Chapter 8: The Goblin Den
A sudden force pulled Maximus forward, twisting his senses as the teleportation took effect. His vision blurred, his stomach churned, and for a brief moment, reality itself seemed to stretch and distort. Then, just as suddenly as it began, the sensation faded, and his feet found solid ground.
The first thing he noticed was the oppressive silence. A dense forest loomed around him, its towering trees casting long shadows under the pale glow of an unseen light source. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth, rotting wood, and something far more unpleasant—decay.
Directly ahead stood a narrow cave entrance, half-hidden behind dense foliage. The jagged rock surrounding it was scarred with deep claw marks, and dried blood stained the ground, marking this as the den of something vicious.
[DUNGEON: GOBLIN DEN]
[TIER 1 DUNGEON GATE DETECTED!]
[EXP Modifier: 5x]
(Normal monsters: 50 EXP, Tier 1 Boss: 1000 EXP, Tier 1 Monsters: 500 EXP.)
[TIME LIMIT: 3:00:00]
[Dungeon Cleansing Begins—Time Starts Now.]
A dungeon with five times the usual experience? Maximus's golden eyes gleamed with opportunity. "This place might be the best leveling ground I've come across yet," he muttered, rolling his shoulders. "But that just means it'll be more dangerous."
He took a cautious step forward, keeping his senses sharp. The closer he got to the entrance, the stronger the stench of death became. His fingers twitched over the handle of his blade as he moved inside.
---
Into the Den
The dim glow of crude wooden torches flickered along the damp stone walls, casting eerie, shifting shadows. The scent of sweat, blood, and filth hung thick in the air, mingling with the faint crackle of burning fat from the torches.
Further in, Maximus caught sight of a crude encampment—a scattering of huts made from bones, tattered rags, and scraps of stolen human belongings. Half-eaten corpses, both human and beast, lay discarded between the structures. The place reeked of violence and primal savagery.
He crouched low, scanning the area. A pair of goblins stood guard near the entrance to the camp, their green, leathery skin glistening under the torchlight. They were slightly larger than the average goblin, their hunched frames covered in crude leather armor.
[Goblin Guards: Stronger than an average goblin (Tier 0)]
Maximus's lips curled into a smirk. I can see their stats now. Useful.
The goblins grunted and chattered in their guttural language, oblivious to his presence.
Killing them with fire would draw too much attention… He silently unsheathed five throwing knives and whispered, "Metal Reinforcement."
A faint metallic shimmer coursed through the blades as they grew stronger—five times stronger, to be exact.
Maximus moved swiftly. In one fluid motion, he threw the knives. The first two struck cleanly into each goblin's skull, while the third embedded itself in a throat, cutting off any chance of a scream. Before the bodies could even slump forward, he dashed in and slit their necks to ensure silence.
[EXP +50]
[EXP +50]
The corpses hit the ground with a dull thud.
He straightened, glancing at the camp. They build shelters? Even if they're small and crude, it means they have some level of intelligence. A slow grin spread across his face. All the better—wood burns easily.
With a flick of his wrist, two flames ignited in his hands.
[MP: 590/610]
The fireballs grew, flickering hungrily as they expanded to the size of melons. He let them loose.
The first exploded against a hut, instantly setting the dry materials ablaze. The second struck another, and within seconds, thick black smoke curled into the cavern's ceiling.
Boom! Boom!
The camp erupted into chaos.
[EXP +50]
[EXP +50]
[EXP +50]
[EXP +50]
Screeches filled the air as goblins scurried out of their shelters. One of them—a scout—spotted him and let out a shrill cry.
"Krikkkkk! (Ambush!)"
More goblins poured out, some wielding rusted blades, others slingshots loaded with poisoned projectiles.
Maximus barely moved his head as a sharpened stick whizzed past his ear. Another flew towards him, coated in a sickly green substance.
Poison-tipped. Good thing I saw it in time.
His gaze locked onto the incoming enemies.
[Goblin Scouts: Small, fast creatures wielding daggers and slingshots.]
A twisted grin spread across his lips. He summoned two more fireballs, flinging them towards the archers.
Boom!
The flames consumed them before they could react.
[EXP +50]
[EXP +50]
Maximus surged forward, cutting down another scout with his sword before a sudden impact sent sparks flying. His blade had been blocked—a goblin warrior had stepped in, raising a crude wooden shield to deflect the blow.
This one was larger, its frame thick with muscle.
[Goblin Warrior (Tier 1): Armed with rusted swords and wooden shields, slightly tougher.]
Maximus narrowed his eyes. Interesting.
Instead of clashing, he feinted left, then thrust his left palm forward. A fireball roared to life and struck the warrior directly in the face. The goblin let out a piercing shriek as its flesh burned away.
[EXP +500]
Before he could fully recover, another fireball came flying at him—this one from above. He barely had time to react, raising his sword to absorb part of the impact.
[HP: 160/180]
He hissed, eyes darting toward the source.
A hunched figure stood in the distance, its skin a sickly shade of green, covered in pulsing black veins. It wore tattered robes stitched together from beast hides, and a gnarled wooden staff crackled with eerie energy in its grip.
[Goblin Shaman (Tier 1): Caster-type goblins that summon fireballs or control weak magic.]
Even worse, it wasn't alone.
Five goblin warriors stood in front of it, shields raised. Another ten scouts flanked its sides, slingshots loaded.
Maximus exhaled sharply. This might be a problem.
He observed the battlefield. They're grouped together… If I throw a large fireball, they won't have time to react.
He took a deep breath. 30 seconds. That's all I need.
The warriors braced their shields, expecting a frontal attack. The scouts loosed their projectiles, and another fireball formed in the shaman's hands.
"Full speed."
Maximus dashed forward, weaving between attacks. The moment the warriors raised their shields, he flicked his wrist—ten knives shot toward the shaman. As expected, the warriors blocked them.
Heh. Just as planned.
He summoned an even larger fireball, pushing his magic to the limit.
[MP: 540/610]
Pain flared in his hands. Damn, this hurts. He clenched his jaw and forced the fire to expand.
The goblins barely had time to react before—
KABOOM!
The explosion engulfed the entire formation.
[EXP +500]
[EXP +500]
[EXP +500]
[EXP +500]
[EXP +100]
Maximus let out a breath, his body trembling slightly from the strain. He pulled up his status.
[STATUS WINDOW]
Level: 2
EXP: 5650/10,000
Time Left: 2:41:29
"Only 19 minutes has passed," he muttered. His golden eyes flickered toward the massive stone doors at the end of the cavern.
Time for the boss.