The goblin didn't look much different from Kalbo; same green skin, button nose and sharp teeth. Despite it similarities with Kalbo, it looked a lot more terrifying than Kalbo. Instead of a burn that resembled a long continuous dragon, it looked like a rope with an exploded bomb attached at the end.
Its left ear was completely melted off by the burn. It also had several life threatening wounds; It had a scar on the neck, lower abdomen and even on the chest. The saying might be true then, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" but seriously, this one might be as resilient as a weed.
As other goblin slowly kept coming closer, Tongtong's growls kept getting louder. With Kalbo frozen in place and the man not entirely understanding the situation, Tongtong takes initiative and crouches down, ready to attack. The other goblin notices Tongtong but chooses to ignore it.
This was mistake because they get mauled in the face by Tongtong.
...
What..?
Maybe not...?
Tongtong gets sprinkled with some green dust and halts its attack. Tongtong roars loudly, waking up the whole forest. The other goblin shoves Tongtong to the side, "Ingay mo". Tongtong collides with a tree in the process.
The other goblin, despite its face getting absolutely mutilated, stands strong, unshaken.
"Alam mo kung anong powder 'yon 'di ba? " The other goblin starts getting even closer.
Step...
Step...
Step...
It stands infront them.
A Staircase: Where Did Those Come From?
The pain in my eyes seemed to have eased. Something sticky clung onto my foot. I look down and it turned out to be mud. The mud is unpleasant. I can't even wash it off so I ignore it for the time being and look around me.
Oh. I'm back at the stairs.
No wonder my eyes hurt a bit. Does that mean the forest was just a dream? Or is this the dream?
Let's see, if I can recall correctly, I was walking down a path with crooked tall trees and then my limbs lost their strength and I felt lethargic for some reason and that's when I collapsed on the ground. I assume it's because I haven't eaten anything yet.
Anyways, what I see infront of me is an adorable little bunny! Its fur was primarily colored white with spots of brown. The bunny looks strangely like me, but that's silly, how can a bunny look like a person?
I try to pet it and next thing I know my hand is bleeding a golden hue. Is this normal? This feels unusual.
The adorable bunny puffs its tail and taps it's feet multiple times on the ground, "It's rude to touch people without permission. Especially people who are easy to frightened like me." The bunny refers itself as a person. I mean it talks so I guess it is a person.
"Oh, sorry." I say regretfully. You know, I feel like this had happened before. A sense of déjà vu? I could've sworn someone gave me this advice before but I can't recall who.
"You're a challenger right?" The bunny asks.
I furrow one my brows. Am I going to fight in an arena or compete in some sort of sport?? Cause if I am, I hope it isn't chess.
"Ah. They took you in here without telling anything to you?" The bunny looks furious. The anger doesn't seem to be directed to me though."
The bunny flops one of her ears and scratches it. Purple powder fell from her ear, and floated up. It stopped going up once it reached my eye level and floated there. It looked like a giant projector but with powder. The area of its projection is pretty large, both reaching my eye level and eye level of the bunny.
"Allow me to explain." The bunny pulled out small glasses and a white lab coat from her mouth. Oddly enough, they weren't coated in saliva. The bunny asked me for assistance on putting on the lab coat and I happily obliged. She looks so cute!
The once purple powder, turned into an image of a staircase with a dot on the tenth step, the bunny pointed at the dot with her soft paws, "You are this. You need to climb floors."
Well, I was planning on that anyways because the muddy steps are somewhat ticking me off.
"Be warned though. Climbing these floors isn't easy. Monsters, and other beings roam around here. You can kill them for their souls stones or tame them so they can aid you." The purple dust then added a cat-like creature with a mallet shaped tail.
"Soul stone?" I ask.
"Hmmm... The very essence of living being compressed in one small little glass ball, without it they are nothing but mere husks. The soul stones can give you powers depending on the soul of the monster. Humans also have them but you don't have one." The bunny points at me.
I look at myself for a moment, "I don't? But I feel very myself and feel alive."
"Yes, that is also true. That's why it's strange. Your entire existence is quite the anomaly."
"Does that mean I'm super special?!" I ask sarcastically.
"Uhhh...sure..." The bunny's eyes look to its side, not getting the joke. Damn it, it might start to think I'm crazy. Well not that I'm not.
The bunny coughs, and continuing on her long exposition, "For every ten floors, there are floor guardians who challenge you and if you win, you'll get the key for the next ten floors." The purple powder transforms into silhouettes of a variety of different keys, each different in shape and size.
"I'm pretty sure I'm only on the tenth step, not the tenth floor." This is based on my poor memory though.
"Those 'steps' are technically floors with little distance between them." The bunny looks at me dead in the eye.
Right. Okay. Crazy-people logic but sure, I'll go with it since I'm not mentally there too and I can't exactly say anything knowledgeable. I should be thankful too since this is the first person that answered any of my questions, probably since I'm not sure if God really did answer my prayer.
I gloss over the oddity of bunny's answer and ask another question, "And if I don't win...?"
"You'll go back ten floors down." The images made of powder go back to the first image it made, a little dot on the stairs. The little dot, or me, falls down ten steps or "floors" as the bunny likes to call it.
The bunny points behind me.
"See that? You'll be wasting your time here if you do go back ten floors. An unknown monster made you disappear last time when the clock reached 12. While it isn't guaranteed that it'll be coming back to get you, that clock must mean something."
I tilt my head, "But I don't understand WHY I need to climb in the first place?"
"Hmmm... Well, this tower is called the Tower of Ascension. You can get power at the very top." I look to the side, disinterested.
The bunny, frantic, "Also, if the floors don't feel you as worthy for wasting their time, then you'll probably won't be able to go back here."
I don't really care.
The bunny somewhat panicked, hurriedly answered, " W-Well, this place has a lot of secrets to uncover! Also various information that you might want."
While that is a bit interesting, it doesn't interest me enough to actually climb the stairs or "floors" as the bunny likes to call it. No way, I'm letting this go.
"You can probably get information about yourself too!" She just seems desperate now. I don't know why it even wants me to climb in the first place. Does it get something from helping me climb or does it have other motivations?
But I mean it is interesting. This might be my only solution to knowing about myself so I'll do it even with the risk.
The powder shows an image of a silhouette of me. The purple powder sure is something. It's really helpful with getting your point across.
I wonder if I can somehow get some of it. I wish I had bunny ears that produced purple powder so I could create projections or even illusions.
As if granting my petty wish, I feel a change in my ears and I try to touch it but there's nothing there. That aside, my hearing got better so I guess that's good.
The bunny points at herself, grinning ear-to-ear, " I'm a floor guardian and I'll also act as your guide. I'm not playing favorites but I'll give you the key if you answer an easy-peasy question."
She "preps" herself to ask a question. Is that even necessary or she's just doing it for suspense. I mean it works.
As long silence follows. Broken by a question that pierces my heart and soul.
"Who are you?"
How is this supposed to be an easy question? I don't know?? I don't even know what my favorite color is??
"It seems like you can't answer it." The bunny's voice sounds cold. It's disappointed in me.
"You've run out of time anyways. Find the answer next time we meet."
Like clockwork, a pair of hands cover my eyes and wakes me up.
A Forest: Like Two Peas in a Pod
"Ano ginagawa mo? Akala ko ba matalino ka?" It asks Kalbo, directly looking at it but Kalbo tries to avoid eye contact. Why won't these idiots snap out of it? One is reasonably afraid while another has no survival instincts. A deer and a bunny in headlights, what an amazingly incompetent duo.
Ah, wait. There is something the man can do. Maybe he snap Kalbo out of it, by shaking or slapping Kalbo. Anything could work.
"Kalbo.... Is this a friend...?" The man tugs at Kalbo's clothes. Finally! He did something smart for once. Fortunately, Kalbo, who at least has a little bit of common sense, snaps out of it and makes a run for it, pulling the man along. They go the opposite direction of the other goblin.
The other goblin stands still. Looking a bit... Dumbfounded?
"Wait lang. Sino pala yung kasama niya?" It stares at the man as they try to run away. Did it seriously JUST now notice the man?
It just stands there, watching them slowly disappear from its vision.
While running, Kalbo says,"She is NOT a friend. For now let's make a run for it."
"Tongtong...?" The man looks back, trying to get a glance of Tongtong.
The goblin, tightening his grip on the man and running faster, "Don't worry, he's strong enough to kill her...probably. The powder she used isn't poison or anything like that, for now avoid running into her or Tongtong." Why Tongtong too?
The man nodded and they kept running and running. They reach the waterfall the man encountered earlier. "Where...?" The man looks around, unsure where he is despite literally passing by here earlier. Idiot 1.
Kalbo boldly says, "This is a waterfall." looking quite proud of its knowledge. Idiot 2. A match made by Koalemos for sure. The man's stomach growls.
"Let's rest for now. I left food at the campsite but we can probably get more. The thing is, she's really determined once she sets out to achieve it. She's quite the simple-ton." Kalbo said the last part somewhat affectionately but realizes the snaps out of it, realizing the severity of the situation. Kalbo pacing back and forth, trying to think of a plan.
"Oh! Wait that's right, the barriers down right? We could hide in a human town or city!" Kalbo exclaimed, eyes gleamed in excitement. Isn't it supposed to be a monster? Like the very thing adventures are made to hunt?
"Barrier?" The man furrows one of his brows.
They both look at each other, both confused.
"So, you don't remember that too?" Kalbo looking a bit worried.
The man nods.
Kalbo looking increasingly worried, "How about your tribe?"
Tribe as in... Family?
The man shrugs.
Kalbo gives a pitiful look at the man. "Don't worry I'm here for you."
The man, unsure what to say, "Thanks...?"
"For now let's head east towards the main camp. She won't follow us there."