Chapter 8: Memories of Goblins and Orcs

Max's carriage rolled to a stop just outside the city gates, the thick forest ahead looming like a wall of green shadows. The air was tense, the kind of atmosphere that screamed "trouble ahead." The Pure-Blood Dragon Horses snorted, their fiery breath illuminating the darkening sky. Max could hear distant battle cries and the clashing of steel as his forces prepared to confront the goblins and orcs that had been raiding the nearby villages.

Max sat up straighter in the carriage, feeling the familiar weight of unease settle in his stomach. They were getting closer to the eastern borders, where the goblins and orcs were amassing. His knights had reported seeing dozens, possibly hundreds, of the creatures preparing for an assault. He sighed, trying to mentally prepare for what was to come. But his mind kept drifting back to a memory—one that, despite the high stakes now, still managed to make him smile.

Max (Internal): Goblins... I can't believe I'm still dealing with goblins after all these years. It's like a bad joke.

Max (Internal): Goblins and orcs. Why does it always have to be goblins and orcs?

He sighed, leaning back in his seat as he mentally prepared himself. His mind drifted back to the countless hours he had spent playing Fate's End with his friends. They'd had many run-ins with goblins and orcs, but one encounter stood out above the rest.

---

Flashback: The First Goblin Encounter

Max, Alex, Leo, and Jess were gathered in Alex's living room, hunched over their laptops, fingers flying across keyboards. They had just started playing Fate's End

Max's room was a mess. Pizza boxes were piled up on the floor, and the glow of his computer screen illuminated his face. His friends' voices crackled through his headset as they gathered for their first dungeon raid.

Alex's voice was brimming with excitement. "Alright, guys, first quest! We just need to clear out a small camp of goblins. Easy peasy."

Jess chimed in. "Easy? Alex, the last time you said that, we all died to a level 2 rat."

"That was different! This time, we're ready. I've got my new sword, Leo's upgraded his armor, and Jess has—uh… whatever magic stuff Jess does."

Max snorted. "Yeah, sure, 'easy'... except for the fact that goblins in this game can actually use weapons. You remember that, right?"

Leo grumbled, "We'll be fine. Just follow my lead."

Max raised an eyebrow. "You're sure we're ready? I've heard goblins in this game are pretty crafty."

Famous last words.

Leo waved him off. "Please, what's the worst that could happen? It's a green midget with a club. We've played harder games."

Jess smirked, cracking her knuckles. "Let's do this. We'll be pros in no time."

They ventured into the goblin den, weapons drawn, hearts pounding in excitement. It was dark and damp, the sound of dripping water echoing around them. The tension was thick.

The group ventured into the goblin camp, confidence high, weapons ready. The first goblin they encountered looked harmless enough—small, green-skinned, with glowing red eyes and a rusty dagger.

Max (Internal, Past): Goblins. No big deal, right?

"Alright, here we go," Alex whispered. "On three. One… two…"

Before he could say three, Leo charged ahead. "For glory!" he shouted, swinging his sword wildly.

The goblin's head snapped up, eyes glowing with malice.

The moment the goblin saw them, it let out a high-pitched shriek, and suddenly, an entire swarm of goblins emerged from the shadows. What was supposed to be an easy fight quickly turned into chaos.

Max swung his sword wildly, trying to keep the goblins at bay. "Alex, you said there would only be five of them!"

"I didn't know they called backup!" Alex shouted as he frantically swung his weapon, hitting nothing but air.

Jess, in full panic mode, was casting spells left and right. "I'm out of mana! I'm OUT OF MANA!"

Leo, trying to hold back the horde, yelled, "Retreat! RETREAT!"

Max turned to run, but just as they were about to escape the goblin horde, something even worse appeared—a hulking orc, standing at least seven feet tall, its muscles bulging and its tusks gleaming in the moonlight. It was carrying a massive warhammer, and it did not look happy.

An orc, easily ten feet tall, stepped out of the darkness, its tusked mouth twisted into a snarl. It swung a massive club, and before any of them could react, Leo went flying across the cave.

Leo: "I regret everything!" he screamed as he hit the wall.

Chaos erupted. The goblin cackled and darted around like a maniac, while the orc proceeded to beat the living daylights out of everyone.

Jess: "Why is there an orc here?! This was supposed to be a goblin quest!"

Alex, dodging wildly: "Nobody said there'd be mini-bosses in a level-one zone!"

Max, desperately trying to heal the group: "Maybe we should run!"

Leo (groaning from the ground): "You think?!"

They scrambled, running for the exit as the orc roared behind them, throwing rocks the size of small boulders. They barely escaped with their lives, hearts pounding and egos shattered.

Max (Internal, Past): Oh crap. We're dead.

The orc let out a thunderous roar and charged at them, swinging its warhammer with enough force to shatter stone. Max barely had time to dodge before it smashed into the ground where he had just been standing.

"Run! RUN!" Max screamed, but it was too late. The orc swatted them aside like flies.

---

Back to Present

Max grimaced at the memory. The first time they had encountered an orc, they hadn't stood a chance. The sheer power difference was staggering. Orcs were nothing like goblins—they were towering brutes with thick, leathery skin and the strength to level entire buildings.

Max (Internal): That orc beat the crap out of us. I think it even laughed at us before walking away.

Max was ready. He wasn't the same clueless player who had been overwhelmed all those years ago. He was the Duke of Arenia now, and he commanded more power than he ever had in the game.

Max chuckled to himself, remembering how ridiculous they'd felt afterward.

Max (Internal): First lesson of Fate's End: Never underestimate the developers' love for brutal surprises.

The next time, though, they had returned—this time ready, determined to actually kill a goblin. They stuck to the outskirts of the cave, far away from any orc-filled surprises.

---

Flashback: The Successful Goblin Hunt

After the humiliating defeat at the hands of the orc, Max and his friends had sworn revenge. They had returned to the goblin camp a few days later, this time with a better plan (and, more importantly, lower expectations).

Alex crouched behind a rock, squinting at the goblin just a few feet away. "Alright. No heroics this time. Stick to the plan."

Leo, still sore from their last encounter, muttered, "Yeah, no more orcs, please. Just a nice, simple goblin."

Max led the charge, his sword ready. "Alright, this time we stick together. No more running around like headless chickens."

Alex was nodding furiously. "Yeah, and no orcs this time, right? Just regular goblins."

They circled around the unsuspecting creature, taking their positions. This time, they were prepared.

"On three," Alex whispered again. "One… two…"

Leo: "You're not going to say three, are you?"

Max: "Shut up, Leo."

"Three!"

Leo smirked. "Easy. We'll wipe them out."

The first goblin they encountered barely had time to react before Max cut it down. "Ha! That's one!"

Jess cast a fireball, taking out another goblin hiding in the bushes. "Two!"

They attacked in unison—fireballs, arrows, swords—all aimed at the goblin. The poor thing didn't even know what hit it. It let out a final squeal before collapsing in a heap

For a second, they stood there, staring in stunned silence.

Max: "Did we just…?"

Jess: "Did we really just…?"

Alex: "We killed a goblin!"

Leo jumped into the air, pumping his fist. "We did it! We killed a goblin!"

The group erupted into cheers, high-fiving and dancing around like they'd just won a championship.

Jess, laughing: "We're heroes! We killed a green midget!"

Alex, striking a pose: "All hail the goblin slayers!"

Alex beamed with pride. "We're actually doing it! We're goblin slayers now!"

By the end of the fight, they were covered in goblin guts, but they had done it. They had cleared out the camp, and for the first time in what felt like forever, they had tasted victory.

Max (Internal, Past): We actually did it… we killed goblins!

They had celebrated like heroes, laughing and joking about how they were unstoppable now. Little did they know, they were in for another rude awakening.

Max couldn't help but grin. It was ridiculous, but after their near-death experience with the orc, finally taking down something—even as small as a goblin—felt like the greatest victory.

---

Back to Present

Max smirked, remembering how overconfident they had become after that small victory. It hadn't lasted long. Shortly after their "triumph," they had accepted another quest to clear out a goblin infestation near a village.

"Okay," Alex said, his tone much more serious this time. "We've taken down one goblin. Now, it's time for the big leagues."

Jess squinted at the quest description. "Uh… are you sure we're ready for this? The quest says there's a 'small army' of goblins."

Leo, already charging ahead: "A goblin's a goblin, right? How many could there be?"

Max, ever the cautious one, hesitated. "Guys… maybe we should—"

"Charge!" Alex yelled, cutting him off.

The group rushed in, weapons drawn, battle cries echoing in the air. At first, things seemed fine. They cut through a few goblins easily enough. But then, the ground started shaking.

Max froze. "Um… guys?"

A horde of goblins—dozens of them—poured out from the trees and caves, their eyes glowing with malice, sharp weapons glinting in the moonlight.

Leo: "Oh. Oh no."

Jess: "Oh yes."

What followed was an absolute massacre. Goblins swarmed them from all sides, and within minutes, they were overwhelmed. Jess went down first, swarmed by a pack of cackling goblins.

Jess, screaming: "They're biting me! They're actually biting me!"

Alex, swinging wildly: "Retreat! Retreat!"

Max tried to fend them off, but it was hopeless. "This is it! This is how we die! At the hands of green toddlers!"

Leo: "We got too cocky! I blame Alex!"

Alex, running for his life: "Don't you pin this on me!"

They tried to flee, but it was too late. One by one, the goblins picked them off. Max's final memory was of a goblin laughing maniacally as it bashed him over the head with a rusty club.

Max (Internal): That was a mistake.

The goblins had set a trap, ambushing them as they entered the cave. The once-confident group of goblin slayers had been reduced to a bunch of panicking noobs in no time.

Jess had been the first to fall. "Guys, HELP! I'm stuck!"

Alex had swung his sword at a goblin, only to have it bounce off the creature's armor. "This isn't working! Why aren't they dying?!"

Leo had been too busy running in circles to help. "There's too many of them! We're screwed!"

Max (Internal, Past): We are never taking a goblin quest again.

They had been wiped out, forced to restart from their last save point, humiliated once again by the game's brutal mechanics.

Back in the present, Max sighed. Goblins. Annoying, clever, vicious little creatures. And now he was about to face them again—but this time, things were different. He wasn't the inexperienced player, helpless against a swarm of enemies. He was the Duke of Arenia, and he had the power to crush them.

Max (Internal): I'm not the same person who got killed by a bunch of green toddlers. Not anymore.

He looked out at the horizon, where the goblin-infested lands awaited. The memories of his past life were bittersweet, filled with laughter and frustration. But now, in this new world, it was time to show these goblins that he wasn't some low-level player anymore.

Max (Internal): Let's see who's laughing now.

With that, Max tightened his grip on the sword at his side, a determined glint in his eye. This time, things were going to be different.