always overpowered but together we can stack our strength in a way he can't match... last time I checked," Grim said, adding that last part with a shrug.

"Delta wants us to rise above her challenge so we can all be better for it. I think Fran would be honorable and we should match that!" Kemy said, beaming as she swayed a little, only for Yattina to push her back into a sitting position without looking.

"What do you think?" Grim asked Yattina who was sipping a cup of what looked like coffee but it was a dark blue. Fera pocketed some copper with a satisfied look as she got back to cleaning her impeccably clean bar.

There was a pause as she sipped the drink and smiled to herself.

"I'm just wondering why you're all acting like it's do or fail forever. Even if you lose, Delta will let you try again and again... and again... and again. She's willing to let you keep trying as long as you're learning, long as you're growing," she pointed out and smiled, her tongue now blue as she drank the coffee.

"I think we should do it the forward way. Give it our all and see what data is returned. If we fail, we shall study and dissect our errors and Fran's successes until we turn the experiment in our favor," she declared.

"Manachondria is the powerhouse of the cell!" Deo said suddenly as if reacting to the word 'experiment'.

"Correct, take an invisible gold star," Yattina said and passed nothing to Deo who looked pleased as ever.

"It's not really there, there is no star," Grim said with irritation. Deo held out his empty hand and smiled at his friend

"Want it?" he offered and Grim stared then tried to snatch the air only for Deo to pull it back with a delighted laugh.

Kemy sighed with contentment but behind her, the truth was growing clearer.

A boss fight was upon them.