Before leaving the chamber, Kaden inspected the holes thoroughly. But there wasn’t much he could find out. Looking into them, he couldn’t see very far due to the darkness. Even worse, air kept blowing into his eye sockets, turning everything blurry. It was a strange feeling.

Though he was curious to see where it led to, it would take him far too long to dig out the tiny holes. He decided to leave the mystery behind, at least for now, and turned his focus back to his secret, new plan.

Step one was finding some goblins.

That part was easy. Not even half a day later, he'd stumbled upon a trio of them meandering through the winding corridors of the dungeon. They moved clumsily, their bare feet slapping against the cold stone floor, snorting and cackling as they went.

Kaden lingered in the shadows, his glowing eye sockets sharp with focus. He felt the pulse of his newfound power thrumming in his bones and considered his chances. He felt confident, but confidence alone was a dangerous thing. A reckless move could spell trouble. So he waited, watching as they continued their mindless chatter, their high-pitched voices like nails scraping against stone.

One of them caught his eye immediately—a scrawny little creature, a whole head shorter than the other two. Its skin was a sickly shade of green, and its ears were uneven, one flopping downward like a wilted leaf. The other two were clearly in charge, their hulking frames moving with a crude sort of confidence. Every few steps, they shoved and poked the smaller one. Kaden had overheard it being called Slib.

"Carry this, Slib!" one of the larger goblins barked, thrusting a heavy basket into Slib’s already overburdened arms.

“I-I—" Slib stammered, its voice barely more than a squeak as it tried to balance the load.

“This too!” the second goblin sneered, tossing its own basket on top with a sharp, cruel laugh.

The stack of baskets towered above Slib, who could barely see anything. Its small frame wobbled under the weight, and with a yelp, it stumbled backward, crashing into the stone wall. The baskets tumbled to the ground with a clatter, spilling out a rotten assortment of moldy bread, decaying fruit, and some unidentifiable mush.

Panicking, Slib rushed to pick up the items, hastily throwing them back in the baskets.

"Slib useless!" the larger goblins jeered, their contemptuous laughter echoing through the corridors. One grabbed Slib roughly by the scruff of its neck, yanking it up and shoving the baskets back into its arms. Slib's small body sagged, but it didn't dare resist.

Kaden’s eyes narrowed as he continued to observe from the shadows. He silently tracked the goblins as they moved deeper into the dungeon, eventually arriving at a moss-covered section where the air was thick with the scent of damp earth. The walls were coated with a slick layer of green, and tendrils of ivy snaked their way toward the ceiling.

The goblins muttered to each other, clearly disgruntled, as they began to forage, yanking at various plants growing between the cracks in the stone floor. Kaden understood now why so many of these creatures wandered the caverns, weak and poorly armed—they were not hunters. They were gatherers, scrounging for whatever scraps and materials they could find.

Somehow already tired of working, the two larger goblins plopped down onto the ground, their chins resting on their palms, watching lazily as Slib got to work. It was obvious they had no intention of lifting a finger.

Slib, on the other hand, was visibly frustrated, but fear outweighed the annoyance in its eyes. It muttered under its breath, yanking at stalks of some fibrous plant that clung stubbornly to the soil. Its tiny hands strained, veins bulging as it tried to uproot a particularly stubborn stalk.

“Urghhh!” Slib grunted, its entire body trembling from the struggle.

The larger goblins erupted into laughter, rolling onto their sides and clutching their bellies.

“Pull harder, Slib!” one taunted, clapping its hands in a mocking rhythm.

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“Pull, pull, pull!” the other joined in, their voices merging into a cruel chant. “Slib so weak!”

Slib's face contorted with frustration and determination. Beads of sweat trickled down its grimy forehead as it gritted its teeth, digging its heels into the dirt for one final yank. The plant finally gave way, sending Slib sprawling backward into some mud.

“Ha! Look, Slib fall down like baby gob!” one of the goblins chortled, pointing and shaking with laughter.

Kaden shifted slightly, still concealed, his grip tightening around his blood-stained claws. He listened carefully, checking for any sounds of others nearby. Nothing. The dungeon was otherwise silent.

Two choices presented themselves.

The first: he could wait for them to finish, then follow them back to their cave. Knowing where they lived, he could hide outside, picking off any goblins who wandered out of the camp. Without the safety of numbers, they were easy prey. A slow strategy, but safe.

He liked the plan, but it was probably going to take a while before they would head back. The tiny goblin was working slow, and there was a lot of baskets to fill. They had even brought lunch. Also—perhaps the worst part—he would miss out on the perfect chance for some extra experience.

He much preferred the second option, which was to just attack right here. As far as he could tell, they were alone. The two larger goblins were lounging lazily, and would hardly be able to respond to a sudden attack. Even if they could, he favored his chances against them.

As for the pathetic, small one, Slib… Kaden would leave it alive. At least, for now. He would use it to lead him to their camp. After that… well, he’d kill it.

Both plans led to the same outcome, but the second one promised an immediate reward that was hard to refuse.

He took a deep breath, then sprang from the shadows like a coiled serpent, activating his skill. The cool energy rapidly seeped into his bones, and his sudden movement was a blur in the dim light as he moved with tremendous speed.

The goblins barely had time to react.

“What—?!” one of the larger goblins sputtered, scrambling to its feet. But it was too slow. Kaden was upon it in an instant, releasing his skill and driving both claws deep into its chest. The satisfying crunch of bone and tearing flesh filled the air. The goblin’s eyes widened in shock, its mouth opening in a gurgling scream that was cut short as it toppled backward, dead before it hit the ground.

The second goblin let out a roar, fumbling for a rusted knife at its belt. But its bravado quickly faded as Kaden whirled toward it. The goblin swung wildly, its eyes wide with panic. Kaden dodged effortlessly, moving like a shadow, then retaliated with a vicious slash across its face. The goblin shrieked, clutching its bloody face, staggering back.

Slib dropped the weeds and stood frozen, watching with a mix of horror and fascination.

Kaden seized the moment, closing the distance in a heartbeat. He drove his claws deep into the second goblin’s throat. The creature gurgled, its eyes bulging as it clawed uselessly at Kaden’s arm, then crumpled to the ground in a heap.

─ Level 5 Goblin slain.

─ Reward: 223 Experience Points

─ Level 4 Goblin slain.

─ Reward: 165 Experience Points

Breathing heavily, Kaden stood over the two lifeless bodies, his bones almost humming with a dark satisfaction. The rush of adrenaline coursed through him like a burning river. It had been too easy. Checking his stamina, he still had more than half remaining.

He flicked the blood from his claws with a satisfied grin and turned his gaze to Slib, who was trembling uncontrollably, eyes wide with terror.

“As for you..” Kaden moved slowly, deliberately, toward Slib, enjoying the way the little goblin’s eyes grew wider with each step.

“Skeleton talk?!” Slib shrieked, shrinking back as it began to plead, its voice shrill and shaky. “Great skeleton! No hurt Slib!” It dropped to its knees, clasping its hands together as if in prayer. “Slib no fight! Slib do what skeleton wants!”

Kaden knelt down, leveling his gaze with Slib’s, and spoke in a low, commanding tone. "You lead me to your camp," he hissed, "or I make you wish I killed you now."

Slib nodded frantically, its uneven ears flopping as it bobbed its head. “Yes, yes! Slib lead! Slib take skeleton to cave!” it babbled, fear lacing every word. "Slib show all places!"

Kaden grabbed Slib by the scruff of its neck, yanking it to its feet and quickly patting down the goblin, searching for weapons. He didn’t find any.

"Good," Kaden muttered. "But if you lie… if you try to trick me…" He let the threat hang in the air, giving Slib a dark, meaningful look.

Slib gulped and nodded again, its knees shaking so badly it could barely stand. "No trick! No trick!" it squeaked. "Slib swear! Slib swear on…" it hesitated, then blurted, "…on Slib’s head!"

Satisfied for the moment, Kaden nodded. “Stay right there,” he commanded. “Don’t move. I have something to take care of first.”

He watched to make sure Slib understood, then turned his attention to the dead goblins. He snatched the rusted knife from the second goblin's belt, cutting a strip of cloth and tying it around his waist like he had done once before.

The other goblin had a bat, one it hadn’t even gotten the chance to use before Kaden killed it. He took it, and gave it a quick swing. It felt solid in his grip, and he was already thinking up interesting ways to make use of it. They were worth trying.

But not yet. Putting the weapons away, he held eye contact with Slib, his grin widening. He leaned down and tore into the fallen goblins, his teeth sinking into flesh, gorging himself on their bodies.

Slib gasped, a soft whimper escaping its lips. The little goblin's eyes were squeezed shut, its hands covering its face as it rocked back and forth, muttering under its breath, “No see, no see, no see…”

The feast was only beginning.