"Hm. Book good. Magic in pages."

The Goblin nodded to himself while he scrutinized the old book he found. It was filled with magic spells and strange words too complex for him to read but he grasped the basics of the book. It was an old tome written by a mage long ago. That was easy to understand.

Noises. Bestial grunting and snapping clicks alerted the Goblin of the dungeon's other inhabitants. He stuffed the book immediately into the bag over his shoulder along with some gems and other magical artifacts. In the darkness of the unlit dungeon, he shuffled along the walls and among the shadows. He passed the long defunct traps and cursed runes easily for he had already mapped this place extensively in his mind after countless months of living here.

Left. Forwards 20 steps. Avoid trap. Go right. Forwards.

His small feet made no noise as he ran. He jumped over pit traps and dodged arrows that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The monsters that prowled the dark hallways only saw a green blur pass by them and the only noise they heard was the occasional sounds of rocks being kicked. Others saw a glimmer of crimson as the Goblins glanced at them, but it was just a fleeting glimmer in the darkness.

This was life in the dungeon and he has grown used to it. Monsters prowled every dark corner and hallways. Rooms are trapped or are infested by the occasional Mimic. And only the strongest can rest leisurely within this dark maze. The Goblin wasn't strong. In fact, he was weak. Very, very weak. He scavenges for the scraps left by the monsters after tearing each other apart and he would usually loot the occasional body of an unfortunate adventurer.

This was life. It's his life.

He groaned softly, there was a slime oozing along the hallway beside him. He kicked it and it began to move away from him and away from a special place in the dungeon. A small wooden door with runes etched all over its surface. It was a good door for him. Keeps monsters out and keeps treasures in.

"Safe. Home is here."

He pushed open the door and the runes began to glow a soft, blue light.

Inside is a room that didn't look like it was part of a dungeon. It had a chandelier that hang over a central table where a vase with flowers bloomed with bright and vivid colors. There were bookshelves filled with books and treasures piled around the corners of the large room. On one side of the room is a small fountain that provided the Goblin fresh water from underground and a small cluster of mushrooms sprang from its side.

Yes. This is home. It is safe and there are no monsters here thanks to the wards he put up on the door.

The Goblin dumped the contents of the bag onto the table and nodded. The book is there, a small dagger, and a large handful of treasures. He nodded and smiled proudly at today's haul and he hopped around in celebration. It is not everyday one can acquire this much treasure. Some days, the Goblin would return with a few broken bones and bruises with nothing to show for it.

But today is good. Today, he found something worth more than gems. He found another book! A magic book! The Goblin smiled and looked around his room. He had a new book to add to his collection! He hopped around, clutching the book tightly with both of his arms. Its magical energy made it warm to the touch.

In fact, almost all of the items in this room is magic. If a group of adventurers were to wander into this room, they could mistake it as one of the dungeon's treasure rooms. Which isn't exactly wrong, but that wasn't the room's original function. It was supposed to be a room where adventurers could rest, but thanks to its current tenant's hardwork, splendid treasure and magical artifacts now filled its confines.

But the Goblin didn't care much about that wealth. All he cared about was the knowledge in those books. Carefully, he lifted a finger and pointed at a crystal poking out of the wall. Magic coalesced into his fingers and the air around him reverberated with the same magical energy.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"Light!"

His gutteral voice bounced off the walls and the magic shot out from the tip of his finger. It struck the crystal but it didn't shatter it into a million tiny pieces. Instead, it absorbed the magic and it let out a nice, warm light that made it easier for him to read.

"Good. Good. Need food."

The Goblin waddled over towards the fountain and washed his hands in the small well underneath it. He plucked a handful of the edible mushrooms and ran them through the cold water that flowed into the well. Once that's done, he set them on the stone table and pointed at it.

"Fire!"

A small flame flickered in front of his fingers but it was still hot enough to char the surface of the mushrooms. After a few seconds, he stopped and nodded proudly to himself.

The atmosphere is good, there are mushrooms to snack on while he read, and it was quiet. The Goblin smiled and sat down on his chair with the magical book in his hand. He leaned back, relaxed, and began to read through his new book. Hopefully, he would be able to learn a good spell to repair some of the items. He ignored the roars and the sound of flesh being torn apart outside of his room and focused on deciphering the words in the pages.

"Guwah?"

He shot up from his chair and looked around frantically. There was drool on the table and on the pages of the book, but that wasn't what woke him up from his nap.

There were noises outside of his door. Well, there has always been noises outside but these ones are different. It wasn't the usual howls and chittering noises that came from the monsters that roamed this part of the dungeon. The sounds were-

"I think we took a wrong turn!"

"Shut up, Stefan! I'm working on it!"

"Hurry! They're gaining on us! We need to hide somewhere!"

Those were words. And they're coming from down the hallway.

At first the Goblin felt embarrassed. There were visitors! Visitors! The room was cluttered with treasure and books and he had nothing to serve them! He was about to start putting away things into neat piles when he realized something. He is a Goblin in a dungeon. No one wants to visit a dungeon, much less a Goblin. Those aren't guests, they're-

"Adventurers."

The Goblin eyes the door warily. He was sure no adventurers would come here thanks to the strong monsters outside.

This must've been a powerful group then. And if they're powerful, they'll surely kill him. Then take his treasure. Take his books! The Goblins ran around frantically, looking for a weapon to help defend his home. Finally, he settled on a magical sword that shot out freshwater whenever you swing it. He clutched it tightly and waited for them to burst through the door.

The footsteps grew louder. They were close now. The Goblin tensed up, he never held a sword in his life but he was ready to defend his home the moment those people came barging in with their weapons. He clutched the hilt tightly and he was ready to swing at the door when he saw light and shadows from the door's gaps.

But the noises passed. The adventurers passed by the door and the Goblin could tell that they were now running down the hallway and away from his door. He breathed a sigh of relief and slumped back. For a moment there, he thought he would have had to deal with some pesky adventurers.

He was about to drop his sword when he heard it. His pointy ears twitched at the sound. Footsteps, from down the hall! They're coming back! His eyes widened and he grabbed for the sword again, his heart racing with each moment as the sound drew nearer.

"See?! There's a door here!"

"Open it then!"

"I'm trying!"

They're just outside the door! Someone was banging on it and the handle was being rattled violently from the outside.

Three voices, two females and one male. The Goblin's eyes narrowed at the enchantments as it began to glow. They were trying to break in and they sounded desperate. But the Goblin was confident in the door's strength, nothing can open it except for him. Still, he was wary of those on the other side. They sounded dangerous, and there was something else coming up from the hallway.

"P-Please! If anyone's there! Help us!"

The Goblin flinched. Two of the voices were now sobbing outside while one of them is begging for entry.

"Shit! It's here! It's here!"

His head snapped to the side. Heavy footsteps are now descending down the stairway at the end of the hallway. He shivered at the sound and looked back at the door.

"Please... someone... save us."

The Goblin snapped up from his spot and dashed towards the door with sword in hand. He grabbed the handle and twisted it sharply before pulling the door with all of his strength.His heart thumped loudly as he peered into the darkness of the dungeon.

"Get in! Get in!"

He snapped at the three shapes in the dark hallway. Immediately, they scrambled forwards before tripping on one another. The Goblin let out a shrill yelp as they fell on top of him, nearly crushing him in the process.

"Door! Door! Door!"

He yelled out as he pointed a claw at the wooden door. One of the figures kicked it shut and they all waited in silence as the footsteps passed by. After a few moments, there was silence. One of the figures sighed and turned towards their savior to thank him or her.

Then they started to scream.