First hurdle

I exhaled heavily, feeling the exhaustion creeping into my limbs. That was close.

I checked my injuries. A few cuts and bruises, but nothing serious. My armor had held up well, but my vambrace was dented from deflecting blows.

Looking down, I counted five glowing blue gems—my rewards for the battle.

I picked them up, pocketing them carefully.

The fights were only getting harder, but with every battle, I grew stronger, faster, smarter.

And I still had a long way to go.

I barely had time to catch my breath before I heard it—the faint shuffle of feet on stone.

I turned, gripping my axe tightly as four new figures emerged from the darkness.

Goblins. But these weren't like the others.

Their weapons were sharpened, polished, not the usual rusted junk. Their armor—patched leather and mismatched iron plates—was in far better condition than what I'd seen before. And their eyes... their yellow, gleaming eyes weren't filled with the reckless hunger of their weaker kin.

These ones were trained. Experienced. Elite.

I cursed under my breath.

Dungeons really are vicious—I can't even rest for a moment.

One of the goblins, a spear-wielding one, snarled something in its guttural tongue, and the others spread out, moving with frightening coordination.

They weren't going to let me escape.

I tightened my grip, steadying myself. This was going to be tough.

The Battle Begins

The first goblin lunged—short sword flashing in the dim cavern light. I barely dodged in time, stepping back as its blade sliced the air where my chest had been.

Before I could counter, the spear goblin struck, thrusting forward in a precise attack. I raised my vambrace-covered arm, deflecting the spear, but the impact jarred my bones.

The third goblin, wielding a curved dagger, rushed in from the side. I twisted, narrowly avoiding a slash aimed at my ribs.

Damn it. They're fast.

The fourth goblin—the biggest one, armed with a broad axe—held back, observing. Waiting.

I grit my teeth. If I let them control the pace, I'd be overwhelmed.

I needed to disrupt their formation.

With a roar, I lunged toward the sword goblin, swinging my axe in a heavy downward strike. It dodged, but that was fine—I had no intention of hitting it.

Instead, I let the force of my swing carry me into a spin, using my momentum to bring my left arm crashing into the dagger goblin.

BAM!

The full weight of my vambrace-clad arm slammed into its face, sending it stumbling backward with a yelp.

One down—temporarily.

I barely had time to celebrate before the spear goblin thrust at me again.

I sidestepped, catching the shaft with my free hand, yanking it forward, and bringing my axe upward in a vicious arc.

The goblin screeched as my axe bit deep into its shoulder, cleaving through flesh and bone.

Two down.

Pain exploded in my side.

I grunted, stepping back as the sword goblin's blade nicked my ribs. It had capitalized on my attack, striking the moment my guard was open.

The dagger goblin, now recovered, joined in—its blade flashing toward my throat.

I barely managed to duck, feeling the cold steel graze the top of my ear.

Damn it, they were good.

I needed to finish this—fast.

Breaking Through

I shifted my grip on my axe and threw it.

Not at a goblin—at the ground.

The heavy blade buried itself in the dirt, kicking up dust and debris.

The goblins flinched, their vision momentarily obscured.

That was all the time I needed.

I lunged into the dust cloud, yanking my axe free mid-motion and swinging at the dagger goblin's neck.

The blade bit deep, silencing it instantly.

Three down.

The sword goblin panicked, stepping back—right into my kick.

The force sent it sprawling, and before it could recover, I drove my axe into its chest.

Four down.

Or so I thought.

A heavy force slammed into my side.

I gasped as I was sent flying, my back crashing into a stone wall.

The axe goblin.

I'd forgotten about him.

He stood unscathed, barely winded, his broad axe resting on his shoulder.

Unlike the others, he didn't rush in.

He just watched me, grinning.

I coughed, wiping blood from my mouth.

This one...

This one was different.

And I was already exhausted.

I spat blood onto the cavern floor, rolling my shoulders as I steadied my breath. Damn, that one actually hurt. My ribs throbbed from where a goblin's club had struck, and fatigue clung to my limbs like a heavy cloak. But the fight wasn't over yet.

The last goblin stood before me, taller and broader than the rest. His green skin bore scars, and his sharp yellow eyes glowed with malice. He wasn't some mindless dungeon spawn—this one had experience.

The massive axe resting on his shoulder looked heavy enough to cleave a man in two. He wasn't in a hurry. Confident. Arrogant, even.

I exhaled sharply, then smirked.

"You know," I said, wiping my mouth, "for a dungeon rat, you actually hit harder than I expected."

The goblin's grin widened, revealing jagged yellow teeth.

"But…" I straightened up, rolling my neck until I heard a satisfying crack. "You're still just another nameless monster. Nothing special."

The goblin's grin vanished. His yellow eyes narrowed.

Good. That got under his skin.

I raised my hand and curled my fingers, gesturing him forward. "Come on, big guy. Let's see if you're any better than your friends."

The Clash Begins

The goblin snarled and lunged, his massive axe whistling through the air.

I ducked just in time, feeling the wind of his swing rush past my head. The sheer force of it carved a deep gash into the stone wall behind me.

Shit. That would've taken my head clean off.

No time to think. I pivoted, swinging my own axe in a low arc toward his unguarded ribs.

CLANG!

Sparks flew as his axe handle blocked my strike.

Before I could pull back, he twisted his weapon, forcing my axe upward and leaving my chest open.

I saw his knee coming but barely managed to move in time—his strike still grazed my side, knocking the breath out of me.

I staggered back, gritting my teeth.

He was strong and fast.

He was strong and fast. Stronger than the other goblins. Smarter too.

And worst of all, he was patient.

He wasn't wildly attacking like the weaker ones. He was analyzing me.

"Alright, big guy," I muttered. "Let's even the odds."

I grabbed a second axe from my belt and took a low stance.

His eyes flicked to my new weapon, calculating.

Then, without warning, I charged.

A Brutal Exchange

I swung both axes at once—one high, one low.

The goblin blocked the high strike with his axe handle and stepped back from the low one.

I didn't stop. I pressed forward, striking relentlessly.

Left axe—blocked.

Right axe—parried.

A feint—he dodged.

An overhead strike—he sidestepped.

Every move I made, he countered perfectly.

And then he lashed out.

His axe came in fast, a brutal horizontal swing.

I ducked, feeling the blade slice a few strands of my hair.

Before I could counter, he spun, bringing his axe down like a hammer.

I barely had time to cross my axes over my head in defense.

BOOM!

The impact shook my arms, my knees buckling.

Shit, he's strong.

He pressed down, trying to crush me under sheer force.

I growled, muscles straining, and with a desperate shove, I kicked off the ground, twisting my body to the side.

His axe slammed into the stone where I'd been, the force cracking the ground.

I landed hard, rolling to absorb the impact.

I was breathing heavily now.

This wasn't like fighting normal goblins.

This was a true fight to the death.

And I was already running on fumes.

I backstepped, reaching for my potion pouch. The goblin hesitated, watching me closely, probably expecting some kind of trick.

Good. Keep watching.

I popped the cork off a stamina potion, tossing it back in one gulp.

The liquid burned down my throat, and almost instantly, I felt a wave of energy flood my muscles. The exhaustion in my limbs eased, and my breathing evened out.

The goblin snarled and lunged again—he must've realized I was recovering.

Too late.

I stepped forward, meeting his charge head-on.

Breaking His Rhythm

He swung his axe in a brutal overhead smash—the same move that nearly crushed me earlier.

This time, I didn't dodge.

Instead, I angled my left vambrace and caught the haft of his axe, redirecting its force.

His weapon slammed into the ground beside me—and now, for the first time, he was open.

I struck.

My right axe buried deep into his knee.

The goblin screeched, dropping to one leg.

I didn't stop.

I yanked my axe free and brought both weapons down in a vicious cross-cut.

My blades tore through his neck.

The goblin's head hit the cavern floor with a sickening thud.

His body slumped forward, twitching for a second—then stillness.

I stood there, panting.

Blood dripped from my axes.

My arms burned. My ribs ached. My breath was ragged.

But I won.

I let out a shaky exhale and stepped back, surveying the aftermath.

Four dead goblins and one elite.

That was the hardest fight I'd had so far.

But I was still standing.