Chapter 4: Shadows in the Dark

disclaimer ---> [ ] = toughts of the main character.

I open my eyes. I immediately realize I'm inside the portal. The air is cold, the silence oppressive, and around me there's only darkness. Imposing trees are everywhere, their roots snaking like claws across the damp earth. A luminous window appears before my eyes: "To exit: kill 300 monsters."[300 monsters... what kind of joke is this? Are they even at my rank? The number is overwhelming. But if I want to go back, I have no choice. I have to make it... somehow.] I grip my dagger tightly, the cold metal in my hands is the only comfort at this moment.The Hunting Portal is made up of various levels. The first level has two "worlds": the Goblin's Den and the Gelatinous World. Apparently, I got "lucky." I'm in the Goblin's Den. [Well, better this way... the Gelatinous World only has slimes. They don't give useful resources, and my dagger would be practically useless against them. In the video games, I always tried to spawn here, in the Den. But this... this isn't a game.]I start moving northward, dagger held tight. I walk slowly, paying attention to every single sound, every slight movement among the trees. [I can't afford to lower my guard. The goblins might have set traps anywhere, and they're not as stupid as they seem.]Several minutes pass, and I hear nothing. Just the sound of my own footsteps on the damp earth. This is strange... too strange. Usually, goblins are noisy, they yell and laugh among themselves. And, even more suspicious, I can't sense any other warrior. No one.[The Goblin's Den is famous, there should be people here. So why am I alone?] A shiver runs down my spine. My instinct tells me something's wrong. I tighten my grip on the dagger, ready to react. [Is it just my imagination, or is there really something... something watching me?]And then I hear it. Footsteps. Slow but determined. Distant, but unmistakable. Something is following me. I pretend not to notice, continuing to walk. But the sound of footsteps remains constant. They don't get closer, they don't get farther. [It's following me. Does it want to lead me somewhere? This isn't good at all.]Suddenly, I spin around. Nothing. I see nothing. But I know something's there. The darkness is too thick, and the only light is from the moon. Or... maybe it's not even a moon, who knows what it is in this place.I try my best to look around, but I can't spot it - it's skilled at hiding, most likely a goblin. If it were a warrior, it wouldn't be this good at hiding unless they were highly experienced, but I don't think those types stay on the first level. Usually, they go to higher levels - to reach higher levels, you need to find portals that are scattered throughout this place, though your kill quota remains unchanged even if you enter them. So it must be a goblin who knows its territory well.I try to stay calm and resume walking, this time faster. The footsteps behind me resume, synchronized with my movements. I stop. They stop too. [Damn it. This isn't good.]Shortly after, fireflies light up among the trees, a weak golden light illuminating the darkness. I keep following them with my gaze, hoping they'll help me figure out where this creature is hiding. And finally, I see it. When the fireflies draw near, its silhouette becomes distinct among the branches. A goblin. It's crouched, hidden in the shadows, but now I know where it is.[Perfect. It's time.] I take my dagger and throw it with all my strength. The blade cuts through the air and hits its target. The goblin falls to the ground with a groan. Without wasting time, I run toward its body. Before it dissolves - because every time you defeat a monster, its body begins to disappear, leaving behind void stars. Every time you kill a monster, it leaves behind void stars, which are black stars that can be exchanged for real money. The rarer or stronger the monster, the higher its value. I grab its weapon: a small axe. [It's not much, but it's better than nothing.]"Congratulations, you've defeated your first monster," says the window that appears before me. [Only 299 to go... easy, right?]I continue walking, with the axe in one hand and the dagger in the other. The axe isn't particularly powerful, but it's good enough when used together with the dagger. The goblins I encounter fall one after another, as if they were vegetables. I don't exert myself too much, trying to conserve energy. [I need to maintain my Stamina. I can't afford to run out of strength in here.]The problem comes when hunger starts making itself known. I have nothing to eat. While walking, however, I hear voices in the distance. They're not goblins. They're... warriors. I hide among the trees, trying to get closer to see what's going on.Before me are three warriors fighting against a group of goblins. They're well-organized: a female archer and two male swordsmen. The goblin group is numerous, and some are well-armed with bows, but the warriors are handling them without much difficulty. [They seem strong.]Among the goblins, there's one with a sword and shining armor. He too falls without much resistance. And then it happens. A Luminousa appears. LUMINOUSA are quite rare - they're spheres made of smoke that shine, essentially containing abilities from the monster that you can obtain. For example, since they killed that particular goblin, it probably has that goblin's abilities. But there's a catch - not just anyone can obtain a LUMINOUSA. The sphere itself chooses who can take it, even if you killed the monster. If it hasn't chosen you, you can't take it. It's an unfair system, and the LUMINOUSA disappears after 2 hours, but if you're in a group, there's a higher chance it will choose someone from that group. There are also people who force themselves to be chosen - they basically capture the LUMINOUSA in a tube-shaped container, then through various processes make themselves obtain it. This happens if a LUMINOUSA is rare or powerful.[Let's see who it chooses this time.] The sphere floats for a few seconds and then moves toward one of the two swordsmen. He catches it with a satisfied smile. Each warrior can absorb one Luminousa per level - to get another, they must advance to the next level. He's just taken a big step forward.[Better leave now, before they notice me.] I turn to leave, but...Archer: "Hey! Stop right there, whoever you are!" I feel a cold shiver in my feet. I can't move anymore.Swordsman 1: "What's wrong? Who are you talking to?" Archer: "I have a feeling someone's spying on us." Swordsman 2: "There's no one. I checked before coming here." Archer: "My intuition never fails."She starts walking toward me, bow drawn. [Damn it, I need to get out of here.] I prepare to sprint.Archer: "Whoever you are, come out now. We won't hurt you." [Yeah, sure, like I believe that.]Swordsman 1: "Wait!" He starts running toward me. In panic, I use my Escape ability and dash away through the trees. But the archer's arrow flies... and boom.