Slib watched in horror as the monstrous skeleton ripped through his fellow goblins, tearing them apart like they were nothing more than scraps of paper. He trembled violently, like a leaf caught in a fierce storm—though Slib didn’t know what a leaf or storm was.

His throat was parched, and he didn’t dare make a sound, fearing even the faintest whisper might attract the monster’s attention. Yet, no matter how hard Slib tried, his body kept betraying him.

It didn’t make sense. Those two goblins—they were strong. Real strong. Much stronger than Slib. They were always pushing him around, always laughing at him. But now? Now they were dead, their lives gone in an instant, faster than Slib could blink.

Slib’s wide eyes were fixed on their killer, a skeleton drenched in blood, ripping at their guts like a ravenous beast. Blood dripped from its bony jaw like red strings, pooling at its feet. The skeleton didn’t care. It didn’t even notice. It was like one of those monsters from the stories told to baby gobs. Stories Slib had never believed in, until now.

Fear filled Slib’s eyes, but deep down, there was also something else, something he couldn’t quite name. Was it… joy? Yes, a tiny flicker of it, buried beneath the terror.

This was by far the scariest thing Slib had ever seen in his short life. No words he knew were strong enough to describe it. And yet, strangely, the joy kept rising. Slib never liked those goblins, and they never liked Slib either. Most goblins shunned Slib since the day he was born. He didn’t have any friends.

Not Slib’s fault! No, no! Slib thought, shaking his little head furiously.

Many nights, Slib had lain cold and lonely on the cave floor, wondering why. Why did all the goblins hate him? He had thought about it over and over until he finally understood. Slib was different—smarter than the other goblins, and that made them nervous.

Slib never got lost. Slib knew many strange words. Slib had even made the baskets the goblins used to transport food. He was just one month old, but could speak better than goblins twice his age. The others, they were jealous because they were dumb-dumbs. Maybe even scared. Especially Grulak… oh, how Slib hated that dumb-dumb Grulak.

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Kaden wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, glancing at Slib, who continued to rock back and forth, muttering his frantic mantra. Kaden’s lipless grin widened. The sight of the terrified little goblin amused him way too much.

Ignoring the goblin, he picked up a loose rock and knelt beside the bat. Pressing one claw against the bat’s head, he hefted the rock and brought it down with a solid thud, driving the claw into the wood. He paused to check his work, then repeated the process with the second claw.

Kaden took the modified bat and swung it against the wall, the back of the claws striking the wall with a brutal force. The wood creaked as the tips of the claws began to pierce through the other side. He swung again, harder this time, the wood creaking a little louder. He kept going, tiny splinters of wood falling off, until the claws were buried as deep as they could go.

Kaden admired his handiwork for a moment, the goblin’s terrified whimpers barely registering as a faint buzz in the background. The bat now had a cruel new edge—two jagged, blood-stained claws jutting out like grotesque fangs, hungry for a bite of their own. He tested the weight of it, feeling the shift of the crude weapon in his grip. Perfect.

Turning his hollow gaze toward the goblin, Kaden said in a voice that was more rasp than sound, “Hey, Slib.”

But Slib continued to rock back and forth, its eyes unfocused, filled with a vacant, haunted terror, as if it were staring through Kaden and into some abyss only it could see.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

With a sigh, Kaden took a step closer and snapped his fingers, the dry bones clicking loudly in front of the little goblin’s eyes.

Slib jolted, its gaze snapping to Kaden’s.

“Huh? Huh?” it stammered, its small frame shaking from fear. “Y-Yes, Master Skeleton?” Its voice was pitifully weak, each word dripping with a desperate kind of dread.

Kaden wasn’t impressed. The goblin’s cowardly behavior was somehow amusing, annoying, and sad all at once. Holding power over its life felt… exhilarating, but a part of him saw himself in the goblin—weak, useless, entirely at the whims of others. Powerless and relying on their mercy. Just like he had been in his first few lives. He pushed the thought away.

“What is this place?” Kaden asked, looking around the damp cavern.

Slib seemed confused, its head lolling from side to side as it struggled to explain. “Uhh... uhh... food?”

“Yeah… obviously. I can tell that much.” Kaden picked up a pale, limp stalk and turned it over in his skeletal hand. “What do you call it?” Up close, it didn’t look appetizing. Or edible. He took a careless bite and quickly spat it out with a grimace. Definitely not edible.

The goblin blinked rapidly, eyes darting between the stalk and Kaden’s glowing sockets. “C-Caveroot,” it said, shaking, “good eat!”

“Right, have at it then.” Kaden tossed the stalk into the goblin’s hands and turned away, ending the conversation. He wanted to ask more questions, but the terrified goblin was utterly useless at the moment. He picked up the rusted knife and tucked it into his makeshift cloth belt.

He wandered around the cave some more, examining the moss and vines. He took a bite out of a few things, but spat it all out. All of it tasted like dirt, and the void within him was seemingly unable to consume it. That left it sticking to the bones in his mouth and all over his teeth. He had to dig it all out with his fingers.

Having satisfied his curiosity, he returned to Slib. The goblin hadn’t moved a muscle, rooted in the same spot and awkwardly holding the stalk it had been given.

“Aren’t you going to eat it? You said it was good.”

“Huh?” Slib shook and looked down at the stalk in its hands. “Oh. Slib no hungry.”

“Okay. Time to go then.” Kaden shoved Slib forward. “Start walking,” he ordered, keeping a tight grip on the goblin’s collar. “And don’t think for a second I won’t know if you’re leading me the wrong way.”

Slib stumbled ahead, its feet shuffling nervously across the dungeon floor. Kaden followed close behind, eyes scanning the shadows, senses heightened. The thrill of the hunt was still thrumming in his bones, but he kept his focus razor-sharp. If there were more goblins around, he’d be ready. He’d take them all down if he had to.

As they moved deeper into the dungeon, the air grew colder, the shadows darker, the earthly scent fading. Slib whimpered quietly to itself, muttering prayers to something Kaden couldn’t quite make out, its small frame shivering under his grip.

Kaden felt a dark, satisfied smile stretch across his face. The vengeance he had been seeking was getting close, and he was already savoring the rewards that awaited him. He could almost hear the whispers of the dungeon itself, urging him forward, deeper into its depths.

“We is almost there!” Slib said, its voice a quaking whisper. “Is close!”

Kaden gave a quick squeeze in acknowledge, pushing the goblin forward. They walked for a few more minutes before Slib raised its hand, signaling him to stop. It pointed towards a distant corridor, and leaned in close, whispering as quietly as it could. “Is right there!”

Kaden focused his eyes, the glow in his sockets intensifying. A flicker of light danced on the walls ahead. Just like he remembered it. When he listened carefully, he could just barely make out faint goblin voices chattering.

“Skeleton see? Skeleton see? Slib no lie. Slib took skeleton here.” Slib looked up at him, its voice filled with a mix of hope and excitement.

“Right, you did. Come here.” Kaden nodded, dragging the goblin away from the camp and back down the way they came from. Once far enough way, he pulled the rusted knife out. “Now—“

“Wait wait wait!” Slib shrank back in panic, hands raised defensively. “Please! Master skeleton! Great skeleton! Please! Slib do anything! Slib help!”

“Help?” Kaden eyed it doubtfully. “How can you help?”

“Uhh..” Slib hesitated, its ears sagging as it looked down, deep in thought. “Slib do… Slib…”

Slib’s voice trailed off, its eyes darting around as if searching for some hidden answer in the dim shadows. Kaden watched with mild interest, one bony finger tapping against the edge of the rusted knife. He could sense the goblin’s desperation, the frantic scramble to find a reason—any reason—that might convince him to let it live.

“Skeleton kill goblins, yes?” the goblin blurted out finally, eyes wide and pleading. When Kaden nodded, it continued. “Slib also hate goblins! Slib can help!”

Kaden considered its words. The idea had merit, but he wasn’t particularly confident in the goblin’s ability. “How?”

“Slib have many way. Slib weak, but Slib smart!” The little goblin tapped the side of its head, nodding sagely.