The room of runes had little left to offer after I had finished exploring, it was a dead end without a connecting tunnel. Leaving me little choice but to backtrack the way I had entered. I went back to the goblin I had left earlier, he was still intently standing watch on the corridor where we had heard the minotaur. But its footsteps had faded further into the distance, but my instincts were still telling me to keep to the shadows.

The runes had left a mark on me, I felt like for the first time I had some kind of purpose. I wasn’t just here to survive anymore, but right now, survival was all that mattered.

The goblin’s form still felt clumsy and limiting, a fleshy prison that felt like it was eroding what humanity I had left. I was low to the ground, forced to creep through the dungeon like vermin. But I hoped that each step brought progress, a step closer to mastering the power in this body. I could still feel the essence of the wolf and the hobgoblin, lingering in the back of my subconscious. The sensation of the borrowed strength that I had adopted as my own made me slightly bolder, even as I edged closer to what I believed was the heart of the goblin camp on this floor of the dungeon.

Their faint chattering was growing louder, the scent of their musk was still pungent to my senses. But it was getting harder to feel disgusted as I became accustomed to my own smell. I was close enough now to make out snippets of conversation, mostly complaints over hunger and fear.

“Chief says… stay here…” one voice grumbled, “but it’s close. Too close to the minotaur.”

The words made my gut tighten, I still found it hard to believe that goblins had become organised enough to have a leader. On the surface and in weaker dungeons they were too stupid to be this organised, yet here they were having formed some kind of hierarchy. I still couldn’t believe it. But the goblin chief might possess skills or knowledge that I could use.

I cautiously approached, lowering myself back into the goblin’s skulking stance. The path ahead opened into a dim cavernous room with rough walls lit by crude torchlight. In the centre stood what I presumed was the goblin chief. His skin was mottled and scarred, his eyes a sharp yellow that was missing the dull gaze of the goblins I was used to. His physique was somewhere between a regular goblin and a hobgoblin, he wasn’t quite as imposing but his stature was apparent in goblin company.

I could feel my excitement getting the best of me, if I could assimilate with the chief then my strength and authority would notably increase. Manipulating the goblins would be childsplay.

Just as I sauntered forward, a faint skittering sound echoed from above, like dry leaves caught by a sudden breeze. I froze as a sudden dread filled my stomach, slowly craning my head upward as the chief barked orders to his followers, oblivious to the danger above. In the shadows I could just make it out, a massive cave spider perched in the ceiling. Multiple eyes piercing down through the darkness, surveying the entire room as it waited for the perfect moment to strike.

The chief turned suddenly, catching sight of me. His eyes narrowed as suspicion flickered across his face, but before he could bark an order the spider dropped from the ceiling. The spider landed behind the chief, towering over us all. It slammed its legs down impaling a goblin at the chief's side.The goblin let out a high-pitched screech as another unlucky goblin was snatched up in the spider’s mandibles. Its screams echoing through the cave as the spider began its feast.

The chief bellowed out a thunderous war cry, rallying the goblins to defend their domain, but I could hear the uncertainty in his call to arms. I glanced from the chief to the spider, calculating my options. I could fight the spider in this form, but I’d be clumsy and slow. No, I needed something stronger - something with physical presence and experience that this body lacked.

The decision was an easy one to make.

In the midst of the chaos, I took advantage of the spider’s surprise attack. Enhancing the strength in my legs with the power of the hobgoblin, I quickly closed the distance until I was beside the chief. Using the dust and confusion as a smokescreen, I latched onto the chief’s soldier with shadowy tendrils that erupted from my arm.

The strange, twisting connection formed between us instantly, our minds wrestling as I slipped into his consciousness, seizing control and subduing his will. The sensation was sharper this time, I was acutely aware of the chief’s mind attempting to rebel against mine, struggling to resist. But my new found conviction, my drive to survive overwhelmed him completely into submission. This body was now mine, I had successfully managed to move from one host to another.

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I felt my muscles surging with a new found strength as I claimed the new body, my tendrils flooding through the body enforcing every aspect with the power I had gathered so far. Power surged through me - my skin was tougher, my body more responsive. I gripped the club the chief was carrying, its weight comfortable and familiar. I let out a primal roar that silenced the goblins surrounding me.

The goblins appeared to be momentarily dazed, to them it must have looked like their leader had gone into a sudden frenzy. His movements suddenly sharper and predatory, his gaze fiercer with a new found purpose. But nobody was more confused than the goblin that stood beside me. My previous host was completely befuddled.

“What’s… what’s going on?” The goblin muttered in confusion, unsure of how it got there. I had managed to completely subdue it’s consciousness when I had inhabited it’s body.

For a brief moment, an internal struggle erupted within my mind. An onslaught of fractured memories overwhelmed me from the chief’s mind, trying to resist. I quickly squashed it, with ruthless oppression as I reasserted my control. This body was mine now.

“Attack!” I quickly asserted my dominance on the goblins to quash their doubts, rallying them to attack the spider.

The spider was undeterred, advancing as its long, hairy legs scraped against the ground eyeing up its next prey. I hefted the club, feeling my strength coursing through my body. I met the spider’s gaze with a snarl, it lunged towards me, a blur of chitin and malice, but I was ready.

With a fierce swing, I brought the club down on its front legs, enhancing my strength to its limit. Its limbs shattered with a satisfying crunch.

The spider reeled back, scuttling along the floor as it hissed out in fury. But I didn’t relent, I pursued the towering monstrosity and slammed my club into another leg with a similar result.

The goblins started to cheer as they watched the spider backpedal, emboldened by their chief’s prowess they rushed forward to hack at the spider’s legs with their crude weapons.

As we fought, my previous host watched with a wary gaze, its suspicion deepening as it tried to piece together its fractured mind. When the spider finally collapsed, its legs crumbled beneath it as its body laid there broken and twitching.

My previous host approached me, his eyes narrowing.

“You…” he said slowly, a growl lacing his tone. “You… different.”

I felt a chill run down my spine, a sharp awareness that the goblin’s dim mind had managed to piece together the truth so quickly. My previous host must have been more aware of me than I had anticipated. Other goblins turned to him in confusion, their dull stares flickering between us.

“Spider blood poison you, make you mad!” I snapped, forcing a rough authority into my voice as if willing them to believe. “Fall in line!”

But the goblin stood its ground, clenching its axe tightly. “You… something else,” it snarled, stepping closer.

The others began to catch the tension, murmuring uncertainty. I could feel my control slipping already.

The urge to flee was building, a fleeting desire to abandon this body and dissolve into the shadows. But I had worked so hard for this, I couldn’t let some stupid goblin thwart me. Not now that I had a body I could suitably move in. Then a dark instinct came over me, colder. A primal urge immersed in my own survival, he could expose me - I couldn’t allow that.

Without hesitation, I raised my club as I stared the goblin down.

He hesitated, and in that brief moment, I struck. The club crashed down into his skull with a sickening crunch. He crumpled to the ground before me, his eyes wide with disbelief and confusion even in death.

The silence that followed was thick and suffocating. It felt like every goblin there was staring, taking turns looking at me and then the body, uncertain and afraid. But their primitive minds accepted the display of power without question, perhaps afraid, they slowly lowered their heads in submission.

The weight of what I had just done settled over me. This wasn’t a skirmish or a duel, there was no honour in this. It was an execution, cold and calculated. I saw an opportunity to eliminate a threat to my survival, and I took it without question. The goblin was no match for me, yet I had struck it down without a thought because it dared to question me.

I could feel the shreds of my humanity recoiling in horror, the memory of my former self was slowly fading. This dungeon was changing me, twisting my instincts toward survival at any cost. Was this the path I had chosen? Or was it the path that had been forced upon me?

I steeled myself, turning to the remaining goblins as I kept a hard and unforgiving expression.

“We move deeper.” I commanded, forcing the words past the buildup of disgust in my mouth. “Gather weapons. Minotaur still hunts, but we go. Now.”

The goblins scrambled to obey, driven more by fear than loyalty. But I doubted these creatures really understood the concept. Their low murmurs betrayed the seeds of doubt sown by their fallen comrade. They gathered their weapons and what little provisions they had.

I forced myself to ignore the shame that was gnawing at me, those emotions wouldn’t serve me here. I had to survive and the life of one, meagre goblin was a price I was willing to pay.

We headed towards the tunnels, moving deeper into the dungeon. We marched cautiously and quietly, without sight of the minotaur we weren’t clear of its looming presence until we descended to the next floor.

For better or worse, I would see this through to the end.