Ethan unlocked the door and pushed it open, activating his wand as he cautiously peered into the cavern. This time, there were no skittering sounds, giving him a momentary sense of relief. Slowly, he stepped outside, meticulously surveying every corner of the cavern to ensure there were no lurking threats. Satisfied with his inspection, he made his way towards the tunnel.
Following his previous path, Ethan retraced his steps and soon arrived at the same junction. He marked the wall with the stick taser, scratching an X as a makeshift sign. Regretfully, he had forgotten to bring chalk, but the X would have to suffice for now. Choosing the right tunnel, he proceeded forward, moving with caution.
The tunnel twisted and turned, leading him up and down. In a few places, he had to crawl, but when the passageway narrowed to the point of squeezing through, he decided against risking it. Turning back, he retraced his steps, making his way back to the junction. He remained optimistic that there must be an exit somewhere. After all, the workshop had been built, which meant there had to be a tunnel leading out. His task now was to meticulously map the tunnels to find his way.
Returning to the junction, Ethan chose the left tunnel this time. It bore a resemblance to the previous one, but it was wider, and the floor appeared to have been intentionally smoothed, possibly through manual labor. Kneeling down, he inspected the floor and noticed faint tool marks. A smile crossed his face as he realized this could be his escape route. If he could trace the path, it was likely to lead somewhere.
As Ethan continued walking, the tunnel gradually changed. He observed more signs of excavation and eventually arrived at a room. It wasn't a natural cave formation; it was unmistakably a constructed room with a high ceiling supported by pillars. The circular room featured precisely nine pillars and four doorways, including the one he had just entered. Ethan marveled at the architectural wonder but made sure to mark his passage with an X once again.
Curiosity consumed him as he ventured further into the room, spinning in place to take in his surroundings. The pillars appeared to have been carved from the natural rock, adorned with strange runes and pictorial depictions. These images depicted humanoid creatures, along with a larger, blocky entity that both humans and creatures seemed to bow before.
Lost in his study of the pillars, Ethan failed to notice the creatures scurrying in the darkness until he heard a low cough. He froze in place, slowly turning and raising his wand, only to come face-to-face with a scene straight out of a childhood storybook. Little green creatures with sharp teeth, ragged attire, rusty weapons, and seemingly abysmal hygiene stood before him—goblins.
Ethan held out his stick taser, but the goblins responded with a chorus of mocking laughter that seemed to emanate from all directions. A larger specimen stepped forward, sporting slightly better gear than the others, and regarded Ethan with a derisive expression. Speaking in a throaty language that Ethan couldn't understand, the goblin gestured towards him and pointed at the armor he was wearing.
Struggling to maintain a steady voice, Ethan mustered his courage, though it faltered slightly. "I don't know what you're saying, but... But you can have it if you leave me alone!"
The goblins burst into laughter once again, clearly understanding Ethan's words. The big goblin took a few steps closer and spoke in a surprisingly deep voice, now in English. "You make this? We want it!"
Ethan nodded nervously. "I did... Please, just..."
The goblin grinned menacingly. "You'll be a slave of the Great Gachuk. You'll make things for me! For all of us!"
A shiver ran down Ethan's spine as he tried to slowly retreat, heading towards the tunnel he had entered from. But he could hear footsteps behind him, echoing his every move. He swallowed hard. "Um... I don't want to be a slave of the Great Gachuk, but maybe we could negotiate?"
The large goblin laughed heartily. "No negotiations. You will be a slave. There's no escape from the Great Gachuk!"
With those final words, the goblin waved his hand, and Ethan could hear the pitter-patter of little feet sprinting towards him from behind. He didn't need to shout it, but in the heat of the moment, he screamed in a panic-stricken voice, "Activate!"
The stick taser sprang to life in his hands, just in time for him to witness a goblin with wide eyes attempt to halt its advance. However, the others crashed into him, pushing him onto the prongs of the taser. The prongs pierced his chest, and Ethan almost lost his grip on the weapon.
Electricity surged into the goblin, eliciting agonized screams. The lightning arched from one goblin to the next, causing a cascade of pain and terror. Ethan screamed in horror and fear, joining the cacophony of cries reverberating through the air.
Driven by fear, Ethan held onto the weapon, keeping the enchantment going. The smell of cooked meat filled the air, jolting him back to his senses. He abruptly ended the enchantment, but as he did, he heard Gachok's battle cry, accompanied by a charging horde of goblins.
The goblin impaled on his taser slid off, and Ethan ran for his life. Something struck his shoulder, igniting sharp pain, but he pushed through it, determined to create distance between himself and the pursuing goblins. Despite his dire condition, his longer legs gave him a slight advantage, enabling him to gain some ground. Another impact hit his back, and he gasped in agony, but he refused to give up. Finally, he turned a bend in the tunnel.
The goblins continued to scream behind him, driven by fury and bloodlust. Ethan tried to increase his speed, though his burning lungs and jelly-like legs threatened to betray him. If he hadn't been pursued by a pack of deranged goblins, he would have collapsed in exhaustion right then and there.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Finally, he reached the cave with the workshop, dragging himself towards the door. The goblins closed in, now entering the cavern after him. He managed to open the door, throwing himself inside as projectiles clattered around the workshop. Sitting up, he pulled the door shut and swiftly turned the key.
Moments later, the goblins began hammering on the door, a relentless assault that persisted for a long time. Leaning against it, Ethan expressed his gratitude to the skilled craftsman who had constructed the door, as it seemed capable of withstanding the relentless pounding.
Breathing heavily, Ethan's exhaustion was momentarily tempered by a small smile. "Goblins... actual goblins... If there was ever any doubt, that would definitely be enough proof. I'm in an entirely different world now, but it raises countless questions. How? Why?"
Though he had already known he was no longer on Earth, seeing the goblins firsthand solidified his acceptance of the situation, filling him with excitement. This experience potentially validated the multiverse theory, something he had always believed in. The opportunity to explore a different world, a place with different rules where the laws of physics might not apply in the same way or at all, was truly astounding.
Just as he reveled in this realization, a screen suddenly popped up in his vision.
Notice:
Rewards
You have killed 9 Dark Goblins
18 Essence points (EP)
Notice
Rewards
You have earned a new achievement
Area damage specialist
You have on more than one occasion managed to strike several foes with 1 attack.
2 Specialization points (SP)
6 Essence points (EP)
That seemed like a good haul to Ethan, he opened up his status screen, just to get a full picture of his available points.
Name: Ethan Okamura
Ethan Okamura
Age:
26
Jobs:
Basic enchanting
Apprentice
Basic Cooking
Apprentice
Basic Leather working
Apprentice
Essence points (EP)
45
Specialization points (SP)
4
Achievements
First Creation
Area damage Specialist
He glanced at the numbers displayed on the screen and quickly calculated his EP balance. After gaining new jobs, he had 6 EP, and an additional 24 from his encounter with the goblins. Recalling that he had 17 points remaining before, he deduced that he had spent 2 points during the fight. While he had used only 1 point when facing the centipedes, he had kept the taser running for a longer duration against the goblins.
"So, the longer I channel the enchantment, the more EP it consumes. Makes sense, but I need to be cautious. I have a decent reserve of points now, but that could change. It's better to have more and not need them than to run out at a crucial moment," he thought, nodding to himself.
Feeling his throat dry, Ethan stood up and headed towards his dwindling water bucket. He furrowed his brow, wondering how long those goblins would linger. Would he be able to replenish his water supply before it ran out? He had a sinking feeling that those green creatures wouldn't make things easy for him, which meant he needed to find a way to make them leave.
As he reached for the bucket, he noticed a trickle on his arm. Absentmindedly slapping at it, he realized his hands came away slightly bloody. Frowning, he examined his hand and reached up to touch his shoulder, finding a tender cut. Remembering that he had been struck by something, he winced.
Using a wet, albeit dirty, cloth, he dabbed at the wound. It didn't seem too serious, so he decided to leave it for now and focus on solving his goblin predicament.
No immediate solutions presented themselves. While he hadn't thoroughly surveyed the area, he was certain that there were numerous goblins outside. Despite their continued pounding on the door, he chose to ignore it, trusting in the durability of whatever enchantment had been placed on it.
Sitting on the bed, he pondered the problem at hand. Several ideas came to mind, but they all involved some form of grenades or assault rifles. He sighed and glanced over at the book still lying on the workbench, realizing he had to return to studying.
He retrieved the book and brought it back to the bed, skimming through its pages. Some chapters delved into different elements, although the author's explanation was more poetic than scientific. Ethan skipped those sections and found a chapter on utility items—single-use items that required demanding crafting but proved versatile in specific situations. He began reading the chapter, hoping to find inspiration.