chapter 42 gift

Kaelith's Internal Grumbling

As Kaelith turned away, his smirk faded, and his thoughts turned bitter.

"Tch. That's it? No reward for saving your royal goblin ass? Just a damn quest?"

His fingers instinctively brushed over his coin pouch—still the same weight. No extra gold. No treasure. No fancy weapons.

"Ungrateful little bastard."

He had just rescued the prince of an entire kingdom, yet all he got was an assignment to clean up bandits? Not even a single token of appreciation? No down payment? No rare loot?

"Not even a lousy potion? At least pretend to be generous, damn it."

His eyes flicked to Prince Valtar, who was standing there with his arms crossed, watching him like this was all perfectly fair.

Kaelith barely held back a sigh. "Alright, princeling. You better have something damn good in that vault, or I'm robbing this kingdom blind."

Shaking his head, he stretched his arms, forcing himself to focus. The bandits were still out there, and if he played his cards right, he'd make sure this mission paid him properly—one way or another.

A Sudden Turn of Fortune: The Mysterious Mask

Kaelith was just about to leave, his mind still simmering with frustration.

"Seriously? I save a damn prince, and all I get is an epic quest? No rare weapon, no enchanted gear, not even a single health potion? Just a 'go kill bandits' mission?"

He sighed, rubbing his temple. The Goblin Kingdom was wealthy. He had expected some real compensation for saving their precious royal brat. Instead, he was walking away with nothing but another chore.

But just as he took a step forward—

"Oh, human!"

Kaelith halted, his sharp instincts immediately flaring. He turned slightly, arching a brow as Prince Valtar jogged up to him. The young goblin had a triumphant look, as if he had suddenly remembered something crucial.

"Thank you for saving me," Valtar said, his tone more formal now. "My father has ordered me to reward you properly."

Kaelith's eyes narrowed slightly. Now we're talking.

With a dramatic flourish, Valtar reached into his robes and pulled out a peculiar mask.

It was sleek, jet-black, and smooth to the touch, with faint golden markings that seemed to shift and flow like living ink. The eye slits were narrow, almost menacing, and the material seemed neither metal nor cloth—it was something else, something Kaelith couldn't quite identify.

"This is the Mysterious Mask," Valtar declared, holding it up with both hands as if presenting a divine relic. "A special item that allows you to change your identity at will. Unlimited use."

Kaelith's fingers twitched. His mind immediately began racing with possibilities.

"An item that lets me change my identity whenever I want? No cooldown? No restrictions?"

He remained outwardly calm, but deep down, this was a gold mine.

Before Kaelith could respond, Valtar tossed a small pouch toward him. Kaelith caught it in one hand, feeling the satisfying weight of heavy coins inside.

"Three gold coins for your help as well," Valtar added.

Kaelith loosened the strings and took a peek inside. Three solid gold coins.

"Not bad."

He turned the mask over in his hands, inspecting every detail. The golden markings seemed to shift as he moved it, almost like they were alive. He knew immediately—this was no ordinary disguise tool.

This was power.

With this, he could:

Infiltrate enemy bases without suspicion.

Escape bounty hunters or assassins.

Walk into restricted areas undetected.

Manipulate events from the shadows.

This mask wasn't just useful—it was priceless.

Kaelith slowly smirked.

"This alone makes everything worth it."

He slipped the mask into his inventory, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction.

"Not bad, Prince," he said, his tone casual but laced with amusement. "Looks like you do know how to show gratitude after all."

Valtar puffed out his chest slightly, clearly proud of himself.

Kaelith, meanwhile, was already planning. With this mask, things were about to get very interesting.

Kaelith had just tucked the Mysterious Mask into his inventory when Prince Valtar stepped forward once again, his expression unusually serious.

"There's one more thing," Valtar said, pulling out a small crystal from the folds of his robe.

Kaelith's sharp eyes immediately locked onto it.

The crystal was about the size of a walnut, shimmering with an emerald-green glow. Inside, wisps of energy swirled and pulsed, as if a living force was contained within. The moment it was exposed to the air, a faint hum of power resonated from it, sending a strange vibration through the ground.

"This," Valtar said, holding the crystal up, "is the Green Haven Gateway Crystal. With it, you will be able to travel instantly between the Goblin Kingdom and Green Haven."

Kaelith's fingers twitched. Teleportation.

That changed everything.

"No need to waste hours or days traveling? No risk of running into ambushes or delays? A direct portal between two major locations?"

This was far more valuable than gold.

But Kaelith didn't react immediately. Instead, he kept his expression neutral, waiting for more details.

"However," Valtar continued, his gaze sharp, "this crystal will only function once the bandits occupying our lands are eliminated. Until then, the energy pathways remain blocked."

Kaelith narrowed his eyes slightly. Of course, there's a catch.

Valtar placed the crystal in Kaelith's palm, and the moment their skin made contact, a faint pulse of energy surged into his body.

[You have received the "Green Haven Gateway Crystal."]

Function: Allows instant travel between Green Haven and the Goblin Kingdom.

Condition: Can only activate after the Goblin Kingdom is freed from bandit occupation.

Kaelith rolled the crystal between his fingers, feeling its cool, smooth surface.

"Human," Valtar spoke again, his tone firm. "Once the bandits are eliminated, return to me immediately. We will discuss your next step."

Kaelith met Valtar's gaze, his mind already working through multiple scenarios.

The Goblin Kingdom's restricted vault.

A mask that allows unlimited identity changes.

A teleportation crystal for instant travel.

This epic quest was shaping up to be far more profitable than he had first thought.

Kaelith smirked, tucking the crystal into his inventory.

"Got it," he said simply. "I'll see you soon, Prince."

With that, he turned on his heel, already mentally preparing for the battle ahead.

The bandits were about to have a very bad day.