Chapter 9: Crystal Cavern 1
[Do not let your guard down. Goblins are intelligent creatures, and they often work together to attack their enemies.]
She warned, before stating she would be seeing him upon completion of the quest. As soon as she vanished, the system popped in a hologram before his eyes.
[Open your inventory to equip your weapon.]
"Inventory," Taesan cast.
His inventory window popped up before him, showing a single item from the slots. He clicked on its image and they materialize in his hands.
"Okay, I'm ready," he said to himself, steeling his nerves.
He cautiously made his way deeper into the cave, scanning the surroundings for any signs of living traces.
The cave was difficult to maneuver because of its narrow passages and tight spaces.
In the distance, Taesan could hear the sounds of creatures walking about and chattering amongst themselves in a guttural language.
Peering around the corner, he noticed a small group of goblins gathered.
Taesan swallowed nervously, realizing he would have to defeat the goblins before harvesting the crystals.
With a resolved determination, he finally took a step forward, only that his footstep echoed through the cavern, alerting the goblins nearby.
Taesan saw three goblins standing in front of him with crude weapons and snarling.
The first goblin was holding a rusty axe, its grip greased with sweat, standing off-balance.
The second goblin wielded a spiked club, its eyes narrow and calculating. It seemed to be the leader of the group, barking orders at the other two.
The third goblin was holding a short spear, its eyes darting around nervously. It looked like it was intimidated by its leader, but it still held its ground.
"Gruugk," they growled.
Taesan braced himself, his hand on his twin blades. He knew he had to act quickly and decisively.
As the goblins started to charge at him, Taesan dodged their attacks, although still not entirely confident in his skills.
And his self-doubt nearly caused him to miss the short spear aimed at his arm, resulting in a shallow slice on his skin.
Taesan decided to take his distance, choosing to take out the goblins one by one. He decided to take out the first goblin foremost.
The trio of goblins attacked in a coordinated manner, each one taking turns. Hence, Taesan waited for the moment for the first goblin to come.
Dodging the goblin's clumsy swings, Taesan sidestepped clumsily. The goblin's exertion caused sweat to fly around.
After his dodge, he finally lunged forward. He focused his chi desperately, to slice it with his twin blades through the goblin's flesh.
The goblin howled in pain and fell to the ground, its lifeless body twitching.
[Dealt 56 points of damage.]
[You have received 2 copper coins.]
[You have gained experience.]
'Shit,' Taesan cursed inwardly as he felt the sharp pain in his arm, but he didn't let it distract him from the fight.
"GRAAUUGK!"
The second goblin roared in anger, fueled by the death of its comrade, and charged at Taesan. It swung its club with deadly force, but all over the place.
Taesan ducked under the attack and rolled to the side, his blades flashing in the dim light.
With a swift strike, he managed to graze the goblin's arm, causing it to stumble and drop its weapon.
[Dealt 28 points of damage.]
"GURUAK!" it shrieked.
With the goblin disarmed, Taesan took advantage of the opportunity and pushed forward.
The goblin tried to block the strikes with its remaining arm, but Taesan also incapacitated the arm.
Without wasting a moment, he aimed for the goblin's head on the second strike.
[Dealt 42 points of damage.]
The last goblin stood at a distance, its eyes darting between Taesan and its fallen comrades. It was cowering in fear.
The third goblin hesitated for a moment, unsure of whether to continue the fight or retreat.
"Grug... gruuuagk!"
But then it summoned its courage and attacked, thrusting its spear at Taesan with surprising speed.
With the clumsy attack, even he easily sidestepped the spear thrust and plunged one of his blades into the goblin's chest.
The goblin let out a gurgling cry before collapsing onto the ground, dead. Its blood pooled around its own body.
[Dealt 68 points of damage.]
[You have received 4 copper coins.]
[Dual Wield level increased to 2.]
Taesan breathed a sigh of relief, his heart pounding with adrenaline. He had survived his first encounter with the goblins, but he knew there were more of them in the cave.
He checked his wound, seeing it was nearly too nasty from the looks of it.
"GUAARRGGK!"
As Taesan heard the roars, his heart jumped in his chest. Quickly, he sheathed his blades and searched for a place to hide.
He found cover inside a gap between the rough walls of the cave, peeking around the corner to see a large group of goblins rushing toward him.
Holding his breath, Taesan wished with all his might that the group of goblins rushing towards him would pass by without noticing him.
"UUOOOGHHK!
Their eyes were filled with bloodlust and rage, and the sound of their footsteps echoed through the cavern. Taesan's hands were shaking with fear.
'Fuck, fuck.'
As they approached closer and closer, Taesan felt like his entire body was tensing up, ready to flee at any moment.
But just as he thought they were going to spot him, they rushed past him, their roars fading into the distance. Taesan let out a shaky breath, feeling relief wash over him.
He stayed hidden behind the gap for a few minutes, his senses on high alert, before he cautiously emerged from his hiding spot.
[Stealth level increased to 2.]
– – –
[Yoo Taesan, Lvl.3
Cultivation stage: Novice
Class: Twin Blades Weilder
Subclass: None
Strength: 4
Dexterity: 7
Constitution: 4
Intelligence: 7
Skills:
1. Dual Wield: Lvl. 2
2. Sprint: Lvl. 1
3. Stealth: Lvl. 2
4. Mental Training: Lvl. 1
5. Life Force: Lvl. 1^
Equipment:
1. Twin Blades (Common)
Inventory:
1. Copper Coins: 16]